Chapter 170
After receiving Zhou Qi’s gift, Tang Yu’an perked up.
Since we’re here, we might as well make the best of it. Worrying wouldn’t change anything.
At least they now had a branch store, and the protective barrier was in place.
He eagerly opened the renovation panel, ready to exchange for a wooden fence, but Zhou Qi stopped him. “We’ve got the time and materials. Let’s make the fence ourselves and save the points.”
“But we still have plenty of points,” Tang Yu’an replied.
Although they weren’t earning points from customers or employees anymore, the interdimensional store had brought in about 10,000 points in sales over the past 20 days. Even after spending 6,000 points earlier, their balance still stood at 82,000.
Zhou Qi smiled. “Have you forgotten about the seven-day special sale?”
“It hasn’t refreshed in days… Wait, hold on!” Tang Yu’an suddenly remembered, his eyes lighting up. “We still have a special sale refresh card!”
“Exactly.” Zhou Qi nodded. “Let’s see if we can refresh a dimensional locator stone.”
If they could get the locator stone, they wouldn’t need to search for other ways to return. They could directly teleport back to the Desolate city, avoiding the risks of building another branch store after using alternative passages.
Unpredictable factors made the locator stone the safer option, and the seven-day special sale refresh card often provided items they desperately needed.
Tang Yu’an’s excitement grew. Could the refresh really bring up the locator stone?
However, as he held the refresh card, he hesitated. He didn’t use it right away.
“A dimensional locator stone will probably be expensive,” he said thoughtfully.
A void stone already cost 50,000 points, and something involving interdimensional travel would likely be pricier.
“If we use the card and the stone appears but we can’t afford it, and the sale refreshes again midweek, the card will be wasted!”
Tang Yu’an continued, “We only have two cards left, so we’ve got to be cautious.”
Hearing this, Zhou Qi couldn’t help but smile. He had been thinking the same thing but had suggested it today, hoping to cheer Tang Yu’an up for his birthday.
He hadn’t expected Tang Yu’an to think of it himself.
An’an really is growing up… Zhou Qi thought, his heart skipping slightly as he gazed at the boy’s bright, gem-like eyes. Embarrassed, he quickly looked away.
“Alright, let’s save up more points for now.”
“Okay!” Tang Yu’an agreed, carefully putting the refresh card away. He then grabbed the shadow umbrella, and the two of them ventured into the forest to gather branches for the fence.
With the branch store operational, their remote retrieval skill was back. They could transfer the gathered branches directly to the house without even exposing their hands outside the umbrella.
When they’d collected enough, they also cut some vines with their tools.
The forest was full of vegetation, including mutated species. At one point, they spotted a massive “carnivorous flower.”
In this remote forest, it was more aptly called an insectivorous flower. It had sharp teeth and sat quietly with its mouth wide open, waiting to snap shut on any insect that ventured too close before beginning its gruesome chewing.
The sound of its chewing was chilling.
Curious, Tang Yu’an stared at it, but Zhou Qi quickly pulled him away. Just as they moved, another plant nearby spat sticky mucus at their previous spot.
Insects caught in the mucus were trapped, eventually dying and decomposing to nourish the plant.
Tang Yu’an’s map became littered with red dots as they entered the forest, the density making it difficult to distinguish between them. Nevertheless, he used the mini-map to mark every creature they encountered.
Many of the mutated plants showed signs of intelligence, but Tang Yu’an’s low-level appraisal skill couldn’t provide much information. He had to rely on observation and note their characteristics manually.
Thankfully, the map had an image attachment feature, which saved snapshots of every creature and plant he’d seen. He could organize them later during downtime.
Back at the small house, they used the collected wood and vines to build a fence around the rock pile, connecting it to the house.
This expanded the protective barrier to include the surrounding area, ensuring they wouldn’t find invasive bugs waiting outside their door every morning.
Yuan Bao was finally relieved of its night-watch duties and could sleep indoors.
Zhou Qi decorated the house, hanging glowing fruits from the forest to provide light at night. He laid down a rug, covered it with temperature-regulating fabric, and set up a small stove with fire stones for cooking.
After adding blankets and pillows, their once-rough shelter turned into a warm, cozy home.
Tang Yu’an used his purification spell inside the house, and as the glow faded, he, Zhou Qi, and their two pets were all clean and fresh.
Black Pearl inspected its spotless fur, contentedly squinting its eyes before curling up in a comfortable spot.
Though it no longer needed to keep watch, Yuan Bao still lay by the door, its gaze fixed on the crude wooden gate, unable to fully relax yet.
Tang Yu’an, however, happily snuggled into the blankets. Despite Zhou Qi having prepared two sets of bedding, he squeezed into Zhou Qi’s bed, inching closer and closer until he was right beside him.
Zhou Qi sighed but couldn’t bring himself to reject the boy’s affection and let him stay.
“Brother Qi.”
“Mm?” Zhou Qi responded softly.
“Having you here is so comforting!” Tang Yu’an said, snuggling into Zhou Qi’s arm and resting his head on his shoulder. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how I would have survived…”
In this new dimension, Tang Yu’an no longer felt as overwhelmed as he did during his first experience crossing worlds. His emotions had remained stable, and even when faced with setbacks, he could quickly recover—and all of this was thanks to Zhou Qi’s presence.
He knew that no matter what challenges they faced, Zhou Qi would be there, overcoming obstacles alongside him. As long as they were together, there was no problem they couldn’t solve.
“Don’t say such silly things,” Zhou Qi frowned. “Even without me, you’d still find a way to live well and stay safe.”
Hearing the disapproval in Zhou Qi’s tone, Tang Yu’an obediently murmured an “Oh.”
“But if we ever get separated,” Zhou Qi added, “you have to promise to live your best life until I come find you.”
“We won’t ever be separated!” Tang Yu’an said firmly.
“I’m saying if—”
“You’ve said it yourself, my luck is amazing. Everything I wish for comes true. If I wish for us to stay together, we’ll never be apart!”
Listening to Tang Yu’an’s naive reasoning, Zhou Qi opened his mouth to respond but decided against it. Those words about his “amazing luck” were something he’d said to comfort Tang Yu’an in the past. If Tang Yu’an believed it, there was no need to argue.
Instead, Zhou Qi found himself smiling uncontrollably at the boy’s words.
In the dim light of the small house, Zhou Qi’s soft smile appeared. “Alright, we’ll always stay together.”
Tang Yu’an beamed, satisfied. “That’s my birthday wish, so it’s bound to come true!”
“You’re right,” Zhou Qi replied, repeating, “We’ll always stay together.”
The small house fell into silence, and soon, the sound of rain began pattering outside.
In the quiet, cozy shelter, the two boys shared a blanket, leaning on each other, and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
By the next morning, the rain had eased into a drizzle.
The ground was wet, with puddles everywhere, and the steady shh-shh-shh of raindrops sounded like countless leaves whispering.
The weather wasn’t ideal for outdoor activities, so Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi stayed indoors, studying. When they got tired, they roasted sweet potatoes.
Yes, they had found sweet potatoes in the forest!
These weren’t ordinary sweet potatoes—they were mutated. The vines could grow up to 70-80 centimeters, and the sweet potatoes themselves were massive.
One sweet potato, the size of a basketball, could last them two days. However, since eating too many sweet potatoes could upset their stomachs (and cause gas), they only ate them occasionally.
Thanks to the ample sunlight, these wild, mutated sweet potatoes were incredibly sweet. When roasted in the stove, the golden flesh oozed with syrupy juice. The rich aroma filled the air, and a single bite revealed a soft, creamy texture that tasted heavenly.
“When we get back, we should plant sweet potatoes at Store No. 1!” Tang Yu’an suggested. “By then, we might also get to eat the star-link fruits, right?”
They had planted the two star-link fruits they received from Lang Ze, but Tang Yu’an hadn’t yet tasted them.
“Judging by their growth rate, they should be ready by the time we return,” Zhou Qi replied with a smile.
“Yay!” Tang Yu’an cheered, opening the interdimensional store to replenish the items in their display window.
Their store currently had three sections: one for insect materials, one for plant fruits, and one for crystals.
Crystals were the best-sellers. Although many dimensions produced them, the demand was just as high. By pricing their crystals slightly below market value, they sold out quickly.
Over time, their store had gained 38 followers. Though it didn’t seem like much, considering that each follower likely came from a different dimension, it was significant. Some dimensions might only have one merchant—or none at all.
Their days fell into a routine: studying in the mornings, exploring or training skills in the afternoons when the weather was good.
Another ten days passed this way.
One morning, Tang Yu’an woke up to find a new system notification:
[Seven-Day Special Sale (Refresh Countdown: ???)]
- Intermediate Healing Bandages (3/3): 200 points/roll
- Intermediate Healing Potions (5/5): 400 points/bottle
- Strong Insect Repellent (3/3): 200 points/bottle
- Construction Robot (1/1): 6,688 points/unit
- Dimensional Locator Stone (1/1): 388,888 points/piece
Description: Ultra-rare material.
Function: Serves as a locator for dimensional teleportation.
“Wow, Brother Qi!” Tang Yu’an shot upright in bed like a startled fish.
Zhou Qi, who had been cooking outside, rushed in, his face tense. “What happened?”
“Brother Qi, look at the seven-day special sale! It refreshed!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed excitedly. “It has the locator stone!”
Zhou Qi froze for a moment before quickly opening the interface to check.
A smile briefly appeared on his face, but it was soon replaced by a frown when he saw the price. “390,000 points…”
Just as Tang Yu’an had predicted, the dimensional locator stone was outrageously expensive. But given its rarity, it wasn’t surprising.
“How many points do we have now?” Zhou Qi asked.
“Ninety-three thousand,” Tang Yu’an replied.
Over the past ten days, they had earned more than 10,000 points through the interdimensional store, but they were still nearly 300,000 points short of the required amount.
Zhou Qi looked troubled, but Tang Yu’an remained cheerful. “It’s okay. We’ll save up slowly; we’ll get there eventually.”
At their current rate of 10,000 points every ten days, they’d need about 300 days to gather the total. And as their display windows gained more followers and views, their earning speed would likely increase, so it might not take that long.
“My only concern is if the special sale refreshes before we can afford it,” Zhou Qi said, staring at the item. He had suspected the locator stone might appear, but seeing it in the shop still left him shaken.
“Then we’ll use the refresh card,” Tang Yu’an said optimistically. He waved dismissively, adding, “As long as the sale can bring up the locator stone, we’re good.”
Zhou Qi: “…”
Ah, the confidence of the lucky.
With a clearer path to returning home and a tangible goal, the two boys were more motivated than ever.
Zhou Qi returned to cooking breakfast while Tang Yu’an opened the interdimensional store to restock the sold-out display windows.
That’s when he noticed a new message under the third window:
[Joanna: I have news about a dimensional locator stone.]
Wow! Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. Good news just keeps coming!
He quickly opened Joanna’s display window and left a reply.
Joanna was a merchant from a low-magic dimension. She had previously bought mutated lantern fruits from Tang Yu’an, but after a giant bear attack halted production of the fruit, they’d lost contact for a while. Recently, however, Joanna had taken a liking to a new fruit Tang Yu’an found in the forest called the “glowing lantern fruit.”
Their exchanges had grown more frequent, and they’d become familiar with each other.
While the display windows only allowed 15-character messages and didn’t support direct replies, this wasn’t a problem. Tang Yu’an had also favorited Joanna’s store, so they could communicate by leaving messages on each other’s windows.
*
Dimension DM334591.
A blond-haired, blue-eyed man stirred a cauldron carefully.
He gently added a glowing lantern fruit, watching as the liquid inside turned a luminous blue. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Once the liquid cooled, he tapped his wand lightly, and the potion poured itself into glass bottles.
Finally, it was done.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the man cleaned the workbench with a wave of his wand and then opened the interdimensional store to browse the day’s updates.
[Mysterious Merchant: Thank you, my seven-day special sale refreshed!]
The man’s composed expression cracked slightly at the message.
Yeah, right! Who gets something like that from a sale refresh?
Remembering it was refresh day, he quickly checked his own special sale, only to see a pile of useless junk. Frustrated, he closed the interface.
The good mood from successfully brewing his potion evaporated.
Still, the man, Joanna, begrudgingly opened the Mysterious Merchant’s display to leave a reply.
[Joanna: Congratulations, you’re lucky.]
Seeing the response, Tang Yu’an beamed. She’s online!
He hurriedly left another message under Joanna’s display:
[Mysterious Merchant: I might need your information.]
[Joanna: 10,000 points.]
Tang Yu’an: …Never mind!
With a clear source for the locator stone and a massive points goal to meet, there was no way he’d spend 10,000 points just for information.
After Tang Yu’an declined, Joanna didn’t press the matter further.
[Joanna: I need more glowing lantern fruits.]
[Mysterious Merchant: I’ll stock them tomorrow.]
With that, their exchange ended. Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi finished breakfast and resumed their studies for the day.
Because there were fewer distractions, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi finally caught up with their studies. They had a set block of uninterrupted time each day to focus on learning.
Occasionally, Tang Yu’an felt a strange nostalgia, as if he were back in his original world, waking up early for school every day.
The peaceful, uneventful life he had once found boring was now a cherished memory—one he longed for but could never return to.
After finishing their studies, they went into the forest to gather glowing lantern fruits.
These fruits grew inside dark tree hollows, and so far, they had only found one plant guarded by a mutated bear. Harvesting the fruits wasn’t easy, but each fruit sold for 1,000 points, making the effort worthwhile.
Under the cover of their shadow umbrella, they avoided the bear’s detection and used their remote retrieval skill to transfer the fruits into their portable storage.
After collecting five fruits, they carefully left the area.
The forest’s vegetation was lush and oversized; a single leaf could serve as a blanket for them, and tangled roots were over a meter high.
It was as if they had wandered into a land of giants. Without their flying skill, moving around would have been nearly impossible.
Thud, thud, thud… thud, thud, thud…
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi perched on a branch, looking toward the source of the sound. They saw about a dozen stones of various sizes bouncing along the forest floor.
Tang Yu’an called them “hopping stones.”
The stones varied in size—the largest was several meters long—and as they hopped, they would occasionally break into smaller pieces, which would join the bouncing procession.
Thud, thud, thud… thud, thud, thud…
The stones came from an unknown direction, crossed the forest, and disappeared into the distance. Their destination remained a mystery.
The boys watched the stone procession until it was completely out of sight before flying away.
“Brother Qi, do you think those hopping stones are being controlled by something?” Tang Yu’an wondered aloud.
He had tried using his appraisal skill on the stones before but found nothing unusual. There was no apparent reason for their persistent movement toward a specific destination.
Zhou Qi nodded. “It might be a power we haven’t encountered yet.”
If the seven-day special sale hadn’t refreshed with the locator stone, they might have considered following the stones once they had enough strength. But now, the risk seemed unnecessary.
“I still want to check it out someday,” Tang Yu’an muttered.
He understood Zhou Qi’s caution, though. Curiosity could be dangerous, and until they were stronger, survival had to take priority.
“Maybe in the future,” Zhou Qi said.
“Mm-hmm!”
Instead of returning to their small house, they went to the riverbank to collect crystals. It was low tide, the perfect time to gather as many as possible.
Despite the abundance of crystals, the spirit worm in Zhou Qi’s body remained dormant. Since fully absorbing the fire spirit worm, it hadn’t stirred at all.
Zhou Qi took this opportunity to train his abilities, using fire energy to temper his body while also practicing water and earth techniques. Thanks to the area’s rich elemental energy, his progress was rapid, though fire remained his strongest affinity.
While Zhou Qi focused on collecting crystals, Tang Yu’an practiced his slingshot skills by shooting at crabs and birds. His aim improved daily, and dodging crab water arrows made him increasingly agile.
The steady growth in their abilities gave them a sense of progress and allowed them to remain focused on their goals.
One morning, Zhou Qi woke to find the space beside him empty.
He quickly got up and went outside, where he saw Tang Yu’an tending to a fire, cooking something.
“An’an?”
“Brother Qi, go wash up! Breakfast will be ready soon!” Tang Yu’an called cheerfully.
Watching Tang Yu’an bustle around, Zhou Qi couldn’t help but feel puzzled. When did this little lazybones become so industrious? But he followed his instructions, brushing his teeth and washing his face.
When he returned to the small dining table, Tang Yu’an was waiting with two bowls of noodles.
“I couldn’t make birthday buns, so I made longevity noodles instead!” Tang Yu’an grinned. “Happy birthday, Brother Qi!”
Zhou Qi stared at him, dumbfounded. Though he had already guessed it, warmth flooded his heart at the gesture.
“But you don’t have a watch. How did you know today’s my birthday?” he asked.
“I’ve been keeping track!” Tang Yu’an puffed up his chest proudly. “Our birthdays are 30 days apart, so I record it every day. That way, I wouldn’t forget!”
Zhou Qi chuckled. “I thought you checked my system panel.”
“Oh, right!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed, opening Zhou Qi’s employee panel. Sure enough, under the age section, it now read “16.”
“Oops, I totally forgot about that.”
Zhou Qi couldn’t help but laugh at Tang Yu’an’s slightly puffed-up cheeks. Being so consistently thought of and cared for felt like the best birthday gift he could ever receive.
At that moment, Tang Yu’an pulled out a necklace and clasped it around Zhou Qi’s neck.
“This is…?”
Zhou Qi held up the necklace, stunned. It was beautifully crafted, with a star-shaped blue gemstone that sparkled in the sunlight.
“A birthday gift, of course!” Tang Yu’an said earnestly. “Promise me you’ll always wear it.”
He gazed intently at Zhou Qi. “This necklace can create a protective shield in emergencies, blocking standard attacks. Most importantly, it can provide oxygen if you’re ever short of breath.”
“Promise me you’ll always wear it!”
Zhou Qi stared at Tang Yu’an, dumbfounded. Short of breath…
(//0////0//)
As if recalling something, Zhou Qi’s face turned beet red. He quickly averted his gaze, unable to meet Tang Yu’an’s innocent, earnest eyes.
“Mm… okay… I will,” he stammered.
