Doomsday Grocery Store – CH208

Chapter 208

Currently, Tang Yu’an owned five dreamscape drift bottles:

He originally had six, but one was destroyed during the trade with a deity for a summoning ritual, leaving only five.

Among these drift bottles, one connected to Cosona’s technological world, one to Tuls’ magical world, one to Morsang’s primitive beastman world, and another was used to communicate with his family.

The last one, after being thrown into the dream sea, had vanished without a trace.

But now, it had finally returned!

Tang Yu’an carefully examined the drift bottle in his hand. Although it was also blue, it had a deeper, more teal hue, unlike the grayish-blue bottle from the technological world.

A man’s voice echoed in the attic. He sounded young, likely in his late twenties or early thirties.

“This dreamscape drift bottle feels a little different from the ones I usually find…” the man murmured softly.

Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were both stunned.

“The ones I usually find”?

So this person had encountered other drift bottles before? Frequently, perhaps? Or did it mean…

“Can I trade with you for what I need?” The man’s voice continued. “Tang Yu’an, are you a merchant too? Do you also have a system?”

0.0

Hearing the message, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were shocked.

Could it be that their dreamscape drift bottle had reached another interdimensional merchant? Did it somehow end up in the dream sea of another merchant’s system?

The two exchanged a glance and gradually calmed down. If all dream seas were interconnected, this scenario wasn’t entirely impossible.

However, considering the vast number of dimensions and countless individuals across them, merchants with systems were likely an extremely small minority. The odds of their bottles crossing paths should theoretically be near zero.

Yet, against all odds, it happened!

Tang Yu’an thought of something and quickly checked the bottom of the drift bottle for its dimension code.

XZ156793.

The drift bottle had come from a cultivation world!

Meanwhile, the man’s voice continued, “Do you need Spirit Gathering Grass? It’s currently my best-selling spiritual herb.”

Tang Yu’an blinked. Spirit Gathering Grass?

He froze for a moment, and a name surfaced in his mind. Could it be…

“Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Gu Qianli.”

Tang Yu’an: 0.0

It’s him! That honest guy from the dimensional marketplace who sells everything at its original value!

“However, this drift bottle seems a bit unusual compared to the others I’ve encountered. It looks like we can’t communicate directly, so trading might not be possible either?”

Gu Qianli’s confused voice filled the room.

“How can I send you Spirit Gathering Grass? And how can you provide me with what I need?”

He seemed to think for a moment but didn’t come up with a solution.

“I’ve placed a few Spirit Gathering Grass leaves in the bottle. Let me know if you receive them.”

Soon, his voice continued again.

“Spirit Gathering Grass can gather spiritual energy and aid in cultivation. The leaves also have mild body-cleansing properties, making them suitable for medicine. The effects are weaker if eaten directly.”

“If you choose to eat it, though, don’t stray too far from the toilet—and make sure you have enough paper.”

Hearing this, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but blush.

Spirit Gathering Grass was one of the ingredients for the Body Constitution Egg, and just as Gu Qianli mentioned, after eating the egg on his birthday, Tang Yu’an had experienced… severe digestive distress.

Even in the highly spiritual alternate dimension where the egg was consumed, his stomach issues had persisted for days before subsiding.

But the egg’s effects were remarkable.

After just one dose, Tang Yu’an grew two centimeters taller in a few days, his skin became fairer, and his face—already plump with baby fat—now had a rosy, radiant glow.

He looked so soft and pinchable that Zhou Qi often found his hands itching to poke or squeeze his cheeks.

Yet, as Zhou Qi grew older and more aware of his feelings, he became more restrained in expressing them. Unlike in their childhood when he would openly touch or hug Tang Yu’an, he now avoided unnecessary physical contact, driven by emotions he could not yet articulate.

Of course, Tang Yu’an remained oblivious to all of this and continued acting as casually as ever, leaving Zhou Qi utterly helpless.

“I didn’t know Spirit Gathering Grass could be eaten directly,” Tang Yu’an said as he poured the leaves from the drift bottle into his hand.

Having experienced its effects firsthand, he was well aware of how potent Spirit Gathering Grass could be.

Now that the reaction period was over, his body had become significantly more resilient. The extreme temperature fluctuations in this dimension no longer fazed him.

By this point, Gu Qianli’s message had ended.

Tang Yu’an held the Spirit Gathering Grass leaves, giving them a sniff.

Whether it was because Gu Qianli had just placed them into the bottle, or because the drift bottle inherently preserved its contents, the leaves still smelled incredibly fresh.

“This is amazing,” Zhou Qi remarked, inspecting the leaves closely. “Spirit Gathering Grass is such a versatile resource. We could use it for both cultivation and crafting.”

Tang Yu’an nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. “If we can establish regular trade with Gu Qianli, it would be a win-win for both sides.”

What intrigued Tang Yu’an most was the thought of direct collaboration with another system merchant. If Gu Qianli truly had a similar system, the possibilities for cooperation could be endless.

“Let’s record a message for him,” Tang Yu’an said, clutching the bottle tightly.

The prospect of forging this unprecedented connection filled him with excitement.

Tang Yu’an pondered, “Since this is a cultivation world, I wonder if they sell spatial artifacts?”

A single spatial pouch costs 200,000–300,000 points, which is exorbitantly expensive. They couldn’t afford to allocate so many points to purchase spatial equipment, as it would hinder the growth of the general store.

If possible, they needed to find alternative channels to obtain such items. For example, the storage spirit pouch Lang Ze had shown before seemed to be the type of spatial artifact from a cultivation world.

“I really wish I could communicate directly with this Brother Gu,” Tang Yu’an muttered. “Judging by the timeline, it would take at least one or two months for the drift bottle to reach his dimension.”

After all, they activated the drift bottle accelerator every three days, and this bottle hadn’t been returned before now. This meant Gu Qianli must have put it back into the dream sea within the last three days.

If they wanted to establish a dialogue, the time spent waiting for responses would be painfully long!

“Do you think he knows how to travel between dimensions?” Tang Yu’an said with a face full of hope.

A cultivation world—it already sounded so powerful!

Could this Gu Qianli be some kind of immortal? But Tang Yu’an quickly shook his head. If he were a true immortal, he wouldn’t be trading with them like this.

After all, they had interacted with actual gods before!

“Maybe someday we can learn how to return home from him,” Tang Yu’an mused. “The deity by Lang Ze’s side already told us that he couldn’t send us back. We’ll need to find another way.”

Their ultimate goal was to return home.

Although they had now reconnected with their family, it wasn’t enough. They either needed to return themselves or find a way to safely bring their family over to this world. That goal had never changed.

Zhou Qi nodded. “Hmm, let’s test the waters and see if he knows about storage spirit pouches.”

If they could purchase storage spirit pouches from Gu Qianli, that would be perfect—though the long response time might make it difficult for Tang’s parents to wait.

As for what they could trade with Gu Qianli…

“Let’s try using Wood Spirit Crystals,” Zhou Qi suggested.

Based on what they had learned from Tuls, it seemed Spirit Energy Crystals went by different names across various dimensions. And since they came from so many dimensions, this theory seemed to hold water.

“Got it!”

Tang Yu’an placed a Wood Spirit Crystal into the drift bottle, recorded a message for Gu Qianli, and sealed the bottle again before throwing it back into the dream sea.

But just as he selected Gu Qianli’s dimension, a system notification popped up.

[Congratulations! You have completed a transaction with another dimension merchant who has activated the “Dreamscape Drift Bottle” function, unlocking the special achievement title: “Connected by a Thread in the Dream.”]

Tang Yu’an froze.

He didn’t expect this to trigger a special achievement! He quickly checked the details.

So, by accepting the Spirit Gathering Grass leaves and sending back the drift bottle with the Wood Spirit Crystal, the system had deemed this a completed transaction?

He immediately opened the description of the special achievement title.

[Special Achievement Title: Connected by a Thread in the Dream]
Description: You have communicated and completed a transaction with another dimension merchant who has activated the “Dreamscape Drift Bottle” function.
This is an extremely rare, nearly impossible event—but it has been triggered.
Effect:

1. When wearing this title, your chance of contacting other dimension merchants via dreamscape drift bottles will increase.
2. Drift bottles sent to previously connected dimensions will directly arrive at their merchant’s location. Upon retrieval, you may spend points to engage in direct communication with them.

After reading the description and effects of the title, Tang Yu’an froze for a few seconds. Then he couldn’t hold back his excitement and cheered.

“Brother Qi, we unlocked a special achievement!” He happily shared the news with Zhou Qi.

“It’s related to the dreamscape drift bottle!”

After listening to Tang Yu’an’s explanation, Zhou Qi’s mouth twitched slightly.

He had been thinking this whole time about how incredibly small the probability of this situation occurring was, and now the system itself had confirmed it.

Zhou Qi glanced at Tang Yu’an, once again marveling at his extraordinary luck. Then he said, “Quick, equip the title.”

Although it was limited to communicating with merchants they’d already connected with, it was still a very practical feature.

At the very least, they could now communicate directly with Gu Qianli.

“I already equipped it,” Tang Yu’an said. “But… nothing seems to have changed.”

Zhou Qi thought about the description of the title and guessed, “It probably takes effect once the other party retrieves the drift bottle. Maybe Gu Qianli hasn’t noticed it yet. Let’s wait and see.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

Tang Yu’an then entered the magic tent to double-check the supplies they were sending to his parents, ensuring there were no omissions.

He even labeled the weapons and equipment with instructions for use.

Afterward, he and Zhou Qi resumed driving the motorhome toward the center of the Desolate city. As they moved closer, the number of mutated creatures increased significantly.

Soon, they spotted the mutated tiger that Chi Hao had mentioned. It was sprawled on a high platform like a small mountain, looking majestic and terrifying. It was already very similar to the massive creatures they had encountered in the Giant Wood Forest.

It was unclear whether the mutated beasts in the city’s center were native to this world or had come from another dimension.

As the floodwaters spread, the local herds had scattered in all directions, leaving behind only the most fearsome giants.

Faced with such a beast, it was easy for humans to feel a sense of insignificance.

Zhou Qi carefully drove the motorhome past the mutated tiger. Thanks to the invisibility provided by the protective barrier, the tiger didn’t notice them.

Additionally, since they were silently clearing obstacles underwater, they avoided alerting the aquatic creatures as well.

That night, Tang Yu’an finally received a system notification.

[Dimension Merchant Gu Qianli has retrieved your drift bottle. You can now establish direct communication. Would you like to proceed?]

[Special Achievement Title “Connected by a Thread in the Dream” Activated]
[The Dream Drift Bottle has been retrieved by the dimension merchant “Gu Qianli.” Deduct 2,000 points to establish a temporary communication for direct dialogue?]

Cross-dimensional interactions sure are expensive!

Fortunately, Tang Yu’an hadn’t been relying on the dream drift bottle to earn points, and their current balance was still relatively healthy.

Tang Yu’an chose to deduct the points.

He was eager to communicate directly with other dimension merchants; the efficiency of using drift bottles was simply too low.

[Points deducted successfully!]
[Temporary communication channel being established… Channel established!]

A brand-new interface popped up, revealing…

A young man in green robes.

His ink-black hair was tied into a topknot, secured with a wooden hairpin. His clear and refined features had a distinctly ancient charm, matching the traditional style of his attire.

On the interface, the man wore an expression of confusion, staring somewhat blankly at Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.

The three of them gazed at one another through the video screen in mutual bewilderment.

The temporary communication channel turned out to be a video call! Considering the 2,000-point cost, this actually seemed pretty worth it.

Since they were the ones initiating the call, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi quickly snapped out of their initial surprise. They exchanged a glance before Tang Yu’an broke the silence.

“Hello, are you Gu Qianli? Brother Gu?” Tang Yu’an asked with his usual friendliness.

Gu Qianli, still a bit overwhelmed, finally regained his composure. He nodded and replied, “Yes, I am Gu Qianli.”

He glanced at the boys’ modern outfits and the design of their room, realization dawning on his face. “You… come from another dimension?”

He had initially assumed the drift bottle he picked up was from his own world, but now he finally understood—it had come from another dimension!

And now, he was face-to-face in direct dialogue with a merchant from that dimension.

Such a mysterious power—it’s simply mind-boggling.

Could even the great cultivators of his world achieve something like this? Gu Qianli wondered to himself.

As Gu Qianli observed Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, the two boys were also carefully studying him.

“I’m Tang Yu’an, and this is my brother, Zhou Qi,” Tang Yu’an introduced warmly.

Seeing Gu Qianli’s astonished expression, Tang Yu’an explained, “I unlocked a special achievement, and this communication method is a reward from the achievement’s title.”

Gu Qianli nodded, gripping the dream drift bottle in his hand a little tighter.

“Just now, my system informed me that a merchant from another dimension wanted to establish a direct dialogue with me. I was puzzled at first. And…”

He glanced at the drift bottle in his hand and continued, “I only put this bottle into the dream sea this morning. Judging by the time, it returned way too quickly.”

Now he understood—it was due to the other party’s system manipulation.

After finishing his explanation, he fell silent, his demeanor somewhat reserved. He seemed to be the quiet type, not particularly skilled in conversation.

Tang Yu’an smiled and said, “Do you remember the mysterious merchant? I bought Spirit Gathering Grass from you before.”

Gu Qianli blinked in surprise. “It was you?”

Tang Yu’an had purchased five Spirit Gathering Grass plants from Gu Qianli to craft the body-strengthening egg. In fact, they had already completed five transactions.

“You were my very first customer!”

Gu Qianli’s expression softened as he remembered this early supporter. He studied Tang Yu’an again—his bright eyes, rosy lips, and clear features—and his initial wariness and tension began to fade.

At this point, Gu Qianli glanced at the wooden crystal Tang Yu’an had placed in the drift bottle. Feeling the spiritual energy it radiated, his expression turned into one of mild confusion.

“You’re planning to sell me Spirit Stones?” Gu Qianli asked hesitantly.

Tang Yu’an nodded. It seemed their guess was correct: spirit energy crystals went by different names in different dimensions.

But then, Gu Qianli asked something unexpected. “Why are you allowed to sell Spirit Stones?”

Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi froze, completely baffled by the question.

“Why wouldn’t we be allowed?” Tang Yu’an asked, his tone equally puzzled.

Gu Qianli frowned slightly. “You don’t face restrictions?”

“Restrictions?” Tang Yu’an asked, perplexed.

“Can you earn experience points and credits by selling Spirit Stones?” Gu Qianli pressed.

Tang Yu’an felt like something was off.

He nodded. “We can—so long as there’s a profit margin.”

Seeing Gu Qianli’s expression darken with frustration, Tang Yu’an hesitated before asking carefully, “Brother Gu, you seem upset. Does this mean you can’t sell Spirit Stones?”

Gu Qianli nodded, his tone exasperated. “That’s correct. Please wait a moment—I need to discuss this with my system.”

Apparently, Gu Qianli’s intelligent system hadn’t entered dormancy and could communicate with him directly.

For Tang Yu’an, whose system had essentially been “on strike” since the day he transmigrated, this was both surprising and fascinating.

After a moment, Gu Qianli’s expression finally calmed, as if his discussion had concluded.

“How did it go? What did the system say?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.

Even Zhou Qi perked up and listened attentively.

Gu Qianli looked a little sheepish. “Sorry to keep you waiting. My system said that your system and mine are not the same.”

“Not the same? How so?” Tang Yu’an pressed.

“We operate under… different frameworks,” Gu Qianli explained.

“For example, my system is the Flora and Fauna Shop system. Yours must be different from mine, right?”

“F-Flora and Fauna Shop system?” Tang Yu’an stuttered.

What a unique system name!

Different shop names mean different rules? So the other dimensional merchants might not share the same type of system as theirs?

“Exactly.” Gu Qianli nodded and shared another key piece of information. “My system only allows me to earn points and experience by selling plants and small animals.”

Tang Yu’an & Zhou Qi: 0.0

So there are systems with such strict limitations! Why didn’t they ever encounter anything like this?

“What about your system?” Gu Qianli asked.

“Ours is called the Doomsday Grocery Store system,” Tang Yu’an replied.

As he explained, he was already messaging Zhou Qi through the forum’s private chat.

[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Brother Qi, why don’t we have restrictions like that? It feels like we can sell just about anything.

[Handsome Zhou]: Maybe because it’s… a grocery store?

But could a grocery store even sell weapons? For instance, they earned points when they traded the mutated mantis scythes to Gan Lin.

Zhou Qi couldn’t be sure, so he hesitated before responding:

[Handsome Zhou]: It might also be because our intelligent system is in dormancy?

Tang Yu’an had a sudden realization. If that’s the case, then he sincerely hoped their intelligent system would stay dormant forever!

While the two quietly exchanged thoughts, they quickly reached an agreement and turned their attention back to Gu Qianli.

“By the way,” Tang Yu’an said, “I’ve been meaning to remind you—your Marketplace Window prices can be set a bit higher.”

Gu Qianli hadn’t activated the messaging function before, so Tang Yu’an hadn’t been able to offer him any advice.

But come to think of it, with his intelligent system active, shouldn’t it have explained the relevant rules to him?

“I know,” Gu Qianli sighed. “But to increase sales, I can only set a relatively low price.”

Seeing the boys’ puzzled expressions, he added an explanation:

“I don’t have much of a customer base in my surroundings, so I have to rely on the Dream Drift Bottle and the Marketplace Window to earn points and experience.”

He didn’t elaborate further, and Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi didn’t press him for details.

Instead, Tang Yu’an asked, “Do you need spirit stones?”

“I do,” Gu Qianli said immediately. “I’d be happy to trade them for Spirit Gathering Grass.”

Tang Yu’an didn’t agree right away. Instead, he asked, “Do you know about storage pouches?”

“Storage pouches for keeping spirit beasts?” Gu Qianli asked. “Yes, I’m familiar with those.”

Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. “We’d like to trade for storage pouches. Do you have any?”

“Ah…” Gu Qianli looked troubled. “It depends on luck.”

“Are you looking to trade spirit stones for a storage pouch?” he asked. “Would any storage pouch work, regardless of grade?”

Tang Yu’an nodded eagerly. “As long as an ordinary person without powers can open it. Can you estimate how many spirit stones it might cost?”

Gu Qianli hesitated before suggesting, “Would 300 of these wood spirit stones suffice?”

300 spirit stones would cost roughly 60,000 points. Selling them slowly through the Marketplace Window might yield over 100,000 points, but the time it would take to earn that much wasn’t worth it.

Considering both time efficiency and practical value, trading 300 spirit stones for a storage pouch was a deal they could accept.

“Deal!” Tang Yu’an agreed without hesitation.

Gu Qianli visibly relaxed, a hint of relief and happiness crossing his face. “Great. But it might take me a few days to procure one.”

“No problem.”

Tang Yu’an smiled and nodded, both parties appearing satisfied with the arrangement.

They conducted a few more tests and discovered that the special achievement “Connected by a Thread in the Dream” allowed for communication only. It couldn’t facilitate physical item exchanges.

They still had to rely on the Dream Drift Bottle for actual trades.

“Well, at least now we can trade every three days!” Tang Yu’an said optimistically.

The Dream Drift Bottle Accelerator could be used every three days, significantly shortening transaction times.

“I’ll go prepare now,” Gu Qianli said. “Hopefully, luck is on my side this time.”

“Good luck! We’re looking forward to your good news!”

Just then, the system issued a reminder that the temporary communication was about to enter a countdown. Three seconds later, the interface automatically closed.

Gu Qianli glanced at the timer. The conversation had lasted roughly fifteen minutes.

Letting out a slow breath, he steadied himself before turning his gaze to the wood spirit stone in his hand. Its pure and abundant spiritual energy was something he hadn’t encountered in a long time.

Carefully storing the spirit stone, he reached for his gear and began arming himself.

Standing at the door of his humble shop, Gu Qianli said softly, “System, I’ll leave the shop to you for now.”

After glancing at the system’s response on the interface, he adjusted his conical hat, picked up a bamboo staff, and pushed open the door.

Outside the dilapidated thatched cottage lay a sprawling battlefield relic, shrouded in a dense, gray mist.

The fog swirled around the remnants of shattered weapons and worn armor scattered across the ground.

The area was barren, desolate, and lifeless—an empty graveyard of war.

It was hard to imagine anyone surviving in such a place.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Qianli straightened his hat and stepped cautiously into the swirling mist.

He needed those 300 wood spirit stones. Hopefully, fortune would smile on him today, and he’d find a storage pouch.