Robin’s current guise held a four-sided peach stone, no larger than a plum, yet etched with peculiar totems and symbols that left a profound impression upon even a fleeting glance.
“What is that thing?” A cascade of questions flooded Oport’s mind, his gaze utterly locked onto Robin, unable to stray.
As he scrutinized the strange orb, Robin flicked her wrist and flung it away.
The instant the sphere met the ground, a colossal bank of mist materialized out of thin air—utterly bizarre.
When the swirling vapor slowly dissipated, an astonishing scene was revealed!
Where the orb had landed, a colossal tower, tens of meters high, had sprung up from nothingness!
“This—” “This is—” Oport nearly choked on the words, his eyes stretched to their absolute limit, yet he still couldn't discern whether this was illusion or reality.
How could a tower just appear? What exactly had she done? And what was this tower for?
Oport desperately wanted to step forward and barrage her with these questions, but he couldn't muster the courage; Robin’s placid expression was like a towering mountain pressing down on him, radiating immense pressure!
While he was frozen in shock, Robin produced another orb of the exact same design and conjured another tower, positioning it symmetrically on the opposite flank of the previous one, flanking the Merchant Guild’s entrance!
Having completed this feat, Robin returned with the same composed expression, as if nothing had happened. As she passed Oport, she didn't even so much as bat an eyelid.
Oport paid no mind to Robin’s dismissal; he was still staggered by the appearance of these two massive structures. Though he didn’t know their purpose, he instinctively understood that Robin's actions were deeply calculated!
“Heavens! Did you see that? It just—” “Just like that!” At this moment, commotion erupted from the other directions as well.
Though it was early morning, the streets were still busy with numerous passersby, some of whom, like Oport, had witnessed the magical and eerie spectacle.
“Unbelievable, two massive things just popped up like that. Am I seeing things?”
“Magical, truly magical. As expected of the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’; everything they do shocks people.”
“Goodness, come quickly and see what’s happening! Why can’t I get close to those towers?” One curious soul tried to reach out and touch the structure, only to recoil in surprise as an invisible force halted him three meters away!
This naturally sparked even greater curiosity among the onlookers! “It’s true! You really can’t get near them!”
“There seems to be a powerful force, yet nothing visible!”
“Could it be a barrier?”
“Doubtful, there are no magical fluctuations whatsoever. I truly don’t know what this is!”
Gradually, more and more people gathered around the towers. Many tried for themselves, only to confirm that getting close was impossible, no matter how much strength they exerted!
Hearing the murmurs, Oport’s own courage stirred. He finally pushed through the crowd and attempted to approach, confirming the others’ reports: an unseen wall blocked him. Oport even activated his Dou Qi to test it, but the result was the same!
While the crowd was engrossed in studying the towers, Zhong Shenxiu was listening intently to Robin’s description.
The orbs Robin had thrown were the ‘Insect Repellent Towers’ () that Zhong Shenxiu had just perfected. Their spherical shape was achieved by utilizing the ‘Spatial Compression Ejection’ principle he grasped during the ‘Magic Exchange Meet,’ making them incredibly easy to carry. Their deployment was simple, akin to a magic scroll—just toss them!
The principle behind the ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ was the emission of a specialized frequency wave. This wave was extremely repulsive to the vast majority of magical insects, effectively driving them away.
Zhong Shenxiu had only recently developed this unique wave, meaning it undoubtedly had imperfections and couldn't guarantee expulsion of all magical insects. Nevertheless, it was a monumental invention that held the potential to save countless lives!
There was every reason to believe that the future Zhong Shenxiu would continue to refine it!
Beyond repelling insects, the ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ also possessed the function of augmenting communication frequencies and mental waves. In essence, the ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ could also serve as a signal enhancement tower.
If these towers became widespread across the nations, the ‘Magic Communication Device’ () would no longer be limited by distance! Zhong Shenxiu’s mental waves could also be easily broadcast everywhere via these towers!
The tentative market price for the ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ was set at [Figure Omitted], significantly higher than the previous two products. However, Zhong Shenxiu was confident that even at this price, it would incite a frenzy of buying!
This type of product was clearly not intended for ordinary households, nor did they need it; since one ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ covered an effective radius of twenty li (miles/Chinese units of measure), neighbors benefiting from the coverage of just a few towers meant others could also reap the rewards! ※
Of course, it was undeniable that the denser the concentration of ‘Insect Repellent Towers,’ the better the effect!
※
Oport failed to see Tiya that day and returned to his manor early, reporting the morning’s events to his great-grandfather, Bennett.
Bennett was currently deep in thought. Even hearing Oport’s account sounded bizarre, let alone having witnessed it firsthand. What occupied his mind wasn't the function of the two towers, but the relationship between the ‘Ethereal Mercenary Group’ () and the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’!
His intuition screamed that these two formidable entities were surely linked by something astonishing to the world!
As silence settled in the room, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside, followed by the breathless voice of a young retainer:
“Report—”
Bennett’s contemplation was broken, but he didn't show annoyance, merely asking with a level expression, “What is it?”
Almost as soon as his words fell, a frantic-looking retainer rushed in from outside.
“Master, the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’ has just released another new product, named the ‘Insect Repellent Tower.’ Its function is to make the vast majority of magical insects retreat three she (a distance unit). Master, should we purchase some?” The retainer was still panting, clearly having run at full speed.
“What?” Bennett shot up from his chair with a ‘whoosh,’ blurting out without a second thought, “Buy it! We must buy it! No matter the cost!”
Bennett appeared agitated. In this impending turbulent era, they absolutely could not risk their lives to save money!
The merchandise sold by the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’ had always guaranteed quality. Since they claimed it could make the majority of magical insects flee, there would be no falsehood to it!
“Master, how—how many should we buy?” The retainer had never seen their master so excited, and in his haste, he asked a question that required no consultation.
Bennett suddenly felt a surge of irritation. How can he still need instruction on such a matter? What if the stock runs out?
Despite his anger, this wasn't the time to dwell on reprimands. Every second wasted meant more competitors for the purchase! Thus, Bennett decided he had to make the trip himself!
※
Somehow, news traveled incredibly fast. The ‘Insect Repellent Towers’ had only just been released, and the entrance to the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’ instantly became thronged, nearly blocking the main gate solid!
Everyone here was a member of the ‘Dark Merchant Guild,’ desperate to get inside immediately. However, since their priority was identical, they had to line up according to the Guild’s arrangement!
The relevant personnel of the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’ had repeatedly urged them not to arrive simultaneously, assuring them that stock was plentiful—Zhong Shenxiu was right there, so supplies were abundant, and everyone would get a purchase. But not a single person was willing to leave!
This was different from usual; this was a matter concerning life itself. They preferred to wait patiently in line rather than risk missing the opportunity to buy!
Following the previous ‘Magical Insect Incident,’ everyone’s vigilance against such threats had increased significantly. Those who secured an ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ deployed them immediately. Even without knowing the exact effect, it offered a measure of peace of mind!
They might not trust themselves, but they absolutely trusted the merchandise from the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’!
In the blink of an eye, another week passed.
Now, looking across ‘Golden Harvest City’ (), one could see towering ‘Insect Repellent Towers’ everywhere, seemingly having become the city’s landmark buildings. Even more exaggerated was the sight outside the city walls, where a ‘Insect Repellent Tower’ could be spotted almost every few hundred meters!
The ‘Autumn Cloud Empire’ () had clearly invested heavily this time. Just purchasing this quantity of ‘Insect Repellent Towers’ likely cost billions of Diamond Coins. However, this money was far from wasted, as these structures were poised to save ‘Golden Harvest City’ from an extinction-level disaster!
A few more days elapsed. The business of the ‘Dark Merchant Guild’ surpassed that of any other shop; it remained packed with people every day!
That noon, Charlotte and the others who had departed returned collectively, as if prearranged.
“Sister Charlotte, was everything smooth?” Tiya greeted them with delight.
Without these people, the ‘Ethereal Mercenary Group’ felt strangely quiet. Tiya had been looking forward to their return constantly, silently wishing them safe travels.
Charlotte and the others exchanged polite greetings before asking, “Where is the Young Master?”
“He’s inside!” Tiya ushered the group in. Upon seeing Zhong Shenxiu, the expressions of Charlotte and the others turned serious. While moving their relatives had gone smoothly, they had intercepted alarming news upon their return—D