Tang San, Xiao Wu, Two New Customers

Chapter 010: Tang San, Xiao Wu, Two New Customers

When Shrek Academy entered Spirit City, the sky had not yet fully darkened.

Quite a few onlookers stood along both sides of the street.

This team had already made a name for itself in the first few rounds of competition.

Especially Tang San.

Blue Silver Grass martial soul, control-system Soul Master, Thousand Hands Asura—these labels had long spread among the major academies.

Yet when they actually saw him, many people were still surprised.

He looked far too calm.

He had neither the sharp edge common to powerful Soul Masters nor the ostentation of a young genius.

Xiao Wu walked beside Tang San, her steps lighter than usual.

She did not like Spirit City.

The atmosphere here was too oppressive.

From the moment they entered the city, she could feel countless gazes sweeping over her from the shadows. Some were appraising, while others were scrutinizing, making her instinctively move closer to Tang San.

Tang San noticed her unease and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Wu shook her head.

"Nothing. I just don't feel very comfortable."

Tang San did not press her. He merely slowed his pace slightly so she could stay closer to him.

Grandmaster walked ahead, quietly discussing their lodging arrangements with Flender.

During the finals, Spirit Hall would provide accommodations for the competing academies, but Shrek had never liked leaving everything to others.

Especially in a place like Spirit City.

Tang San's gaze swept across the roadside.

Spirit City truly was prosperous.

Yet there was an intense sense of order beneath that prosperity.

The patrolling Spirit Hall Soul Masters, the attendants standing solemnly by the streets, and the towering Papal Hall in the distance all reminded outsiders whose territory this was.

Just then, Xiao Wu suddenly stopped.

"Third Brother, look over there."

Tang San followed the direction she pointed.

At the street corner, the signboard of a shop looked especially strange.

Grand Dao Internet Cafe.

A wooden sign also hung beneath the plaque.

It read:

One hour of computer use: ten Gold Soul Coins.

Each person may use it for a maximum of four hours per day.

Fighting is prohibited inside the store.

Tang San frowned slightly.

"Internet cafe?"

He had never heard that term before.

Xiao Wu also gave it a curious look.

"What a strange name."

Ma Hongjun leaned over, and when he saw the price, he nearly cried out.

"Ten Gold Soul Coins an hour? What kind of shop is this? Is this robbery?"

Oscar stroked his chin.

"To open a shop in Spirit City and dare charge that much, they've got some nerve."

Dai Mubai glanced at the people gathered outside the entrance and reminded them, "Don't crowd around for excitement. This is Spirit City."

Tang San had not intended to linger in the first place.

But just as he was about to withdraw his gaze, a familiar figure emerged from the shop.

Hu Liena.

During the qualifiers and advancement matches, Shrek had already heard plenty about the Spirit Hall Golden Generation.

The girl before them was one of the most closely watched members of Spirit Hall Academy.

Hu Liena saw Tang San as well.

Her gaze lingered on Tang San for a moment before shifting to Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu felt uncomfortable under her stare and moved half a step behind Tang San.

Hu Liena did not step forward to provoke them.

She had spent a great deal of mental energy in the game today, yet her mood was calmer than usual.

Still, seeing the Shrek team here suddenly reminded her of something Lin Chuan had said.

All who came were customers.

If these people entered the internet cafe as well, things would become very interesting.

"Shrek Academy?"

Hu Liena spoke.

Dai Mubai stepped half a pace forward.

"Is something wrong?"

Hu Liena smiled.

"Nothing. Just a reminder: this shop is quite interesting. If you're confident about the finals, you might as well go in and take a look."

Yan, who heard this from inside the shop, immediately looked displeased.

"Nana, why are you inviting them?"

Hu Liena did not turn around.

"The owner said it himself. He's running a business."

Lin Chuan sat behind the counter, and hearing that, he nearly applauded.

As expected of his first customer.

She had already started bringing him customers on her own initiative.

Tang San looked into the shop.

A young man in ordinary clothes sat behind the counter, with no Soul Power fluctuations on him.

Four strangely shaped black devices stood inside the shop. Several Spirit Hall Soul Masters sat before them with peculiar helmets on their heads, their bodies completely motionless.

The scene was too strange.

So strange that Tang San could not immediately determine what it was.

Grandmaster noticed the commotion as well.

He walked over, his eyes sweeping over the wooden sign as his brow gradually furrowed.

"Internet cafe?"

Lin Chuan stood up.

"Our shop provides computer-use experiences. Enter a game world and hone your combat awareness. Ten Gold Soul Coins per hour, payment first, then you may use a machine."

When Grandmaster heard the words "hone your combat awareness," his eyes flickered.

When Flender heard "ten Gold Soul Coins," his expression changed first.

"Ten coins? For one hour?"

Lin Chuan nodded.

"The prices are clearly marked."

Flender's eye twitched in pain.

This price was practically carving flesh off his body.

Ma Hongjun muttered, "Dean, why don't we forget it? It looks like a scam shop."

Lin Chuan heard him and said blandly, "If you think it's expensive, you don't have to play."

Flender had originally intended to leave.

But Grandmaster did not turn away immediately.

He did not believe in this so-called game world.

But the Spirit Hall Golden Generation was here, and they clearly were not visiting for the first time. That forced him to think further.

If this shop were merely a scam, Hu Liena would not waste her time here.

If it truly possessed some form of training value, Shrek could not afford to miss it entirely.

Tang San was thinking as well.

He did not like unknown things, especially in Spirit City.

But he understood even more clearly that the unknown itself could also mean opportunity.

Hu Liena noticed their hesitation and said softly, "Scared?"

Dai Mubai raised an eyebrow.

"That provocation is too obvious."

Hu Liena's smile did not change. "Even obvious tactics work, don't they?"

Tang San glanced at her.

He could sense that Hu Liena was not simply provoking them.

She seemed to genuinely want them to enter.

That only made people more wary.

Xiao Wu tugged on Tang San's sleeve and whispered, "Third Brother, I don't want to go in."

Tang San lowered his head to look at her.

Xiao Wu's expression was somewhat unnatural.

She was not afraid of the shop.

She simply did not want to reveal too much in front of Spirit Hall's people.

Tang San understood her concerns.

He gently patted her hand.

"If you're not going in, I'll go take a look."

"But..."

"It's fine."

Tang San looked at Lin Chuan.

"Only one hour for the trial?"

"Yes."

"Will there be any danger to the physical body in reality?"

Lin Chuan answered quickly, "No. Death in the game will not affect your real body. Fighting is also prohibited inside the shop."

Tang San did not completely believe him.

But he noticed that Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue did not refute those words.

That meant that, at the very least, their real bodies had indeed not been injured after trying it.

Tang San took out ten Gold Soul Coins and placed them on the counter.

"I'll try it once."

[Ding.]

[Customer +1.]

[Name: Tang San.]

[Identity: Shrek Academy team member, Clear Sky Sect bloodline, inheritor of the Tang Sect.]

When Lin Chuan saw the system notification, his eyelid twitched.

There was too much information.

He forcibly maintained his expression and led Tang San to an empty machine.

"Sit down and put on the helmet. Once you enter, follow the prompts. Don't rush your first time. Familiarize yourself with your body and surroundings first."

Tang San sat down and accepted the helmet.

Xiao Wu stood beside him, still somewhat uneasy.

"Third Brother, if anything feels wrong, come out immediately."

Tang San nodded.

"Okay."

Hu Liena stood on the other side, clear anticipation in her eyes.

She truly wanted to know what reaction this Blue Silver Grass Soul Master, whom Spirit Hall had listed as a priority observation target, would have after entering the game.

Lin Chuan pressed the power button.

The screen lit up.

Tang San's vision went black.

The next moment, he stood in an unfamiliar mountain forest.

The sounds of wind, rustling vegetation, and the faint tolling of distant bells all flooded his senses at once.

He lowered his head to look at his hands.

They were not human hands.

They were a pair of furry monkey paws.

Tang San's pupils abruptly contracted.

He immediately tried to circulate the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

No response.

He tried to summon Blue Silver Grass again.

Still no response.

But his Purple Demon Eyes were still affecting his vision in an extremely subtle way, allowing him to make out the details around him faster than an ordinary person.

This was not an illusion.

At least, not an illusion as he understood it.

Tang San raised his head and looked into the distance.

At the end of the forested mountains, a dilapidated temple could vaguely be seen.

Farther beyond the clouds, a gigantic monkey silhouette seemed to be sitting cross-legged on the horizon, its back turned to all living beings, clad in tattered battle armor.

That oppressive presence came from an immense distance away, yet it made Tang San's heart suddenly jolt.

Inside the internet café, Tang San sat motionless in his chair.

Xiao Wu watched him nervously.

Lin Chuan stared at the screen and suddenly noticed that Tang San had not immediately moved forward like everyone else.

He stood where he was, staring at the monkey silhouette on the horizon in silence for several breaths.

Then Tang San on the screen spoke softly.

"Does this world... have gods?"

Lin Chuan's heart skipped a beat.

As expected of Tang San.

The first thing he noticed really was different from everyone else's.