Three days passed and things settled down again. Leonid walked to the door and turned the closed sign. Finally, they had some proper opening hours. Dai had set it for eight to three o'clock. The number of customers had increased slightly, but it still wasn't enough that they had to be open all day.
Leonid noticed something and looked through the shop window into the nearby street. A small person was hiding in the shadows. It certainly didn't know how to hide. Leonid didn't worry about it. He knew who it was, but he wasn't going to do anything about it. The fact that he was snooping around meant that he would come eventually. He turned and walked to the Dragon Door.

Leonid walked over to the shop and looked at the young man sitting in front of the Worm, watching him intently. The worm had shrunk to the size of a piglet the day before and was not shrinking any further. It was probably his current size.
Leonid stopped and stroked his mustache. "You want to kill it?" He asked.
Filn flinched and glanced at the older man before his gaze returned to Worm. "I don't know." He replied.
Leonid shook his head. Filn settled into the shop and Dai cared for him as much as she could, but there wasn't much she could do about his sadness and depression.

"If you think it will help you, do it." He advised him.
Filn's shoulders slumped. "I don't know... I just.... want to know why. Lots of people have been here, but it hasn't done anything. I've been sitting here for who knows how long, but it hasn't even tried to attack me. Why did this thing.... kill Teru?"
Leonid didn't have an answer. He looked up and noticed that Dai behind the counter was looking in their direction, she heard what they were talking about, but as soon as she met Leonid's gaze she looked away and began to wipe away the nonexistent dust.
Leonid narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Dai moved her gaze away and began wiping dust off the counter, sighing. She was beginning to regret lying to Filn a little. He seemed to have no peace about it. He barely ate and if she hadn't dragged him outside to at least get some sunlight, even if it was the setting sun, it was still better than him wandering aimlessly around the room.

Dai really didn't know what to do with him.
So she focused on her business instead. It was going well, there were more customers, and anyway, Bran's emissary kept coming to buy her stock once a day. Her Star Coins were approaching a neat sum of 500.

Dai had already booked 100 SC to unlock Shelter 1, but she still didn't buy it even though she was pressed for time. The problem was that to get there, she would have to go outside the safety of Shelter 22 and even though she was now a cultivator, she still didn't have any proper combat skills. Or a weapon. Or armor. How was she supposed to travel like that?
And the System hadn't been much help lately. It didn't give her assignments, it didn't even talk on its own unless she asked it something. She didn't have a good feeling about how quiet it was. Just like when she saw Horn's smirk.

"Hey, lass," Leonid said as he walked in through the open door. "We're closed. Give me a pill and some lasagna." He requested. Dai nodded. After all, that was their agreement so far, that she would pay him in kind until the Staff functioned.
"I want to give you this first," Dai said, pulling out Combat Gloves of Origin from her inventory.

Name: Combat Gloves of Origin
Description: Once upon a time there lived people who cultivated only their bodies and were called Primal. Their power was so great that they could shatter a meteorite or split continents with a single attack. The Combat Gloves of Origin are the Primal last weapon.
Effect: 50% to physical attack
Attack: Final Push - A sequence of punches that will suppress even someone one realm higher.

Leonid took them and looked at them curiously. Luckily, the store function provided the same description for all the items as it did for her, so he could find out what they were.
Leonid opened his eyes wide before looking up at Dai and yelling. "You stupid girl! Why didn't you give it to me before? I could have beaten that mutant woman with that!"

Dai returned the look firmly. "You are my employee. As your boss, I must keep my employees safe. Was I supposed to let you go clean up my mess and risk you getting hurt or killed?"
Leonid was amazed at Dai's strange logic. He shook the glove he was holding in front of her face. "You're weaker than me! With protection from one killing blow, I could easily handle this!"
Dai pushed his hands away from her face, looking stubborn. "But we can't know that. And I wasn't going to risk it."
Leonid shook his head. "You.... seriously.... are totally stupid. Even if there was a risk it would still be safer than your plan."
Dai wasn't going to argue with him any further. She had her principles and rules. She had already decided not to put her people at risk. And she can't adjust things as she pleases. How could anyone take her seriously like that?
"What's done is done."

Leonid could really understand her. If she let him do it, couldn't things have turned out differently? Maybe even the boy's wife would have survived. But Leonid was beginning to get the feeling that there was something more to the whole incident.

Dai turned away from him and went to the warehouse to buy a pill and lasagna for Leonid. Of course, there was more to it than that. Her plan had holes, but it wasn't that risky. Of course, she had no idea what was about to happen. If she had known, it would have been wiser to equip Leonid. The worm wouldn't have had a chance to eat Teru. She didn't feel like dying and would certainly have chosen the safest option. But she had no idea Teru would screw her over like that. This was better for Dai. Even though she got a good beating. Dai wouldn't be so kind as to turn a blind eye to the fact that Teru was trying to kill her. The 'accident' was more to Dai's liking. That way she didn't have to do anything herself. And she could only comfort Filn, not endure his hatred.

Dai paid for the cultivation pill and lasagna and nearly jumped out of her skin when the notification appeared in front of her. Seriously, when it only happens occasionally, she can't get used to it enough!

System: Store Owner reaches the first milestone!
Description: Serve 300 customers
Reward: Personal shop update
Note: You've reached your first milestone, boss. Keep growing your business and reach the next one!

System: Store Owner reaches the second milestone!
Description. Spend 300 SC in Personal Shop
Reward. New ability - select here
Note: You are falling behind the boss. Start doing something about it.

Dai looked at the notification and remained silent.
Is that why the System was so quiet? Was it preparing for this?

But she had to admit that the update to her Personal Shop was something she was really looking forward to. New items!
She removed the notification and returned to the shop where Leonid was waiting for her, already putting on his gloves and punching the air.
"Here you go. Have a nice time." She told him before slamming the pill and lasagna down on the counter and heading to her room.
"What, aren't you going to train too?" Leonid asked as he watched her hurry away.
"I've got work to do! Later!" She replied before disappearing behind the door.

Dai shut herself in her room, put on her fluffy slippers to make herself comfortable, and sat on the bed. Now she was ready!

She opened the store interface and noticed that there was a gold star next to a few accessible folders. Dai folded her arms and pressed the Pet tab first. She checked the new items that were marked with a gold star.

Name: Long-Horned Dragon Gazelle
Description: Natural resistance to fire and thanks to dragon genes, can resist magma as well. Its speed is on par with racehorses. A natural mutation of the gazelle living in the volcanic Sahara. Suitable as a mount.
Affinity: Fire - Luck
Abilities: Fire hearth - Displaces heat, and can increase her body heat as needed. If it came to it, you could roast a piece of meat on it. Beasts with no resistance to fire find this prey difficult to digest.
Lucky seeker - Natural luck at finding just what it needs. Food, water, and raw materials.
Flaming tail lash - Its long tail turns to flames and can flick them like a whip. Like someone hitting you with a red-hot poker.
Price: 90 SC

Name: Junior Cation
Description: A feline-like creature that is plant-based and looks like a cat. It also has the special ability to emit an unfathomable aroma that will make any creature within its range cry. A hidden beast that often hides in the dirt and looks like a common wild garlic.
Affinity: Earth - Plants
Abilities: Burning Tears - Releases a powerful aroma that makes anyone with a sense of smell cry.
Wild Garlic - Can make garlic grow in an instant. Often used as part of camouflage.
Mud Shower - Flicks mud into the eyes of his enemy before he runs away.
Price: 50 SC

Dai looked at the two new Pets on the menu. She was most excited about the Long-Horned Dragon Gazelle. Since she was planning to leave Shelter, it was the perfect pet for traveling! Dai, but she didn't buy anything right away. This time she wanted to go over everything before making a decision.
She headed to the weapons folder.

Name: Court and Sentence
Description. Twin sabers forged from a single rod of spirit iron. Created by an unknown martial master of the Lower Realm.
Bonus: +2 Penetration.
Effect: Dual Strike - After at least one of the swords wounds the target (a drop of blood is enough), the other sword causes an attack that cannot be avoided.
Cost: 20 SC

Name: Fog Fan
Description. Created by the Ninjas of the sea island of Devadas. The Deva Ninjas are known as the most hidden organization on the planet. Everyone who knows about them fears the coming of the fog.
Bonus. Defense +5
Effect: Fog - Activates and begins to create the illusion of fog in its surroundings. Must be activated by inserting spiritual energy.
Fan Shield - The fan expands into a shield form and serves as a defense against attacks.
Price: 32 SC

Name: Stone Eater
Description: Chakram forged from mithril is sharp and durable enough to cut through hard stone. This weapon became famous thanks to an unnamed female warrior who was able to stand up to armies using Chakram.
Bonus: Cutting +5 Penetration +3
Effect: Link - Summon once per day.
Mind Guidance - For 1 min, the Chakram can be controlled by mind movement. Cool down: 5 min.
Cost: 50 SC.

Dai shivered with excitement. Weapons at last! And every one of them looked great! Now she was really going to have to give a lot of thought to what direction her fighting ability would take. She switched to the Cultivation folder.

Name: Faster Time Pillow
Description. 30 minutes on the pillow = 1 minute in real-time. After 12 minutes, a break of at least 3 hours is recommended.
Price: 100 SC

Name: Streaming Fire ling gathering pills
Description: A cultivation pill that stimulates the growth of not only cultivation but also fire affinity. Developed by the chief of the Fire Head tribe.
Bonus: +20% Cultivation +30% Fire Affinity
Quantity: 3 pills
Price: 15 SC

Name: Hidden Weapons Technique
Description: A technique used for quick attacks, a person can use anything as their weapon. Created by Supreme Father Tao, who loved all weapons.
Price: 50 SC

Name: Elephant Mimicry Technique
Description: A technique focusing on power and crushing kicks. A slow attack against which there is no defense. A lost technique of the Quickfoot Clan of the Western Continent.
Price: 50 SC

Dai blinked at an item called Faster Time Pillow. Isn't that a little strong? But the recommendation note told her it had a catch. All she had to do was remember the Pain Lord Suffering Balm. That's definitely not going to be simple! If she buys it, she'll have to be pretty careful to follow the recommended time, otherwise, she doesn't want to know what it might do to her. Dai also was surprised that the System offered to sell combat techniques as well. It seems that she really must be slowly coming to believe that it was only concerned for Dai's well-being. She opened the offer with Food.

Name: Blizzard
Description: Refreshing ginger-flavored lemonade. Created in the cultivation canyon of the Mountain Monk Clan.
Effect: Gaining 10% speed and strength while not feeling pain. Duration 1 minute.
Number: 5 bottles
Price: 15 SC

Name: Caramelized Celery Sprouts
Description: This sweet treat will tickle not only your taste but also your ability to learn.
Bonus: Stimulate memory and learning ability for 1 hour
Quantity: 10 pcs.
Price: 10 SC

Dai went through all the files just in case, but that was all. Not that she was complaining. That was quite a lot of new stuff! She definitely had a lot to choose from, and now that she was looking at her Star Coin balance she felt like she still had too few!

Dai was the first to calm down. She still had the second announcement. She's about to gain an ability. She removed the Personal Shop and looked again at the notification of meeting the second milestone. She was curious. And she was also worried.