The morning in Abyss Crystal City brought the salty, humid breeze of the sea wind blowing through the windows of the Sea Breeze Inn, with sunlight piercing through the thin mist and casting a golden glow over the bustling streets of this trading capital. Fa and her group arrived early in the inn's lobby, gathering around a wooden table, ready to inquire about the auction from the owner. The innkeeper, Yinn, a slender human with dark brown hair and a warm, enthusiastic smile, was wiping wine glasses behind the counter.
"Good morning, Mr. Yinn," Fa spoke first, her tone polite yet firm. "We'd like to ask you about the Lilede Auction." Her right eye—the Star Eye—flashed with a hint of silver light, seemingly trying to sense the surrounding energy fluctuations.
Yinn set down the glass, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "The Lilede Auction? You're aiming high. That's the most elite auction in Abyss Crystal City, only for the super-rich and nobles. The minimum entry threshold is at least 20 million gold coins; ordinary people can't even get in." He paused, his tone carrying a touch of helplessness. "For folks like us—commoners and small vendors—we don't even dare to dream about it. But there are dozens of small and medium-sized auctions in the city every day; you could try your luck there."
"20 million gold coins?" Fa furrowed her brows, the silver light in her Star Eye flickering slightly. "That's an incredibly high barrier."
Yinn nodded with a bitter smile. "Isn't it? The items at the Lilede Auction are rare treasures, attracting merchants, nobles, and adventurers from all over the Muret Continent. If you want to participate, you'll need substantial wealth."
Unwilling to give up, Fa pressed on: "Is there any other way to get in? Like, without relying on gold coins?"
Yinn pondered for a moment before saying slowly: "Hmm... I've heard that if you have a very special item that catches the eye of the Lilede organizers, you might get entry qualifications. But that's extremely rare; you'd need something truly appealing." He shrugged, seemingly not holding much hope for this method.
Fa nodded, a spark of hope rising in her heart. "Thank you, Mr. Yinn. We'll figure something out."
The group left the lobby and returned to their rooms to discuss strategies. Fa looked at her teammates and said solemnly: "It seems we have two options: either raise 20 million gold coins within seven days or find a special item to participate in the Lilede Auction. I suggest we hold a money-making competition to see who can earn the most gold coins while also searching for special items. What do you think?"
Her teammates nodded in agreement, but no one wanted to reveal their plans. Each person aimed to stand out in the competition and come in first. So, they decided to split up and act separately, reconvening at the inn in five days to tally their results.
Day One: The Money-Making Competition Unfolds
The team members dispersed, diving into the lively streets of Abyss Crystal City, each using their unique skills to take action.
Fa: Unmasking the Scam
The "Morning Light Market" in the eastern district of Abyss Crystal City was filled with the sweet and salty scents of spices and sea breeze. Fa weaved through stalls adorned with woven tapestries, her right eye occasionally flashing silver light—the Star Eye filtering out noise and capturing anomalous fluctuations.
"Look at this 'Elf Summoning Scroll,' crafted with ancient elven methods..." A bald vendor held up a sheepskin parchment glowing with green light, hawking it to tourists. Fa stopped to observe and noticed the magic fluctuations on the scroll's surface were scattered like stagnant water, clearly a forgery made with low-level illusion magic.
"This scroll's magic veins are broken in three places." She lightly tapped the scroll with her fingertip, and earth magic revealed spiderweb-like cracks on the paper. "A real elven scroll would resonate with the user—like this." She drew her short blade from her waist, embedding it into the ground, where faint yellow patterns snaked like vines toward the vendor's shelf, overturning several hidden tattered scrolls.
The vendor's face turned ashen, and the surrounding customers marveled. In the end, he counted out 100 gold coins from his pouch and said humbly: "Thank you for your mercy... I won't do it again." A nearby noblewoman wearing a pearl headdress whispered in praise: "That eye is truly impressive." Fa pocketed the gold coins and continued scanning the stalls—she knew every corner of this market might hide "concealed treasures."
Kayla: Thunder Claws Shining in the Arena
The "Steel Fang Arena" in the city center echoed with roars and cheers. Kayla stood in the center of the circular fighting platform, her ear tips twitching as she caught whispers from the noble section on the second floor. Her opponent today was a muscular lizardman with three poisoned bone spikes on his back, swinging his tail and cracking the ground.
"Come on, leopard girl!" The lizardman hissed, spewing a mouthful of acid. Kayla rolled to the side, her thunder claws drawing blue arcs in the sunlight. She had already pinpointed her opponent's weakness—the lizardman's throat stiffened briefly after each acid spit. When he opened his mouth again, she bent her knees slightly, a layer of frost appearing on her body (a passive effect from combining frost iron ore with thunder claws), then leaped, her thunder claws precisely striking the soft spot on his neck.
"Boom!" The lizardman crashed heavily onto the platform, and the referee raised Kayla's arm. The crowd erupted, and a noble in a satin gown tossed down a pouch from the balcony: "Extra reward for this warrior!" Kayla caught the pouch and counted: 1,000 gold coins plus a 200 gold coin tip. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her lips curling into a feral smile as she scanned outside the arena—tomorrow, she would challenge even stronger opponents.
Rex: Data Manipulation from the Aerial Hunter
Dozens of nano-drones hovered over the market, with Rex overlooking the ant-like crowds below through them. His holographic screen on his wrist flickered with various data streams as he analyzed recent commodity price fluctuation curves.
"The inventory of 'Blood Leaf Pepper' in the spice district is below critical levels," he muttered to himself, his voice mechanical yet clear. "Based on weather forecasts, the production area for blood leaf pepper will have heavy rains in the next week, and the price of this delicate spice will rise at least fivefold." The drones emitted faint purple ion streams, landing steadily in front of a grocery store. Rex controlled the drones to drop 2,000 gold coins to the bewildered owner, then had them carry away 20 bags of blood leaf pepper.
By evening, he encountered a caravan from the human kingdom at the docks. "I have the blood leaf pepper you urgently need," he summoned the drones, and the red particles of blood leaf pepper shimmered in the sunset. "10,000 gold coins, cash transaction." Half an hour later, the drones flew toward the setting sun carrying 10,000 gold coins. Rex tapped the control panel: "Earned five times the profit on day one, with an 87.3% win rate—not bad."
Arya: The Profitable Business of Magical Flowers
Arya gathered "Star Glow Grass" (a plant that glows under light magic) in the city outskirts, using wood magic to cultivate vines emitting golden-green light, wrapping them around golden flower stands to create "Glowing Potted Plants."
She displayed the potted plants in the noble district's "Morning Dew Plaza," immediately attracting a countess preparing for a banquet: "Can these flowers stay blooming for three days?"
"Yes, but they require additional magic sustenance services." Arya lightly flicked her fingertip, and the vines instantly sprouted new flowers. "Each potted plant is priced at 500 gold coins."
The countess bought twenty at once. Arya counted the 10,000 gold coins, thinking: Nobles are willing to pay any price for "unique romance."
TISK: The Honest Brand Under the Hammer
"Clang, clang, clang." Rhythmic hammering echoed from TISK's blacksmith shop. The furnace fire reddened his face as he faced a broadsword broken in two, with dark red corrosive liquid residue in the cracks.
"This sword has been with me for ten years..." The adventurer stroked the broken sword, his tone sorrowful. TISK grunted and took a bottle of "Mithril Repair Solution" from the wall: "Ten years is nothing; I've repaired a dwarf war hammer used for a hundred years." He immersed the broken sword in the forge, swinging his hammer with his left hand while drawing a metal magic array with his right, blue light points gradually mending the cracks. Half an hour later, the sword gleamed anew, with a dragon-shaped pattern on the spine—a mark of reinforcement runes.
The adventurer swung the sword, slicing an apple on the table, the fruit flesh instantly frosting. "This is... ice attribute enchantment?" He asked in delight. TISK wiped his sweat: "3,000 gold coins, friendship price." The adventurer nodded repeatedly. TISK watched him leave, thinking: "Tomorrow, I should try the newly developed 'Cold Flame Battle Axe.'"
Salsa: The Shadow Intelligence Hunter
As night fell, Salsa's spirit form drifted out from her mechanical cat shell. She passed through stone walls to reach the black market in the eastern city—shelves hung with stripped demon wings, glass jars with eyeballs, and bloodstained noble crests.
"I've heard someone's looking for this." She circled behind a merchant wearing a bird-beak mask, her fingertip lightly tapping a velvet box on his shelf. The box popped open, revealing a silver ring embedded with a red gem, engraved with the "Klein Family" lion emblem. The merchant turned in surprise, but Salsa already had her dagger at his nape: "The owner of this ring is offering a 50,000 gold coin reward; how about we split it fifty-fifty?"
Half an hour later, she infiltrated the Klein family's villa, placing the ring on the noble lady's dressing table. When the lady awoke startled, she saw only a black shadow flash by the window, with a note by her pillow: "Thank you for your patronage." Salsa stood on the rooftop counting 25,000 gold coins, her mechanical cat shell gleaming in the moonlight. She chuckled softly: "Day one is just a warm-up."
Day Two: Competition Heats Up
Fa: The Secret Under the Cloak
Fa discovered an old woman's stall in a market corner, with faded cloaks on a rickety shelf. Her Star Eye suddenly pulsed intensely—one gray-green cloak hid complex magic fluctuations beneath.
"How much for this cloak?" She asked. The old woman squinted: "200 gold coins, young lady; this was passed down from my grandmother..." Fa handed over the coins without haggling and stored the cloak in her spatial bag. That night, she found Rex, and the two analyzed the cloak in the lab with a scanner.
"The surface is ordinary wool, but the inner layer is sewn with ancient invisibility array patterns," Rex said excitedly. "Though the magic residue is less than 30%, after repair, the market value is at least 5,000 gold coins." Fa stroked the torn edge of the cloak: "Tomorrow, I'll buy some magic silkworm silk; it should repair the array patterns." The two exchanged smiles.
Kayla: Victory Through Attribute Reversal
Today's opponent in the arena was a human mage in a red robe, flipping fireballs in his palms. As Kayla stepped into the duel field, her cheeks burned from the heat waves.
"A beastkin dares challenge an elementalist?" The human mage sneered, three fireballs whistling toward her. Kayla rolled on the spot, her thunder claws suddenly spewing ice mist—this was the added effect from the "Frost Iron Armor" she borrowed from TISK last night. When the fireballs collided with the ice mist, the arena temperature dropped abruptly, water droplets condensing into ice crystals on her mane.
The mage panicked and prepared his next spell, but found his hands frozen in thin ice. Kayla pounced, her thunder claws at his throat. The crowd applauded thunderously, and the referee raised her arm: "Two consecutive days of victory; Kayla will challenge tomorrow's 'third battle'!" She wiped the sparks from her face and went backstage to collect today's victory prize of 2,000 gold coins plus a 500 gold coin tip.
Rex: The Practice of Data Prophecy
Rex's holographic screen displayed a red alert: "Rare ore 'Red Phosphorus Iron' inventory down to 5%." He controlled the drones to fly to the ore wholesale market, acquiring the last ten tons for 10,000 gold coins. That afternoon, a group of merchants from the mechanical city-state urgently sought this ore—their steam machines needed it as core fuel.
"30,000 gold coins, no haggling." Rex watched the merchants' anxious expressions, his tone calm. After the deal, one merchant couldn't help asking: "How did you know we were looking for red phosphorus iron?" Rex pointed to the weather satellite overhead: "The melting point of red phosphorus iron matches this morning's abnormal high temperatures perfectly." The merchants exchanged glances, realizing the robot before them relied not on luck, but precise data hunting.
Arya: The Elf's Healing Song
At noon, Arya passed through "Sun Plaza" and saw nobles covering their noses around the fountain. This "Glowing Fountain," cast from pure gold, should have been spouting rose-scented water, but now dark purple slime flowed out, with rotten petals and dead fish floating at the bottom.
"Elf miss, please save this fountain!" A noblewoman with a pearl crown grabbed her sleeve. "This was my husband's wedding gift to me..." Arya knelt down, tapping the slime with her fingertip; dark magic fluctuations seeped through her fingers—someone had placed a "Corrosion Curse" at the fountain's source.
She closed her eyes, wind magic condensing into a green vortex in her palm, swirling the slime into the air; then wood magic turned into vines, drilling into the fountain's base to find the curse source. When the vines wrapped around a black curse talisman embedded in the spring, the crowd gasped. Arya chanted softly, and the vines sprayed clean water flowers, shattering the talisman. The fountain water restored its clarity, even blooming a few glowing blue magic lotuses.
"It's so beautiful!" The noblewoman excitedly cupped the water. "This is a gift; please accept it." She handed over a gold-embroidered pouch containing 20,000 gold coins. Arya nodded: "Then I'll help green up this plaza as well." She took seeds from her backpack and sprinkled them into the fountain; instantly, emerald ivy grew around the pool, and daisies sprouted in the corners. The onlooking nobles were stunned—in this land where every inch is worth gold, greenery is rarer than gold itself.
TISK: The Encounter of the Battle Axe and the Wealthy Merchant
TISK swung his hammer, forging a burning piece of red phosphorus iron into the battle axe blade. When the axe took shape, the blade alternated between red and blue glows—fire and ice attributes achieving a wondrous balance under metal magic.
"What the hell is this?" A wealthy merchant in a brocade robe stopped to watch, interest sparkling in his eyes. TISK wiped his sweat: "Cold Flame Battle Axe; when swung, it releases dual ice-fire shockwaves." The merchant gripped the handle, feeling a cool-hot intertwined energy surge into him.
"50,000 gold coins; I'll take it." He paid immediately, his attendants struggling to load the axe onto the carriage. TISK looked at his bulging wallet, suddenly recalling Salsa's mysterious smile from day one—wondering how much Salsa had earned.
Salsa: The Value of the Intelligence Network
Salsa infiltrated the "Black Crow Tavern," the largest intelligence hub in Abyss Crystal City. She cleverly sat beside a group of adventurers, pretending to nap as a mechanical cat, but her ears perked up to catch keywords.
"I've heard the Iron Blood Chamber of Commerce urgently needs dark attribute magic crystals," a man with an eyepatch whispered. "But the market supply is monopolized by the black market..." Salsa's spirit form trembled slightly; she remembered intruders at her old castle carrying magic crystal ores. That night, she acquired a batch of subpar magic crystals for 20,000 gold coins, purified them simply, and sold them to the Iron Blood Chamber's agent for 100,000 gold coins.
"Intelligence is like a fishing line," she thought while counting the money. "With patience, you always catch big fish." The mechanical cat's pupils reflected the hunting bounties on the tavern wall, one depicting her likeness—of course, in spirit form. She chuckled, wagged her tail, and vanished into the shadows.
Day Three: Crises and Turning Points
Fa: The Clash of Illusions and Traps
Fa draped the repaired invisibility cloak over herself, heading to the magic supply store for magic silkworm silk. Passing through a narrow alley, a thief in a crow mask suddenly bumped into her, the surroundings twisting instantly—a high-level illusion "Mist Cage."
"Star Eye, activate." Fa's right eye erupted in silver light, shattering the illusion like a mirror. The thief turned to flee but tripped on Fa's earth trap—protruding stone spikes wrapped in vines forming natural shackles. At that moment, a noble lord who had been knocked down sat on the ground; Fa quickly helped him up: "Are you alright?" The lord gratefully pulled out a pouch: "Thank you for saving me, miss; this is a token of appreciation." 500 gold coins fell into Fa's hands. She looked at the struggling thief, thinking: "Illusions are ineffective against the Star Eye; this could be useful."
Kayla: Setback and Awakening
The "three-in-a-row battles" in the arena were tougher than imagined. The opponents from the first two days were easily defeated by Kayla, but the third day's foe was a massive bear clan warrior with skin as tough as iron armor; her thunder claws only left shallow white marks each swing.
"Just this much strength?" The bear clan laughed, swinging a heavy punch. Kayla couldn't dodge in time, getting hit in the abdomen and flying into the wall with a thud. As the referee counted nearly to ten, about to raise the bear clan's arm and declare victory—Kayla stood up just in time, using her second form to partially enhance her body, then defeating the bear with speed and thunder claws, narrowly avoiding losing her chance to challenge the champion. Today's victory prize was 5,000 gold coins plus a 1,000 gold coin tip.
That night, she went alone to TISK's blacksmith shop: "Help me repair my reinforced armor and the frost core of the thunder claws." TISK raised an eyebrow: "No problem." Kayla gritted her teeth. At dawn the next day, she practiced in the training ground, swinging her thunder claws as frost formed beautiful ice flowers on the ground—this time, she would keep winning.
Rex: Data Defense Battle
The morning drone cockpit blared a shrill alarm: "System under unknown hacker attack, data loss rate at 47%!" Rex's pupils contracted sharply, his fingers dancing rapidly on the virtual keyboard. He activated the counter-tracking program, watching the attack source gradually appear on the map—it was the city's largest commercial firm, "Glowing Group."
"So they want to steal my market data." He sneered, reverse-implanting a virus that not only repaired his system but also fixed the Glowing Group's long-standing server vulnerabilities. That afternoon, the Glowing Group's tech chief visited personally, handing over a 50,000 gold coin thank-you fee: "Mr. Rex's skills are truly astonishing; why not come work for our group?" Rex declined but accepted the check, thinking: "Enemies' attacks can sometimes be money-making opportunities."
Arya: Storm Rescue at Abyss Crystal Docks
When the tornado from the eastern seas hit, the wealthy merchants at Abyss Crystal Docks were busy transferring goods. The dock railings were cast from gold and mithril, cargo boxes locked with gem-inlaid locks, but now everyone scattered in fear from the surging waves.
"My goods! There's 100,000 gold coins worth of spices in there!" A merchant in a satin gown collapsed on the ground, watching his cargo ship about to be swept away by the storm, crying in despair. Arya ran against the crowd toward the shore, her longbow condensing wood attribute magic in her hand, arrows shooting into the storm's center, forcefully opening a path. She waved her arms, wood magic turning into countless vines wrapping the sinking ship, while wind magic pushed the cargo boxes toward the shore.
When the last spice box was dragged onto the dock, the merchant knelt excitedly: "You saved my entire fortune! This is my thanks!" He handed over 5,000 gold coins, but Arya pointed to the shivering street children in the distance: "Give the money to those kids; they need it more." The merchant blushed and quickly had his subordinates distribute food and gold to the poor. Arya looked at the new green seaweed growing by the dock and smiled contentedly—even the coldest gold needs the warmth of greenery to adorn it.
TISK: Rebirth of the Legendary War Hammer
An adventurer burst into the blacksmith shop with a huge wooden crate containing shattered war hammer fragments, etched with blurred dwarf runes. "This is what I found in ancient ruins; it's said to be the heirloom of the 'Earth Shaker' clan." The adventurer said. "Can you fix it?"
TISK's eyes lit up. He spent three hours cleaning the fragments, filling cracks with mithril, and re-engraving complete Earth Shaker runes. When the war hammer reformed, striking the ground stirred ice-blue ripples—a dual-attribute enchantment sourced from the same as the Cold Flame Battle Axe. The adventurer was incoherent with excitement, paying 5,000 gold coins and hailing TISK as a "forging master." TISK stroked his beard and smiled: "This title is more satisfying than gold coins."
Salsa: Mediator of Business Disputes
In the "Morning Light Market," Salsa found two merchants arguing over "damaged goods": the fabric merchant insisted the transport team had wetted the silk, while the caravan boss blamed the fabric's waterproof curse failing. She offered to act as witness, using her spirit form to "replay" the wagon's travel memory—it turned out a sudden downpour midway had cracked the wagon canopy's magic crystal array due to aging.
She suggested the fabric merchant claim from the magic crystal array manufacturer and recommended TISK's blacksmith for repairing the caravan equipment; both sides reached a settlement. As mediation fee, they paid 1,600 gold coins total, and Salsa gained the caravan's promise as "lifetime intelligence consultant."
That night, she attended the "Chamber Intelligence Salon," giving a briefing on "recent port wave patterns," charging 20 merchants 500 gold coins each for attendance, totaling 11,600 gold coins for the day. "Organizing intelligence into knowledge is the most profitable business." She wrote this in her notebook, the mechanical cat's pupils reflecting the crystal chandeliers in the salon hall.