Ethan Mercer always believed the world made more sense on a spreadsheet. Back home in the United States he was the type of business student who carried a small notebook filled with supply and demand sketches price curves and half finished case studies. His classmates joked that he did not dream in pictures but in bar charts. Whether that was true or not Ethan knew one thing. Numbers never lied. People lied. Markets did not.

When he opened his eyes in a strange forest with air that felt a little heavier than it should and light that shimmered with colors he could not name he did not scream or panic. He simply sat up brushed dirt off his shirt and tried to figure out what variables he was missing. His backpack was gone. His phone was gone. The trees were unfamiliar. The sunlight had a faint glow that reminded him of a fantasy game. The air smelled like a campfire mixed with metal. His brain clicked into pattern mode.

This might be another world. If so then the first step was to gather data.

He stood up and looked around. The forest was quiet except for the sound of distant running water. A small path led between towering trees whose trunks were covered in glowing moss. The glow pulsed like a heartbeat. Ethan raised a hand toward it. The moss brightened. His mind raced. Was it bioluminescence Was it reacting to body heat Or was it something else entirely

He whispered a single question to himself. Could this be magic

It sounded ridiculous but the evidence was leaning that way. He had read enough fantasy novels to recognize the signs and he had played enough games to understand the basic tropes. The issue now was survival. If this place had magic then it also had danger. He needed information.

He followed the path until he reached a small clearing. A boy no older than twelve stood there holding a stick pointed at a rock. The boy shouted a word Ethan did not recognize. Light burst from the stick and hit the rock leaving a faint scorch mark. Ethan froze. The boy froze.

The boy looked at him with wide eyes. Stranger Who are you Why are you in the forest
Ethan kept his tone calm. I am lost. Where is this place
The boy blinked and lowered the stick. This is the outer forest of Ardrel. Are you a traveler
Ardrel. That meant nothing to Ethan. But the light he had just seen meant everything. He pointed at the stick. Was that magic
The boy stared at him like he had asked whether fire was wet. Yes of course. Everyone knows basic spark magic. At least everyone with a little mana
Mana. Now that was a word Ethan understood. Not scientifically but economically. Mana was a resource. Anything that existed in this world could be quantified mapped and studied. If mana existed then it had scarcity levels production rates and potential value.

Ethan asked another question. Can anyone use magic
The boy shook his head. Only those born with the right blood or enough mana affinity. You seem like you have none though
Ethan almost laughed. A world where talent decided who had access to power. What a broken market. No wonder nothing was efficient here.

Before he could ask more the boy pointed toward a road down the hill. If you need help go to the village. The elder will know what to do with you
Ethan thanked him and walked toward the path. Every step confirmed that the rules of this world were different but the underlying logic was not. This place had systems. And systems meant opportunities.

He reached a village made of stone houses and wooden signs with symbols that glowed faintly. People stared at him as he passed. His clothes were strange. His accent was strange. But they did not seem hostile. A woman carrying a basket approached him. You look lost dear. The elder is in the hall
Inside the hall an old man with long silver hair sat behind a table carved with swirling marks. He studied Ethan carefully. You are not from any land I know. But the world is wide
Ethan chose his words carefully. I need work and shelter and information about how your world works
The elder raised an eyebrow. Not many ask for work first
Ethan shrugged. Survival is easier with income
The elder laughed softly. Practical. I like that. If you wish we can test your mana and find where you fit
A crystal orb was placed before Ethan. He touched it. Nothing happened. The elder nodded slowly. You have near zero mana. But that does not mean you are useless. Perhaps you can work in trade
Trade. Ethan felt something inside him click. Trade was the one language he spoke fluently. But here trade involved magical goods resources and services. He needed more information before he could build any models.

He stepped outside and wandered into the village market. Stalls lined the street selling glowing stones dried herbs bubbling potions and small magical trinkets. Prices were shouted by stall owners yet none of them seemed standardized. A glowing mana stone could cost three copper at one stall and ten at the next. A healing salve had no consistency in its pricing or quality.

This was not a market. This was chaos pretending to be a market.

Ethan examined a mana stone closely. It hummed faintly in his hand. The stall owner waved at him. That one is a low grade fire stone. Three copper for you
Ethan pointed at a similar stone at another stall. That one is ten
The stall owner grinned. Because that merchant is a fool
Or because there is no pricing structure Ethan thought.

He looked around and noticed something odd. Customers had no idea what was good or bad. Sellers had no idea how to measure quality. Everyone was guessing. Guessing led to inefficiency. Inefficiency led to opportunity.

A voice spoke behind him. You seem troubled by our market outsider
Ethan turned to see a woman in a long cloak holding a small notebook. Her eyes were sharp. What is your name
Ethan Mercer
She tapped her notebook. I am Lyra a scholar in trade magic. You looked at that stone like you were calculating something
Ethan felt a rush of relief. Someone who at least tried to analyze things. I am trying to understand pricing
Lyra raised an eyebrow. Pricing No one really understands it. It changes by the hour
Ethan inhaled slowly. That means nobody is keeping track of supply and demand
Lyra tilted her head. Track what
Ethan almost smiled. Perfect. A world with magic but without economic fundamentals. A sandbox ready for restructuring.

Lyra studied him again. You are not from here. Yet you think like someone who sees the world differently. Tell me what you see
Ethan looked at the stalls again. I see a market waiting for rules. Waiting for transparency. Waiting for someone to sort the chaos

Lyra laughed lightly. And who would do that
Ethan did not hesitate. I will

And for the first time since he opened his eyes in this world Ethan felt something familiar. Purpose. Not magical purpose but economic purpose. If this world was built on mana he would build the logic that would make mana make sense.

The market had no idea what was coming.