Chapter 148: As Expected, a Black Shop

Chapter 148 -144: As Expected, a Black Shop

By noon, the forest was sweltering under the scorching sun. The Dome Tree stood tall, a natural watchtower overlooking the vast sea of trees.

The place had been completely transformed from what it was ten days ago.

Beneath the shade of the Dome Tree’s massive canopy, a two-story building of wood and stone had been erected.

Its foundation, solidly built from locally sourced gray stone, was raised a foot off the ground to effectively ward off moisture.

The walls were made of treated pine logs, their grain distinct under the sunlight, exuding the unique, fresh scent of pine.

In front of the grocery store, a plot of land had been leveled out and turned into an open-air dining area, just as Lu Wei had requested.

Several thick, log tables and matching stump stools were already in place. Beside them, a few stone-lined fire pits had been built, which could be rented out to Adventurers for “DIY barbecue” in the future.

With this, the construction of the “Golden Sword Hu Grocery Store, Gelan Forest Main Branch” was essentially complete.

All that was left was some simple interior decorating, and then it would be ready for business.

Furthermore, Theodore had also dug an aqueduct, using the natural lay of the land to divert water from a nearby forest stream.

Water trickled through it continuously, and its edges were even reinforced with flat stones, making it both aesthetically pleasing and sturdy.

There was no denying it: Theodore and his construction crew were truly reliable.

The construction speed wasn’t exceptional, but the quality of their work was beautiful—a far cry from some shoddy, slapdash job.

He had also kept his promise to Lu Wei, taking good care of Anna and Zovir.

“Uncle Theodore, thank you for saving us.”

Outside the grocery store, the two young slaves bowed in unison to Theodore, who was covered in wood shavings. Their tone was filled with sincerity.

The previous night, the Dome Pillar had been attacked by seven or eight goblins, and it was Theodore who had led the men to repel them.

“Nonsense. Those beasts weren’t after you.”

Theodore brushed the wood shavings off himself and said kindly, “Besides, they were just a few ‘green-skinned wild dogs.’ Nothing to make a fuss about.”

“Green-skinned wild dogs” was the rustic term for goblins.

It was also a surefire way to infuriate Half-Beastmen.

“Alright, don’t you worry about it. Go on, get busy. You have more customers.”

He pointed to a three-person team emerging from the woods. Theodore was all smiles; he clearly hadn’t considered the previous night’s events a big deal.

After all, it was only a handful of goblins, and with ten able-bodied men on their side, they posed no real threat.

‘Still, once Lu Wei gets back, I should probably talk to him about security.’

‘After all, goblins aren’t the only thing in this forest.’

‘Hm, it’s been twelve days. He should be back soon.’

Glancing toward the southern woods, Theodore thought to himself before quickly returning to directing the workers digging the foundation for an inn.

Meanwhile, Anna approached the three-person team, who had stopped in front of the grocery store with looks of astonishment on their faces.

“Welcome to the Golden Sword Hu Grocery Store. We offer complimentary tea. Would you like some?”

“No, no, we don’t need anything.”

The man leading the party shook his head and muttered wistfully,

“We just wanted to see what a rip-off joint looks like.”

Anna was speechless.

‘That’s the eighth time!’

‘The eighth time a customer has said that!’

“We are not a rip-off joint.”

She looked at the man and corrected him with a resigned sigh, “While our prices are a bit on the high side, we never force a sale.”

The man stared. “Huh? But I heard your prices are five times higher than in town.”

Anna nodded. “That’s correct. It is five times higher.”

“…And you’re saying this *isn’t* a rip-off joint?!”

The man’s eyes went wide. “Then the ‘special services’ must be fake, too! It’s just a trick you use to lure in customers!”

Anna shook her head again. “No, the special services are real.”

“…”

His mouth hanging open, the man was momentarily stunned.

After a moment, he silently turned to his two companions.

“Um, I just remembered I forgot to pack a flint.”

“Maybe I should just buy one here.”

…

…

“Look! The crown of the Dome Tree!”

Sunlight filtered through the thinning canopy, casting dappled light onto the forest path.

When the massive treetop, towering high above the rest of the canopy, finally came into view, Furen, who was leading the way, let out a cheer.

“Great! I can finally take a hot bath!”

Bai Ya immediately rose onto her tiptoes for a look, her expression instantly lighting up with joy. It was as if she could already feel herself soaking in a large wooden tub of hot water, the exhaustion from the past ten-odd days washing away completely.

The feeling was similar to the last day of work before a long weekend.

You might still be at your desk, but your happiness is already maxed out.

“What a memorable adventure!”

“A Bandit Group, a talking War Lizardman, and a Giant!”

“We didn’t meet any Elves, but it was still perfect!”

“It reminds me of the protagonist’s first journey in the *Sarland Epic*…”

Looking back on the past ten-odd days, Furen was overcome with emotion and excitedly launched into his stories again.

Lu Wei, by contrast, was feeling much more subdued.

After all, unlike Furen, he didn’t have a girlfriend waiting for his return.

‘He’ll probably rush off to find Clara the moment he gets back.’

Glancing at the back of Furen’s head, Lu Wei pursed his lips. ‘He’s just dying to see her,’ he thought.

Still, strictly speaking, he was feeling a little expectant himself.

And a little nervous at the same time.

The anticipation, of course, was from wanting to see what the Dome Pillar had become.

The nervousness, however, stemmed from the ‘progress bar.’ According to its fluctuations, business at the grocery store hadn’t been great lately.

Previously, revenue had been steadily increasing by about 1 Gold Coin per day. But in the last few days, that amount had been slashed in half, sometimes dropping to as low as two or three Silver Coins.

Without a doubt, something had gone wrong.

‘Did they run out of stock?’

‘No, that can’t be it. I prepared enough goods to last a month, no problem.’

‘Or maybe they were attacked by monsters, and Anna and Zovir met an unfortunate end?’

‘No, that’s not right either.’

‘If they were dead, the progress bar should have stopped completely.’

‘So they’re clearly still in business.’

‘They’re just having a hard time selling anything…’

“I don’t get it.”

“Don’t tell me Anna and Zovir are slacking off.”

At this thought, Lu Wei grew anxious. After a moment’s consideration, he gave the order to pick up the pace.

Furen and the other two were already eager to get back, so naturally, no one objected.

The four of them immediately quickened their pace, covering the remaining distance to the Dome Pillar in less than half an hour.

As they emerged from the trees, the first thing that greeted their eyes was the two-story, wood-and-stone building nestled beneath the great tree’s crown.

“Wow! It’s beautiful!”

Bai Ya’s eyes widened in delight. “It’s so much better than I imagined!”

“Yeah, I thought it was just going to be a little log cabin.”

Furen was equally astonished. “I never expected it to be this big, and two stories tall!”

“…”

‘What are you two so excited about?’

‘What does it have to do with you?’

Lu Wei shot them a glance. Though his expression remained calm, he was inwardly pleased.

After all, the building before him had exceeded his own expectations as well.

‘Not bad at all. Theodore is so reliable.’

He glanced over at the construction crew, who were busy on the other side of the Dome Tree and hadn’t noticed their arrival yet. He pulled his gaze back, ready to properly admire the first piece of his “business empire.”

But in the next instant, an angry shout erupted from the direction of the grocery store—

“Rip-off store! You crafty merchant!!”

“Everyone was right!!!”

“This is a rip-off store!!!”