Chapter Forty-Two: The Treasure Shop and the Iron Block

Nicholas Square is the venue for all manner of grand festivities in Nicholas City, spacious enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people. At its center stands a colossal building capable of housing ten thousand within its walls. The entire square occupies one-fifth of Nicholas City, and with the ever-expanding ring of shops surrounding it, the domain of Nicholas Square continues to grow outward.

The shop where Wang Luo sold magic crystals was not far from Nicholas City, but due to the Egg Gambling Festival, it saw few customers; even its attendants had gone off to join the revelry, for people are, after all, communal creatures.

At this moment, Nicholas Square was packed with a sea of people. Under the dazzling glow of multicolored magical lamps, rows upon rows of magical beast eggs shimmered like gemstones, casting an intoxicating light. Wang Luo was momentarily entranced, feeling as if he had returned to the grand International Jewelry Conference in the H City Tower.

The sound of whimpering drew him back to his senses only when his three beasts crawled out from their box. Noticing others with pets at their side, Wang Luo agreed to let his companions stay out, though he warned them sternly not to wander off or stir up trouble.

Suddenly, a chorus of exclamations erupted nearby. Wang Luo followed the sound, squeezing through the throng, and saw a fiery red fox cub emerging from an eggshell, its fur still damp.

Instinctively, the little fox began clumsily gnawing on its eggshell. Once it finished, a hazy red glow enveloped its body, vanishing in a flash, and a clever, adorable fox appeared before the crowd.

The fox’s eyes darted curiously among the onlookers. A magician began to chant softly, and as his incantation unfolded, the fresh blood on a burly man’s fingertip floated eerily into the air, writhing ceaselessly.

“Oh omnipresent laws of contract, heed my summon, let blood be the medium, let soul be the vow…—Seal!”

At the magician’s final word, the writhing droplet transformed into two indistinct blood sigils, shooting into both the man’s and the fox’s brows.

A fleeting struggle flashed in the fox’s eyes, but as a hexagram shimmered beneath its feet, the resistance faded, replaced with an affectionate gaze toward the man. In a blink, it leapt onto his shoulder, licking his face with devotion.

“Fire Fox—upon maturity, a third-tier magical beast. Highly intelligent, exceptionally cunning, difficult to catch, swift in movement but lacking in combat strength. Its sole attack is a pillar of flame from its mouth, and it can only unleash it five times before exhausting its magic!”

Watching the man delight in his new companion, Wang Luo recalled the fox’s basic profile, then turned away to continue examining other beast eggs.

The Egg Gambling Festival featured all manner of magical beast eggs, some so mysterious that even merchants and adventurers had no idea what lay within. Wang Luo consulted his three beasts; Blood Wolf and Black Panther could only sense faint traces of their own kind but could not discern the specific rank, while his greatest hope, Little White, felt nothing at all—its talent for seeking spirit herbs proved useless against beast eggs.

As he wandered, Wang Luo observed all kinds of magical beasts hatching from their eggs: some entered into master-servant contracts immediately, others were sold outright, and some were caged in shadowy enclosures, their fate unknown.

The outer ring held the lower-tier eggs, requiring less energy to hatch, and many could be incubated directly. Deeper inside lay the realm of mid-tier eggs, each priced at over five hundred gold coins—far more precious than magic crystals.

The mid-tier egg section was half the size of the lower-tier area but far better guarded, requiring a payment of ten gold coins for entry. Though many could not afford the eggs themselves, plenty paid the fee just for a glimpse.

After paying his ten gold coins, Wang Luo entered the mid-tier beast zone, only to discover that alongside beast eggs, there were magic crystals, spirit herbs, weapons, magic scrolls, and a host of other items for sale.

Strolling leisurely onward, Wang Luo pressed deeper, only to look up and realize he had arrived at the very heart of Nicholas Square—at the foot of the colossal building.

“Treasure-Hunt House!”

Resigned, he paid another ten gold coins and entered. Before long, he stumbled upon the shop. Pausing, Wang Luo turned and stepped inside, eager to see if he might discover a hidden gem.

Within, several attendants clustered around a beast egg, debating its merits. Noticing Wang Luo, a mere child, enter, one attendant reluctantly approached and said, “Young sir, all our wares in Treasure-Hunt House are peculiar items—many don’t even have names. Please feel free to browse!”

“Alright, I’ll call you if I see something I like.”

Wang Luo waved the attendant off, signaling he did not need company, and wandered alone through the spacious shop. Indeed, the shelves were filled with strange curiosities: triangular eyes, flamboyant beast pelts, bones glowing with white light, and more.

He picked up a fist-sized lump of iron, brows furrowed in thought as he tried to recall its purpose. His mind raced through his store of knowledge, and soon a smile broke out—it was a magic crystal encased within.

A plaintive cry rang out.

Suddenly, Little White the lion called out, leaping into a corner piled with assorted junk. After rummaging for a while, it emerged with a jet-black iron token, bearing several blurred inscriptions.

Wang Luo studied the black iron piece closely, but found no clues. Seeing Little White’s proud face awaiting praise, Wang Luo asked in confusion, “What is this thing?”

Little White began gesturing wildly, but Wang Luo could make no sense of it. Trusting in Little White’s usually sharp eye, Wang Luo bought the black iron token for ten gold coins.

Back in his room at the Rusky Inn, Wang Luo held the token in his hand, asking Little White about it. Blood Wolf and Black Panther watched from the side, but none could decipher what Little White was trying to explain.

“Is this some special ore?” Wang Luo inquired. Little White shook its head.

“Is it a magical item?” Wang Luo asked again. Little White shook its head once more.

“Could it be the bone of a magical beast?” Wang Luo tried. Still, Little White shook its head.

Wang Luo let his imagination run wild, proposing all manner of possibilities, but Little White shook its head every time. Finally, Wang Luo collapsed onto the bed in exasperation and said, “Do you even know what it’s called?”

Little White nodded sheepishly, and Wang Luo nearly fainted from frustration. With a cry, he teamed up with Blood Wolf and Black Panther to pounce on Little White, realizing the rascal had been toying with them all along.

Otherworldly Azure Dragon 42—Chapter Forty-Two: Treasure-Hunt House, Black Iron Token—the update is complete!