Chapter 2714: Treasure

เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มี.ค. 2569 15:34

Chapter 2714: Treasure The upper floor of Alfa Station was nothing like the bustling decks below. As Emery passed through the transition gate, the air itself seemed to change—lighter, crisper, tinged with the faint hum of regulated formations. Before him stretched an entire suspended city, carved into the crown of the massive station. Hundreds of towers rose skyward, some disappearing into the glittering veil of the dome, their surfaces alive with cascading arrays of neon light. Wide avenues sparkled with rivers of suspended vehicles and footbridges woven like threads of silver, while holographic banners bloomed across the skyline, advertising everything from rare entertainment houses to luxurious arenas. To Emery, who had once wandered this place forty years ago, it felt almost nostalgic. At the very center of the crown city loomed a massive dome that dwarfed even the tallest towers. Its surface shimmered with a lattice of starlight, constantly shifting like the galaxy itself. This was his destination: The Alfa Stellar Imperium, the most prestigious store in the station. Without pause, Emery soared directly toward the dome. The moment he stepped into its boundaries, a figure approached with graceful precision, her smile practiced, her tone polite. "Welcome to Alfa Stellar Store. Thank you for your visit today. I am Xiana 52, and I will serve you for the day. How may I assist you?" The woman’s appearance was flawless—pale skin without blemish, hair gleaming with a metallic sheen, her uniform pristine white trimmed with gold. Even the cadence of her voice felt engineered. "I’d like to see your most exclusive collection." At once, Xiana’s expression shifted. A subtle change crossed her pupils—something mechanical, scanning, analyzing. Her tone softened, yet a trace of authority threaded through it as another figure approached. This second woman was nearly identical, only slightly older in her features, her uniform marked by a different crest. "Mister Ambrose," she said, her voice smooth as glass. "I am Xiana-3. Please allow me to personally escort you." It became clear what Emery was dealing with. These attendants were not ordinary employees—they were advanced cybernetic clones, embedded with high-grade artificial intelligence. The one before him had not only identified his face but cross-referenced his records in seconds. How much had she uncovered? His name, his apothecary certification, perhaps even fragments of his purchase history. The thought left a faint unease, though he masked it behind a nod. "Lead the way." They moved together into a cylindrical tube that carried them upward in silence. When the capsule doors opened, Emery found himself in front of a massive gate guarded by two figures. Both radiated the presence of Grand Magus—though only at an early stage of one cosmos, their bearing was unshakable. Formations layered the floor and walls like invisible chains. Even a Supreme Magus would think twice before misbehaving here. With a flick of her hand, Xiana 3 commanded the gate to open. The doors parted, revealing a vast hall bathed in pale light. Rows of transparent displays stretched across the chamber, each one sealed behind layers of enchanted glass and formation locks. Emery’s eyes swept the room, and for a heartbeat, he was reminded of Karat’s golden vault. None of the treasures were below tier 6. Materials of strange hues shimmered beside relics and tomes bound in unknown scripts. Emery began to walk, his gaze scanning. A few caught his eye. [Iron Will Puppet — Tier 6, Top Grade — 180 million spirit stones] The construct stood motionless, its body carved from dense blacksteel alloy. Compact yet heavy, the frame was built for endurance, while its chest contained a core of shifting silver gears that ticked with mechanical precision. A single command could unleash a warrior that fought tirelessly, its strength rivaling that of a cosmos-realm fighter. Though a grand magus–level puppet held little personal use for Emery, he still considered its worth. A guardian of this caliber could serve as another powerful defender for Earth. [Chromacircle Rings — Tier 6, Top Grade — 200 million spirit stones] Four slender bands of rainbow-forged metal spun slowly within their seal, glimmering like liquid prisms. Each ring resonated with a different elemental force. Wielded separately, they functioned as potent spirit weapons. Combined, they formed a restrictive array capable of binding enemies in multicolored chains of elemental energy. There were several worthy blades on display—some rivaling his Emberflame or his newfound Frostveil—but Emery had little interest in acquiring another tier-6 sword. He had yet to fully grasp the combined strength of the two he already possessed, and adding another would only distract from mastering them. Instead, his attention shifted to two more unusual items. The first was a quiver of arrows. [Wyrmheart Teeth — Tier 6, Top Grade — 150 million spirit stones] There were only five arrows within, yet each radiated a dreadful aura that prickled against his skin. Their shafts seemed to whisper with ancient malice, for sealed within them were fragments of wyrm souls—the lingering consciousness of godly beasts from primordial bloodlines. Drawn to a bow and released, even a single arrow carried the destructive might of a tier-8 strike, its trajectory guided by the bound wyrm’s will. Such weapons were more than arrows; they were calamities given form. The second was a unique looking staff. [Stormcaller — Tier 6, Top Grade —200 million spirit stones] Even contained within the glass case, the weapon exhaled a faint static hum. Tiny arcs of lightning crawled across the silver engravings carved into its shaft, their glow hinting at the power within. What caught Emery’s attention most was not the staff power but the inheritance sealed inside—a legacy of insights into the Law of Lightning. That knowledge alone made it priceless, inflating its worth far beyond what its craftsmanship might otherwise demand. These last two items were not meant for him, Emery decided, but for his companions back on Earth. Chumo and Klea. Fortunately, top-grade items drew less competition, and their prices had not surged as sharply. Emery let out a quiet breath. The profits from selling pills in Tartarus had brought him billions, though much of it had already been reinvested in rare materials unseen in the Magus Universe. Combined with what he had stripped from Kronos’s vault, his fortune now stood at a staggering 2,4 billion spirit stones. Enough to easily claim all four treasures before him. And yet... caution whispered at the back of his mind. He could not recklessly pour all the hard-earned wealth of Earth into tier-6 artifacts, no matter how enticing. Resolving to measure his next steps carefully, Emery turned toward the attendant. "Show me your tier-7 collection."

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