[Unlicensed Pilot: "Oh, Reignbow Arbiter above, thank goodness it's fine. The stream cut off suddenly—I thought the Interastral Peace Corporation really launched an attack on the Xianzhou Luofu."]
[Definitely Is a New Nickname: "Why would they need to? They already have the upper hand. This is all the fault of that trash can seller—scammer, give me back my hard-earned money!"]
[Comedic Duo A: "Enough, it hasn't even been settled yet. And didn't you hear? They said they're going to reveal a Curio that can shake the world."]
[Comedic Duo B: "Forget shaking the universe—if there's a Curio that can shake the Xianzhou, shake the Luofu, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Let's just see if it's real."]
[Rear Wheel Spins: "So what? In the end, it's still…"]
…
Once upon a time, Sylvester would never have imagined that in just a single day, his life would turn upside down.
A sentient Stellaron, the Master Diviner of the Luofu, the Arbiter-General of the Yaoqing, the Interastral Peace Corporation's lapdog, and strange talents from all over converged upon his little Curio Trash Can shop—staking money, reputation, and dignity upon this tiny gambling table, to fight for a beautiful future that left no trace… or perhaps the supreme favor of the universe's laws.
Winners would return laden with glory, and losers would bicker endlessly.
Sylvester gestured toward the once-overflowing shelves, now dwindled to just a handful. This was the stake he placed upon the gamble.
"Miss Feixiao, ten picks. Please, choose freely."
Feixiao stepped forward, personally setting the table into motion.
"Shouldn't Fu Xuan be the one closer to you?"
She seemed to glimpse something with her Third Eye. Didn't he need her help to cheat?
"Fu Xuan should just rest for now. I can handle this."
No need. Whatever she sees, I also know.
Lifting his gaze to the remaining dozens of Trash Cans, Sylvester observed four colors: green, blue, purple, gold.
This was a power granted by the system.
After all, as the system's owner, there was no reason Fu Xuan could see while he could not.
"You two, stop stalling already. The longer you delay, the less likely anything real is going to show up." Skott kept grumbling, though the more he did, the more convinced he was of victory. "A Curio that can shake the universe? If you had something like that, a kid who hasn't even seen much money wouldn't be stuck here selling Trash Cans!"
Guinaifen exchanged looks with Stelle and Qingque. They'd thought Sylvester would just pull out a Curio and end the bet cleanly. But to their surprise, he still insisted on opening Trash Cans.
They, too, began to doubt. Could it be Sylvester truly didn't have any valuable Curios? But if so, why accept this gamble in the first place? They couldn't understand.
Feixiao opened the first Trash Can. Green light flashed. Fu Xuan remained in quiet meditation.
A single pill fell onto the table.
"A [Rejuvenation Pill]. Restores a lightly injured person to full health."
Skott couldn't resist sneering: "Ha, junk you can find on any street corner."
[Comedic Duo A: "Yeah, that's nothing special. The Alchemy Commission mass-produces these. It's standard kit for the Cloud Knights."]
[Definitely Is a New Nickname: "Ha, just as I thought. This scammer is pulling the same tricks again."]
[New Year's Big Duck: "And here I thought Belobog's revival would speed up with this. Turns out it was fake?"]
[Emotions Above All: "Tch, how long are they dragging this out? What's the Realm-Keeping Commission doing? Arrest him already and pay the people back their sweat and blood!"]
"Everyone, no need to worry—let's take our time. This broadcast will be running for quite a while."
Guinaifen, with her skills as a professional streamer, did her best to steady the chat.
But the effect wasn't great.
She turned a pleading look toward Feixiao.
You were the one who agreed to the livestream—weren't you so confident?
The chat was already filled with curses. If this kept up, the Trash Can shop might be fine, but I'll be the one to get turned into a cyber latrine first! Little Gui really couldn't take this kind of pressure.
Seeing her distressed expression, Feixiao glanced at Sylvester. "Do you have any recommendations?"
Sylvester shook his head, refusing her hint. "You've already paid. Pick whichever you like."
Feixiao nodded, giving him a thumbs-up. "Bold. Looks like there really are treasures inside."
Another Trash Can opened. After the dazzling blue glow faded, three bullets lay quietly on the table.
Sylvester nodded. "[Zafkiel's First Bullet – Aleph]. Anyone struck by this will experience an accelerated flow of time, appearing to teleport in the eyes of others."
"This one's not bad." Feixiao nodded.
"Hah, if this is what you call a universe-shaking Curio, then it's a joke beyond belief." Skott's ridicule was merciless, determined to belittle it no matter what. He had already decided—even if something unbelievably powerful appeared, he would dismiss it as worthless.
No one bothered with his shallow thoughts, but the chat still boiled over.
[Comedic Duo B: "This actually seems pretty good, doesn't it?"]
[Emotions Above All: "Good for what? Sprinting to the office faster? With only three charges, you can't even save a few lives against the Denizens of Abundance!"]
[Definitely Is a New Nickname: "Dragging. Just hard dragging."]
Only Fu Xuan's eyes lit up.
There really were other Zafkiel bullets? Then maybe the twelfth—the one that traverses time and space—might exist too?
As the comment section raged, Feixiao opened the third Trash Can. A purple glow burst forth, far stronger than the previous ones. Everyone closed their eyes and waited.
But when the light faded, nothing appeared.
"Heh, what's this? Playing tricks already?" Skott smirked. "Don't tell me you're claiming it's just bad luck—that you opened an empty can?"
Even Feixiao was puzzled, her fluffy fox ears twitching. She wanted to ask Sylvester what was going on.
But Sylvester didn't care, lounging behind the counter and fiddling with his Jade Abacus.
He didn't even raise his eyes, casually pointing upward.
"On the second floor?" Feixiao asked.
Sylvester shook his head with a faint smile. "No. In the sky."
"Huh?" Everyone's eyes flew wide open.
In the sky? What could that mean?
Feixiao strode out of the shop, the others following close behind. Guinaifen turned the livestream camera upward—though there was no need to search. The object was impossible to miss.
Bathed in the faint line of sunset's afterglow, an enormous behemoth floated above the Xianzhou. Its shadow engulfed the people below, and the Luofu's night-lamps flared to life early, triggered by the automatic sensors.
"What… is that?" The Interastral Peace Corporation's staff stared up at the massive warship blotting out the heavens, beyond all comprehension.
It came from that tiny Trash Can? What kind of sick joke was this?
"Judging by the caliber of the main guns—it's a planet-killer class, no doubt. With a ship this size, even the Interastral Peace Corporation doesn't have anything larger."
As a general of the Yaoqing renowned for her military record, Feixiao gauged its firepower with a single glance.
She said it offhand, but her words shook the others deeply. Feixiao was well-traveled, but the rest weren't so calm.
Sweat dotted Skott's brow. "T-that… a ship's strength isn't measured by size. The Interastral Peace Corporation's warships are top-notch, they won't lose to this…"
"A-and even if it is strong, that still doesn't count as shaking the universe!"
"Family, look! This might be the biggest planet-killer in the galaxy! Quick, give Little Gui some likes—if you miss this stream, there won't be another chance!"
Guinaifen lifted her Jade Abacus high, her trembling hands betraying her excitement.
How could she not be? The battleship was simply overwhelming. She zoomed her lens out as far as possible, but still had to pan an entire arm's length from left to right to capture it all.
"Oh! Thanks to our top supporter for gifting a planet-killer! Everyone, come see—this really is a one-of-a-kind war beast!"
Seeing the shower of donations, Guinaifen nearly melted with joy.
With just this stream, she and Li Sushang wouldn't need to smash stones on their chests for an entire month.
[Unlicensed Pilot: "Damn, that's gorgeous. Did you see? Nine! Nine triple-barreled main cannons! I knew the Multi-Turret Cult would rise again. Billions of cannons, billions of glories! Get me one too!"]
[Comedic Duo A: "Brother, you're unlicensed, remember? Driving that thing, better hide from the police."]
[Comedic Duo B: "Hide? If I had this, the police would be hiding from me!"]
[Rear Wheel Spins: "Heretics! All heretics! Billions of cannons, billions of detonations! Billions of chunks of flesh! Billions of smiling spectators reaping the show!"]
[New Year's Big Duck: "If Belobog had a ship like this, we'd have a seat across the whole universe."]
The romance of steel and cannons crushed all doubt. The voices of derision vanished from the comments, and even the rare skeptic was drowned in the flood.
"Quick—notify every department, every outlet, even individuals. Spread it, lie if you have to! This narrative must be contained!"
Skott seized a nearby employee, barking orders before shoving him away. The man fled in terror to activate a special relay on the Starskiff, scrambling to make one last effort.
Skott scanned the crowd. Everyone was captivated by the colossal warship. Maybe he could slip away now? A lone wolf must survive to become a wolf king.
"Hey, Skott. What's with the sneaking around? The Trash Cans aren't done yet." Stelle hefted her bat, slapping it into her other palm as she blocked his path.
"She's right. With such beauty in front of us, why look elsewhere?" Qingque stepped up beside her, smiling.
"Wh-who's running away? Don't slander me! I just don't care for this thing, that's all."
"Oh? Don't care? Then let's see the next one." Feixiao's words pulled everyone back inside.
Now, they truly couldn't wait—just how powerful would a Curio that shakes the universe be?
The crowd followed Feixiao back into the shop.
Only Skott lagged, frozen with fear. At last, true terror gripped him—not just of reliving the humiliation of Aurum Alley, or the Interastral Peace Corporation's punishments, or the loss of his luxury. What he feared most were his old colleagues: mentors who once cared for him, machine-maidens who loved him, leaders who trusted him—all betrayed and destroyed by his schemes.
Some were demoted to desert outposts, some enslaved through blackmail, others ousted at their peak.
And now he had botched a simple procurement mission beyond repair. The Ten Stonehearts' rank meant no protection under the Interastral Peace Corporation's rules. The punishment—he dared not imagine.
Those he ruined would come for revenge. They would devour him alive, cast him into the shadows, never to rise again.
Skott could almost hear their whispers already—curses, jeers, and the gnashing of teeth as they consumed him piece by piece.
"Ahhh! You demons! I crushed you all already! Why haven't you gone to hell? You should all die! All of you should die!"
Skott snapped.
"Well now—evil always meets its end. Yours just hasn't come yet. Why not step inside and see?"
Qingque's words floated lightly, her gaze sharp as a knife.
Skott glared at her with venom, but after that furious roar, his strength drained away. He stood there, panting like a beast.
At length, he staggered toward the shop.
"So, what do you see?" Sylvester asked calmly, watching Feixiao return first.
Have you uncovered my secret?
Feixiao shook her head. "Your Curios are formidable—and even your Trash Cans are formidable."
Where had that colossal battleship come from? How could it fit inside such a tiny Trash Can? And why did the can's weight not reflect the Curio at all?
These contradictions defied common sense, and Feixiao couldn't understand.
For the first time, she doubted her judgment. Could Sylvester actually be a master of unimaginable strength?
But though mysteries piled higher, Feixiao felt no frustration. Instead, her curiosity toward Sylvester only grew stronger.
By the time the others reluctantly re-entered, Feixiao was already reaching for the next Trash Can.
Her hand gripped the lid's handle, lifting it gently.
Shing! Golden light blazed forth.
Everyone looked around. After what had just happened, even if an entire Xianzhou emerged from the can, they would accept it.
Sylvester watched the shining glow and thought to himself: Finally. The golden glow of pity. It's been far too long.