Synopsis

Heclockedinforminimumwage—noweverybarcodebeepkeepsthecosmosfromimploding.EathanLinwantedthreethingsinlife:finishhisCSdegree,keephisminimum-wagecornershopgig,andmaybestoplivingoninstantnoodles.Theuniversedelivers…a[SYSTEM].NowhisshiftsatCOZMART—anunremarkablecornershoprunbythecoffee-addict“MisterWhite”—haveturnedintoacosmictraffichub.Godsdropinunannounced,receiptprintersspitouttalismans,andEathan’snewweaponisagold-lacedbarcodescannerthatcanprice-checkreality.Guided(read:bullied)byhissuspiciouslyimmortalboss,Eathanisdraggedfromflickeringfluorescentaislesintorift-torncities,spectralbattlefields,andrealmsthatrewritethemselvesonawhim.Nottomention,eachquestsyncsanothershardofa“missingfragment”tohissoul,nudginghimclosertosomethingfarlessmortal—andfarmoreexplosive—thanapart-timeintern.