Life wasn’t bad.
In fact, it was… surprisingly solid?a
His cultivation was progressing smoothly.
There really wasn’t a need to rush anything.
Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t rush the tasks.
That was like asking bamboo to grow faster by yelling at it.
Pointless. Just enjoy the shade when it arrives.
So why stress?
Pace is pace. Progress is progress.
He might as well savor the journey.
What did get him excited though, was thinking about the future of the store.
Right now, everything was still mostly food and drinks. Noodles, chips, soda, tea, and the almighty soft serve ice cream.
But this was the Dimensional Convenience Store.
Not Dimensional Mini-Mart of Snacks and Sadness.
Someday, there’d be categories.
Imagine it.
Beauty section. Tools and gadgets. Stationery?
Cultivator-grade phones?
Spiritual mop that cleans itself?
Heck, he’d take a frying pan that didn’t burn eggs.
Hao couldn’t wait.
Thinking back, he never – not in a million years – would’ve believed this was where life would take him.
If someone had told his Earth self, just a year ago,
“Hey, bro, in 12 months, you’ll be managing a reality-defying store with a lowkey unhinged system.”
He’d have laughed.
Then gone back to scanning products at the counter.
Seriously, what were the odds?
’All I did was try to save a cat…’ Hao muttered.
Or, well, try.
He wasn’t even sure if the little furball made it.
All he remembered was running into the road, reaching out –
Then boom.
Truck-Kun.
He got hit so hard he skipped tutorial mode and landed straight in dimensional management.
And of course, it had to be a truck.
Not a car. Not a bike. Not a goose on a skateboard.
A truck.
The most elite transmigration agent in all of anime and webnovel history.
Hao glanced at the ceiling.
’You think that driver knew? Like, does Truck-Kun clock in every morning with a quota?’
Hao didn’t even know why he was chosen.
What made him a “candidate”?
Was he the first?
Did someone else manage the store before him and just… failed?
Like, catastrophically?
Or they didn’t complete the first tasks and got hit with the same crazy-ass consequence Hao narrowly avoided…
He stared blankly ahead.
’Did they just wake up and then – whoa, balls gone.’
’Future bloodline? Vanished.’
Because, uh – hell no.
Waking up with a system that had mood swings? Fine. Deal with it.
Waking up bald? Sure, hats exist. Survivable.
But waking up ball-less?
Absolutely not.
That’s not just a punishment, that’s a full system reset on your soul’s pride.
Alt + F4 in real life? Hao would’ve rage quit before even trying.
He didn’t know if any other “candidates” came before him. Maybe there were. Maybe they didn’t even make it past the tutorial phase.
Maybe they blinked, sneezed, said no to the first side task and poof – descendant line deleted like a corrupted save file.
Hao let out a slow breath and clutched the counter. Honestly, he was just lucky.
He still remembered it clearly – that last day.
If Lin Yijun, Yue Xueyan, or Hua Feixue hadn’t shown up when they did…
He didn’t even want to imagine which part of him would’ve been vaporized.
More days came and went. And before Hao even noticed, another side task was marked complete.
────────────────
Side Task 2: Accumulate 400 Crystals from Canned Drinks
Progress: 400/400
Reward: Unlock new product – Wing Blast. It will be delivered to the storage area after business hours.
Status: Completed! Claim your reward now?
────────────────
Reward claimed!
Hao raised his brow.
Wing Blast?
Wait, wasn’t the next task he was most likely to finish first the one with onigiri as the reward? He was so sure of it.
Well, guess not.
Wing Blast, huh? What kind of effect would this drink even have?
He’d find out tomorrow.
And of course, because the universe has a sense of humor, the next day decided to crawl like a wounded snail.
That’s just how it worked, right?
You could stare at the wall doing nothing for hours and time would fly past in a blink.
But the moment you start waiting for something, whether it’s a package, a message, or a new can of mystery energy drink, it feels as if the heavens themselves pressed pause.
No scientific explanation needed. It just happens. Everyone knows it.
Fortunately, Hao was already used to this phenomenon.
So when dawn finally arrived, he wasted no time. No morning bath. No stretching.
He marched straight to the storage area with single-minded focus.
Opening the newly delivered carton boxes!
First box, cans of Cola… Second box, cans of Peach Oolong Tea… Third…
And then… there it was.
Wing Blast.
He immediately grabbed one.
Same standard can size. Cool to the touch. Slightly heavier than the others, or maybe that was just his anticipation talking.
The material felt familiar as well, smooth and coated in shiny silver metal.
But the design?
Almost exactly as he remembered from back on Earth.
A thick blue stripe ran down one side, splitting the surface in half with sharp precision.
Right in the middle, two red bulls faced each other, frozen mid-charge, horns nearly touching.
Above them, bold red letters spelled out the name as if it wanted to leap off the can – “Wing Blast”.
It even had that tiny golden sun circle behind the bulls. Hao didn’t know what it meant, but it made the whole thing feel official and deliberate.
And beneath that, in the lower part of the can, a smaller line that shimmered when tilted:
“When the path fades, take the leap.”
Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly. This tagline felt cooler than any he’d seen before, sharper – a real challenge instead of an empty promise.
It wasn’t just about energy. It was about moving forward when everything else fell apart.
When the path vanished, you didn’t hesitate. You leapt. You trusted the jump.
A small surge of excitement rose in him as Hao reached up and popped the steel blue-colored pull-tab at the top.
Tsshk!
The sound was crisp, more distinct than a usual soda can’s hiss.
Hao raised the can toward the storage room light and tapped it gently, tilting it to get a clearer view of the liquid inside.
The drink gleamed with liquid amber hues, glowing faintly with a soft golden shimmer that pulsed under the light.
It wasn’t the dark, almost black-brown of Cola, nor the clear, pale greenish tint of Lime Fizz. Instead, it radiated a warm, dawn-like glow, as if holding a spark ready to ignite.
Hao brought the can closer and took a careful sniff.
The scent was sharp and fresh but carried a subtle sweetness beneath it. It reminded him of the air just after a summer rain, mixed with something faintly herbal and bright.
’Did it always smell like this?’
Or maybe it was because the ingredients used here were on a level far beyond what even the elites had ever known.
The smell was so tempting, he thought it could easily become addictive.
This scent could work as a perfume, an air freshener, or even scented candles.
That would definitely sell – if only it reached the right market.
Hao grinned, already imagining how many customers might get hooked just by smelling Wing Blast.
’Well, time to try it.’ Hao took a sip.
Shlurrp!
It tasted sweet with a slight tang, like a mix of mild citrus such as lemon or grapefruit with a faint herbal twist.
There was also a soft hint of berry or tropical fruit beneath the surface.
The drink was fizzy and sharp, cutting through the sweetness perfectly.
It was not like fruit juice, but more like a sweetened, lightly tart energy drink with a fresh and unusual aftertaste.
’This slid down my throat way smoother than I remembered.’
Hao paused. ’Damn, what do you even mean by ’slid down’? On what? That sounds kinda sus.’
Greatly improved? No, greatly wasn’t enough.
The store’s products were in a whole different class. They couldn’t be compared to ordinary things. Hao bet even immortals would be surprised by what the store had to offer.
Hao took another taste.
Another swig followed.
And before he could stop himself, he raised the can high and chugged down the rest in one motion.
Not a drop was spared.
Hao exhaled.
“Fwoooh.”
Goosebumps prickled across his skin.
His arms tingled. His scalp tingled. Even his eyelashes tingled.
“…Oh?”
In just seconds, the feeling surged, wrapped around him, and faded as if wind passed through every cell of his body.
“…That was it?”
He blinked.
Woah.
Nah. Nah, the system’s not cooking – this time it grilled, smoked, seared, deep-fried, and flambéed. All at once.
Hao shook his head slowly. “They’re not ready. No one is.”
Another product added to the ever-growing pile of things that will blow a cultivator’s socks into the next province.
Yet again, the store handed him a drink so practical, it might as well come with a warning label that said: Essential for anyone with a dantian.
Whether it would be a hit with the customers, he’d find out soon enough.
For now, he had only one job left.
Get this beauty to the front store!