LightReader

Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Firing Topaz Out of a Human Cannon

Topaz first put away two unimportant items, leaving the [Mung Bean Soda] aside.

She then raised her hand, wanting to fold up the relic, but the moment her fingers brushed it, the tattered robe suddenly flared with a blue light.

Right after, Sylvester's ears picked up a familiar electronic tone.

[Beep, Relic Module has been activated. Portable Relic function has been added.]

As the electronic sound faded, he watched the robe's outline gradually shrink until it was only finger-length. When the light died, it had turned into a pair of flame-patterned collar pins.

"This is the relic's special function. It can transform into an appropriate appearance according to the user's image."

"Wow, Boss Sylvester, if it had this convenient feature, why didn't you just say so earlier?"

The color matched Topaz's style perfectly.

She pinned the collar piece to her neckline, then reached out to touch the burning crown.

Sure enough, after another flash of light, the crown transformed into a headband.

Winding it into her hair, Topaz finally let go of her last bit of hesitation.

Now she could truly unleash the relic's power.

The instant she wore the headband, Topaz felt a peculiar link between the two relics. Was this what Sylvester called the two-piece effect? She'd have to test it properly later.

Watching Topaz revel in her own joy, Feixiao eased slightly. To her, appearance wasn't very important—so long as it helped in battle, she was willing to wear anything. Still, if one could have both beauty and utility, who would complain? She could accept such a look, but that didn't mean she disliked being pretty.

Jingliu, on the other hand, showed no reaction at all. Or perhaps, because the relics had nothing to do with her, she simply didn't care.

"All right, let's open the next trash can."

Topaz was in an excellent mood. Even though she hadn't drawn any excessively amazing Curios, just these two relics made the trip worthwhile.

"Huruluu!" Numby chirped happily, delighted for its partner.

Topaz didn't overthink her selection. From the top row, she simply chose five trash cans in order.

Then she opened them one by one.

Green, green, green, blue, blue.

The moment the glow dissipated, Topaz rushed to examine the five items. Who knew? If luck was on her side, she might complete a six-piece set all at once.

But when she saw that the five objects looked utterly unrelated to her two relics, she knew her hope had crumbled.

"As expected, completing a full relic set is no easy task." After a small sigh, she turned to Sylvester. "Boss Sylvester, your turn."

Both Feixiao and Jingliu also shifted their gaze to him, curiosity in their eyes.

Especially toward the two blue Curios—one looked like a mere rope, the other like a toy cannon taller than a man. If they were truly relic-grade, they definitely wouldn't be as simple as they appeared.

Sylvester, too, was staring at those two, and for some reason, they stirred odd associations in his mind.

Feixiao caught his smile. She had the distinct feeling this guy was once again cooking up some less-than-decent idea.

Still, she'd wait and see.

"Mm, the first one's called [Fenglong Pill]. It… fits the needs of most people."

He cleared his throat, pretending nothing was wrong.

That was close—he'd nearly blurted out Fu Xuan's name. She had just been grumbling about this a few days ago. If Topaz learned about Fu Xuan's misfortune at the Divination Commission, that legal loli would've exploded in embarrassment on the negotiation table.

"Oh, I've heard of it. Wasn't that the very first Curio Fu Xuan revealed? It was pretty popular at the time."

Topaz casually recalled Guinaifen's first livestream.

'Seriously? You remember that so clearly?'

Master Diviner, I just covered for you. If the company really uses this against you, you'd better hang in there.

Sylvester feigned indifference, quickly moving on. "The second one's a drink—[Blazing Mung Bean Soda]. It's a composite beverage. Drinking it lets you go a full day without food."

More like a day without wanting food, the three women thought simultaneously.

Topaz glanced at the Mung Bean Soda she'd abandoned earlier. She hadn't expected an upgraded version to appear so quickly.

"The third is [Military Ration Pill]. Once consumed, you don't need food for a whole day. Oh? Overlaps with the previous one. That's a first."

Sylvester frowned in puzzlement. How could such duplication occur?

Topaz corrected him: "No, not overlapping—complementary."

Feixiao nodded. One suppressed appetite, the other provided energy. Together, they were a perfect match.

"And the fourth item…" Sylvester picked up the plain-looking hemp rope. "This is called the [Immortal Binding Rope]. Once it ties something down, it cannot escape. No matter how much the target shrinks or grows, it'll remain tightly bound. Supposedly, it was a foxian's treasure that once restrained a powerful ape demon. As for its actual strength—you'll have to test it yourself."

After all, he wasn't sure which world's version this rope belonged to, or whether it was the same one that once restrained Sun Wukong.

"This one's interesting." Topaz took the rope, tugging it firmly. It was incredibly tough, hardly budging. When she channeled her Path's power and whipped it outward, it miraculously lengthened on its own.

"Fascinating." If given to the Intelligentsia Guild or the Genius Society researchers, they'd probably be ecstatic to study its molecular structure.

Who knew—maybe they could mass-produce it someday.

Overall, it was another useful item.

"And the last one?"

Everyone turned to the cartoonish toy cannon, unable to imagine what kind of power it held. But the blue glow surely wasn't lying.

They waited for Sylvester to introduce it.

Reading the system tag's ridiculously long name, he muttered, "[Portable Human Cannon Pro Max Enhanced Edition]."

Anyone overhearing might think he was reading off a smartphone model.

"Maximum range: 100 kilometers. It can launch living beings. Upon landing, they create a massive explosion, probably enough to pierce a starship's armor in one hit. And it guarantees no harm to the one being launched. Oh, there's a side button that shrinks it into a blue cube for portability."

"Hm. Sounds less like artillery, more like a device for rapid boarding reinforcement." Years of battlefield instinct allowed Feixiao to assess it immediately.

"Not bad at all. In battle, Numby can be the first shell. Adds a bit of extra firepower." Topaz looked at the little cannon, quite pleased.

After all, if it could pierce a starship's armor, it could certainly cripple many Pathstriders.

Next time in combat, she could just start with this.

Close combat? I'll use a cannon instead!

Sylvester nodded along, though in truth, he had his own brilliant plan for the cannon.

Normally, Topaz's battles revolved around Numby. With her fighting style, she was practically just a Numby-launcher. All her high-damage attacks came from Numby, making Topaz look weak.

But Sylvester had a clever solution to change that perception.

Have Numby stuff Topaz into the [Portable Human Cannon], then bind her inside with the [Immortal Binding Rope].

This wasn't just some reckless scheme—there was strict logic to it.

Each time Topaz was fired, she'd hit the enemy, then be yanked back by the rope, ready for another launch. An endless cycle.

That way, Numby only had to pull the trigger once, then it could fight freely while Topaz's firepower skyrocketed. Plus, she'd get to experience a free trapeze act.

See? The cannon would get repeat usage, and Topaz's worth would shine.

Problem solved, elegantly.

The only minor issue might be… if Topaz drilled headfirst into the ground, being yanked back could ruin her hairstyle.

Hopefully the company sells a strong enough hair gel.

Sylvester quietly applauded his own genius—but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"All right, ladies, it's your turn now." Topaz cheerfully stored away the eight Curios and headed to the rest area.

Feixiao rose first. With a playful tone, she teased Jingliu: "So, feeling confident about drawing a powerful relic set? At least make sure it looks nice."

Jingliu replied coolly, "Don't worry. Even if it's something stripped from a corpse, I wouldn't mind using it."

…Huh?

Jingliu's words slipped out casually, but the others took a few seconds to process.

Topaz looked down at her collar pin, her face twisting oddly, her gaze trembling slightly.

Sylvester reassured her, "Relax, they've been washed."

"Shhhhhh~" Topaz sucked in a sharp breath.

More Chapters