The morning slipped by quickly. Throughout those hours, Ye Jinran numbly received several dozen indigenous customers, all the while silently cursing the disastrous decision behind this system shop’s location.
Before becoming a player, he had worked a long string of part time jobs, including shifts in convenience stores. Today’s experience tugged up some unpleasant memories he thought he had shaken off long ago, dragging his mood down until it felt as gloomy as the heavy sky.
The ambient light on the street dimmed. A few hours ago the sky had been bright and cloudless, yet now thick clouds had gathered without warning, giving the air a sense of impending storm.
Sharper pedestrians, sensing the change, quickened their pace, praying to reach their destinations and slip indoors before the rain arrived.
Not far away, it seemed an environmental protection themed lecture had just ended. The street suddenly filled with people, their hurried movements creating a brief swell of noise and confusion.
Bumps and accidental collisions brought irritated curses that rose above the murmur of the crowd.
Ye Jinran disliked sitting still for too long. He stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped outside. Rain began to fall, tapping softly against the ground. Several pedestrians had already gathered on either side of him, huddling beneath the narrow eaves to avoid getting wet.
He drew in a long breath. The scent of wet soil and crushed grass filled his lungs, mingled with the unpleasant fumes of gasoline. Nothing felt out of the ordinary. That icy windstorm had yet to arrive.
Although he had never entered this particular instance before, he knew that disaster was caused by something unnatural, and he could always sense the strange aura that accompanied such events.
The crowd under the eaves was restless, unsettled by the sudden change in weather. Their voices drifted out in anxious discussion.
“In recent years, extreme weather just keeps getting worse. Looks like everything they say online might actually be true. Tell me, if global warming keeps intensifying, will we really end up living in temperatures of forty or even fifty degrees? At that point we would not survive a single day without air conditioning.”
“And the moment you turn on the air conditioner, they accuse us of being irresponsible and unenvironmental. They truly believe that sacrificing our comfort will magically solve everything. Ridiculous. Even that woman who gave the speech earlier sounded completely clueless.”
“Now, now,” someone stepped in to defend her. “At least she showed examples proving that things are not as extreme as certain experts like to exaggerate.”
People had been bombarded for years with constant warnings about global warming. Experts from all fields used increasingly frightening rhetoric to pressure the public into action, insisting that humanity’s home would collapse in the near future if nothing changed.
Environmental protection had become such a popular topic that it had grown into a form of moral coercion. More than a few radical environmentalists had emerged, and many ordinary people felt exhausted by it all.
That was why, when the woman at the speech presented evidence suggesting the situation was not nearly as catastrophic as others claimed, many in the audience had been stunned.
She had told them that polar bears would not go extinct simply because of a temporary rise in temperature or the seasonal melting of sea ice. Scenes of starving or homeless polar bears frequently shown online were often manipulated, edited maliciously to incite emotional responses.
The public did not need to shoulder guilt for the supposed suffering of polar bears. In fact, she said, their numbers had increased compared to a decade earlier.
There were many similar examples. Her main message was simple: when consuming news, everyone should stay alert and avoid being misled by those who intentionally distort the truth.
A man sighed in admiration. “Aside from her odd name, that Miss I Am Not a Medical God practically has no flaws.”
“You cannot think like that,” another replied. “A name is part of her identity. It makes her memorable.”
“Everyone has the freedom to choose a name they like.”
Ye Jinran muttered under his breath, “Next time a player goes through this storyline, could you at least pick a character name that sounds remotely human?”
He nearly burst out laughing, and he had no idea how he managed to hold it in.
Someone nearby was scrolling through the latest news and suddenly tapped her friend’s shoulder. “Hey, look at this. Isn’t this the speech from earlier? They already have coverage online.”
Miss I Am Not a Medical God had been interviewed by multiple media outlets right after her lecture. The recordings were already circulating on social platforms and video apps, climbing rapidly into trending lists.
One particular video title caught people’s attention. It read: Environmental expert reveals startling crisis? Extreme weather may soon devastate Country A.
The account that posted it belonged to a small, not very well known news agency, yet the content was intriguing enough to attract a large audience.
Ye Jinran connected his phone to the local network using a small trick of his, then logged into the site to watch the video.
In the video, the Chinese woman forced herself to remain calm, but the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead betrayed a rising panic. When asked, “Have you heard about the massive storm expected to hit from the north?” she let out an awkward laugh and shook her head.
The reporter immediately went on the offensive, presenting several sources that confirmed the news, then sharply questioning how someone who claimed to care about climate change could be so poorly informed. Was she truly collecting data and assessing the situation with any sincerity?
Miss I Am Not a Medical God attempted to explain herself, but the more she spoke, the more holes appeared in her reasoning. The experienced reporter guided the conversation step by step until the player controlling the pretend legislator was left flustered and defenseless.
She simply lacked the social experience and cunning to compete with Amanda, the player portraying the reporter. In their very first clash, she suffered a complete defeat.
The rain intensified. The narrow eaves could no longer shield anyone from the downpour. Ye Jinran returned to the shop, settling into the chair behind the cashier counter. He closed the video and opened the news agency’s account, scrolling upward to check older posts.
A few days earlier, they had already reported on the approaching storm. Their source was a weather monitoring team that cooperated with the military, a relatively trustworthy group. The comments were mixed. Some people doubted the accuracy, insisting storm season had already passed. Others recognized the team and took the warning seriously.
Among the comments was one from the official account of a civilian doomsday survivalist group. They urged the public to prepare for the storm and other potential disasters, and they thoughtfully listed essential supplies and important safety tips for surviving such events.
That comment received many likes. Someone replied asking the group to post a video explaining how to build a safe underground shelter. Surprisingly, the blogger did produce a detailed video soon after. Yet strangely, that very video had been deleted earlier today.
The video had not been taken down by the platform. It had been deleted by the uploader themselves. At a time when its popularity was rising so rapidly, that decision made absolutely no sense.
A number of uneasy fans noticed the oddity and began asking about it beneath the uploader’s other posts, yet none of their questions received an answer.
Ye Jinran had not seen the video himself. He only learned of it through the remaining traces scattered across the net.
He recalled that Bai Yanzhou had drawn the survivor identity. That role made him a member of that civilian survivalist organization. Ye Jinran could not help wondering whether Bai Yanzhou had been quietly influencing things from behind the scenes.
Several customers entered the convenience store to buy umbrellas. Ye Jinran collected the change and slipped it into the register. A soft pang of regret stirred in him. This money held no real value to him at all.
About ten minutes passed with nothing to do. Just as he was growing drowsy with boredom, the store door was pushed open again. In walked a man with silver medium length hair that curled outward at the tips, messy in a deliberate, wild way like a wolf tail.
He wore a loose black long sleeved shirt, cargo style pants, and a pair of slightly soaked combat boots. Tall and slender, with a silhouette that was pleasing even at a glance, he could easily stand beside any fashion model displayed on the magazines just outside and never lose in comparison.
The moment Ye Jinran cast him a casual glance, he nearly sat up straight. That face overlapped perfectly with one of the portraits he had seen while reviewing player profiles in the system interface.
Was this not Bai Yanzhou himself? It felt as if the mere act of thinking about him had summoned him here.
When those rose colored eyes framed by long lashes turned toward him, Ye Jinran felt a shudder echo through his soul. It was fear, pure and sharp.
He had not felt fear in a very long time. Ever since his physical body had been destroyed and reshaped during his first encounter with the Lord God, his senses had ceased behaving like those of an ordinary person.
In any instance he walked untouched by any form of paranormal influence. His threshold for fear had been lifted so high it almost no longer existed.
Yet now he was afraid. His hand, hidden beneath the counter, trembled faintly. He stared at his own palm in disbelief and a spark of reluctant delight. Fortunately, he had been prepared for such a situation and masked his emotions well.
When he looked up again, his expression had shifted seamlessly into the polite smile he used to greet customers.
“Good morning. How may I help you?”
A top tier player who could terrify even the uncanny was truly something to behold. His presence alone, so dense it felt nearly physical, was enough to force the air itself to bow.
This face without any disguise did not resemble an ordinary human. Rarely were there young men in the real world with natural silver hair unless they were cosplaying. His pink tinted eyes were even less realistic. Yet on Bai Yanzhou, none of it felt strange. These traits looked as if they belonged to him from birth.
Ye Jinran had seen many people whose beauty crossed the boundary of human. They were often hybrids of supernatural and mortal blood, or avatars of some mighty existence. Such circumstances often created traits similar to Bai Yanzhou’s, and Ye Jinran had learned how to recognize them.
His conclusion was simple. If someone was too beautiful, they usually were not human.
This, he thought, was rather interesting. The strongest player, upon whom humanity pinned so much hope, turned out not to be human at all. In a way, it suited Bai Yanzhou’s behavior. Non human beings had little empathy for humans.
“You recovered slower than I expected.” Bai Yanzhou spoke as though he were commenting on the weather.
Ye Jinran had no idea why he would say such a thing, so he opted to remain non committal.
After observing him for several seconds, Bai Yanzhou’s gaze drifted away, sweeping across the store shelves. A moment later he said calmly, “Only these? I will take them all.”
What do you mean only these? Ye Jinran silently complained. Are you dissatisfied with something?
And why was he clearing out the entire shop again? Was this some sort of strange obsession that powerful players developed?
Resigning himself, Ye Jinran rose from behind the counter. He had no doubts whatsoever that Bai Yanzhou possessed the wealth to pay for everything. He was preparing to pack the items into the player’s personal inventory when he suddenly froze.
They were currently inside the convenience store of the surface world.
Which meant that everything Bai Yanzhou was seeing consisted of ordinary items that native residents would expect in a normal shop.
No wonder he complained there were only these. He was probably wondering why the system store sold such plain, everyday products.
Realization arrived in an instant. In order to prevent Bai Yanzhou from over spending to the point of risking a system collapse, the already tormented system store had shut down his access and denied him entry. All he could see now was the default surface store.
Bai Yanzhou had no idea what Ye Jinran was hesitating over. He tapped the counter lightly and added in a low voice, “I do not have much local cash. I will use points instead.”
Ye Jinran blinked. This was a pleasant surprise. So considerate. Perhaps he was not that bad after all.
“I assumed you were the type to prefer zero cost purchases,” Ye Jinran said honestly, based on everything he had heard of Bai Yanzhou’s past deeds.
Bai Yanzhou smiled with harmless innocence. “How could I?”
How could you not? If Ye Jinran had not heard countless stories of the player’s spectacular behavior on the forums, he truly might have been fooled. The person standing before him radiated the impression of a gentle, well behaved youth.
“All of it? You really want everything?” Ye Jinran asked again. What in the world would Bai Yanzhou do with so many daily necessities? Was he actually trying to play the role of a responsible survivor and start hoarding supplies for the coming disaster?
Without a pause, Bai Yanzhou nodded. “How many points?”
Expressionless, Ye Jinran replied, “Packing everything is troublesome. One million points. No bargaining.”
“All right.”
Ye Jinran’s mind went blank for half a second.
He had been completely bluffing. The fact that the other party agreed so readily left him unsure what to think. What a perfect victim he had stumbled upon today. Muttering internally, he began transferring the surface store’s merchandise into the system warehouse and then sending it all to Bai Yanzhou.
The transfer completed smoothly. Bai Yanzhou really had sent him one million points. Ye Jinran checked the player’s balance. Considering the explosive spending spree he had gone on earlier, this was not a small amount for him to hand over so casually.
Never before had Ye Jinran earned so many points in a single day. His affection toward Bai Yanzhou rose significantly.
Throughout the process, Bai Yanzhou’s gaze never left him. A faint, unreadable smile curved his lips. “So this is what you like.”
A feeling of embarrassment swept through Ye Jinran, as if someone had seen through his thoughts. He kept his composure and replied, “This is simply my job.”
“Even a god works seriously?”
Ye Jinran immediately understood the reason behind that strange curiosity in Bai Yanzhou’s gaze. He must be one of those people who believed the system shopkeeper was a disguised incarnation of the Lord God.
Once aware of this, Ye Jinran studied Bai Yanzhou more closely and felt the sensation intensify. It was as though the player were peering through him, searching for something beyond the visible world.
His power originated from the Lord God. His body had been reshaped by that very being, carrying traces of its presence. Some people with exceptionally sharp intuition occasionally glimpsed a shadow from the higher dimensions when they came into contact with him.
Most humans would recoil instinctively. That fear was etched into the core of their existence. Severe cases, like Rosie before, could even descend into madness. This was his first time encountering someone who responded with curiosity instead of terror.
Bai Yanzhou did nothing to conceal his intrusive attention. He tried to decipher every single one of Ye Jinran’s actions, as if searching for hidden meaning.
Perhaps realizing that his stare was too obvious, he finally lowered his head and murmured, “Do not mind me. Continue.”
Ye Jinran’s briefly uplifted mood dipped again, then bounced back at Bai Yanzhou’s soft concession. He completed the transfer and said, “It is done. Check your inventory page.”
The convenience store replenished itself once per day. Since everything had been bought, the shop would have to close until the next refresh. The door could lock itself, and even if other players arrived, they would not be able to enter.
Ye Jinran realized belatedly that Bai Yanzhou was deliberately blocking other players’ access.
It was fine, though. The store would reopen tomorrow. Bai Yanzhou could not possibly arrive early every single day and buy everything again.
Bai Yanzhou opened his inventory interface, glanced through it, then withdrew the umbrella he had reserved earlier. By now, the rain outside had cleared. Sunlight streamed through the glass panels. His hand paused mid motion as he prepared to open the umbrella. He lifted his hand instead and gave a casual wave toward the counter.
“See you next time.”
“Thank you for visiting. Please come again.” The words sounded stiff even to Ye Jinran’s own ears.
Bai Yanzhou smiled lightly, pushed open the door, and walked out without looking back.
This person was unexpectedly polite. Ye Jinran rubbed his chin in thought.
✦ ✧ ✦
Nycreth
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
✦ A tiny offering to the translator may please the spirits of the Realm. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Blood Moon Town: ShhhChapter 2 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (1)Chapter 3 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (2)Chapter 4 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (3)Chapter 5 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (4)Chapter 6 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (7)Chapter 7 · The Mist of Nanjin Village (6)Chapter 8 · The mist over Nanjin Village (7)Chapter 9 · The Mystery of Nanjin Village (The End)Chapter 10 · Real WorldChapter 11 · Riding The Wind (1)Chapter 12 · Riding The Wind (2)Chapter 13 · Riding The Wind (3)Chapter 14 · Riding The Wind (4)Chapter 15 · Riding The Wind (5)Chapter 16 · Riding The Wind (6)Chapter 17 · Riding The Wind (7)Chapter 18 · Riding The Wind (8)Chapter 19 · Riding The Wind (9)Chapter 20 · Riding The Wind (10)Chapter 21 Part 1 · Riding The Wind (11)Chapter 21 Part 2 · Riding The Wind (11)Chapter 22 · Real World (1)Chapter 23 · Real World (2)Chapter 24 · Golden Sands Fade Away (1)Chapter 25 · Golden Sands Fade Away (2)Chapter 26 · Golden Sands Fade Away (3)Chapter 27 · Golden Sands Fade Away (4)Chapter 28 · Golden Sands Fade Away (5)Chapter 29 · Golden Sands Fade Away (6)Chapter 30 · Golden Sands Fade Away (7)Chapter 31 · Golden Sands Fade Away (8)Chapter 32 · Golden Sands Fade Away (9)Chapter 33 · Golden Sands Fade Away (10)Chapter 34 · Golden Sands Fade Away (11)Chapter 35 · Golden Sands Fade Away (12)Chapter 36 · Golden Sands Fade Away (13)Chapter 37 · Golden Sands Fade Away (14)Chapter 38 · Golden Sands Fade Away (15)Chapter 39 · Golden Sands Fade Away (16)Chapter 40 · Golden Sands Fade Away (17)Chapter 41 · Golden Sands Fade Away (18)Chapter 42 · Golden Sands Fade Away (19)Chapter 43 · Golden Sands Fade Away (20)Chapter 44 · Golden Sands Fade Away (21)Chapter 45 · Golden Sands Fade Away (22)Chapter 46 · Golden Sands Fade Away (23)Chapter 47 · Golden Sands Fade Away (24)Chapter 48 · Golden Sands Fade Away (25) The EndChapter 49 · Main God’s DomainChapter 50 · Anomaly Investigation Bureau (1)Chapter 51 · Anomaly Investigation Bureau (2)Chapter 52 · Item FactoryChapter 53 · Defrosted Friendship (1)Chapter 54 · Defrosted Friendship (2)Chapter 55 · Defrosted Friendship (3)Chapter 56 · Defrosted Friendship (4)Chapter 57 · Defrosted Friendship (5)Chapter 58 · Defrosted Friendship (6)Chapter 59 · Defrosted Friendship (7)Chapter 60 · Defrosted Friendship (8)Chapter 61 · Defrosted Friendship (9)Chapter 62 · Defrosted Friendship (10)Chapter 63 · Defrosted Friendship (11)Chapter 64 · Defrosted Friendship (12)Chapter 65 · Defrosted Friendship (13)Chapter 66 · Defrosted Friendship (14)Chapter 67 · Defrosted Friendship (15)Chapter 68 · Defrosted Friendship (16)Chapter 69 · Defrosted Friendship (End)Chapter 70 · The Real WorldChapter 71 · Matching TimeChapter 72 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (1)Chapter 73 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (2)Chapter 74 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (3)Chapter 75 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (4)Chapter 76 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (5)Chapter 77 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (6)Chapter 78 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (7)Chapter 79 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (8)Chapter 80 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (9)Chapter 81 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (10)Chapter 82 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (11)Chapter 83 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (12)Chapter 84 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (13)Chapter 85 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (14)Chapter 86 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (15)Chapter 87 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (16)Chapter 88 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (17)Chapter 89 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (18)Chapter 90 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (19)Chapter 91 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (20)Chapter 92 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (21)Chapter 93 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (22)Chapter 94 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (23)Chapter 95 · The Meaning of Endless Abundance (Complete)Chapter 96 · The Main God Invites You for TeaChapter 97 · The Player ForumChapter 98 · Training GroundChapter 99 · Eternal Night – The Stone-Striker (1)Chapter 100 · Eternal Night – The Stone-Striker (2)Chapter 101 · Eternal Night – The Stone-Striker (3)Chapter 102 · Eternal Night · The One Who Strikes the Stone (Finale)