Chapter 68: The Beautiful Shop Assistant

  "Wha... What? A shop assistant?" Shier stood frozen on the spot, her mind blank.

  "Yeah, an assistant. I’m starting to find it hard to manage this place on my own," Kael said, stifling a yawn. "I’ll spend tonight going over the merchandise with you. When customers ask questions tomorrow, you just give them the breakdown."

  "I... I see..." Shier was utterly flabbergasted.

  She was well aware of her own beauty, but why was it that when she looked into this man’s eyes, she couldn't detect even a flickering spark of desire?

  Of course! This is the mark of a true powerhouse!

  It suddenly dawned on her. From the very beginning, this man had genuinely only wanted her to mind the shop.

  "Something wrong?" Kael glanced at her.

  "No! Nothing at all!" Shier waved her hands frantically in dismissal.

  "Good. First, an introduction: My name is Kael. While in the shop, you can just call me Manager." Kael then pointed toward the small door behind the counter.

  "The living quarters are in the back. There’s only one bed for now, but since I’m pulling the night shift, you can head back and rest. The shop is due for a renovation soon anyway, so don't worry about the space."

  Kael knew Shier had nowhere else to go, so he made the executive decision. As for the warehouse next to the bedroom, no one could open that door without his explicit permission.

  "Understood. Thank you, Manager," Shier whispered gratefully.

  "Alright, come over here. I’m going to explain the effects of each item. If you can't remember something, just let me know." Kael led the way to the shelves.

  Starting with the pills, he introduced every item one by one.

  Every description left Shier in a state of renewed shock. The pills, the weapons, the armor—each was a masterpiece of the highest tier. The more expensive they were, the more they seemed worth every single crystal.

  By the end of the tour, Shier felt completely numb.

  As expected of a peerless expert living in seclusion, she thought. The things he sells are unheard of in the outside world.

  She had heard of legendary alchemical products with miraculous effects, but they were always guarded by the world's most powerful figures. Here, they were just sitting on shelves for anyone to buy.

  "That's the current stock. Did you get all that?" Kael asked.

  "I have." Shier nodded and proceeded to recite Kael’s descriptions back to him, word for word.

  "Enough, enough! I believe you. Stop reciting." Kael waved her off halfway through. Honestly, it didn't even matter if she forgot a few details; he would be around anyway.

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  He then went over general shop rules and the pricing for the Combat Strength Training Room next door. With the System monitoring everything, Kael wasn't particularly worried about theft or errors.

  "If you're tired, go ahead and rest."

  Kael finished his instructions and prepared to head next door to continue his own grind.

  Grumble...

  A faint sound echoed through the quiet shop. Although Kael wasn't a high level, the attributes provided by his Level 30 status had significantly boosted his senses.

  "Are you... hungry?" Kael asked tentatively.

  "I-I'm so sorry. I... I haven't eaten in several days." Shier's face flushed a deep crimson. Her pinkish earlobes looked like glowing rubies, making her look exceptionally adorable.

  "It's fine. If you don't mind, I have some leftovers." Kael was referring to the dishes he had packed to use as breakfast. Come to think of it, the appetizers from Drunken Cloud Pavilion were actually quite good even when cold.

  "Thank you," Shier whispered, lowering her head.

  The Ancestral Hall of the Wolf Hunter Clan.

  A Beastman dressed in sacrificial robes sat in the center of the hall, eyes closed. He held a relief-carved staff nearly as tall as a man, and his face was painted with strange, ritualistic patterns.

  On the trapezoidal altar before him, a vast number of oil lamps were arranged in orderly rows, their tiny flames flickering.

  Suddenly, two of the flames snuffed out.

  The Priest’s eyes snapped open, fixating on the two extinguished lamps. After a long silence, he stood up, his staff thumping against the floor with a rhythmic thud-thud.

  "The two clansmen sent to hunt the survivor are dead."

  "Not even their souls managed to escape back. It seems the enemy they encountered is powerful beyond imagination. Send someone to investigate. Remember: do not alert the enemy until we are certain of their strength."

  "Understood." A voice responded from the darkness outside the hall. A shadow then melded into the night and vanished.

  In Shier’s memory, she hadn't slept this soundly in months.

  The warm morning light filtered through the back window, dabbing her face and gently waking her. She sat up in bed, surveying her surroundings. The soft touch of the bedding told her that everything from the previous night hadn't been a dream.

  "If you're awake, come out and try minding the shop. I’ll observe for a day to see if you're up for the job." Kael was leaning against the doorframe, yawning. The shop doors were already open.

  "Yes, Manager!" Shier hopped out of bed immediately, greeting him with full energy.

  "Don't be too nervous. I'll be right next door. If there’s a problem you can't solve, just call me." Kael nodded and returned to the Training Room.

  Shier took her place behind the counter, waiting to welcome the first customer.

  "Boss! You froze more people outside? Aren't you worried it'll scare away the business?"

  A boisterous voice boomed before the person even entered. Tiger Hunt stood outside the door, sizing up the two new ice sculptures.

  When the two Wolf Hunters were frozen the night before, they had been in the middle of their transformation. Their beastly features were unmistakable. Tiger Hunt, being a seasoned lone traveler, recognized them instantly.

  "Wolf Hunters? Those guys usually stick to the Moonlight Forest. What are they doing all the way out here?"

  The Moonlight Forest was a significantly higher-tier zone than the Cloud Mist Forest. The magical beasts there were of a much higher grade; Class-rank beasts were common, and there were even rumors of Hero-rank presences in its depths. Anyone from a race living in that forest who could hunt alone was, at minimum, a high-tier Class-rank expert.

  And yet, two such elites were currently serving as lawn ornaments outside the shop.

  "Seems the Boss has reached a new level of power again." Tiger Hunt glanced at the shop with a trace of lingering fear. He was just glad the Boss was content being a shopkeeper. If this man wanted to, not a single person in Cloud Mist City could stand against him.

  "Whatever, no use overthinking it." Tiger Hunt shook his head and pushed open the door.

  "Hello! How can I help you today?"

  A clear, melodic voice greeted Tiger Hunt. Startled, he looked up and saw a beautiful girl standing behind the counter.

  "Boss," Tiger Hunt blurted out, "I only found out today that you had this kind of hobby!"