Welcome to Ability Store

"Chen Xuan, we're back again!"

Hearing Xu Enya's cheerful greeting, Chen Xuan couldn't help but smile, quickly walking to the foyer to open the door.

"Hello, sorry to disturb you." Luo Dan politely placed a hand on his chest and bowed, his mannerisms more like a court noble than a mage.

Xu Enya gave him a V-sign, "Hi! Good afternoon!"

Chen Xuan shrugged, "Come on in."

For the past week, these two had come by every day, staying for quite a while. He wasn't sure if they were simply bored or genuinely wanted to help him integrate into this world quickly.

Nonetheless, they had indeed provided him with a lot of practical support, helping calm his anxious mood gradually.

Even though Chen Xuan still hadn't thought of a breakthrough strategy, he had accepted that this might be a long-term struggle—he must learn more about this world to have the chance to find the flaw in the Salvation Ark.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Sour fire wine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!" the girl shouted.

"Thank you, green tea is fine for me." Luo Dan smiled shyly.

"No problem." Chen Xuan skillfully called up the control panel and started making drinks for the guests. This kitchen system was somewhat similar to the restaurant on the third floor of the Ability Store. Once the ingredients and requirements were set, it could automatically prepare the corresponding food, be it a main course, dessert, or beverage.

But it couldn't produce items endlessly. When ingredients ran out, they had to be ordered over the phone for resupply by the city's food companies… thinking about how this was actually a digital world made it all feel a bit redundant.

Perhaps it's to add a sense of realism? To make the managers feel as though they are still alive.

The drinks were quickly prepared.

Chen Xuan handed them personally to the couple.

As they took their drinks, he suddenly became curious: Xu Enya, living in a future era compared to Jiang City in 2026, opening a small street shop wasn't surprising; but Luo Dan was a mage from the Otherworld, often adventuring with heroes, where would his Ability Store be located?

"Well… even though we're all managers, the ways we operate differ greatly," Luo Dan explained after hearing his question. "For instance, the academy teaches a large-scale magic called a 'Refuge House', similar to a temporary residence. Once cast, it lasts eight hours, but mine is much larger, almost a refuge castle. As long as I'm in the castle, I can have access to trading abilities."

"I inherited a beauty salon!" Xu Enya interjected, "When clients lay on the makeup bed, their potential shows up on the computer. Honestly, when I first encountered the Ability Store, I was shocked. Not by the abilities themselves, but because I found out that the equipment could easily enhance a client's appearance without surgery! You know how important that is for actors!"

"So you couldn't wait to invite your actor friends over, showing off your newfound abilities while enhancing their beauty." Luo Dan added timely.

"You… shut up!" Xu Enya angrily pinched his arm.

Chen Xuan couldn't help but chuckle, "Looks like these abilities can really adapt to the times."

"What about you?" The girl looked at him with undisguised curiosity, "What kind of shop did you take over?"

Besides curiosity, there was a hint of admiration in her eyes.

Luo Dan nodded repeatedly, sharing the same expression, "I'd like to hear too, the experiences of the first manager to witness an ascension."

"Actually, it wasn't as miraculous as you'd think, just an ordinary neighborhood supermarket." Chen Xuan enjoyed the attention a little, "The first customer was an Immortal Master, who I didn't expect would later become a key figure affecting the world line..."

"I have heard a theory from other managers," Luo Dan said thoughtfully after listening to his story, "If the shop actively invites a guest, they tend to become significant historical figures. I'm not sure if this is a result of the Salvation Ark's calculation, or if it's due to its deep collaboration with the Ability Store."

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, "So your customer..."

He gave a bitter smile, "The first customer the shop actively recruited later became the hero."

It seems not every VIP customer forms a good relationship with the manager… Trusting someone with the majority of your abilities requires considerable faith, yet in the end, to face betrayal by the hero, Chen Xuan felt a bit sorry for him.

...Wonder how much time has passed on Jiang City's world line.

What are those customers up to now?

"Hey, would you like to check out the city?" Xu Enya suddenly proposed.

"The city?"

"There are plenty of managers there… some even live inside the city, I assure you they'd love to hear your story." She laughed, "And, among them, there's no shortage of beauties!"

"You'd probably be quite popular there." Luo Dan chimed in, "If humans ever manage to ascend, you might not be the top contributor, but you'd definitely be among the leading heroes. If it weren't for our residence being relatively close, perhaps Sister Zhao Qian wouldn't have introduced this opportunity to us."

Chen Xuan thought for a moment before nodding, "Alright, I'll trouble you two then."

"No trouble at all, my car is parked outside!" Xu Enya immediately jumped up, "Let's head out right away!"

He wasn't going to revel in the adoration of the masses.

He just wanted to gather information from more managers.

But what was the use of gathering more information? A voice echoed within him, are you really hoping to return to those people? You're no longer the manager of the Ability Store, even your physical body has decayed, you're essentially just a ghost lingering in the Computation Well.

But isn't giving up and letting oneself be manipulated an impossible course of action? a different voice argued back.

You just crave respect from others. Isn't everything you currently possess brought to you by the Ability Store? Think about it, if you hadn't been chosen as a manager, what would your life be like? Even if you were still a manager now, what could you do upon returning, the world you were in has already been locked by the Celestial Patrol, and its future destruction is inevitable. So why not let go of burdens and enjoy a new life that's uniquely yours in this world?

"Chen Xuan?" At the door, Xu Enya paused to ask as she saw him still seated on the sofa, "What's up?"

Chen Xuan snapped back to reality, half-joking, "Nothing, just zoned out a bit… I might have heard another version of myself speaking."

"It's called Spiritual Syndrome, just ignore it and it'll pass." The girl replied unconcernedly.

"Spiritual… Syndrome?"

"Yes, we've lost our physical vessels, left with just a soul made of Thought Power, much like ghosts, it's natural to feel uneasy and lonely." Xu Enya pointed to her ear, "I used to have similar auditory hallucinations, like a voice deep inside was calling me back, but those symptoms typically fade within six months."

"Or you could do as we do," Luo Dan said earnestly, "If you have a close person with you, the so-called negative transition period will be significantly shorter."

After listening, Chen Xuan seemed thoughtful.

"Come on, there are plenty of exciting activities waiting for us in the city tonight!" Xu Enya doubled back, enthusiastically linking her arm with his, "Making yourself happy is the best way to reduce symptoms!"

Just as Chen Xuan was pulled to his feet, something slid out from his pants pocket, making a soft 'thud' as it hit the floor.

"Hey, you dropped something." The quick-eyed girl had already bent down to pick it up, "What is this? An antique?"

She examined the strange coin in her hand, asking curiously.

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