The light of dawn seeped into Jack's "pigeon cage" sparingly, and the air was mixed with the strange smell of sulfur, rust and jerky from another world. Jack leaned against the lame table, twisting a cold mithril coin with his fingertips. The coin was heavy, engraved with the cross hammer and flame emblem. In the small leather bag next to it, a few pigeon egg-sized magic crystal fragments with flames inside exuded a faint warmth. The feeling of hunger had long been replaced by a dizzy excitement.
On the animal skin scroll, the information written by Glenn in Common Language and distorted English unfolded a magnificent and dangerous world: the continent of Eredal, the Kingdom of Anvil Castle, the Scorched Wasteland, the Ash Post - the border fortress of Sir Thorin. Arcanists, warriors, magic beasts, magic crystals, enchantments... Jack absorbed greedily. The Ash Post was just a low-level outpost, which made him have a clearer understanding of the deterrent power of the identity of "Dragon Merchant": information gap is power.
"Mithril coins... magic crystals..." Jack weighed them. They were worth a lot in Eredal, and Sir Thorin had spent a lot of money on a lighter. But on Earth, they are just hot potatoes. His eyes swept over the alien supplies in the corner: rock lizard jerky, glowing moss bread, fire lizard scale powder, moonlight moss powder, and animal skin scrolls. He needs dollars! To survive, to improve the environment, and more importantly - to stock up on ammunition for the next "purchase"! The dividends from lighters will eventually run out.
Jack put on his old coat, wrapped a handful of glowing moss and an even smaller amount of moonlight moss powder in rags, and sneaked into the maze-like back alleys of Brooklyn. He found a hidden "strange shop" owned by an old sailor with cloudy eyes. Jack pretended to be mysterious: "Deep-sea fluorescent algae extract... rare dye powder from the lost tribe of the Amazon." Showing a faint light and strange color. The old sailor squinted and examined it, twisting the moonlight moss powder, and the powder actually absorbed light slightly and turned blue. "It's weird... but interesting." After bargaining, Jack exchanged a small amount of moss and powder for three hundred dollars. The old sailor warned: "The stuff is good, but the origin is unknown, don't cause trouble." Jack breathed a sigh of relief, holding the sweat-stained banknotes. Three hundred dollars solved the urgent problem and verified the potential value of the "strange things" in the other world on the black market. Exposed? No way! He needs a safe channel or a strong cover, but now, survival is the first priority.
Hide the mithril coins, magic crystals and remaining supplies, and stuff the US dollars into the hole in the mattress. Jack's eyes cast on the huge urban scar outside the window-the landfill.
Is it still there? Will it be towed away? Or is it an illusion? Glenn is tracking the spatial fluctuations of the lighter, but what about the machine itself? The sense of urgency tightened his heart. He must act immediately! Put on rags, wrap up the fire axe, and step into the garbage dump again. His mood has changed: the desperate scavenger has become a treasure hunter with a shocking secret.
The cold wind is still there, and the stench is still there. Jack trudged through the metal graveyard based on his memory, searching for the pile of engines and exhaust pipes. Hours passed, sweat soaked, new wounds appeared on his hands, and disappointment spread. Did it really disappear? While panting against the rusty I-beam, he caught a glimpse of dark red rust in the shadow under the beam from the corner of his eye!
His heart was pounding! He rushed over, crawling and pulling off the broken iron sheet covering it.
It's still there!
The crimson, rusted vending machine stood still like an ancient stone, the coin slot was silent, and the cracks remained. The position was almost unchanged, with no drag marks or damage. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, and ecstasy surged up.
He took out the remaining cents and inserted a 25-cent coin.
"Ding-dong..." The hollow echo was dead silent. His heart sank. Did it fail? Or did he need a specific key? His hand subconsciously reached for the "Holy Gold" in his pocket.
The moment his fingertips touched the cold and warm gold coin -
Buzz!
A faint but clear vibration came from inside the machine! The cracked plexiglass panel suddenly lit up with a faint blue light! It was gone in a flash! Jack held his breath and his pupils shrank! He took out the Holy Glory Gold! When the gold coin approached the machine, the rune lit up slightly and the warmth increased! Resonance! Without hesitation, he aimed the Holy Glory Gold at the rusty coin slot. When the gold coin was about to touch -
Buzz...Buzz...
The vibration increased! The rust on the edge of the coin slot squirmed and shrank like a living thing, revealing a smooth hole that just accommodated the gold coin! As if it was designed for it! With a pilgrimage heart, Jack slowly pushed the heavy Holy Glory Gold in. Silently inhaled.
Click...Click...Click...
The complex and clear sound of mechanical operation sounded! Deep and powerful, like an ancient gear re-engaging! The dark red rust on the surface of the machine began to dissipate like weathering, revealing a deep, heavy, dark black body with a flickering metallic glow! The front cracked panel, the blue light is steadily lit, flowing between the cracks, forming a changing star map, and a vague dragon seal is faintly visible in the center!
Below the delivery port, a panel slid open silently, revealing a space emitting soft white light.
Jack's heart was beating like a drum! This is no longer a vending machine, but an altar? A portal?
The white light is stable, and inside the delivery port, a palm-sized, simple black metal box lies quietly. Frosted texture, cold and heavy to the touch.
Jack took it out with trembling hands and gently opened the lid.
On the dark red velvet, ten colorful flat objects with strange words and attractive patterns are neatly arranged, wrapped in a shiny silver film.
Pick up a piece. The blond man on the package holds a bowl of hot food with golden noodles and red and green embellishments. A line of clear common language below:
[Earth plane·Standard supplies: Braised beef flavor instant noodles]
[How to eat: Pour boiling water and wait for three minutes]
[Note: Dragonborn merchant primary supply pack. Plane anchor point has been activated. Holy gold authority detected, basic interactive functions unlocked. Please use it properly. ]
Instant noodles? !
Plane anchor point? !
Interactive unlock? !
Exchange ten packs of instant noodles with supreme holy gold? Jack's brain crashed.
But "anchor point activation" and "function unlock" sounded like thunder! He looked at the blue star map panel and tried to touch the central dragon seal.
Buzz!
The star map disappeared, and two lines of common language options floated:
[1. Plane communication (needs to consume a trace amount of magic crystal)]
[2. Primary material exchange (needs to invest holy gold or equivalent)] (Holy gold option is gray)
Communication! Exchange! Control panel!
Jack sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes burst with ecstasy! He held the instant noodle box in his hand, and a crazier plan ignited in his heart. What would Sir Thorin... pay for this "artifact"?
He closed the metal box, holding it as if it were a treasure. Looking at the dark blue panel, his ambition blossomed in his smile.
"Plane Anchor Point... Dragonborn Merchant Jack Reynolds... is officially online!"