Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 455: Chapter 393 Weird Relic_1

”The most important thing is that there are various auctions for Border Relics and materials happening here every day. You can start preparing to splash the cash and outbid others, or manipulate the prices to secure a piece,” Yuan Zhao said.

For some reason, Huai Shi sensed a hint of sarcasm in Yuan Zhao’s tone as he mentioned this.

He chuckled, not minding it in the slightest.

Such a grown man, he wouldn’t get upset over something like that.

Hmm, though he did make a mental note of it in the Book of Fate.

His goal this time was simple: offload the hot goods, look for items relevant to his advancement, then spend some cash, buy them, get some gifts for Uncle Fang, buy some gifts for Raven (the cheap ones), take a little something for Fu Yi, and finally get a hair growth tonic for Old Liu... and that’s it. Set off happily, return home safely. Lastly, enjoy one more smooth, uneventful advancement. Done. What a wonderful plan. Just thinking about it made Huai Shi so moved he nearly shed tears.

After a satisfying meal and drink, Huai Shi had barely rested when Yuan Zhao, enjoying a rare moment of freedom, dragged him straight to the busiest fourth level, using other travelers’ guides to find the largest Border Relic market on Group Star.

Within four days and three nights, not only the world’s major Alchemy Workshops and technical studios but even merchants from Hell would make an appearance here.

As long as you have money, you can always barter for good stuff.

Having acquired the Trident... ahem, Yuan Zhao was no longer in need of weapons. However, he planned to take this opportunity to barter for a few defensive relics, while also looking to see if he could find high-quality gear and ’Horseshoe Irons’.

”Horseshoe what?” Huai Shi’s expression became odd.

”Horseshoe Iron.”

”Horse what Iron?”

”Enough, Huai, enough!”

Yuan Zhao glared at him. ”It’s not what you’re thinking!”

Huai Shi looked at him innocently, ”How do you know what I’m thinking?”

”I’ve been searching for so long, you don’t think I know what’s on your mind!” Yuan Zhao shouted in anger. ”Let me tell you, don’t even think about it!”

With the Trident pointed at his face, Huai Shi immediately dared not speak.

He could only shrug helplessly.

But he still couldn’t help but imagine Yuan Zhao cocking a leg and nailing horseshoes onto his own feet... YIKES! It was truly an eyesore...

Dealing with such a character, Yuan Zhao always felt that if he tried to explain, he would just end up looking like the gullible one being bullied, and he didn’t even have the energy to clarify.

For the Sky Horse Line of Sublimators, a set of excellent gear or horseshoes is an invaluable aid.

These horseshoes, either blessed or cursed, could directly undergo Source Materialization, merging into the Stigma, becoming a unique armament and providing various enhancements to Sublimators.

A set of four ’Iron Float Map Horseshoe Irons,’ perfectly preserved to this day, would not only provide Sublimators with a layer of infuriatingly robust Source Substance armor, but also ensure that each attack carried the effects of Piercing Armor and Urging Firmness.

Meanwhile, Yuan Zhao’s fourth uncle struck it big in Hell’s expanses, unearthing a complete set of White Horse knight’s gear. It came with the ability to fly and accelerate as if chasing lightning. On top of that, it provided an invigorating buff for twenty-four hours. Once in battle, it would automatically negate all abnormal effects, rendering the wearer impervious to poison and tireless in combat.

For Sublimators of the Sky Horse Line, the most coveted items aren’t equipment or weapons, but gear and horseshoes that match their nature. Obtaining them would transform them as dramatically as if they had grown wings. However, there aren’t many Sky Horse Line Sublimators, and the epically significant gear preserved to this day is all too rare.

Once uncovered, they are often claimed by Sublimators who hear the news before they even hit the market. To obtain them through regular means is like searching for a needle in the ocean. Thus, one can only hope for a lucky find.

Finding a complete set of gear was beyond Yuan Zhao’s wildest dreams; he just hoped his luck would be good enough to barter for a few horseshoes. Even a little boost in attack power would be nice.

Huai Shi didn’t quite understand this. ”Your family can’t be so poor as to not prepare even these kinds of things for you, right?”

”My grandfather had a set of Mystical Armor prepared for me, but its style doesn’t suit me. I prefer the speed type like my fourth uncle’s,” Yuan Zhao sighed. ”If only I could find gear left by cavalry like the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.”

There we go, the man who has meat in his bowl yet eyes the pot, Huai Shi thought with a smirk. Being rich and powerful really is something else...

The fourth floor of Group Star was an entire pedestrian street occupying all the available space.

Upon exiting the elevator, one could see surging crowds of Sublimators coming and going, the area buzzing with activity. Both sides of the street were filled with shops and stalls, constantly pulsating with Source Fluctuations.

Some shops exuded a modern vibe, some resembled antique stores, and others simply spread a cloth on the ground, displaying their goods and shouting for sales.

Even here, Cavendish Workshop still occupied the most prominent position with the largest area. Next to it were massive conglomerates like Giant Goose, Wanli, and others that spanned both Current Circumstances and the Border.

One good thing about Cavendish Workshop was that it had everything one could need, with a wide range of products at high, medium, and low prices. Even those with empty wallets could walk in, browse, and get a taste of the joys of being wealthy.

However, beyond that, it served more as a product exhibition center, focusing on large orders rather than retail.

Here, unless you spent a lot on customization, it was difficult to buy anything that wasn’t a standard model.

Fortunately, even the standard models were sufficient for the vast majority of Sublimators and offered great value.

Although Giant Goose, Wanli, and other giant conglomerates didn’t have Cavendish Workshop’s technical capabilities, they had extensive channels. Many Alchemists would consign their works here and also sell various items acquired from Border archaeological teams.

They were essentially massive Two-Path Traffickers, and there were always surprises waiting for you.

The only downside was that any merchandise put on sale had been thoroughly appraised by hundreds of appraisers. Its effects and defects were all clearly listed, leaving absolutely no chance for bargaining or finding underpriced treasures. Their attitude was clear: take it or leave it.

Beyond these were the various small stores and street stalls where protagonists in novels often stumbled upon Divine Artifacts. These establishments were generally small, and some were so poor that they only had one or two relics to display and sell.

Here, risk and opportunity coexisted, though the risk of being swindled was hundreds of times greater than the chance of finding a genuine opportunity.

Yet, there was no shortage of youths with grandiose adolescent fantasies lingering about. They were convinced they possessed the protagonist’s discerning eye, were blessed with the protagonist’s Fate, and had been waiting to discover a Divine Artifact at a street stall since the day they were born—or, in Yuan Zhao’s case, for fourteen years and eleven months.

However, to Huai Shi, most of the items here were just ordinary goods.

Setting aside the influence from Raven, his knowledge from the Astronomical Society alone surpassed that of most Sublimators, not to mention the plethora of weapons he possessed. Not a single one of them was rated below S-level.

He often couldn’t help but sneer at stalls trying to pass off B-level items with exaggerated A-level effects for S-level prices.

Whenever a persistent seller tried to entangle him, he would simply flash his Sword of Virtue. Those with any discernment would quickly back off.

But that didn’t mean the small shops were entirely worthless. In fact, there were quite a few good items, though they were all priced astronomically.

Moreover, many relics inherently exuded an extremely heavy, ominous atmosphere. This was especially true for a bracelet Yuan Zhao casually picked up; when Huai Shi held it, his Death Perception nearly went haywire.

”Put it down, quickly!” Huai Shi glared at Yuan Zhao. ”If you actually dared to wear that, next year would be your death anniversary! That’s not how you court death, is it?”

Yuan Zhao, looking rather pleased with his find, was especially reluctant to put it down.

Seated opposite the stall, the shopkeeper, shrouded in a black robe, cackled. The hoarse laughter was grating. ”Such picky customers...”

Beneath the hood of the cloak was a surging darkness, obscuring any view of his face.

The body under the robe was bizarre, as if something were constantly writhing beneath it. It struggled to maintain a human silhouette, but it was undoubtedly not what a human should look like.

”Since these common items don’t meet your standards, perhaps you’d like to try this? How about it?”

From beneath a sleeve, a pale hand slowly extended, grasping a hefty wooden box. It slid out sinuously, like a snake, and was placed before Huai Shi.

”I feel this little trinket shares a destiny with our distinguished guest. Why not give it a try?”

The box opened.

Inside lay a palm-sized paper cutter. Its handle was adorned with grotesque carvings that emanated a displeasing aura, yet the blade itself was incredibly dull.

”What is this?” Huai Shi asked, puzzled.

”This is the remnant of an Abyss Poet who burned himself out. Combined with the lingering resentment of that writer, it formed a special Border Relic,” the eerie shopkeeper cackled. ”Its effect is simple: it will precisely segment any text it touches. Each segment will be exactly three thousand characters long, without a single extra punctuation mark... But that’s all it does. It’s as harmless as that frail writer, who couldn’t even hurt a fly. This thing couldn’t even kill a chicken.”

He taunted, looking at Huai Shi, ”Interesting, isn’t it?”

”Really?”

Half-believing and half-doubting, Huai Shi poked his own finger with it. He indeed felt absolutely no cutting power; it didn’t even break the skin.

Yet, for some reason, an indefinable sense of strangeness lingered. It felt as if something had happened, but he had no idea what it was. It seemed quite intriguing.

He inquired, ”How much for this?”