After more walking, the two finally reached the Physical Store. Its entrance was grand and imposing, marked by a giant, gleaming silver sign that boldly spelled: [The Store That Doesn't Exist.]
Inside, it looked just like a regular shopping centre, except without cash registers; players would pay Sapphires digitally, transferring them directly to the system itself.
There were neatly labelled shelves filled with endless items. Long corridors branched into other categories of purchasables, stretching so far that there was no visible end in sight.
Before even entering, the most expensive item already captured Chen Mo's attention. Gleaming like a star, hung on the ceiling, was a dart, filled with an unknown green liquid — [Invitation Into Game: 1 000 000 Sapphires]
Before Chen Mo entered the game, he vividly remembered those unnaturally protruding veins on the back of his hand. When he checked it now, they were gone, but he can still recall them being in a similar hue of green as whatever was loaded in that dart.
Chen Mo would suspect someone had invited him into the game without his knowledge. However, that wasn't something he could possibly figure out now, so he didn't bother pondering.
The first hall they stepped into was labelled [Weapons].
"How many Sapphires do you have right now? I see you've already spent some..." Sean's glance turned slightly perplexed as he scanned the 148 cm goth girl beside him.
"I have 234 Sapphires," Chen Mo answered simply.
"You did Random Customization twice?" Sean assumed casually.
"No. Once, then I purchased a dog collar," Chen Mo muttered before walking down the aisles, scanning the weapons he couldn't afford right now.
[The Blazed Blade: 1000 Sapphires] was a beautiful, majestic greatsword adorned with intricate metallic details. From the tip of the blade to the base of the hilt, blue flames roared continuously.
"These are permanent weapons. But, uh... they're not that great," Sean explained while inspecting a weapon himself, the [Multishot Bow: 850 Sapphires].
"Why so?" Chen Mo questioned.
Sean seemed to genuinely enjoy the bow in his hands. He traced his fingers along its outline before responding, "Every awakened player receives a personalised weapon that upgrades alongside the player. That will always be better than these, eventually, given enough time. Ah, don't worry, you'll receive your personalised weapon at D rank."
Chen Mo sighed softly. The greatsword was really aesthetic, and he would've loved to wield it despite it being completely incongruent with his current edgy yet adorable appearance.
"Come on. Temporary weapons are where it's at," Sean said, lightly slapping Chen Mo's shoulder as he led him toward the next aisle.
The items displayed on the shelves of this next aisle couldn't be easily identified by the uninformed. Only a small set of items were familiar to Chen Mo: the Single-use Insta-kill Dagger, SID.
Now, there were even long-range SIDs, costing twice the price of melee SIDs. They were shaped like crossbows but without arrows; instead, they were armed with a regular melee SID loaded within.
For three times the price of standard SIDs, the range increased further, evolving into something akin to a literal mini cannon, shaped like a rocket launcher.
For melee SIDs: 10 Sapphires for F rank, 25 Sapphires for E rank, 50 Sapphires for D rank, 200 Sapphires for C rank, 1000 Sapphires for B rank, 2000 Sapphires for A rank, and 5000 Sapphires for S rank.
Each SID could one-shot a monster of its respective rank, but only for a single instance per tool. They were far too expensive for Chen Mo, so instead, his interest shifted toward [Time Bomb: 200 Sapphires].
[Description: When attached to any living organism for twelve hours straight, insta-kills. (Single-use)]
"Does this kill players too?" Chen Mo blurted out without hesitation, referring to the small metallic device that was the Time Bomb.
"Um... uh..." Sean was clearly caught off guard. "Yeah? That's not that useful though, because it must be attached directly to the skin. Mm, it's very easy to notice its presence and simply rip it off, even for mindless monsters."
"Is there anesthesia for sale?" Chen Mo pressed further.
Now Sean was genuinely freaked out. "You do realise you are implying that you want to kill someone right now... right?"
Chen Mo didn't flinch. "It's either the Nazis or me."
"Ooooookay? I am NOT joining a game with you. Um." Sean shook his head, then tapped his chin as he tried to recall. "Yes, the Store sells nearly everything. Anesthetics exist, even unrealistically effective ones."
"Where are they?" Chen Mo asked calmly, so calmly that it didn't sound like he was asking for a tool meant for murder.
Sean nonetheless led his favourite streamer to where he wanted to go:
[3-hour anesthetic injection: 300 Sapphires]
There were also 6-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour, and even 48-hour versions. All came in the form of syringes, each priced at 100 Sapphires per hour.
Hence, 1200 Sapphires for anesthetics plus 200 Sapphires for Time Bomb, in Chen Mo's eyes, created a cheaper, all-powerful melee SID. That is the case, until Sean interrupted his thoughts.
"There are anti-anesthetics here too," Sean pointed out, gesturing at [Anti-anesthetics: 200 Sapphires].
For 200 Sapphires, any amount of anesthetic administered would be rendered completely ineffective.
"Don't forget about Auras. Most players would equip the Anti-drug Aura," Sean added.
"Elaborate more on Auras," Chen Mo requested.
"Well..." Sean cleared his throat before explaining, "Auras are effects that persist within a player for as long as the player desires. They provide various passive effects. Anti-drug means the player would be immune to all kinds of... well, mm, drugs. In-game, every player can equip a maximum of three Auras. And in real life, only one Aura."
"Wait, in real life?" Chen Mo paused, a tiny, almost imperceptible flicker of unease passing through him.
"Yes!" Sean lit up immediately. "Certain items can work in real life too, as long as they have this."
He pointed at a tag next to the anesthetics that read [IRL].
"You can't use most of the Arcane Tools for sale, but... there's enough to make things truly fun. Which is why I decided to bring you here first before your Personal World," Sean justified, clearly giddy.
"I would assume items such as SIDs or anything similar are those that can't be used in real life?" Chen Mo questioned.
"Mmhmm, as well as other things that are 'too magical.' Mm." Sean nodded, then whispered, "Dynamite can be brought into real life, by the way."
Chen Mo quickly spun his head, already thinking of an item he'd absolutely want to buy using Sapphires, something usable in reality. Oh wait, "Can I buy money?"
"Thought you'd never ask." Sean was practically clapping his hands. "Every single Sapphire is equal to one US dollar."
Holy shit, I just made two hundred and thirty-four dollars while being unemployed. Chen Mo giggled inwardly.
"Alright, I'm gonna show you Auras. Mm, they're even more useful in real life, trust me," Sean said as he sauntered ahead of Chen Mo.
They first passed by the largest hall yet. It was so massive that there was no visible ceiling, only the endless darkness of space stretching above. Its width was just as astonishing, extending far beyond what the human eye could perceive.
This section was vast because it was the [Buildings] section. Each building on display was unique. Some were short, while others towered like skyscrapers. Some followed Victorian designs, while others resembled traditional Japanese architecture. Some were cheap and humble, others opulent and extravagant. It felt as though every single city on Earth had been smashed together into this one overwhelming section.
Chen Mo randomly checked the price tag of an English-style black-and-white bungalow: [5000 Sapphires.]
Yes, an entire bungalow cost the same as dressing a player's harem up with blindfolds and dildo gags.
But there was a reason, and Sean clarified it, "Buildings can't be brought into real life either. You can only have them in your Personal World. You'll see later."
Chen Mo didn't inquire further. Instead, he simply followed Sean's steps into a levitating, futuristic train.
There were no rails beneath it, nor any visible track ahead. Only a neon-lime holographic timer hovered above it, ticking down: 20 seconds remaining.
"The Store is so big that we have commuters like this," Sean gestured around the cabin they now stood in, crowded with various players, each radiating their own unique personalities.
The train itself, however, lacked any personality. It was a sterile combination of dusty white, dark teal, metal, and glass, creating a cold, emotionless atmosphere.
"Hold on to something," Sean instructed, gripping a metallic pillar firmly. There were no seats, so most other players did the same.
The neon-lime timer suddenly sounded, "Three... Two... One..."
whoooooooosh.
The commuter ascended first, yet gravity remained perfectly stable. Gravity wasn't pulling the passengers downward, but rather toward the slanted floor; Chen Mo barely felt any turbulence at all.
Like a rollercoaster, the commuter rose straight upward until it stood taller than the distant Burj Khalifa, which was also a building available for purchase.
Then, it aligned itself toward its next destination, and—
WHOOOOOOOSHHHH.
The gravity inside the cabin still somehow remained steady, while the view outside the windows became completely incomprehensible — nothing but streaks of coloured lines violently rushing past.
In just a single minute, the outside view began to decelerate. Burj Khalifa disappeared from sight. The train slowly descended, revealing the outskirts of the [Buildings] section, where humble straw huts were displayed.
Once it came to a complete stop, the commuter still hovered at least a meter above the ground.
Stairs materialised out of thin air as the doors slid open, welcoming Chen Mo and Sean's departure.
"Cool, isn't it?" Sean smirked proudly, for reasons Chen Mo didn't quite understand, since it wasn't like this was Sean's commuter...
Their feet found the glass floors once again, and their gazes lifted toward the signboard: [Auras].