Day 4: Undercurrents Surging
Fa: The Mysterious Wooden Box???
Fa discovered a plain huai wood box at a second-hand stall in the market, with simple wave patterns carved on the lid. Her star eyes faintly heated up—not from magical fluctuations this time, but from some older, more profound energy.
"Will you sell this box for 10 gold coins?" she asked the stall owner. The man, missing a front tooth, waved his hand: "Take it, this empty box has nothing in it." Fa tucked the box into her bosom and left.
Kayla: The Frenzy of Consecutive Wins
The arena's spectator seats were packed today as Kayla faced a "four-match streak." Her opponent was a mysterious fighter wearing an iron mask, striking viciously with lethal moves. But Kayla had already entered a battle frenzy state. After transforming into her third form, her body suddenly enlarged, revealing a massive leopard. When her thunder (leopard) claws shattered the opponent's iron mask, the entire arena erupted in thunderous applause, awarding her 10,000 gold coins plus a 3,000 gold coin tip. With the prize money in hand, she became the youngest "four-win legend" in arena history.
Rex: The Councilor's Maglev Car Breakdown
At the entrance of the parliament building, a silver maglev car sat stalled in the middle of the road, emitting white smoke with the engine making a "clattering" cracking sound. The Gold Merchant Fort councilor anxiously rubbed his hands: "There's an emergency meeting in half an hour! This car cost me 200,000 gold coins!"
Rex crawled under the car and saw that two crystal arrays in the "anti-gravity core" were cracked, with a flattened soda can stuck nearby—obviously discarded by a passing vagrant. "The core array is imbalanced; need to rearrange the crystals." He pulled out spare crystals from a dismantled flyer (actually ordinary glass dyed with color), arranged them in a triangle, and glued them securely. "This will improve stability by 30% and prevent foreign objects from entering."
When the maglev car lifted off again, the councilor noticed a flashing button on the dashboard: "What's this?" Rex said: "Emergency evasion key; press it to automatically avoid annoying people." The councilor laughed and stuffed 10,000 gold coins into his hand: "Next time, modify the seats to have massage functions!" Rex watched the colorful smoke trailing from the car's rear, thinking: Nobles' money is indeed spent on invisible things.
Arya: The Antique Dealer's Savior
An antique dealer walked down the road with a mournful face. Arya approached warmly to inquire, and the dealer said: He had bought a "Dwarven Golden Goblet" that developed cracks, identified as caused by an ancient curse. If not repaired, he'd face massive penalty fees.
Arya carefully examined the goblet and found black magic seeping from the cracks. She first used dark magic to draw out the curse source, then melted gold fragments with fire magic to mend the gap like sewing, and finally engraved invisible reinforcement patterns with wood magic on the repaired area.
"The repair traces are completely invisible, and it's sturdier than before." She demonstrated the goblet. "Fee: 1,500 gold coins."
The antique dealer thanked her profusely and introduced other colleagues. Arya's reputation as a "Magic Restorer" began to spread, with appointment lists filling her wicker bag.
Tisk: The Birth of Artwork
Tisk spent the entire day forging a set of "Ice Flame Armor"—a blue breastplate inlaid with red agate, with ice-fire intertwined patterns flowing on the gauntlets. When placed on the display stand, it immediately attracted a collector dressed in lavish formal wear.
"This is the pinnacle of magic and forging!" the collector said excitedly. "50,000 gold coins, I'll take it!" Tisk helped pack the armor into a gilded wooden box. Tisk nodded, watching the collector's departing figure, suddenly feeling that he was sure to be the champion in this competition.
Salsa: The Intelligence Hunter Under the Sunlight
Salsa arrived at the "Abyssal Crystal City Public Information Hall," where verified legal information was sold. By reading newspapers and navigation logs, she summarized two key pieces of info: 1. The noble district was about to host the "Windmill Festival," with surging demand for handmade wooden souvenirs; 2. The Magic Academy released a "Old Book Restoration" task, rewarding rare potion materials.
She first contacted a suburban woodworking shop, convincing the owner to mass-produce wooden windmills in advance by mentioning the upcoming Windmill Festival orders. Then, acting as a middleman, she sold the first batch to a noble district general store, earning a 1,500 gold coin price difference. Next, she took on the Magic Academy's old book restoration task, using her spirit body to phase through walls into the restricted library, compiling a catalog of worm-eaten books in three hours, exchanging for 500 gold coins and a bottle of "Memory Enhancement Potion."
Before bed, in the inn lobby, she heard a merchant complaining about a "lost passport" and volunteered to help find it in the restaurant sofa crevice, receiving a 200 gold coin thank-you fee. "Intelligence isn't just in shadows; details under the sunlight are equally valuable." She stroked the mechanical cat's headphones, recording the day's earnings in her leather notebook.
Day 5: Final Sprint
Fa: The Forgotten Treasure in Underground Pipelines
Fa squatted at the alley entrance, staring blankly at the bronze manhole cover beneath her feet—through her star eyes, she "saw" a rusted magic metal pipeline three meters underground, with dense earth magic fluctuations lingering on the pipe walls.
"This is the protective magic pipeline from the original city walls." She knocked on the door of a nearby blacksmith shop. "I'll provide the pipeline location; you handle the excavation, and we split the profits fifty-fifty." The blacksmith was skeptical but brought chisels and followed her to the well. Fa softened the ground with earth magic, exposing a half-meter diameter golden pipeline engraved with ancient protective emblems.
The blacksmith excitedly cut off a section: "Just melting down the magic metal is valuable!" That day, they sold segments to forgers and mages, with Fa getting 5,000 gold coins. As she left, the blacksmith whispered: "If there's another deal like this, let me know."
Kayla: The Champion's Resolve
The arena was crammed with spectators on the decisive battle day. Kayla's opponent was the reigning champion "Big Hammer" Triann—a two-meter-tall ogre wielding a massive iron hammer with both hands.
"Beastkin girl, four wins in a row is impressive," Triann grinned with his bloody maw. "But today, I'll show you what despair is!" The battle started with the hammer smashing toward Kayla with a whooshing wind, nearly hitting her. She recalled Arya's parting advice: "Don't fight head-on; use your agility." She calmed down, dodging attacks with the flexibility of her three-stage transformation, then slashed Triann's knee tendon with thunder claws during a hammer swing gap.
"It's over!" Kayla shouted, her body erupting in sudden frost, freezing Triann in an ice pillar. The arena boiled over as the referee raised her arm: "A new champion is born!" 50,000 gold coin prize plus a 10,000 gold coin tip in the bag. She slumped on the fighting platform, gazing at the sunlight streaming from the ceiling, feeling for the first time that "making money" was as exhilarating as battle.
Rex: The Antique Dealer's Scheme and Breakthrough
While Rex had his drone patrolling the coast, he noticed faint light seeping from the iron door cracks at an abandoned port. He circled to the back, pried open the rusted iron lock with his tools, and by flashlight saw piles of old metal crates below. One crate corner was engraved with "Radiant School"—instruments crafted by ancient astronomers he remembered.
He opened the crate to find a palm-sized bronze disk, etched with dense star maps on the surface and edged with worn blue gems. Based on experience, this was a "Star Navigation Disk," used by old-era merchant ships for direction-finding, now favored by nobles as scholarly decorations. He wrapped it in cloth and found the city's largest antique dealer: "This was salvaged from an old ship; no one can fake the star patterns on it."
When Rex placed the bronze star navigation disk on the antique dealer's counter, the boss's pupils noticeably contracted. The eyes behind the round glasses quickly scanned the star map patterns, while thick fingers unconsciously stroked his beard—this was Rex's data-analyzed habit for "spotting high-value goods."
"Not a bad fake," the boss pushed up his glasses, keeping his voice deliberately flat. "The material is century-old bronze, and the patterns mimic it well." He took out a small scale from the drawer. "For your sincerity, 3,000 gold coins."
Rex crossed his arms watching the performance, his fingers lightly tapping his mechanical arm—he recalled his database on the "Radiant Astrology School," which went extinct a thousand years ago, with all artifacts destroyed in a great fire, leaving few surviving remnants. "As far as I know," he suddenly spoke, "The Radiant School's star disks have a feature—" He tapped the blue gems on the edge with his nail. "Each gem corresponds to planets visible to the naked eye back then, and century-old craftsmen couldn't remember those star positions."
The boss's hand froze on the scale, his face paling slightly. The clerk behind the counter nervously glanced at the door, fearing trouble. Rex continued: "Also, the 'Radiant' inscription on the bottom is the unique carving of the school's founding leader; century-old fakes never get it right." He leaned closer to the boss, his mechanical eye flashing coldly. "You say, am I lying, or do you want to swallow this deal?"
Surrounding customers began whispering, some pulling out notebooks to jot down keywords—obviously planning to "research" antique trade tricks later. Sweat beaded on the boss's forehead; he dry-coughed a few times before saying: "Young man, why so sharp... I just misjudged it; this is indeed... an ancient item."
Rex sneered, picking up the star disk to leave: "Since you misjudged, I'll try my luck elsewhere." The boss hurriedly came around the counter to stop him, softening his voice: "Hey hey! Let's talk! You just want money, right..."
"I'm not short on money," Rex glanced at the auction poster on the wall. "But I need a recommendation letter to access the backstage at Lilade." The boss's face changed, hesitating before pulling a gold-embossed note from the safe: "Not to be repeated... If this gets out, my reputation is ruined."
Rex took the recommendation letter, flicking the disk surface with his finger: "Remember, choose the right person to scam." As he left, the boss's low cursing at the clerk echoed behind him. He touched the note in his pocket, thinking: "Compared to gold coins, this kind of access to real 'players' is worth more."
Arya: The Carriage Enhancer
A noble lady complained that her gilded carriage was too slow, suspecting the metal parts were too heavy. After checking, Arya found the magic flow in the carriage frame was obstructed, so she used wind magic to lighten the metal while reinforcing structural toughness with Iron Heart Therapy.
"Now it will be as light as the wind." She smiled and demonstrated; the carriage indeed ran almost silently. "Enhancement fee: 3,000 gold coins. Additionally..." She pointed to the golden decorations inside the carriage. "Need to infuse these patterns with anti-scratch magic? Extra 2,000 gold coins."
The noble lady agreed readily. She knew she had established a "professional and reliable" reputation in noble circles.
Tisk: The Craftsman's Pride
Tisk sold his last set of self-made armor to an adventurer team. This time, he integrated nano-reinforcement technology provided by Rex, valuing the armor at 100,000 gold coins. Seeing the customers' admiring expressions, he suddenly understood: Earning money wasn't the only goal; having his works recognized was the greatest pride.
Salsa: The Trump Card Revealed
In the evening, the team returned to their rooms at the Sea Breeze Inn one by one, tallying their respective gains. Fa presented 10,390 gold coins (the wooden box's value not yet calculated); Kayla brought 82,700 gold coins; Rex had 88,000 gold coins; Arya contributed 41,500 gold coins; Tisk produced 208,000 gold coins; and Salsa smugly displayed her 138,800 gold coins. As Fa counted the total gold coins, she said: "But I have something even more peculiar..." Before she could finish, Salsa lightly coughed and dumped a pile of gold coins and treasures from her space, the golden light nearly illuminating the entire room.
"2 million gold coins," she leisurely stroked the mechanical cat's ears. "These are relics from past intruders in the ancient castle; I only brought one-tenth. Indeed much easier than hard-earned money." The group stared at her in shock. "Looks like Salsa wins!" Tisk laughed heartily, rubbing Salsa's mechanical cat shell. "Truly hidden depths!"
Salsa's soul body floated in the air, chuckling softly: "I told you, the final winner would definitely be me."
Summary
Fa: 10,390 gold coins (unknown wooden box not priced), becoming a "Hidden Treasure Hunter" with her star eyes and wisdom.
Kayla: 82,700 gold coins, proving the strength of beastkin through battle, earning the title "Steel Fang Fighter."
Rex: 88,000 gold coins, triumphing with data and technology (star navigation disk not priced), becoming a "Business Hunter."
Arya: 41,500 gold coins, harvesting hearts with healing and kindness, the team's "Oasis."
Tisk: 208,000 gold coins, earning respect with craftsmanship, establishing his position as "Forging Master."
Salsa: 2,138,800 gold coins, claiming the crown with intelligence and boldness (Memory Enhancement Potion not priced), becoming the "Winner in the Shadows."
However, when they added up all the gold coins—2,569,390 gold coins—the smiles on everyone's faces gradually faded. This amount was only about 1/8 of 20 million. Fa looked at her teammates and softly said: "Although we've earned a lot, we're still far from the goal. But today at the market, I bought this special box with magic fluctuations; perhaps it can help us."
She took out the ordinary-looking wooden box and handed it to Rex: "Rex, can you scan this box and see what's special about it?"
Discovery of the Special Item
Rex took the box, his mechanical eye flashing blue light, extending a thin probe from his arm to carefully scan the box's internal structure. Moments later, his voice carried a hint of surprise: "Though the surface is ordinary, inside hides a rare magic crystal. This magic crystal emits powerful energy fluctuations; it should be the core crystal of a deep-sea magical beast. It can be used to craft high-level magic weapons or power large machinery, and may even contain some unknown magical properties."
Fa nodded, her star eyes scanning the box again to confirm Rex's judgment: "You mean this could be a priceless treasure?"
Rex calmly said: "Yes. Its value is hard to measure in gold coins, but to specific buyers, it could be worth a fortune. I have this recommendation letter that can let the Lilade Auction's organizers appraise its value; maybe it can serve as our entry ticket."
Hearing this news, a glimmer of hope flashed in the team's eyes. Arya gently said: "Fa, your star eyes are truly our lucky star. If this magic crystal can get us into the auction, we'll have a chance to find more clues."
Kayla clenched her thunder claws firmly: "No matter what, we have to try. This might be a step closer to the truth about my father."
Tisk patted his warhammer boldly: "Good! With this treasure, let's charge into the Lilade Auction and see what those tycoons and nobles are made of!"
Preparing for the Auction
The next morning, the team headed to the Lilade Auction's contact point with Tisk's recommendation letter and the magic crystal. The building was in the center of Abyssal Crystal City, ornate in appearance, with dozens of guards in golden armor at the entrance. Fa stepped forward to explain their purpose, showing the magic crystal in the box. A responsible person came out—a middle-aged man in a long robe, with a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"What is this?" The responsible person took the box and examined it closely. His fingers lightly touched the magic crystal, feeling the energy fluctuations within, his brow slightly furrowing.
Fa said solemnly: "This is the core crystal of a deep-sea magical beast, possessing powerful magical energy. We hope to auction it and then participate in the Lilade Auction."
The responsible person was silent for a moment, handing the magic crystal to a nearby mage for appraisal. The mage closed his eyes to sense it, then nodded: "This is indeed a rare item, with extremely high energy purity, suitable as a special commodity."
The responsible person turned to Fa, revealing a smile: "Alright, you're in luck. We accept this magic crystal as your entry ticket; you can attend the auction the day after tomorrow."
Fa and the group breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging glances filled with joy and anticipation. Back at the inn, they began preparing for the auction. Rex adjusted the nano flyer's monitoring range to ensure real-time surveillance of the surroundings; Tisk checked everyone's weapons to confirm everything was in order; Arya used "Iron Heart Therapy" to repair equipment, adding natural magic protection; Salsa infiltrated the city to gather intelligence on the auction; Kayla silently polished her thunder claws, resolute in her heart.
Fa stood by the window, gazing at the bustling night view of Abyssal Crystal City, a firm glint in her star eyes.She whispered, "This auction will be a new beginning for us. Whether it's the star fragments or clues about the 'Doomsday Rebirth' organization, we will find the answers."