It was business as usual for Malcolm Merlot.
His goods were selling like normal. His shady business was always prosperous. And his personal growth was unstoppable as well. The bald man had stepped into the Arch rank.
Malcolm started having hair follicles on his bald head after he broke into the Arch rank. It meant that the breakthrough had taken care of the malfunction he had in his mana circuits. Still, the guy had grown accustomed to his bald head. So he had to shave his head often to look the same.
3 PM. Gilaahan.
The afternoon heat had died down. Mortals and rankers were busy doing their work. So the afternoon time frame was sort of like an unofficial break for all the shopkeepers in the city.
Malcolm had put up a "closed" sign on the door of his shop so he could shave in quietly. He liked taking time to groom himself after all. The bald man started humming his favorite tune in his head. He kept whistling as he placed a mirror in front of him over the shop's counter.
Malcolm was just about to use his dagger to reshave his shaved head when the bells attached to the shop's entrance door rang. The baldy frowned when he realized someone had barged into his shop despite there being a "closed" sign.
"Dear customer, we are currently closed for…"
Malcolm was angry. But as a veteran shopkeeper, he knew how to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to send the customer away courteously. However, he stopped what he was saying when he saw who had barged in.
Hair as white as snow with streaks of lightning blue mixed in. Blue eyes and a presence as sharp as an unsheathed sword. It took a while for Malcolm to figure out who was standing in front of him.
"Eren… my boy! Where the fuck have you been? I thought you had died or something. Hahahaha!"
Malcolm laughed as he appeared on the other side of the counter and hugged Eren with enthusiasm. Eren and he met after 14 years.
Eren laughed and tackled Malcolm's bear hug by tapping his arms awkwardly. He didn't know that he would be missed so much by the bald merchant.
***
After a few more weeks of rehabilitation, Eren had recovered his previous physique. He applied to enter Gilaahan after passing the tests. These tests would be conducted on every person who wishes to travel to foreign worlds with their own body.
Eren also needed to get other clearances. But the physical fitness required to get into Gilaahan was his biggest hurdle after he woke up from his vegetative state.
The Last Spider worked hard in and outside the gym to get ready for his trip to Gilaahan. He would often be accompanied by Reece, Mia, Miranda, Ekay, and others while he was working out. Sofiya also competed with him from time to time for some reason.
Eren had wrecked a synth body and was yet to pay for it. The Stardust guild didn't allow him to enter Gilaahan using any synth body, refusing to pay for his expenditure.
Eren didn't complain because he thought that it made sense from the guild's perspective. It didn't want to promote the rebellious streak among its members after all.
Eren also knew that he would never be able to pay the interest amount of his penalty if he stayed on earth. And he couldn't join any other organization to enter Gilaahan because of his exclusive contract with the Stardust guild.
Thus, entering Gilaahan using his real body was not only Eren's wish but also a necessity. He had used every favor he could to get into Gilaahan. The Last Spider had come to realize that he would either make or break it in this world.
Eren was basically gearless after entering the Awakening rank. And he didn't even have the resources or privilege to lend anything from his own guild. The guy was an outcast in his organization at this point.
Eren also didn't want to impose on his mates either who had already done a fair share of it for him. Plus, the guild's administration would likely frown upon Reece and others if they extended too much help to him.
Due to his situation, Eren was left with only one option - Malcolm. He knew the bald shopkeeper was resourceful enough
Eren was only able to ask the baldy for help without feeling awkward about it. So he found the man as soon as he could after he stepped foot in Gilaahan using his real body.
***
Eren was expecting Malcolm to ask this question about his disappearance. Since the world of Gilaahan observed time differently, his disappearance would be highlighted even more in the minds of people who were born in this world.
Eren took a long breath before responding to Malcolm's question.
"Haha. Let's just say I slept a lot. How have you been Malcolm? I can feel that you have become even more mysterious. Did you break through into Arch rank?"
Eren asked with a smile on his face as he separated from Malcolm. Even by rankers' standards, 14 years is a long time. After 14 years, those who stayed on their path as rankers would progress tremendously.
Malcolm was not satisfied with Eren's vague answers. So he snapped his fingers and turned his shop into a fortress. He let all the items in his shop disappear only to be replaced by what looked like a poker table.
Malcolm sat down on one chair after producing a bottle of unknown alcohol and two earthen vessels. He gestured to Eren to take the chair in front of him before speaking up.
"A guy like you staying cooped up somewhere without any rhyme or reason? That too for this long a time? Impossible. We are not cutting any corners this time, boy. Spill your guts. I want to know everything."
Eren smiled mirthlessly when he heard Malcolm speak. He could only oblige at Malcolm's imposition at this point.