Dimensional Storekeeper

Chapter 198: This Reward Better Not Be a Dirt Planet

He puffed his lungs, tapping a fist repeatedly against his sternum for who knows what reason.

He had the face of a man declaring a great truth to the skies – over absolutely nothing!

’And of course I have pride, system. It’s just… extremely flexible.’ Hao smirked.

He wore the smuggest face known to cultivation kind.

Brows slightly raised. One corner of his mouth curved just right.

But the system?

Silent.

No beep. No reply.

Just a quiet shift on the task screen.

“Employees are not allowed to participate.” → “Host and employees are not allowed to participate.”

Hao blinked. His expression twitched.

’…Wow.’

He stared at the updated line. ’So petty.’

Hao shook his head and kept scrolling through the rest of the task details.

His eyes landed on the reward.

A new world.

A free door.

His head snapped up slightly.

’Oh?’

’A whole new world, huh?’

It hit him with the energy of opening your favorite game only to realize the update just started downloading.

He didn’t expect the reward to come this early.

Outside, his expression was calm. Just a tiny lift at the corner of his lips.

But inside?

Hao was losing it. Absolutely electric.

His brain was already running full speed, imagining the possibilities.

A ruined apocalyptic world, scorched and broken, crawling with mutated monsters .

Or maybe a world where no humans ever existed – only beastfolk, scaled warriors, or sentient plant tribes ruling vast jungles.

Then there was always the chance of a superhuman world.

Cities floating in the sky, gravity-bending tech, and humans going head-to-head against their own kind – villains bent on tearing the world apart just to reshape it in their image.

Honestly? The options were endless.

He could end up with anything.

’Wait… no, shit. What if it’s empty?’

His grin faltered. ’Nah… right?’

Like, there’s a chance the system drops me into a deserted rock with no people, no creatures, and no customers?

He squinted at the screen.

’Surely not. Right?’

System… don’t do me dirty again, okay?

’I already got a hidden dark alley, and another door stuck to a literal toilet house’

That’s two strikes!

’We good now, yeah?’

’Right?’

He wasn’t asking for much. Just a semi-decent world. Preferably with people. Or creatures. Or anything that had a wallet.

Okay. Calm. Chill. Trust the system… it’s gonna give me three options.

’There’s no way all three are trash.’

Unless the system actually hates me on a personal level.

This first main task? Honestly, it wasn’t that hard.

He just needed atl least four customers.

Four actual people to play a few rounds of billiards. That’s it.

As long as he could get them to try the game once, get a little competitive, a little invested – then boom. They’d sign themselves up for the tournament willingly.

Easy bait. Minimal effort.

Just a sprinkle of hype, and they’d bite.

He rubbed his hands together with a grin. His eyes slid over to the next task on the screen.

────────────────

Main Task 2: Sell 30 Packs of Malvero Red Cigarette, 40 Sour Flavored Bubble Gum, and 50 Egg Sandwich

Progress: 0/30 Packs of Cigarette , 0/40 Bubble Gum & 0/50 Egg Sandwich

Reward: Unlock new feature – Arcade Fighting Game! The machine will be set up in the store after business hours.

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Hao stared at the new list.

’This pattern again.’

Same as before – none of these products were in stock yet.

Which could only mean one thing.

He tapped the side of the screen, sliding over to the next tab.

“Let me guess.” Hao muttered.

“Side tasks. Time to hustle.”

But before he even checked, his eyes drifted back to the main items.

Cigarette. Bubble gum. Egg sandwich.

’Seriously?’

He blinked.

The cigarette and gum threw him off, but the sandwich?

Now that made sense.

A classic.

A universal lifesaver.

He grinned slightly.

’Ah… the good old egg sandwich.’

There was always something comforting about it. Whether it was a rushed school morning, a hungover Sunday, or just a lazy walk into a corner store at 2 a.m. because you couldn’t sleep –

An egg sandwich was there.

Never fancy.

Never flashy.

But always reliable.

Soft bread. Mild, fluffy filling. Just the right kind of bland to calm your brain down.

It wasn’t just food.

It was safe. It was familiar. It was convenience.

Hao chuckled. “Kinda makes me miss those late-night runs.”

Then his eyes narrowed.

’But the other two?’

Bubble gum and cigarettes?

That took him way back.

He counted on his fingers, squinting up.

“…Twice. No – maybe three times.”

That’s how many times he’d ever smoked.

Once out of curiosity, thinking it’d make him feel cool.

(It didn’t.)

And once or twice – well.

That time.

The time when the person he swore he’d spend the rest of his life with walked away.

No drama.

No shouting.

Just a final text that said “Sorry. I can’t anymore.”

The first puff tasted bitter. Like burned paper.

The second was worse.

There was a light drizzle that day too, not enough to soak him, but just enough to make the world feel heavier.

He sat on the curb for an hour.

Didn’t cry.

Didn’t scream.

Just breathed out smoke like he was trying to let the ache out of his lungs.

It didn’t help.

But in that moment, it felt like something he had to do.

A part of growing up.

A terrible, dumb, completely human part.

Hao scratched his cheek.

’Well, good thing I didn’t get addicted to it.’

He gave a lopsided smile.

Still, seeing Malvero Reds on the list made something old in his chest shift a little.

Not pain.

Not even regret.

Just a memory. Just a part of his past.

He stared at the item name on the screen a moment longer.

There wasn’t any cigarette in the cultivation world… right?

Well, maybe some kind of dried spirit herb sticks for “focus” or “calming the qi,” but definitely not actual cigarette packs.

Hao exhaled through his nose.

’This one’s gonna be real popular with the old geezers.’

He could already picture Elder Tang Sheng leaning casually outside the store, puffing smoke into the wind while sipping Peach Oolong Tea.

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