An Internet Cafe in Spirit City

An Internet Cafe in Spirit City.

The third street outside the Papal Palace, Spirit City.

On ordinary days, the people passing through here were not common citizens, but young soul masters in uniforms of various academies, Spirit Hall deacons responsible for patrolling the city, and nobles from the two great empires who had come to watch the ceremony.

With the finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament approaching, Spirit City was far livelier than usual.

The roadside restaurants were packed, lines had formed outside the weapon shops, and even the potion stalls seemed more confident than usual.

Yet today, the liveliest place was not any of those old establishments.

It was a small shop that had just put up its signboard.

Four words were written on it.

Grand Dao Internet Cafe.

Quite a few passing soul masters stopped in their tracks and stared at the sign again and again.

"What is an internet cafe?"

"Never heard of it. Does it sell net-type weapons?"

"No, look at that wooden sign by the entrance."

Someone leaned closer and read it aloud.

"Computer access: ten Gold Soul Coins per hour. Each person may use it for a maximum of four hours daily. Payment first, experience afterward. Fighting is forbidden inside the shop. Violators bear the consequences."

The moment those words were spoken, the onlookers burst into laughter.

"Ten Gold Soul Coins an hour? Is this owner crazy?"

"The finest inn in Spirit City wouldn't charge that much for one night in a premium room, would it?"

"No fighting inside? Does he know where this is? Everyone who has come to the city lately is a soul master."

"I'd like to see who would waste money like that."

Inside the shop, Lin Chuan sat behind the counter, listening to the discussion outside with an expression as still as stagnant water.

It was not that he did not want to argue.

He had simply gone numb.

Three days ago, he had awakened and found himself in this world.

No Soul Power, no martial soul, no Tang Sect secret arts, and no old man floating out of a ring to declare that he had extraordinary bones.

There was only a voice telling him that he had been bound to the Grand Dao Internet Cafe System.

The system's first task was simple.

Open an internet cafe in Spirit City.

Lin Chuan had nearly laughed when he heard it.

What kind of place was Spirit City?

It was Spirit Hall's core territory, one of the most dangerous and conspicuous cities on the Douluo Continent. Any random patrolling deacon on the street could be a Soul Grandmaster or Soul Elder.

He was an ordinary person, opening an internet cafe that no one had ever heard of in a place like this, and he even dared to charge ten Gold Soul Coins an hour.

This was not doing business.

This was suicide.

But the system soon added another sentence.

[If no customer uses a computer within seven days, the host's qualification will be automatically revoked.]

Lin Chuan had asked what it meant for his qualification to be revoked.

The system's answer had been extremely concise.

[Erasure.]

So he had stayed up all night setting up the shop's doors.

At the moment, there were only four computers in the shop.

The four machines stood against the wall, each with a black virtual helmet beside it. Behind the counter was a translucent panel that only Lin Chuan could see.

[Grand Dao Internet Cafe System]

[Host: Lin Chuan]

[Current shop level: Level 1]

[Current devices: 4/4]

[Current users: 0]

[Current game: "Black Myth: Wukong"]

[Novice task: Recruit the first customer]

[Task reward: Unlock basic beverage shelf]

[Failure penalty: Host qualification revoked]

Lin Chuan stared at the final line for a long while before rubbing his brow.

"Could you phrase that punishment a little more gently?"

The system's voice was icy.

[No.]

"Like deducting money?"

[Host's current assets: twelve Copper Soul Coins.]

"..."

After a moment of silence, Lin Chuan said seriously, "Your system really knows how to hurt people."

[Facts are not offensive.]

"But you are."

The system did not respond again.

Lin Chuan sighed. Watching wave after wave of onlookers gather and disperse outside, he became increasingly uneasy.

Ten Gold Soul Coins were no small sum.

Ordinary people might not save that much in an entire year. Even if soul masters had higher incomes, no one would casually spend money on something they had never heard of.

What was more troublesome was that the words "internet cafe" were completely unfamiliar to the people of the Douluo Continent.

Even if he explained that they could enter another world and experience a game, others would only think he was swindling them.

Just as Lin Chuan considered whether to take down the price sign first and lure one customer inside with a half-price offer, a series of footsteps sounded from the other end of the street.

The crowd naturally made way.

Three young soul masters walked over.

Leading them was a young woman.

She wore the uniform of Spirit Hall Academy. She was tall and slender, with an innate charm between her brows, though it was tempered by a layer of pride. Two young men followed behind her, one cold-faced and the other with fire in his eyes.

The onlookers recognized them, and their voices immediately dropped.

"It's the Golden Generation."

"Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan."

"Why are they on this street?"

Hu Liena had merely come out for some air after training.

With the finals approaching, the pressure within Spirit Hall Academy grew heavier by the day. Bibi Dong had high hopes for them, while news of teams from the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire regions continued to arrive from outside.

She did not fear pressure, but neither did she enjoy the constantly tense atmosphere of the training grounds.

She happened to hear people on the street discussing a strange new shop, so she came over to take a look.

"Grand Dao Internet Cafe?"

Hu Liena stopped at the entrance, her gaze falling on the price sign.

Yan gave a disdainful snort. "Ten Gold Soul Coins an hour. This owner really dares to name his price."

Xie Yue did not laugh. He looked inside the shop, then at Lin Chuan behind the counter.

The shop was very ordinary.

The owner was ordinary as well.

Yet for some reason, this shop did not feel simple to him.

Hu Liena stepped across the threshold and asked, "Owner, what do you sell here?"

Lin Chuan immediately stood up.

Someone had finally asked.

He showed a smile that looked as much like a proper businessman's as possible.

"This shop does not sell ordinary goods. We provide computer access."

Hu Liena raised a brow. "Computer access?"

"Sit over there and put on the helmet. You can enter a completely realistic game world."

"A game world?"

Yan's smile widened. "An illusion?"

Lin Chuan shook his head. "Not an illusion."

"Then what is it?"

"You might not understand even if I explained." Lin Chuan pointed to the wooden sign. "Ten Gold Soul Coins an hour. Try it once, and you'll know."

Yan's expression darkened.

He had never been mild-tempered to begin with. Moreover, Lin Chuan's tone was too calm, so calm that it was as if he did not take them seriously at all.

"Do you know who we are?"

"Customers."

Lin Chuan answered immediately.

Yan choked on his words.

Hu Liena laughed instead.

She looked at Lin Chuan, and a little more interest appeared in her eyes.

"What if it isn't worth the price?"

Lin Chuan thought about it seriously.

"Then you don't have to come again."

"That's all?"

"This shop treats everyone fairly, and the prices are clearly marked. If you think it's expensive, you don't have to play. If you think it's worth it, you can renew your time."

He said it so frankly that Hu Liena did not know how to refute him for a moment.

Xie Yue said quietly, "Nana, don't waste time."

But Hu Liena did not leave.

She was used to seeing people treat Spirit Hall with utmost deference. Someone like Lin Chuan, who knew who they were yet still acted like an ordinary shopkeeper conducting business, felt refreshing instead.

Besides, this was Spirit City.

Even if this owner truly had some problem, he could not make much trouble here.

Hu Liena took out ten Gold Soul Coins from her Soul Tool and placed them on the counter.

"I'll try one hour."

[Ding.]

[First customer payment detected.]

[Customer name: Hu Liena.]

[Identity: Spirit Hall Golden Generation.]

[Novice task in progress.]

Seeing the system prompt, Lin Chuan heaved a massive sigh of relief.

He would live.

At least, he would live through today.

He immediately walked to the first computer and pulled out the chair.

"Please sit."

After Hu Liena sat down, Lin Chuan handed her the virtual helmet.

"Put this on and relax your mind. Don't panic after you enter. Everything inside is just a game. It won't truly hurt you."

"That sounds like something you'd say to comfort a child."

Hu Liena took the helmet and casually put it on.

Xie Yue and Yan stood behind her, both of them becoming wary.

Lin Chuan pressed the power button.

The screen lit up.

The next instant, the world before Hu Liena's eyes went completely dark.

She heard only the sound of wind rushing past her ears.

When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing amid an unfamiliar mountain forest.

The sky was dim, ancient trees towered overhead, and a bell sounded slowly from deep within the mountains.

She lowered her head and looked at her hands.

They were not her hands.

They were furry monkey paws.

Hu Liena's pupils contracted.

"What... have I become?"