Chapter 187
The magic tent was the magic core’s absolute domain.
No matter how much Black Pearl pounced, bit, or even used its abilities, it couldn’t faze the little black orb.
Black Pearl stared at the floating magic core for a full minute before finally huffing and walking toward the tent’s exit, muttering angrily.
Zhou Qi assumed it had given up, but…
When Tang Yu’an emerged from his bath, he found Yuan Bao had somehow snuck into the magic tent.
The four-eyed pup was pinning the magic core under its belly, while the kitten, Black Pearl, swiped furiously at the core as if venting its frustration.
Tang Yu’an, puzzled, was about to stop them from bullying the magic core when the core suddenly vanished.
It reappeared midair, only for Yuan Bao to teleport alongside it and grab it again. The two continued to flash back and forth across the tent, leaving even Tang Yu’an and Black Pearl dizzy.
Finally, the magic core fled into Tang Yu’an’s clothes. Yuan Bao, though exhausted and panting, seemed thrilled. It was clear that it had turned the magic core into its training partner.
“Yuan Bao, let Tuan Tuan rest. It’s tired,” Tang Yu’an said gently.
Yuan Bao glanced back at Black Pearl.
The instigator snorted coldly, as if satisfied it had taught the core a lesson. With a haughty flick of its tail, it pranced off to the loft to find a comfy spot to sleep.
With no ally left, Yuan Bao reluctantly calmed down. After a bark, it trotted outside to resume its night watch.
Tang Yu’an sighed in relief.
He stroked the little black orb hiding in his pocket and comforted it. “Don’t worry, they were just playing with you.”
The magic core nuzzled his finger, its soft, squishy texture pleasantly odd.
[Magic Core is asking: Master, shall I prepare a midnight snack for you?]
Tang Yu’an chuckled. “You can cook?”
[Magic Core responds: Yes, Master.]
“Then can you make breakfast for us tomorrow?” Tang Yu’an asked as he sifted through his portable inventory, handing the core a selection of ingredients.
This way, Zhou Qi wouldn’t have to wake up early to cook!
When Zhou Qi heard the news, he had little reaction, remaining neutral rather than pleased.
The next morning, Tang Yu’an woke up to find Zhou Qi already awake, preparing breakfast himself.
Brother Qi really loves cooking! Tang Yu’an thought, enjoying the meal. He said enthusiastically, “Your food is the best!”
Zhou Qi’s face softened into a rare smile.
“Good. I’ll cook for you every day from now on,” he said quietly.
“Okay!” Tang Yu’an agreed without hesitation.
The magic core, floating silently in midair, swallowed its complaints and drifted to the loft to tidy up the beds.
By the time Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi set off again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Riding on Black Pearl’s back, they wore cloaks made of temperature-regulating fabric, staying cool even under the scorching sun.
With Black Pearl as their steed, the Shadow Cloak wasn’t needed. Several daggers made of mutated metal lazily floated around them, controlled by Black Pearl.
A giant eagle circled overhead but, after careful consideration, decided not to provoke them.
They traveled across the grasslands, searching for a suitable spot to settle. Their goal was to find a location near a water source.
The grasslands were parched, showing signs of prolonged drought. The grass was sparse and withered, with large patches of exposed soil where plants couldn’t grow. The animals living here must have been struggling to survive.
As they advanced, they gradually uncovered the fog of war on their map.
Having left Desolate City Haven and Jufeng Mountain, they now realized how sparsely populated the wastelands truly were. After spending most of the day on the grasslands, they hadn’t seen a single soul. Starting out here would have been far tougher than in Desolate City Haven.
By evening, they found a low-lying area on the eastern grasslands.
The basin was quite large—about the size of two football fields. It appeared to have been a lake, but under the relentless sun, the water level had nearly dried up.
There might have been an underground water source, but it clearly couldn’t keep up with the evaporation rate.
“Let’s build the new branch here,” Zhou Qi suggested.
“But it’s far from Obsidian’s territory…” Tang Yu’an hesitated as he studied the map.
“Wolf territories aren’t fixed. If their territory runs out of food, they’ll migrate,” Zhou Qi explained. “If we make this place prosperous, they’ll come on their own.”
Tang Yu’an thought about it and realized Zhou Qi was right.
He agreed to the proposal, dismounted from Black Pearl, and took out a construction robot.
Using the remote inventory function, they transported cement and bricks from Shop #1’s warehouse. Zhou Qi then used his earth abilities to gather sand.
While the construction robot started assembling the building, Tang Yu’an turned his attention to the nearly dried lake. After estimating its size, he transferred half of the water from the swimming pool’s reservoir to the lake.
With the construction robot working and the lake replenished, the area began to show signs of new life. Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had officially laid the foundation for their grasslands branch.
A 30x30x30 cubic meter block of water, totaling 5,040 cubic meters, appeared instantly in Tang Yu’an’s line of sight. Under the force of gravity, it crashed down into the drying basin with a thunderous roar.
The water surged toward the lowest point of the basin, filling it rapidly before the surface finally leveled out.
Witnessing this spectacular scene unfold—one they had both created—was breathtaking.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi stood there, their faces lighting up with excitement as they watched the water level rise by a third, transforming the basin into a proper lake.
At that moment, they weren’t the only ones who were excited.
Across the lake, hidden in low shrubbery, lay two figures watching in silence.
They remained motionless, blending into the shadows of the bushes. The distance was so great that even Black Pearl hadn’t detected them, and the map was still covered in fog, leaving Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi unaware of their observers.
The figure in front held a pair of binoculars, watching everything unfold.
“Papa, let me see! I can’t see anything!”
The figure behind him, a young man in his early twenties, was also watching the lake but couldn’t make out the details due to the distance.
Reluctantly, the middle-aged man handed the binoculars to his son.
“That’s a lot of water…” the young man muttered. “Who are those two people?”
The cloaked figures by the lake were too far away, and the dimming light made it impossible to see their faces, even with the binoculars.
Suddenly, the young man’s expression changed.
“It’s happening again!”
The middle-aged man quickly leaned in. They each peered through a lens of the binoculars and witnessed the events unfolding on the other side of the lake.
One of the cloaked figures, the shorter one, stood at the forefront. To his left was the taller figure, and to his right, a massive black panther.
Even while seated, the panther’s chest was level with the tall figure’s head. Despite its fearsome size, the beast obediently stayed close to the two cloaked individuals.
The golden hues of the setting sun bathed the scene, adding an air of mystery.
Under their watchful gaze, another massive, transparent water cube appeared out of nowhere in front of the shorter figure.
The cube, composed of pure water, glimmered beautifully under the sunset.
And then—
“Boom!”
The colossal block of water crashed into the lake, sending waves rippling across the surface before merging seamlessly into the body of water.
Due to the bowl-like shape of the basin, the added water didn’t raise the level as dramatically as before, but it was now half-full—an incredible transformation for a lake on the verge of drying up.
“Is such power even humanly possible? Could those cloaked figures be emissaries of a deity?”
The young man gulped nervously. “Papa, do we still need to fetch water?”
Their original purpose for coming was to collect water. But before they could approach the lake, the father had noticed an unusual phenomenon and hurriedly pulled his son into hiding.
Now, they had witnessed a display of power far beyond their comprehension.
The middle-aged man furrowed his brow, about to respond, when his expression suddenly changed. In a low voice, he said, “We need to leave. Now!”
The young man quickly understood the urgency.
The massive black panther, which had been sitting beside the cloaked figures, was now staring directly at them. Through the binoculars, their gazes met—and collided.
The young man’s heart skipped a beat as his blood ran cold.
The father snatched the binoculars, shoved them into his bag, and grabbed his son, retreating hastily.
But how could they possibly outrun a three-meter-long black panther? Especially one with abilities?
“Whoosh—”
A mutated metal dagger, faster than the panther itself, shot past them, embedding itself in the ground ahead and cutting off their escape route.
The young man, terrified, instinctively gripped his spear and turned toward the oncoming panther.
“Black Pearl!”
The moment the panther charged, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi noticed it and immediately realized something was amiss on the other side of the lake.
Tang Yu’an quickly summoned Yuan Bao from its resting state in his pet inventory, preparing to head over and investigate.
But Zhou Qi stopped him.
“Brother Qi?”
“It’s probably humans,” Zhou Qi said.
He focused his scattered mental energy in the direction of the commotion and sensed two ordinary humans, not dangerous creatures.
“Oh.” Tang Yu’an relaxed.
He had instructed his pets not to harm humans unless provoked, so Black Pearl likely wouldn’t attack the two people. Still, to be safe, he felt they should head over immediately.
Zhou Qi, however, said, “Does the interdimensional store sell masks?”
“Huh?”
Although Tang Yu’an didn’t understand why Zhou Qi was asking, he searched the store anyway.
“It does. The cheapest one costs 1,000 points and includes a voice modulation feature.”
Realizing Zhou Qi’s intent, Tang Yu’an looked at him and asked, “You mean…”
“It’s better not to use our real identities when building a branch here,” Zhou Qi said.
The grasslands weren’t far from Jufeng Mountain or Lanhu Forest. If anyone from the grasslands visited those places, word of their activities could easily spread.
Their distinctive features would make it easy for anyone who had met them to recognize them again.
Tang Yu’an understood immediately and spent 2,000 points to purchase two masks.
[Voice-Modulating Masks]
Description: A product of advanced technology, these masks attach seamlessly to the user’s face. No matter how intense the movement, they won’t fall off and can only be removed by the wearer. The mask allows the user to alter their voice as desired.
The masks, one silver and one black, were metallic with a futuristic design.
Tang Yu’an tried his on. It felt soft at first, but once it fully adhered to his face, the sensation disappeared entirely. Despite covering his whole face, it didn’t hinder breathing, and without a mirror, he might have forgotten he was wearing it.
He tested the voice modulation and then looked at Zhou Qi, tentatively speaking:
“Brother Qi?”
His voice, usually bright and youthful, now sounded mature, like a young man in his early twenties.
Zhou Qi adjusted his mask as well. His altered voice was similarly aged but deeper and more resonant.
Looking at each other, both masked and cloaked in black, they realized that even someone as familiar as Hong Li wouldn’t immediately recognize them. The months they had spent in the alternate dimension had also made them taller, adding to their disguise.
“Let’s go!”
They climbed onto Yuan Bao’s back and flashed across the lake to the other side in seconds.
The father and son, terrified, huddled together as daggers of mutated metal circled them menacingly, as though ready to strike.
Black Pearl sat nearby, lazily flicking its tail, its gaze locked on them.
When the cloaked figures arrived on the back of a massive, four-eyed wolf, appearing in an instant, the father and son screamed, nearly fainting.
The middle-aged man quickly pulled his son to the ground, bowing to the cloaked figures.
“S-Sirs, we were just passing through! We didn’t mean to offend you! Please spare us!”
The young man, trembling and tearful, quickly followed suit, his dark face further streaked by tears and snot.
Seeing their pitiful state, Tang Yu’an felt a twinge of guilt.
Even so, wary of strangers in the wasteland, he maintained a safe distance, standing beside Yuan Bao.
“Stand up,” he said gently. “It won’t hurt you.”
Even with his altered voice, Tang Yu’an’s tone was clear and soothing, enough to calm the panicked pair.
At his words, Black Pearl withdrew the hovering daggers. Yawning with boredom, it padded away, its elegant movements reassuring the father and son that the threat had passed.
“Who are you?” Zhou Qi asked.
“W-We live nearby,” the middle-aged man stammered. “We just came to fetch water, but then…”
His face paled, and he trailed off, too scared to continue.
“You saw it?”
The black-masked figure’s voice rang out, casual yet filled with an oppressive weight that made the father and son shiver.
“No! No! We didn’t see anything!”
“That’s right, nothing at all! Please don’t kill us!”
Terrified of being silenced, they vehemently denied seeing anything.
“You don’t need to be so nervous,” Zhou Qi said, his low voice calm and steady. “We’re not bad people.”
Though his words were meant to reassure, the trembling pair remained unconvinced.
Zhou Qi observed them carefully. “You came to fetch water? Where are your containers?”
The middle-aged man pointed to a bush not far away.
“Go get it,” Zhou Qi instructed.
Without waiting for his father, the young man scrambled over to retrieve a wooden bucket from the bush. It had a lid to prevent spillage while walking.
“Open the lid,” Zhou Qi ordered.
The young man obeyed, revealing the empty bucket. Zhou Qi estimated its capacity and, using the remote inventory function, transferred water from Shop #1’s reservoir, filling it to about 80%.
The father and son stared in stunned silence at the water that had appeared out of thin air.
Again, this miraculous ability to summon water!
“You can take this bucket of water,” Zhou Qi said, his deep, altered voice steady, “but you must trade something for it.”
“Trade?”
“Yes.”
“W-What would you like in exchange?” the middle-aged man asked hesitantly, his fear evident.
Zhou Qi glanced at Tang Yu’an, who quickly understood. He scrutinized the father and son before asking, “What are your names?”
“People call me Old Ping, and this is my son, Ah Shan.”
Like most wasteland dwellers, they had no surnames, only self-chosen names.
Tang Yu’an noted their names and said, “Over there, in those bushes, you’ll find some herbs. Bring them to me, and you can have this bucket of water.”
He pointed to a cluster of plantain herbs he had spotted using his identification skill.
Old Ping and Ah Shan exchanged glances before scrambling over to carefully dig up the plants, which they mistook for wild greens. They carried the herbs back with cupped hands and placed them before Tang Yu’an.
Tang Yu’an inspected the plantain herbs and used his remote inventory skill to store them in his portable warehouse.
[You completed a profitable transaction with a new customer. Points +38, EXP +3.]
[You completed a profitable transaction with a new customer. Points +28, EXP +3.]
Having successfully turned Old Ping and his son into customers, Tang Yu’an glanced at Zhou Qi. While the two had been gathering herbs, they had exchanged thoughts on the message board.
Zhou Qi addressed them calmly. “As you’ve seen, the water in this lake was brought here by us.”
Old Ping and Ah Shan shivered and nodded quickly.
“You may be wondering who we are and why we’re here.”
Old Ping lowered his head even further, while Ah Shan instinctively lifted his, only for his father to press it back down.
Unperturbed, Zhou Qi’s voice grew solemn.
“We are apostles of the God of Commerce, tasked with spreading the divine light across this wasteland so that the impoverished and weak may have access to water and food.”
Both Old Ping and Ah Shan froze in stunned disbelief.
Though Zhou Qi’s words sounded like something a charlatan might say, the miraculous power they had just witnessed—the sudden appearance of cubic meters of water—was undeniably divine.
In their tribe, even water-element ability users struggled to condense enough drinkable water during the dry season. Once the lake dried up, they couldn’t conjure a single drop unless they had crystal stones.
And even with water abilities, the process was slow and labor-intensive, nothing like the instantaneous torrents these strangers had summoned.
This had to be divine power!
Old Ping and Ah Shan fell prostrate again as Zhou Qi continued, “However, the God of Commerce despises those who take without effort.”
At this, the pair waved their hands frantically, trembling as they protested, “We didn’t take anything without earning it! We swear!”
Zhou Qi nodded. “Then you understand. If you want water or food, you must offer something in exchange.”
“Yes, yes! We understand!”
Satisfied, Zhou Qi said, “You may now leave with the water.”
Relieved, the father and son expressed their gratitude profusely. They staggered to their feet, only to realize they had forgotten the bucket. At Tang Yu’an’s reminder, they hurried back to retrieve it.
As they started to leave, Old Ping hesitated. After a moment of internal struggle, he turned back to the cloaked figures.
“How should we address you, sirs?” he asked tentatively.
Tang Yu’an considered for a moment. “Mysterious Merchant, Silver Light.”
Catching on, Zhou Qi quickly added, “And I am Dark Moon.”
Lao Ping memorized the names and masks—the silver and black faceplates were distinctive enough. Bowing respectfully, he said, “Lord Silver Light, Lord Dark Moon…”
“Does this mean others in our tribe can also come here to trade for water?”
If the lake had been full and these “divine emissaries” had claimed it, the tribe might have harbored resentment despite their inability to resist. But since half the lake’s water had been brought by these strangers, trading for it seemed entirely fair.
And looking at the two giant beasts frolicking nearby, Old Ping didn’t dare entertain any thoughts of robbery.
If their tribe could trade for water, it would make life much easier, and more children could survive the harsh conditions this year.
Tang Yu’an nodded. “Of course.”
Lao Ping’s face lit up with joy, and he thanked them repeatedly. Just as he was about to leave, another question occurred to him. Turning back, he asked cautiously, “So… are you here to spread your faith?”
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged a glance before nodding. If they were already pretending, they might as well lean into it.
“And… what is this faith?”
“We follow the God of Commerce. Naturally, it is the Faith of the God of Commerce.”
Lao Ping nervously wrung his hands before asking, “Does the faith accept new followers? Earlier, I heard you say… followers can get water and food?”
Tang Yu’an: “…”
Zhou Qi: “…”
