Chapter 57: Executing the Second Strike
As Sunday dawn broke, Donape sat on the edge of his bed with a thoroughly exhausted expression.
’Fuck... Sunday is supposed to be a day off for normal people. Yet here I am, dragging myself awake after such a miserable, pain-in-the-ass night.’
He groaned, massaging his forehead, the bridge of his nose, and his bloodshot eyes.
Because the ambush had threatened to ruin his quest, he had lost his temper. He had completely forgotten that his Dantian was still small and undeveloped, dumping his newly cultivated Qi without saving a single drop.
The physical toll had been brutal. After knocking out every last mercenary, he’d had to walk a ridiculous distance barefoot—since emergency vehicles and police cordons blocked all commercial transport anywhere near the venue—before finally flagging down a late-night taxi. Every step had added interest to his body’s physical debt.
Unawares, a translucent message flickered to life in front of him amid the daze.
[Mortal, congratulations on leveling up the shop. The upgrade will arrive tomorrow. You did a good job.]
Donape stared at the text box. Then, without a shred of pride or drama, he slid off the bed and flat-out prostrated himself on the floor.
"O Great System," he deadpanned into his bedsheet. "Your divine blessing is a precious gift to this humble servant."
A month of living with this thing had made him intimately familiar with its antics. Even when the System displayed uncharacteristically polite compliments, he refused to overreact or question it. And even though he was deeply confused about why it was celebrating a shop level-up despite the event quest supposedly failing, he kept his mouth shut. Asking questions only led to headaches.
[Oh! Now you are acting as a proper system slave should, mortal! The Great Me is truly proud of you.]
Donape remained pressed against the floor, wisely choosing not to utter a single word.
[Since you are being so admirably submissive today, the Great Me shall enlighten your brain as to why you leveled up.]
Donape raised his head slightly off the floorboards, one eye squinting up at the glowing translucent letters hovering before him.
[It was because you completed the quest.]
’Isn’t that bloody obvious?!’ Donape thought, instantly regretting his brief foolish hope that this thing would act like a normal, helpful system from webnovels. ’I meant explain the process, you broken piece of garbage! Not state the obvious result!’
Suppressing a heavy sigh, he muttered aloud, "The place was a total war zone last night. How does that count as attending until the end?"
[Ignorant mortal!] The text flashed a violent, scolding crimson before settling back into its usual smug blue hue. [Did you run away? No! The banquet was officially concluded when the casualties were evacuated, and the perimeter was secured. You remained on-site until every hostile threat was eliminated. Therefore, the requirement was met!]
’Great, now I’m getting scolded for asking a completely normal question. This System is definitely glitched,’ Donape cursed inwardly, tempted to slam his forehead back onto the floor.
Ding!
A brand-new floating interface materialized directly before his eyes.
[Main Quest: The Trinity-Leveling]
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Objective: Upgrade Origins VR Cafe to Level 3
Unlock Requirement: Attending the Baek Family’s Birthday Banquet till the end + 351/350 Gold Coins.
Status: CLEARED - (System Event Completion Bonus Applied)
Reward:
1. Capacity Expansion: Increased to 50 VR Capsules.
2. Operational: Changed Business Hours & Authority to Hire a Part-Time Shopkeeper.
- Monday to Friday: 08:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Saturday & Sunday: 08:00 AM - 08:00 PM
3. Food & Beverage:
- Spirit-Infused Noodle
- Ethereal Mana Sandwich
- Celestial Sparkle Sprite
- Crispy Salted Chips
4. New Games: [The Path of the Heavenly Martial Arts 2] [Magic Academy: First Semester]
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Donape stared at the translucent window. His mouth watered before he could even process the sheer absurdity of the clear. Up until now, his shop only sold simple packaged snacks and basic drinks, forcing him to starve or cook for himself.
"Noodles that expand the Dantian... and actual sodas that restore Qi?" Donape ran a hand through his messy morning hair, letting out a genuine breath of relief. "And I can finally hire a part-timer to handle the counter so I can actually rest?"
[Hmph! Tremble before my boundless generosity, mortal!] The System declared dramatically. [Now raise your work enthusiasm and steel your spirit! Level 3 brings serious infrastructure, new magic-based VR worlds, and you will need every drop of blood, sweat, and tears to usher this world into a new era! Your lousy actions last night should mark the beginning of this shift. Maintain and increase the influx of high-profile customers. Don’t be lazy!]
The screen vanished, leaving Donape sitting on his bedroom floor in the quiet morning light.
’What the hell is it fussing about?! When was I ever lazy?! Didn’t I grind my ass off running the shop and completing these insane quests?!’
He railed silently against the System’s sheer absurdity.
’And what does it mean, "change the world"?! Everything in this shop costs a fortune! Who’s going to buy all this?! A dandy young master? Does this tyrannical System think rich Young Masters grow like cabbage?! Screw you!’
He cursed non-stop in his head, completely drained by the interaction. Any desire to celebrate his rewards vanished—replaced entirely by a throbbing headache and worsening physical exhaustion.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Donape let out a heavy sigh. Since the shop’s upgrade wouldn’t take effect until tomorrow, he still needed to open at 6:00 AM sharp.
After flipping the sign on the door, he slumped behind the counter and pulled out a bottle of Origins Fountain Water and a bottle of Spirit-Clearing Dew.
Downing both, he felt the cool, soothing liquid wash over his overworked body, gradually easing the sharp ache in his muscles and mental exhaustion.
He followed it up by devouring two Spicy Meat Buns in quick succession, finishing his makeshift breakfast with a hot cup of Obsidian Roast Coffee. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes and savored the rare moment of absolute peace before the morning rush.
Within a few minutes, the fatigue weighing down his limbs began to recede, and roughly a quarter of his depleted Dantian Qi was replenished. He could easily finish gathering the rest through meditation inside The Path of Heavenly Martial Arts.
He had already realized that cultivating inside the VR world was far superior to doing it in reality. Even though refilling his Dantian took longer in the simulation, the game’s realm was vastly purer and denser.
Perhaps because he was currently the only true superhuman on Blue Star, the world’s natural energy was thin and sluggish—nothing like the rich, overflowing atmospheres depicted in fantasy novels or martial arts legends.
As the hours ticked by, however, the Origins VR Cafe remained deathly silent.
No new walk-ins showed up, and even his usual loyal regulars were nowhere to be seen.
It was strange, but Donape didn’t mind one bit. Taking full advantage of the unexpected serenity, he continued his stay in the VR capsule to immerse himself in cultivation.
In truth, the outside world was so thoroughly rocked by the previous night’s attack that even Donape’s most loyal customers had completely forgotten about Origins VR Cafe.
On social media, posts about the gaming shop had vanished entirely from the feeds, replaced by frantic discussions surrounding the attempted assassination of the Baek Family’s figure.
Clips circulating online captured the chaotic scene outside the venue—ambulances streaming continuously in and out, their siren lights cutting through the pitch-black Saturday night. Convoys of SWAT vans, armored personnel carriers, dozens of police cruisers, and news helicopters buzzed across the perimeter, turning the remote countryside venue into a full-scale military zone.
By morning, local news channels were saturated with dramatic footage recorded by daring reporters who had managed to slip past police cordons. A few overzealous journalists had even been detained on live television for trying to breach the inner crime scene while armed personnel were still clearing the grounds.
Yet, while the general public’s reaction was confined to online speculation and rumors, the impact on high society and elite political circles was far more volatile.
"Who the hell was behind this?!"
"No one knows! The police are struggling to identify the suspects they detained. But given their coordination and military-grade firepower, it’s obviously a syndicate operation."
Such hushed conversations dominated elite gatherings. Through the backdoors, they eventually uncovered the hint—the attackers belonged to the notorious Babylon Mercenaries.
Yet, none of them dared share that information with the police department. Even high-ranking officials refused to speak the name ’Babylon’ aloud to their subordinates, knowing the authorities were ill-equipped to handle the deadly backlash of investigating such an entity.
Instead, the single biggest question baffling the elite was how an entire strike force of such mercenaries had been neutralized so flawlessly after dealing such a catastrophic blow to the city’s most elite people and the Baek family.
It was an impossible riddle—one that no one on Blue Star could answer, save for Baek Ji-Hong and his three personal guards, who had grasped the magnificent truth even if they couldn’t comprehend how Donape had pulled it off.
Meanwhile, deep within the dim basement parking garage of a luxury hotel in the heart of S City, eight people clad in tactical combat gear gathered in a CCTV dead spot.
"We execute Plan B this afternoon," their leader spoke, his voice low and devoid of warmth. "Failure is unacceptable. Babylon’s reputation will hit rock bottom if we fail a second time."