Chapter 64: Country Bumpkins at the Door

"Errrghh!"

Irene accidentally burped right after finishing her bowl of Spirit-Infused Noodles.

Donape, Mira, and Ga-Eun all turned to glance at her in disbelief.

"Oops! Sorry about that," Irene giggled nervously, sticking her tongue out. "These noodles are just way too good. I ended up devouring them like I was starving! Hehe."

Unable to resist after watching how voraciously Irene had eaten, Mira and Ga-Eun quickly dug into their own bowls.

The moment the food hit their tongues, both women straightened up, their cheeks puffing out in pure delight at the rich, incomparable flavor.

"Mmm! This is amazing!" Mira praised, her eyes wide.

"Yeah! It’s incredibly savory with the perfect texture," Ga-Eun added between bites. "The seasoning is spot-on—not too strong, but definitely not bland."

Wiping her mouth, Irene looked back up at the menu board and suggested it to her friends. "Hey, how about we try a new drink instead of our usual Origins Fountain Water?" She turned toward Donape. "Shopkeeper, the Celestial Sparkle Sprite is similar to regular Sprite, right?"

"Mm," Donape nodded, then shook his head. "Though I wouldn’t recommend drinking it right now. It’s better saved for when you’re about to head home."

"Why’s that?" Irene asked, tilting her head.

"Because that drink purges deep impurities from your body," Donape explained simply. "Which means you’ll emit a foul odor for the rest of the day unless you take a shower immediately."

Irene, Mira, and Ga-Eun exchanged confused glances.

"Wait, what does that mean?"

"Sigh... It means the accumulated negative energy and waste inside your body gets cleansed," Donape elaborated. "Sources of illness or hidden health issues will vanish. Eventually, your bodies will naturally emit a subtle, clean scent—like fresh jade, lotus flowers, or medicinal herbs. Your skin will become so pristine and vibrant that dirt, dust, and sweat won’t even stick to it anymore."

Donape leaned forward across the counter to emphasize his final point. "But that’s just the after-effect. The actual cleansing process involves forcing out a heavy, foul-smelling black sludge clogged inside your body’s cells and energy pathways."

"Can’t we just take a shower in the shop’s new bathroom?" Mira asked.

She had used the Origins VR Cafe’s bathroom before, and it had been spotless, fresh-smelling, and comfortable. Surely with the shop’s Level 3 upgrade, the facilities were even better now.

Donape immediately raised a hand in refusal. "Unless you brought a full change of clothes and a fresh towel, absolutely not. Trust me—the stench of that black sludge clings to fabric like crazy. It’s pungent and almost impossible to wash out. Look, even I’m holding off on drinking that Sprite until after the shop closes tonight."

Irene, Mira, and Ga-Eun exchanged silent glances.

Although Donape’s warning sounded bizarre, they had already reached a point where denying it was impossible. The undeniable evidence was laid out right in front of them: the shop’s impossible spatial expansion.

"Let’s just drink the Sprite later when we’re ready to head home," Irene said.

"Agreed," Mira and Ga-Eun chimed in.

Turning back to the counter, Irene raised her hand. "Shopkeeper! Three Obsidian Roast Coffees, please."

Donape looked at them, flustered. "Wait, weren’t you girls interested in the new magic game?! Why are you suddenly ordering coffee first thing in the morning?!"

"What’s wrong with drinking coffee in the morning?!" Irene retorted smoothly. "Ordering coffee at a cafe is literally the most normal thing to do. Geez! Shoo, shoo!" She flicked her hand at him dismissively. She waved Donape off like shooing away a pesky pet. "Hurry up and bring our coffees over to that table."

Donape rolled his eyes at her hand gesture, but began preparing their orders anyway.

With the Level 3 upgrade, the lounge area where customers could relax and enjoy their food was far more spacious than before. Previously, there had only been a single small round table with three movable chairs tucked into a corner.

Now, the shop featured three proper seating areas: Two small square tables with four chairs each. A large rectangular table surrounded by six comfortable seats—a perfect setup for college students or remote workers looking to get assignments done outside of campus.

Meanwhile, the main counter remained largely unchanged, serving as the ideal spot for casual banter.

After serving the three cups of Obsidian Roast Coffee, Donape intended to jump straight into The Path of Heavenly Martial Arts 2.

Having already cleared Part 1—taking his character from a lowly third-grade disciple all the way up to a second-grade disciple—he was eager to continue his cultivation and push his martial arts to the next level.

More than anything, he wanted to see if Season 2 would allow him to forsake the Heavenly Cloud Sect so he could join other sects instead. He felt that martial styles focusing on softness were uninteresting and lacked flashy, dynamic movements.

Unfortunately, his plans were immediately put on hold as the front door chimed open.

Today was clearly not going to give him any leeway.

"Huh?!"

"Eh?!"

Ji-Woong and Kennedy—two longtime regulars who had been visiting less frequently due to their busy schedules—stood frozen at the entrance. The moment they pushed the door open, their jaws dropped in complete shock.

The sheer scale of the shop’s upgrade left them truly awestruck, but more than that, the mind-bending spatial expansion made their heads feel like they were about to burst.

"Is... is this even the right place?!" Ji-Woong stammered, stepping backward to stare out the glass door before stepping back inside. "Am I... dreaming?!"

"What happened here?! Is this some trick to deceive our eyes?" Kennedy gasped beside him. Looking across the polished floor, he widened his eyes as he took in the glossy, futuristic casings of the brand-new VR capsules.

"Fifty... there are fifty of them now!" Kennedy breathed out, turning back toward the counter in sheer, overwhelming shock. "How can the inside be this massive when the building looks the same from the outside?! Ugh... my head is spinning, I feel sick."

Donape leaned his elbows on the counter, resting his chin in his palms with a lazy expression. "You’re supposed to be city people. Why are you acting like country bumpkins?"

Ji-Woong and Kennedy were still trying to process the familiar voice when Irene spoke up from a nearby table.

"Hey, just come in. There’s no need to be scared," Irene called out nonchalantly. "Like the Shopkeeper always says—magic is real here. Don’t worry, everything has been verified as safe."

Her words did little to soothe them. Faces pale with apprehension, Ji-Woong and Kennedy tiptoed inside like they were walking through a minefield, eventually slumping onto the stools at the counter.

"H-Hello, S-Shopkeeper..." Ji-Woong stuttered, while Kennedy could only nod numbly.

"I’ve told you guys countless times: everything in this shop is extraordinary," Donape said, waving a hand dismissively.

"You just refused to believe it. Now that you’re confronted with actual spatial expansion technology, your brains are having a hard time digesting reality. Sigh. There, there. Take it easy. Take your time digesting reality, and then open your wallets and spend your money on my products. Look at the menu board—there are plenty of new things. Take your time."

’Wait... does this mean learning martial arts and internal energy from the VR game was real all along?!’ Ji-Woong thought, his eyes darting frantically across the massive, high-tech lounge instead of the digital screen above the counter.

Kennedy took a deep breath, trying to regain control over his trembling emotions. It was genuinely terrifying when fiction suddenly intruded into reality, leaving no room for dispute.

"Shopkeeper..." Kennedy began, his voice trembling slightly. "Do you mean everything we learn inside the VR capsules actually reflects into the real world?! Is that true? It wasn’t just marketing hype to promote hyper-realistic VR technology?!"

"Of course it’s real! How could it be fake?" Donape emphasized, rolling his eyes. "You guys have been in denial since day one. That’s the only reason you ignored all the subtle changes your bodies were experiencing after every session."

Aside from Ji-Hong and his elite entourage, most of the casual regulars had stoutly refused to believe that fantasy elements could cross over into reality.

But today’s shop upgrade brought undeniable, irrefutable facts right to their faces. What better proof was there than standing inside a spatial miracle?

"Look, if you want to get strong enough to shatter a boulder with your bare fists, take the VR games seriously," Donape advised, leaning forward.

"Pay attention to your synchronization rate so the physical feedback translates fully into the real world. On top of that, buy the food and drinks from the menu regularly—it’ll help your bodies adapt to internal energies like Qi and Mana much faster."

Ji-Woong and Kennedy looked at each other, a sudden spark of intense motivation igniting in their eyes.

"S-Shopkeeper!" Ji-Woong pleaded eagerly. "How about playing with us today?! Could you guide us inside the game and give us some pointers?!"

At the side table, Irene took a slow sip of her Obsidian Roast Coffee and shouted over her mug, "Don’t bother asking him to guide you, boys! The Shopkeeper is way too busy slacking off and drinking coffee!"

Donape shooed Irene away with a flick of his wrist. "Ignore her. But I really can’t party up with you guys today, because I’m going to be playing the new games instead."

"Huh? New games..." Ji-Woong’s eyes finally locked onto the new titles displayed on the board. "The Path of Heavenly Martial Arts 2?! And Magic Academy: First Semester?!"

"Ah, the prices!" Kennedy pointed frantically at the activation fees. "200 BC and 125 BC?! Sir, isn’t that way too expensive?! Even the food and beverages here are more expensive than similar items anywhere else."

Looking at the glowing digital screen properly for the first time, both young men realized that it wasn’t just the physical room that had undergone a massive upgrade—Origins VR Cafe had officially entered a completely new era.

But their savings accounts were about to be drained dry too.