Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 357 All Three Clans Feel Like Country Bumpkins (Bonus Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

"Congratulations on your grand opening!"

"Staff, welcome our guests!"

Upon hearing this, the rotten fish in the distance excitedly patted its companion on the shoulder: "They're here! They're here! Cover your ears!"

"Okay, okay, you've got a voice as loud as a firecracker!"

Before he could finish speaking, a series of deafening explosions suddenly rang out!

Crackle crackle —

The firecrackers used for the opening ceremony were so loud that they seemed to blast the sky above the entire Tranquil Harbor!

Red confetti flew everywhere, and the strong smell of gunpowder enveloped the entire square.

The sudden loud noise startled the aliens who were experiencing it for the first time, but seeing the expressions of the humans and dwarves as if it were commonplace or even somewhat exciting, they gradually calmed down and their curiosity turned into interest.

Amidst the chaos and noise, no one noticed the two humans in the corner.

The youngest child stared wide-eyed, pointing his little finger at the smoke-filled area, his face brimming with undisguised surprise and excitement, about to shout out.

"Don't speak."

The taller human next to me squeezed out two words from between his teeth in extremely broken Chinese.

Viserys, who had almost revealed his true nature, froze, instantly remembering his mother's warning: if he ran away, he would never be able to escape again!

His face turned pale instantly, and he tightly shut his mouth, no longer daring to move.

Old Dai Rui's heartbeat finally calmed down a little.

The queue began to surge, moving much faster than expected.

Old Dai Rui carried dozens of thin shopping vouchers, his palms slightly damp. In addition, some of his money was making a soft clinking sound in his pocket.

He followed behind the crowd, behind whom was a human who also served as a translator, his face bearing a similar expression of expectation and bewilderment.

As old Daryl led Viserys through the glass door with the crowd, the two froze in place.

Not only them, but almost everyone who entered for the first time, whether dwarves, elves, other alien races, or humans, instinctively stopped in their tracks.

"hiss----"

A collective gasp filled the air.

As soon as everyone stepped inside, a gentle breeze carrying a peculiar fragrance wafted towards them.

He looked around curiously!

Above, countless luminous objects were embedded in the ceiling, emitting a soft yet bright light that illuminated the entire space as if it were daytime. These lights were far more dense and more—luxurious—than anything he had seen in his previous residence.

This place is practically a giant exhibition stand constructed of steel, glass, and light.

Countless shipping containers, like soldiers lined up in neat rows, stretched to the horizon.

The sales assistants, a mix of dwarves and humans, wore matching uniforms and greeted customers with warm smiles, patiently introducing their products to each customer who came forward to inquire.

The goods gleamed and were within easy reach on the low display cases designed specifically for dwarfs.

The densely packed display cases at higher levels require looking up to see what's at the top.

The floor was as smooth as a mirror, and rows of neat iron shelves stretched to the horizon, filled with a dazzling array of colorful and beautifully packaged goods.

The intense visual impact left everyone feeling slightly breathless.

Among the crowd, several dwarf craftsmen who had participated in the construction of the shopping mall, seeing the unsophisticated expressions on everyone's faces, unconsciously puffed out their chests, their beards sticking up proudly.

Look, those screws on the alloy frame, we tightened them!

So, by commutation, these are the things we created!

Is it great?

Old Dai Rui looked at the dazzling array of goods.

Old Dai Rui sensed someone approaching from behind and mechanically began to move his feet, walking around several times, but his mind remained blank.

He discovered that he couldn't even name 99% of the things here.

This feeling reminded him of that afternoon decades ago when he first left his own castle and entered the main street of the royal city's Silk Street.

No----

wrong!

The busiest street in the royal city, Silk Street, looks utterly ridiculous next to this building called "Convenience Supermarket," like a thatched hut in the countryside!

The wealth of the houses in this small place is a hundred times greater than that of the capital!

They wandered aimlessly with the crowd when a robot with human-like limbs, an oval head, and a humanoid smiling face came up to them and spoke in clear language.

"Hello, do you need any help? I can provide translation services."

What an amazing alchemical robot! It's not a servant made from life puppets, but a pure steel creation.

Old Dai Rui looked on in surprise.

Viserys, who was standing next to him, almost popped his eyes out.

If old Dai Rui hadn't pinched him hard, this kid probably would have pounced on him.

"Could you show us around here?"

"These are cookwares used to cook food, which can make the food cook faster and more evenly."

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"These are farming tools that can greatly improve farming efficiency —"

The robot led them to a display case that gleamed with a cold light.

Displayed on it were all sorts of exquisite knives, some with unique shapes but sharp blades, resembling short halberds...

The tomahawk is a somewhat similar tool.

Old Dai Rui's breath hitched. He stared intently at the steel artifacts, finally unable to hold back any longer. After confirming that there were relatively few people around, he asked in trembling human language, "You—you even openly sell these steel weapons? Aren't there any restrictions on identity?"

This is absolutely insane!

Such high-quality steel, just openly displayed and sold like this?

He personally witnessed dwarves carrying multiple sets of steel cutlery to the sales counter.

These things are not registered at all.

Aren't you afraid of causing riots?

The light above the alchemy robot's head flickered, as if it were dealing with this strange problem.

"Sir, you've misunderstood. These aren't weapons," the robot patiently explained. "These on the left are kitchen knives, used for cutting cooked food. These on the right are farm tools; for example, this one is an axe for chopping wood."

"Chopping wood?!"

Old Dai Rui felt as if his heart had been smashed with a hammer.

An axe of this quality would be a standard weapon for a guard in the Fire Dragon Kingdom, used to suppress greedy and unruly people. But here, it's just used for chopping wood.

Those small, exquisite knives, all sorts of unknown steel artifacts, are actually only used to cut roasted meat on the dining table, or to process ingredients?

"That's incredibly extravagant and audacious!"

"They're rich too!" Viserys whispered as well.

Hearing this, old Dai Rui was surprised. He picked up a weapon and examined it, finding that it was made of fine steel. Although it couldn't compare to magical weapons in some aspects, it was almost on par with the weapons used by some guards and minor lords and nobles.

He nodded in agreement, "Indeed, but don't say too much!"

Viserys stopped talking and looked around, where some toys immediately caught his attention.

Old Dai Rui observed everything here with a complex expression.

Despite having stayed on the God-Forsaken Continent for a long time, the production of high-quality steel in the Fire Dragon Kingdom has always been a major problem, with much of the fine steel even needing to be purchased at high prices from the distant Eastern Continent.

Here, as far as his eyes could see, steel products were as numerous as hairs on a cow!

The shelves are made of high-quality steel, the handcarts are made of steel, and even the ceiling joists are made of steel!

How much steel do these people actually possess?

Fortunately, the ground beneath my feet wasn't made of iron.

Old Dai looked down and saw a material he didn't recognize. It was smooth and flat, with a soft sheen, hard yet with a subtle elasticity.

He breathed a sigh of relief, then realized his own thoughts were somewhat ridiculous.

"Hey, don't run around!"

Turning his head, he saw Viserys had already darted like a wild dog into an area filled with all sorts of strange iron boxes, and was circling around a red, sleek four-wheeled iron box.

He had seen those things before, and had even ridden in them.

Old Daryl quickly followed, fearing that this troublesome prince might cause some trouble.

"This is a car model, a 1:18 scale replica, which can be remotely controlled."

The sales assistant was a very cheerful young man. Seeing their interest, he smiled and picked up a palm-sized controller, then gently flicked it with his finger.

Buzz—

A soft motor sound rang out.

The red "model car" headlights suddenly lit up, then drew an elegant arc on the smooth ground, nimbly bypassing a shelf leg, and finally came to a steady stop at Viserys' feet.

Viserys' eyes were practically glued to the car. He suddenly crouched down, stretched out his finger, and carefully poked the cold car body.

Viserys didn't say anything, but his eyes darted between old Darryl and the toy car.

Old Derry said to the translator beside him, "Let him play for a while!"

Seeing Prince Viserys having so much fun, old Darryl was quite amazed.

"This thing doesn't need an alchemy array? It doesn't need a mental link? Just that little box?"

If this thing were enlarged and engraved with an explosive magic circle, wouldn't it become an unmanned mobile bomb?

And judging by its agility, it's much better than the lowest-level skeleton soldier!

Old Dai Rui's hands and feet are always cold.

A chill, stemming from the complete shattering of his understanding, made his hands and feet feel cold.

These humans actually turned the remote control technology, which even the kingdom's top alchemists struggled to replicate reliably, into something for children to play with.

He looked at Viserys's pathetic state and felt a pang of sorrow.

Do you like it?

Viserys nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling.

Old Dai glanced at the price tag, then silently did the math in his head, and was utterly astonished by the price.

Because this thing is even inferior to a knight's sword made of ordinary materials in the kingdom.

He was silent.

A moment later, he waved to the translator beside him: "This one, and that blue one, install them both."

Never mind, it was Prince Viserys who wanted it.

He bought these things to experience the strangeness of humans in advance!

The translation was extremely efficient, and the toys were quickly put into the shopping cart.

Old Dai forced himself to calm down and began to examine the items on the shelf with a critical eye.

They went to other shopping guide areas, and only after seeing the robot shopping guide did he pick up a set of dazzling white porcelain plates. They felt warm and smooth to the touch, and the curves and thicknesses of each plate were so perfect that they seemed to be the creations of the gods.

"How much is this set?"

The light on the robot's head flashed and announced a number.

Old Dai Rui's heart skipped a beat again.

This set of exquisite porcelain, which would make even minor nobles fight tooth and nail in the Fire Dragon Kingdom, is priced here at roughly the same as—two small packets of flour.

"Pack them up, pack five sets!" Old Dai Rui said through gritted teeth.

He also swept up some everyday items that were incredibly precious to them but were quite ordinary here, and even picked out a few lifelike blonde dolls for Daenerys.

The doll is fluffy and very popular with girls.

Just as old Dai Rui was on a shopping spree, trying to numb his battered heart with material possessions.

The appearance of several figures at the other end of the supermarket caused a stir among the surrounding crowd.

There were more than a dozen elves.

They were tall and handsome, dressed in gorgeous robes of moon white or other colors, embroidered with intricate natural patterns in silver thread.

These people, even in this brightly lit modern shopping mall, seem out of place with their surroundings.

The leading elf had long, dazzling green hair, and emerald eyes like the purest jade. Her expression was indifferent and arrogant.

They were supposed to be traveling with Ethan's envoy, but they saw a large shopping mall open just two days after they arrived.

They chose to break away from Ethan and see human things for themselves.

"Lord Fenoren, these humans—are even stranger and more powerful than described in the intelligence!" a young elf whispered.

"strangeness?"

The law spirit named Fenoren did not turn around; his gaze swept across the dazzling array of shelves, over the cold creations made of steel and unknown materials.

"Yes, their military system is too strange! Their wealth is neither magic nor divine grace."

Fenollen's voice was soft, yet carried a strange complexity.

"This is an alchemy system that we don't understand at all, one that doesn't rely on magical energy—no, it's a completely mechanical system."

"It seems we need to maintain a state of peace!"

They were the eyes of the Elven court, and after repeated defeats in their battles against humans, coupled with the beheading of the most vocal advocates of war, they were forced to accept a peace treaty. However, the elven prophetic magic told them that if they did not take action against humans, they would surely be swallowed up by them.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!

Elves may not have such proverbs, but their long lifespans have made them understand the importance of caution and observation better than any other race.

In order to escape the predetermined death of prophetic magic and the tragic fate of their race, they used various pretexts to probe the true nature of human civilization.

Upon arriving here, they discovered that humans were more open and honest than they had imagined.

This made them feel very guilty.

Just then, Fenollen's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Are those things just sold to them like that?"

"What?"

"Food! And so many kinds of snacks are sold directly?"

"food?"

The proud elven nobles looked ahead and were immediately taken aback.

They stood there dumbfounded in the vegetable and grain section, watching the dwarves line up to buy large quantities of supplies, only needing to pay the corresponding exchange coupons and money.

Some people gritted their teeth, while others looked bewildered.

A minority of people feel like country bumpkins from the countryside.

You must know that elves are ruled by theocracy, and everything belongs to the Mother Goddess and the nobility.

They themselves did not possess any wealth and could only enjoy food after it was distributed by the nobles.

Here, all you need to do is work and earn money to get food.

This approach has had a tremendous impact on traditional elves.

Fenollen had already noticed the change in everyone's mindset. Sensing something amiss, he quickly changed the subject, asking, "What kind of food is that?"

The elves followed Fenoren's gaze and were drawn to a huge, transparent cabinet.

Golden wheat grains, like flowing gold dust, gushed from an opening, precisely filling the bags opened by customers below, no more, no less.

"Hello, guest, this is food for humans, winter wheat! A crop that can be grown in the cold winter!"

"Oh, I see—"

"Haha, no wonder!"

"I knew it!"

"But it looks so small—"

The elves chatted and laughed, but their eyes involuntarily drifted to the vegetables and fruits arranged like works of art beside them, each one incredibly plump and brightly colored.

Some of the finest fruits even have dewdrops clinging to them, like morning dew.

An elf, an expert in the ways of plants, picked up a bright red fruit as if by some strange twist of fate.

He examined the cut end of the rootstock closely and found that the cut was so fresh that it looked as if it had just been picked from the tree.

He brought the fruit to his nose and took a slight sniff.

A pure, unadulterated sweet fruity aroma wafted into his nostrils, causing him to unconsciously swallow.

"This—" He glanced at the price tag next to him, his pupils shrinking slightly.

According to the information they had gathered before they arrived, a dwarf working here could earn enough in a day to buy about thirty of these perfect fruits.

Thirty!

In the Elf Capital, only nobles can enjoy fruits of this quality at banquets!

You should know that noble banquets are not held all the time!

"My elf friend, would you like some apples?"

A human sales assistant in uniform approached with a smile and asked a question.

"What kind of fruit is this?"

"Apples, Red Delicious, have a slightly grainy texture, but are exceptionally sweet. Here, cut it open, you can try some!" The sales assistant deftly cut off a bud with a small knife and handed it over.

The elven noble hesitated for a moment, but seeing the other's calm gaze, he finally took it and put it in his mouth.

Crisp and sweet.

The juice bursts in your mouth, and the pure sweetness instantly takes over your taste buds.

"Very good!" he exclaimed sincerely, then added, "Give me five."

"Okay!" The sales assistant immediately packed it into a bag, sealed it, and attached a price tag, completing the task in one go.

Once they reached a slightly secluded corner, the elves began to speak in hushed tones.

"How did you end up buying their stuff?"

"I just wanted to give it a try! To gather intelligence on humans, we need to be proactive, otherwise we won't get anything!" The elven noble who bought the goods replied directly and righteously.

All the elves:

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