Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

Huang Yiming locked himself in his room, placing a chair behind the door as if he were a schoolboy sneaking around playing. He pulled out his old smartphone, his fingers trembling slightly as he scrolled through the contacts to a number labeled "Ali." His fingertips rubbed the screen repeatedly, his heart pounding. This was a special channel he'd overheard a coworker mentioning when he was working on a construction site—a supposedly reliable source, albeit unorthodox. He never wanted to deal with such people again unless absolutely necessary.

He took a deep breath and pressed the dial button. The phone rang a few times before being answered. A hoarse male voice came from the other end: "Who is it? Don't call randomly if you don't have something to say." Huang Yiming lowered his voice and got straight to the point: "A friend recommended this place. I want to buy some serious stuff for self-defense."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then the tone became wary: "What friend? What goods do you want?" Huang Yiming gritted his teeth and stated his needs: "A handgun, matching bullets, and a sharp machete." As soon as he finished speaking, the other end became interested, their tone warming up: "Sure, five hundred as a deposit, cash on delivery. Late-night transaction in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Dare to come?"

"Sure, send me the time and place." Huang Yiming hung up the phone, his palms sweating. The tension of the illegal transaction swept over him, but the thought of the dangers of the other world instantly made him determined. He took out paper and pen and began to make a purchase list. In addition to weapons, he also needed to prepare enough supplies for the trip to and from the other world.

Compressed biscuits, instant noodles, bagged bread, and purified water are basic rations, and we must buy plenty of them; cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, iodine, and gauze are essential, as medical conditions in this other world are poor and common medicines are hard currency; there's also modern refined salt, white sugar, lighters, and fruit candies, which are incredibly valuable in this other world and can be exchanged for large amounts of gold, silver, and medicinal herbs; finally, we should buy some snacks and a change of clothes for Yang Xiu, so that the little maid won't suffer.

A list appeared, with snacks, rations, and medicine on the left, and pistols, bullets, and machetes on the right—a bizarre and outlandish sight. Huang Yiming looked at the list and couldn't help but laugh. While others would buy either daily necessities or combat equipment, he had bought snacks and weapons together, making him arguably the first person in history to do so.

[Ding! Host, this list is truly unique, a combination of a foodie and a tough guy. The first half is a list of things to feed your child, the second half suddenly becomes a list of self-defense gear. The contrasting styles are hilarious. I suggest you stock up on band-aids, so you don't accidentally cut yourself and end up crying to this system for comfort. Also, don't buy cheap handguns; if they go off accidentally, you'll be the first one to die, a complete waste.] The system's sarcastic remarks hit the mark precisely, accompanied by a merciless mockery. Huang Yiming retorted inwardly: Shut your jinxed mouth, I'm tough as nails, even the King of Hell won't take me.

He carefully tucked the list and deposit into his pocket, then quietly left the room. Looking at Yang Xiu, who was sitting obediently in the living room with snacks in her arms, a warmth filled his heart. Hearing the noise, Yang Xiu immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him: "Young Master, are you going out?" "Yes, I'm going out to buy some things. I'll be back soon. Don't wander around at home, and lock the door," Huang Yiming instructed.

Yang Xiu nodded and handed him a piece of chocolate from her arms: "Young master, take this with you. Xiu Xiu will wait for you to come back." Huang Yiming took the chocolate, feeling warm inside. He turned and went out, first going to the supermarket and pharmacy to purchase all the supplies on his list. The two large bags were heavy, all of which were his means to make a living in this other world.

As night deepened and darkness enveloped the land, with few pedestrians on the streets, Huang Yiming changed into dark clothes, quietly left home, and headed towards the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Along the way, his heart was pounding with anxiety; he worried about being double-crossed by thugs and also feared running into patrolling police. He walked quickly, his nerves on edge.

Upon arriving at the warehouse, it was pitch black except for a dim light bulb in one corner. A burly, bald man leaned against the wall—it was Ali. Seeing Huang Yiming, Ali sized him up and sneered, "Kid, pretty punctual. With your small frame, what are you buying a gun for? To make a short film?"

Huang Yiming feigned composure and replied with a straight face, "Going to another world for travel, for self-defense." Upon hearing this, Ali was stunned, then burst into laughter, slapping his thigh and mocking, "Kid, why don't you just say you're going to cultivate immortality? Stop talking nonsense, hand over the deposit, let's inspect the goods." He pulled out a pistol, two boxes of bullets, and a machete from his pocket and threw them on the ground.

Huang Yiming picked up the weapon and inspected it. It felt heavy, indicating it was genuine, and he breathed a sigh of relief. After paying the balance, he packed up the weapon and supplies, not daring to linger, and turned to walk back. Behind him, Ali teased, "Kid, don't play around with these toys, you'll get yourself killed!"

*Beep!* Transaction complete. You have obtained 1 standard-issue pistol, 20 bullets, and 1 machete. Your supplies are now sufficient. Warning: Host, hide your weapons well before your parents find out. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble. At best, you'll have your legs broken; at worst, you'll be sent to the police station.

Huang Yiming's heart tightened. He quickened his pace and sneaked home under the cover of night, moving as stealthily as a burglar. He hid his weapons in the most concealed wooden box under his bed, topped with a pile of old clothes, and stuffed all the supplies into his system storage space. After finishing, he slumped onto the bed, exhausted but full of confidence, even crossing his legs slightly. With firearms—a game-changing weapon—and a storage space overflowing with supplies, returning to the other world meant he would no longer have to flee in terror from monsters or fear bandits like before.

He glanced into the next room. Yang Xiu was fast asleep, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly still having a nightmare filled with images of slave traders and bandits. Her lips were tightly pursed, making her look particularly pitiful. Huang Yiming sighed softly, secretly resolving that this time when he returned, he would give Yang Xiu a stable home, never letting her live in fear again, never letting her suffer the slightest grievance. Little did he know that this batch of advanced weaponry was about to cause a massive upheaval in another world, completely rewriting his destiny and propelling him from a destitute nobody onto the path of true triumph.

He glanced into the next room; Yang Xiu was fast asleep, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly still frightened. Huang Yiming sighed softly, secretly resolving that this time he would give Yang Xiu a stable home and never let her live in fear again. Little did he know that this batch of advanced weaponry was about to cause a massive upheaval in another world, completely rewriting his destiny.