Fan Yumei perched on the doorstep, observing the twin suns cresting over Hill, their golden rays illuminating her makeshift training yard. Her fingers grazed the unadorned metal band encircling her wrist—the Space Bracelet, a gift from Master Sun. At first glance, it appeared ordinary, yet its properties were anything but.
Activating her internal space with a surge of mental energy, she placed a steaming bowl of 2-star emberroot stew inside. Five minutes later, she retrieved it, still at an optimal temperature. However, when she attempted a frostberry ice cake, it returned cold and unaltered.
"This feature could prove invaluable in the secret realm," she noted, contemplating its utility.
Delving into the bracelet, she sought some rare star-herbs and low-grade beast cores she'd previously stored. To her astonishment, they were missing.
Narrowing her gaze at her wrist, she realized this marked the fifth such occurrence since acquiring the bracelet. Rather than reporting her concerns to Master Sun, she concluded that the device might be consuming her materials, necessitating proof.
That evening, she engineered a trap. Partnering with her father, they crafted a fake core from compressed moonshard and ember-ash, carefully positioning it within the bracelet's space.
Maintaining a façade of focus at her workbench during the midnight hour, she sensed a faint mental probe, akin to a whispering breath. Channeling a delicate strand of mental energy into the space, she observed the fake core evaporate from view, only to be expelled moments later with what seemed like disdain—a mechanical response almost akin to revulsion.
Pale runes flared to life on the bracelet's edge, pulsing with residual qi akin to an aftertaste.
Fan Yumei's disbelief was palpable. "It's alive…" she uttered unintentionally.
Not merely possessed, nor haunted, but sentient.
With a narrowed expression, she shook the bracelet with annoyance. "Hey, Thief!" conjuring a fire rune in her hand.
"Do you dare to pilfer from me? Understand that you owe me approximately 13 cores and three days' worth of meticulously gathered herbs and pre-prepped soul-beast sustenance," she hissed, bringing the fire rune menacingly closer.
The bracelet constricted on her wrist in what seemed like fear, attempting to merge with her skin.
"Touch my possessions again, and I swear to refine you into a blank Storage Cube. Rest assured, I have meticulously documented everything you've consumed."
Feeling a surge of energy from the bracelet, she peered inside to find some of her lost cores and herbs restored.
"Mhmm, try me again, and you'll find yourself transformed into a new jewelry set," she warned, sliding the bracelet back beneath her sleeve.
For the moment, it remained on her wrist—not out of trust, but for the answers it might yield. Perhaps, on a deeper level, it served as a reminder that even the simplest artifacts harbored layers yet to be uncovered.
⸻
Two days prior, Fan Yumei had methodically registered for low-risk Sky-Division missions via the Oni-Walander platform. These missions, focused on support rather than combat or patrol, offered safety, tedium, and a refreshing sense of integrity.
Her tasks included delivering medpacks to mobile campuses, escorting herbalists through qi-volatile forests, and transporting barrels of purified water to rural communities on the periphery of Federation central zones. She completed 13 missions so far—most of them were delivery missions that Mystic completed herself while Fan Yumei was in school. This was quite a nice setup as Mystic wasn't so bored just sleeping and lazing about in the campus aerial-beast resting lot.
While not glamorous, the work was rewarding, yielding 286,832 federation coins within just two and a half days. Adding that to her already 53,200 federation coins, she was a little rich lady with 340,032 federation coins in her bank account.
It still shocked her; the thought filled her with pride as some of the money was Mystic's hard work—she needed to get her a beast pay tag now along with her other soul beast.
She immediately allocated her earnings to completing her off-grid dome home, a milestone in her quest for independence.
The satisfaction of owning her space meant she could tailor the environment to her preferences—no rent, no institutional constraints—a sanctuary for training, healing, and personal growth.
After diligent research into the best construction teams with competitive pricing and proven results, she narrowed her options to two reputable firms nearby. Accompanied by Mystic, she assessed both before opting for Diamond Builders Company, renowned for high customer satisfaction and repeat business.
She presented her meticulously hand-drawn blueprint to the construction team, outlining her specific requirements: five spacious, custom-coded rooms, which included a wide living hall, a study inscribed with preservative runes, a gear vault for reinforced tools and a medical area, two guest rooms, and a rooftop landing deck equipped with ambient lighting, water features, and cloud qi placers.
Beneath the dome, a compact underground clinic was planned, complete with a large pond for Mystic in the backyard, elemental whistle-drill equipment, resistance loops, and a sprint grid with forged-traction panels.
Fan Yumei sought practicality and space over extravagance. With Mystic in a diminished form nearby, the construction team leader nodded in agreement without hesitation. Paying 50,000 federation coins as down payment.
💰 Remaining Balance: 290,032 credits
After finalizing her arrangement, she proceeded to inventory and stock her Space Bracelet with provisions essential for her endeavors ahead.
Fan Yumei didn't just prepare—she overprepared, but not all at once. Over several days, she wove through the city's upper rings, visiting any and every store or specialized supplier to assemble every conceivable tool, ration, and shelter type for her descent into the Secret Realm.
Leaving her with the balance of 290,032 credits.
⸻
Upon finding a store after a while of walking around, Fan Yumei was finally about to find the Food Supply Depot.
As Fan Yumei entered and looked around the building, the clerk, a sleepy-eyed cultivator in a black apron, eyed her cautiously as she approached the crate-loading station.
"New order or order pick-up?" the clerk asked lazily.
Fan Yumei shook her head, answering, "New order."
He blinked once before asking, "How much are you wanting?"
"A lot," she said calmly, pulling out her list and sliding it over to him. "Where I'm going, time doesn't run normally."
He whistled under his breath as he received the list, glancing it over.
"Little rich kids nowadays make more money than I do in a year—I bet spending this much," he muttered, not realizing Fan Yumei was also a cultivator as she could hear his every word.
She looked up at the clerk in speechlessness. Only heaven knows how hard she worked for her little bits of money.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat, gaining his attention as he met her suffocating stare.
The clerk jumped and straight up subconsciously lost all laziness, forcing a polite smile.
"We have most of the items on your list for fruits & berries: Crimson Whisperfruit, Jadecore Pomelite, Moonvine Curlfruit, Vita Orbs, Blushheart Berries, Sunflare Core, Spinegold Prismfruit, Ambergut Bloom, Verdane Fleshseed, Stormtang Corelet, Frostpeel Drupes, Mistblush Fruit, Celestia Spinefruit, Azure Nodes, Shadowburst Berries, Crimson Snapberries, Tartflare Seeds, Spinegleam Fruit, Nightcore Pods," the clerk explained, coming around the counter showing Fan Yumei the choices they had in stock on a company holo-tablet.
He pointed out the different categories, making sure to ask detailed questions.
"Then for Citrus & Melons we also have currently Goldbite Citrus, Shardlime Cores, Pulseheart Tangfruit, Zensun Orbs, Bitterlight Sparks, Bloodjade Pits, Velvet Glowstone, Duskcore Fleshfruit, Amberdrift Core, Glossweet Droplet, Hydraheart Bloom, Sweetveil Sporemelon, Sunglow Meloncore, Mellowdew Globe, Shadowcradle Fruit, Bloodburst Corefruit, Duskstem Emberfruit, Emberblush Fleshfruit, Soulpearl Orb, Titanfruit Cluster," the clerk listed off the items available as well as leading and showing her the fruits to look at and try before purchase.
"I'll take them all—three of each," Fan Yumei stated as she marked items off her list.
Then she headed off to the greens section, only to find they didn't have anything good in stock or large quantities of leafy greens. She'd have to go elsewhere, concluding her time at the store.
Fan Yumei decided to settle the bill and went to scan her custom bank QR code.
🧾 Bill Total – Food Supply Depot: 7,850 credits
💰 Remaining Balance: 282,182 credits
⸻
Fan Yumei then walks a little up the road, seeing a market plaza ahead. She came across the Greens & Grains Market.
🥬 Greens & Grains Market
She entered the busy place of business and had a look around, feeling and smelling the vegetables before finding an elderly vendor.
"You running a bunker garden or somethin'?" he asked, squinting over his ledger.
"Nothing like that hahaha, but I like to be ready when taking trips," Fan Yumei replied with a small smile.
This time she ordered Leafy & Root Veggies—4 boxes each of Vita Fronds, Ironleaf Veins, Breathleaf Clusters, Rainbow Veilgreens, Bitterwind Blades, Zingcrest Shoots, Goldroot Spears, Earthstone Bulbs, Crimson Pulse-Tubers, Frostknob Roots, Snapburst Rootlets, Sunsoul Tubers, Dusknut Fleshroots.
She then moved to the next section, ordering 2–4 boxes of Soulstink Bulbs, Tearcore Bulbs, Whisperflare Cloves, Skyfang Stalks, Vitalspine Crowns, Snowcore Branches, Soulfold Heads, Miniheart Bales, Knucklebulb Greens, Pulsevine Stalks, Skyneedle Shoots, Mistbloom Spears, Sunburst Pods, Colorflare Peppers, Watervine Guts, Greenshard Stalkfruit, Twilight Fleshbloom, Gourdflare Husk, Pulsebeads, Lifepearls, Earthdots.
And then ordered some Grains & Seeds of all kinds: 5 boxes each of Soulgrain Stalks, Mistgrain Pearls, Sunspike Kernels, Driftgrain Threads, Stonebeard Cores, Ironseed Grain, Sandgleam Dots, Dryspike Pellets, Spiritcrisp Seeds, Knotgrain Hearts, Bloodgleam Seeds, Voidbeads, Threadfruit Seeds, Coreleaf Nodes, Groundnut Cores, Skyburst Kernels, Dustpearl Seeds, Dreamflint Seeds, Greengrowth Nodes, Heartcore Seeds, Fieldspike Seeds, Scentroot Sparks, Vita Kernels.
As Maxius enjoyed eating meat and seeds and Lufei enjoyed seeds, vegetables and grains.
Fan Yumei Bill Total to 6,467 credits she still had the remaining Balance of 275,715 credits.
She signed as she still had quite a few stores to hit.
"Mystic" she called to her bonded beast ready to head to her new destination.