Feixiao lifted her hand and opened another trash can, and once again the light of the most common Curio—green—spilled out.
Everyone felt a little disappointed. Feixiao, Jing Yuan, and Yanqing all shook their heads in unison. Yet none of them looked truly upset; instead, there was a hint of self-mockery in their expressions.
They laughed at their own greed, having placed too much expectations on this trash can.
Over these past few days, Jingliu, the Interastral Peace Corporation, the Astral Express Crew, and their own group had each drawn purple and even golden Curios one after another. The drop rate was so high it nearly made them forget that just days before, out of seventy-odd cans, only one golden and two purples had appeared at all.
Dozens had left in disappointment, some barely breaking even. After all, green Curios weren't much better than ordinary trinkets. Anyone who profited greatly was simply lucky enough to snag a blue one.
By the count, Yanqing and Feixiao had opened seven cans so far, already pulling out one blue and one purple. One specialized for killing, the other for battlefield command—rare treasures indeed. The neighboring Interastral Peace Corporation had invested far more than the Xianzhou, yet their highest prize was only a single purple Curio.
In comparison, it almost made one suspect Sylvester of favoring the Xianzhou, secretly controlling the odds of the trash cans.
The three quietly steadied their thoughts, paying no mind to the green Curio before them.
But Sylvester was different. He alone still watched with eager anticipation, waiting to see what kind of Curio would appear once the glow faded.
He knew, of course, that it would hardly possess any great power. But that feeling—like meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land—made his heart stir, and that was precious to him.
After all, who could remain unmoved after suddenly losing all contact with their past friends and loved ones?
At this moment, it was the shopkeeper of the trash cans, more than anyone else, who longed to glimpse the Curio's true form.
As the light fell away, a small silver metal box dropped into Feixiao's hand. Opening it, she found a wristwatch lying inside.
[Wristwatch-Type Tranquilizer:Pressing the switch on the side fires a tranquilizer dart that instantly puts the target to sleep. Only one dart can be loaded at a time.]
As expected!
It was this! If there were ever a contest for the most iconic item of that world, this watch would undoubtedly take the crown.
After firing thousands of times, it still functioned perfectly. Its durability was indisputable. Perhaps one day, every target it struck would fade into history, yet the watch itself would still work flawlessly. Such craftsmanship was no exaggeration.
"[Stun-Gun Wristwatch]. Beside the time-setting knob, there's a separate switch that fires a specially made tranquilizer dart. It's a compact, easily concealed weapon."
This time, before Feixiao could ask, Sylvester gave the introduction directly.
"So, it's a weapon?"
Hearing his words, Feixiao, who had already dismissed the Curio, now felt a flicker of interest. Even Jing Yuan and Yanqing in the resting area perked up as well.
Not only because of its function, but because of the clear change in Sylvester's tone.
If it were any other shop, it would likely be nothing but a salesman's pitch. Such people were adept at dressing up the most ordinary items, claiming they could drastically improve life, even change destinies, when in truth they were just mass-produced goods.
But from Sylvester's lips, the effect was entirely different. He had sold golden Curios before without so much as raising an eyebrow. Of everyone here, Feixiao had interacted with him the most, yet she had never seen him show such unguarded excitement.
Her mind's radar immediately went beep beep. This was the perfect chance to uncover his secrets!
For any person, the best way to break through their defenses was always the same—preferences.
Once you knew someone's preferences, there was a method to dealing with them. And once there was a method, all that was left was to invest the necessary resources.
This principle held true whether in analyzing an enemy's strategy during war, or in employing subtle tricks in personal struggles. It never failed.
Of course, she had no intention of harming Sylvester. And with his abilities, she likely couldn't even if she wanted to.
But that didn't stop her curiosity from driving her to probe deeper.
"Could it be that this tranquilizer uses a special compound—effective even against Pathstriders, perhaps even an Emanator? This Curio must have something unique about it, right?" Feixiao posed her question, the only angle she could imagine that might spark genuine interest.
Compared to a golden Curio it was nothing, but she knew many top researchers. As long as they made breakthroughs, even in obscure fields, they would be overjoyed.
Perhaps Sylvester was that kind of person?
Yanqing merely listened, thinking her guess reasonable.
But Jing Yuan was different. At Feixiao's words, he cast her an approving glance. Not only because her theory matched his own, but because her questioning itself was a skillful tactic.
Propose an idea. If Sylvester refuted it, he would be forced to reveal the information he knew. From there, one could trace an entire chain of knowledge. A small detail, yes, but the difference between success and failure often came down to countless small details.
This was strategy.
As expected of the Yaoqing's Arbiter-General—even famed among the High-Cloud Quintet for martial prowess, she still excelled in such subtle arts.
Jing Yuan fixed his gaze firmly on Sylvester, waiting to hear what this unexpected figure would say. Whatever it was, he would remember every word.
Under the scrutiny of all three, Sylvester cleared his throat and slowly began to speak.
"Of course. Though classified as a green Curio, this one is far from ordinary."
"Oh?"
Seeing Sylvester on the verge of a lengthy explanation, Feixiao and Jing Yuan instantly sharpened their focus, afraid to miss even a single word.
Sylvester said, "This was the exclusive Curio of a certain world's protagonist. It once accompanied him through storms and shadows, and earned him brilliant feats."