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+Kanae POV +
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The office's silence enveloped Kanae as she pondered the entity's proposal, her gaze gradually descending to the document she now held between slightly trembling fingers. The echo of Kazuhiro's question, "Will you accept the job?" seemed to bounce off the walls, amplifying the turmoil inside her.
'A job...' she mused, the corner of her mouth twitching in a contemplative frown. Did she truly need this?
As doubt and hope wrestled within her, her thumb absentmindedly caressed the edge of the paper, seeking comfort in its tangible presence. 'Will this be enough to find her?' The thought made her grip tighten, her knuckles whitening, a physical manifestation of her desperation to reunite with her only kin.
Her eyes later turned wide as she meticulously traced the words detailing the conditions and benefits. Her breath hitched, a small gasp escaping as the promise of gaining abilities beyond imagination and especially traversing worlds unveiled itself. Her hand hovered over her mouth for a moment as she dared to dream of a world beyond their current nightmarish reality.
'Is it possible to return to how it used to be?' Her hand drifted to her forehead, sweeping across it as if to clear the fog of disbelief at the notion of such an escape.
Yet, as she delved deeper into the document, her expression shifted to one of cautious scrutiny. The penalties for underperformance and the vagueness around rule violations all painted a picture of a world with its own strict, if unclear, consequences. Her fingers tapped against the document, betraying her anxiety and the weight of her decision.
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Kanae's contemplation was suddenly pierced by the rhythmic mouse clicking echoing through the room, a sound that seemed to sync with the racing of her own heart.
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The continuous, mechanical noise momentarily diverted her focus from the swirling thoughts of worlds and promises. Her head instinctively turned toward the source; the entity before her seemed engrossed in its work behind the computer. The sight of it, absorbed in its task, prompted a flicker of suspicion in her mind. Was this offer genuine or merely a well-crafted illusion tailored to manipulate her deepest desires?
As she observed him, a fleeting image of what could be a double-edged sword of a deal lodged itself in her thoughts. 'Is this another form of making a deal with the devil?' she pondered, her skepticism momentarily clouding her face.
Caution tugged at the corners of her mind, urging her to examine every angle before leaping into the unknown. Her gaze, now sharpened, returned to the document in her hands. She leaned forward slightly, her posture reflecting the intensity of her scrutiny as she sought out anything regarding a resignation clause. The tip of her finger traced the lines of the text, the words that spelled out her potential escape route should the need arise.
'To work at least six months before resigning, with the added benefit of retaining what you've achieved,' she read silently, her lips moving with the words. This clause offered a glimpse of light in the darkness.
As Kanae absorbed the information in the document, a flicker of concern danced in her eyes. The rules, while providing a structure within this enigmatic realm, also painted the boundaries of her newfound freedom. Such as, "Do not advertise the workplace to the outside world, as this information can only be disclosed if asked or if a person wishes to buy something," one line read, feeling uneased as she whispered the words under her breath, trying to gauge the weight of secrecy she was about to shoulder.
Her mind raced with scenarios, each rule weaving a tighter web of responsibility around her. "Rules play heavily in this place," she muttered to herself.
With a deep breath, Kanae pushed aside her reservations. She straightened in her posture, a resolved look overtaking the initial apprehension in her eyes.
A mental sigh escaped her as she finished reading, her eyes lifting from the document to the pen that had been left on the table by the entity. The simple act of stepping forward, her movements measured and deliberate, signified her acceptance of the path laid out before her. As she reached for the pen, the room fell into a deeper silence, the kind that precedes significant moments. The tall figure ceased their work, focusing entirely on Kanae now, observing the culmination of her decision-making process.
With a steady hand, Kanae signed her name at the empty line of the document's page, sealing her fate with ink. At that moment, she harbored no second thoughts, no reservations. 'if it meant to find her at the cost of my own life temporarily slaving away here, then so be it.' She later handed the signed papers to the uncanny attendant.
The act of signing transformed the document in a way she couldn't have anticipated. As the entity took the now-signed application from her, the papers dissolved into ash and whispered right before her eyes, a sight that elicited a gasp of surprise from Kanae. Yet, the tall creature remained as stoic as ever, unaffected by the magic that had just unfolded.
It was the following action, however, that caught Kanae off guard. The towering figure of the being, which had loomed over her moments before, now bowed gently in a gesture of welcome and respect. "Welcome to the market," it said with calm. "My name is Kazuhiro, and I will be your supervisor from now on. If you face any troubles, seek my help or turn to your co-workers."
Kanae found herself momentarily speechless, not just at the spectacle of the disappearing documents but also at the sight of Kazuhiro's gentle demeanor against his unsettling appearance. His bow, an act of grace from such an imposing figure, shattered any preconceived notions she might have harbored about him based solely on his looks.
Just as Kanae began to assimilate into her new reality within the place, the world around her unveiled yet another layer of its boundless enigma. With a shimmer in the air that seemed to ripple through the very fabric of the space, two items materialized before her, suspended in an ethereal glow. The first, a uniform reminiscent worn by those she saw upon her arrival; the second, a small object? Its purpose is yet unknown but undoubtedly significant.
Standing in stunned silence, Kanae watched as the items floated before her, their sudden appearance both bewildering and mesmerizing. It was Kazuhiro's calm approach and the ease with which he handed her the items that snapped her back to reality. His words, "You'll get used to it," were meant to reassure, but they echoed in her mind's vast, uncharted space, mingling with a thousand unasked questions.
As she tentatively accepted the uniform and the mysterious object, her hands were steady, yet her heart raced. Kazuhiro's instructions provided a semblance of direction amid the whirlwind of her thoughts. "In the meantime, you can explore or perform the tasks assigned until it installs the necessary apps for your venture outside." His words guided her through the initial steps of her career here.
With a few steps back towards his desk, Kazuhiro cast one final glance in Kanae's direction, his statement hanging in the air between them, "If you don't have any questions, you may leave." The room was steeped in a profound silence.
Kanae stood motionless for a moment longer, grappling with the surreal nature of her new reality. The weight of the uniform and the object in her hands anchored her to the moment, tangible evidence of the path she had chosen.
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+POV End+
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[Chiba, Japan. Hikigaya's residence.]
The door's gentle creak breaks the silence, swinging open to admit the soft, warm glow of the setting sun that spills into the dark, quiet hallway, casting long shadows across the wooden floor.
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A high school student stepped inside, the day's fatigue visible in his movements, but a sense of relief washed over him as he entered the familiar confines of his home.
"I'm home," he announces, his voice echoing in the house's stillness. He slips off his shoes with practiced ease, placing them neatly on the shoe rack.
Navigating through the tranquil atmosphere, he moves to another door, which reveals the heart of the home: a kitchen seamlessly merging into the living area, united by a sturdy wooden dining table nestled between them.
Choosing this central spot, he sets down the plastic bag, the sound of the two bags of chips rustling as they made contact with the table.
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+Hachiman POV+
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In the quiet of the house, a thought crossed his mind, 'She hasn't returned yet.' His eyes lingered on the bags of snacks laid out before him, a minor internal debate sparking within. To share or not to share? The question seemed trivial yet held weight in the solitude of the moment.
He let out a sigh, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of the day's surreal experiences. 'A warm bath might just do.' he decided, hoping the simplicity of the idea could wash away the complexities that clouded his thoughts.
He went to his room; his mind lost in reflections of the day's oddities. Upon entering, the familiar sight brought a sense of immediate relief.
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The door shut softly behind him, sealing off the rest of the world as he let his school bag drop to the floor with a definitive thud.
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With purpose, he gathered a towel and a change of clothes and later took a short trek through the hallway, which brought him to his destination.
Before crossing the threshold into the bathroom, he meticulously placed the clothes and towel atop the drawer just outside the room. Stepping inside the textile room, he approached the tub, fingers grazing the faucet to gauge the water's warmth, then retraced his steps to the laundry basket. There, with deliberate slowness, he shed his clothes, layer by layer, each garment joining the rest in the basket.
Embracing the traditional Japanese practice, he commenced the pre-bath ritual with intention, allowing the running water to fill the air with soothing sounds. He lathered soap between his hands, the foam forming as he began to scrub around himself.
As he did so, the day's events kept bugging him. He couldn't think straight, as he had to speed this up and get into the tub so he could calmly rethink this. The scrubs and wash took less time than they should have, but he made sure to rinse thoroughly.
Finally, stepping into the tub, he allowed himself to be enveloped by the warm water's embrace.
He submerged himself into the soothing waters, he found the stillness he had been craving. The warmth seeped into his muscles, loosening the knots of tension.
As the warmth enveloped him, softening the edges of his day, he sighed deeply, the sound echoing softly against the tiled walls. The comfort of the hot water allowed his mind to drift to that peculiar interaction earlier in the day. "Just what in the world was that," he murmured to himself, the memory surfacing with clarity
The words of the girl who had managed his latest order lingered, "Different worlds." The phrase, once spoken in a context he couldn't fully grasp at the moment, now tugged insistently at the fringes of his thoughts.
Initially, he scoffed at the notion, treating it as a fanciful escape for those unable to confront their pathetic realities. This perspective, steeped in cynicism, painted the idea of other worlds as nothing more than a desperate fantasy for the weak-minded to escape to.
Yet, a shift occurred as the steam rose around him, and his mind wandered through the maze of possibilities. Once dismissed, the concept of different worlds began to unfold its layers, revealing a depth he hadn't considered. 'Maybe it's not about escaping but understanding,' he contemplated, his skepticism giving way to curiosity. The idea of portals to other worlds, each with its own set of rules and societal structures, presented an intriguing lens through which to examine humanity, perhaps even himself.
In the quietude of the bath, he entertained the thought that his deep-seated cynicism might not be universal, that it could be a reflection of the society that shaped him rather than an inherent truth. 'Different worlds could mean different rules, different societies. A way to see if my cynicism holds up everywhere or if it's just a product of this rotten society.'
Lost in the possibilities that stretched beyond the confines of his world, he eventually decided to emerge from the water. He stood up as the water cascaded off his skin. He reached for a towel, the fabric absorbing the moisture as he later wrapped it around his waist.
In that moment of thought, a vivid image flashed in his mind: the door he had seen earlier. It wasn't just any door; it bore a distinctive sticker, a scale emblem that gleamed against the glass, marking it as something more than ordinary. Though he couldn't recall the store's name, the memory of its appearance was clear, the symbol standing out with an almost ethereal glow.
He wondered about the existence of that shop, so openly situated that anyone could stumble upon it. Its public placement sparked a question in his mind: 'If such doorways to other worlds were so accessible, wouldn't they be the subject of widespread attention, perhaps even making headlines?'
This line of thought led him to a contemplative sigh. The possibility that such a place existed so publicly and yet hadn't been discovered seemed paradoxical. If the shop was as real as he remembered, its obscurity in the face of potential public discovery was inevitable.
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While reaching for his clean clothes, a sound unlike any other, a shimmering, almost otherworldly echo filled the bathroom. Instinctively, he whirled around to locate the source, and his movements were halted by the sight that unfolded before his eyes.
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"Unbelievable," he uttered under his breath. There, in the very space of his mundane bathroom, a shiny gleam materialized, so magical that it defied all logic.
Its sudden appearance startled him, causing him to take an involuntary step backward and lose his footing on the still-wet floor. "WAH!" he exclaimed, a brief shout of surprise escaping him as he tumbled backward. The fall was abrupt, ending with him landing squarely on his backside. Though the pain was sharp, a quick assessment relieved him to find it was more about shock and less about harm.
As he scrambled in an awkward, sliding motion to regain his distance, he held the towel wrapped around his waist so as not to slip off and render him fully naked.
The mystical light began to dissipate. What it left behind was a golden, rectangular shape that, by all appearances, was a door. A door where no door should be; it was attached to nothing and was set in the middle of the room, complete with a knob inviting interaction. His eyes grew wider, almost disbelieving, as they fixed on the familiar emblem adorning the door: the scale.
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Bang! Bang! Bang! The rapid knocking jolted the teen, pulling him from his astonishment at the golden door's sudden appearance. As he turned towards the source of the sound, his heart skipped a beat, not from fear of the spectacle but from the mundane reality of someone trying to enter.
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"Hey, Oni-chan! Is everything alright?!" The familiar voice pierced through the bathroom door, tinged with concern, grounding him back to reality.
'K-komachi.' That voice belonged to none other than his younger sister, Komachi.
"I'm coming in!" Seeing as no response coming from the inside, she shouts, claiming to barge inside.
"OI WAIT! I'm still here!" he said, pushing firmly against the door. His voice was laced with urgency as he scrambled to preserve the secrecy of the moment.
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His hand scrambled around the knob only then he managed to lock the door with an audible click. It was a minor victory, a barrier between her and the door.
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"What's the meaning of this?! Why didn't you answer me in the first place!" Komachi's voice, now a mix of annoyance and worry, challenged him from the other side.
"I just tripped and fell! That's all! Now leave me be!" he countered, his back pressing against the door as if the added weight could further secure his privacy.
Komachi's response, though unseen, was vivid in his imagination, the signature pout that often accompanied her frustrations with her brother. "Muu, I just came to check what all that noise was about. You didn't have to yell, idiot Hachiman."
The now named Hachiman let out a sigh at the slight insult given, 'Seriously, she rarely calls me that. Somehow, my name is used as an insult.' his tone then softened in an attempt to assuage her worries. "I just fell. I'm fine. There, is that better?" he offered, hoping the reassurance would be enough to send her on her way.
"Yep! By the way, Oni-chan! Where did you find these chips? I thought they stopped producing these things a long time ago," Komachi's voice pierced through the bewilderment that had enveloped Hachiman.
Caught off guard by the sudden shift from the extraordinary to the utterly ordinary, Hachiman momentarily forgot the surreal sight before him. "Uh, I...," he started, stumbling over his words. The question about the chips grounded him, if only for a moment.
"Not now, Komachi. I'll speak to you once I finish what I have here," Hachiman reiterated, his voice a mix of weariness and mild irritation as he massaged his temples, hoping to ease the throbbing headache that had intensified with the day's stress and the surreal turn of events.
"Fine, fine. Keep your secrets," Komachi retorted with a playful huff, her words later laced with a teasing challenge. "I'll take one if you don't mind. If you take too long, then I'll grab myself another, leaving you with nothing."
Despite the gravity of the situation, Hachiman couldn't help but envision Komachi's smirk, a familiar expression that often accompanied her playful taunts. The sound of her retreating footsteps granted him a momentary relief, yet the weight of his predicament firmly reclaimed its hold on him.
With his sister gone, his gaze is now fixated on the door that had appeared out of nowhere. A sole thought lingered in his mind.
"Now, how do I get rid of that."
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(AN: No not dead, and will post another chapter tomorrow. Also, chapter 17 got edited.
And next chapter will answer any queries you have at the end.
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My review:
1. Too chaotic, so many character came for nothing. Feels like a filler chapter. I suggest you conclude 1 story before move, and no need to make reader guess which character came, not every reader watch every anime and know every character. Just make mc know every anime and name them.
2. Is this a story about unending market or solo leveling? Chapter 21 and he only sell some random normal thing, is this fit the title? Unending market? As for now, only some buyer came and only buy normal thing like gasoline, gum, mouse trap, etc while they enter an omni store? And mc have 3 helper on top of that? For what? What his helper do? Training to become strong? Like i said, is this solo leveling novel or unending market novel?
3. Why mc need to come to anime world just for killing random zombie, got 3 useless helper, and raise his level? This must be solo leveling novel right? Because he is training to become invincible instead selling his goods.
4. I suggest you read transdimensional marketing and black tech internet cafe to understand what i am saying. Those 2 novel really tell a story that match the title. I already read plenty of story like this and know where this going, like those astral pet store story, where the author make mc leveling and fighting instead raise his store, like what? Might as well make a hot blooded title like supreme overlord crush the heaven so the reader understood where the story goes, instead like this.
5. Reader come expecting to see what the mc gonna sell, what the buyer gonna buy, what mc gonna say to those anime character, what buyer will do with what their buy, etc, and what we get? We get to see how mc slay zombie and raise his level to become invincible. This must be a solo leveling story right? Or supreme overlord crush the heaven?
6. Mc become supervisor after selling gasoline and gum? Or put stock in shelves? Do you even realize how crazy this sound? Or he is become a supervisor because killing zombie and become stronger and invincible? Cool character from behind the scene who control everything with few word? This must be solo leveling novel, or supreme overlord dominate ten dimension novel?
I appreciate the review, I'll read those that you suggested and learn from them. Thank you.
To answer a few of your concerns:
Yes, not many selling is happening as we are exploring a bit of how the Market works.
As for how he obtained that rank comes from the fragment about himself. With each fragment he'll receive a rank. The fragment contain outwardly missions to simple selling of the market.
And yes I agree, not many market sells even though it's a market. I'll try to add more but by the pace I'm going it might take sometime till I finish this current segment.
As for what do these employees have, they can be a helping to kazuhiro with future influx of customers and visitors that arrive. Or when hes away,
If there nothing makes sense to you, please share it with me. Also, if you wish to share with me on what you expect this work to be don't hesitate to share. Thanks a ton for reading
@LittleLemur Sorry if it seems like I rant and vent too much, i know its hard to make a story, that why I am only an avid reader, not an author. Maybe I expecting too much from this story, since the title is interesting and have big potential, and become disappointed and angry because its different from my expectation. Here is what I think...
1. Like I said, its to chaotic for anime character appearance, and you use many non mainstream anime too. Most people don't read and watch too much, much less can guess what character. Cat with pocket, doraemon? Pink dog, scooby doo? Many fanfic only use mainstream anime or story as their base, like naruto, bleach, harry potter, etc, those with big name, so reader can be immersive in their reading. Just make the MC know every anime possible, and name them, so at least the reader can google them if they not know it.
2. You jumping story too much, 1 world is not done, then come another character who only make 1 chapter appearance just for them to gone again, for example, minato. For reader, its like a filler chapter and annoying. When you in deep immersion, reading like enter the world, and then in next chapter the story not continuing, like what? Its break the feeling, and make you confused too, especially if you don't know the next character that make appearance. You cannot assume the reader to know what anime you talking about.
3. And, what is this story about? Unending market, or solo leveling? The title and synopsis is important when reader choose a book. When the title is supreme overlord crush the heaven, reader expecting hot blooded story where their MC slay his enemy and their entire family while slapping their face up to ten generation. When the title is unending market, the reader expecting selling thing, not raising status and become invincible.
4. Unending market, a place where MC interact with their buyer, giving solution, change their fate, make surprise, make a place to meet up, consultation place, etc. In other words, MC main job is a shopkeeper, or a host, not a fighter that focus on raising his stat and slapping his enemy and their ancestor up to 10 generation. He should think about his store, about his customer, what to sell, how to improve the service, how to become the best host, not raising his level, status, and become invincible like those hot blooded novel. His promotion to supervisor should be based his contribution on the store, maybe like selling many thing, giving solution, changing fate, etc, and the prize is his memory fragment, not the other way around.
5. In HOTD, the least I expect is buyer buy tons of food and supplies to make their life easier, and maybe vaccine, medicine, superpower, future information, tips, just chatting and interaction, or whatever you can think of, not just gasoline and gum then go out. Just think about it yourself, did you, author, enter a magical place that basically sell everything, in apocalypse world, to only buy gasoline and gum then go home? Not to mention buyer still have so much point to spend, buyer waste so much resource in apocalypse world? Please...
6. In short, your story doesn't match the title, and too chaotic.
@DiamondBanker it's fine, it wasn't a rant, but yeah. I'll see if I can answer everything you labled.
1: For the many unknown characters shown or that confuses the reader for who they are are. I'll add the character's that got mentioned in the chapter way at the end, it may seem hectic to scroll down and back up, and I'm sorry for the confusion if you have any ideas how I could make it better than I'd appreciate it.
2: ah gotcha, I should adjust that and add the scene way earlier so it doesn't, I'll remove those two scenes and bring further to not remove the immersion.
3: I understand that 'market' means selling, but why to unwrap, why, how and who, selling is a thing. But not as much as the customers are still not accustomed to these strange phenomenon, so they a bit of trust issue? I don't know, but eventually, selling would happen among them, unless the character is oblivious and thinks this just an ordinary thing.
4: true, as of now, since he has employees he'd get to stay in the market as they finish their objectives, once their objectives are done, they'll either work or explore, its up to them. Besides, his objective for the month is sell around 25k worth? See yeah, failing to provide that will result in demotion or expulsion.
5: yeah, those are a necessity, but I'm taking it in a realistic aspect, HOTD, is world like ours but with zombies, if those survivors would enter, then in a realistic view, they'll either scream and exit, or scream and try to fight kazuhiro. Let's like Takashi, the one stayed, wanted to buy a cure, how much would it cost? The value dictates every item's price. For example, ordinary pokeballs, interesting right? But that's useless in multiple worlds, which would become so cheap that many don't value it as its only designed to capture Pokémon. Unless it's a different one where it has no limits, that is expensive since it has value and not limited. So that goes to say, a vile of cure, how valuable would be across multiple infected worlds?
6: understandable, I'll see if I can manuever around the earlier chapter. Especially the two scenes of Naruto and RE and bring them earlier on before their arrival.
Thanks, reviews like these help me make a better story, as this is just a test drive for myself as I write.
@LittleLemur
1. Your anime character, Its not just about name, you telling a story about character. Usually an author build their own character with long story and event, but you just put already made character, so this character need to well known. For example orega something you told me, for me, i don't watch the anime, so i can't understand his character, different from you who understand. To me, Its look like you just put some random character without introduction and expect reader feeling wow and amazed and understand. Well maybe some reader will go watch the anime or ar least wiki it before continue reading.
2. Yeah, you should move to other character after the scenario done. For example, after hotd done, MC back to store, then you can start intoduce minato story. After minato story done, then back to hotd, the story about mother something, actually i confused, is this mother from hotd? After reader break the immersion, usually we just skip the chapter until something got our attention, that why its bad to break the immersion. with fanfic story, depend on what you want to tell, 1 scenario can reach maybe 30 chapter, as long as reader can be immersive and like it, even 30 is short. You cannot say that i just skip the chapter and got confused, its author job to make the reader interested to read every word in book.
3. As a shopkeeper, its the host job to make customer interested. This mc doesn't look like interested in his job, and more like want to become strong, so its hard to sell. That is why you need to make the fragment as the prize, so mc want to sell. If mc interested, he will start talking, introduce the good, maybe put promotion to lure people or something, engage the customer and make customer happy, and coming to buy more thing, that is what make the story flow. You can introduce more interesting good as the story goes. And those minato dumbledore contract, i forgot the detail, just make the shop have mercenaries service, and short stories when they go adventure, no need to be long. After all this is not mercenaries story, reader just want to see how effective and the reaction of buyer who buy it, like the reaction of hotd character if he buy a ton of food instead of gasoline a gum.
4. For this kind of stories to go, mc need to have at least an ability to talk, not cool silent hero character. How he can sell when he is not talking, not to mention his face not human, of course hotd charCter become wary. And how the hell he can fail to sell when he manage omnipotent store, its just means mc is incompetent, and should be romoved, change mc.
5. Just sell the pokemon too instead only pokeball. Why limit your "unending"? Lets make pokemon fight zombie and orochimaru. Lets ichigo bleach have transformer, lets make hotd character build sanctuary with mercenary service. This unending store is basically omnipotent since its have unending in its name. Do you ever heard supreme overlord who cannot fight its enemies because the enemies is strong? No! They triumph everything, like your unending store, your store basically sell everything as long as they can pay for it. And why mc try to sell zombie cure to pokemon world? Did he introduce zombie cure to ash? Or ash searching zombie cure? There is no corelation. If ash come to store and found zombie cure in rack, mc can introduce the vial and some background of hotd world, with same expensive price, and as long as ash not brain dead he will not buy it and ask for omnipotent pokeball where he can catch pokemon god with it.
6. This is my personal opinion, actually everything i write is my personal opinion, but maybe choose knly 1 world with same theme? Hotd or re, no need both, unless you want to send alice to hotd or vice versa. I mean? You only want to send mc to re just for grinding and recruite useless helper right? Similar to harem collection story