Chapter 28: Chapter 28

“A real world?” Mu Ying caught the key phrase in Grandpa Shaum’s words. Did that mean the block world was fake? But if it wasn’t real, then what was the source energy that could turn illusion into reality?

Exactly—“materialization” was literally turning illusion into reality!

“You’re asking this because you’ve seen a trial world, haven’t you?” Shaum stroked his beard. “In that case, there are some things I can tell you.”

“If where we are is real, then the trial world is illusory. But countless eras ago, the trial worlds were real too.

Back then, all the races in the universes kept to themselves, each protecting their own.

Every race had its own civilization trials—like the elves’ World Tree, or the humans’ World Net.

These trial platforms preserved each race’s heritage, selected elites, and sent them into racial battlefields to compete for territory and resources.

Most of the trial worlds were the domains of various races, or planes seized in war.

But as wars grew fiercer, countless planes were destroyed in the struggle, with untold casualties and much needless waste of resources.

At that time, a human of supreme power emerged, using her own origin space as an anchor to link the myriad worlds, gathering the newborn origins of each universe into a source energy pool.

With this pool at the center, she fused the trial platforms of all races to create the Myriad Worlds Trial Grounds.

From then on, racial conflicts eased, and resource competition shifted from the real planes to the virtual trial worlds. The myriad races became much more peaceful.

The Myriad Worlds Trial Grounds were not just a place for elites to be tested, but also the controller and distributor of the universe’s source energy.

Although the current trial worlds are virtual, they are not false. They are called virtual only because everything exists in the form of energy. If you can’t sense the power of nature, it’s only because the rules of that world restrict it.

In today’s environment, no universe would neglect a talent who can earn resources for it.”

Mu Ying finally felt relieved. If talents were so important, then the apocalypse game was probably meant to cultivate them, which matched her own feelings all along.

Maybe the CG-like scene she saw when entering the Myriad Worlds Trial was real, and those threads were the channels for source energy distribution!

After leaving the general store, Mu Ying was still deeply curious about the creator of the Myriad Worlds Trial from Grandpa Shaum’s story. What kind of person could accomplish such a feat all by themselves?"

"Back at home, she immediately summoned the Player’s Handbook and filtered through the spells she needed to learn next for survival.

Fog Cloud: it could change the battlefield, creating a thick mist to obscure the enemy’s vision or hide herself.

Jump: allowed her to quickly approach or escape from enemies. She still didn’t have any defensive spells, so an escape spell like this could help make up for it.

There was also Speak with Animals and Magic Fang.

The former let her communicate with animals. Druids were already naturally attuned to animals, and if she could communicate more clearly, the ever-present animals could become her helpers and eyes.

Magic Fang was for animal companions, enhancing their natural weapons—like claws and teeth.

Even though Roundy was still small, it didn’t hurt to plan ahead.

Once she started learning spells, she felt like there was never enough time. If it weren’t for not wanting to sleep in a sleeping bag anymore, Muyu would have never stopped.

As evening approached, Muyu counted the rent she’d collected today.

Adding the 2 silver coins she had left from before, there were a total of 134 silver and 40 copper coins on the small table.

More than she’d saved up in the entire previous week.

The bulk of it came from the shops on her territory.

After the treehouse gained the ability to expand and adjust room layouts, the new shops—including Oak General Store—had all expanded their treehouses in style.

Based on their expanded area, each shop’s daily rent now averaged about 50 copper coins, or 15 silver a month.

They all paid rent monthly, so Muyu had gotten rich overnight again.

She combined 100 silver coins into a shiny gold coin and carefully put it in her purse. This was her very first gold coin, marking a new level of wealth.

With her bulging purse, Muyu finally dared to look more closely at the shop catalogs.

The seven new shops were lined up in a row, and since they’d all expanded, they were practically pressed up against each other.

You could step from one shop’s platform right to the next. Even the Oak General Store had changed its entrance to connect with the others, forming a little commercial street in the shape of a “7”.

From start to end, the shops were: Oak General Store, Penny’s Textile Shop, Marlin’s Bakery, Bruce’s Tavern, Aisha’s Furniture, Curry’s Weapon Shop, Paul’s Armor, and Old Rupert’s Blacksmith.

Muyu headed to the furniture store first.

Of all the shops, the furniture store had the most refined storefront.

If the Oak General Store’s exterior, almost swallowed by vines and flowers, was pure natural beauty, then Aisha’s Furniture was crafted natural beauty.

It used carvings to express nature’s beauty: vivid sculptures of plants and animals filled every corner, showing off the store’s unique craftsmanship and skill at a glance.

The shop door was wide open, offering a glimpse of the exquisite interior.

But when Muyu walked in, she found that, compared to a furniture store, this place felt more like a real “home.”

All kinds of furniture were arranged in their most suitable spots, making people long to own such a place.

“Hm? Another customer?”

Aisha, lounging in a wooden rocking chair, looked up at Muyu. “Hmm?”

Her shop had been bustling all day, but she hadn’t made a single sale. But she was all too familiar with the way this girl was eyeing the décor—finally, a real customer.

Her lazy demeanor faded like the tide. She quickly ran her fingers through her messy short hair, put on a businesslike smile, and gave off a shrewd, capable vibe.

After a brief introduction, Aisha led Muyu to the living room sofa and served her a steaming cup of tea.

“This is our product catalog. You can also order custom pieces, but those are a bit pricier,” Aisha said, pushing a thick book across the coffee table to Muyu.

Muyu opened it. Each page showed a photo of a room, with the furniture for sale inside, along with dimensions, materials, and prices—clear at a glance.

Each room had a different style, but they all had one thing in common: they were expensive.

All those gorgeous-looking pieces were way out of her price range, and the further she flipped, the pricier they got.

Realizing she was still short on cash, Muyu turned back to study the sample images at the front.

These had a common feature: understated and simple, showing off the natural color of the materials, with minimal decoration—simple yet elegant.

Muyu decided to go with the most basic solid wood furniture: tables, chairs, beds, and so on, each costing one to three silver coins.

But she did allow herself a small splurge.

The sofa she was sitting on was incredibly comfortable and looked great—pinkish-purple floral fabric, with small, delicate flowers. In a room full of dark wood furniture, it really needed a splash of bright, lively color. So she paid for a single-seater sofa in that style—for a full 10 silver coins.