Shopping Away

A resource station?

Realization dawned on Cora as she stared at the glowing system text. She pulled up her inventory interface. Her stash of gold coins rested safely in their slots. They might actually serve a purpose here.

A minute later, she cut the power to her underwater thruster. The environment began to shift around her. The endless, rolling ocean vanished. Her tiny island drifted into a narrow, calm river. Behind her, a thick wall of gray mist sealed the path, leaving nothing but emptiness. It had to be the exit.

Tall stone embankments lined both sides of the waterway. Straight ahead, a grand flight of moss-dampened stone steps rose from the water's edge. At the top of the stairs, brightly lit open doors welcomed her. A massive wooden plaque hung above the entrance, reading 'Resource Station' in bold carved letters.

Cora paddled her raft closer. She hopped onto the stone steps and stepped inside the cavernous interior. The space was massive, illuminated by warm, floating light orbs.

A crisp chime rang out above her head.

"Welcome!" a voice called out.

Cora paused at the sound. She turned her gaze toward the front counter. The young employee standing behind the brass register froze. His jaw dropped open.

"Grandma?"

"Hi," Cora nodded, keeping her tone casual.

Who would have thought Finnick ended up landing a job at a resource station? The kid had really made something of himself.

Finnick proudly wore a dark blue employee uniform with a crisp, well-ironed matching apron and a shiny name tag. He looked sharp and adorable. He bounced on his heels, brimming with excitement. He rushed out from behind the counter and reached for her hand.

"Every time you said you would come visit me, something always came up!" His face lit up with a massive grin. "Today, you finally made it!"

Before she could respond, he turned and shouted toward the back storage room. "My beautiful supervisor! My grandma came to see me! I told you she would!"

A towering monster woman stepped out from the back. She appeared to be in her fifties, radiating a kindly, matriarchal energy with a round, warm face and faint glowing scales along her jawline.

Finnick sure knew how to sweet-talk his boss, Cora noted. Calling her beautiful was a smart move for a kid trying to secure his future.

"Alright, alright! You win." The supervisor chuckled. She walked over, towering above them, and ruffled Finnick's hair with a massive hand. Then she reached into her chest pocket. "So, as your prize for winning the bet, I will give your grandma a membership card."

She handed Cora a glowing blue card.

"Dear customer, this is our station's membership card. You will get discounts on everything," she added, winking at Cora.

"Thank you," Cora said, taking the card.

A system prompt chimed in her ear.

[You have obtained a Resource Station VIP Card. All items at all resource stations are 20% off.]

The supervisor beamed down at her. "Madam, your arrival truly lights up our humble station."

Cora tucked the VIP card into her inventory. She found the supervisor's wording a bit strange, but she chalked it up to NPC dialogue meant for Finnick's real grandmother. This temporary disguise was a fragile thing. She silently prayed she wouldn't literally run into his actual grandmother wandering the aisles. That would be a disaster.

She nodded at Finnick and prepared to head deeper into the store. She needed to hurry. The evening hours were approaching, and she had to be back on her island before dark.

Just as she took a step, Finnick grabbed her hand again. He pressed something hard and metallic into her palm. Ten heavy gold coins.

"Buy whatever you like," he whispered, his tone urgent and his eyes shining with pride. "I've got money now."

Before she could refuse and hand the coins back, he darted back to his post behind the counter, flashing her a bright, reassuring smile.

Cora stood there, touched by this unexpected grandson's fierce love. She sighed. She would have to find a way to return his hard-earned money later.

She turned her attention to the massive, supermarket-like station. The cavernous space stretched far back, filled with towering shelves reaching toward the ceiling. It was a dizzying array of goods. Food, survival materials, entertainment items—the sheer volume of products made her head spin.

Large wooden signs hung from the ceiling, marking the different aisles. She navigated the layout and pushed a metal shopping cart straight toward the Shark Snacks section.

Five long rows of shelves stood packed with colorful treats. She had no idea what a shark-boy liked to eat. Finnick couldn't abandon his counter, so she had to guess. She loaded her metal cart with generous portions of snacks wrapped in bright neon kelp and large buckets of crispy treats. Most of them cost only a few silver coins.

With the cart half-full, she moved on to the clothing section. She picked out five cute, miniature outfits for him—four casual daily wear sets made of durable fabric and one formal little suit with intricate stitching. The whole process took barely five minutes.

As she tossed the tiny clothes into her cart, a sharp, arrogant voice interrupted her peace.

"Those are really expensive, you know. It would be super awkward if you couldn't afford to pay."

Cora didn't even pause her packing. She slowly turned around.

A little boy in a matching dark blue uniform stood at the end of the aisle. A sharp silver horn protruded from his forehead. A monster kid.

He smirked at her, crossing his arms in an attempt to look dominant. His eyes held a nasty gleam of sarcasm. "You are Finnick's grandma, right? Can you even afford all this stuff? That broke kid's underwear has patches on it."

Cora stared at him. When she didn't smile, her face naturally settled into a cold, intimidating mask. She shot him an icy glare that could freeze the ocean.

"Did you pull down his pants?" she demanded, her voice flat.

The horned boy froze in terror. His smirk vanished in an instant. He clearly hadn't anticipated that specific question.

"N-no!" he stammered, his eyes darting around in panic. "I just... I saw it when he was changing his clothes!"

Cora let out a quiet breath. She had been worried about a blown cover or severe workplace bullying. This was just petty, pathetic childish rivalry.

"Good," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.

She turned and walked right past him as if he didn't exist, pushing her cart down the aisle. She left the horned boy standing there, his face turning bright red as he sputtered indignantly. He tried to take a step after her, but his short legs couldn't keep up. Cora rounded a corner and disappeared from his sight.

With the invisible clock ticking toward the perilous evening hours, she headed straight to the Game Supplies section. She checked the large clock mounted on the ceiling. It read 6:28 PM. The game rules made it clear that the ocean turned deadly at night. She refused to test those boundaries.

She scanned the high-tier shelves with ruthless precision. This wasn't a time for casual browsing. She needed life-saving gear.

First, she grabbed a heavy protective suit. It featured sleek, dark material with thick armor plating. The tag listed its ability to withstand three otherwise fatal injuries. It cost a steep 80 gold coins, but survival had no price limit. Into the cart it went.

Next, she found the traps. She selected five complex binding traps with coiled tension wires and five small explosive bombs shaped like heavy iron spheres. That added another 100 gold coins to her mental tally.

Further down the aisle, a small vial of potent plant growth serum caught her eye. The glowing green liquid promised rapid, hormone-free agricultural boosts. For 10 gold coins, she tossed it in.

Then she spotted the books. One thick, leather-bound manual stood out: an exclusive 'NPC only' medical skill book. 20 gold coins. She didn't care about the restriction tag. It went into the cart.

She hurried to the Daily Supplies section. She needed basic necessities. She found a pack of a hundred sanitary pads in simple packaging. The price tag made her scoff. 10 gold coins.

Misogyny and pink taxes exist in every dimension, she complained inwardly. But she bought them anyway.

Finally, she wheeled her cart toward the Island Facilities section. She spotted a luxurious self-cleaning toilet for 30 gold coins. The sleek ceramic surface featured glowing runes indicating disposal magic. It processed all waste automatically and could be placed indoors. She wouldn't have to worry about cross-contamination with her water purifier anymore. She hoisted the heavy box into a second shopping cart.

Time was running out. She rushed her two overflowing, heavy shopping carts to the front checkout counter.

The supervisor's eyes sparkled with delight at the sight of the massive haul. She stepped up to the brass and crystal register, calling Finnick over to help pack the items while she rang up the mountain of goods herself.

Finnick stared at the two carts. He stood stunned. He looked horrified by the sheer volume of goods. His mind raced as he mentally calculated the mounting total.

The arrogant horned boy had wandered up to the counter as well. He folded his arms and smirked. He waited for Cora to look shocked and humiliated by the exorbitant price. For most NPCs, monsters, or players visiting a resource station, spending 50 gold coins was a massive expense. Very few ever spent more.

He had heard the rumors. Finnick's grandmother used to be the best doctor on the sea, raking in a high income. But that was in the past. She had been sick for years, leaving the family scraping by on Finnick's meager earnings. Letting her grandson live in poverty while she shopped like this? The horned boy couldn't wait to see her fail.

The supervisor scanned the heavy protective suit, the bombs, the skill book, and the toilet. The heavy thud of items hitting the counter echoed in the room. Finnick's eyes grew wider with every beep of the scanner. His hands shook slightly as he bagged the items. He stood numb. He was mentally preparing himself to beg the supervisor for a three-year salary advance just to cover the disastrous cost of his grandmother's visit. He couldn't let her lose face.

"After the discount, that comes to 200 gold coins, ma'am," the supervisor announced with a bright smile.

The horned boy's smirk widened. There was no way this sickly, poor old woman had 200 gold coins.

Meanwhile, watching her unload item after expensive item, Finnick squeezed his eyes shut, ready to offer his future wages.