Adjacent to the restaurant stood a ready-to-wear boutique, equally devoid of attendants. Patrons were free to select and try on garments at will, and if desirous of a purchase, could place orders independently at the counter, where new items would promptly appear. Eric's meager savings had already been halved by purchasing the healing kit, and after spending 0.5 points on a meal, she was left with a mere 1.5 points.
She recalled Charles mentioning a "hotel," and from his tone, it was surely an essential facility much like the restaurant. Here, meals were to be had at the restaurant, and nights were spent lodging at the hotel.
The most affordable white sportswear set cost 5 points—entirely beyond her means. Even the simplest pair of shorts was priced at 2 points.
Noticing Natalie's hesitant glance, Eric chose to avert her eyes. They all possessed only 4 points each; with such scarce resources tied to their resurrection hopes, she would never consider borrowing.
In the end, she refrained from purchasing anything.
Natalie returned from the fitting room already donned in shorts.
"I'm going to check out the hotel. Will you come with me?"
Natalie nodded eagerly, appreciating Eric's decisiveness—understanding that in such an unfamiliar realm, she preferred to follow Eric's lead.
The hotel appeared modern from the outside, only four stories high, with no staff at the front desk. The tablet there displayed various accommodation packages.
The priciest was the presidential suite, commanding 20 points per night, complete with a kitchen supplying free ingredients, a bar offering complimentary beverages, a gym, and a swimming pool...
Standard double and single rooms cost 3 points and 2 points per night respectively.
All packages offered discounts for longer stays—20% off for half a month and 50% off for a full month.
At the end, an option to sleep in the lobby was available for a nightly fee of 1 point with no long-term discounts.
Upon reading this, a shadow crossed Eric's face, reinforcing her conviction that the nights outside were perilous—thus the necessity for such lodging, permitting those with scant means to seek refuge within.
By now, she began to discern the reality: the pricing of dining, apparel, and lodging signaled one stark truth—accumulating 4,444 points solely by grinding ordinary quests was a pipe dream. Ordinary quests rewarded a mere 4 points each, insufficient even to meet basic sustenance, let alone amass significant points. To advance toward resurrection, one must either endlessly repeat ordinary quests or brave the perilous supernatural quests.
Supernatural quests... Eric had feared ghost stories since childhood; these would be formidable indeed.
She confided her suspicions to Natalie, who responded anxiously, "What dangers could there be? It seems so safe here. Let's ask around."
"Be careful," Eric cautioned. "Charles warned us not to trust others lightly. I have to go now. Farewell—for now."
"Where are you headed?" Natalie implored.
"To the Quest Hall, to earn the lodging fee," Eric replied, formulating a plan to complete a couple more ordinary quests before hunger overpowered her.
Natalie hesitated, preferring to rest at least one night first.
With clear purpose, Eric set off alone.
Returning to the Quest Hall, she did not rush to accept tasks; instead, she observed others' behaviors.
She refrained from approaching strangers directly, choosing to glean information from conversations. After a while, she pieced together fragmented insights.
The flow of time between the hub and quests differed; no matter how many days spent within a quest, only minutes might pass outside.
Two doors stood in the hall: the left led to ordinary quests, the right to supernatural ones.
Eric's attention gravitated toward the latter. The supernatural quests promised higher points but were evidently more treacherous. Contrary to her expectation, the entrance was not deserted; quite a number ventured through, though still fewer than those choosing ordinary quests.
Most favored the safer ordinary quests, which generally allowed survival unless ill fortune struck—as with Eric, who had been assigned the ninth floor and nearly perished.
Overhearing two players complaining about their last hotel fire escape quest, one lamented, "Damn, I got the eighth floor! So unlucky!"
The other consoled, "That's ordinary quests for you—some easy, some hard. Sometimes, even a simple one turns deadly if you're unlucky with your assignment. By the way, didn't you try a supernatural quest? Why come back to ordinary ones?"
"Yeah, I tried one once. Over half the twenty-plus players died just at the start. I had to spend all my points on healing kits just to survive! Finished that quest completely broke! Damn it! I'll stick to ordinary quests—earn less but can grind more, just to pay for lodging and food."
"Let's try entering the same circle. Maybe we get lucky and end up in the same quest."
"I'm done after this. I've done six ordinary quests already today."
Their figures and voices vanished behind the portal. Eric now understood another rule: the game forbade formal teams; to play with acquaintances, players must enter the same portal simultaneously, with no guarantee of success.
She continued watching, intending to wait until nightfall for clues on nocturnal conditions.
Her gaze discreetly swept the hall; veteran players still lingered, stationed by the ordinary quest portals, warmly greeting newcomers with brotherly camaraderie and escorting them from the hall. She felt grateful for Charles. Though points were non-transferable, it would be disastrous if unwary newcomers were tricked into wasting theirs on scams…
Eric averted her gaze. She couldn't concern herself with others; her priority was her own survival.
The clock on the wall neared 18:00. With no seats available in the hall, she remained standing, soon feeling the gnawing pangs of hunger once more. Reluctantly, she returned to the restaurant and purchased another bowl of plain rice, leaving her point balance at a precarious 1.
Rubbing her stomach, she sighed inwardly: *In all my life, I've never gone hungry—only to die and now face starvation.*
As this thought crossed her mind, a peculiar sound filled her head.
"Buzz… buzz…"
Puzzled, Eric sensed something new materialize within her consciousness. It resembled her "point account," leading her to assume it was a new player feature—perhaps a system update in this escape game. With a mental "click," she accessed it, and her eyes widened in astonishment.
What she saw was astonishing.
Nestled in her mind was a super-miniature version of a supermarket. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the sign: "Peaceful Department Store." It was her family's supermarket from the real world!
At first, the sight filled her with elation, followed by a deep sense of gratitude.
She had always considered the supermarket her lucky charm. Now, in this "living" state, it seemed the charm had indeed followed her.
In reality, Eric managed the Peaceful Department Store, the sole inheritance from her late parents. Upon turning eighteen, the relatives who had overseen it returned it to her, making her a young heiress. Over time, she began to suspect there was something extraordinary about the store.
For instance, there was the time a procurement error led to a batch of poisoned cherries, sparking a citywide scandal. While other stores and fruit shops faced hefty losses, Peaceful Department Store remained unscathed.
Another incident involved contaminated rice from a major brand, which was recalled nationwide. The batch destined for Peaceful Department Store happened to be delayed by a road collapse, never making it to the shelves…
In business, risks were inevitable, but the consistent avoidance of disaster seemed miraculous. After several such narrow escapes, the teenage Eric began to sense her extraordinary luck.
Then came an even more astonishing event, cementing her belief that the supermarket was enchanted.
During her final year of high school, on the day of her college entrance exams, a desperate criminal planted a bomb in a public space to create chaos and escape. Coincidentally, Eric, returning to the store for lunch after her Chinese exam, stumbled upon the scene. What ensued was harrowing, but she managed to subdue the criminal with two bottles of beer, alerting the police without missing her next exam.
Eric grew convinced that the supermarket was either sentient or protected by some benevolent force, effortlessly eliminating any threats to its operation. Though she led an otherwise ordinary life, the supermarket's "luck" brought her immense satisfaction.
Peaceful Department Store had gained a reputation among locals. Regulars praised its ability to turn peril into prosperity, attributing it to the store's auspicious name and good fortune. To share in this luck, customers flocked to the store, ensuring its profitability and contributing significantly to Eric's wealth. That wealth had allowed her to live comfortably, pursue her passions, and afford medical expenses during her illness.
She had thought her brief nineteen years were enough, but now she had a second chance—and the enchanted supermarket had followed her here!
She attempted to take a piece of chocolate. With the thought, her consciousness shifted to the snack aisle, and she "reached out" to grab it. To her astonishment, she felt the foil wrapper in her palm—she had actually retrieved it!
Eric clutched the chocolate, overwhelmed with joy.
Glancing around cautiously, she returned the chocolate to the shelf, and with a thought, it was back in place—seamlessly retrievable and returnable.
Gazing at the miniature supermarket icon in her mind, Eric felt a renewed confidence in her resurrection. Though she was thrilled by this second chance, she knew the path to revival would be fraught with challenges. With the supermarket now acting as her golden finger, she could save on food expenses—no small relief, given the exorbitant prices here.
Moreover, the store's inventory could provide tools for tasks, such as stronger ropes for the *Hotel Fire Escape* quest where she had nearly fallen to her death.
And, of course, the second floor sold clothing—finally, she could shed the cumbersome bathrobe!
As joy and excitement surged within her, a voice abruptly interrupted her thoughts:
"It's almost dark! Hurry into the quest!"
Startled, Eric snapped back to reality, immediately withdrawing her focus from the supermarket and scanning her surroundings warily.