novelraw Chapter 1505 - 1504 - Prize
Chapter 1505 - 1504 - Prize
Lind was actually stuffed! The food in the stalls was fantastic. Roasted boar meat treated with spices and some kind of cream that enhanced the flavor had been noted by just about all of the customers.
He had noted the recipe as he consumed it and identified several medicinal herbs mixed in that were not normally used for cooking. He would absolutely add it to the menu when he got home!
There were also sweets that were either hard candy or sweet bread with some kind of filling. He, in the spirit of research of course, tried them all!
Nothing was too expensive and he was able to sample everything. Drinks were a bit limited.
Water was a given as it could be conjured with ease but wine, ale, or other alcohol was hard to come by. There was just no way to transport sufficient quantities for the crowds. Further, the stall owners were waiting for their chance at the Ruin the same as everyone else so they were unlikely to make things to the brim.
Lind pondered that problem a bit before a sneaky smile spread on his face. He used Haro to ensure no one sensed anything and sent a message to Fey. The Frey Clan had a lot of businesses now and some goodwill could be earned through partnerships in those that administered the Ruins.
He could only reach her via Haro as they were similar now. She was very close to ascending. He expected it would happen any day and Haro had assured him he would feel it.
An ascension was not something that could ever be hidden. The more profound the foundation, the more powerful the ascension.
Fey met those requirements easily.
It took a few days but Haro received a positive response. It would take 6 months for them to get a caravan with all they needed but once that was done, it would be a booming business for them to be sure.
Lind went back to exploring the other areas as food was only one distraction cultivators had set up to kill time. Waiting to get into the Ruin was not something they could chance seclusion on as critical junctures might mean missing their chance or hurting their foundations!
Thus there were some entertainment stalls. Nothing complicated, mostly simple games or even just direct challenges like arm wrestling.
It was agreed that no duels or fights would be allowed as it would lead to people trying to shorten the wait time!
Lind 'lost' a few arm wrestling contests but it was all good fun. He was even enjoying himself when a hawker's voice cut through the afternoon on his second week.
"COME ONE, COME ALL TO TAKE YOUR CHANCE! SEALED TREASURES HAVE ARRIVED!" A man with bulging arms exposed from his simple tan vest was using a simple wind skill to carry his voice.
His thick dark beard and tightly braided hair made him stand out even more but Lind noticed guards were nearby.
Sealed treasures was a variation of several small auction games. The closest equivalent he knew was roulette or gacha. You place your money on your slot and maybe you won or maybe you got nothing.
Essentially a Ruin, fallen power, or some other source had been raided and a merchant or simply someone with resources purchased treasures still bearing a seal. It worked two fold at that point.
The seal prevented any examination and gave security to the participants that they were not being cheated. The seal had to be authenticated and approved by the host power otherwise there would be a riot if someone wealthy lost.
It still happened in larger markets of course, but in the strictly controlled environment of the Ruins, it was not allowed. The guards were real too as he recognized them from the registration line.
The sealed treasures in the current set up had 3 pools to bet on. His aura flashed and he confirmed the grade as that was allowed.
The largest pool was grade 3. Grades 4 & 5 were mixed together. Grade 6 was where they topped out. There were no grade 7 sealed treasures but that was normal.
Anything grade 7 and above would have been raided or claimed long ago directly.
Still, many Immortals were interested. It was possible a lower grade treasure was used to hide a more powerful item or resource.
The power of the seal meant nothing in that sense. It was also a standard trick.
Lind mentally calculated what he could afford and frowned.
The grade 3 pool was his limit! He then shook his head as he had not come to gamble! The hawker was currently working the grade 3 pool as the other 2 were scrutinized by interested parties.
Lind sighed and began to scan visually if anything caught his eye. He did not dare to use his Eyes or Touch for 2 reasons. One, there were wards set up to detect any Talent like that and 2, he could not hide the quality of either Talent.
He would be revealed for a mid Sovereign Tier instantly the moment he used them.
Still, he had crafted many items as well as sealing them. Maybe he could get lucky and find a prize!
He saw bracelets, pendants, jade stones of varying size, and all kinds of items. The seals were not all from the same place as grade 3 sealed treasures were quite common so they were even safer from scamming than others.
Nothing was catching his eye but a few gaudy ones were snapped up quickly. It did not mean they were bad but usually overly decorative gems or crystals were for an aesthetic choice more than anything.
Some people wanted their storage treasure to blend into their clothing style.
Still, Lind found them hollow. He could tell vain people wanted them as they were meant to make them outshine a crowd. Such people usually stored enhancement resources to make them stand out more through makeup or some other common resource.
It was then he noticed a rather plain flattened jade stone with a gold core. It was shaped into a simple disc but larger than any Qi stone. So it was as large as his hand.
Aside from that, it had no other outstanding qualities save its craftsmanship. Whoever made it was a Forger! He recognized that kind of work instantly.
"200 World Stones!" Lind pointed at the disc and gave a bid. The hawker smiled and nodded but the attention brought others. It was a modest bet for an Immortal so nothing crazy started at first but then another Immortal poked their head in.
"10 Sky Stones." A young man at the Shard Tier had put forward a massive amount for a grade 3 item. 1000 World Stones were equal to 1 Sky Stone! Lind frowned as his budget was not unlimited at the moment.
He then pulled out a beast core. It was greatly reduced in power but it was still a peak Sky Realm beast core!
"My final offer." The young man went pale but refused to shame himself. The beast core was easily hundreds of Sky Stone! It hurt Lind's wallet to use it but he disliked losing once he found something he liked!
"Accepted!" The hawker was thrilled. He had already profited for the entire pool on that transaction alone! Lind sighed internally but happily accepted the disc.
He quickly moved away. It was on him to protect his purchase. The only certainty he had was his life was not in danger.
The guards would brutally punish anyone killer and be damned implacable about finding a criminal too. The Ruins were that precious.
He felt a few look at him but grade 3 treasures were not worth it. The only person he felt linger was the young man but he moved on to other treasures.
Lind sighed in relief as he returned to a place set aside for those waiting to enter.
He claimed a spot and set up his tent and wards once more. He was safe for the moment and looked at the disc. Rather than any contents, he examined its construction. He was inspired as he saw how the materials were smoothly integrated to achieve a peak grade 3 storage treasure but it was damned close to Heaven Grade!
The Forging was more than just inverting space but also making a defense effect! He admired it for quite awhile and was inspired by the synergy the creator had pulled off. It used space and gravity as a defensive Art!
He then used his vastly superior aura to snap the seal before binding the artifact. He then looked inside and expected to just find some scrolls or World Realm resources but he was shocked at what he saw.
[Haro.] His ring spirit appeared and Lind extracted the single item. It was a silver shard unlike anything he had ever seen before. Haro looked pale suddenly.
"That is a Divine Slip, Master. You cannot safely access it at this time but it had to come from a Divine Inheritance or maybe a peak Immortal Inheritance. I doubt the owner knew what it was." Lind nodded but excitement went through him!
If he could break through, he might be able to skim the surface of the slip! His status might allow him to glean insights to help him!
He truly wondered how it ended up in a grade 3 treasure but he looked at the fundamentals of the artifact once more. He then felt shocked as he realized what might have happened.
"Haro, could the owner have still been influenced by it?" Haro held the disc and then slowly nodded.
"This is far beyond what a grade 3 Forger should be capable of. It is impossible to know the history but I will safely store both. Do not look at the slip until I give you the go ahead." He nodded and Haro vanished with the 2 items.
Lind sighed that he could not study the slip but the danger was too great. He had been warned that Dao could shatter the 4th layer already.
He decided to organize his remaining items for his disguise and waited for his turn to come up.