The Alchemists' Collective had already closed by the time Magi arrived.

  A glowing sign on the door announced they'd reopen at nine the next morning, with a smaller note beneath it stating: "Processing begins at 4 AM. All submissions final upon close of business."

  He stood there for a moment, calculating the implications. If the slime samples were already in processing, attempting to retrieve them now would require breaking in, which would generate paperwork, questions, and unwanted attention.

  If they hadn't started processing yet, he'd still need to explain why he suddenly wanted to reverse a completed transaction.

  Both scenarios created complications. Complications created visibility.

  Magi turned away from the building and began walking home. There was a third option… do nothing.

  The Syndicate's interest didn't automatically make the slime dangerous. It might simply be rare or useful for their purposes. The alchemists had appeared perfectly capable of handling it.

  His apartment building came into view, unremarkable in the evening light. Five floors of aging concrete with balconies too small to be useful. Home, for now.

  He climbed the stairs to the third floor, noting the flickering light in the hallway that maintenance had promised to fix two weeks ago.

  Inside his apartment, Magi locked the door and removed his shoes. The space was small but organized, a living area with a couch and coffee table, a kitchenette with minimal appliances, a bedroom just large enough for a bed and dresser, and a bathroom with a shower stall.

  Everything he needed, nothing he didn't.

  Well, except for storage space.

  Magi walked to his bedroom closet and slid open the door. Inside, neatly labeled boxes were stacked from floor to ceiling.

  Each contained materials he'd collected from Rifts and missions, organized by type and potential use. He maintained this inventory partly from habit, partly from the pragmatic understanding that market values fluctuated.

  What was worthless today might be valuable tomorrow.

  He pulled out his phone and typed a note: "Check slime composition against void signatures." He'd need to research what exactly constituted a "void signature" first, but that could wait until morning.

  For now, he needed to verify what he already had. If the Syndicate was tracking dimensional anomalies, he should know if anything in his possession matched their criteria.

  Magi pulled down a box labeled "Minerals - Unprocessed" and set it on the bed.

  He opened it and methodically examined each stone, crystal, and ore sample. Nothing unusual. Just ordinary materials with varying degrees of mana infusion, useful for basic crafting, but nothing spectacular.

  The next box contained "Plant Fibers - Dried." Again, normal. Roots, stems, leaves, and seeds from various Rift environments, preserved for potential use in potions or crafting. Nothing that reacted unusually to his touch or presence.

  Box after box yielded the same result. "Monster Parts - Non-Perishable" contained scales, claws, and teeth, all inert. "Liquids - Stable" held vials of various substances, all properly sealed and unremarkable.

  As he worked, Magi mentally categorized everything not just by type but by potential value.

  Most items fell into the "common" category. Worth selling in bulk when prices rose, but not worth individual transactions.

  Some were "uncommon," worth holding for specific crafters who might pay premium prices.

  A few were "rare," valuable enough to auction rather than sell directly.

  None appeared to be dimensional anomalies.

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  By the time he reached the last few boxes, Magi's thoroughness hadn't wavered, but his expectations had. Whatever the Syndicate wanted, it wasn't in his stored inventory.

  The void seed and ring were the only unusual items in his possession, and he kept those in a separate, secure location.

  The second-to-last box was labeled "Crafting Residues." These were byproducts of various Rift creatures. Secretions, excretions, and material that didn't fit neatly into other categories.

  Generally low-value, but occasionally useful for specialized applications.

  Magi opened it and began sorting through the contents. Hardened spider silk gland, partially crystalized. Fossilized slime trails, beetle carapace dust, stone golem fragments that hadn't fully dissolved after death.

  His fingers brushed against something wrapped in cloth. He didn't immediately recall what it was, which was unusual. His inventory system was meticulous.

  Magi unwrapped the cloth, revealing a small, jagged fragment that appeared to be black stone. It was roughly triangular, about the size of his thumbnail, with an uneven surface that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

  As his fingers made contact with the surface, he felt a faint vibration. Almost imperceptible, like the hum of distant machinery. The fragment seemed to warm slightly.

  And then nothing. The sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the fragment inert and ordinary in his palm.

  Magi turned it over, examining it from different angles. No markings. No glow. No unusual weight or texture beyond its light-absorbing quality. Just a fragment of black material that had briefly reacted to his touch.

  He closed his eyes and used Basic Detection, sending a gentle pulse of mana into the object.

  Nothing registered beyond basic composition, minerals found in ordinary stone, though in unusual proportions. If there was something special about it, his detection couldn't identify it.

  Magi rewrapped the fragment in its cloth and set it back in the box. He tried to recall where he'd obtained it but couldn't place it specifically. Probably from one of the many Rift clearings he'd participated in before joining Echo Squad.

  The cloth wrapping suggested he'd considered it potentially valuable at the time, but had later categorized it as residue rather than a significant find.

  He closed the box and returned it to the closet shelf, then checked the final container labeled "Miscellaneous - Unsorted." It contained odds and ends that didn't fit his classification system, a broken gear mechanism from a construct, a crystal that changed color with barometric pressure, a small vial of sand that glowed faintly in darkness.

  Nothing unusual by Rift standards, and certainly nothing that matched what he knew of the void artifacts.

  Magi closed the final box, returned it to the shelf, and stood back to survey his inventory.

  Everything was accounted for, organized, and properly stored. Nothing warranted immediate attention or concern.

  The black fragment had reacted briefly, but many Rift materials responded to mana proximity.

  That alone wasn't unusual. Its light-absorbing quality was interesting but not unprecedented. There were numerous materials with similar properties, most of them relatively common in certain Rift environments.

  Still, the timing was curious. The Syndicate's sudden interest in dimensional anomalies, and now a previously overlooked item showing unusual properties.

  Magi took out his phone and made another note: "Research black stone fragment properties." Then he added: "Low priority." If it was important, further investigation would elevate its status. If not, it could remain classified as residue.

  He retrieved the "Crafting Residues" box and a roll of labels from the desk drawer. After crossing out the original label, he wrote a new one: "Crafting Residues - Sell Later" and affixed it to the box.

  The black fragment might fetch a better price once he determined its properties more precisely.

  No point in underselling it if it had unique characteristics.

  As he returned the box to the shelf, his phone buzzed with a message from Marc: "Team meeting tomorrow at 10. New C-Rank contracts to review."

  Magi sent a confirmation and checked the time. Nearly eleven. He should sleep soon to maintain his optimal rest schedule.

  Before preparing for bed, he walked to the living room window and looked out at the city.

  The skyline was punctuated with the blue glow of stabilized Rifts and the occasional flash of Guild patrols. In the distance, a new tear was visible. A purple slash against the night sky, surrounded by the lights of emergency responders.

  The world had changed so dramatically, yet people adapted quickly.

  What once would have caused panic was now routine. Rifts opened, monsters emerged, Raiders responded. The system processed it all, categorized it, assigned it value.

  Just as he did with his inventory.

  Magi turned away from the window and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

  As he looked at himself in the mirror, he recalled Reeves's words: "Items that are fundamentally incompatible with your abilities."

  What did that mean, exactly? And why would the Syndicate care about compatibility?

  The void seed and ring remained secure in their hiding place. The slime samples were at the Alchemists' Collective, beyond his reach for now. The black fragment was properly stored and labeled for future consideration.

  Everything was in its place. Everything was accounted for. Everything was under control.

  Magi finished his bedtime routine, set his alarm for 6 AM, and lay down on his precisely made bed. He closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and allowed his consciousness to fade.

  His last thought before sleep claimed him was simple and practical: If the Syndicate wanted the black fragment, they would need to make a better offer than ten million credits.

  Because he suspected that small, light-absorbing stone was worth far more to them than they were admitting.

  And Magi Necros did not like being undervalued.