Allen the Reincarnated Merchant: A Plan to Get Rich in Another World

When I was born, the beings on this star were devoid of intellect, living in a world of wild beasts lacking order.

It was an age dominated by violence, where creatures consumed each other, stole mates, and constantly battled day and night guided by instinct alone. In that world, I was nothing more than a small lizard, invisible to even the most despised creatures, dwelling at the very bottom of the ecological pyramid.

Still, I had numerous predators lurking around, not only on land but also underground and in the sky. I could only move during the dead of night when most predators were asleep, and even then, I had to search carefully for weaker creatures to sustain myself. One night, as I was engaged in this task, I encountered something unusual.

(This… what is it…?)

At the time, I lacked the intelligence to fully understand my surroundings, but my instincts—much keener than they are now—told me that the strange liquid I’d found by chance was something I had to possess.

It was a dark liquid contained in a transparent vessel. Tiny insects, sensing something unusual about it just like I did, had gathered around, scratching at the container with their tiny limbs.

(Can… can I drink this?)

The liquid inside the transparent container was brimming with an overwhelming energy, as though it contained the same essence as the giant creatures that dwarfed even mountains. This dark liquid, nearly my own size as a small lizard, held a power that exceeded even that of the monsters at the top of the food chain—an awe-inspiring phenomenon.

Luckily, it seemed that only I and the insects nearby had noticed this liquid. And to my advantage, I was the only one capable of opening the vessel.

(Is this… how I open it?)

Initially, I tried to touch the dark liquid as the other insects did, but the transparent container blocked my attempt. Even when I scratched at it with my small claws, I couldn’t extract the liquid.

(The energy… it’s leaking from here…)

With no intelligence to guide me, I relied solely on instinct to find a part of the container where a faint energy leaked out. Unlike the other parts that felt as hard as stone, this area had a softness similar to wood, with a bit of pliancy to it.

Though it was crowded with insects drawn by the escaping energy, I, being the strongest creature there, pushed them aside and placed my mouth over the opening.

(Ah…)

The moment I began to sip the faintly leaking energy, my small body trembled with a sensation close to ecstasy. In that instant, the limits of my existence were shattered, and I ascended to a higher form of being.

(Amazing… if I drink all of this…)

Even as a small creature, I knew that consuming this would grant me dominion over the beastly world… Such sweet temptations whispered within the newly born consciousness within me.

A small mound had formed nearby, made of insect carcasses—those drawn to the liquid before me had likely fought and killed each other over it. The chaos of their battles had generated a dark energy around the liquid, a sinister aura that drifted ominously in the air. Additionally, directly beneath me, deep underground, there was a place where the planet’s own energy leaked out, creating a chaotic fusion of three energies.

After consuming it all, I spent a long time beneath the earth.

Swallowing the dark liquid’s life force and the dreadful energy born from poisonous remnants, I dove underground, restructuring my body over the passage of countless ages, sustained by the planet’s energy that seeped from deep below.

The small lizard that once barely rivaled a pebble grew to a size on par with the four-legged beasts roaming above. From my back, I sprouted four pairs of wings, granting me the power to soar through the sky. While I was still minuscule compared to the apex species ruling this star, I had gained a sturdy body and a sharpness that allowed me to survive in the world of beasts.

Moreover, I could now trigger supernatural phenomena, manipulating fire, summoning lightning, and controlling the wind.

One particular blessing was the ability to create drinkable water, a frequent cause of conflict. Thanks to this, many creatures gathered around me, forming a natural band of followers.

Having transformed, I was now able to generate the chaotic energy on my own, and even in my routine activities, traces of it leaked faintly. For this reason, despite the star being largely a barren wasteland, the area around me blossomed into a place teeming with life, attracting countless creatures in search of a sanctuary.

Some of those influenced by my lingering energy also developed the ability to wield supernatural powers. Although we were of different species, these creatures came to call me “Mother.”

As the number of beings influenced by me grew, gaining intelligence and establishing order in what was once a world of beasts, we soon noticed visitors arriving from beyond our star.

My dwelling was a vast subterranean cavern. Coming to the surface would drastically amplify the effects of my leaking energy, so I had chosen a life of seclusion deep in the heart of the planet once the era of wild beasts had ended.

“Mother, a curious life form has arrived from beyond the star.”

One day, an unusual child of mine, who seldom visited, came to see me. His name was Rêve, a watcher who observed the star and monitored any disputes among the children.

Rêve’s species had excellent night vision and could fly through forests even in complete darkness. However, they were not particularly adept at flight nor highly skilled in combat. With their stout bodies and modest fighting capabilities, they were often ridiculed by other flying species, but Rêve possessed extraordinarily keen eyes that set him apart. His uniquely large, round eyes allowed him to observe the entire star.

“A curious life form?”

“Yes, Mother. It possesses a power remarkably similar to the source of life within you.”

According to Rêve, a life form with energy similar to one of the three types I held—the life energy—had arrived from beyond the star.

Among the three energies forming my existence, life energy was particularly special. Unlike the other two—darkness and planetary energy, which were pure energy masses—life energy conveyed a sense of consciousness into my mind, as if it retained a trace of the entity that had brought it to me.

I could not discern precise details from this presence, but sharing this energy over the ages had fostered within me a one-sided affection toward the life form that had bestowed it upon me.

If only I could meet that being just once…