Chapter 58 Love Shop 2 End of Volume
You found a corner, settled yourself in, and started acting like a mushroom.
Based on the first two rules, you have successfully escaped from the ghost's clutches. The only rule you haven't used yet is the third one.
While it's said to be "limited to one item per purchase," it's possible that this is just a word game designed to make it so that people "must buy and can only buy one item."
If that's the case, Xiaoming didn't buy anything, and many other ordinary customers also left empty-handed. Some of the latter even put the clothes on and took repeated photos in front of the fitting room mirror, but ultimately still didn't buy anything.
What will happen to these people after they leave is unknown, but at least they are not trapped here for the moment.
It's important to understand that locals and outsiders are subject to the same rules and regulations when they have the same status; there's no such thing as using a backdoor or a dungeon entrance.
Tsk, what exactly did I do that Xiaoming and the others didn't do?
Could it be that I was too "respectful" to that coat and said some useless nonsense, which backfired?
That's impossible. The owner of that coat is clearly not a kind person; just one look at her sends chills down your spine. The fact that you managed to get her off the coat proves that there was nothing wrong with you saying nice things to it.
If you actually put the coat back, you'll face more than just sitting here in a daze, painfully unable to find the fault.
Or maybe we could just grab a small item, pay, and then try again?
The thought of all the products here coming with "free gifts"... ugh, I won't be able to throw them away after buying them. Give them away? Don't be ridiculous, that's like something out of a horror movie. You shake your head; that's definitely not the best solution.
With just those three short lines of rules, no matter how much you ponder them, you can't come up with any new interpretations.
Why not go chat with the old lady at the cashier? Judging by her age, she might have written the rules by hand.
You're all smiles, mentally rehearsing every word you want to say, but the other person is so hard of hearing that they can't understand a word you're saying. You think you'll just take out the translator on your phone and show it to her—after all, the elderly person has been hunched over reading—but even after staring at the screen for a long time, she still can't see it.
A mushroom has returned to the corner.
You gaze at the guests with a heavy heart, filled with sorrow and resentment.
Since you can't find any problems in the regulations, you'll have to resort to the most basic method—the process of elimination. Just observe and see what you did wrong to be forced to act as a prop here.
There aren't many customers here, but everyone spends a long time carefully selecting their items, making the small shop seem bustling with business. This is good for you, as it gives you ample sample size and time to observe.
This person tried on the clothes, bought them, and left happily; that person didn't try them on, was so busy looking in the mirror and secretly plucking his beard, and was bored when his companions pulled him away.
Oh no. The closer you look, the more trivial and disorderly everyone's behavior seems. This is just a very simple and ordinary little shop and its customers.
Until someone appeared.
She wore a wool coat, paired with dark boots and a scarf in the same color scheme. She was very tall, and her mere presence was striking, yet she was quiet, simply looking around unhurriedly.
Her hands brushed over each piece of clothing, and if she found something decent, she would take it out and hang it on her arm.
This is quite unique. Because there are no fitting rooms here, and the space is small, other people try on clothes one by one to roughly compare them, or they hold a piece of clothing in front of the fitting mirror, put it on or simply put it on to look at it, and only take it off when they want to try on something new.
You initially thought these actions were reasonable; otherwise, just taking off and putting on clothes repeatedly would definitely take a lot of time. After all, the rules state that time cannot be wasted.
"Is she stalling for time?" you mutter to yourself.
After selecting her clothes, she carried a large bundle of merchandise, throwing everything on the floor—from summer short-sleeved shirts and shorts to autumn and winter coats and thick jeans. Completely unconcerned about what others thought, she stood in front of the mirror and began methodically removing all her clothes until she was down to her underwear.
Then she started trying them on one by one. After trying on each one, she would strike a few poses and admire it from multiple angles. If she found one she particularly liked, she would take a picture.
The men in the store made way for her, but even so, a long queue formed behind her. She didn't seem to care at all.
A man with hair wax on his beard went to the cashier to complain, rattling off a string of indecent and vulgar words. The old lady simply took off her glasses and asked shakily, "Whhhhh?"
The man with the waxed hair, in a fit of impotent rage, slammed the door and left.
Meanwhile, the woman merely raised her eyelids, completely ignoring the commotion caused by the man with the waxed beard. Her attention was solely focused on herself as she leisurely tried on her clothes.
After at least half an hour, she picked up all the clothes again, stuffed them onto the clothes rack, and slowly walked away.
Then they left.
Um.
On what grounds?
She violated all three rules.
She lingered in front of the dressing mirror for an unusually long time, and her behavior clearly showed a lack of respect for the clothes. As for the third point—you saw her secretly slip a luxury vintage silk scarf and a small brooch into her waistband.
You begin to feel a chill.
You finally understand exactly how you differ from these people.
You are probably the only one who saw the rules and tried to "pass" by following them.
No wonder there were no mistakes or oversights. People are just ordinary shoppers; they wouldn't do anything indecent, let alone break the law – that's the police's job, not this store's. The cashier didn't see it? Then it didn't happen.
So what are you going to do?
Even if these rules don't apply, you still haven't done anything wrong, right?
You saw the mirror on the ceiling, then you saw the ghost, then you saw the rules, then you got rid of the ghost—so why can't you leave the store?
"Don't linger too long... Respect old items... One item per purchase..."
These rules are very simple and only apply to this store.
Are you really not a liquidator? Oh dear, no way, your gaze has practically pierced through the noses and eyes of everyone here. Apart from the old lady at the cashier, there's no one more suspicious than you.
You turn your gaze to the old lady who seems to be the store's prized possession—if she were the liquidator, you could really choose to end things here.
Let's think about the rules, really—
ah.
yes.
Since everyone else is unaffected by the rules, even if the rules themselves are within the store, then the store is essentially without rules. Only you are affected by the rules, and whether the triggering condition is seeing the rules, seeing the mirror, or something else, it truly only concerns you.
The reason is currently unknown to you, and there are far too many possible guesses. The result is that you are the only one restricted by the rules.
Since the target is only you, can it still be the rule for this store or this scene? Be bold, this is a restriction that only applies to you.
After you have carefully read and understood the rules, the rules begin to lead you by the nose, but they do not tell you that you can leave.
That's why you can't leave.
Because there are only these three things you need to do and can do.
This is the only possible explanation derived from the result.
What should we do then?
You have already acknowledged the rules through your actions, and you have become a bound by them. Moreover, by repeatedly reflecting on and pondering them, and by trying time and again to find a way out, you have firmly imprinted the rules in your mind.
The only solution is to overthrow it.
Unlike in the coffee shop this morning, the rules here are vague and logically sound, so there are no loopholes to be found. You also can't break the rules—that might be worth a try, but it would put you in danger.
You can bet that if you try to smuggle anything, let alone a scarf, even just a piece of paper, you'll definitely get caught. If you don't respect these clothes, you might be attacked by a horde of ghosts at any moment.
What bargaining chips do you have left?
The mist canister is probably useless. There are no monsters here, only yourself trapped in your own cocoon.
What's the general rule? It's being a Japanese immigrant, loving Japan, and this breakfast, lunch, and dinner of boiled water reminds me of my time in Japan... Emphasizing your identity as a Japanese immigrant, besides filling you with the confidence to say "I love Japan" all the time, is less effective at this point than drinking a couple more sips of cheap cider.
Seeing the elderly cashier's failing eyesight, you feel a surge of anger. Why not just go and scratch that regular section of the floor?
After all, it didn't say that it couldn't be physically destroyed, right?
That's right!
You crouch down and tiptoe to that spot on the floor.
The sunlight had shifted, losing its brilliance. The mirror on the ceiling had dimmed, becoming a dark blur, while the floor was nothing but a dirty, mottled patch of paper.
You take out a knife—but you can't cut it.
The wooden floor and the paper posters were both as hard and durable as stone. These were special objects in the scene, so it was understandable that an ordinary knife couldn't scratch them.
This is so disheartening.
Actually, you have a very useful knife.
That was something I tricked into coming from the Egg Man during the daily round of disdain. It's a product of the general rules, or rather, a prop.
Before this, you never thought it could be used for anything other than threatening those villainous characters during the contempt phase.
Now I'd like to take it out and give it a try.
It's too late.
Since you, Xiaoming, Xiaofang, and Xiaola went our separate ways, we've barely seen each other. Even though we tease each other daily, we can only exchange a few sarcastic remarks over the microphone. Everyone agreed that such a useful tool as the knife should be left to Xiaola.
Xiao La was a newbie, and at that time, I only gave her the knife with the idea that it would give her a better chance of winning when facing the character alone. At that time, perhaps only Xiao Ming had the concept of items, but even if you all knew that items existed in the dungeon world and could play a significant role, you wouldn't fight over the right to use the knife.
You're really overwhelmed.
There's no signal! If only I could get in touch with Xiaola and have her come rescue you quickly.
If you two had exchanged countries, you'd know her phone number and might be able to get a seemingly normal local to make the call for you. After all, locals are often quite enigmatic, but sometimes they can be surprisingly humane. But alas!
You collapsed on the spot, feeling utterly hopeless.
Looking at the old lady, she was wearing reading glasses and a magnifying glass, trying hard to read an old book.
Shall we give it a try?
You have a plan in mind, but you don't know if it will work or if you'll be right.
You walked over and whispered to the old lady:
"Your dinner looks like Germans flying in the sky."
The old lady said she didn't hear you, while you bit your lip, waiting for good news—or you could try a few more times. Although it might seem like you're taking advantage of an elderly person, the old lady has the advantage of not being able to hear you.
Perhaps it's because you're too nervous, but you feel like a lot of time has passed and nothing has happened yet. You're about to try something more, racking your brains to figure out how to look down on this old man whose personal life must be very fulfilling from a grand narrative perspective, when suddenly, the light in the store (at least in your eyes) dims abruptly.
A deep cello note rises, accompanied by a bass tone you can't quite hear but feel strangely present. The violins spin rapidly, their notes soaring into the air, and then the horn's resounding voice takes center stage!
"Who dares to defy my rules?"
A sharp and forceful voice rang out from deep within the shop. You turned your head, your gaze fixed on the direction from which the voice came.
A woman dressed in a luxurious red dress strode out, her hem trailing on the ground, each step seemingly stained with blood. She wore a crown studded with rubies and held aloft a small guillotine, its blade gleaming coldly.
Even if she's only the size of a palm, you have no doubt that this woman could cut your head off.
Her sharp eyes were fixed on you, as if they could pierce through your soul.
"You!" the Red Queen roared, the guillotine blade twirling in her hand. "Dare to defy my rules? Your head will pay for your insolence!"
You took a step back, raised your hands, and smiled slyly with the smooth tongue you'd honed over twenty days of dealing with these petty characters: "Your rules are... great! But please tell me, why can these people break the rules, but I can't?"
The Red Queen raised her chin, revealing a cold smile: "Them? Those insignificant remnant souls have long been part of the rules. Only you are still trying to break free!" Her voice pierced your ears like a blade. "Anyone who dares to challenge the rules will be beheaded."
"Wait!" you shout. "Maybe I broke the rules, but you are the sole rule-maker. You make the rules, not the other way around, right?"
The Red Queen paused, her gaze sharpening, but her tone softened: "You sly fox, what tricks are you up to?"
"I am your loyal subject, your unquestioning subordinate. I respect only the one king, and here, these arrogant scum dare to challenge your authority?" you chanted loudly, feeling at that moment that you were the very embodiment of a treacherous minister.
"Look here!" You spread your arms and spun around. "Everything here not only disobeys your rules, but is also trying to control me. Isn't this a huge provocation to your authority?"
Upon hearing this, the Red Queen's rage almost materialized and burst from her head. Brandishing her miniature guillotine, she stood tall and proud: "Who dares to defy my rules? Step forward and face judgment!" Her shouts echoed throughout the shop, making everyone's eardrums ache.
With her roar, hundreds of knights, each about the size of a palm and clad in red armor, emerged from the darkness. They stood imposingly beside her, wielding long spears.
She pointed to a corner of the shop and screamed, "Search! Arrest everyone who dares to defy me!"
The knights moved swiftly, weaving through racks, overturning shelves, and even reaching into the fitting room mirrors. A cacophony of howls erupted, and the once peaceful charity shop instantly transformed into a chaotic battlefield.
The unleashed ghosts writhed, wailing pitifully as they were struck by the knight's lance. They struggled, but could not escape the power bestowed upon them by the Red Queen.
"Reporting to the Queen, this place is full of ghosts, not people!" the knight commander reported tremblingly.
“I said execute it, so I will execute it!” The Red Queen was enraged by the Knight Commander’s retort. She suddenly flung her handkerchief at you and said, “You, giant, twist the head off this traitor who has no sense of propriety.”
You point to yourself with your index finger and stare blankly at the Red Queen. Seeing that she's about to erupt in anger again, you quickly grab the toy-like Knight Commander in your hand. The little thing trembles with fear and doesn't dare resist. You gently squeeze, and *snap*, his head falls off.
The Red Queen laughed triumphantly and granted you permission to extend your hand as her throne.
The guillotine blade reflected a cold light as she waved her hand, and knights brought one ghost after another to her.
"These bastards who dare to break the rules, send them all to the guillotine!" She swung the guillotine in her hand, and with each strike of the blade came a flash of red light, and the ghosts instantly turned into nothingness and disappeared into the air.
The Red Queen watched the beheading with glee, and you seized the opportunity during a moment of laughter to continue your slander: "Your Majesty, your majesty is awe-inspiring. However..." You paused, feigning hesitation, and continued, "I have just observed that there is still one problem that has not been solved."
"Another problem?" The Red Queen's gaze suddenly darkened, and her voice became even sharper. "What problem is it? Speak!"
You take a deep breath and point to the floor: "I just discovered that there's something strange about the floor itself. When I stand on it, I feel like it's trying to bind me. If you want to completely eliminate any potential rule-related issues, I suggest you check out the floor here."
The Red Queen narrowed her eyes, looked down at the floor, and lightly tapped the hilt of the guillotine with her fingers. "Hmm, interesting. Knight, go take a look!"
“Report, the floor is just a regular floor—” the newly appointed knight captain ran up to report.
The Red Queen merely glared at him, and the newly appointed man immediately changed his tune: "Your Majesty, we have slashed the floor to smithereens who dared to disobey you! We have also made a new discovery. There is a big guy in the mirror, a heretic, a pure traitor and heretic."
These words seemed to ignite the Red Queen. She abruptly stood up, raised the guillotine, and pointed it at the dressing mirror: "Knight, drag it out for me!"
The reflection in the mirror began to tremble instantly, a reaction of unease and fear. A moment later, a distorted figure in tattered bishop's robes was forcibly pulled from the mirror, emitting a piercing scream: "No! You heretics! This is God's territory! You will go to hell!"
"Insolence!" the Red Queen roared, raising the guillotine blade high. "Cut this heretic into ten pieces!"
"Eleven!" a knight immediately echoed.
"Twelve dan!" Someone else started bidding.
Finally, the ghost was chopped into pieces, along with nine, ten, uh, now the eleventh blinding red light. The ghost let out a final scream and then vanished into nothingness.
The moment the ghost in the mirror is destroyed, your body, which you hadn't felt was malfunctioning, suddenly feels incredibly relaxed, as if some shackles that you had previously adapted to have vanished.
Great! A very impressive victory, even exceeding expectations.
The Red Queen stood in your palm, coldly surveying her surroundings before nodding in satisfaction: "Now, the rules are back in my control. I won't pursue this matter this time, Giant. I like you very much, but remember this—if you dare to challenge my authority again, your head won't be safe next time!"
You bowed your head gratefully and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty the Red Queen. Your majesty is unmatched."
The Red Queen snorted coldly, transformed into a streak of red light, and vanished along with all the knights.
And then another box appears in your hand.
Your heart is pounding.
Props!
You remember all the characters that have appeared. Some characters have appeared repeatedly, and the White Queen has appeared once, but the Red Queen has never appeared.
You vaguely feel that this is somewhat similar to the collectible card culture that originated in the Kingdom of Ying, where the goal is to allow you to collect all the characters within 30 days.
However, the hierarchy of contempt has its drawbacks; you can't despise someone too many times a day. It's like you had bad luck followed by good luck. You hadn't gotten a Red Queen for over twenty days, but you won the lottery today, and with such a powerful weapon at that.
With this, all the characters are complete.
Could the box contain a guillotine? Or her army of playing cards?
You can't even wait to go home; you want to open it right now—
A crown the size of your fingernail.
"The King's Crown: First rule, then become king."
"This is too abstract... I have no idea how to use it just by reading the description, but it's alright. I feel like I could pin it to a hat." You're happy no matter what you get, hehe.
A deep, resonant bell rang out from not far away.
The church is right next to the charity shop, and the old lady who had been sitting behind the cashier immediately stood up after the bell rang and said to you in a gentle voice, "Child, we're closing now, go home quickly."
You stared blankly at the old lady, forgetting to put the box away, and stammered, "Oh, okay."
This time, you finally left the charity shop.
For the next seven days, you strictly followed your plan, staying indoors almost obsessively.
During this time, Xiao Fang and Xiao La each visited you once, as a farewell. Xiao La somewhat relied on you and Xiao Ming, treating them like older sisters. The thought of leaving this instance and having to face the next one alone terrified her. You could only comfort her and, together with Xiao Fang and Xiao Ming, try your best to teach her how to develop strategies for solving instances.
Your friendship with Xiaofang was already deeper; you two only talked a lot about the dungeon, but more about real life. Like Xiaoming, you and Xiaofang also exchanged real-life contact information, both hoping for the day when you return to reality, where you and your friends can run and play in the sun without the interference of dungeon rules, or find a place to lie down and enjoy a carefree ten days or so.
"See you in the next dungeon, or see you at home," Xiao Fang tells you.
"You too. Take care." You hugged Xiao Fang.
On the fourth day, an application called Omio appeared on your phone. A new flight ticket appeared in your account.
On the last day, on the plane, fearing that your props wouldn't be able to go to the next world with you, you stuffed them all into your mouth and covered them with your hand.
Soon, you fell asleep. And the plane took off smoothly.
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Author's Note: The tiger is no longer in bloom... Good evening.
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