Doomsday Grocery Store – CH214

Chapter 214

“Brother Turs, are you okay?” Senrui nervously helped Turs up.

“I’m fine. I’m great.”

Turs rubbed the back of his head and smiled. “Our friends from the East have written back. Let me check how long it’s been since I last sent a message…”

He pulled a small notebook from his pocket and looked at the symbols recorded on it.

“It’s been about ten days since I last wrote back to them…”

Senrui listened to Turs mumbling to himself with a completely baffled expression, having no idea what he was talking about.

Turs chuckled. “I’ll explain it to you later.”

Then, he eagerly uncorked the Dream Drift Bottle, and once again, he heard a voice that only he could hear.

“Brother Turs, we sent you a light brain. It’s a product from the technology side. You can use it to record audio or video, which will help us avoid missing any important information.”

“We’ve also recorded a message in the light brain, but without the Dream Drift Bottle, you might not understand our language… Anyway, just give it a listen first.”

“Here’s how to use the light brain…”

“We really liked the inscribed equipment and weapons from this trade.”

“So we placed some materials in the stone cabinet again. They’re all low-grade, but they’re exactly what we need right now. We hope you can make another batch for us.”

“We’re also very interested in inscription techniques and would love to learn more…”

“If there’s anything you need, just let us know. We’ll figure out a way to get it for you. This is a long-term partnership, and we still need more inscribed equipment.”

“Looking forward to your reply. Wishing you and the children safety and health!”

Hearing the message, warmth spread through Turs’s heart, and an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face.

Then, he carefully pried the light brain, shaped like a brooch, out of the Dream Drift Bottle.

Following the instructions from the recording, he activated the light brain and set it to follow mode.

“Turs, what’s that?” Little Round Biscuit appeared on Turs’s shoulder, curiously eyeing the light brain. “Did Tang send it?”

“Yeah.”

Turs observed the small floating device carefully and muttered, “This looks like something from interstellar technology.”

Before the Star Beasts ravaged the land, the Roland Empire had already sent Elementalists to outer space and established contact with alien civilizations.

From what Turs knew, alien civilizations had a completely different power system from theirs. They called this power “technology,” which seemed to match what Tang described as the ‘technology side’.

Turs decided to test a command on the light brain.

Immediately, a clear and lively teenage voice echoed from the device.

“Brother Turs, is this the friend you were talking about?” Senrui asked curiously. “Why can’t I understand what he’s saying?”

To be honest, neither could Turs.

It seemed Tang was right—they could only communicate seamlessly through the Dream Drift Bottle.

“Huh? You guys can’t understand?” Little Round Biscuit asked in confusion.

Then, with a wave of his tiny hand, two shimmering beams of light shot toward Turs and Senrui, embedding themselves into their foreheads.

“How about now? Can you understand it?” The little fairy asked.

“Yes! I can understand it now!” Senrui exclaimed in delight. “Little Round Biscuit, you’re amazing!”

The little fairy puffed out his chest proudly. “Of course! I’m the greatest fairy!”

Turs chuckled. “Yes, Little Round Biscuit is the best fairy.”

Hearing the praise, Little Round Biscuit suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

So, he quickly changed the subject. “Let’s see what our good friends sent us this time!”

Turs nodded and led them into his workshop. With a flicker of inscription light, he restored the stone cabinet to its original size.

Senrui watched in awe as the cabinet opened, revealing an abundance of supplies inside.

“Huh?”

The little fairy twitched her nose, quickly flying to the top of the cabinet and digging out a metal tin.

Turs helped him open it, revealing cookies and small pastries inside.

“Wow! My favorite little round biscuits!”

The little fairy cheered in excitement, flapping her wings and twirling around Turs, leaving behind trails of sparkling stardust.

Turs hadn’t expected their little friend to be so thoughtful.

“I really don’t know how to repay them…”

He picked up a round biscuit and handed it to the little fairy, then gave another one to Senrui before closing the tin again.

The little fairy happily bit into the biscuit without hesitation.

While chewing, she mumbled, “Turs’s cookies are still the best…”

But even as she said that, she kept munching away, crunching on the biscuit like a little squirrel.

Senrui, on the other hand, held the biscuit tightly, swallowing his saliva but not eating it.

Seeing this, Turs gave him a questioning look.

Senrui hesitated before saying, “I want to bring it back and share it with the younger children.”

Turs nodded. “Then take it and share with them.”

He handed him the entire tin of biscuits and reminded him, “Leave the other food here for now. Some of it might be too hard for you all to digest.”

“Okay!” Senrui happily took the tin.

Even though he still didn’t quite understand what was happening, it was clear that they had received help from the outside world!

With enough food, they could all survive!

Watching Senrui leave, Turs turned his attention back to the stone cabinet.

Seeing the canned meat inside, a deep sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

Then suddenly, he noticed another box inside the cabinet.

This energy fluctuation… Is it a magic crystal?

Yes, he had previously told the young man that he hoped to receive a few more Crystals.

Even just two more would allow Lina and Jackson to rest for a while longer…

With a click, the box opened— and Turs was nearly blinded by the sheer number of crystals inside.

He was completely stunned.

So many?!

A rough estimate—this had to be at least thirty of them!

Five years ago, Turs wouldn’t have been surprised by a mere thirty magic crystals—after all, inscription masters were once quite wealthy.

But now, with resources scarce, all he could feel was a deep sense of relief, like receiving coal in a harsh winter.

After a moment of daze, Turs quickly gathered up the magic crystals and all the materials, then rushed to Jackson’s room.

As repayment, they had to craft the highest-quality inscribed equipment possible!

*

Attic of the Peace Grocery Store

Tang Yu’an tossed the second homebound Drift Bottle into the Dream Sea.

This Drift Bottle contained a spirit storage pouch that he had traded from Gu Qianli.

Inside the pouch were: Study materials for his younger sister, fuel for driving and various types of fabric and cotton

Tang Yu’an had only recently recalled his middle school knowledge when he suddenly realized that his mother might need these supplies.

Better to be prepared.

He also updated his parents on the situation at Desolate City Haven and mentioned their plan to build a maternity ward, hoping to get advice and assistance.

Watching the Drift Bottle disappear into the Dream Sea, Tang Yu’an said, “When the next Drift Bottle returns, I can finally send the Crimson Pillow back!”

Yes, today’s seven-day special sale had refreshed with heavenly silk.

The Crimson Resting Pillow was currently undergoing its second upgrade, and once complete, it would provide: 100% physical damage reduction and 70% spiritual energy damage reduction.

According to his parents’ description, the mutants still relied mostly on physical attacks, so a Level 3 Crimson Pillow should be sufficient.

Speaking of which, the matcha-flavored candy he had prepared for Furniture Fairy Fufu—she ended up accepting it and even gave Tang Yu’an a five-star review.

However, the special effect that triggered had nothing to do with green tea at all. Instead, it was—

[Special Effect: Rainfall in the Forest]
[When using the Crimson Resting Pillow, fire-type spiritual damage is additionally reduced by 30%.]

Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had tested it— As long as someone rested on the pillow, even the largest flames would only feel warm, and in Zhou Qi’s perception, fire energy was reduced by about 90%.

In other words, this enhancement had pushed fire resistance to 90%.

Perhaps when the pillow reached Level 3, fire resistance would reach 100%.

Tang Yu’an had no idea why this special effect had triggered, since it didn’t seem to be related to matcha-flavored candy at all—Until he accidentally noticed the playlist he had set for Fufu.

Maybe it was the music that had triggered it?

Either way, this special effect was incredibly useful—after all, fire abilities were considered the strongest attack type among nature-based powers.

The second upgrade would take longer, but it should still finish before the first Drift Bottle returned.

“Once this reaches Level 3, I can start upgrading the second Crimson Resting Pillow too.”

Yes, the seven-day special sale had provided two batches of heavenly silk.

Each one cost 68,888 points—very expensive.

But compared to the enhanced effects of the upgraded pillow, it was absolutely worth it.

Besides…

They still had several discount coupons from the Lucky Spin Wheel.

Zhou Qi had nothing left to say.

[Maintaining a polite smile.jpg]

“With the Crimson Resting Pillow, Uncle Tang and Aunt Tang will be much safer.”

“Mhm, mhm!”

Just thinking about it made Tang Yu’an feel incredibly satisfied.

Even if he couldn’t see them in person, being able to protect his family was still an amazing thing!

“Alright, let’s go drive.”

“Okay.”

Just like Old Li had predicted—The floodwaters were receding.

Previously, the water depth in the outer areas of the desolate city had been close to ten meters, but now, even in the city center, the depth was only four to five meters.

As for Desolate City Haven, the water level had already dropped close to the base of the walls.

Old Li had stopped expanding and building reservoirs, so Tang Yu’an brought five construction robots back and set them to work building an outermost protective wall with bricks.

Of course, the residents also joined in, but their speed and endurance were nothing compared to the robots.

Still, everyone was fully engaged in the work.

Tang Yu’an encouraged them—after all, based on Desolate City Haven’s current size, building a complete brick perimeter would cost at least 160,000 points.

If the residents and robots could handle it, that would save him a huge amount of points.

According to Old Li’s experience, once the floodwaters fully receded, the people from Jufeng Mountain would gradually descend, searching for anything left behind by the flood.

Aside from former residents of the desolate city who had fled to the mountains, no large groups would arrive anytime soon.

Desolate City Haven should be able to remain secret for a while longer.

Tang Yu’an wasn’t worried—After all, he had a map to track anyone approaching Desolate City Haven.

He also had a message board to instantly notify Old Li if anything happened.

Besides…

The number of available guest slots for overnight stays had increased to 11,100+!

Meanwhile, Jufeng Town’s total population was only five to six thousand.

So Tang Yu’an simply added every single one of them to the guest list.

In this way, as long as they entered the Desolate City Home, they would be bound by the rules of the Night Lodging system!

There was no need to worry about these people damaging the settlement’s buildings, nor was there any concern that they would harm the residents or engage in theft.

“It feels like we don’t really need to be afraid of the people from Qingmu Fortress anymore,” Tang Yu’an muttered as he looked at the long list of names on the Night Lodging register.

After all, even after adding all these names, there was still room for more than 3,000 people. In the short term, Aoki Fortress probably wouldn’t be able to send that many people over, right?

Zhou Qi shook his head. “Don’t forget, only customers who have made a transaction can be added to the Night Lodging list.”

“Oh, right!”

Tang Yu’an took a closer look and noticed that there were still a few stragglers from Jufeng Mountain who hadn’t been added yet—they were among the few remaining potential customers in the area.

“Only customers who have made a transaction can be added to the Night Lodging list. That’s kind of a hassle.”

“Yeah, let’s just keep an eye on it for now.”

Tang Yu’an nodded and refocused his attention on their current location. Then he realized—

Whoa! The RV icon on the map had already overlapped with Old Xie’s position!

When he zoomed in, he saw that Old Xie was only a few dozen meters away.

After a month of travel, they had finally arrived!

They could finally rescue Old Xie!

Although they had promised to pass a message to Hong Li for him, now that they could bring him back themselves, there was no need to take the risk of revealing themselves.

Once Old Xie was rescued, he could deliver the message himself!

*

In the pitch-dark depths of the water, Xie Chaori had lost track of time.

Apart from the sound of water currents and occasional animal calls, he heard nothing else. He could only barely distinguish day and night from the changes in light.

Although he was now a stone and didn’t feel hunger, his human nature still left him with a hollow sense of emptiness from not eating for so long.

Alone at the bottom of the water, his only sources of comfort were the employee forum and the twelve-year compulsory education courses.

During this time, he had already finished all elementary school coursework and was now studying middle school subjects.

His grades were decent, though he found some subjects more challenging. Since he had no hands to write with, he had to rely entirely on mental calculations.

So after successfully passing the small exams, Old Xie felt that he had become ridiculously strong.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have permission to post in the employee forum, so he could only entertain himself and had no way to share his experiences.

He had read through every single post in the forum’s discussion area, including the test post by “Greenish Blue.” Unfortunately, he had no points to pay and access the content.

He was starting to feel that “Greenish Blue” seemed more and more like Chi Hao.

Some people had such distinctive traits that even through text alone, it was easy to recognize them—especially since they had known each other for over a decade. Xie had practically watched this kid grow up.

But so far, he had no proof.

And knowing Chi Hao’s personality, he was sure that he would never choose a username like that.

Yet without posting privileges, Xie couldn’t even try to bait him into revealing himself, which was incredibly frustrating.

Aside from his enthusiasm for exposing Chi Hao, Xie was also very interested in the discussions about the Merchant God Sect and the Divine Envoys, though there weren’t many of those.

He had also learned about the “Homestead Era” system. While it was clear that this organization had far-reaching ambitions, he had to admit that having a recorded calendar allowed him to at least keep track of time.

Every time he drifted into unconsciousness and then woke up again, he would check the “Homestead Era” thread.

Every day, new dates were posted in the replies, and soon, other threads in the forum started using “Year 1 of the Homestead Era, Month X, Day X” as timestamps.

Seeing this happen over time, Xie began to feel like he was witnessing history in the making.

With so much time for reflection at the bottom of the water, he had come to understand just how powerful the Merchant God Sect was.

Given enough time to develop, even Qingmu Fortress might not be able to compete with them.

This realization left Xie with complicated emotions.

No matter how critically he examined it, he just couldn’t find anything bad about the employee forum.

Aside from the whole “deifying a god” aspect, the forum was filled with positive energy and a thriving, prosperous atmosphere—completely different from the cutthroat world of Aoki Fortress.

The noble families of Aoki Fortress were constantly locked in fierce political struggles, and as a member of the Xie family, Xie had inevitably been drawn into the conflicts.

It was his deep disgust for all of this that had led him to volunteer for an external assignment. Facing the dangers of the Desolate City was still preferable to dealing with all that scheming and backstabbing.

Unfortunately, his mission this time had gone catastrophically wrong, and now he had no idea when he would ever see the light of day again…

…Wait.

Suddenly, Xie realized that the water around him was receding, and more light was shining down on him.

What was happening? Had the floodwaters receded?

Before coming to Desolate City, he had researched the area and knew that strange floods occurred here periodically—first, the great flood would appear, and only afterward would the heavy rains follow.

In fact, it was because of these unusual floods that investigators had first discovered anomalies in the city’s central area.

If he calculated the time, it seemed about right.

After nearly two months underwater, his entire stone body was covered in moss, so getting some sunlight actually sounded nice…

Then, Xie suddenly froze.

He saw that the debris on the ruins in front of him was rapidly being moved aside, revealing a large open space.

And in that clearing, something appeared—

A… vehicle?

Maybe it was just the angle, but Xie felt like he had never seen a vehicle this massive before.

But he figured he must be dreaming, right?

Otherwise, how could such a steel behemoth appear in the heart of Desolate City?

Xie felt like he was dreaming, but at the same time, something was off—his mind was completely clear. He wasn’t dreaming.

That vehicle plowed through layers of obstacles and quickly came to a stop not far in front of him.

And then…

He saw two young men step off the vehicle, one on the left and one on the right. The younger-looking one walked straight toward him.

“Ah! Finally, we found you!”

The boy’s voice rang out.

“You’re Xie Chaori, right? We received a mission from the Mysterious Merchant to come and rescue you.”

Mysterious Merchant? Rescue him?

What a joke! This was the center of Desolate City—dangerous even during a flood. How could they have arrived here unscathed?

Then, he saw the boy pick up a relatively flat stone in front of him.

“This should be Xie Chaori, right?”

Xie Chaori: …???

He looked closely and noticed that the stone did resemble a humanoid shape, but—no! Look at me! I’m Xie Chaori!

Hurry up and save me! Get me out of this damned place!

Xie Chaori screamed in his mind, but then… he saw the other boy standing beside him, staring at him with unblinking eyes.

Did he notice me?

Xie Chaori let out a sigh of relief, but before he could feel happy, he saw the boy’s deep, pitch-black eyes gradually turn red.

A sudden, unprecedented fear rose in his heart.

But he was just a stone—he couldn’t move, couldn’t call for help, couldn’t run away…

Something was desperately trying to escape from within his stone body. Xie Chaori’s consciousness grew blurry.

He only heard a loud “bang,” and then—everything went dark.

*

“Brother Qi!”

Tang Yu’an threw away the stone in his hand. Earlier, he had only pretended not to recognize which stone was Xie Chaori to conceal his ability.

But he never expected that Brother Qi would suddenly lose control again!

He struck the stone Xie Chaori had turned into with a single palm, grabbing a writhing, struggling earth-colored spirit worm from within and stuffing it into his mouth.

Tang Yu’an finally realized—Hong Li had turned into a fire serpent after backlash, and Xie Chaori had also turned into stone after severe injuries.

They had both been transformed due to the spirit worm’s backlash.

Since Brother Qi could devour the fire spirit worm in its backlash state, it made sense that he could do the same with the earth spirit worm!

But what was even more shocking was that the parasite inside Brother Qi seemed to have grown smarter. It hadn’t reacted at all while they approached Xie Chaori.

Then, in a sudden and unexpected moment, it struck!

After swallowing the earth spirit worm, stone-like patterns quickly spread across Zhou Qi’s skin. He let out a painful wail, his body rapidly turning to stone.

“Brother Qi… Brother Qi!”

Tang Yu’an panicked but quickly retrieved a bottle of intermediate healing potion from his portable warehouse. Before Zhou Qi completely turned to stone, he poured the potion into his mouth.

Then, he cast Light Healing on him.

The measures seemed to work—Zhou Qi’s petrification slowed down, and his agonized cries gradually quieted.

His eyes were tightly shut in pain. Unlike the last time, when he was burned by flames and rolling on the ground in agony, this time, the petrification left him motionless.

His legs were firmly planted in the ground, and flames erupted from his body, seemingly trying to resist the erosion of the earth spirit worm.

The heat was so intense that Tang Yu’an didn’t dare to get too close.

Gradually, as the Light Healing spell ended, Zhou Qi’s body completely turned to stone, transforming into a lifelike statue.

All movement ceased.

Meanwhile, Xie Chaori, who had been on the ground, had returned to his original form.

With trembling hands, Tang Yu’an reached out to touch Zhou Qi’s face—it felt warm. Then, he pressed his ear against Zhou Qi’s chest.

Thump—thump—

Thank goodness—there was still a heartbeat!

Tang Yu’an was on the verge of tears, but when he saw the severely weakened Xie Chaori on the ground, he quickly fed him a few sips of the healing potion to keep him alive.