Hanging on the shelf was a cold, merciless sign:
[Sold Out]
Xia Yuan groaned in frustration.
"Why didn't the boss tell me about this sooner?" he grumbled.
His expression?
Pure regret.
"If I had known, I would've come earlier! Now those guys got ahead of me—ugh!"
His irritation was genuine.
After all, this wasn't just some ordinary item.
It could improve one's natural talent!
Even missing out by one day felt like a huge loss.
Yao Ziyan, who had been watching from nearby, smiled lightly.
"Well, the store isn't going anywhere. You can always buy it later."
Xia Yuan let out a long sigh.
"I know that's true, but I still feel terrible about it…"
As he helplessly spread his hands, the students from Profound Moon Academy quietly turned away.
They had no intention of admitting it, but...
They felt the exact same way.
---
On the other side of the store, Zhang Yu had just put on his helmet.
In an instant—
The world around him shifted.
Everything turned white.
His breath hitched, panic creeping in.
But then, he remembered Zhou Hu's earlier advice—
Stay calm.
Focusing on the sensation of his own body, Zhang Yu gradually steadied himself.
He looked around, curiosity growing.
"So… this is the virtual space?"
He flexed his fingers, feeling the texture of his own skin.
"It's just like reality…"
Two icons hovered before him:
[Tower of Trial]
[Cooking Tutorial]
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yu selected Tower of Trial.
---
His vision blurred.
The next moment, the white space vanished, replaced by a different scene.
Zhang Yu barely had time to process the change before his eyes were drawn to a small tower icon.
"…I should probably select that first," he muttered.
After all, before entering, Zhou Hu and the others had specifically told him:
'Once inside, pick the small tower icon first.'
When he had asked why, their response had been…
…Suspicious.
Zhou Hu and the others had exchanged knowing looks, their lips twitching as if suppressing laughter.
"What's so funny?" Zhang Yu had asked.
"Nothing."
"We just thought of happy things."
…
Now, standing in the virtual space, he recalled their conversation.
Something about it felt… off.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside.
He would find out soon enough.
Zhang Yu selected the tower icon.
A message immediately appeared before him:
[Current Mode: Challenge Mode. Difficulty: Easy.]
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening—
The world shifted again.
Grass.
Blue skies.
A gentle breeze.
Zhang Yu blinked.
He was no longer in the white void.
Instead, he stood alone in the middle of a vast, open grassland.
And then—
Something moved in the distance.
His heartbeat quickened.
The challenge had begun.