Ch 25: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Zhuang Liang had arranged to meet Qi Jue at an upscale tea house in the city center. He had already been there for ten minutes, but Qi Jue, who was always punctual, still hadn’t arrived.

He ordered a pot of tea and two plates of snacks, sipping his tea while scrolling through the park forum on his phone.

“There’s a madwoman selling a high-level ring lately, going crazy on the forum every day. It’s terrifying.”

“Not just on the forum. I heard she’s lost it in real life too, carrying around tools and ambushing amusement park players. It’s really scary.”

“Has she lost the distinction between reality and the game?”

“She entered the game twice, then sold the ring. She broke the rules. Now they say she’s being dragged into the game every night, and who knows what she’s been through—she came out totally unhinged.”

“A black ring? Didn’t she know the rules? You can’t sell a used ring.”

“Maybe she was desperate for money.”

Zhuang Liang skimmed over the post. It was about the same college student who had sold a high-tier ring. Some players thought that once they extended their lifespan by surviving the game a few times, they could safely retire, foolishly selling their rings and feeling proud about it.

Little did they know that the moment they put on the ring, they had already signed a contract with the Demon God. If they ran away before using up the ring’s full power, it would be seen as breaking the contract, and their deaths would be even more horrific.

Another ten minutes passed before there was a knock on the door. Zhuang Liang responded, and Qi Jue stepped inside.

Today, Qi Jue was in casual attire, standing tall with a determined look on his face. But he wasn’t alone—a young woman followed him.

Zhuang Liang recognized her immediately and stood up. “Why are you two together?”

Qi Jue sat down, poured himself two cups of hot tea, and explained, “I ran into her on the way. I figured her situation was similar to mine, so I brought her along.”

Zhuang Liang scrutinized Lu Yao. He hadn’t given up on investigating her since their last encounter, but he hadn’t found any flaws. He hadn’t expected her to show up with Qi Jue.

Lu Yao casually pulled up a chair and sat down, showing no intention of speaking first.

She had been having a streak of bad luck. After leaving the snack shop, she had planned to head to a dessert shop to buy the matcha crepe for Qi Shen. But when she got off at the square, she ran into Zhao Yuqing.

Zhao Yuqing’s condition had worsened since her last manicure. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes messy, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked both exhausted and manic.

Zhao Yuqing suddenly rushed out, grabbing Lu Yao’s wrist and wildly waving a fruit knife in her other hand, demanding that Lu Yao return her ring.

Lu Yao was shocked and stood frozen, not daring to move or provoke her.

No one nearby dared to intervene. Some were quietly preparing to call the police when Qi Jue appeared.

He silently approached from behind, swiftly knocking the knife out of Zhao Yuqing’s hand and subduing her.

Zhao Yuqing put up a fierce struggle, and in the commotion, Lu Yao was pulled down, falling to the ground. The ring in her pocket tumbled out. When Zhao Yuqing saw the ring, she went mad, desperately trying to break free from Qi Jue’s grip to snatch it.

Lu Yao scrambled up and bent down to pick up the ring.

Zhao Yuqing, sitting on the ground, pointed at Lu Yao and screamed accusations, claiming that Lu Yao had stolen her ring. Even as Qi Jue’s colleagues took her away, she continued hurling curses.

Qi Jue had been on his way to meet Zhuang Liang to discuss rings, and upon seeing that Lu Yao also had one, he decided to bring her along.

After briefly recounting how he had encountered Lu Yao, Qi Jue ignored Zhuang Liang’s probing gaze, pulled out a black ring from his pocket, and slid it across the table. “Take a look—this one’s new, right?”

The ring was pitch black with intricate, ancient patterns. Zhuang Liang didn’t need to inspect it closely to know it was a new illusion ring. “Where did you find it?”

Qi Jue replied, “In the pocket of an old coat. I have no idea how long it’s been there.”

Yesterday, Qi Jue had a rare free moment and decided to clean out some old clothes. That’s when he found the ring in an old jacket.

Zhuang Liang said, “If it showed up in your house, it must be yours—and it’s new.”

As he spoke, Zhuang Liang’s eyes kept drifting toward Lu Yao.

Lu Yao hadn’t wanted to come in the first place, but now that they were talking about illusion rings, she suddenly became intrigued.

The shock hit so hard that his emotions spiraled out of control. Zhuang Liang managed to utter one word before abruptly falling silent, his eyes wide with confusion and fear.

When a player puts on an illusion ring, their remaining lifespan is displayed above their head for ten seconds before disappearing.

Zhuang Liang saw a number flash above Lu Yao’s head—2,000, with the unit being “years.”

In an instant, Lu Yao’s seat was empty—she had entered the game.

Zhuang Liang: “…”

Qi Jue also saw the number above Lu Yao’s head but didn’t fully understand its significance.

Zhuang Liang’s expression grew horrified as he shook his head repeatedly, mumbling, “Two thousand years… How is that even possible? What kind of person is she?”

…

Lu Yao was teleported to a small room that resembled a changing room. Her name was written on a plaque hanging on the door, and the ticking of a clock on the wall seemed to be counting down. A utility pack appeared in her hands.

It all happened so suddenly—she wasn’t prepared. In her pocket, she only had a few small bills, her phone, keys, and a piece of fruit candy.

She tried several times to put items in the utility pack, but it only had one slot, and she could only store one thing at a time.

The same denomination bills, her phone, and keys could be placed inside, but the candy was rejected.

Unsure of the exact rules, a sudden realization struck her. She pulled out the invitation from her storage and placed it in the pack. This time, it wasn’t rejected, meaning it could be brought into the game.

The room felt more like a preparation area before entering the game, where items that couldn’t be taken into the game could be temporarily stored here.

Lu Yao decided to bring the invitation into the game, leaving her phone, bills, and keys in the small room.

When the Head Guard gave her the ring, she had already suspected something. If the Demon God wasn’t outside, then he must be inside the game.

Zhuang Liang’s reaction further confirmed her theory. The contracts and divine punishments were all likely tied to the Demon God.

Sensing Zhuang Liang’s greed for the ring, she decided to enter the game immediately.

As the countdown ended, a bright flash blinded her, and she instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was already inside the game.

Her feet squelched in something wet and sticky. She glanced down, and her pupils shrank. The next moment, she squatted down, retching uncontrollably.

So this was the kind of game it was. No wonder even some residents of Dreamland couldn’t handle it.

…

Dreamland, 99th Floor Amusement Park, District A.

The moment Lu Yao put on the ring, Bai Jian knew.

He got up, left his office, and headed to the first-floor surveillance room. Pushing open the door to the back room, he focused intently on the screens.

…

In the VIP screening room of the cinema, a graphic scene played—a monstrous NPC was brutally tearing apart a challenger, with severed limbs flying and blood flowing like a river.

Blood and death gave the audience a visceral thrill. The theater was buzzing with excitement, with people throwing tips, while others were bouncing in their seats, shouting in excitement.

Suddenly, someone let out a terrified scream, pointing to the lower left corner of the screen. “Isn’t that the snack shop owner?”

The air froze for a moment, and everyone turned to look.

In the corner of the screen, a figure was tiptoeing forward slowly, completely unaware they were heading toward the monster. But the audience could clearly see her face.

Pale skin, jet-black hair, with a soft, warm glow surrounding her body—different from them and even the challengers.

It really was her—the snack shop owner!

The audience erupted into chaos.

“How did she get in? We gave her so much time, she shouldn’t be in danger of dying!”

“And this is the highest-level game! Won’t she be traumatized?”

“Think of something quick! She’s about to run into the fog monster! If she dies, what will happen to the snack shop?”

“Even though I didn’t get to buy the new items from the snack shop today, I don’t want the boss to die!!! I’m counting on her to stay alive!”

In the past, these people only came to the amusement park to kill time, but now, most of them came because they couldn’t get into the snack shop and had no choice but to pass time here.

But just as they were trying to enjoy themselves, they were suddenly thrown into a horror show.

For the first time in a long while, they were overcome with the fear of losing something important.

“What do we do? Who’s in charge of the amusement park today? Can they go easy on her?”

At that moment, the fog monster that was about to run into Lu Yao was also confused.

How did she get in here?

What should I do? Should I attack her?

Dying in the amusement park once wouldn’t kill her for real, but it would leave a bad memory, right?

Would she stop being able to cook?

The fog monster, deeply troubled, couldn’t think of a solution. As Lu Yao got closer and closer, it quietly turned and retreated into the thick fog, putting more distance between them.

The challengers in this area had already been eliminated, so there wouldn’t be any danger.

Seeing the fog monster flee, the audience in the screening room let out a collective sigh of relief.

Looks like this NPC knows the snack shop owner. Phew, that was close.

But in the next moment, they saw Lu Yao step right into the blood demon’s territory.

This creature was the most violent and ruthless monster in the game, showing no hesitation when it came to killing.

Someone clutched their chest, feeling like they couldn’t breathe. “Ahhhh! Turn around! Or you’ll spend the rest of your life healing from these few seconds!”

“Why does she keep wandering around? Wouldn’t it be better to hide somewhere and wait for the game to end?”

“I can’t watch this! I’m so scared she’s going to cry from fear.”

…

Inside the game.

Lu Yao gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the slimy sensation underfoot and the squelching noise with each step. The ground was slippery, and every step she took was accompanied by the grotesque sound of blood-soaked terrain. She did her best to keep her head up, not looking down, stepping quickly over whatever she happened to tread on.

She had already vomited everything in her stomach, and by now, she was somewhat accustomed to the thick stench of blood.

Just a little longer. She just needed to find the Demon God, hand over the invitation, and she could leave.

Not far away, a player had been cornered by the blood demon, the creature’s sharp claws digging into the man’s scalp. The player was trembling, too terrified to even scream, as he felt the monster’s fingers pierce his skin.

“Thud—splat—”

A strange noise echoed, followed by a female voice. “Ugh! I’m covered in blood. This is so annoying!”

The blood demon froze upon hearing the voice, turning to see Lu Yao, who had slipped and was now sprawled on the ground, struggling to get up. The demon hesitated.

Lu Yao tried to stand, but the blood on the ground was thick and sticky, coating her from head to toe. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get up.

She let out a sigh of resignation, feeling strangely at peace, as though her fear had faded.

In the screening room.

“Damn it, it’s all the blood demon’s fault! Why did it leave so much blood on the floor? That fall must’ve hurt—are her hands okay?”

“She’s mad now. What’s the blood demon doing? Hurry up and clean up the floor!”

Back in the game.

The blood demon released the player it was holding and turned toward Lu Yao.

The player, having barely survived, cracked his eyes open. For some reason, the monster had abandoned him and was now heading for the girl.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief, thankful that at least he was alive.

He didn’t feel guilty. In such a brutally harsh game, survival was instinctual.

But the blood demon didn’t do what the player expected. Instead of attacking the girl, it did something completely unexpected.

The blood demon approached Lu Yao, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly extended its hand toward her.

Lying on the ground, Lu Yao: “…”

An awkward silence fell, as the demon kept holding out its hand.

After a long pause, when Lu Yao didn’t respond, the blood demon tilted its head helplessly. Finally, it bared its sharp, jagged teeth and muttered carefully, “Hand.”

Lu Yao’s eyes flashed as she tentatively asked, “Qing?”

The blood demon turned its head away, refusing to answer, but still kept its hand outstretched.

Once Lu Yao took the hand, the demon gently closed its five fingers, helping her up without harming her.

Lu Yao was now certain that this monster was, in fact, Qing.

Well, these guys sure know how to go wild in the game.

When he saw her lying on the ground earlier, he thought she was done for.

The abandoned player stared in confusion: …Is that girl an NPC too? She doesn’t look like one at all—more like a newbie who just entered the game. But what’s happening now?

He couldn’t comprehend it.

The blood demon escorted Lu Yao to a tightly shut door and then vanished.

The door seemed ordinary, with a small sign hanging from the handle that read “Exit.”

Lu Yao felt exhausted and didn’t want to stay in the game any longer. She opened the door, expecting to return to the small room she had entered from, but instead, a vast ancient battlefield appeared before her.

Yellow sand swept across the sky, a half-sunken sunset loomed in the distance, swords and spears were scattered everywhere, and the ground was littered with skeletons. The door that had brought her there had already disappeared.

Having just come out of a game, this scene didn’t frighten her.

She glanced down and realized her body was clean, with all the blood stains from the game now gone.

Lu Yao had a guess about where she was, but instead of panicking, she calmly surveyed her surroundings for a moment before deciding to walk toward the setting sun.

Suddenly, a fierce windstorm kicked up, making it hard for her to keep her eyes open. She hunched slightly, using her elbow to shield her face as she pushed forward into the wind.

Amid the swirling sand, illusions began to appear.

She saw Qing, looking like a young man, die on the battlefield. She witnessed Xingzi in a tragic car accident, Li Shasha dying in a hospital bed from an infected wound…

She also saw many familiar faces, including a forgotten memory of Qi Shen, Gao Yang dying suddenly on the train, and…was that Bai Ming?

Lu Yao wasn’t sure if the dark-haired, dark-eyed boy was Bai Ming. He looked so different from the silver-haired, red-eyed youth in her shop, but his personality before his death seemed strikingly similar.

The sixteen-year-old boy had saved three drowning elementary school students, only to exhaust himself and sink into the water, never to wake again.

…

All the people in these illusions were ones Lu Yao had known in this world—her shop employees and many of her customers.

Life and death often hinged on a single choice.

Her eyes began to sting, and her heart grew heavy. She kept walking, crying all the while.

Her sobs grew louder, outpacing even the sound of the wind.

“Who is crying and disturbing my slumber?” An ancient voice suddenly called out.

Lu Yao wiped her eyes and shouted, “My name is Lu Yao. I’ve come to find the Demon God.”

The ancient voice responded, “I am the Demon God. What do you seek?”

Lu Yao reached into her utility pack, pulled out the invitation, and handed it over.

A gust of wind swept through, carrying the invitation into the air, and it disappeared somewhere in the distance.

Moments later, a deep, booming laugh echoed from all directions: “Hahaha, you want to invite me for a meal? How amusing! Truly amusing. Very well, I accept. Three days from now, I shall visit.”

[Final Task: Feast for the Demon God has been activated! Time limit: 3 days. Please prepare diligently, shop owner!]

Lu Yao was stunned. So, the invitation really was to invite the Demon God for a meal?

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