Treasure-Seeking Serpent

If you want to craft a magical artifact, you need mythril ore.

But mythril ore is super rare and precious—only the government can dig it up!

Only licensed artifact shops with official permits can buy mythril ore for their business.

Even after buying it, you can't just trade or sell it as you please.

Nope—you have to crack open the ore right there in the shop, in front of everyone.

If luck's on your side, you might strike gold after cracking open just a few chunks.

If Lady Luck deserts you, you could blow a small fortune and smash open dozens—maybe hundreds—of rocks and still come up empty-handed.

That's why artifact shops always have names like 'Luck's Landing' or 'Fortune's Door.'

......

The shopkeeper spotted the Zhu family's carriage and practically sprinted out, grinning like a cat who got the cream. He bowed and chirped, "Oh my! Miss Zhu herself? What brings you here today—shopping for a magical artifact, or want one custom-made?"

"I want something special forged," Grace declared, her eyes twinkling.

"Perfect! You've come to the best place in town!" The shopkeeper beamed. "Here at 'Luck's Landing,' we always score the finest ore. Come on in!"

Grace nodded and followed him inside.

Just as Grace was about to step inside, Little Cutie suddenly sprang from her hands and zipped straight into the shop next door.

"Hey! Little Cutie, where are you off to now?" Grace called, hurrying after the mischievous serpent.

As she entered, Grace noticed a piece of paper stuck to the door with the words: 'For Sale'.

Inside, a stooped old man was sweeping the floor, but Little Cutie was nowhere in sight.

"Excuse me, sir! Did you see an Antler Serpent dash in here? That's my spirit pet—did you see which way it slithered?" Grace asked.

"Antler Serpent?" The old man looked around, scratched his head, and replied, "Nope, didn't see a thing."

"May I look around?" Grace asked.

"Go ahead and look!" the old man said with a wave.

So Grace poked around, calling, "Little Cutie! Where are you hiding, you rascal?"

Soon enough, a tiny head popped out from a pile of mythril ore.

"Little Cutie, what mischief are you up to now?" Grace asked, amused.

Little Cutie wrapped itself around a chunk of mythril and rolled out of the pile like a treasure hunter on a mission.

"Seriously? Are you obsessed with shiny rocks or something?" Grace teased.

Back in that cave in the Eastern Wilderness Forest, it grabbed every single rock it could find. They're still piled up in my magical pocket realm!

Little Cutie shook its head and tugged at her skirt.

"Wait... you actually want me to buy this chunk of mythril?" Grace guessed, raising an eyebrow.

Little Cutie nodded so hard it looked like its antlers might fall off.

Grace was no dummy—her instincts were always spot-on.

"You really think this rock could be hiding something awesome?" Grace squatted down and asked.

Evan Xiao nodded solemnly, like a dragon who knew all the world's secrets.

After all, dragon eyesight is basically legendary. Humans can't even compete.

Suddenly, Grace remembered when Little Cutie sniffed out the inheritance jade slip for the Space Tower, hidden in the cracks of those cave rocks.

Wait a second... Could this little guy actually be a treasure-hunting expert?

Grace's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Why not give it a shot?

Who knows? Maybe this rock really is hiding a magical treasure!

But first, Grace wanted to check out the shop's skills.

When it comes to crafting magical artifacts, two things matter most: top-notch materials and serious craftsmanship.

Luckily, there were some finished artifacts hanging around, so Grace wandered over for a peek.

One glance—and Grace nearly gawked in surprise.

Every single artifact was made from low-grade mythril that customers had tossed aside, then reclaimed and transformed by the shop.

So yeah, the materials were nothing fancy.

But the craftsmanship? Pure magic—absolutely top-tier!

Hidden sharpness beneath plain looks, true mastery tucked away in simplicity—this was next-level stuff!

And believe it or not, that wasn't even the best part.