Little Shop

2024, One year after the Dungeon incident.

Yan Luo found himself working at the back of a noodle restaurant called Little Monster in Hefei, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. With his skillful hands, he handled exotic meats, but these were no ordinary cuts of beef or pork. They were the result of conquering the Dungeon: monster meat.

Gone were the days when the restaurant was a simple noodle shop run by Yan Luo's Uncle Wang. The sudden appearance of monsters through a dimensional portal had changed everything. Now, the Little Monster restaurant served a unique dish that contained supernatural energy beneficial to cultivators and magic practitioners. Monster meat was a cheaper alternative to the expensive potions and elixirs available in the market.

At Little Monster, hunters and practitioners came to replenish their lost energy at an affordable price, making it one of the centers for them. But why would anyone want to eat monsters? The answer was simple: the monster meat contained supernatural energy that was beneficial to their cultivation and magic practice.

"Stop daydreaming, Yan Luo! Bring the meat to the kitchen," scolded Wang Mei Mei, Yan Luo's girlfriend and childhood friend, playfully as she stood with her hands on her hips. Yan Luo, lost in thought, snapped out of his reverie and turned to face her.

"I don't want to. I'm too comfortable being lazy," Yan Luo teased, knowing that Mei Mei was always the more serious and hardworking of the two. Mei Mei showered him with harsh words in response, but Yan Luo couldn't help but smile at her cute voice. He knew that she was only looking out for him, and could even imagine her pouting.

"There you go, there goes the jackpot," Yan Luo said proudly, anticipating Mei Mei's pout. However, she was not amused and asked him to take the meat to the kitchen as they would soon be opening for business.

Ignoring her, Yan Luo playfully pinched Mei Mei's cheeks, causing her to protest, "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Stop playing with me, I'm not a little girl anymore," with her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Yan Luo grinned and picked up the meat, making his way to the kitchen. Mei Mei realized that her cheeks were now dirty with monster blood and quickly ran after Yan Luo, but found that he had disappeared at lightning speed, leaving her alone.

As Yan Luo walked out after work in the morning, he took a breath of fresh air and let his mind wander. Walking in the morning, when the residents were still getting ready to start the day, was the best time for him to clear his mind and think.

He always went to a nearby park, sat on a bench, and relaxed. As he sat there, he couldn't help but think about how much life had changed since that incident. The world was now a different place, with dungeons and monsters appearing out of nowhere, and supernatural powers thrust upon humanity.

Since the Dungeon incident, many supernatural organizations emerged from the shadows, working tirelessly to save humanity. They were hailed as heroes for their efforts in protecting humans from the dangers of dungeons and monsters.

However, with their newfound power and influence, they also controlled all the resources needed to become a supernatural practitioner, whether it was qi cultivation or magic. This led to a new type of economy and society, where those with supernatural abilities were highly valued, and those without were often ignored.

The rise of cultivation sects and families, similar to those found in Wuxia novels, only made things worse for normal people trying to gain access to the resources they needed to become supernatural practitioners.

These sects and families guarded their knowledge and techniques closely, making it difficult for outsiders to learn and practice. Even if they managed to acquire resources, they often had no one to teach them.

For many, the only path to becoming a practitioner was to join one of these organizations. This created a gap between those with access to knowledge and resources and those without, further marginalizing those without supernatural abilities.

The Chinese government established specialized academies and curricula using the resources at their disposal, such as manuals and techniques. However, it was common knowledge that sects and families had a significant advantage in terms of experience, making them the preferred choice for people wishing to become supernatural practitioners.

In addition, many special techniques could only be learned by joining these organizations. But due to strict admissions, many people transferred to government academies or quit altogether and became normal humans. The competition was fierce, and only the most talented and hardworking could achieve their dream of becoming a powerful supernatural practitioner.

As Yan Luo sat in the park and contemplated the state of the world, he focused on practicing a new breathing technique he had found on the internet. This technique, originating from Southeast Asia, may not have an immediate effect, but it was simple and consistent, and Yan Luo felt it was worth a try.

The breathing technique helped to restore and unleash the body's potential, allowing one to run faster and farther when in danger. This technique had been publicized even before the Dungeon incident and had gained popularity among athletes and martial artists.

To practice the technique, Yan Luo sat cross-legged with his hands folded in front of his chest, palms pushing against each other. He exhaled through his mouth and held his breath for 5 to 10 seconds in his chest. Then, he closed his eyes and continued to push his palms forward as hard as possible, as if trying to open a thick steel door in front of him.

As he continued to push, he slowly stretched his right and left palms to the right and left sides while keeping his body in a spasm and holding his breath. When the stretch of his hands was on the right or left, he pulled back his body, opening his chest wide and slowly moving it forward, repeating the original movement while still holding his breath and keeping his body convulsed. Finally, he slowly exhaled with a hissing sound through his mouth.

Yan Luo found this technique both relaxing and energizing, and he felt it helped him to maintain a calm and focused state of mind. As he practiced the technique, he couldn't help but think about how it might help him in his future in this new world where monsters and other supernatural beings exist.

Yan Luo sat in the garden, focusing on his breathing technique. Suddenly a strange black and green screen appeared before him, interrupting his practice.

[The God of Death System Activated]

[Integration Progress: 1%]

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Edit note: Grammars and spellings fixed 2/3/23