Chapter 145
“Our points balance is back to 45,000!”
Tang Yu’an beamed with joy, and Zhou Qi was in a good mood as well. However, as he noticed their supply of healing potions dwindling, a hint of worry crept into his expression.
“We’re running low on healing potions.”
They only had two and a half bottles of basic healing potions and two bottles of intermediate ones left. While this was sufficient for their own use, it wouldn’t be enough for trading if the demand continued.
“It’s fine! We’ll use a Seven-Day Special Refresh Card, and maybe we’ll get healing potions again.”
Tang Yu’an immediately took out a Seven-Day Special Refresh Card and activated it.
This card always refreshed items they needed, and with their current balance, they had no reason to worry about running out of points!
As the refresh process completed, Tang Yu’an’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Zhou Qi, noticing his reaction, quickly opened the special deals interface and saw:
[Seven-Day Specials (Remaining Refresh Time: 3 days)]
1. Intermediate Healing Bandages (3/3): 200 points/roll
Description:…
2. Intermediate Healing Potion (4/4): 400 points/bottle
Description:…
3. Special Cold Medicine (3/3): 100 points/3 tablets
Description:…
4. Self-Energy Absorbing Temperature-Control Air Conditioner (2/2): 688 points/unit
Description: A miraculous appliance from the Grey-Blue series, created by Furniture Spirit Bobo. This air conditioner absorbs ice-type energy when the room temperature falls below the set point and heat energy when it rises above the set point, providing consistent temperature control.
5. Void Stone (1/1): 48,888 points/stone
Description: A rare material used for crafting space-type equipment and furniture upgrades.
When Zhou Qi saw the Spatial Stone listed as the last item, despite being prepared, his eyes widened with excitement.
“It’s a Void Stone!” he exclaimed, looking at Tang Yu’an.
So far, they only had one Level 2 magical furniture item—the automatic water-heating cup. To upgrade the shop, they needed a total of five, so they were still short by four.
Now, with this Void Stone, they could create their second Level 2 magical furniture item!
Tang Yu’an, however, pouted slightly. “This is so unfair. My points are going to run out again!”
Not only would his points be depleted, but they also weren’t even enough yet. He had 45,000 points, while the Void Stone cost 48,888 points. He wouldn’t even be able to afford the temperature-control air conditioner, which he definitely didn’t want to miss out on.
Zhou Qi chuckled. “Points can always be earned back.”
The Spatial Stone’s actual value was easily 50,000 points, so buying it during the Seven-Day Special was a bargain. In the regular marketplace, it would undoubtedly cost much more.
Tang Yu’an understood this logic and sighed, closing the interface for now.
He resolved to prioritize buying the Void Stone first and save for the other items afterward. With that in mind, he uncorked the second drift bottle.
A bright white orb floated into the air, and Xiao Hai Lan’s voice echoed through the attic.
“Oh great and merciful mysterious merchant, please answer my call and come to my dream!” The little girl’s voice was filled with reverence.
Tang Yu’an: “…”
Why did Xiao Hai Lan’s prayer suddenly sound so… strange?
Clearing his throat, he responded to the girl.
“What would you like to trade for this time?”
“A quilt! My dad said we need a warm quilt.”
Hearing the mention of Hai Jing, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but praise, “Your dad is my employee now. He performed exceptionally well today.”
After all, Hai Jing had brought in a whopping 30,000 points!
“Thank you for your praise! I’ll tell my dad!” Xiao Hai Lan replied happily. “Dad traded a lot of salt with the villagers today.”
Tang Yu’an quickly estimated.
If all the trades Hai Jing made today were for salt, he probably acquired at least 300–450 kilos, which was quite impressive.
“Let’s use that salt to trade for quilts,” Tang Yu’an said.
“But the salt isn’t of good quality,” Xiao Hai Lan admitted honestly. “Dad has started using a new method to produce better salt by the sea…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Tang Yu’an said. “We’ll use this salt. How many quilts do you need?”
Each 2-meter by 1.2-meter down quilt cost 400 points, and there were 18 households in Xiao Hai Lan’s village.
“I’ll give you 18 quilts in exchange for all the salt your family has. How about that?” Tang Yu’an offered.
“Deal!”
Tang Yu’an immediately opened the wholesale market and exchanged for 10 down quilts of the specified size.
Upon confirming the purchase, a system notification popped up:
[You purchased a bulk order of “down quilts.” Would you like to spend 50 points to vacuum-pack them?]
This service seemed thoughtful. Considering the conditions in Xiao Hai Lan’s home, Tang Yu’an opted for vacuum packing.
When the quilts arrived, he took one out to examine it.
Each quilt was rolled into a compact cylinder and securely wrapped in a clear plastic covering.
The vacuum-packed quilt was about 60 centimeters long and as thick as an adult’s arm, resembling a giant towel roll.
Pleased with the practicality of the vacuum packing, Tang Yu’an explained it to Xiao Hai Lan before completing the trade.
The 18 down quilts cost him 7,250 points, but the return was equally rewarding:
[You completed a profitable trade with a Dream Wisher. Points: +26,550 (Points Multiplier in Effect). Experience: +6.]
[You received 410.5 kilos of coarse salt.]
Hai Jing’s household had amassed over 400 kilos of salt!
With his points balance surging once more, Tang Yu’an grinned from ear to ear.
After completing the trade with Xiao Hai Lan, his points balance soared to 64,000+—enough to buy the Void Stone!
Tang Yu’an immediately shared the good news with Zhou Qi.
“It seems not recruiting Xiao Hai Lan as an employee was the right choice,” he said with a smile.
The salt Hai Jing had traded with the villagers had already earned them points once. Now, with Xiao Hai Lan trading that salt back to them, it was earning them points again.
Whether this counted as a loophole in the system was uncertain, but since it hadn’t triggered a system check, they could continue using this method for now.
Excitedly, Tang Yu’an reopened the Seven-Day Specials and purchased the precious Void Stone.
Items purchased from Seven-Day Specials weren’t bound to the buyer, meaning Tang Yu’an could freely trade the stone if he wished. However, with the system having fixed previous bugs, he could no longer use the “trading game” to earn points. It didn’t matter—this Void Stone was undoubtedly destined to upgrade their magical furniture.
After storing the Void Stone, Tang Yu’an looked at the remaining special items and his balance. In the end, he decided to buy everything.
Including the Void Stone, he spent 52,764 points, leaving him with a balance of just over 11,000 points. Despite the hefty expenditure, Tang Yu’an was content.
“At least I still have five digits left. I’m not completely broke!”
“Should we test out the air conditioner?” Tang Yu’an asked, taking out one of the newly purchased temperature-control air conditioners.
Store No.1 already had cooling units during the day and heat from Lan Lin at night. Combined with the availability of quilts and the soon-to-be-built heated floors, the high-tech air conditioner seemed unnecessary.
Even at the Peace Grocery Store, where they slept in the attic, the combination of the purple carpet and over a hundred Lanhu leaves kept the space comfortably warm.
With so many temperature-regulating options already in place, the air conditioner didn’t seem like a priority.
Zhou Qi shook his head. “We can put it in the warehouse.”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up.
That made sense. Maintaining the warehouse’s temperature was important, especially since their portable storage space—about 10 cubic meters—was already running low.
Items like lizard eggs, grains, candies, and snacks, which were sensitive to daytime heat, had to be stored in the warehouse.
With the energy-absorbing air conditioner, they could save a significant amount on fuel costs.
“We’ll keep one here and put the other in Store No.1—it’s perfect!” Tang Yu’an said happily.
Zhou Qi nodded and glanced at the time. “It’s late. Do you want to take a bath?”
Although they could use purification magic, a hot bath was a luxury they occasionally indulged in when points were plentiful.
Tang Yu’an shook his head and waved his hand, casting a Purification Spell that enveloped them both.
As the bright light faded, they emerged spotless, even their clothes perfectly clean.
Tang Yu’an looked at Zhou Qi curiously. “When I cast Purification on you, did that parasite inside you react?”
Zhou Qi shook his head.
“That’s so strange. The description for Purification clearly mentions cleansing malevolent entities. Could the parasite not be considered one?” Tang Yu’an muttered.
Hearing this, Zhou Qi focused inward. The parasite remained dormant, unresponsive as it had been for some time.
“Maybe it’s a different kind of power,” he speculated.
Having explored his own abilities, Zhou Qi had noticed differences between natural and mysterious forces, though he seemed to sense both.
“When I upgrade the Purification Spell, I’ll try again,” Tang Yu’an said.
Noticing the time, he added, “There are three minutes left until midnight. Let’s grab tomorrow’s drift bottles now and make the most of the multiplier.”
While waiting, Tang Yu’an opened the message board.
The board was lively:
[Cloud Eagle]: Hello, everyone. I’m a newbie.
[Pan Shi]: Wow, a new name!
[Lu Wei]: Good evening.
[Cloud Eagle]: Does anyone know what ‘compulsory education’ is?
[Pan Shi]: Is it an education mission?
[Cloud Eagle]: Did you get this mission too?
[Pan Shi]: Yes! I already redeemed a course. Perfect way to spend a quiet evening.
[Cloud Eagle]: Do I just need to redeem the course to complete the mission?
[Pan Shi]: Exactly! You’ll even get 10 points as a reward—it’s like getting a free course.
[Pan Shi]: Plus, the courses are fun! I love Teacher Tongtong! Gotta go, it’s class time!
[Cloud Eagle]: Thanks for the info!
Most of the exchanges were between Hai Jing and Shi Tou, while Xiao Cao remained silent—likely engrossed in her studies.
Elementary school courses for grades 1 and 2 were simple for their age, and the interactive teaching style made them engaging. With full holographic teachers and animated explanations, these courses were a rare form of entertainment in a desolate world.
Based on mission feedback, nearly all employees had redeemed the courses. Whether they were studying seriously, however, was beyond Tang Yu’an’s control.
Soon, midnight struck, and the number of available drift bottles refreshed. Tang Yu’an reopened the Dream Sea portal and pulled out another drift bottle.
“Food… Mysterious Merchant, I need food…”
Hearing Xiao Ri Sheng’s voice echo in the attic, Tang Yu’an’s face broke into a wide grin.
Fantastic—another big points deal!
“How many leaves did you prepare this time?” he asked.
“I have 300 leaves!”
Wow, another massive trade!
Suppressing his excitement, Tang Yu’an listened as Xiao Ri Sheng added, “I want… one thousand… the leader said one thousand…”
“One thousand?”
“You want to trade 300 Lanhu leaves for 500 kilos of coarse rice, right?”
“Yes!”
Previously, one Lanhu Leaf could be traded for 1.5 kilos of coarse rice, but now the price had gone up. Still, Tang Yu’an quickly calculated and realized it was still a worthwhile deal.
“That works, but this price only applies to trades involving more than 300 Lanhu Leaves.”
“Alright.”
Tang Yu’an then spent 5,000 points to purchase 500 kilos of coarse rice and completed the trade with Xiao Ri Sheng.
[You completed a profitable trade with a Dream Wisher. Points: +20,000 (Points Multiplier in Effect). Experience: +6.]
[You received 300 pieces of mutated Lanhu Leaves.]
After deducting the cost of 5,000 points, the net profit was 15,000 points!
“I wish the points multiplier could last forever,” Tang Yu’an said wistfully.
Zhou Qi nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, the multiplier effect would end at 3 a.m.
“There’s still one drift bottle left—let’s see what’s inside,” Zhou Qi suggested.
“Okay!”
Tang Yu’an went to the window, but when he looked into the Dream Sea, the bright drift bottle he had seen earlier, likely belonging to Old Xie, had disappeared.
He quickly checked the map and saw Old Xie’s marker was still in the center of Desolate City, which calmed him.
“It’s a Dream Drift Bottle. Maybe Old Xie just woke up, so the bottle disappeared,” Tang Yu’an reasoned, shifting his focus back to the Dream Sea.
Scanning through the drift bottles, he noticed one glowing more brightly than the others and pulled it out.
Opening the bottle, he watched the glowing orb float into the air.
“…I need water…”
It was the boy who had previously been disoriented from dehydration!
Was his area so arid that he was constantly without water?
“Hello,” Tang Yu’an said tentatively.
This time, the boy’s consciousness was clearer, and he responded in his dream.
“Who… who are you?”
“I’m the Mysterious Merchant, speaking to you in your dream.”
“Mysterious Merchant… a dream?”
“Yes. This isn’t the first time we’ve met. Do you remember the water from last time?”
“Water? Was it you—no, was it you who brought the rain to save me?”
The boy’s voice grew urgent, and the glowing orb became unstable.
“You need to stay calm, or you’ll wake up, and our conversation will end,” Tang Yu’an reminded him.
With Tang Yu’an’s guidance, the boy quickly regained his composure.
As his orb stabilized again, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but admire his self-control. Very few people could regulate their emotions so quickly in a dream.
“You still want water, don’t you?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Yes. If I don’t drink soon, I’ll die of thirst…”
“What do you have to trade for water?” Tang Yu’an inquired.
The boy’s voice faltered. “What do you need? I… I only have a ragged piece of clothing…”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an sighed internally.
He knew the boy was homeless, but now it was clear he had absolutely nothing.
Tang Yu’an decided not to profit from this boy. Even with the points multiplier, the gain wouldn’t exceed a hundred points—it wasn’t worth it.
Instead, he had a better idea.
“If you answer my questions honestly, I’ll give you water.”
“Okay, ask me anything…”
“What’s your name?”
“I don’t have one.”
“What do others call you?”
“They call me… ‘Stray.’”
Tang Yu’an froze. He felt a pang of sympathy for this stranger and said gently, “That’s not a name.”
The boy fell silent, seeming unsure of what to say.
“If you don’t mind, I can give you one,” Tang Yu’an offered.
The boy hesitated but eventually agreed. “Okay.”
“Is there anything you like?”
“I… I like water! I just want water!”
Tang Yu’an glanced at Zhou Qi, who thought for a moment before suggesting, “How about ‘Gan Lin’? It means ‘precious rain that quenches drought.’”
“Gan Lin, that will be your name from now on. How does that sound?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Gan Lin… Okay, I like it.”
“Gan Lin, where are you? Are there any settlements nearby?”
The boy’s voice grew faint.
“Flame Dragon Fortress… I’m near Flame Dragon Fortress…”
His words came faster, likely because he sensed he was waking up, making the dream unstable.
[Dream Wisher is waking up. Complete the trade quickly.]
Tang Yu’an sighed. The mention of Flame Dragon Fortress had piqued his interest, but before he could ask more, the boy’s dream grew increasingly unstable.
However, most Dream Wishers were in similar situations initially, so Tang Yu’an was used to it.
He grabbed a 750ml bottle of mineral water, filled it, and agreed to trade with the boy.
[You completed a loss-making trade with a Dream Wisher. Experience: +6. Dream Fragment: +1.]
*
Amid a desolate wasteland stood a collapsed, abandoned building.
A thin ray of moonlight seeped through the cracks in the walls, illuminating a boy curled up in a corner. His body was frail, his face sallow, and his cracked, bleeding lips betrayed his extreme dehydration.
At some point, the boy, lying unconscious, suddenly woke with a start.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the raspy sound he produced was so painful it forced him to close it again.
Gan Lin sat there in a daze, staring at his familiar surroundings.
Was that… a dream?
He vividly remembered the voice in the dream—a slightly robotic tone but tinged with emotion.
Replaying the conversation in his mind, he recalled the voice calling itself a “Mysterious Merchant” and even giving him a name.
Gan Lin?
It sounded nice, he thought with confusion.
He had always wanted a name, but he never thought it would be something like this.
Gan Lin turned toward the crack in the wall. Outside, the sky was dark, and the fiery dragon that often roamed the skies had temporarily disappeared. At least for now, until tomorrow, life would be a bit easier.
The “fire dragon” wasn’t a real dragon.
According to Old Mo, dragons in legend were auspicious creatures—celestial beings from the heavens or the seas.
Gan Lin had never seen a real dragon, but everyone called the fiery phenomenon over Flame Dragon Fortress a fire dragon, so he followed suit.
The “fire dragon,” seen from afar, resembled a dragon, but up close, it was merely clusters of fireballs burning in mid-air.
It appeared three to four times a year, each time lasting at least a month. During these periods of activity, the land became unbearably dry, making life outside the fortress excruciating.
Gan Lin gazed at the towering fortress on the horizon, his eyes filled with longing.
Despite its proximity, it would take at least half a day to walk to Flame Dragon Fortress. But without crystal stones, he wouldn’t be allowed inside.
Sighing, he retracted his gaze and plopped back onto the ground.
Bang!
A soft thud echoed as he accidentally knocked something over.
Startled, Gan Lin reached out and touched something cool. He quickly picked it up and brought it into the moonlight to inspect.
It was a brand-new plastic bottle, filled with… water?
Gan Lin froze for a moment before quickly unscrewing the cap. Tentatively, he took a sip.
The sweet taste of water hit his tongue, and he instinctively began gulping it down.
Gulping nearly half the bottle, he stopped only when his stomach was too full to hold any more.
Clutching the remaining half-bottle, Gan Lin’s eyes sparkled with an intense light.
It wasn’t a dream. He had truly encountered the Mysterious Merchant in his dream.
Not only had the Merchant given him a beautiful name, but after asking just a few questions, they had provided him with this precious water!
Hugging the bottle tightly, Gan Lin sat in a daze for a moment before quickly hiding the bottle beneath some rubble. He then crawled out of the collapsed building and ran toward another partially ruined structure nearby.
Familiar with the terrain, he squeezed through a gap and soon spotted an old man lying beneath a window, his eyes shut and lips parched.
“Old Mo! Old Mo!” Gan Lin shook the man.
“Damn brat…”
The old man groggily opened his eyes, his voice weak and breathless. “I’m dying…”
He tried to say his last words but was interrupted by Gan Lin.
“You’re not dying!”
With that, Gan Lin untied the water flask hanging from the old man’s waist and dashed back outside.
