Seeing this Curio, Sylvester paused slightly.
"Hmm…"
That brief hesitation alone was enough to make Aventurine and Topaz—who were standing nearby, watching intently—feel their hearts sink.
Could it be that this purple Curio was just a flashy but useless ornament?
…That was entirely possible.
After all, obtaining a rare Curio only for it to be a high-rarity dud—an item with rank but no function—would feel far worse than pulling a green one. At least with a low-tier Curio, there wouldn't be such a crushing sense of disappointment.
And there were only three Curios displayed on the counter, even though Jade had clearly opened four Trash Cans.
Where did the last one go?
Could it be that not only was the purple Curio useless, but she'd also opened an empty can?
If so, Jade's luck would be catastrophically bad.
For a moment, both Aventurine and Topaz grew even more tense, their eyes fixed on Sylvester's face as they waited in agonizing suspense.
Feixiao and Jingliu, on the other hand, remained completely unbothered.
The two exchanged glances from afar, their expressions calm and unreadable.
It wasn't that they took pleasure in others' misfortune—but as long as the Xianzhou maintained its advantage, that was ultimately a good thing.
Compared to her colleagues, Jade herself appeared remarkably composed.
She smiled and asked, "Shopkeeper Sylvester, is there something amiss?"
"Huh? Ah—my apologies." Sylvester snapped back to attention, cleared his throat, and chuckled lightly. "Nothing is amiss at all. Quite the opposite, actually. Lady Jade's luck is exceptional. These Curios are an astonishingly good match for you. In fact, even a conceptual-tier Curio like the [Thousand Demon Daggers] would be less useful to you than what's right here."
"Oh?!"
Before Jade could respond, Aventurine and Topaz cried out in surprise from the lounge area, their voices brimming with barely concealed excitement.
So that's how it was?!
Good enough to impress even the shopkeeper himself?
Had the Interastral Peace Corporation finally turned the corner—misfortune giving way to prosperity at last?
"Phew—" The weight lifted from his heart, Aventurine let out a long breath and even whistled once, collapsing back into the sofa with ease. He poured himself another cup of tea and leisurely began drinking.
Topaz said nothing, but she too relaxed back into her seat, smiling as she patted Numby and Pikachu on the head, easing the lingering tension from the emotional rollercoaster.
Feixiao and Jingliu frowned.
Jingliu, in particular, tapped the shattered blade of the Demon Blade: Thousand Blades with her index finger, eliciting a chaotic metallic clatter from its fractured surface.
A Curio more compatible with Jade than even a conceptual weapon… just what kind of thing could that be?
Neither spoke, but both listened closely.
While everyone harbored their own thoughts, Jade—the one who had opened the cans—remained calm, scarcely different from when she'd been watching others open theirs.
She raised a hand and gestured toward the oddly shaped Curios.
"Shopkeeper Sylvester, I'd appreciate an explanation."
Sylvester nodded. He first pointed to the conspicuously ostentatious pink-framed door panel and said with a smile, "This is called the [Anywhere Door]. The Xianzhou has a saying—'know the meaning by the name'—and this Curio embodies that perfectly."
"As the name suggests, once opened, it allows you to travel to any location. Usage is simple: just imagine the destination as you open the door. The maximum range is ten light-years."
As Sylvester explained, Jade's expression shifted again and again.
The moment he finished, she asked, "Does it consume energy?"
Ten light-years might sound short in the vastness of the cosmos, but its significance was enormous.
Even a top-tier interstellar vessel capable of light-speed travel would still need ten full years to cross that distance. To do so conveniently, one had to rely on warp technology.
And the most advanced faction in that field wasn't the Corporation, nor the Xianzhou Alliance—but the Astral Express, the direct lineage of the Trailblaze Aeon, Akivili.
By using the silver rails carved into the universe by Trailblaze power, they greatly reduced the difficulty of cosmic travel. Even so, warp travel remained an expensive undertaking.
In many cases, the Corporation would rather send standard cargo ships plodding along for years than approve the cost of a warp jump.
The reason the Corporation's mechs had been detained by the Luofu was precisely because of this.
After all, if warp travel were cheap and easy, why would their ships have been forced to take refuge on the Luofu after being attacked?
But if the [Anywhere Door] required very little energy to operate, all of those problems would vanish.
The economic benefits and safety guarantees alone would be incalculable.
Jade found herself eagerly anticipating just how low its energy consumption might be.
"Hmm… I wouldn't say it consumes no energy," Sylvester said, rubbing his chin before smiling. "After all, opening and closing a door still takes some effort. You'd probably burn… about one steamed bun's worth."
At that, Jade's smile blossomed.
Wasn't that just another way of saying it required no energy at all?
Ten light-years! Saving that much in transport costs could drastically reduce product prices—an enormous advantage for the Corporation's market expansion.
Her spirits soared as she followed up, "Are there any requirements for those passing through? Does the door provide protection during transit?"
Sylvester looked at her with clear appreciation.
As expected of one of the Stonehearts' top executives—her thinking was meticulous and airtight.
Spatial traversal was no joke. Even aboard the Astral Express, which boasted top-tier protection, a certain gray-haired woman was notorious for experiencing neurological disturbances during warp.
For ordinary people, it was even more dangerous.
But the [Anywhere Door] wasn't an ordinary door.
Leaning back in his chair, Sylvester waved a finger lazily and said with a faint smile, "No."
"No?" Jade's heart clenched as she lowered her gaze, quickly calculating.
If there was no protection, the value of the door would need to be reassessed.
The door was too small—none of the previously manufactured protective pods could pass through it. And if the Corporation had to custom-produce a new batch of compact protective equipment for both personnel and cargo, costs would skyrocket.
Just as she was worrying, Sylvester's casual voice reached her ears.
"There's no spacetime tunnel," he said nonchalantly. "Once the door opens, one step takes you straight to the destination—just like opening a shop door and stepping inside. There's no tunnel at all!"
"…?" Jade snapped her head up, staring at Sylvester. "No spacetime tunnel?"
Sylvester nodded slowly, smiling. "Of course."
Jade turned abruptly toward the gaudy-looking door panel, shock impossible to conceal in her eyes.
What kind of principle was this?
How could such a small door connect two distant points in space so seamlessly?
And complete the process in the instant it was opened?
This was something even the Astral Express couldn't do.
Crossing her arms, Jade nodded with satisfaction at the [Anywhere Door].
Even if she couldn't understand how it worked, its value was beyond doubt.
No energy consumption. Near-instant activation.
If only it could be mass-produced…
"Hm… it might be time to visit Herta Space Station and discuss cooperation with Herta."
Though the Chadwick incident had created some friction between her and the IPC, relationships between major powers were always fluid—alternating between cooperation and rivalry, just like the Corporation and the Xianzhou.
Besides, she could always ask Asta to put in a good word.
As the daughter of an IPC board member, she should at least speak up for the company, right?
===BREAK===
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