Harem Stealer: Reborn with the God-Tier Sharing System Chapter 481 - The Merchant's prowess

"The Merchant."

That name struck Noah's mind like a brutal punch to the head, forcing his eyes to narrow in intense focus without thinking.

From his easy stance, he moved to a grave posture, tilting his head a touch as though he hadn't quite caught the words.

"The Merchant?" Noah repeated, angling his head a bit to the right, his hand propped under his chin in deep thought. The ring on his finger began to shine.

For some odd reason, the name overwhelmed his senses with an eerie sensation. It felt familiar, yet completely foreign at the same time.

Still, it seemed ready to awaken buried recollections, though nothing surfaced.

Noah sensed himself teetering on a brink, reaching out desperately to seize something, but his fingers only grazed it lightly.

Frustration surged within him like a storm.

'What sort of recollections could these be?' Noah wondered to himself, his mind racing wildly to uncover a rational cause for his swirling feelings.

No past events in his thoughts were anything less than fully his own, with absolute certainty. The Prince truly believed no one could plant or hide memories in his head without his knowledge.

Yet if that held true, then this sensation might not stem from memories at all, but from another source...

But what on earth could that be?

"You look deeply lost in thought, my friend," Light sliced through Noah's turbulent mind like a sharp edge, "Don't tell me you actually know The Merchant?"

The Soul Ruler shook his head right away,

"No. That's impossible."

Noah glanced at him, "Why do you say that?"

"You reside in the Universe of Primus, friend Noah. The Merchant hails from the Universe of Ascendancy." Light explained, winking his single eye like a casual shrug, "The sole way for you to learn of him would be if one of you crossed into the other's universe. Even then, it's highly improbable."

"Because if he ever came to Primus, the whole universe would cease to exist." Light added with another shrug.

"How is that possible?" Elira questioned, her brow furrowing just like Noah's and Yuki's, "Is he really that powerful?"

"Powerful?" The Ruler nearly chuckled, "The Merchant is oddly feeble for someone of his fame. By the light that burns me, even you two novices could take him down with enough effort."

Yuki and Elira's mouths twitched. They held back, aware it wasn't the moment to get riled up.

"So what renders him threatening enough to slay a Principality?" Noah inquired, growing ever more baffled by the mystery.

A Principality wasn't just any ordinary being.

Noah had recently learned that the Spirit World consisted of countless Principalities, perhaps hundreds or thousands.

Every Universe in the Waking Reality matched a single Principality in the Spirit World. Inside each Principality, Soul Rulers held supremacy over all but the Principality itself.

One could scarcely fathom the immense strength such an entity commanded. And yet, it fell to someone Yuki and Elira could easily dispatch?

Not that Noah belittled his wives—he'd never dream of it—but reality was they couldn't pull off anything like that.

"Recall his title." Light stated, "He's known as The Merchant. Combat isn't his forte, my friend, as you'll see. In truth, he's infamous for despising it."

"But The Merchant possesses one resource in endless supply. Care to hazard a guess?"

"Treasure." Noah ventured.

"Exactly, my friend," Light agreed with a nod, "Outlandish treasures capable of shattering an entire universe if unleashed. But that's not all, my friend. The Merchant commands the largest horde of followers and devotees ever documented."

His tone dropped, growing grave,

"And he boasts the vastest network of allies. Allies spanning multiple Principalities. So when I claim The Merchant ended him, my friend, I don't imply he struck the blow personally."

"It signifies," Noah pieced it together, "that his followers or allies carried it out on his behalf."

"Or perhaps a combination of both." Light supplemented.

Noah went quiet, his thoughts whirling over this fresh intel.

Nothing proved more irritating than clashing with someone backed by countless companions.

Particularly when those companions formed an entire alliance of Principalities. It promised endless headaches, dragging on without end.

All at once, Noah felt he wasn't pushing hard enough.

He suspected few held advantages as vast as his own. Still,

here stood a figure who could eliminate a Principality without so much as stirring.

Meanwhile, he struggled to reenter the waking world

where his followers faced massacre like sacrificial fowl at a feast.

A sudden wave of irrational fury and outrage swept through Noah's being.

His gaze sharpened, teeth grinding, as he posed yet another query,

"What wrong did our Principality commit to provoke such a killing?" Noah's words came soft and even, yet laced with a simmering strain beneath.

His wives sensed it at once, whipping their heads toward him in sync, puzzled by their husband's abrupt rage.

Light perceived it as well, but stayed silent and replied,

"No one truly knows." The Ruler declared, "Rumors swirl about the motives, but nothing's confirmed. Sharing guesses could only steer you astray."

"False leads on a possible foe are the worst kind."

Noah inclined his head, concurring.

"Even so," Light pressed on, "I can share one insight, friend. It's just my view, so weigh it as you see fit."

"I'm all ears." Noah responded.

"Understand this: only a Principality can venture into another's domain from a different universe. We Soul Rulers lack that ability."

Noah, Yuki, and Elira nodded, urging Light to elaborate,

"And from the tales I've gathered, our Principality seized something from the Ascendancy Universe."

"What-!"

"Don't press me on what it was, my friend." Light shook his head, "I genuinely have no clue. But undoubtedly, it was vital enough to The Merchant to rally his allies."

"Can you confirm this detail?"

"As surely as my beloved will return to my side."

"That doesn't inspire much confidence, you realize?"

"That was intentional, my friend."

Noah exhaled deeply, rubbing his face as he mulled over the revelations.

The Merchant stirred an odd unease in him. Coupled with his influence and ties, it only intensified.

Noah wasn't the type to measure himself against others, but suddenly he felt outpaced by this entity. Now he pondered the source of his competitive urge toward The Merchant.

'I am reality's own son. And yet I'm falling behind some trader?'

The notion rang like heresy. And it ignited a peculiar emotion within him.

A feeling absent for ages. Not since Elijah's passing.

Noah's eyes fluttered open gradually, then fixed on Light across from him,

"Light." Noah murmured, "I aim to become the Principality of the Primus Universe. Will you stand in my way?"

Yuki and Elira stiffened, eyes locked on Light.

The Soul Ruler remained wordless for several moments, appearing to weigh the proposal with genuine care.

The air grew heavy with suspense, expanding like an inflating sphere.

"I won't."

Light declared, and the strain evaporated in an instant.

Yuki and Elira eased up.

"Will you pledge loyalty to me?" Noah followed up.

"We're friends, aren't we bound already?"

"To formalize it. And one more thing—can you explain something?"

"What do you mean?"

Noah hesitated, breathing out slowly from nose and mouth, before...

"What steps must I take to ascend to Principality as swiftly as possible?" Light's reply flashed like a thunderstrike,

"The quickest path lies in claiming the Authority from the Origin Will of the Spirit World, the supreme lord over all Principalities."

-End of chapter 481-