Divine Convenience Store

As the day wound down towards the closing time, Lin Mo, who had nothing much to do other than rounding the store, eventually settled upstairs to have a quiet time.

At the moment, there's only a handful of new Golden Patrons marveling at this exclusive floor for them. And with the First Princess taking the role of an attendant to accommodate them, he silently watched while drinking a can of iced coffee.

The cool, slightly bitter coffee was a welcome refreshment to the day's frantic energy. His mind replayed the recent events. The inauguration, the sudden arrival of the barbarians chasing after a foreign creature, the eventual outcome of it, the recruitment drive, and lastly, the startling revelation about Pan Ruo.

The store, and his life with it, was accelerating at a pace that was both exhilarating and slightly daunting. It felt like he was about to reach a new height, wherein he's no longer just going to manage a store. He might have to juggle the fates of tribes, sects, and now, apparently, reincarnated immortals.

And yet, he remains unremarkable save for his quick wits and steel nerves that allowed him to deal even with dangerous elements like Venom Master Xun.

Wu Meiyu handled the Golden Patrons with an effortless grace like she was born to serve. Furthermore, her regal bearing made the simple act of explaining the training room features seem like a royal decree. Her presence also lent an air of prestige to the floor that no amount of fancy decor could replicate. She was a natural at this.

Perhaps, he mused, her true 'convenience' was her innate ability to command respect and create order wherever she went. Her curiosity about the store made that bloom.

Just as he was about to lose himself in thought, a private message notification chimed on his Viewing Jade.

It was from a Golden Patron, and someone he's expecting to make an initial report.

ArachnidMistress. In just a day, she already traveled to the Southern Wilderness, even leaving behind her post in the Inner Abyssal Circle.

Lin Mo heard that she left the task of fending off the Bone Ash Syndicate to that Venom Master of the Wasp Branch. And although she's interested in climbing the tower at the Abyssal Forest, she set that aside to accommodate his request.

At this point, Lin Mo had already accepted he wouldn't be able to continue ignoring her, so employing her service while building a business relationship was in order.

He opened the message, expecting a formal, written report. Instead, he found a single, cryptic sentence and an attached image file.

ArachnidMistress: Shopkeeper, your 'candidate' has a spider problem. A rather large one.

Lin Mo's eyebrows shot up. A spider problem, isn't that her specialty?

He shook his head as he tapped the image file attached to her message.

The picture was taken from a high vantage point, likely the top of a cliff overlooking a small, sun-baked village nestled in a valley.

It had to be Sunstone Village where SunnyDay resides and started her own community convenience store. The image quality was remarkably clear, as if it were taken by a camera with the highest resolution. One could even pick the small rocks strewn across the terrain upon zooming in on the image.

It had to be Sunstone Village where SunnyDay resides and started her own community convenience store. The image quality was remarkably clear, as if it were taken by a camera with the highest resolution. One could even pick the small rocks strewn across the terrain upon zooming in on the image.

The village itself was nothing like Fanling City or even the wondrous valley where the Red Lotus Academy was located. It was a collection of sturdy, mud-brick houses circled by a low, stone wall. A larger building in the center, likely the 'Community Hub', had a steady stream of villagers moving in and out.

But that wasn't what Xun wanted him to see.

His eyes were drawn to the northern edge of the valley. There, nestled within a canyon, was a colossal structure made of a spiderweb.

It was like a fortress of silk, spanning hundreds of meters, glistening with an unnatural, sickly purple hue.

And nestling within it, barely visible but undeniably massive, was a spider the size of a building. It seemed to be even bigger than Venom Master Xun's Doom Spiders. Its carapace was spiked with a mess of purple crystal, and its multiple eyes, while seemingly unmoving, glowed with malevolent intelligence.

Lin Mo recognized its peculiarity, even through the static image. It was similar to the insectoids. This wasn't a native spirit beast. It was an Outer Realm creature. It probably came from the same Anchor. Or is it?

Just as he was processing this, a second message from Xun came through.

ArachnidMistress: This is an interesting spider, Shopkeeper. I'm getting tempted to go ahead and tame it. Will that be possible? My adorable baby, the Doom Broodmother needs a competition. Anyhow, it appears it has been for months. The village has been paying a 'protection tribute' of sunstone ores. A very inconvenient arrangement. If this one came from an Anchor, you must be prepared for it to already have built its kingdom somewhere within this Southern Wilderness.

Lin Mo frowned. A foreign creature that had been in the Realm of Nine Heavens for months already. And it's asking for a protection tribute from the villagers?

It must be an intelligent creature. However, it was still a mystery where it came from. If it's not from the recently breached Anchor, there must be another one.

Shopkeeper: That is indeed inconvenient. Your assessment of 'SunnyDay' and the village?

The reply was almost instant.

ArachnidMistress: The leader is resourceful. Clever, if you may want me to be specific. She uses the sunstone ore's natural heat-storing properties to create primitive warming formations for the village at night. The 'Community Hub' that she built despite not having stepped into your store is efficient. She also has the loyalty of her people. She is, however, not a cultivator. A complete mortal. An interesting choice for a Branch Manager, Shopkeeper. Are you trying to make a statement?

Now that's also something he never expected. He thought this SunnyDay would be like Akasha, the Chieftain of the Blazing Maw Tribe. But a mortal? And she got her hands on a Viewing Jade? She's truly extraordinary if that's the case. The new branch would be flourishing under her management.

And who knows? Just like him, he might get the chance to become more than just a mortal.

Before Lin Mo could respond to the pointed question, a third message arrived. It was longer, more detailed, and carried the distinct tone of a predator outlining a hunt.

ArachnidMistress: I have observed this village's dynamic with the spider, Shopkeeper. The giant spider, which I've dubbed the 'Crystalweb Tyrant', does not actively hunt the villagers. It has smaller, regular-sized broodlings that enforce the tribute collection. As for their numbers, it is hard to estimate when they cannot be seen patrolling the area. The villagers live in constant fear, but it's a stable, predictable fear. The merchants passing through were also not inconvenienced by them. Or perhaps, there were simply cases that went unreported.

I must say, however, these spiders are a 'convenient' sort of terror. Your candidate, SunnyDay, has managed this delicate, horrifying balance for months. That shows that she's not simply resilient. She's also cunning enough to get into that kind of deal with the foreign creature.

Now, for my proposal. A simple kill is… boring. Inefficient. It solves one problem but doesn't create an opportunity. You might even rattle whatever that spider built. I can offer you a more… convenient solution. The Crystalweb Tyrant is a queen. Its silk is imbued with foreign energy, and those purple crystals are a concentrated form of it. Its broodlings act as its senses. This is not just a monster; it is a resource node.

Here is my commission, Shopkeeper: Authorize me to handle this 'spider problem'. I will subjugate it. I will turn its nest into a silk and crystal harvesting operation. I will turn its broodlings into a scouting network to locate the Anchor it came from. The 'protection tribute' will cease, and instead, the village of Sunstone will be offered employment at my new harvesting operation. Fear will be replaced with purpose. Desperation with a salary.

I will turn this inconvenience into a profitable, vertically integrated supply chain for the Divine Convenience Store. SunnyDay will manage the people, and I will manage the 'resource'. We will be… co-managers.

Awaiting your authorization. The silk from this thing would make for some truly… exotic new products, don't you think?

Reading all that, Lin Mo found himself impressed but at the same time, confused.

Why ask him for authorization when she can decide that all by herself? She must be serious about getting his attention.

Shopkeeper: Venom Master, my commission is to bring me information about my Branch Manager candidate. This proposal… I'm convinced by your eagerness. Let's talk about it when you return. I may have to see this spider for myself. Now, do see to it that the village will be able to experience our store's 'convenience' in the future.