Free Web NovelChapter 6: Small Pavilion in Outer City
Sanctuary Dimension, Dragon City—one of the many frontline cities of the human race.
The streets were bustling with activity, filled with people moving in every direction. Voices overlapped as merchants called out to customers, and the scent of elixirs refined by alchemists drifted through the air, lingering like a constant haze over the city.
Among the countless shops, the most prominent was the Falling Dragon Shop, the number one alchemy store in Dragon City. It was packed from morning till night, its business flourishing without pause.
Following the main road past the Falling Dragon Shop, a narrow alley stretched deeper into the city. Few paid attention to it. Those who did rarely ventured far.
At the end of that alley, hidden even further within another narrow path, stood a small and simple two-story shop.
It didn’t look like much.
A lone chair rested beside the entrance. Though its structure was simple, the armrests were carved with intricate dragon patterns, giving it an oddly refined presence amidst the decay.
The door creaked open.
A young man stepped out.
He had a slim figure and fair skin. His long black hair was tied neatly into a ponytail with a thin wool cord, giving him a clean and composed appearance.
The young man was none other than Darius.
At this moment, he held a cup of coffee, letting the warmth seep into his palm as he leaned back into the chair.
"Another day of nothing..." he muttered, placing the cup on the armrest as his gaze lingered on the empty alley.
Today was Darius’s fourth day as the owner of this so-called "Immortal Pavilion."
In the past three days days, a total of three customers had stepped inside. But without fail, every single one of them left just as quickly as they arrived, grumbling about the absurd price of the only product available.
The system had already explained everything to him. If he wanted to expand the pavilion’s services and make real money, he had to complete missions. The more missions he finished, the more products would be unlocked.
If he worked hard enough, he could even upgrade the pavilion. And in the future, once certain conditions were met, he might even be able to take a day off.
Three days.
It had been three full days since the pavilion opened, yet not a single person had stepped inside with the intention to buy services.
For a brief moment, Darius even considered abandoning the place altogether. But the system had made one thing clear: once a building was chosen, it could not be replaced.
So he could only wait.
At the very least, there was no penalty for having no customers. That alone was enough to keep him from losing his mind.
He had read too many novels where failure meant losing limbs or worse. Compared to that, his situation felt almost... merciful.
Still, something didn’t sit right with him.
"How are those greedy officials not charging me anything..." he muttered under his breath.
Over the past few days, he hadn’t been idle. Before nightfall, he would wander the city, asking around and gathering information.
The result?
Real estate prices were absurd.
Even low-ranking awakeners struggled to afford a place of their own, yet somehow... he had managed to secure this building.
Just as he was lost in thought...
A figure appeared.
A slender silhouette, dressed in black robes, her face hidden beneath a veil.
Darius’s eyes lit up for a brief moment.
’A customer?’
But the excitement quickly faded.
The woman merely glanced at him before walking straight toward the door, completely ignoring his presence.
Darius frowned slightly but held back his irritation.
"So... are you here to post a request or what?"
No response.
The woman reached for the door handle and pushed.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
The door didn’t budge in the slightest.
Silence filled the alley.
"...."
Darius lowered his head slightly, barely holding back a smile.
’If it weren’t for the system, I wouldn’t have done something like this...’
Recalling that interacting with a customer would bring rewards after they pay a certain amount of money, he swallowed the sarcastic remark that nearly slipped out and spoke again.
"So... request or not?"
This time, the woman didn’t ignore him.
Instead, a subtle tension rose within her.
"Why isn’t the door opening?" she asked, her voice calm, but laced with unease.
This wasn’t about pride anymore.
For the first time in her life, her strength meant nothing.
Not against an enemy, nor was it against some strong protective array.
But against... a door.
A door at all things in a deserted alley.
At a place that shouldn’t even matter to someone like her in the first place.
"Maybe it’s broken," Darius casually said as he stood up. "Let me try."
He walked over and pushed the door open; his actions were so effortless.
Then he stepped inside and glanced back at her.
"See? Fixed. Come in."
’Fixed your entire family...’ the woman cursed inwardly, taking a small step back.
Her instincts screamed at her to leave.
Everything about this place felt wrong.
From the unmoving door... to the man who radiated no aura at all.
’Who exactly is targeting me except for those people...?’
Yet, beneath that fear, curiosity also began to surface.
This was still a shop. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
And the man before her... looked completely ordinary.
How dangerous could it really be?
Suppressing her unease, she straightened her posture.
As if nothing had happened, she stepped inside.
However, instead of walking her through things, Darius chose to go back into his chair. Even though the other party had entered the shop, she was still not a customer as long as she had not made an order. Darius knew that for someone to become a customer, they would first need to accept the pricing of his services.
