I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

"Let's go."

Lin Mo tightened his tactical vest and turned to walk towards the pile of unsorted supplies:

"We'll have a lot to do before he gets back."

The market in Shigu Town was so noisy it made your ears ring.

The air was filled with all sorts of smells: the sourness of cheap ale, the smoky aroma of roasted meat, and the stench of livestock manure all mixed together.

Several men in plain clothes mingled in the crowd.

Without that conspicuous exoskeleton, they just looked like taller mercenaries passing by.

"Freshly baked salamander steak! One bite and it sizzles with oil!"

"A dagger forged by a dwarf apprentice! Better than that piece of scrap metal you're wearing!"

"Buying magic cores! High price! I'd be a fool to lie!"

Captain Snow Wolf pulled down his hat brim and quickly scanned the stalls with his eyes.

A faint static sound came through the headset.

"Attention all groups, spread out and ask for prices. Remember, just ask, don't rush to buy."

One set received.

"Group Two received."

Captain Snow Wolf stopped in front of a stall with a sign that read "Old John's Curiosity Shop".

The stall owner was an old man missing two front teeth, wiping a glass bottle with a dirty rag.

"Boss, do you take this?"

Captain Snow Wolf took out the black velvet bag from his pocket, untied the rope, and pinched out a small pinch of blue powder with two fingers.

The old man stopped moving.

His cloudy eyes suddenly widened, staring intently at that point of blue.

"This luster..."

The old man threw down the rag, pulled a monocle from under the counter, and stuck it in his eye socket with movements so fast they didn't seem like those of an old man.

"Such high purity?"

The old man stretched out his thin, dry fingers to touch it, but Captain Snow Wolf dodged them.

"How should we receive it?"

The old man swallowed hard, his eyes darted around, and he held up five fingers: "This bag... five hundred silver coins."

Captain Snow Wolf sneered, tied the rope, and turned to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't go!" Seeing him about to leave, the old man leaned half his body out from behind the counter.

"One thousand! One thousand silver coins! That's a very high price!"

Captain Snow Wolf didn't stop.

"Two thousand! Damn it, three thousand!"

The old man slapped his thigh anxiously: "Five thousand! Five thousand silver coins! That's the most I can get!"

Captain Snow Wolf stopped and turned back.

"make a deal."

The old man shakily took out the balance scale and carefully poured the bag of soil onto it.

"Fifty grams...just right."

The old man reluctantly counted out five hundred silver coins from the money box, put them in a heavy leather bag, and handed it over.

Captain Snow Wolf took the money bag and weighed it in his hand.

"Notify the entire team."

He pressed the headset button, his voice low: "The benchmark price is out. One hundred silver coins per gram. This stuff is hard currency here."

"Received. Procurement will begin."

In every corner of the market, several teams quickly sprang into action.

"Boss, how much for this stone?"

Captain Tiger pointed to a piece of ore on the stall that was glowing red.

"That's a firestone, ten silver coins."

"I'll take it. And that, that green water, what is it?"

"Slime slime, used to make glue. Two silver coins a bottle."

"I want them all."

Captain Tiger threw out a handful of silver coins, which he had just exchanged for Moonlight Soil.

On the other side, the team members responsible for collecting biological samples were squatting in front of a hunter's stall.

"This bone?"

"The wing bone of the wyvern was broken in half, but it was tough enough."

"Wrap it up. And what kind of animal is that skin?"

"The Thunder Lizard's skin is a bit torn..."

"It's okay, I'll take it."

As the team members paid, they quickly recorded the transaction on the terminal:

"We have obtained samples of bipedal wyvern skeletons and thunder lizard skin. We are currently searching for plant samples."

In front of a grocery stall, two team members were pointing at a wheelbarrow.

"This bearing is interesting; it's all made of wood, but it spins very smoothly."

"Buy them and show them to the engineering department. Also, those blacksmith's pliers are made of some kind of alloy; they're very hard."

"Boss, this car, and all these tools, let's calculate the total price."

Less than two hours.

The team members, who originally came empty-handed, were now carrying large and small bags.

The bag was stuffed with all sorts of things: oddly shaped ores, medicine bottles that smelled strange, teeth and claws of some unknown creatures, and even a few rusty old weapons.

"That's about it."

Long Fei's voice rang out in the channel: "Withdraw. Don't attract too much attention."

……

Fern Wall Village.

The midday sun beat down mercilessly on the watchtower at the village entrance.

"That is..."

The sentry on the tower squinted, watching the fast-moving black dot in the distance.

The black dot drew closer, and the clicking sound of metal rubbing against metal carried on the wind.

"It's Ryan! Ryan's back!"

The sentry shouted excitedly down below.

The wooden gate at the village entrance was pushed open, and a group of simply dressed villagers poured out.

Raine slowly slowed down the exoskeleton and stopped under the old oak tree at the entrance of the village.

The black metal armor was covered in dust, but even in the sunlight, the cold, oppressive feeling it exuded still sent chills down one's spine.

"Brother Renn!"

Several children wanted to rush forward, but were frightened by the cold metal and stopped in their tracks, only daring to peek from behind the adults' legs.

"Click—Sizzle—"

The sound of the valve being released rang out.

Ryan unbuckled his helmet, took it off, and revealed a face covered in sweat but looking quite energetic.

"Everyone... I'm back."

"Raine!"

The old village chief, Haimer, leaning on his cane, walked shakily out of the crowd.

He looked Renn up and down, scrutinizing the unfamiliar suit of armor he was wearing, his cloudy old eyes wide with surprise.

"Good, good... It's good that you're alive! The cat demon was too fierce; it's truly a blessing from the ancestral gods that you're still alive!"

Raine removed the black box from the back rack of the exoskeleton.

The box was heavy, but he was incredibly strong and lifted it down with one hand.

"Bang."

The box made a dull, loud sound as it hit the ground.

"What is this?"

The blacksmith, Forging Stone, squeezed in, reached out and tapped the box, his voice muffled: "This thing... isn't iron, and it's not copper... but the craftsmanship is excellent."

"This is the reward that Lin Mo's warriors gave to the village."

Ryan took a deep breath and placed his hand on the lock of the box.

The surroundings fell silent instantly.

Everyone held their breath, staring at Ryan's fingers.

"Clatter".

The lid popped open.

There was no glittering gold coins in the box, only a faint blue hue.

It was a whole box of blue powder, which looked very fine and emitted a faint glow inside the box.

"hiss--"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

The old apothecary Seran, who had been standing at the back, suddenly pushed his way through the crowd like a madman.

He knelt down in front of the box with a thud, his hands trembling as he hovered over the powder, not daring to touch it.

"Moonlight Soil... its purity is so high..."

Thran's voice shrilly: "This is top-grade Moonstone Soil! It can only be found in the core area of ​​that lost city!"

"So many?!"