“We followed this lead and discovered that three of the stolen items appeared on the black market of the Ulanda Free Federation over the following two years. From this, we've deduced that the Heart of the Elements was likely plundered by those lunatics in the Ulanda Free Federation. We are currently doing our best to track down concrete information, so we hope Your Excellency can give us a little more time.”
“Also, regarding the Path of the Silver Moon—in a couple of days, our vice president will visit with a guide from the Path of the Silver Moon. First, to bring the other living organisms that are difficult to transport, and second, to discuss long-term cooperation with you.”
Wu Yao raised her eyebrows. The Path of the Silver Moon?
She instinctively thought of Sylvia, but Sylvia had a mission to attend to, so she didn't know who would be visiting this time.
It would be great if they could send another skill trainer to her.
Tiechui felt a bit anxious seeing that Wu Yao had no particular reaction.
Before setting off, she and Tongque had beaten their chests and promised the vice president that they would convey the trading company's sincerity without missing a single detail.
“Your Excellency, you surely have no idea how much of a stir your Niveya's Stone caused in our trading company!”
“The moment our vice president saw the sample, she literally bounced right out of her chair!”
Tiechui made an exaggerated gesture to emphasize her point.
“She immediately called a meeting of all Three-Star Merchants and above at the headquarters, and the meeting lasted the entire night! By the next day, the entire trading company began prioritizing your orders!”
Tongque and Tiechui chimed in one after another, describing the whole process like a comedy routine. They emphasized how much the Topaz Trading Company valued Wu Yao, while also highlighting the trading company's efficiency and unified style of work.
Finally, Tiechui lowered her voice and solemnly promised, “Rest assured, all information regarding you has been classified as top secret. Aside from the two of us and a few of the trading company's highest-ranking executives, no one knows who these goods belong to. We divided the transport route into three segments, using different carriers for each segment. None of them know what the others are transporting, so there won't be any trace left behind that could lead back to your territory.”
Wu Yao was a bit dazed as she listened. She had originally thought Niveya's Stone was just a common mana potion, but now it was being treated like a state secret.
She didn't quite understand the purpose of this game design. This was way too generous with the resources given to the player.
Or was it that Niveya's Stone had some other use in the later storyline?
“Your Excellency?” Seeing that Wu Yao remained silent for a long time, Tiechui's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no, did I say too much?
Wu Yao snapped back to reality. Whatever the case, getting plenty of resources was a good thing. Merchants giving away items for free was a good thing. And having someone deliver everything right to her doorstep without her having to lift a finger was an absolute blessing!
Right on cue, Tongque presented an exquisite wooden box, holding it up with both hands.
The box was made of high-grade ebony, its surface inlaid with silver threads outlining a crescent moon pattern, and its edges polished smooth and round.
“This is a small token of our trading company's appreciation. We hope Your Excellency likes it.”
This was Tongque's first time doing something like this, and her voice carried a trace of nervousness. She had never done this before; giving "tokens of appreciation" was considered advanced etiquette in the training manual, and she hadn't reached that lesson yet.
After speaking, she instinctively glanced at Tiechui. Beside her, Tiechui quietly pumped her fist—a gesture meaning she had done a great job.
Tongque's tense shoulders immediately relaxed, and she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Wu Yao took the wooden box, unclasped the latch with her finger, and flipped it open. The lid popped open soundlessly.
At the very top was a parchment booklet. The cover had no decorations, except for a star drawn in silver ink in one corner.
“This contains foundational knowledge of barrier arrays passed down from the Golden Moon era. It's a mandatory course for dwarf masters. It's said to be the relic of a dwarf craftsman who apprenticed under a witch over six hundred years ago.”
Wu Yao stared at 【Fragmented Notebook on Barrier Arrays of the Great Witch of the Starry Night (1)】 and fell into deep thought.
Great Witch of the Starry Night? That name sounds a bit familiar...
Wu Yao instinctively cast Appraisal.
【Appraisal failed.】
This was the first time she had encountered a situation where she couldn't appraise something. Ever since she learned this skill, she had cast it on every person and item she saw. Even that tattered rag at Benita's house had returned the result of "Common Linen."
In her mind, she silently bumped the importance of this booklet up by two tiers. She didn't care if it couldn't be detected; it was definitely a good item.
Wu Yao casually flipped through a few pages. Detailed diagrams of disassembled barrier arrays and annotations rushed into view, ranging from the simplest amplification arrays to complex trigger-type arrays, with applicable scenarios and precautions noted alongside them.
Flipping through the entire booklet, the logic was clear, the structure was complete, and it progressed step-by-step. Even someone with zero foundation like Wu Yao could understand it. With this single booklet alone, she was confident she could teach herself barrier arrays.
Satisfied, she stored the fragmented notebook away and eagerly pulled out the second item from the wooden box.
It was a fist-sized spherical crystal, completely transparent but not empty inside. Right in the center was a star-shaped pattern, with countless fine, silver-white threads radiating outward from the core.
“This is a Starfall Crystal, a fragment left behind by a falling meteor. The more complex the internal star patterns, the better its quality. It can serve as the core node of a barrier array to enhance its effects, but its most highly sought-after effect is—”
Tiechui deliberately tried to build suspense, but Wu Yao had already cast Appraisal and read the entire description. She casually chimed in, “It can absorb the residual magic power of the array node, and adding other materials allows the barrier array to restart automatically.”
Tiechui nodded sheepishly, her large ears drooping slightly to the sides in embarrassment.
She had really gotten ahead of herself, trying to build suspense in front of a reclusive Great Witch using information provided by the trading company. How was that any different from holding a cup of water and boasting to the ocean about how much water she had?
After deeply reflecting on her behavior, Tiechui and Tongque obediently stood aside, watching Wu Yao continue to inspect the trading company's "bribe."
【Chroma Soft Gold】
【Grade: Epic】
【Type: Morphing Metal / Enchantment Material / Forging Ingredient】
【Description: The surface displays a flowing, iridescent luster, shifting through deep purple, azure, and brilliant gold under the moonlight depending on the angle. When pressed with a fingertip, the metal surface indents slightly like skin, slowly bouncing back after release, with a touch as warm and smooth as jade.】
【Effect: Can be integrated into any metal equipment, granting the equipment the trait of morphing its shape according to the user's will (the morphing range is limited by the equipment's volume, with the maximum transformation not exceeding 150% of the original volume, and the minimum not lower than 50%).】
【Traits: Chroma Soft Gold will not wear down, rust, or be destroyed by ordinary physical means. If the equipment is severely damaged, Chroma Soft Gold will slowly flow to the damaged area and self-repair within 72 hours.】
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