Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 83

The lush trees are filled with birds, and as soon as people pass beneath them, the flocks scatter, flapping their wings and soaring into the sky. Kane looks up, watching them for a long time before snapping out of it and hurrying to catch up with the group ahead.

Even after all these days, Kane still often feels like he’s dreaming. He escapes the fate of dying as a slave. He summons the courage he never thought he had and leaps off a cliff while being chased by stewards and dogs.

—And he doesn’t die. Not only does he survive, but he is saved by the Moon God and witnesses countless miracles.

The temple is filled with endless varieties of wine and food. There are no towering stone pillars or long flights of stairs, only shelves overflowing with items. Everything a person could desire exists within that temple.

But those who serve the gods pay no attention to any of it, as if all those riches are nothing more than rocks by the roadside.

Kane often finds himself lost in thought. Sometimes he even wonders if he is dead.

But when he returns to this familiar place and sees the familiar people in the distance, he realizes he’s still alive.

His emotions are complicated. Sometimes, he hates the slaves. When he tries to escape, they want to turn him in to gain favor—hoping to exchange his capture for bread and food. But other times, he sympathizes with them. He understands they’re not unwilling to run; they’re just too afraid.

People always want to live. No matter how harsh life is, if there’s even the faintest glimmer of hope, they won’t choose death.

But for him, there are things more important than life.

Kane follows the group, gazing at the Moon God’s back, silently praying that the Moon God will stay longer. He prays the Moon God’s blessings will extend mercifully to everyone, allowing all those trapped in suffering—those slaves—to receive forgiveness.

Ryan is busy.

He has the servants move everything they’ve prepared up the mountain. All the valuables from the stone house are carried out—gold and silver bowls, gemstones, fine wines. If he owns it, he brings it.

He also writes letters to the two neighboring lords. Afraid they won’t believe the Moon Goddess has descended, he simply invites them to attend a banquet without mentioning that the Moon God has come to his territory.

This is part of Ryan’s plan—he doesn’t want others to make offerings to the Moon God as he has.

If it’s only him, then he is the most likely to gain eternal life and enter the temple to enjoy its splendors.

But if too many people join, his chances shrink.

He only wants to obtain treasures from the two lords, not let them stay.

One of the male servants offers a suggestion. “My lord, how about just borrowing from them?”

Ryan feels like cracking the servant’s head open. He gives him a look of disdain and says coldly, “Offerings to the Moon God might mean a lifetime of devotion. What if they come back later asking me to repay them?”

He needs them to offer it willingly.

“I have an idea,” Kurt speaks up. “I have something the Lord Moon God gave me. It should fetch quite a lot.”

He pulls out the glass bird Ye Zhou gave him.

Ryan, who has already seen the colored glass butterfly, is still stunned by this one. The broken butterfly has lost its beauty, but the bird looks alive—its feathers vivid, as if it will spread its wings any second.

Kurt, a little proud, says, “Lord Moon God gave me this. I’m willing to offer it to trade for treasures for the Moon God’s sake.”

He genuinely means it, though he also hopes to benefit a little.

He doesn’t have the network to trade the bird for anything useful.

But Ryan does.

Ryan slowly approaches the bird Kurt has placed on the table. Holding his breath, he bends down to stare at it closely and whispers, “This must’ve been the most beautiful bird when it was alive.”

“Of course,” Kurt replies. “Lord Moon God hates anything that’s not beautiful.”

So anyone the Moon God favors has to be beautiful.

The two laugh at their own flattery.

“Oh, right. Another divine messenger came,” Ryan says, glancing out the window. “She didn’t want to stay here, left earlier, might return tomorrow.”

Kurt doesn’t know anything about that, but he can’t admit it. So he replies calmly, “How could a great god like the Moon God only have one messenger? Tell me what she looks like. Maybe I know her.”

“She’s around twelve,” Ryan says, “maybe younger. But she doesn’t feel like a child. More like a noble, proud lady. She must come from a very high-ranking family.”

He wants to say she looks arrogant but holds back.

Kurt pretends to think, then says with a smile, “I know who you’re talking about. She’s the Moon God’s most beloved messenger. She was once a princess. Next time, show her more respect—she doesn’t like people looking directly into her eyes.”

The Moon God has no interest in other men’s wives—not like the Sun God, who has no such restraint—so the most likely identity is the princess.

“Good thing you told me,” Ryan sighs in relief. “It’s good to know what she likes.”

Kurt replies sincerely, “Even though I’m the Moon God’s messenger, I’m also your friend. Of course I’ll share what I know with you.”

They exchange a look of mutual understanding.

Karl, watching from the side, sneers inwardly.

Kurt is still useful for now, and his hypocrisy is plain to see.

But once the lord no longer needs him, his fate will likely be worse than Hill’s.

Countless treasures and wines are carried up the mountain. Dry firewood is stacked and ready for the night. A bonfire will be lit. Everyone prays for clear skies and a full, bright moon.

The slaves, having not worked in days, are too weak to walk.

The stewards don’t let them work—but they don’t feed them either.

The only things they can eat are bark and roots. They dare not flee, so they can only starve.

The “freed men” receive no land, seeds, or food to last them until harvest. Though technically free, they are worse off than slaves.

The stewards begin to worry.

“The Moon God gave them their freedom. Shouldn’t we give them food? What if He asks why they’re starving?”

“And He’s supposed to come tonight. If He sees this, how do we explain it?”

“The lord will just blame us.”

They know their job is to take the fall. If the Moon God doesn’t ask, the lord can save the food. If He does, the blame will be theirs.

After discussion, the stewards agree to give the slaves just enough. They pull out moldy beans and boil them into a thin paste—enough to stop them from looking like walking corpses when the Moon God arrives.

They even have to pay for the beans themselves.

“Really, if they’d just escaped into the woods,” the stewards grumble, “they’d be dead by now, and we wouldn’t have to waste food.”

When the porridge is served, the “freed men” rush forward. Holding out their hands as makeshift bowls, they cling to the hot porridge and drink greedily.

Som, who is distributing the food, doesn’t tease them like Hill used to. He watches them with cold, indifferent eyes.

Hill’s death has hit him hard.

Without Hill, he could end up like these people someday.

And if that happens, he wouldn’t want to die either. He’d probably act just like them—begging like a dog, doing whatever it takes to live.

Each freed man receives only a spoonful of beans, but no one complains. After eating, they find a spot to curl up and sleep, hoping the hunger will fade in their dreams.

The sky darkens, and bonfires are lit. Flames light up the cliff and cast a soft orange glow on the surrounding trees.

Lord Ryan rides in just as the last sliver of sun disappears below the horizon. Behind him stretches a long line of servants and slaves, carrying box after box of treasure.

As the wooden boxes are opened, the treasures inside glow under the firelight.

When the moon rises above, its familiar light shines down on the large tree at the cliff’s edge.

Everyone kneels instinctively, pressing their bodies to the ground, waiting for the god’s descent.

Kurt kneels beside Ryan. Neither ahead nor behind, it’s as if Kurt now stands on equal footing with the lord.

This time, Ye Zhou doesn’t call anyone to stand. While everyone is bowed with their faces to the ground, unable to see his actions, he places the dimensional box on the ground. Since Ryan has already gathered all the treasures in one place, the box can collect them all at once.

Ye Zhou doesn’t take the gems. He already has plenty. He needs Ryan and the others to exchange them for more useful items on this plane—or for gold. After all, gold is universal across all worlds.

After the dimensional box collects all the “offerings,” Ye Zhou places down the box of gems Lin You gave him.

It all takes less than five minutes.

Though Ryan looks poor, the treasures he offers aren’t bad. That golden bowl alone is as big as a child’s head.

After so much preparation and acting, Ye Zhou can finally begin his plan to make money.

If he doesn’t squeeze Ryan down to the bones and suck out the marrow, all that effort would be a waste.