I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 74

Ten minutes later, the train arrived at Yuri's shop.

People had gathered here to eat, filling the air with chatter and the rich aroma of seafood.

Huo Huo was taken aback when she spotted Jing Yuan. She never imagined she'd be sharing a meal with the great General Jing Yuan himself. The gap between a general and a trainee judge was simply too vast—this was something she had never even dared to dream of.

The shop was bustling tonight. Yesterday, Klee and the other four little ones had fried too much fish, so Yuri and Xiangling had spent over an hour preparing a massive seafood feast.

Paimon, ever the food enthusiast, was clutching a king crab larger than her entire body, marveling at its sheer size. "How can crabs even grow this big?! This is insane!" she exclaimed, equal parts horrified and fascinated.

Meanwhile, Feixiao and Venti had found common ground in their love for drinks.

"Great! Come on, Venti, blow another one!" Feixiao cheered, popping the lid off another bottle.

"Don't mind if I do!" Venti grinned, lifting the bottle and downing it in one go.

Feixiao followed suit, slamming his empty bottle on the table with enough force to make the dishes rattle.

"Now that's what I call a drink!!" he roared.

Jiao Qiu, standing nearby, sighed and tried to rein him in. "General, you should really drink less."

Feixiao scowled. "Drink less? No way! My moon mania is almost gone now, and you won't even let me enjoy a drink?" He waved dismissively. "Go, go, go—eat your meal."

Jiao Qiu hesitated but ultimately let it go. The general's condition had improved, so a few drinks wouldn't hurt.

Across the room, Yun Li's eyes sparkled at the sight of the feast before her. "This place serves food like this?" she muttered in disbelief.

She picked up an arm-length mantis shrimp, peeled away its shell, and revealed the juicy meat underneath. Dipping it in sauce, she took a giant bite, savoring the flavor.

"This is heaven!!!" she cried out, nearly tearing up from sheer joy.

At that moment, an idea struck her—she had to join the train crew. If she did, she could eat like this every day.

Yanqing, watching from nearby, rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm and sipped his fish soup quietly.

Yuri meanwhile was fiddling with something.

Kafka, sitting beside him, raised an eyebrow. She reached out, poked the bubbles, and her finger slipped right through them.

"Yuri, what's that in your hand?"

Yuri grinned. "A little something special. You'll find out soon enough. Let's eat first."

Kafka's curiosity was piqued. "You're keeping me in suspense?"

"I promise, it's worth the wait. It even concerns your welfare."

Hearing that, Kafka dropped the topic and continued eating, though anticipation flickered in her eyes.

The meal passed quickly, and soon, everyone had settled into their own corners of the shop. Some were chatting, others lounging in contentment.

Yuri scanned the room, noting that a few familiar faces were still missing. He turned to Kevin, who was sprawled across the trash-can sofa, rubbing his full stomach.

"Kevin! Get over here, I have a job for you."

Kevin groaned. "Nope, I'm busy digesting. Three king crabs, Yuri. Three."

Yuri rolled his eyes and smacked a hundred Stellar Jades onto the counter.

"Hundred Stellar Jades. Go to Belobog and bring Bronya, Seele, and the others over."

Kevin sat up immediately. "You should've started with that!" He snatched the money and disappeared through the portal without another word.

Paimon, who had been listening nearby, perked up. "Wait, wait, do you need help with anything?" she asked eagerly.

Yuri smirked. "Go call Xia Qin, Ningguang, and the others."

Paimon nodded but didn't move. Instead, she held out her tiny hands expectantly.

Yuri chuckled. "Oh, I see how it is. Kevin needed motivation. You, on the other hand, offered to help. That's some real enthusiasm. Wouldn't taking Stellar Jades ruin the sincerity of your kindness?"

Paimon faltered. "I—well—huh?"

Yuri laughed. "I'm messing with you. Here." He handed her a hundred Stellar Jades.

Paimon snatched them up, twirling in the air with glee. "Paimon made money!!!"

"Now go get them," Yuri reminded her.

"Yes, Boss Yuri!" Paimon saluted before vanishing into the portal.

Before long, everyone who had ever dined at the shop arrived, packing the place wall to wall. The energy in the room was electric.

The four little ones—Klee, Hook, Bailu, and Diona—sat in the front, piecing together Legos. Behind them, Kevin, March 7th, Seele, Hu Tao, Eula, Amber, and Xiangling were deep in discussion about tomorrow's martial arts ceremony.

Diluc, Jing Yuan, Welt, Zhongli, Huaiyan, and Jiao Qiu, the old-timers, exchanged stories about their travels through the stars.

Asta, Jean, Bronya, Ningguang, Keqing, and Ye Lan gathered to discuss government affairs.

Surprisingly, the ever-serious Mo Ze and Dan Heng seemed to be getting along well.

And, of course, Feixiao and Venti were drinking amid the laughter in the air.

It was...quite the gathering.

Yuri looked around, clapped his hands, and called for attention.

"Everyone, look over here. I have an announcement to make."

At his words, all eyes turned to him.

Black Tower sighed impatiently. "If you need to make some grand speech, hurry it up. I have experiments to get back to."

Ignoring her, Yuri took out the stone door and hurled it against the wall.

The bubble surrounding it burst upon impact, revealing a massive stone gate, five meters high and three meters wide. It looked ancient and weathered, vines creeping up its surface. A wooden sign hung from it, inscribed with several lines of text.

[Today's Instance: CFGO (Elemental Force Edition)]

[Countdown to Opening: 10 Minutes]

[Description: A 25vs25 team match set on a transport ship. The first team to reach 1,000 kills wins.]

[Winning Reward: 1,000 Stellar Jades per person.]

[The player with the most kills will be MVP and receive an additional 1,000 Stellar Jades.]

Excitement rippled through the crowd.

"Oh my! This is interesting! We can earn Stellar Jades just by winning!"

Silver Wolf crossed her arms, a smug grin on her face. "Hah! Finally, something I excel at! The Silver Wolf team is recruiting—only those with a KD of 2 or higher! Step up!"

Several eager contestants shot their hands into the air. "Me, me! Silver Wolf, carry us!"

Yuri cut in. "No forming pre-made teams. Everyone gets randomly assigned. Now, hurry up and register—the match starts in a few minutes."

At his command, everyone rushed to sign up.

Yuri sighed to himself. It was a shame that, as the host, he couldn't participate. But at least he could watch.

Kevin, now successfully registered, struck a dramatic pose at the entrance. "Today, I will be the MVP!"

Silver Wolf smirked. "Kevin, I'm not trying to be mean, but with your shooting skills, you might want to rethink that claim."

March 7th nodded. "Yeah, MVP? Please. That title is mine—I'm an archer, after all."

Seele scoffed. "An archer? So what? You use a bow. Bronya's got the best shot here—she's got a gun. There's no contest."

Bronya blushed at Seele's praise, shifting uncomfortably.

March 7th, not one to back down, grinned. "Alright then, let's settle this in the match! Whoever scores the most kills wins."

Seele's eyes glowed with determination. "Bronya, show them what you can do!"

Meanwhile, Zhongli called over Ningguang and the others. "We must do our best. No matter who wins, let's ensure Liyue gets those Stellar Jades."

Ningguang nodded. "Agreed."

Jing Yuan gathered Yanqing, Fu Xuan, and Qingque. "Come on. We need this prize. Luofu's funds are running low."

Yanqing placed a hand over his chest. "I won't let you down."

Jade and Topaz joined in as well. Topaz looked anxious, shifting in place.

Jade chuckled. "Relax, Topaz. Even if we lose, we'll get another chance. There will probably be matches every day."

Topaz nodded but still seemed uneasy.

Around them, Kevin, March 7th, Ying, Seele, and Silver Wolf were all still hyping themselves up, trading bold declarations of victory.

Soon, a voice echoed from the stone gate.

"The game is about to begin. Contestants, prepare yourselves!"

[Countdown!]

[10!]

[9!]

[8!]

[7!]

[6!]

[5!]

[4!]

Visit fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm for the best novel reading experi𝒆nce.

[3!]

[2!]

[1!]

[Teleportation commencing! Good luck, and fight well!]

Light enveloped the participants, pulling them into the battlefield. Yuri activated the system's battle-viewing mode, settling in to watch the chaos unfold.

Inside the game, everyone was assigned to their respective teams.

Kevin scanned his surroundings, spotting March 7th and Hu Tao. He waved, preparing to head toward them—only to realize he couldn't move his feet.

"Uh, why can't I move?"

March 7th and Hu Tao also tried to move and found themselves frozen in place.

"Huh? This Hall Master can't move either! What's going on?"

A voice boomed overhead.

[Now explaining the game rules.]

[This is CFGO (Elemental Force Edition).]

[Victory Condition: Your team must reach 1,000 kills before the opposing faction.]

[Game Setup: Two teams—25 defenders (blue) and 25 lurkers (red).]

[Map: Transport Ship Plus, spanning 2,000 meters in length and 500 meters in width, packed with large containers for cover.]

[Note: Each player can choose only ONE elemental-force bullet type and ONE weapon for the entire match. Once selected, they cannot be changed.]

[Mobility will be restored in 3 seconds. The battle begins now!]

With that, the confinement lifted, and the match began.

Kevin, March 7th, and Hu Tao found themselves in a small room alongside other teammates.

Kevin hefted a Negev heavy machine gun, choosing wind-element bullets.

March 7th selected a Magran sniper rifle with ice-element bullets.

Hu Tao dual-wielded UZIs infused with fire-element bullets.

March 7th raised an eyebrow at Kevin. "Why a machine gun? Didn't they say the terrain is complex? That thing's gonna be useless here."

Kevin grinned, hoisting the Negev onto his shoulder. "Firepower is everything. I'll just shoot my way through. Let's go!"

March 7th and Hu Tao exchanged glances before following him.

Not long after stepping out, Kevin spotted Xiangling, her red icon marking her as an enemy. She was sneaking through a corner.

"Hey hey! Xiangling! Take this!" Kevin yelled, unleashing a storm of bullets.

Xiangling screamed. "AHHHH!"

Luckily for her, Kevin's aim was subpar. She barely escaped with low health.

Hu Tao sprinted after her, laughing. "Where are you running, Xiangling? You won't escape me!"

Just as Hu Tao turned a corner in pursuit, she was suddenly flung backward.

"Ahhh! This Hall Master has fallen!"

[Alert: Lurker Bronya eliminated Defender Hu Tao.]

Xiangling exhaled in relief, spotting Bronya perched on a container, reloading her sniper rifle. "Bronya! Thank you! You saved me!"

Before Bronya could respond, a bullet struck her right between the eyes. Her form shattered into light particles.

[Alert: Defender March 7th eliminated Lurker Bronya.]

Xiangling barely had time to process what had happened before Kevin came charging in, still firing wildly.

"Xiangling! You're mine!"

But just as he rounded the corner—

Click.

His Negev fell silent.

Kevin stared. "Uh-oh. No bullets."

Xiangling smirked, pulling back the bolt on her AK.

"Heh. My turn."

Tat-tat-tat-tat!

[Lurker Xiangling eliminated Defender Kevin.]

Similar chaotic battles erupted across the transport ship, as both teams fought ferociously for victory.