The number of stalls in the Origin Land was countless. Just from what she could see, there were no fewer than a thousand. Each stall was piled high with all kinds of items, dazzling in variety, making her eyes swim just from looking.
"Ayase, how many merchants do you think are here? I'm number 5733—does that mean I'm the 5733rd Spacetime Traveling Merchant?" Chu Lian asked as she wandered around, chatting with Ayase in her mind.
"Judging by appearances, that's probably about right. After all, this profession has extremely high requirements, and the chance of triggering it is ridiculously low. If one appears in every ten worlds, that's already remarkable. But considering the sheer number of worlds across the multiverse, if there are fewer than six thousand Spacetime Traveling Merchants, that seems far too few."
"In any case, let's just take a look around for now. We can explore its secrets later. Didn't your first customer tell you not to pry into information about this place? There are probably taboos here—if we poke around too much, we might bring ourselves a lot of trouble."
Ayase had been thinking about these things all along, and when Chu Lian asked, she poured out her thoughts like spilling beans.
Though her explanation was a bit long, it helped Chu Lian make sense of a few things. This so-called Origin Land probably hid some unspeakable secret.
Of course, those matters had nothing to do with her for now. She was still too weak. Only when she reached the strength to uncover such truths would it be worth thinking about them.
"Even if we can't explore yet, there are some things here that are quite useful. If we can find practical items that are also relatively cheap, it might be worth buying a few," Ayase added. Chu Lian understood her perfectly—that meant one thing: buy, buy, buy.
As she browsed, she unknowingly circled around a third of the outer perimeter of the Origin Land, yet still hadn't found anything she wanted.
Just when she was feeling a bit disheartened and was about to use her bracelet to return to the system space, a merchant at a nearby stall caught her attention.
"..." She stared silently for a long, long moment before muttering, "That's not just a cow... that's a basketball."
Before her was a woman with an incredible figure. Even though she wore a robe that concealed most of her body, the majestic curve of her chest was still visible.
But that majestic was a bit too much, wasn't it?!
Chu Lian compared herself for a moment. Her two heads together probably weren't as big as one of that woman's breasts. She immediately had the urge to kneel down. That was an utterly blatant, wordless mockery of her flat chest! Unforgivable!
However, that merchant seemed very quiet. Unlike the others who either paced around their stalls or softly called out to passing buyers, this one simply sat there silently—neither speaking nor moving.
Such an unusual demeanor naturally caught Chu Lian's interest. She made up her mind to go take a look at what that woman was selling.
"Tut tut, Lian'er, she's mocking your chest, you know. Look at the difference between you and her—it's like comparing a vast plain of galloping horses to Mount Everest. Not even remotely comparable." Ayase said this without the slightest hint of sympathy.
After all, she herself was quite well-endowed. Even if she wasn't a full 36E, she wasn't far off. Her curvaceous figure was both seductive and beautiful—any larger and it would almost be excessive.
Chu Lian, however, was a different story. Up to now, she might have gained a barely noticeable increase since getting up this morning. So Ayase's words dealt her a devastating psychological blow.
"Ayase, can we not talk about this? I mean, what's the use of being that big? When you walk, they wobble and make you lose balance—it's inconvenient and even dangerous. In a fight, they'd be the first target for attacks. Wouldn't that look bad if anything happened?" Chu Lian stood still, her spiritual sense entering the inner space as she smiled with her hands propped against her cheeks.
"That's your reason for being flat-chested? This morning, weren't you the one saying 'breast size determines dominance—without a large chest, how can you win hearts'? Have you forgotten already?" Sadly, Ayase knew her far too well. Her calm, offhand remark dealt a critical 3000% psychological damage, casting a shadow over Chu Lian's back.
"I was wrong, can we please not talk about this anymore? My heart hurts... It's not my fault I haven't grown yet! I haven't even had my first period, okay? Isn't it normal not to have developed yet?" Chu Lian accidentally blurted out something rather strange.
"Ah, speaking of that—why is it that some girls start at ten or eleven, yet you're already over thirteen and still haven't? Could there be something wrong with your body? Do you need big sister to check for you?" Ayase's gaze suddenly changed, becoming sharp and dangerous.
How had she never noticed this before? The girl was already much later than normal. If her menstruation still hadn't come, could there be something wrong with her body? If that were true, then Ayase felt she had failed terribly for only realizing it now.
"Ah, it's fine, really. Some girls don't start until fourteen. I'm only thirteen, just started middle school—it's still normal." Sensing the change in Ayase's tone, Chu Lian felt a twinge of warmth but quickly tried to reassure her.
Ayase stared at her for a while, and when she found no sign of anything wrong, she finally sighed in relief. "As long as there's no problem. But if you still haven't started in half a year, I'll have to conduct a full examination of your body."
Her words made Chu Lian nod vigorously, wearing a flattering smile as she promised her body was perfectly fine. She could already imagine it—if half a year passed and still nothing happened, that 'examination' would definitely be more than just a check-up.
If her guess was right, Ayase would definitely do all sorts of H-things without hesitation. How could she possibly show her face again after that?
Just the temptation from Inori last time had nearly broken her. For a long while afterward, she hadn't dared to have any overly intimate contact with anyone. Every time she remembered it, she felt her whole face burn with embarrassment. If Ayase went even further, she'd never be able to face anyone again.
After chatting with Ayase for a while, Chu Lian pulled her consciousness back into her body. Looking at the merchant not far ahead, she hesitated for a bit before walking over.
When the merchant noticed her approaching, she instinctively backed away slightly—whether out of shyness or natural timidity—her hands pressed tightly against her chest as she looked utterly nervous.
"I say, why would such a timid girl choose to do business? Sure, being a Spacetime Traveling Merchant is a rare and special profession, but isn't this a bit too forced?" Chu Lian thought curiously.
A girl even shyer than Li Xiu'er, doing business here among all sorts of strange, non-human beings? That was just too strange—far too strange!
There had to be something behind it, but now wasn't the time to pry. She decided it was better to just look at what the girl was selling.
As she crouched down to examine the items on display, her desire to buy suddenly skyrocketed.
"Breast Enhancement Potion: Said to be invented by a race of women from a remote world who were naturally blessed with vast chests. Specially designed for flat-chested races. After use, your bust size will increase depending on your physical constitution. All users report excellent results. Don't you want to try it? Crystal Coins: 500."
"Tender Body Cream: Gradually restores your skin to its most youthful and delicate state, leaving it soft, fair, and irresistibly smooth. Crystal Coins: 150."
"Slimming Cream: Helps maintain an elegant, well-proportioned figure. No matter the cause of imbalance, as long as your body and bone structure remain intact, it will sculpt you into the most perfect form for your species. Crystal Coins: 180."
"Beauty Lotion: Used for bathing. Effectively cleanses all residue and pigments from your skin and pores, maintaining the most pristine condition. Crystal Coins: 195."
"Pfft... so this is what they call a women's specialty shop, huh? No wonder no one's paying attention. After all, everyone who comes here either has considerable strength or a unique background—and most of them aren't even human! Why would they need these things? Only humans or demi-human races would use stuff like this."
While silently grumbling to herself, Chu Lian quickly picked out her items. "Ten Breast Enhancement Potions, fifty Tender Body Creams, fifty Slimming Creams, fifty Beauty Lotions—that's 31,250 Crystal Coins. Here you go."
Her movements were quick and practiced. After transferring the corresponding Crystal Coins, letting them automatically enter her unseen bracelet, she stored all her newly bought items into her space and looked them over with great satisfaction. Stretching lazily, she sighed contentedly, "Today's haul is absolutely wonderful."
"So, you spent 31,250 Crystal Coins on a pile of things that you're only going to look at?" Ayase's calm, expressionless eyes—still as a deep pond—watched Chu Lian make her purchases, her voice soft and steady.
"What do you mean 'only to look at'? From the looks of her, that merchant was human—or at least humanoid—so the things she invented are definitely suitable for us to use. Why would I only look at them?" Chu Lian didn't seem bothered at all, waving her hand dismissively as she hummed a cheerful tune, skipping lightly down the path.
"But do you even know what 31,250 Crystal Coins could buy?"
"Probably a mid-tier Spirit-grade item or something like that. Not that much, really, don't worry about it." Having finally bought what she wanted, Chu Lian decided not to think about anything else. Her heart felt as if it could take flight.
Could she finally be rid of her flat chest? Could she finally stop hearing people joke, 'How can you rule the world with a chest that flat?' Could she finally hold her head high, proud and confident, without her clothes remaining frustratingly flat across her chest?
"I think you'd better use the system scanner and take another look at the detailed description of that 'Breast Enhancement Potion,'" Ayase said. She didn't want to crush Chu Lian's enthusiasm directly, so she let her find out on her own.
"What's with the suspense? Fine, I'll look~" Still in high spirits, Chu Lian quickly activated the system's virtual display and scanned through her newly purchased items...
'Breast Enhancement Potion': A potion that causes one's bust to gradually increase in size after use. It requires almost no inherent potential—so long as you're a human or humanoid female, it will take effect. (A side note: males should not use this, or they will also grow breasts.) Note: This item affects the user's physical condition. As such, it has no effect on the host.
'No effect on the host...' Chu Lian stared at the line, completely deflated. Tilting her head back, she let out a loud, anguished shout—
"So what if I'm flat-chested?!"
When she opened her eyes again, the world outside was bathed in crimson light. The sun was setting—it was already dusk.