"The hope of the future," Ling Xiao remarked with a nod before taking his leave of Kael.

  Kael watched calmly as the guards filed into the shop. They were all well-equipped and fully armed. By the standards of the Huangyuan Empire, their gear would be considered top-tier—provided, of course, they weren't compared to the System-produced items in Kael’s shop.

  It was clear these men weren't just ordinary bodyguards.

  Popularity points increased again.

  Kael didn’t dwell on their identities. He focused his mind on the Popularity bar, confirming that these newcomers indeed contributed to his progress. That was all that mattered.

  His current priority was completing the upgrade task. The System had been crystal clear: no new tasks would be issued until this one was finished. If he wanted to expand the Combat Simulation Room or earn the right to suggest custom features—turning it into the gaming paradise of his dreams—he needed to clear this hurdle first.

  Following Ling Xiao’s orders, the guards behaved themselves, paid their Spirit Crystals in an orderly fashion, and headed toward the training facility.

  "Shier, we have fresh blood. Go show them the ropes!" Kael called out to Shier, who was still deep in her single-player grind.

  "On it, Boss!" Shier chirped immediately.

  Being allowed to game during work hours was already a dream come true, but getting to mentor newcomers? That was a golden opportunity to mock the "newbie noobs" and boost her own ego. It was, in her mind, a highly beneficial activity for both her mental and physical well-being.

  Meanwhile, at Brilliant Academy, the promotion for the off-campus training program was proceeding in an organized manner.

  The subject of the promotion was, naturally, Kael’s shop.

  While it was officially stated that the training was reserved for the elites of each grade, Dean Gu Pingchuan didn't stop ordinary students from visiting on their own—as long as they didn't skip their regular classes.

  He knew that without a solid foundation, ordinary students would learn nothing in the Arena except for the flavor of defeat. The academy's daily curriculum provided that foundation. In contrast, regulars like Tiger Hunt and Blood Wolf were mercenaries; their foundations were built on sweat, blood, and actual survival, making them rugged even if they lacked formal polish.

  For the first batch, the academy selected three elite students from each of the three grades, plus one lead instructor. Ten people in total. Any more than that, and they risked not being able to find open booths.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The next morning, Kael woke up as usual and headed out for breakfast.

  It had been some time since the beast tide had passed. Shops that had shuttered were reopening, and residents who had fled Cloud Mist City were trickling back. The city was slowly regaining its former vitality, with merchant caravans, tourists, and mercenaries bustling through the streets.

  "A city with a bit of life is better, after all," Kael thought, satisfied as he bought three baskets of steamed buns (baozi) to take back to the shop.

  The Drunken Cloud Restaurant served breakfast too, but Kael always found it overpriced. How much of a difference could there really be between magical beast meat filling and regular meat? To Kael, the only significant difference was the price tag; the taste wasn't distinct enough to justify the gold.

  "Boss, you really do love those buns," Shier muttered, her mouth full of a piping hot bun she had just snagged.

  She had been working at the shop for a while now. Except for the height of the beast tide when buns were unavailable, Kael’s breakfast was always the same. Didn't he ever get tired of them?

  "Mmh. Buns are good."

  Kael nodded seriously, a flicker of nostalgia crossing his eyes before quickly fading. For him, these buns were one of the few ways he could honor the memory of his original home.

  When he first arrived in this world, he struggled to adapt. He was a man alone in a foreign land, tending a dilapidated, cramped shop with nothing but a meager pile of savings he had scraped together over God-knows-how-long. Back then, he felt truly abandoned by the universe. Only the taste of a warm bun could remind him of the warmth of the life he once knew.

  Now? He just ate them because he was used to it. And because they were cheap.

  "Big Brother, you're eating buns again! Zier brought roast meat, do you want some?" Lan Zier skipped into the shop, lugging a massive roasted lamb leg.

  Kael finally understood why Lan Zier loved meat so much. It wasn't just a preference; as a Dragon Girl, her body required immense amounts of energy. Magical beast meat was rich in essence that nourished the physique. This was also why such meat tasted so good and why the Drunken Cloud Restaurant could charge a premium under the guise of "health benefits."

  Of course, that was also why Kael never bought it. It might be delicious, but who enjoys being blatantly scammed?

  "Thanks, Zier." Kael wordlessly set aside his buns and accepted the roasted lamb leg.

  He ate buns every morning for convenience and cost-efficiency. But when meat was on the table? The buns could wait.

  "Sister Shier, open the machines for us!" Lan Zier said to Shier after handing over the meat.

  "Oh, sure." Shier swallowed her bite and placed Lan Zier’s Spirit Crystals into the cash box.

  During wartime, pills and equipment sold like wildfire. In times of peace, the Combat Simulation Room was the real breadwinner. One doesn't use many pills hunting common beasts in the Cloud Mist Forest, and gear durability lasts much longer.

  "No wonder the System opened a new revenue stream," Kael mused, a realization dawning on him.

  Pills and equipment were consumables; if a customer didn't use them, they didn't need to buy more. But the Combat Simulation Room? That was a high-retention, recurring expense. As long as you wanted to improve, you had to keep coughing up Spirit Crystals.

  Thinking of this, Kael couldn't help but praise in his heart: Impressive. My System is truly wise.

  [System: "You flatter me, you foolish host."]

  "???"

  "Why do you always pop up to comment when I least expect it?" Kael’s face darkened with frustration.

  This time, the System remained silent. A good insult only needs to be delivered once; there was no profit in actually making the host go on strike.

  "Big Brother, what's wrong?" Lan Zier asked, noticing Kael’s expression had suddenly turned very strange.