"Mmh. You'll be staying here from now on," Kael said with a nod.

  "Yay! Thank you, Boss!" Shier cheered, running happily into the small room that now belonged to her.

  After all, Shier was a young maiden. Even if she was from the Moon Spirit Cat tribe, she was still a demi-human girl. Living in the cramps of the old shop with no private space, having to face Kael constantly, had been a bit embarrassing for her.

  "Well, let her enjoy it," Kael shook his head, smiling. Then, he called out in his mind, "System, what about the other rewards?"

  [System: Store Manager Level increased by 1. Additional permissions unlocked.]

  [System: Trial Room Level increased by 1. Grandmaster Rank Trial Space is now available.]

  [System: Snack Vending Machine has been distributed. Please check. Store Manager Set item: 'Dragon Bone Armor' has been distributed. Please check.]

  The Dragon Bone Armor.

  It was the chest piece of the Store Manager Set, forged from the bones of an Ancestral Dragon. It possessed a natural Dragon Aura, could change its appearance at will, granted the wearer immunity to most magic, and provided astonishing physical defense.

  It lived up to its name as part of the Manager Set. The stats were essentially God-tier.

  "It was worth the wait. I finally have it," Kael muttered, stroking the Dragon Bone Armor that had appeared on his body, sighing with satisfaction.

  Then, Kael seemed to remember something.

  "Right, I recall I have three draws for the Snack Vending Machine. Let's do that now."

  There was no need to be polite with the System. He would take every reward he was owed.

  Clang—!

  A crisp, metallic sound rang out, startling Kael so much he nearly jumped. He turned around to see the familiar, cheap-looking lottery box, the small balls inside rattling against each other.

  "Can't you come up with a new trick?"

  Kael grumbled as he reached his hand into the small box.

  He didn't know much about snacks, nor was he particularly fond of them. Consequently, his expectations were low. The people who came to his shop were mercenaries, noble scions, or royal guards—hardly the type of demographic obsessed with junk food.

  First Draw: Potato Chips.

  A classic fried snack. Speaking of snacks, there probably weren't many people who disliked chips.

  Second Draw: Fruit Flavored Jelly.

  Another classic. Jelly actually tasted pretty good.

  Kael rubbed his hands together, blew into his palm for luck, and reached into the box for the final time.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Third Draw: Bacon Sandwich.

  Kael fell silent.

  Since when was a sandwich considered a snack?

  This two-bit System had a serious problem with its definitions and categorizations.

  But it didn't matter. Kael didn't care about the categories; he cared about the selling price.

  The Snack Vending Machine had appeared right next to the counter. The Potato Chips, Fruit Jelly, and Bacon Sandwiches were already stocked, with their prices displayed below.

  Potato Chips: 5 Spirit Crystals per bag.

  Fruit Flavored Jelly: 1 Spirit Crystal per cup.

  Bacon Sandwich: 20 Spirit Crystals per portion.

  "System, have you lost your mind?" Kael’s head started to throb when he saw the price tags.

  Where was he supposed to find a sucker big enough to pay twenty Spirit Crystals for a sandwich? Did the bacon come from a dragon? This price was more than ten times expensive than a meal at the Drunken Cloud Restaurant!

  [System: Host, please do not baselessly doubt the System's decisions. The System's pricing is strictly: Value for Money!]

  The System emphasized the words "Value for Money" with absolute conviction.

  "Fine. Let me see just how 'value for money' this is." Kael’s interest was piqued.

  Although he had just returned from a late-night supper, he could still fit in a sample of everything. Fortunately, the System treated its Host well enough—snacks were free for Kael.

  He opened a bag of chips first. A unique, fried aroma immediately wafted out.

  "Interesting." Smelling the scent, Kael picked up a chip and placed it in his mouth.

  The taste was... incredible!

  The rich, savory flavor of the fry combined with the fresh taste of the potato to form a unique, irresistible deliciousness. One chip after another, he couldn't stop. In no time, the bag was empty. Even though Kael was already full, he was left wanting more.

  Next came the Fruit Jelly and the Bacon Sandwich. Each item brought a completely different, yet equally extreme, gastronomic pleasure.

  He had to admit: you get what you pay for.

  Comparing the dishes from the Drunken Cloud Restaurant to the System-produced snacks was like comparing a tricycle to a sports car. They weren't even in the same league.

  "It really is value for money," Kael conceded.

  However, Kael was eating them for free. Whether others would be willing to spend Spirit Crystals on snacks remained to be seen. If the snacks were merely tasty, people might try them once for the novelty. But long-term purchases? That was uncertain.

  Pills had magical effects, so they would never lack buyers. But snacks...

  "System, pull up my status panel."

  [Host]: Kael

  [Manager Level]: 4

  [Shops Owned]: 1

  [Supply Channels]: Pills (Common, Excellent), Weapons (Common, Excellent), Armor (Common, Excellent), Accessories (Excellent)

  [Shop Buildings]: Trial Room (Level 3), Combat Simulation Room (Level 2)

  [Shop Machines]: Snack Vending Machine

  [Revenue Share]: Increased to 20%

  [Evaluation]: Junior Store Manager (A manager who has just stepped into the world. You are no longer a novice, but you have a long way to go before you can stand on your own.)

  "Twenty percent! Fantastic, my income just doubled instantly!"

  Kael completely ignored the System's snarky evaluation. As long as the revenue share went up, did it matter if he was a Junior or Senior Manager? Not at all.

  Rewards claimed. Time to sleep.

  The bed in the new master bedroom was definitely softer.

  When Kael woke up, he lay there, refusing to get up. If one were to rank the most comfortable things in the world, "sleeping in" would definitely be at the top of the list.

  The only thing better than sleeping in for a while is sleeping in forever.

  [System: Temporary Mission Issued. Reach a sales volume of 2,000 Spirit Crystals in the Snack Vending Machine within three days. Reward: 20 additional Combat Simulation Room booths.]

  Hearing this, Kael bounced straight off the bed.

  "Two thousand Spirit Crystals? That means even if I only sell the most expensive Bacon Sandwiches, I have to sell a hundred of them? Where am I going to find that many people?"

  After a moment of calm analysis, Kael saw through the System's scheme. Based on the current foot traffic, getting a hundred customers in a single day was questionable, let alone selling that much food.

  Temporary Mission? Kael felt it should be called the "Impossible Snack Mission."

  [System: The Host must find a way on his own. There is no penalty for this mission.]

  Kael understood. The System was offering him a welfare package—essentially giving him a chance to earn the expansion he desperately needed. Whether he could grab it depended entirely on his own capability.