"Such a precious thing hidden within this green Curio?"
Fu Xuan asked in surprise.
Just the Infinite Energy property alone was already far beyond what could be considered a green-grade Curio, wasn't it?
For the same reason, Herta also cast a skeptical look at Sylvester.
Meeting the two gazes, Sylvester took an unhurried sip of tea and said, "Not only the Infinite Energy— even the material of the shoes themselves is crafted from the leather of a rare beast, while the soles are made of the lightest yet toughest composite material. Absolutely authentic craftsmanship!"
Faced with Sylvester's firm answer, both Herta and Fu Xuan seemed at a loss.
Herta asked, "Then what exactly are these shoes for?"
When it came to their use, Sylvester—who had been so confident a moment ago—rubbed his nose sheepishly.
He said calmly, "This item is called the [Extreme Speed High Heels]! It combines the special mobility of sprinting shoes with the elegance and sophistication of high heels. On top of that, it's powered by an internal micro-engine fueled by Infinite Energy. Just press the center of the bow on the shoe, and it will accelerate to one-fifth of the speed of sound within a second, turning its wearer into a woman as swift as the wind."
Fu Xuan's expression turned indescribable.
She imagined a tall, graceful woman dressed in an elegant designer outfit matching the heels, exuding upper-class sophistication. The woman glanced at her phone—perhaps a message from her partner, or a caring reminder from her parents, or maybe... a sudden realization that she'd left the gas on at home. Her unlucky child had just returned from school, ran frantically to turn it off, and after gasping for air, was taken away by an ambulance to the emergency room for oxygen.
In short, the woman felt slightly anxious. She gracefully crouched down, gently pressed the button on the bow, and then whoosh! In the blink of an eye, she darted through the bustling lanes of Central Starskiff Haven with the speed of the wind, arriving at her destination in an instant. Afterwards, she even took out a small mirror to tidy her wind-blown hair.
Fu Xuan's mind went blank for two seconds, then she couldn't help but exclaim internally—
Too ridiculous! Would anyone actually wear such shoes to travel?
Granted, to some extent, this thing could replace a vehicle. But imagining people everywhere using such shoes—zipping around like human comets, suddenly stopping midair and resuming a casual walking pace—
Fu Xuan felt she could hardly keep a straight face.
And seriously, these are high heels! Sprinting in high heels? That's practically a test of balance to the extreme!
Wouldn't you fall flat on your face after just two steps? After a hundred meters, your legs might not even be connected anymore! Maybe the person's still crawling at the starting point while the shoes—along with their feet—are already getting registered at the hospital.
Herta looked just as exasperated. This Curio wasn't exactly useless, but it was absurd beyond words.
She carefully examined the shoe's structure, ran a few precise mental calculations, and then raised another question: "You press the button on the shoe to activate it. But how do you stop it? Are you supposed to bend over and press it again while moving at high speed?"
Fu Xuan realized the same problem.
This thing clearly wasn't designed for powerful Pathstriders. One-fifth the speed of sound might be fast for an ordinary person, but for someone at her level—well, as of yesterday—it was child's play.
But for ordinary human physiology and reflexes, could they even manage to perform another action while moving that fast?
Sylvester sighed helplessly. "That's exactly why this Curio is only green-grade. Indeed, you have to bend down and press the button again to stop. It was designed as a transport aid for regular people. But as you can see, for ordinary folks, it might serve better as a suicide tool."
He then spread his hands. "This Curio combines the finest materials, the most refined aesthetics, and the most advanced technology—all to achieve the most completely useless result imaginable. Truly a marvel in the history of human industrial design. The negative kind."
"The designer, during testing, fractured their bones because the acceleration to one-fifth the speed of sound was too sudden to control. Since then, the Curio was never improved upon. Technically, it's just an experimental prototype—far from a finished product."
"I see."
Fu Xuan looked at the Curio again, unsure what to say.
The designer's dedication was undeniable... She only hoped they had learned their lesson.
Herta, expressionless, stared at the pair of shoes in her hands. As Sylvester had said, this thing was practically an indelible stain in the annals of human design.
If she had ever made something like this herself, she would probably commit suicide on the spot. This thing was an insult to the very word genius.
Still, at least there was an Infinite Energy Core inside.
After all, even the simulated universe was a power-hungry monster, and the Space Station spent unimaginable amounts of Credits on energy costs.
Especially those greedy investors, always pestering her about "performance metrics" and "cost-to-benefit ratios." If she extracted the Infinite Energy from this and hooked it up to the simulated universe, it would at least shut those people up for a while.
Fewer buzzing flies around her ears—that was worth something.
Herta asked, "Does this Curio come with a disassembly manual?"
"Impossible to dismantle," Sylvester replied immediately.
"?"
Herta's skeptical glare was sharp as a blade.
What's that supposed to mean—are you mocking me?
Sylvester met her gaze with a calm smile. "It can't be helped. To fit an entire energy extractor, engine, transmission, and walking mechanism inside something this small already tested the designer's limits. The internal structure is extremely compact, making it impossible to take apart. That's also one of the reasons the inventor couldn't refine it further. Forcing it open might even damage the Infinite Energy Core inside."
"If you just keep it as it is, at least it still looks valuable. But if you try to disassemble it carelessly, you'll lose everything."
"This…"
The puppet channeling Herta's will stared blankly at the Curio in her hand.
Only now did she realize—this Curio was basically a decoration!
Truly worthy of the phrase 'finest materials'. Its value was absurdly high—sealing away not one, but two Infinite Energy Cores!
If the designer responsible for this waste of resources worked for the IPC, they'd be fired straight from P45 to unemployment!
"Hmm…" With a helpless sigh, she stored the Curio away.
No helping it—those two Infinite Energy Cores were genuine treasures.
She'd take it back to study. Maybe this genius could clean up the mess left by that genius.
Herta returned to the shelf.
She glanced at the unevenly arranged trash cans, especially the newly emptied spot. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.
She placed her hand on the first trash can she had touched earlier.
After trying both scientific and mystical methods to investigate it, she finally gave up.
Whatever. She'd just open them all and see what came out.
With a decisive motion, the lid of the trash can flipped open.
A beam of violet light illuminated the entire room, and everyone instinctively shut their eyes.
Only Herta kept hers wide open.
Could it be—the Curio she'd been hoping for? That fast?
This time, she didn't reach out to catch it. Because what emerged was a small, pod-like space capsule, inside which sat a chair—just large enough for one person. Above it hung a helmet connected to countless colorful cables.
Outside the capsule stood a complex control console brimming with precision instruments.
Fu Xuan rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then smiled slightly.
A technological artifact? That was rare among high-grade Curios.
But that also meant it had tremendous reproducibility!
"What is this?" Herta asked directly.
Sylvester glanced at her.
Was giving this to her a good idea?
Still, she had paid for it.
So, he said, "A Curio that can modify human cognition—its effects are exceptionally potent. Even an Emanator, sitting inside, would struggle to keep their mind unaffected."