Ch 1: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao pushed open the door, greeted by a vast expanse of white.

But the distant mountains and open wilderness were no longer the familiar sights of the shopping street.
Three moons hung upside down in the sky, each larger than the last, with the largest so close it felt as if she could reach out and touch it.

Lu Yao paused briefly before stepping outside.
Beneath her feet, the snow crunched softly.
The silver moonlight cast a glow over the snowy landscape, blending into gray-white contours that radiated desolation and silence.

This was the world’s end, the connection to the otherworld for Lu Yao’s seventh shop.

About a year ago, Lu Yao accidentally bound herself to the “Dream Fulfillment System” and inherited an abandoned shopping street.
The system claimed that it bonded with her because of a wish she had made. To realize this wish, Lu Yao had to venture into different worlds, open shops, and complete tasks assigned by the system.

However, she had lost part of her memory—she couldn’t recall the reason or process behind binding to the system, nor could she remember the wish itself.

Even so, over the past year, she had successfully opened six shops in various otherworlds: a snack bar, a nail salon, a blind box store, a cozy pet cafe, an interdimensional cinema, and a childhood tutoring center.

The system possessed the ability to open star gates that allowed Lu Yao’s shops to exist in a spatial rift overlapping her world and the other worlds. With the opening and closing of the gates, the world outside the door shifted according to her intent.
She could travel freely between her world and the other worlds, and her shops simultaneously existed in both. However, the primary customers of these shops were the residents of those worlds.

Now, Lu Yao was preparing to open a new shop in an otherworld hinted at by the cryptic clue “the world’s end.”

Behind her followed a small child, about four or five years old, with skin as pale as snow, short silver hair, and striking crimson eyes. Despite his youthful frailty, there was an otherworldly air about him.

The child’s name was Lu Budu, nearly a year old.
He was a being akin to a deity, now willingly serving as Lu Yao’s guardian.

Lu Budu quickly caught up to her and took her hand. “Mother, are you opening an inn here?”

The new storefront already bore a sign with the words “Lu Yao’s Inn.”

Lu Yao replied, “The world’s end carries a sense of having seen it all, yet belonging nowhere. An inn may not be home, but it’s enough for a brief rest.”

She turned back, observing the new shop sign under the moonlight.

From the shopping street’s perspective, the sign was written in Chinese characters.
But here, the text transformed into strange and intricate shapes. With the system’s help, however, otherworldly languages were no barrier, and to Lu Yao’s eyes, the words still read as “Lu Yao’s Inn.”

This time, the clue had been particularly abstract—just four words: “the world’s end.”

Drawing on her experience, Lu Yao had considered several possibilities before settling on the idea of opening an inn.
Her first shop had been known to its patrons as the “Little Cafe at the End of the World.” Now, with a new “Inn at the End of the World,” the two establishments would perfectly complement each other, sitting across from one another on the shopping street.

Budu appeared to half-understand and replied honestly, “But there’s no trace of people nearby.”

Lu Yao had already noticed the desolate surroundings of the inn, devoid of human presence, even before Budu’s observation.
Wherever she opened a shop, no customers meant trouble.

With six shops already under her belt, Lu Yao and the Dream Fulfillment System had become something of a love-hate duo.
Though the system often misled her with vague information or made her tasks deliberately difficult, it wasn’t likely to connect her shop to a world entirely devoid of people.

Lu Yao fished out a peculiar key from her pocket and drew a circular arc in the air. “Let’s call Harold over first.”

The arc traced by the key formed a door in midair. Stepping closer, Lu Yao knocked lightly with her knuckle.
Knock, knock, knock—

After three knocks, the sound of a lock turning came from the other side, and the door creaked open. A young man with black hair tied in a high ponytail and piercing blue eyes stepped out, dressed in black.

Harold stowed away a key identical to the one Lu Yao held and glanced back at the slowly closing temporal door. “This method’s much better—saves me the hassle of hunting you down.”

Harold, a powerful black dragon from the continent of Alexander, possessed the ability to traverse space and time.
Lu Yao had crossed paths with this young dragon while opening her nail salon.

Since her second shop, Harold had always found ways to track down Lu Yao’s shops in different worlds and offered his help.
Recently, Lu Yao had been practicing a newly acquired ability and had spent the past few days optimizing the Space-Time Key.
Now, summoning Harold using the key was both discreet and convenient.

Harold glanced around the barren landscape. “Why’s the shop in a place like this?”
A desolate wilderness, scarce even of birds—let alone people. No customers meant no business.

Lu Yao shrugged, her expression one of resignation. “We’ve got nothing better to do tonight. Let’s walk further out—maybe we’ll find a village or town.”

Under the three moons hanging in the sky, the snowy terrain glowed white. Even without artificial light, the surroundings were perfectly visible. Lu Yao tucked her phone into her pocket and set out.

Three sets of footprints meandered away from the inn, stretching into the distance. Behind them, the inn became a tiny speck amidst the vast, snowy wasteland, with no trace of human presence anywhere.

Harold glanced at Lu Yao, whose complexion looked ghastly pale under the moonlight.
“We’ve already come a long way. It’s clear there’s no one nearby,” Harold said. “You and Budu should head back. I’ll fly ahead to scout.”

Thorny brambles twisted and coiled under the snow, forming an obstacle.
Both Harold and Budu, with their resilient physiques, moved effortlessly, while Lu Yao stumbled her way through. Fortunately, she’d changed into sturdy, knee-high snow boots before leaving, avoiding injury.

She straightened up and took a deep breath, scanning the distance with disappointment. Nothing had changed—the surroundings remained barren and lifeless.

Lu Yao summoned the system interface with a tap. “What’s going on?”

The system responded quickly: [What?]

Lu Yao: “Without people, I can’t do business.”

[How could there be no people? Losing your composure like this—doesn’t seem like you.]

Reassured by the system’s words, Lu Yao relented. “Fine, it’s too late today. Let’s head back.”

Harold wanted to transform into his dragon form and fly further to scout, but Lu Yao shook her head and called him back. Even if there were people nearby, they wouldn’t be outside at this hour. It would be better to return in the morning.

As she turned, Lu Yao hesitated briefly, her gaze falling on a withered tree not far away.
The tree was as thick as a bowl, with bare branches stripped of leaves. A thick layer of snow covered the branches, and a row of sharp icicles hung beneath them.

Lu Yao walked closer, tilting her head to examine it.
Halfway up the trunk, a hollow contained an oddly-shaped object.

At first, Lu Yao thought it was a dead leaf wedged inside, but as she got closer, she realized it resembled a massive cocoon, four or five times larger than an ordinary insect cocoon. The outer layer was murky and dark.

She reached out to pluck it.

Harold stepped forward, stopping her. “Don’t move. I’ll do it.”

Unexpectedly, the object was fragile. Harold opened his hand, his expression darkening slightly. “It broke.”

A strange, fishy smell wafted through the air. Lu Yao leaned closer. The cocoon, dark red in color, had been crushed at the top by Harold’s grip.

She poked at the fragments with her fingers, her eyes widening slightly as she uncovered something beneath the debris. “This… looks like a person?”

Inside the cocoon was a tiny, humanoid figure, soundly asleep.

…

The Inn at the End of the World.

The inn was still unfurnished, empty, and cluttered.
Lu Yao brought over a foldable table from the staff office next door, along with three small stools and a wool blanket.

After setting up the table and laying the blanket over it, she gestured for Harold to place the humanoid figure they had brought in onto the table.

Harold brushed off the remaining blood-red fragments from the little creature’s body before setting it in the center of the table.

What emerged was indeed a tiny person. Lu Yao measured it with her hand—the figure was about six to seven centimeters tall, with a build and limbs identical to a human’s. The only difference was its minuscule size, like a thumb-sized character straight out of a fairy tale.

The tiny figure had messy, dark-gray short hair, eyes tightly shut, and a weapon gripped in its right hand. A beast horn-like mark adorned its forearm.

The weapon resembled a short arrow shaft, a slender gray-white rod with a polished, conical stone tied to one end.

Lu Yao carefully pried open its hand to remove the weapon, setting it aside. The creature was wrapped in a filthy piece of fur, with dry grass tied around its ankles and feet, offering no real protection against the cold.

Seeing the slight rise and fall of its chest, Lu Yao felt a bit relieved. “Could it be hibernating?”

Harold leaned against the table, observing for a while. “Looks more like it’s dying. Should we try magic?”

Lu Yao hesitated, then wrapped the figure snugly in the blanket and headed toward the door.
“You two keep an eye on him. I’ll go grab a stove.”

Lu Yao quickly returned with a small portable heater, plugging it in and placing it under the table.

The warmth spread across the tabletop, and Lu Yao nudged the tiny figure to the center where it was the warmest.

After a few minutes, Budu suddenly spoke. “He’s about to wake up.”

Lu Yao, who had been closely watching, noticed the little creature stir. With his eyes still closed, he rolled over, rubbed his head against the soft blanket, and then froze completely.

Harold, impatient as always, poked the small lump in the middle of the table with a finger. “Don’t play dead. I saw you move.”

The tiny figure remained motionless, stiff as a board, as if the earlier movement had been a mere illusion.

Lu Yao glanced upward, sighed, and pulled a small tangerine out of her pocket. She peeled it, took out a segment, split it, and placed the fresh, juicy piece next to the tiny figure’s head. The sweet, citrusy aroma wafted through the air.

One second, two seconds, three seconds—

The little figure, still pretending to be dead, couldn’t resist twitching his nose. The subtle motion didn’t escape the trio’s notice.

Harold, catching on, took out a packet of five-spice beef cubes, peeled one open, and slid it over.
The dried meat, seasoned with spices, released a mouthwatering aroma.

The tiny figure’s face turned red, straining to maintain his stoic expression.

Even Budu joined in, rummaging through his pockets, though all he found were some stray building blocks.

Finally, the little thumb-sized figure couldn’t hold back anymore. He abruptly opened his eyes, stretched out both hands to grab the beef cube, rolled over, and prepared to jump off the table.

But Lu Yao, quick to react, cupped her hands and gently caught him. She cradled the tiny figure in her palm and spoke softly, “Don’t be afraid. We mean no harm.”

Her tone was calm and warm, and through the system’s automatic translation, the tiny figure heard her words in a language he could understand.

After some resistance, the tiny figure gradually settled down in her hand.

Lu Yao opened her palms and placed him back on the blanket.

The tiny figure still clung tightly to the beef cube, his wary eyes looking up at Lu Yao. When he finally got a good look at her face, he instinctively took two steps back. His gray-blue eyes reflected astonishment.

At that moment, it was as though the little figure on the table was surrounded by three towering giants.

After a long silence, the tiny figure mustered the courage to speak. “Are you… a big human?”

His voice, though small, was surprisingly loud and clear.

Big human?

Lu Yao extended a finger and slowly placed it in front of the little figure. “Hello, my name is Lu Yao. Do you have a name?”

The tiny figure was so stunned he didn’t even notice the beef cube slipping from his hands onto the table. After a moment, he leaned forward, sniffed Lu Yao’s finger, and hesitantly reached out a hand.

Her finger was so large it could easily pin him down, and earlier, she had effortlessly wrapped him in her palm. But to his surprise, her skin felt soft, almost no different from his own.

“My name is Monk. Monk of the Red Pig Tribe,” the tiny figure announced loudly, then exclaimed again, “You really are a big human!”

Lu Yao found the little creature amusing. She pushed the peeled tangerine segment closer to him. “First time seeing someone like me?”

The small tangerine piece was larger than Monk’s head, but his eyes lit up as he leaned in to sniff it.

The fresh citrus aroma was especially enticing. Monk couldn’t resist taking a bite of the tangerine. He froze for a moment, then tried hard to hide the tangerine behind him, only to realize it was impossible. Frustrated, he sat down in defeat.

Monk said, “The chief said big humans disappeared a long time ago. They were too weak.”

He then ran back to nibble on the beef cube. As he chewed, he began to zone out.

In the coldest season of the Dark Moon, where could these big humans have found such fresh and delicious food? Even this dried meat tasted better than the smoked jerky from the Glimmer Tribe.

Lu Yao gestured to Harold before speaking to Monk. “Can you tell us your story? As thanks, all this food will be yours.”

Harold’s pockets were like treasure chests, producing tangerines, beef cubes, and roasted peanuts—all piled into a small mountain in front of Monk.

Monk stretched his neck, staring in disbelief. “All this is for me?”

Lu Yao nodded.

Without hesitation, Monk’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “What do you want to know?”

Lu Yao was most eager to learn whether her inn could operate here. To do so, she needed to understand this world and its inhabitants.

…

Monk was a tiny humanoid living on the continent of Nitean.

He explained that big humans like Lu Yao were only mentioned in stories told by his tribe’s chief. He had never imagined he would meet one in real life.

Due to the harsh cold of the Dark Moon season, food was scarce. While out hunting with his companions, Monk became separated from the group. Stranded by the snowstorm, he was forced to cocoon himself to survive.

“Cocooning” was a natural survival skill of the tiny humanoid race, used only in life-threatening situations.

It was Monk’s first time cocooning, and he had never expected to encounter the legendary big humans during this desperate moment. He found it all incredibly surreal.

Monk’s storytelling was chaotic and disorganized, his thoughts jumping from one topic to another.

Lu Yao, experienced in such situations, carefully filtered out the useful information.

From what Monk described, she deduced that the Nitean continent had once been home to ordinary humans like her. Over time, they became known as the “big humans” to the Nitean tiny people.

After the extinction of the big humans, the Nitean tiny people became the primary intelligent race on the continent. For some unknown reason, all traces of previous human civilization vanished alongside them.

The living conditions of the Nitean tiny people were primitive. They survived through hunting and gathering but had basic concepts of numbers, language, and some written text. However, literacy was rare among them.

In Monk’s tribe, only the chief and a few elders knew how to read.

Although the tiny humanoids were numerous, they were scattered across the vast land, with minimal bartering between tribes.

Lu Yao sighed. A post-human world—it made sense why this place was called “the world’s end.”

Perhaps it was the delicious dried meat, but Monk greedily ate another whole segment of the tangerine, stuffing himself until his tiny belly became round. Lying atop the pile of food, he looked troubled.

The snow was deep, and the journey long; he couldn’t carry all the food back to his tribe. Yet he was reluctant to leave any of it behind.

Lu Yao offered a suggestion: “Take some back to your tribe first, then bring your people here to help carry the rest.”

Monk’s eyes lit up, finding the idea feasible.

Big humans didn’t seem as weak as the chief’s stories made them out to be. In fact, they seemed quite clever.

Lu Yao cut off a corner of the blanket, folded it into two layers, and crafted a small, hooded cloak for Monk to keep warm. She then used scraps of fabric to sew a pouch-like storage bag, filling it with a tangerine, two peanuts, and a five-spice beef cube. After tying the bag shut with string, she handed it to Monk.

Draped in his soft, warm new clothes, Monk rolled around on the table in pure joy.

Once he’d had his fill of celebrating, he hoisted the oversized bag onto his back and jumped off the table.

“Lu Yao, I’ll be back in no more than five Sunlit Days!” Monk stood at the door, turning back to say goodbye. “Wait for me!”

Lu Yao smiled and waved at him. “Take care on the road.”

Lu Yao pulled out her phone to check the time and couldn’t help but yawn. “I didn’t notice—it’s almost dawn.”

Harold asked, “This world only has the tiny humanoid tribe. What’s your plan?”

Budu toyed with a few building blocks in his hands. “You’ll probably have to trade goods. Selling food might work better. I think a fruit shop or vegetable store would be a good idea.”

This world was barren, and food was the hard currency. It would undoubtedly attract more interest than an inn.

Given the current level of economic and cultural development, an inn seemed far too advanced for this world.

The system chimed in: [Reminder to the shop owner: Once you choose your main business type, it cannot be changed under any circumstances.]

Lu Yao replied, “Don’t worry, I’m not changing it. But the original renovation plan won’t work anymore.”

She pulled a building block out of Budu’s hand and rubbed it thoughtfully. “I have a new idea.”

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