Shrouded in an orange treasure aura, Shi Ming was the brightest star in the night sky as he walked across Treasure Star.
Yet, this brightest of stars was not headed for any high-end venues. Instead, he twisted and turned his way into the black market on the lowest level of the Fixed Star Building, entering a world of orderly yet cluttered square stalls and a never-ending stream of people.
The orange of his aura stood out, conspicuous amidst a sea of white.
He looked completely out of place.
The shouts and hawking of the black market vendors were incessant.
"Latest intel! A star cavern has been discovered in the outer regions, linked to vast quantities of Broken Starstone! It might become the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country’s largest Broken Star Ore Vein! Treasure Star is recruiting a large number of manual laborers, excellent pay guaranteed!"
"The latest treasure tax policy! Seventy percent! A new all-time high!"
"A Lucky Pendant made from a Star Spirit Race skill origin! Only three Cosmic Crystals!"
"..."
The sales pitches were endless, but most of the goods and intelligence for sale were seventy percent fake and thirty percent real. Take the so-called Lucky Pendant, for instance. It was just a crystal pendant imbued with a minuscule amount of Destiny Power—it wasn’t a product of the Star Spirit Race at all and certainly couldn’t bring anyone luck.
However, the recent treasure tax rate did give Shi Ming pause.
’Seventy percent?’
’That high?’
Fortunately, whether he was returning from a star cavern or heading to one in the future, Shi Ming wouldn’t be using Treasure Star’s channels. By not going through their official routes, he naturally wouldn’t have to pay the treasure tax. To him, the exorbitant 70% tax was just a meaningless number.
He bypassed a few vendors and arrived at stall number 131.
The Star Travel Merchant’s outpost on Treasure Star.
The previous proprietor, a short, girlish woman named Doli who stood just over 1.3 meters tall, was nowhere to be seen. Manning the stall in her place was a woman with pointed ears, dressed in a blue maid’s uniform with a tag on her chest that read, "Star Travel Merchant 776."
"Esteemed guest, how may I be of service to you?"
The pointy-eared woman asked respectfully.
’Someone with an orange treasure aura is no ordinary person.’
Nearby, several opportunistic street vendors deliberately edged closer. If they could overhear what this VIP needed, they might be able to cater to his interests and land a major sale.
"Where’s your boss?"
"Esteemed guest, our boss went to the branch on Shen Shang Star a month ago to oversee operations. You can tell me, 776, whatever it is you need~"
’What bad timing,’ Shi Ming thought. He took out a few decent pieces of loot from the star cavern and exchanged them for 3,000 Cosmic Crystals. After the transaction was complete, he lowered his voice, leaned in close to her pointed ear, and whispered a few words.
"..."
Upon hearing his words, 776’s eyes were filled with utter astonishment.
Whether he was telling the truth or not, her professional training kicked in. She hastily took out a communicator to add Shi Ming’s contact information, but before she could even ask for his name, she realized the young man cloaked in an orange aura had already departed. In a matter of moments, he had vanished into the crowd, leaving no trace behind.
"..."
’A Nirvana-rank Skill Origin?’
’Does he really have a lead on one?’
This was a matter of immense importance.
was merely an attendant at an outpost. She didn’t hesitate, using a communication method exclusive to the Star Travel Merchants to contact her boss.
In the black market of Treasure Star, very few merchants could handle a high-value item like a Nirvana Origin, and her boss was one of them.
...
...
...
According to Shi Ming’s research, the Star Travel Merchants had a decent reputation. Selling the Origin of Rui Liang from the Dark Star Race through their channels had been his plan all along.
Rui Liang’s [Sorrow] Origin was of ordinary quality.
Absorbing it himself would be ineffective and only grant half the usual stat points. It was better to sell it for Cosmic Crystals to ease his financial strain.
In contrast, the [Star-Shatter] Origin from the Six-Armed Race member, which he had acquired from Bai Yimo, was of much higher quality. Bai Yimo had prepared it for his own use, but Shi Ming had extorted it from him, scoring a major bargain.
’The Star Travel Merchants are always on the move.’
’Wandering between various planets.’
’They’re powerful enough, but I have no idea when this transaction will go through. Fortunately, with these 3,000 Cosmic Crystals, I’m not so strapped for cash anymore. I can finally buy those few treasures I had my eye on in the Trading Tower, especially that Silent Crystal from the First Civilization Cosmic Country.’
’After an adventure like that, I deserve to reward myself.’
Spending money always brings a certain kind of joy.
At the Trading Tower, Shi Ming spent 3,100 Cosmic Crystals and successfully acquired two treasures he had previously targeted. One was the aforementioned [Silent Crystal] from the First Civilization Cosmic Country, which seemed to hold intelligence about it. The other was an item named [Seeking Golden Thread]. It could track a desired object within a range of about one thousand kilometers based on a description and other provided information. While not very effective in the vastness of the Star Sea, it would be a powerful treasure-hunting tool if he brought it back to Earth. He could use it to pinpoint the location of lost artifacts, or even the exact location of [Purification].
’Unfortunately, the other treasure I had my eye on, a piece of Berserk Metal, was bought by someone else.’
When fused with the body, the Berserk Metal would constantly temper one’s physical resilience, increasing Physical Strength, Endurance, and Defense Power. The numerical increase wasn’t significant, but Shi Ming possessed the Infinite Brain and could have upgraded it once. It was a shame, but not everything in life goes as planned; regrets are sometimes unavoidable.
’I’ll just have to keep an eye out for other treasures with similar effects in the future.’
Under the friendly gaze of the sales associate, he left the Trading Tower and returned to the Grand Fortune.
[Fragment of the Silent Crystal]
[Level: 10]
[A special Crystal Stone from the edge of the First Civilization Cosmic Country’s domain... It has absorbed a vast amount of deathly, silent energy. It can only be reactivated when the power of several experts is fused with it, allowing their life force to suppress the death energy.]
[Cannot be upgraded further.]
[Infinite Upgrade Requirement: The blood of three deceased Nirvana-rank experts, and the blood of three living Nirvana-rank experts.]
As it happened, Shi Ming had already collected the blood of six such experts, both living and dead.
The blood of the deceased came from the Active Wormhole, Rui Liang, and the expert wearing the Slaughter Crown—the one without an Origin—whom he had killed in the star cavern. The blood of the living came from himself, the Tower King, and Cai Zong. It was the perfect set of six.
Initiating Infinite Upgrade!
BEEP!
In the privacy of his Captain’s Space, the Brain of Creation began reworking the crystal, which was saturated with deathly energy. Roughly three minutes later, Shi Ming received a notification that the upgrade was complete.
[Silent Crystal]
[Level: 10+]
[Patched up, but it’ll do! Even a fragment can grow into a whole!]
[Under the power of the Infinite Brain, this fragment of the Silent Crystal can now display considerable effects! When you are near the concealed First Civilization Cosmic Country, you can use the crystal’s connection to the Tomb Star System to enter a silent state, bypassing the joint seal of the false gods and returning to your homeland!]
[Cannot be upgraded further.]