Azure Sky Continent, Sovereign City of the Shrouded Cloud Empire.
The city was as lively as ever. Towering pavilions lined the streets, their golden roofs shining under the midday sun.
Spirit beasts pulled ornate carriages, carrying nobles and sect elders dressed in flowing robes embroidered with mystical patterns.
Young sect disciples walked through the streets, clad in their respective uniforms. Some discussed cultivation techniques, while others browsed the talisman shops and weapon stalls.
The air was filled with the scent of roasted spirit beast meat and fragrant herbal tea. Vendors called out to passersby, boasting about pills that could break bottlenecks and buns infused with spiritual qi.
This was a place where countless geniuses gathered, seeking fortune, opportunity, and the path to immortality.
Yet, in a quiet corner of this grand city, hidden from the main streets, there was an alley few dared to step into. At the very end of this alley stood a small shop.
It had a simple appearance. With glass walls and a single glass door, giving it a strange, otherworldly presence in a world of wooden and stone buildings.
Above the entrance, a wooden signboard hung lazily, swaying slightly with the wind. Three words were carved into it.
"Dimensional Convenience Store."
Unlike the lavish restaurants and towering sect halls, this store exuded no presence. It was silent, unassuming, and strangely unnoticeable.
But those with sharp senses could tell that something was odd.
The glass walls and door showed nothing of the interior. No light, no shelves, not even a shadow. It was as if the store did not exist beyond its entrance.
The only thing visible inside was a small wooden plaque dangling from a thin chain on the door, bearing the word "Closed."
Inside the store, a young man stretched lazily before walking toward the door. He flipped the plaque over, revealing the word "Open" to the outside world.
This was Hao, originally from Earth. Just three days ago, he was a part-time convenience store employee on his way home when he was hit by a truck after saving a stray cat.
The next moment, a blinding light filled his vision. When he woke up, he was here. Inside this convenience store, bound to a system straight out of a web novel.
[Host, this is your last chance. If you still fail to make a sale today, your future generations will be permanently erased. In short, say goodbye to your balls.]
"I know, I know. You've been reminding me every single day since I got here."
Main Task: Sell 1 Cup of Instant Noodles. 0/1
Reward: Unlock new products - Cola & Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles. They will be delivered to the storage area after business hours.
Penalty: Loss of the system and complete annihilation of your chances to have descendants.
Deadline: 18 hours left.
Hao let out a long sigh. He had already read this damn screen multiple times, but there was one thing he still couldn't understand.
'The system disappearing? Fine, that made sense. But why did it have to take his balls to hell with it?'
[It is a test, host. To determine if you are truly the chosen one.]
Hao almost spat out blood.
"What kind of twisted way is that to judge the chosen one? Are you telling me some grand deity looked down and thought, 'Ah yes, let's make sure he's worthy by threatening his balls'?"
[Host, do not worry. This is the first and last penalty. After this, missions will no longer have punishments or deadlines.]
"Oh, so you're saying it gets better after my balls are put on the chopping block? Great. Fantastic."
He slumped onto the counter and stared at the screen.
Eighteen hours left.
Just one cup of instant noodles.
At first glance, selling instant noodles should be easy, right? But that was before Hao saw the price.
One crystal.
According to the system, in the cultivation world, a single crystal was worth around five to ten gold coins.
One gold coin was enough for a common family to live for a month. The standard currency was divided into copper, silver, and gold, with gold being the highest form of mortal wealth.
However, for cultivators, crystals were the true currency. They were used for cultivation, trading high-level resources, and even creating formations.
And here he was, trying to sell a single cup of instant noodles for the price of a crystal.
When Hao first arrived at the store, he was immediately faced with a decision from the system.
Please select the world your dimensional convenience store will connect to.
Option 1: Cultivation World Option 2: Post-Apocalyptic World
Of course, Hao Chen had chosen the cultivation world without hesitation. The other option was interesting, but as a lifelong fan of cultivation novels, how could he possibly pass up the chance to experience it firsthand?
Back then, he had dreamed of becoming a cultivator, soaring through the skies and shattering mountains with a single punch.
Now, he finally had the chance to enter such a world.
... Only to end up behind a counter, trying to sell overpriced instant noodles.
Today was Hao's third day as the owner of this so-called "Dimensional Convenience Store."
In the past two days, a total of three customers had stepped inside. But without fail, every single one of them left just as quickly as they arrived, grumbling about the absurd price of the only product available.
The system had already explained everything to him. If he wanted to expand the store's inventory and make real money, he had to complete missions. The more missions he finished, the more products would be unlocked.
If he worked hard enough, he could even upgrade the store. And in the future, once certain conditions were met, he might even be able to take a day off.
Which meant he could finally step outside and explore this new world.
But first, he had to do the impossible.
Sell. One. Cup. Of. Instant. Noodles.
A few hours had passed, yet not a single customer had entered the store.
Hao Chen sat behind the counter, his chin resting on his palm, eyes half-lidded.
Maybe he really was doomed to lose his balls.