Dimensional Store: Welcome to the Apocalypse Apartment - Chapter 207

Chapter 207

The Xiling Family.

This was the second time someone from the Xiling Family had appeared before Gu Huaiwei.

The first was in the Real World – a man named Xiling Yuan who had tried to manipulate others into purchasing goods from other dimensions through her. In the end, he had died a bizarre death in his room, leaving no one to claim his body.

The second was Xiling You in this Dimension.

If she was from the Xiling Family…

Then what about the man beside her?

Gu Huaiwei shifted her gaze to the rather impatient man.

His eyes were arrogant, his expression stiff, and he exuded a cold aura that kept everyone at a distance. He didn’t even deign to introduce himself.

Xiling You stepped in to smooth things over. “This is my good friend, Zhou Yizhi.”

Gu Huaiwei lowered her eyes. This man wasn’t from that family.

Bai Yuzhen exchanged pleasantries. “With two great figures from the Heavenly Ranking here, this Instance is practically a guaranteed success.”

Of course, that was assuming there was no competitive relationship between the Trial-takers in this Instance. Otherwise, they would die a miserable death.

“And you, miss?” Xiling You didn’t withdraw her outstretched hand until Gu Huaiwei finally shook it.

“My surname is Gu.”

“Gu what?”

“Gu Changge.” Gu Huaiwei continued to use her sister’s name in public.

The moment she spoke, Xiling You and Zhou Yizhi both looked at her simultaneously, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

Zhou Yizhi’s dismissive attitude softened slightly. He stared at Gu Huaiwei’s face with suspicion, trying to match the person before him with the one in his memories.

Years ago, Gu Changge had worn a mask. Although she wasn’t on the Heavenly Ranking, she had founded the Safe House with strength that surpassed the person ranked first.

He had been young then and had only caught a glimpse of her from a distance.

Afterward, Gu Changge had vanished. Some of the Heavenly Ranking members who had founded the Safe House with her had fallen, while others had obtained special items that allowed them to retire from entering Instances… The legends surrounding Gu Changge had gradually faded along with the decline of those associated with her.

“There certainly are many people with the same name these days,” Xiling You said, testing her. “The name Gu Changge is quite famous. I once had a neighbor who was a worshiper of hers; she even changed her name later, saying she wanted to share a name with her idol.”

It was possible that because her sister had been missing for many years, Gu Huaiwei simply looked too young.

People in this Dimension still aged.

The Lifespan Reward obtained from Instances only allowed them to live longer; it didn’t keep them young.

Therefore, they didn’t immediately assume Gu Huaiwei was the real Gu Changge.

Zhou Yizhi let out a cold snort, clearly disdainful of such an act of desecrating his inner idol. In his eyes, Gu Huaiwei was merely a poor imitation.

The Mine Instance began.

Gray Crystal Gems were buried deep within the mountains. A thick fog shrouded the foot of the peaks, and a winding path cut through the heavy mist, leading into the depths of the mine.

The five Trial-takers entered the Instance.

Gu Huaiwei and He Xueyi followed closely behind.

Seeing them enter, Xiling You appeared quite composed.

Fang Zhao and Bai Yuzhen had already witnessed Gu Huaiwei’s abilities, so they weren’t overly surprised either.

However, Zhao Lianxin said with a look of wonder, “Shopkeeper Gu, this is a five-person Instance. How did you two manage to follow us in?”

Just as Gu Huaiwei was about to explain, Xiling You provided a perfect excuse for her.

“Miss Gu probably has some special Anomaly Artifact for entering Instances. It’s not that uncommon.”

Zhou Yizhi thought the same.

Being able to obtain an Anomaly Artifact meant that this Shop Manager of the Oasis Sanatorium had decent strength. As for the others, they looked like they lacked common sense. He only hoped these people wouldn’t drag him down in the Instance.

Gu Huaiwei remained silent regarding their speculations.

Having traveled through so many dimensions, she had discovered that as long as she didn’t explain herself, the people in these smaller worlds would fill in the blanks with their own imaginations.
Scattered stones lined the roadside, their gray surfaces shimmering with a silvery-white light. These were the legendary Gray Crystals – the source of this town’s wealth and the origin of its tragedy.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding mist grew thicker. The world was swallowed by an endless gray, appearing exceptionally desolate.

The entrance to the mine was like a massive black mouth, gaping wide across the rock face of the mountainside.

Near the entrance, a little girl was crouching on the ground, crying.

The sudden appearance of a child in such a godforsaken place made everyone tense up.

The little girl wore clothes covered in patches. She hugged her knees, her sobs sounding like the mewling of a kitten.

Xiling You was about to step forward when she noticed Gu Huaiwei had already taken the lead.

Gu Huaiwei knelt down in front of the girl and asked, “Little sister, why are you crying?”

Engaging in casual conversation with an Anomaly was a dangerous thing to do.

The other Trial-takers stood to the side, watching.

Fang Zhao felt inwardly relieved. For this Mine Instance, they had a Great God from the Heavenly Ranking leading the way, and now this mysterious female Shop Manager was taking the initiative to communicate with the Anomaly to carry them to victory. All he had to do was keep his head down and stay out of the way.

The little girl did not look up. Her messy, dust-covered hair obscured her face.

“My mommy and daddy work in the Mine Tunnel. I come here every evening to bring them food, but I’ve waited for three evenings now, and they haven’t come to find me.”

As she spoke, the little girl kept her head lowered and pulled an aluminum lunch box from her chest, holding it above her head with both hands.

“Big sister, are you new Miners? If you can, could you help me give this meal to my mommy and daddy?”

Gu Huaiwei took the aluminum lunch box and reached out kindly to pat the girl’s filthy hair. “We can also take you inside to see them.”

“Don’t touch her!” Bai Yuzhen immediately called out a warning when she saw this.

In an Instance, before obtaining the Rules, one could not touch things recklessly, or they would easily be injured.

“It’s fine.” Gu Huaiwei’s hand was merely covered in a bit of dust.

He Xueyi took out a tissue and handed it to Gu Huaiwei so she could wipe her hand clean.

After her head was patted, the little girl’s body visibly stiffened. She looked up, revealing a face that had been smashed to a pulp by stones.

“Clack, clack, clack… Big sister… you…” The girl originally wore a gruesome smile. Her two eyeballs hung outside their sockets; one was flattened, while the other looked like a wriggling earthworm. “Your hand… clack, clack, clack… how is it okay?”

If a Trial-taker touched the dust on her body, their skin should have been corroded.

“It’s just a little dirty. It’ll be fine once it’s wiped off.” Gu Huaiwei looked at the girl’s face, pulled out two more tissues, and pressed them into her palm. “Children should remember to be hygienic. Wash your face and hair often. Your face is all covered in gunk. Do you want me to help you wipe it?”

Seeing the girl’s horrific features, Zhao Lianxin couldn’t help but take a step back.

Fang Zhao clenched his fists, while Bai Yuzhen moved closer to her teammates.

Xiling You and Zhou Yizhi remained composed.

“Clack, clack, clack… Okay…” The little girl lowered her head somewhat shyly.

Gu Huaiwei crouched there, moistened the tissues with Mineral Water, and began to wipe the blood-mangled areas of the girl’s face.

“Big sister… clack, clack, clack… you’re so nice. Everyone else thinks Xiaocao is a dirty child, but only you are willing to touch Xiaocao’s hair and help Xiaocao wipe her face… clack, clack, clack…”

The little girl raised a hand and pointed at the lunch box she had just handed over.

“Big sister… there’s something you need inside the lunch box… clack, clack, clack… After we find mommy and daddy, can I go home with you?”