The first rays of light painted the sky in hues of orange and red which spilled through the enchanted windows of the Divine Convenience Store. Outside, a cool breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it whispers signaling a new day.
Not far from the store's entrance, a figure clad in travel-worn robes approached. His pace was brisk, his posture tense as if he had been chased by ghosts all night. He kept looking behind him as though afraid that someone was still out there to catch him.
The man, Zhou Rui, was a mid-level cultivator from the Crimson Vale Sect. His face was pale and his breathing labored.
With his eyes darting around nervously, he clutched his chest, where a faint scarlet glow pulsed beneath his robes.
It was a wound from a failed mission.
A demonic beast had ambushed his group in the depths of the Abyssal Forest – not far from the location of the small, unassuming city in the middle of a clearing where the Divine Convenience Store had mysteriously appeared.
Zhou Rui had barely escaped with his life but the poison coursing through his veins would soon finish what the beast had started.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself forward.
"I need... to find a healer," He muttered under his breath trying to find a whiff of hope from the still-desolate street. "Anything. Anyone."
Suddenly, the glow of the Divine Convenience Store caught his eye.
It was unlike any establishment he had ever seen. The architecture was simple yet elegant, the aura around it strange but oddly inviting.
It stood incongruously at the end of the street. Its clean, modern architecture was utterly at odds with the ancient surroundings. A faint, otherworldly glow emanated from its glass doors, and a blinking neon sign above the entrance bore the name in bold, elegant characters.
"What is this place?" Zhou Rui murmured, his steps faltering as he neared the door.
The faintest trace of hope flickered in his chest. He didn't recognize what kind of establishment it was but peering through those glass windows, he saw shelves of what could be pills.
With his wound throbbing profusely, Zhou Rui dragged his feet to it, hoping that his suffering would soon be relieved.
–
Inside the store, Lin Mo was leaning against the counter. He was still groggy from being dragged out of bed by the system's Opening Reminder chime.
He's quite in luck that the store doesn't operate 24 hours a day like most convenience stores on Earth but its opening time was four in the morning or what the System Panel constitutes as the current time in the realm.
They closed at around ten in the evening. All in all, his brief respite was only a short six hours with the first hour spent with him eating, reading, tidying up, and preparing for the next day.
Liu Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was wide awake. Her Heaven's Reflex makes her unnervingly energetic for this early hour.
Lin Mo asked her how she was so energetic. Her answer? 'Upon reaching a certain realm, a cultivator doesn't need to sleep anymore, Boss. I may still be far from it but I can cut down on my sleep already!'
That's right. It's a matter of him still being a powerless mortal. He can only hope to start cultivating soon. Otherwise, the Celestial Providence will be wasted on him.
"Boss! We've got our first customer!" Liu Xiaoyu excitedly exclaimed as he nudged him in the ribs, flying over from the shelf of instant noodles and other similar products.
"Great. Let's hope this one isn't here to rob us or challenge me to a duel."
Lin Mo straightened, blinking as Zhou Rui entered, his eyes hollowed out as though he already had one foot in the grave.
"Welcome to the Divine Convenience Store," Lin Mo said, forcing his voice into a neutral tone. "Let us know if you need anything."
Zhou Rui approached cautiously, his gaze flitting over the shelves and then to the two people standing behind the counter.
Lin Mo and Liu Xiaoyu were already wearing striped uniforms and matching slacks making them appear more otherworldly than ever.
Zhou Rui's eyes widened as he took in the array of items—glowing talismans, jars of shimmering pills, and... a row of colorful snacks in glossy packets?
"What... is this place?" Zhou Rui muttered under his breath, the pain of his wound forgotten for a second.
"A store selling mystical items. You can find anything you need here," Lin Mo replied with a smile, remembering that he had to appear welcoming to the customers. Still, he could see that the man was injured but he still had to be cautious. He could still be a troublemaker, after all.
Zhou Rui picked up a bag of onion-flavored corn-based snacks named 'Taihao's Onion Rings', turning it over in his hands like it was a rare artifact. "And... this? What does it do?"
"It's food. You open it and you eat it. It can restore some of your essence."
Zhou Rui frowned, clearly confused. He placed the onion ring snack back on the shelf as he continued to scan the shelves.
"D-do you have a cure for poison?"
Lin Mo checked the system panel that lists the store's current inventory but there was no 'Antidote' listed among the mystical items.
But then, his cheeky assistant whispered, "Boss, boss. Ask him what kind of poison he is afflicted with."
"Huh? So, they have different remedies for that?"
Liu Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, leaning in closer to whisper with an exasperated expression. "Of course, Boss. Poison isn't just one thing. There's venom from beasts, spiritual corrosion, curse-based toxins, and a whole lot more! You should know this if you want to survive here."
'Oh! How enlightening!' Lin Mo couldn't help but exclaim inwardly as he raised a thumb to her sometimes-useful assistant.
Liu Xiaoyu proudly rubbed her nose while donning a smug grin as though telling him to praise him with words rather than gestures.
He ignored that and called out to Zhou Rui instead, "Customer. What kind of poison are we dealing with?"
Zhou Rui hesitated, clutching his chest as the faint scarlet glow pulsed again beneath his robes. "It's demonic beast venom. A Frost Fang Serpent ambushed us in the Abyssal Forest. The venom is suppressing my spiritual energy and eating away at my vitality."
"Demonic beast venom, huh?" Lin Mo murmured, pulling up the system panel. He quickly typed in the query. To his surprise, a product list appeared.
[Available Remedies:
- Essence Restoration Pills (Minor Grade): Temporarily stabilizes vitality. Price: 5 Spirit Stones
- Detoxifying Elixir (Standard Grade): Neutralizes common poisons, including minor beast venoms. Price: 10 Spirit Stones
- Ultimate Cure-All Elixir: Effectively neutralizes any known toxin or curse. Price: 50 Spirit Stones]
Lin Mo whistled softly. "Fifty spirit stones for the Cure-All? Who's going to afford that?"
Liu Xiaoyu peered over his shoulder. "Boss, don't even think about suggesting that. He looks like he lost all his bag of holding on the way back."
Lin Mo cleared his throat, gesturing toward the shelves filled with neatly arranged jars of pills and boxes containing vials of elixirs. "We've got a few options, but for demonic beast venom, you'll probably want the Detoxifying Elixir. Xiaoyu, get it for our customer. He can barely walk."
Liu Xiaoyu pouted but she immediately did what he ordered. She hopped like a bunny released in the wild. The wind whistled as she picked up the jar from the shelf and returned to the counter next to him.
Zhou Rui's face tightened as he looked at the small box containing three neatly packed vials of elixirs. The clear blue liquid looked like the cursed soda from Earth, "How much?"
"Ten spirit stones," Lin Mo said flatly, though he could already see the dread forming in Zhou Rui's eyes.