"Thank you, senior. I promise never to forget the help you've shown me. If there's any way I can ever repay this in the future, please let me know, and I will do so to the best of my abilities. If not, then please accept this bow," Van said emotionally, suppressing the warmth rising from the depths of his chest.
Initially, he hadn't paid much attention to the items, only looking at them curiously because of their uniqueness.
But who would have thought that a simple drink could be more powerful than any elixir or treasure he had ever encountered, allowing him to instantly break through to the Grandmaster Realm on the spot?
This was all fate. Yes… Van's eyes flickered, remembering Jonathan's words, instructing him to drink it.
The expert must have seen through his current predicament and, as such, commanded him to drink the item immediately rather than explaining how to open it for later.
Perhaps he was worried that Van might encounter some issues and wanted him to break through safely.
However, who would have imagined that there would be no issues whatsoever?
Internally, Van felt a heavy boulder that had been weighing down on his heart for countless decades vanish.
Jonathan, who had no idea what had happened, was momentarily stunned by the old man's words. He hadn't expected that the Koka Kola can would elicit such a reaction from the man.
'It should be reasonable. After all, this should be the first time he's tasted something like this,' Jonathan thought.
Still, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "How does it taste?"
"Its taste was amazing… it was better than any elixir I've ever had in my life. A single can was enough to push me to break through to the Grandmaster Realm and solidify my advancement. My mind has become much clearer, and my vision is much sharper. I definitely feel that I'm at the peak of my strength right now, more than I was at my prime, which is something I never believed I could achieve again in my lifetime," Van responded.
"So I can only tell you… Thank you for your help."
'Wait.. What?' Jonathan was dumbfounded upon hearing Van's words. When he had drunk the Koka Kola, he had felt no changes. It was no different from the ones back on Earth.
'System, explain!' Jonathan demanded.
[ All items sold within the Dimensional Convenience Store may look ordinary to the common eye, but possess extraordinary effects. As the Store Owner, the Host is capable of efficiently handling such effects, so you don't have to worry. ]
Jonathan's brows twitched. He had always wanted to wield extraordinary abilities, especially after arriving in this world. Now, upon learning that the items he sold from his store could elicit powerful changes in others but not in him, he felt betrayed.
Where was his breakthrough moment when he drank the Koka Kola?
This was ridiculous… utterly unacceptable!
'Will this continue in the future? When will I also get the opportunity to grow stronger? There might be situations where I'll have to step outside the store, as I did this morning when gathering information. Wouldn't it be better if I could start training early?' Jonathan argued internally.
[ You are right, Host. But you don't need to worry about this. As long as you continue managing the store and go down the path of becoming a Dimensional Convenience Store Tycoon, it will be possible for you to become the strongest in the world and act as you wish. Even if you wish to walk up to a King and buy his Kingdom, that is also possible. Anything is possible. The Host just needs to have faith in the System. ]
Jonathan's brows twitched even more fiercely. He had thought 'he' was silver-tongued, but who would've imagined the System was a whole level above him?
The promises it gave were so enticing that he almost considered dedicating himself entirely to managing the store just to claim all these rewards.
Meanwhile, Van continued bowing silently. He trembled under Jonathan's gaze, but didn't dare utter a word.
"You are much older than I, so you don't need to make things awkward by addressing me as senior. And you don't need to thank me. You used your money to purchase an item at my store, so it's naturally yours. The only thing I hope you can do is recommend this store to your friends and acquaintances. The more customers, the better," Jonathan said, waving his hand nonchalantly.
'At least I can ask for referrals. Who knows when I'll get another customer?' Jonathan sighed in relief.
If the System had stopped him from telling Van to give referrals to those around him, he would've had to rely on luck to bring in more customers, and that wasn't something he wanted to depend on right now.
Van's eyes lit up in understanding.
They shone as he looked at the expert before him with a new wave of realisation. As expected of an expert. Even helping him break through to the Grandmaster Realm seemed like something not worth mentioning.
His ears perked up when he heard the expert mention recommending the store to others and the subtle meaning behind it, and he couldn't help but become instantly excited.
Wasn't this fate? He had thought that he had been abandoned, yet fate had revealed itself to him once more.
Although he didn't know how the expert knew about the current dire situation of his clan, he didn't think too deeply about it. If a drink sold by this store could allow him to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, then surely the expert before him was capable of far more.
As for Jonathan saying he was younger than Van, Van didn't pay much attention. He knew that some experts were conscious or shy about their age and often made an effort to appear younger. Even he was no different.
However, he hadn't bothered recently because he had been too focused on breaking through, and he was approaching the end of his lifespan.