Dimension Weaver: My Wife Is The Dragon Empress!

"A faraway village from here," Talon replied.

"Oh my, so you are a traveler like me. Interesting." The boy replied as he started smiling for some unknown reason.

"Yeah. That aside, you said you\'re the greatest merchant in all dimensions?" Talon raised an eyebrow at the weird way Merit introduced himself. It was such a grandiose title to give to oneself that it almost made him laugh.

"Of course, you are talking to the greatest. There is no other Merit in this world, after all, so there is only yours truly." The boy replied with a confident tone. The way he spoke only made him sound even more obnoxious.

But, for some reason, Talon didn\'t feel like the boy was putting on a bravado or trying to sound like something great when he wasn\'t. The reason for that was perhaps the weird presence he had around him. Something about Merit caught Talon\'s attention and he didn\'t know why.

"What makes you think you\'re the greatest? What do you even sell?" Talon asked as he looked around him. Even though he could see many artifacts and items of all kinds, he still didn\'t know what exactly Merit sold.

Was he a weapon shop? An artifact shop? Or both? And where did he get all these things at such a young age? Most of them seemed like quite a unique set of items.

However, the boy didn\'t reply immediately as he stared at Talon for a moment.

"What?"

"Tsk, tsk, you are really disappointing me, Talon. Asking the greatest why he thinks he is the greatest is such a stupid idea. It is like me asking you, \'What makes you, you?\' It\'s just what it is." The boy said as he turned around and started walking around the table. "Can you answer that?"

"... Fair point."

\'His logic is wrong, but I don\'t know why I can\'t retort to it.\' Talon sighed as he shook his head. This brief interaction between them had given Talon a small idea about this boy. He was dealing with quite the eccentric person.

"Well, it\'s fine. I shall tell you a few things about me since you\'re mildly interesting. Three things to be exact. So, ask me whatever you want and I will answer." Merit said with a smile.

"Only three things?"

"Only three things. Choose your questions carefully."

For a moment, Talon thought about it. If he had three questions, then he had to use the opportunity well. A few seconds later, he opened his mouth.

"Ok, my first question is, what is this shop all about?" He asked.

"Interesting question. Most people would\'ve started with \'Who are you?\' or other useless inquiries that add nothing to the conversation. You chose something different for once."

"I will take that as a compliment."

"It is very much so. Well, the answer to that is simple: This shop is the accumulation of every single dimension to ever exist. I\'m sure you wondered one day, what could exist beyond the small world you live in. What kind of secrets are hidden behind all the gates. Well, Merit\'s Emporium is the answer to your questions.

I have roamed countless worlds, collecting all kinds of things that you won\'t see anywhere else but here." He said as he tapped his finger on the table rhythmically. "Essentially, I\'m an amazing item collector like no other."

Saying those words, Merit smiled wickedly.

But, Talon ignored that expression as what he heard completely stunned him. His brain took a second to understand what the boy just said.

"Wait, you went to every single dimension?" Talon asked with a shocked expression.

"Very much. Well, not exactly, dimensions do form every now and then so I have to stay on the road most of the time. But, I can confidently say that I went to every single Dimension that existed till recently." The boy shrugged.

"That\'s… What? That is impossible. There are an endless number of dimensions. If what you\'re saying is true… Then, how old are you?"

Talon couldn\'t fathomably understand how that is possible. It\'s like hearing someone saying that they roamed the universe and went to every corner of it, except infinitely more ridiculous. There were countless Dimensions and countless worlds. Going to each and every one of them would be impossible.

"That\'s your second question, I suppose?" The boy stared at him with a knowing smile. "It is quite rude to ask someone for their age. But, since you are curious, I shall tell you. Let\'s say I\'m way older than you might think I am, we can put it that way. Way way older."

"..."

Talon opened and closed his mouth like a fish, completely speechless. He didn\'t even need to get a number to understand what he meant.

"That\'s a bunch of nonsense. You cannot be telling the truth." Saying that, Talon turned to Acrypha to ask her. If there was anyone who could unravel this boy\'s lies, it would be her. But, the moment his eyes fell on Acrypha, he went completely silent again.

The expression he saw on Acrypha\'s face was just something else. She had her eyes wide, staring at the nonchalant boy.

"Acrypha?"

"... He isn\'t lying…" She replied in complete disbelief.

"What?!"

"He isn\'t lying… I cannot sense any lies in what he said." She explained again. "No, even more than that. I can\'t sense his age at all, nor any aura around him."

"..."

\'No, how could this be? There aren\'t any creatures in this world that I can\'t sense. His Aetheris pattern is non-existent too. Or is it that I can\'t even feel it because it\'s way above me?\'

If Talon was confused about this entire situation, then Acrypha was outright flabbergasted. For someone of her standard, no existence could escape her senses, even those that are stronger than her, she would still be able to feel them and even know their age, level of strength, and many other pieces of information that most people cannot unravel purely by sensing someone\'s aura.

Yet, this kid gave her zero information. He had no aura or even presence. He had no Aetheris pattern and his age was a complete mystery. He was basically as unknown to her as if she never even met him in the first place.

Even more confusing than that, is that she had never heard of this name before in her life. Merit was a completely foreign word to her. If this person was who she thought he was, then she should\'ve found his name in books, perhaps even in Divine Cathedrals.

\'Could he be…\' Squinting her eyes, she thought of a possibility. Since she had no idea who this creature was, all she could do was guess. After all, how many entities in this world can reach his level? Perhaps he is one of a kind.

Rubbing her forehead, Acrypha then started contemplating something different. Something that she hadn\'t done a single time this far. From the moment she met Talon to this very point.

Meanwhile, as Acrypha was trying to wrap her head around this, Talon turned around. Since Acrypha said that he wasn\'t lying, then that meant one thing. The person he was talking to right now was no human, nor even a creature. He was talking to an ancient being, an existence that he couldn\'t even fathom.

And just like that, Talon started to feel something well up in his heart. It wasn\'t fear, or worry. But instead, a deep intrigue. Staring at the boy with an incomprehensible expression, he asked.

"... Who are you?"

The boy smiled at him, seemingly understanding what Talon was trying to ask. "As I said, I am Merit, the greatest Merchant of all Dimensions. A collector of all unique items and an avid adventurer who roams the Dimensionverse for his own boredom."

"..."

"And you are, hmm, you are quite the special one, boy. I can feel too many things about you that I haven\'t seen in a long while. Did the gate perhaps send you to me?"

"You…"

"You don\'t have to worry. I already knew that you weren\'t from this world the moment you stepped foot into my shop. You reek of the smell of another Dimension, a very low one." The young man shook his hand as if he was trying to get rid of a bad smell.

\'He knew this entire time…\' Lifting his hand, Talon slowly rubbed his temples as he felt a strong headache. \'Who in the hell is this guy? And why did I meet him by coincidence in such a goddamn seamless place? We are talking in the back of an alley for god\'s sake!\'

Talon didn\'t know what to do in this situation. This entity was perhaps the strongest thing he had ever met and would ever meet. How can he even treat him? Should he fear for his life?

\'No, if he had any malicious intent toward me, he would\'ve probably erased me from the face of this planet instantly with a thought.\' Talon smiled wryly. Just thinking of that gave him the urge to laugh.

"What else do you know about me?" He decided to ask.

"Hmm, I know too much to even state all of it. But, I guess the most unique thing about you is the lady floating next to you. She had been staring daggers at me this entire time. I don\'t know if I offended her or if she just likes to stare at people for long periods of time."

"Wha-"

At that moment, Acrypha suddenly snapped her finger as a flash of blue light appeared around her body before vanishing in an instant.

"So you do see me." She said with a cold tone.

"Lady, you are as visible as the two suns in the sky. I could\'ve seen you even if I was blind." Merit smiled at her. "Also, good evening to you too."

A//N: Any kind of support would be much appreciated, thanks for reading.