This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 212 - 121 Antique Relics Shop - Unexpected Gains (Sorry, update is late due to unforeseen circumstances)

Chapter 212: Chapter 121 Antique Relics Shop - Unexpected Gains (Sorry, update is late due to unforeseen circumstances)

Jiangcheng, this city is the closest commercial hub to the University of Science and Technology. It is also the landing city for the travelers from Silver Grey Star after arriving at Jingnan Star, quite bustling.

During the holiday season, the streets and alleys were full of people. Even the suspended tracks were covered with celebratory slogans. The weather had turned cold, and pedestrians were dressed much more warmly.

Occasionally, one could see non-human races coming to experience the unique festivals of Blue Star.

Red chubby fishes, symbols with generally good connotations, and other such creatures swam through the streets, holographic images from the surrounding shops.

Every time they passed through the crowd, they would cause a cheer.

Getting off the vehicle and witnessing this scene, Li Ming had a sense of disillusionment. He occasionally doubted whether he had traveled through time, rather than many years into the future.

However, he had once perused through the history of Blue Star. While there were similarities, the majority was quite different, even the names of people did not coincide.

"Is there anything interesting around here?" Li Ming looked around and asked casually.

"Interesting places?" Zhang Huaiyuan murmured to himself, thinking Li Ming had a specific goal in mind.

What’s going on with Brother Li?

Zhang Huaiyuan didn’t understand and after pondering for a while said, "You usually like tinkering with mechanical gadgets. There’s a place you might like."

"Oh?"

"Civilization Relic Antique Shop."

"Civilization Relic?" Li Ming asked in surprise, and then inquired further.

As Zhang Huaiyuan explained, the items in these shops were mostly picked up by interstellar explorers from unknown places, stuff without any provenance.

Most of them were quite worn, probably from the ruins of some civilization, and some were fake.

Zhang Huaiyuan further explained, "Some interstellar collectors are particularly fond of collecting these items. With some luck, they can even infer certain technologies from them and sell them for a good deal of money."

It seemed quite suitable for me, after all, I have a Control Bar. What if I found a missed opportunity?

Li Ming’s spirits lifted. He had thought fishing this time would be quite dull, but now it seemed interesting.

What puzzled Zhang Huaiyuan even more was that Li Ming didn’t plan to take a hovercar there. That place was at least ten kilometers away from them, a two-hour walk.

"Just experiencing the festive atmosphere." Li Ming didn’t explain much.

The two made their way, encountering many celebratory activities along the way, and even some people recognized Li Ming, asking for photos and autographs.

Li Ming didn’t refuse any of them. The journey, which should have taken two hours, was stretched to four by his willingness to accommodate the fans.

By the time they arrived at the destination, it was nearly noon.

The sign of the Ancient Star Collection was carved in wood. This place was not in a commercial district but rather somewhat secluded.

A fair number of people were coming in and out, their attire classical, holding metallic orbs in their hands.

Li Ming and his companion stood out in this setting, drawing many curious glances.

"At my eight o’clock, red hat, white shoes..." Li Ming stopped in front of the shop, apparently speaking to someone, as Zhang Huaiyuan had heard him several times along the way, vaguely feeling something was off, but he hadn’t asked.

After speaking, Li Ming entered the shop, which was quite large and had rows of shelves displaying items of various sizes, such as hollowed-out metallic orbs, broken metal limbs, and metal statues forged in fire.

In front of each item was a virtual screen, detailing the origin of the item.

Zhang Huaiyuan wasn’t wrong; Li Ming was indeed interested in this place. To strike gold here, one needed substantial relevant knowledge to ensure they weren’t cheated.

A salesperson came up, seemingly to introduce items to Li Ming, but Zhang Huaiyuan sent them away.

Li Ming casually picked up a broken metal component, unable to discern its original form, nor control it.

He didn’t mind and continued browsing until he found a Controllable Object—

[G-3 Surveillance Pendant—E-grade (Damaged): A monitoring probe disguised as an exquisite piece of jewelry.

Control Conditions: 300 points

Control Effect: Concealing Blessing—30%

Control Ability—Record: Records all affairs within a 3-meter radius of the host.]

This trinket piqued Li Ming’s interest; an exquisite crystal pendant that didn’t resemble Blue Star style.

The [Record] ability was somewhat interesting, hardly needed in daily life, but could be useful in specific situations.

There was a price tag, fifty thousand Star Coins, which was quite expensive.

But Li Ming was now wealthy and didn’t hesitate to buy it.

Li Ming, full of enthusiasm, touched one Controllable Item after another. Some were genuinely of little use, not only damaged but their blessings were also low.

But some were indeed rare, especially a broken metallic mask named [Soul Mask], whose ability was [Spiritual Concealment], distorting one’s image in the eyes of others.

Even though it was only D-grade and might not fool Advanced surveillance probes, what if it were upgraded to C-grade or even higher?

This clearly wasn’t a product of Blue Star; its origin was unknown, powered by an energy source called spiritual energy.

Li Ming had never heard of such an energy type, but fortunately, he could directly use physical strength to operate it.

Lacking a power source, the shop’s description was vague, even suggesting it to be some kind of native ritual item.

Li Ming crisscrossed between the shelves, touching everything big and small. Flush with cash, he bought anything that interested him.

Such unusual behavior drew the attention of many in the shop, prompting whispers.

Many items were severely damaged, to the point that their original use was indiscernible.

Li Ming made several small purchases, totaling around three hundred thousand Star Coins.

When it came time to pay at the counter, an old woman with graying hair stood up. Her skin was wrinkled, with pale blue symbols and lines hidden among the folds, and her eyes were white, seemingly sightless.