Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 401 Strange Technological Toys
"Twenty-five million!" "Thirty million!" "Forty million!"

“The price is indeed very high,” Silver Moon sighed, “but for true powerhouses, the material of a weapon is indeed very important.”

“Yes, but this level of metal isn’t enough for us,” Rowan shook his head. “Virtual Universe Corporation has better materials in its arsenal.”

The auction continued, with various rare and exotic items being brought out one after another. Most of them were related to cultivation, and their prices were extremely high.

"The thirtieth item is an intelligent cultivation assistance system," the host introduced. "This is a cutting-edge technological product that can monitor a cultivator's physical condition in real time and provide personalized cultivation suggestions. The starting bid is fifty million credits."

This technological product has aroused the interest of many people, since intelligent assistance systems can indeed be helpful for cultivation.

“That’s interesting,” Silvermoon commented, “but we have more advanced cultivation guidelines.”

"Virtual Universe Corporation's cultivation system is several eras more advanced than this," Rowan said calmly. "This level of auxiliary system is like a toy to us."

As time went on, more and more precious items were auctioned off, and the prices kept rising. But Rowan and Silver Moon never participated in the bidding; they simply observed quietly.

"The fiftieth item, a legendary fragment of a star's core," the auctioneer announced, silencing the entire hall. "This comes from the core of a dead star, containing immense energy. Starting bid: 100 million credits."

"One hundred million!" This price shocked many people present.

“Stellar core fragments are indeed very precious,” Rowan commented, “but this should only be a very small fragment with limited energy.”

“For martial artists of our level, it’s really not very meaningful,” Silver Moon agreed, “and the price is too high.”

Despite the exorbitant price, several mysterious bidders participated in the auction. Ultimately, the Star Core Fragment sold for a staggering 350 million credits.

“That’s an insane price,” Silvermoon exclaimed.

“We certainly don’t understand the world of the rich,” Rowan chuckled, “but they have the right to enjoy luxury.”

The auction continued, but although the subsequent items were equally valuable, they did not reach the high prices of the Star Core Fragment again.

"The eightieth item is a fragment of a spatial teleportation device from an ancient civilization," the auctioneer introduced. "Although damaged, it still contains the mysteries of spatial laws. Starting bid: 80 million credits."

Upon hearing this introduction, Rowan became slightly interested. After all, he was currently researching the laws of space, and this ancient device might provide some reference.

"Want to bid?" Silver Moon noticed Rowan's change in expression.

Rowan considered it for a moment, then shook his head: "Forget it, even if it's an ancient space device, fragments wouldn't be of much value. Besides, we can access more complete space technology data at Virtual Universe Company."

“That’s true,” Silvermoon nodded in agreement, “We really don’t need to waste money here.”

The auction lasted nearly four hours, with all 108 lots sold, totaling over 5 billion credits. This figure was astonishing even to the well-informed Rowan and Silvermoon.

"This concludes today's auction. Thank you to all the distinguished guests for your participation," the host concluded. "Next week at the same time, we will be holding a special auction for rare pets. We welcome your continued attention."

After the auction, the two left Galaxy Auction House.

"Although we didn't buy anything, we certainly learned a lot," Silvermoon concluded. "I never imagined there were so many wealthy collectors in the universe."

"This also reflects the prosperity of cosmic civilizations," Rowan analyzed. "The fact that so many people are willing to spend huge sums of money to buy these items shows that the overall economic level is indeed very high."

“However, our perspectives have indeed changed,” Silvermoon remarked. “A few years ago, we might have been quite interested in these things.”

“That’s the meaning of growth,” Rowan smiled. “As our strength and knowledge increase, our perspective on things also changes.”

"Where do we go next?" Silver Moon asked.

“Since we’re in the central business district, why don’t we go shopping at the mall?” Rowan suggested. “We can buy some interesting souvenirs to take home.”

“Good idea,” Silvermoon agreed. “Although those cultivation items are useless to us, some things with sentimental value are still worth collecting.”

After leaving the Galaxy Auction House, Rowan and Silver Moon walked along the bustling commercial street towards the Reno Port Central Shopping Center. The afternoon sun shone warmly and comfortably through the artificial atmosphere, casting a warm glow on the street. Buildings of various styles lined both sides of the street, showcasing the architectural characteristics of different civilizations.

"The architectural styles here are so diverse," Silver Moon said, admiring the surrounding scenery as she walked. "It feels like a museum of civilizations."

“Reno Harbor has always been a melting pot of civilizations,” Rowan explained. “Each race that came here built structures that reflected their own cultural characteristics, and over time, this unique hybrid style developed.”

The streets teemed with people, and intelligent beings of all skin colors and forms coexisted harmoniously. There were giant merchants, three meters tall, reptilian races covered in scales, and strange creatures that Rowan and Silvermoon had never seen before.

“Look over there,” Silvermoon pointed to a street performer, “is he performing some kind of magic trick?”

He was an artist from a mysterious race. His performance did resemble magic, but he was actually using some special mental techniques to make small objects levitate and change shape in the air.

"That's not magic, but genuine mental manipulation," Rowan said after observing for a while. "While the technique is exquisite, the level of power isn't high."

“It might be simple for us, but it’s truly amazing for ordinary people,” Silvermoon praised. “And his technique is very artistic.”

The two lingered in front of the performer for a moment, and Silvermoon even put some change into his hat. The performer gratefully nodded his thanks and then continued his performance.

Continuing forward, we soon arrived at the Central Shopping Center. It was a massive building with a transparent dome design, allowing natural light to illuminate every corner of the interior. The building was divided into multiple floors, each with a different themed shop.

"Welcome to Reno Central Shopping Center," the welcoming robot at the entrance greeted us warmly. "We have boutiques from all corners of the galaxy; we're sure you'll find something you like."

“Thank you,” Silvermoon replied politely, then asked Rowan, “Which floor shall we start from?”

“Let’s start from the ground floor and slowly explore upwards,” Rowan suggested. “That way, we won’t miss any interesting shops.” The ground floor mainly consists of shops selling everyday items and souvenirs. While these things aren’t essential for their daily lives, they’d still be meaningful as souvenirs.

“This little statue is quite interesting,” Silvermoon said, picking up an exquisite crystal sculpture. “It’s a miniature version of the Reno Tower, the iconic landmark of Reno Port.”

"The craftsmanship is indeed exquisite," Rowan observed the statue carefully, "and it's made of natural crystal, which creates a beautiful refraction effect under the light."

“Then I’ll buy one as a souvenir,” Silvermoon decided. “I can put it in my office.”

After purchasing a few small souvenirs, the two went up to the second floor. This area mainly featured clothing and accessories, with a wide variety of styles on display.

“These clothes are very creatively designed,” Silver Moon said, stopping in front of a high-end fashion store. “They incorporate design elements from multiple civilizations.”

"How about giving it a try?" Rowan suggested. "Since it's a vacation, a change of pace wouldn't be bad."

“That’s a good idea,” Silvermoon said, somewhat tempted. “We usually wear uniforms, so we rarely have the opportunity to try other styles of clothing.”

At the shop assistant's recommendation, Yin Yue tried on several different styles of clothing. Because of her elegant temperament and perfect figure, almost any style of clothing looked good on her.

"How about this one?" Silver Moon walked out of the fitting room wearing a dress that incorporated interstellar fashion elements.

“It’s beautiful,” Rowan praised sincerely. “This color suits you very well.”

Yinyue chose two outfits she liked, and then the two continued to walk upstairs.

The third floor is dedicated to jewelry and luxury goods. The decor here is even more luxurious, with each shop exuding an upscale atmosphere. The jewelry displayed in the showcases sparkles under the lights, displaying its precious value.

“The craftsmanship of these jewels is superb,” Silvermoon said, admiring the various pieces in the display case, “but the prices must be staggering.”

“Indeed, the items here are mainly aimed at the super-rich,” Rowan observed the price tags. “Even a simple necklace costs hundreds of thousands of credits.”

The two browsed casually in the jewelry section, mainly admiring the designs of the exquisite crafts. Although they had the financial means to purchase these luxuries, as pragmatic martial artists, they typically wouldn't spend too much on such ornaments.

Just then, a high-end jewelry store called "Starry Sky Treasures" caught their attention. The store's decor was unique, using a deep blue color scheme and starry lighting effects to create a mysterious and elegant atmosphere.

"This store has a very unique design," Silvermoon said, drawn to the shop's decor. "Let's go in and take a look."

Upon entering the store, they were immediately awestruck by the jewelry displayed in the showcases. The jewelry here was not merely ordinary ornaments; each piece contained unique energy fluctuations, clearly high-end items crafted from rare materials.

"Welcome to Galaxy Jewelry," an elegant saleswoman greeted us. "I'm Ellie, our jewelry consultant. How may I help you?"

“We’re just looking around,” Rowan replied politely.

“Of course, please feel free to browse,” Ellie smiled. “Every piece of jewelry in our shop has a special history and function. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.”

Silvermoon's attention was drawn to a display case. Inside was an exquisitely beautiful necklace, its chain made of some kind of silvery-white metal, and set with a blue gemstone that shimmered like a star.

“This necklace is very special,” Silver Moon said, leaning closer to examine it closely. “This gemstone seems to glow.”

“You have excellent taste,” Ellie said, walking over to introduce it. “This is one of our store’s prized possessions, called ‘Heart of the Galaxy.’ The chain is made of rare star silver, and the gemstone is the essence of starstone from a distant nebula.”

"Starstone essence?" Rowan was also drawn in. "This material is indeed very rare."

“Yes, this gemstone is not only beautiful, but it also has special functions,” Ellie explained in detail. “It can slightly enhance the wearer's mental strength and has a calming effect. Most amazingly, it changes the intensity of its light according to the wearer's emotional state.”

A hint of longing flashed in Silvermoon's eyes. The necklace was indeed beautiful, and its elegant design perfectly suited her temperament. However, when she saw the price tag, her expression immediately calmed down.

“Eight million credits,” Silvermoon read out the price softly, then said casually, “It’s a very beautiful piece of craftsmanship.”

Rowan noticed the subtle change in Silvermoon's expression. Although eight million credits wasn't an astronomical figure for them, Silvermoon clearly thought the price was too high and not worth spending so much money on a mere ornament.

“It is indeed exquisite,” Rowan agreed, “but we’re just taking a casual look.”

Silvermoon lingered in front of the necklace for a few more seconds before turning to look at the other exhibits. But Rowan keenly noticed that her gaze would unconsciously return to the necklace.

“This necklace really suits her,” Rowan thought to himself, “and the blue sheen matches her eye color perfectly.”

The two browsed the store for a while longer, looking at some other jewelry. Although they were all exquisite, none of them attracted Silver Moon's attention as much as the "Heart of the Galaxy" necklace.

“Let’s go,” Silvermoon finally said. “There should be other interesting shops upstairs.”

“Okay,” Rowan nodded in agreement, but he already had a plan in mind.

The two said goodbye to Ellie and left the Star River Treasures Shop. Silver Moon appeared calm on the surface, but Rowan could sense a hint of disappointment in her heart.

"What's the fourth floor?" Silver Moon asked, trying to divert attention.

“It should be tech products and collectibles,” Rowan said, checking the shopping mall map. “Let’s go up and take a look.”

As Rowan said, the fourth floor mainly contains various high-tech products and collectibles. There are the latest personal aircraft, advanced communication equipment, and all sorts of exotic technological toys.

“This holographic projector is very interesting,” Silver Moon said, stopping in front of a technology product display stand. “It can create three-dimensional virtual scenes.”

(End of this chapter)