Chapter 1333: Second Store Upgrade Quest(1)
The first ray of sunlight peered through the cover of darkness and brought the beginning of a new day for the store.
What used to be Seventeenth Street had now been turned into First Street, with the City ruler buying all the land in that area.
What caused that change was none other than the First Store. It had been more than two decades since the store set foot in Thorr City.
Except for the land belonging to the store, the area within a radius of a few hundred square miles was owned by the Thorrino Family. It wasn't empty land, but except for the radius of a few hundred meters around the store, the remaining area was covered by a cluster of residences.
Since the store had appeared in Thorr City, it had become a hub for the flow of customers from different races, including overlord races as well. Due to the store's presence, none dared force the Thorrons to vacate their land.
Alfred saw an opportunity in that situation and decided to form a cluster of residences in the area near the store. Because of the wide range of housing options, rents also varied widely.
Aakesh could see the booming business of the Vurrons due to his store, and he also heard complaints from many customers about the high rent. The store had no policy to intervene in anything happening outside the store, and since Aakesh agreed with it, he ignored the complaints. It was up to the city and the customers to decide; he had no interest in being a part of it.
High rent was an issue, but that was impossible to change. The number of customers from different races was so high that, despite there being residence clusters, the supply was falling short of demand.
Only the largest Villas were available in Thorr City because not many beings from top races needed to rent them. They could buy the Ultimate Store Card for their travels every day. But since the rents for those ranged in the thousands of ordinary Sacred stones, those who needed them couldn't afford them.
What was even more aggravating was the fact that those were simple houses. If not for the store, even a few thousand ordinary Sacred stones would be more than enough to buy the material required in all the residences.
As soon as sunrise approached, every residence on First Street would turn empty, and they would gather in the open area around the store.
When Aakesh opened the door, he was greeted with the usual sight of an immense crowd waiting for the store. He didn't make them wait any longer and turned around, returning to his chair.
The next moment, the crowd entered the store, turning the area empty again. When the customers saw that the number of customers covered in golden light was the same as the previous day, those who couldn't get covered in golden light were disappointed.
"Hello, store owner!" Maria greeted Aakesh as she immediately approached him after entering the store.
Aakesh simply nodded in response to her greetings. Maria didn't say anything else and left the queue, walking toward the portal room since she was one of the customers to enter Panagea in the first group.
Time flew by, and several more customers passed.
"Hello, Big Brother," Laney greeted Aakesh with a gentle smile and respectful expression.
It had been more than a decade since she entered the store, and there were visible changes in her compared to when she entered the store.
For the second store upgrade quest, Aakesh needed to create a ruler from a Divine Transformation customer, and due to different situations, Aakesh chose Laney for the task.
Since it needed to be a secret from every being, not even a whiff of his decision was made public.
Laney had also grown in the past decade, as when she entered, she was extremely playful with Aakesh. But as time passed, she grew out of that mindset and became a closed person. Except for her family, there was no one other than Aakesh with whom she would smile.
"How is your cultivation growing?" Aakesh asked.
Even though Laney wasn't aware of what Aakesh had in store for her, she could sense the situation was different in how Aakesh treated her compared to how he talked with other customers. Aakesh's indifferent personality was well known to those who had lived in Thorr City since the store's arrival.
But with her, Aakesh would give her pointers from time to time, and he would also suggest the optimal product to her.
Laney had grown old enough to understand the relationship between a man and a woman. But Laney never believed that Aakesh was into her. The same was the case for her. She respected Aakesh as her own elder brother in her heart.
Not having any kind of romantic feeling made the relationship between the two even more special. Laney was also sensible enough and didn't speak of her different situation with others.
Laney still remembered that Aakesh had promised her a reward if she succeeded in passing his test. Laney had passed the test, but she never received any prize. At first, Laney was frustrated with it since she had worked extremely hard to pass the test and almost put her cultivation on line due to the level of toxins in her body reaching a dangerous level.
But as Laney grew older and began to understand the situation more and more, she knew that the situation with Aakesh was the big reward he was talking about. She even thought that the store owner wanted to take her as his disciple, but then she stopped having that thought upon learning of Aakesh refusing Ransh.
Ransh was someone who had become a popular figure over the past decade due to the generational talent he had. Laney was no match for his talent at all.
***
"Big brother, I have passed the twenty-seventh level," Laney responded with a smile, and a big ball of light appeared in her hand.
It wasn't a simple ball of light, but inside it, there was an intricate energy pattern flowing, showing Laney's success.
Aakesh nodded in appreciation, resulting in the smile on Laney's face turning wider and more brilliant.
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