I opened a shop on the Astral Train

Ying stepped into the bar, took a seat on a high stool, and tapped the touch screen in front of her, browsing through the store's merchandise.

Yuri, watching from the side, sighed internally. He had been painstakingly copying down product details on his phone, word by word, when he first arrived. Now, with the store open, everything was conveniently displayed on the touch screen. What a waste of effort.

Back then, he had meticulously saved all the product information, only to delete it in frustration upon realizing its redundancy.

As Ying scrolled through the store's offerings, Kevin and March 7th dragged high stools next to her, curiously peering at the screen. Meanwhile, Walter and Dan Heng found spots to sit or lean against, their gazes occasionally drifting toward Ying.

Himeko, on the other hand, had found her own amusement. Sitting beside Paimon, she poked the little companion's chubby cheek with a finger, entertained by its soft, squishy texture.

Before long, Ying selected the item she had wanted.

[Unsealing Pill - Price: 2000 Star Coins]

Effect: Partially restores sealed powers.

Ying's strength had been sealed away for what felt like an eternity. If this pill worked as described, she could regain some of her lost power.

Yuri glanced at the item, then casually summoned a scale, placing it beside the touch screen.

"Do you have any Stellar Jade?" he asked.

Ying nodded and pulled out a handful from her bag.

"Put them on the scale," Yuri instructed.

Ying complied, pouring the stones onto one side of the scale until it was nearly overflowing. A few seconds later, the Stellar Jade vanished, replaced by 23 coins with a face value of 100 Star Coins each.

Yuri handed her 2,300 Star Coins.

"Looks like the exchange rate is 1 to 10. One piece of Stellar Jade equals 10 Star Coins."

March 7th furrowed her brows. "Wait, Yuri, why does this stone only exchange for 10, but Kevin's could get him 100?"

"Because every world is different," Yuri explained. "Some worlds are more powerful, and their resources are worth more. The rarer the item in the grand scale of the multiverse, the higher its value in Star Coins. Less significant worlds, naturally, yield less."

March 7th nodded in understanding. "Ohhh, got it."

But Ying wasn't paying attention anymore—her mind was solely on the Unsealing Pill. The past two months had been brutal. Struggling to survive in the wilderness with the strength of an ordinary person had been a nightmare. Without her martial arts training, she probably wouldn't have made it.

Yuri pointed to the coin slot beside the screen. "Tap on the item you want, confirm the payment, and insert the Star Coins here. Kevin, March 7th, take note of this for future purchases."

Kevin and March 7th saluted playfully. "Got it!"

Ying dropped 20 Star Coins into the slot. A flash of light pulsed across the screen, and the pill materialized in her hand.

It was small—about the size of her pinky finger.

Dan Heng approached, offering a glass of water. "Here."

Ying took it, nodding gratefully. "Thanks."

Dan Heng simply inclined his head and stepped back. March 7th smirked. "You act all cool, Dan Heng, but deep down, you're such a softie."

Ying chuckled. "Yeah, I see that."

Kevin clapped his hands. "Alright, alright, Ying, take the pill! Let's see what it does."

Without hesitation, Ying swallowed the pill and washed it down with water.

The moment the pill reached her stomach, she straightened, her eyes widening as energy coursed through her body. A fragment of her power—just a tenth of what she once had—returned to her.

A warmth spread through her limbs, a long-forgotten strength pulsing beneath her skin. For the first time in months, she felt like herself again.

March 7th leaned in eagerly. "Well? Does it work?!"

Snapped out of her trance, Ying smiled. "Yeah, it works. My strength is coming back."

She raised a hand, and in a flash of light, her bladeless sword materialized. With a low hum, a white glow enveloped its surface.

Kevin and March 7th erupted into applause. "That's so cool!"

Feeling hopeful, Ying dug through her bag, intending to buy more pills.

Then, she froze.

She was out of Stellar Jade.

And to make matters worse, her stomach rumbled loudly.

"Guh!"

Her face turned crimson, as red as an apple.

Yuri checked the time. "Ying, are you in a hurry to be somewhere?"

Still flustered, she fanned her burning cheeks and shook her head.

Yuri smiled. "Then why don't we have lunch here?"

He turned to the group. "Everyone, I'm hosting lunch today. The store just opened, so consider this a little celebration."

Himeko stopped teasing Paimon and looked up. "Thanks for the invite, Yuri."

Walter nodded. "Much appreciated."

Yuri waved a hand dismissively. "No big deal."

Dan Heng rolled up his sleeves. "Need help?"

Pam tugged at his pant leg. "Passenger Dan Heng, you should rest! I'll assist Yuri with the cooking!"

The tiny creature marched off, retrieving a "stepping stool" from the front of the store.

Yuri chuckled. "Dan Heng, you can relax. Pam's got this."

Dan Heng didn't argue. He simply nodded, took a seat on the nearby couch, and cracked open a book.

As for Kevin and March 7th? They weren't going anywhere.

"Free food? We're definitely staying!" March 7th grinned.

Yuri called over his shoulder. "Kevin, March 7th, keep Ying company while I cook. Make sure she loosens up a bit. This is a store, not a battlefield. No need to be so tense."

The two nodded, turning toward Ying with mischievous grins.

Yuri stepped into the kitchen, brows furrowing in thought.

Pulling up the store's system menu, he browsed the selection, spending over 50 Star Coins on fresh ingredients. The system-priced food items were relatively cheap, making this a worthwhile investment.

Surveying the table, he pondered the menu.

Eight dishes and one soup should do the trick.

He rolled up his sleeves, smirking.

Time to put his past-life cooking skills to work.

Inside Yuri's shop, everyone gathered around the long table in the center, ready to eat.

"Oh my God! Ying! Can I eat now?" Paimon whined, frantically wiping drool from her mouth with a tissue.

The moment Yuri finished making the first dish, the delicious aroma overwhelmed Paimon, sending her into a frenzy. One second, her eyes were spinning in circles; the next, she was struggling to sit up like a zombie rising from the grave.

Ying quickly pulled her into her arms. "No! Not yet! Everyone isn't here! We have to wait!"

Paimon groaned in agony, the food right in front of him yet still out of reach. Since being rescued by Ying, the two had spent months wandering in the wild—sleeping in the open, surviving on sunset fruits, and drinking from rivers. Now, with a feast before him, he was being told to wait? This was torture.

Finally, Yuri placed the last dish—a steaming pot of sweet corn chicken soup—on the table.

"Make some space," he said.

Walter stood up, taking the pot from Yuri and setting it down carefully. Yuri took his seat at the head of the table, rubbing his hands together.

"Why are you all staring at me? No need to stand on ceremony. Dig in!"

The moment Paimon heard the word "eat," it was like music to his ears. He wriggled free from Ying's grasp, grabbed the nearest piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Instantly, his eyes welled with tears. "Waaah! So delicious!"

Seeing this, Yuri poured him a bowl of soup. "If you like it, eat more. But don't just eat the meat—have some soup too. It's been simmering for hours."

Paimon eagerly accepted the bowl, beaming. "Thank you, Yuri!"

Ying, watching from the side, buried her face in her hands. Paimon's table manners were an absolute disaster! Anyone would think she had been starving him!

Then, she noticed something extra in her bowl—a large chicken leg.

She looked up to see Himeko grinning. "Ying, try this. It's really good."

Just as she was about to politely refuse, Paimon's head popped up beside her.

"Ying, if you don't want it, I'll take it! Hehehe!"

Ying's polite words immediately vanished. "No way! I'm eating it! You're not getting it!"

She took a huge bite, savoring the rich flavors. Her eyes widened in delight. It was incredible.

Gradually, she started joining in on the conversation, feeling more at ease with the group.

As for Paimon… he just kept eating.

An hour later, everyone was full and lounging around, digesting their meal.

Paimon was curled up on the sofa, hugging a pillow, snoring softly. Kevin and March 7th were sprawled out on another couch, groaning about how much they had overeaten.

Just then, Yuri's phone buzzed. It was a message from Heita, asking for his location—he wanted to buy something.

After replying, Yuri turned to Himeko and the others. "Heita's on his way. He wants to shop."

Himeko raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Heita's coming? I was thinking we'd leave after digesting a bit, but I don't mind waiting."

"Sorry about the delay," Yuri said.

Walter took a sip of the tea Yuri had brewed. "No rush. Heita won't take long."

Ten minutes later, Heita stormed into the shop, scanning the room before locking onto Yuri.

"I need to buy something!" he declared, rushing over and immediately trying to snatch Yuri's phone to browse the shop menu himself.

Yuri quickly swatted away Heita's wandering hands. "Hey! Even if your body is a puppet, you can't just grab things like that! Kevin! Take Heita to the shop!"

Kevin, half-asleep on the couch, lazily lifted his head. With a sigh, he got up and led Heita to the small bar where the store's touch screen was located.

Himeko chuckled, covering her mouth. "Don't mind him, Yuri. That's just how Heita is."

Yuri sighed. "They say geniuses all have their quirks. I'm starting to think that's very true."

Straightening his clothes, he walked over to the bar.

Heita, now fully engrossed in shopping, was swiping rapidly through the store's inventory. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

[Qilin Blood - Price: 50,000 Star Coins]

Effect: Extracted from the mythical Qilin, a celestial beast with immense longevity and divine blessings.

Heita's eyes gleamed with curiosity. Could he create a clone with this?

He glanced at the "Exchange Scale" nearby. Without hesitation, he pulled out his special space-folding wallet and started unloading Stellar Jade onto the scale.

Ever since Yuri had placed the scale out earlier, he had no intention of removing it. It was there for anyone who needed to exchange currency.

Not more, not less—Heita had brought exactly 500 Stellar Jades.

The trade was swift. The moment the Star Coins were transferred, a single drop of shimmering Qilin Blood, encased in a glass vial, materialized in Heita's hand.

Without so much as a goodbye, Heita turned and dashed out of the shop.

No one even blinked. That was just how Heita was.

Paimon, however, mumbled sleepily, "What a weird guy…"

March 7th shrugged. "He's a genius. He can do whatever he wants. We're used to it."

Paimon blinked. "A genius? Like… super duper smart?"

Ying nodded. "You know Teyvat, right? That's just one planet. There are countless planets in the universe not unlike it, that host marvelous opportunities in so many different ways."

Paimon gasped. "Whoa! The universe is that big?! Then Heita must be really famous!"

March 7th smiled. "Oh, he is. He's part of the Genius Society. Every member is one of the smartest beings in the entire universe."

Paimon was now in awe. "That's insane! He must be super powerful too!"

At that moment, Pam rolled up. "Passengers, please return to your seats. The train is about to depart."

March 7th glanced around. Yuri, Himeko, and the others were already seated.

She quickly grabbed Ying and Paimon by the hands, pulling them toward an empty booth.

"Come on, let's go!"