A second charm slid into Nie Huo’s left hand. A flat hexagonal talisman strung with thin copper wire and reinforced with leftover beast bone.
Its surface bore hand-etched lines that glowed faintly with qi.
Scrap Veil Compass.
Again, one of his personal contraptions, pieced together from scraps and junk he’d picked off burnt ruins and abandoned formations. Nothing fancy.
But it had gotten him out of trouble more than once.
Nie Huo used this charm to double check his surroundings when something felt off.
He tilted it slightly, letting a thread of his spiritual sense flow through the etched runes.
The charm clicked softly, then spun in a slow half-circle, glowing a faint green.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Seconds passed.
Its glow faded, dimming to a dull gray.
Nothing.
No disruption, no spatial twisting, no illusion tremble. The compass had done its sweep.
And found absolutely nothing.
Nie Huo frowned.
So either this place was real…
Or someone out there had designed a concealment formation so tight and perfect that even his glorious scrappy contraption couldn’t detect it.
’Was this an incredibly elaborate illusion?’
He muttered the words, eyes narrowing again.
’Or did I really cross into another realm through a toilet?’
The Scrap Veil Compass gave a tired little spark and then fizzled out, the formation on its surface cracking faintly. It was only meant to be used once.
He tucked the spent charm back into his sleeve just as a voice called out.
“Welcome.” came the flat.
Nie Huo blinked.
The greeting was so calm, so neutral, it sounded like it had been delivered by a puppet.
Not rushed. Not suspicious. Not warm either.
Just… there.
It was the voice of someone who had done this exact interaction far too many times.
Nie Huo’s head snapped toward the source and locked eyes with the one behind the counter.
The youth standing there looked entirely ordinary.
Black hair. Foreign clothes. A little too casual for someone operating what might be a dimension-bending place.
His expression didn’t shift even slightly.
His eyes weren’t arrogant.
Nor filled with that quiet disgust that Nie Huo had seen in so many others, from sect seniors to market vendors.
Just… calm.
Observing, not judging.
Nie Huo’s brows rose faintly.
A normal person?
Here?
“Greetings.” Nie Huo said smoothly, lips curling into a charming grin as he approached the counter, both hands raised in mock innocence.
“Would you happen to be the owner of this fine establishment?”
“Yes. I am.” Hao replied.
Direct. Straightforward.
No fake politeness. No suspicious squinting.
Nie Huo gave a small laugh under his breath.
Alright then.
This was getting interesting.
Nie Huo tilted his head. Most people either tried to deflect or at least ask why he wanted to know.
Was the owner pretending to be relaxed to bait him?
Was this a test?
Nie Huo watched Hao scratch the back of his head with lazy disinterest.
“What is this place exactly, owner?” Nie Huo continued, carefully watching for any flicker of qi or trap formation signs.
“A store.”
Nie Huo waited.
More explanation didn’t come.
He gave a small cough. “A store for…?”
“Stuff.”
Nie Huo blinked again.
“…Stuff.”
“Yeah.”
Hao yawned as he rubbed his stomach, utterly unbothered.
To be fair, he wasn’t lying.
He could’ve said food, but that felt too narrow.
Sure, most of the products right now were edible – instant noodles, drinks, snacks, and the beloved ice cream.
But the system clearly had more in store. There’d be things coming in the future that weren’t meant for eating.
Probably.
Possibly.
Hopefully.
There was probably a more proper way to explain it.
But the first word that had popped into his mind was “stuff.”
So he said it.
And now they were both stuck with it.
Still, Hao felt a little thrill in his chest just thinking about it.
What kind of absurd, overpowered, completely random product might show up next time?
A divine hairdryer that could dry a lake in two seconds?
A foot massager that unlocked hidden meridians?
He wouldn’t even be surprised at this point.
“…”
Nie Huo stared, genuinely baffled.
This man was either the most mysterious storekeeper in the realm or someone who just didn’t care about anything – including the laws of basic conversation!
His face twitched repeatedly.
“…Right.” Nie Huo said slowly.
“And what’s the name of this…store, owner?”
“Dimensional Convenience Store.”
There it was.
Nie Huo’s eyebrow twitched.
Dimensional.
Convenience.
Store.
Not “Heavenly Pavilion.” Not “Mystic Emporium.” Not “Dao Treasury of Thousand Flames.”
No.
Convenience Store.
Was this some kind of long-lost sect trying to blend in with the mortal world?
A hidden realm disguised as mundane?
His brain whirred.
Wait. Was this the hallucination people were talking about?
He’d expected hallucinations, illusions, maybe a prank formation that made people see giant beast flying.
Not a deadpan youth selling… stuff.
He stole a glance toward the shelves, spotting strange, colorful items with names he’d never seen or heard in his life.
This was… a lot.
Nie Huo’s mind spun.
He smiled faintly, hands behind his back.
“Well then, esteemed store owner.” Nie Huo said with exaggerated politeness.
“What kind of stuff do you sell?”
“Food. Drinks. Treats” Hao answered. “For now.”
Nie Huo gave a short nod at those vague words, then turned toward the shelves without another word.
He had seen enough.
This guy… this so-called owner…
Was more shameless than him!
And that was saying something.
He was ninety percent sure that continuing the conversation would lower his lifespan.
The remaining ten percent?
Probably just blacked out from pure secondhand embarrassment.
He didn’t know if Hao was deliberately evasive or just cosmically gifted in the art of being absolutely unhelpful –
But one thing was clear:
If Nie Huo kept asking questions, he wasn’t getting answers.
He was getting wrinkles!
And possibly a stress-induced breakthrough.
So he gave up.
As he strolled down the aisle, he let his sharp eyes take in everything. He made a full circle around the shelves, examining the prices with increasing disbelief.
This…
This was a weird-as-shit scamming store.
There was no other explanation!
He picked up a cup with the words “Spicy Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles” on it.
“Instant noodles?” Nie Huo muttered.
It sounded like some kind of quick-cooked noodle dish.
Sure. Fine.
But why did it cost a whole crystal?!
And the container was so tiny!
It wasn’t even a proper bowl! Just a cup!
What was he supposed to do after eating it?
Reach enlightenment state?!
This wasn’t just a shameless owner.
Even the store was shameless!
