And although it was impossible for them to damage the door, Jonathan didn't know the store's exact durability limit and definitely didn't want to find out or risk spending his hard-earned money fixing it.
"I understand," Nessa replied, sweat dripping down her forehead.
Her fears had come true. Fortunately, the expert before her seemed calmer and gentler than the terrifying ones she had heard about.
"Ahem! I heard there's a new item in the store. Can we also take a look?" Tiana quickly asked, clearing the tension in the air.
She had already spotted the new item in the direction Van and the others were walking, and she couldn't help but want to take a closer look at it too. However, she wasn't sure whether she was allowed and decided to seek Jonathan's permission first.
If the Spicy Dragon Flavour Instant Noodles could increase their cultivation by three years and awaken her secret bloodline, who knew what kind of extraordinary miracles the other items might hold?
Kafla wore a similar expression of anticipation.
"Of course, you can have a look. It's open to every customer," Jonathan replied.
"Thank you, Store Manager Jonathan!" Tiana and Kafla said simultaneously, bowing respectfully before quickly heading toward the shelves.
They each grabbed one of Nessa's hands and pulled her along.
Jonathan sighed, hoping they truly understood his earlier warning so he wouldn't have to repeat himself.
Meanwhile, Van took the new product from the shelf and stared at it in astonishment. It was wrapped in shimmering red foil, with the words Mystic Energy Bar written in elegant golden letters. Below the text was an image of a man and a woman dressed in tight-fitting black attire, sprinting tirelessly atop a miniature version of the bar itself.
The packaging was unlike anything he had ever seen before, just like the other products in the store. Although it was smaller than most items, Van didn't dare underestimate it.
After all, even alchemy pills were sometimes the size of pebbles yet contained extraordinary effects. And the products here were far more powerful than alchemy pills.
The price was set at two medium-grade mana crystals.
Van gulped when he saw the price. It was even more expensive than the Koka Kola. After much back-and-forth with the clan elders, he had been allowed to bring four of the younger talented generation with him, meaning he would be the one paying for everything.
To spend two medium-grade mana crystals on a single Mystic Energy Bar was something he simply couldn't afford at the moment. He would rather spend the crystals on Koka Kola; it was far more cost-effective for his wallet.
Van cleared his throat, quickly glanced at the teens beside him, then placed the bar back on the shelf.
"Let's continue looking around," Van said.
The group nodded and followed behind him as he turned into another aisle, curiously taking in the store's interior design while greedily absorbing the pure, refined mana filling the air.
Tiana and the others continued exploring the store. They also took the opportunity to observe the vending machines and the products inside them.
Although the items were similar to the ones on the counter, and they had already seen the new product on one of the shelves, this was their first time seeing a vending machine. The way the items were arranged inside drew their attention, making them inspect every inch with curiosity.
"It seems all the items are locked inside. How about we try the ones in this strange artefact and see if it's any different from the others?" Kafla asked, her tone filled with excitement.
"Mhm… I also want to try it, but we have no idea how to bring out the item. We'll have to call Store Manager Jonathan to help us," Tiana replied.
Store Manager Jonathan had calmly instructed them earlier on how to use the water dispenser, so they weren't worried about asking him again to explain how this unknown artefact worked.
"Look, there's an instruction on the side," Nessa quickly said, pointing forward.
On the vending machine filled with Koka Kola, instant noodles, and Mystic Energy Bars, there was a small board with the words: 'How to a the vending machine.'
'Step One: View the items you want to purchase.
Step Two: Enter the item's code on the touchscreen.
Step Three: Confirm selection.
Step Four: Insert payment.
Step Five: Collect your item.
Have a good day.'
The three women read through the instructions several times, but they still didn't know what to do.
"What a complicated artefact!" Tiana said, scrunching up her face in displeasure. "Have you guys understood how to use it yet?" She turned to her sect sisters.
Kafla and Nessa shook their heads in response, their shoulders dropping in defeat.
Tiana nodded as though she had already expected that. She turned to the side and asked, "How about you, Senior? Have you figured out anything about how to activate the artefact?" She looked at Van and his followers.
At that moment, Van and the others were standing beside them, also staring at the vending machine.
"No. Unfortunately, it's too tricky even for me. We'll have to call Store Manager Jonathan to help us activate the artefact if we want to get the products inside," Van said, shaking his head with a sigh.
Perhaps he would have stood a chance at understanding how the artefact operated if he were an artefact refiner, but he wasn't. He had spent decades trying to break through to the Grandmaster Realm. So he was just as lost as they were.
Tiana nodded in response. To be honest, she was embarrassed about having to go to Jonathan to explain how to use these things, but they had no other choice unless they wanted to learn this valuable knowledge.
"I'll go get Store Manager Jonathan. Everyone should stay in their positions. I'll be back shortly," Tiana said, turning and heading toward the counter.
A minute later, she returned with Jonathan beside her.