Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 518: Celestial Duel Arcade
"Indeed. But a river also connects the mountains to the sea, does it not?" The monk countered gently. He gestured with his chin towards the celebrating merchant caravan, where the fat merchant was currently high-fiving his mercenaries, celebrating a victory won with paper slips and stickers rather than blood and grit.
"Look at them, Benefactor. They did not pray for salvation. They purchased it. They applied it. And they survived. Is that not a form of enlightenment?
To hold one’s fate in one’s own hands, facilitated by a simple transaction?"
Aurelia looked. She saw the relief on their faces, the lack of casualties. In the Western Sacred Lands, a beast attack of that magnitude would have resulted in deaths, followed by a solemn funeral rite presided over by a priest of the Supreme Sun, reminding them that suffering purifies the soul.
Here, they were opening another bag of chips to celebrate.
"It is... efficient," Aurelia admitted grudgingly. "But is it right? To replace strength with tools?"
"A sword is a tool. A scripture is a tool," The monk murmured, his golden eyes reflecting the distant horizon. "Perhaps the store simply offers better tools in the form of convenience. I am Huiyin. If our paths align, perhaps we shall walk this road together for a time."
"I am... Lia," Aurelia said, using a pseudonym. She sensed no malice from him, only a profound curiosity that mirrored her own. "And yes. The road is long."
They fell into a companionable silence as the caravan resumed its journey. One is going undercover while the other is returning to strengthen his belief. Little did they know, they were from two most powerful neutral factions of the West, riding side by side towards the growing epicenter of convenience.
—
The twenty-fourth day.
Fanling City woke up to a new, rhythmic thrumming sound coming from the Divine Convenience Store.
Lin Mo stood in the center of the store, his arms crossed with a look of profound satisfaction on his face as he beheld the result of his latest suggestion to the Divine Pantheon.
Somehow, the divine beings up there truly implemented it quickly, even though he had just received the confirmation last night before his trip to the Martial World.
It wasn’t free though. Lihua told him that Chuang and the other divine beings who worked on finishing them demanded half of the Dimension Essence he earned from the auction.
Lin Mo wouldn’t actually mind giving it all to them. After all, the store remained their creation, and everything they were selling was manufactured by them. To only demand half meant they simply wanted to give him a sense of purpose. That not everything was going to be handed to him for free, and he had to continue working for the store’s progress.
He glanced at the corner of his eye, where the updated progress from yesterday’s evaluation was visible.
[Dimension Essence Balance: 12,847,665 DE]
[Tier Progression: Renowned Store (20,232,155/100,000,000), Golden Card Patron (638/1000)]
Twenty-one million down to twelve. It’s not that bad, obviously. The patrons using the Celestial Shuttle Network for instant travel and the Store Beacon inside the Towers and Anchors were continuously providing him with a steady influx of Dimension Essence.
It wouldn’t be long before he could buy another upgrade. He could also spend some of it on the Anchor Interference Upgrades. But he had to carefully select what would be most useful.
Other than that, with the addition of the Celestial Hot Spring, wherein its spirit stone revenue would also be added to the Tier Progression, it would provide a decent increase in its rate now that he was noticing that the average daily revenue settled around two million intermediate-grade spirit stones.
As for the newly implemented suggestion... Lin Mo couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction as he stared at it.
A section of the wall near the Celestial Shuttle Network hub had expanded. The space had stretched, creating a semi-enclosed alcove that was bathed in a vibrant, shifting neon glow. It was a modern contrast to the serene aesthetics of the Hot Spring or the martial grandeur of the Arena.
Lined up against the wall were ten sleek, upright cabinets. They were crafted from a dark, glossy spirit metal which seemed to pulsate with veins of spiritual energy-conductive silver.
Each cabinet featured a high-definition crystal screen and a control panel that looked like a fusion of a traditional formation plate and a modern arcade stick.
Above the alcove, a holographic sign flashed in bold, energetic colors: [Divine Convenience Arcade Zone].
Then, above each machine, another holographic sign flashed in vibrant, shifting neon colors that would have looked at home on Earth but looked utterly alien and mesmerizing here, just like his store.
[CELESTIAL DUEL ARCADE - CHALLENGE THE HEAVENS!].
"It’s... it’s beautiful," Liu Xiaoyu gasped in admiration. She started vibrating with excitement, with her fingers twitching as if itching to press the glowing buttons. "Boss, what are these? They look like miniature towers!"
The arcade cabinets seemed to thrum invitingly as the screens looped a dynamic attract-mode battle. A [Stormfang Wolf] tearing through a horde, a [Sapphire Melody] singing a shockwave that shatters ice. The sound effects, like roars, clashes of steel and magical explosions, were crisp and directional, designed to grab attention from across the room.
"They’re called the arcade cabinets. The divine beings truly outdid themselves this time. Now, anyone can try out our Celestial Duel Platform even without the expensive gear."
He patted the side of the cabinet. "These are linked directly to the Viewing Jades’ network. So the moment you sit down and activate it, it’ll recognize you. However, unlike the personal gear, these are designed for quick matches, flashy visuals, and public viewing. Look."
He pointed to the top of the cabinet, where a secondary, larger projection screen hovered. It displayed the current match being played on the machine, allowing anyone standing behind the player to watch the action in real-time.
"Coin-operated. Or rather, Spirit Stone operated," Lin Mo explained, pointing to a slot that glowed with a greedy light. "One low-grade spirit stone or 1 Dimension Essence per match. Winner stays on. Loser pays again."
"Winner stays on?" Xiaoyu’s grin turned predatory. "Boss, I claim the first machine! I’m going to set a high score that no one in this realm can beat!"
"Hold on, prodigy," Lin Mo laughed, grabbing her collar before she could dive in. "Naturally, we have to test it ourselves. But to make it more interesting, a prize counter has been set up as well."
He gestured to a small, automated kiosk next to the arcade cabinets. It was filled with lower-tier rewards: unique card sleeves, limited edition snack flavors, and cosmetic skins for the Celestial Duel avatars. Small things, but things that would drive collectors mad.
As for the currency to be used in it? Arcade tickets, obviously.
"The cabinets would dispense tickets based on match performance, win streaks, and flashy finishes. Physical tickets, Xiaoyu. Glowing, spiritual tickets. The kind you can hold in your hand and count with glee. You can feed those tickets to exchange for a price. Of course, you can also use the kiosk to store them digitally in your Viewing Jade wallet, but where’s the fun in that?"
"Physical tickets..." Xiaoyu murmured, her eyes glazing over with the primal desire of a loot goblin. "Boss, stop talking. Fight me. Right now. I need those tickets."
Lin Mo chuckled and then flicked her forehead, "What do you need those tickets for? Anyway... I’m not done with the explanations yet."
With that, Lin Mo continued reading the print that had been sent over to him through the system.
Patrons can also use the arcade cabinets for deck-building. They can access the database listing all the cards available. And if they want to, they can upload their custom deck to the Bulletin Board.
A new dedicated section for it will be created. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
As for the arcade matches, two modes can be played. Standard Celestial Duel Mode and the Awakened Celestial Duelist mode.
The four Starter Decks will be provided digitally so that even those who don’t have a Celestial Duel Gear can play.
It is also possible to use a custom deck. However, the patron must truly own it. They only need to place their deck on the groove. The arcade cabinet will scan and digitize their personal collection for the duration of their session.
"Imagine the possibilities, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo continued, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a visionary. "A mortal or a rogue cultivator who can’t afford the gear can now experience what it means to be a Celestial Duelist if they choose to play in that mode."
"A veteran can test a new deck combination without risking their life in a tower. And spectators... they can watch, learn, and bet. It turns the Celestial Duel from a tool into a spectator sport."
He waved his hand, and the arcade machines sprang to life, their screens flashed with the ’INSERT SPIRIT COIN’ prompt in ancient, glowing script.
"Alright. Pan Ruo, Meiyu, let us prepare for the opening." He then turned to his restless assistant and the excited young girl on the side, both of them were already holding their deck of Celestial Duel Cards. "Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya, you two test it to your heart’s content and later, introduce our patrons to them."
