Carlotta's Daily Report

Carlotta stepped forward to take a look. She did have some interest in the items Sandra brought out.

However, after asking the price, her enthusiasm was quickly crushed.

The alchemical materials were understood, rare substances difficult to obtain outside, so a higher price was normal. But the alchemical items were priced excessively high.

To Carlotta, alchemical tools and even artifacts were merely fuel for the Stellar Workshop's furnace, holding little intrinsic value.

Yet to others, a finished alchemical artifact's worth couldn't be calculated solely by its materials. The item's additional value had to be factored in as well.

Unless Carlotta herself needed the artifacts, and wasn't just feeding them to the Stellar Workshop, buying raw alchemical materials would simply be more cost-effective.

In the end, Carlotta didn't buy much from Sandra. Too many others were bidding, driving up prices, especially for certain alchemical materials, making the cost-benefit ratio too low for her.

But as Sandra began trading her items, more people started bringing out their own things for sale. Gradually, the entire hall transformed into something similar to a free-trade market.

Seeing this, Carlotta also took out a few items to sell, rare fruits like magic bananas and sun carrot, even some transformation potions. These were transformation types never before seen on the market, although unfortunately none transformed the user into monsters, so their value was limited.

Still, because they weren't extremely valuable, passersby bought them in small numbers. Her goods actually sold quite well.

Yet, the money earned was truly minimal.

'I guess I'll have to put out the Source of Life after all.'

Carlotta mused inwardly.

Although the Source of Life had caused a tragedy in the Farrel Kingdom the last time it appeared, making it somewhat conspicuous, what if she didn't just bring out one bottle?

What if she brought out two? Three? Four?

Could people even suspect her connection to the Tree of Life organization?

Right then, Carlotta took out five bottles of Source of Life and lined them neatly on the table before her.

It wasn't long before many people were drawn to stand in front of her.

"It's actually the Source of Life."

Many eyes gleamed with surprise. They weren't unfamiliar with this famous alchemical potion.

This was an alchemical medicine capable of rapidly healing injuries, far surpassing any similar products on the market. For supernatural individuals constantly adventuring, carrying just one or two bottles could mean the difference between life and death in a crisis.

The only problem is its extreme ratio and high cost.

Of course, "expensive" was relative. For these prominent figures, they might lack other things, but not money. They could afford to purchase Sources of Life. The real issue they faced was the scarcity of the item itself.

But now, five bottles of Source of Life were right in front of them.

Smiling, Carlotta told the crowd she hadn't set fixed prices, the highest bidder wins.

It was essentially an auction, but no one minded. The ratio of the Source of Life justifies selling it this way.

In no time, all five bottles of Carlotta's Source of Life were sold. Even Sandra came over and bought two.

"Only five bottles?"

Those who failed to buy any showed regretful expressions, clearly feeling it was a great loss.

Seeing this, Carlotta smiled faintly and took out another five bottles of Source of Life, placing them on the table in front of her.

At this sight, many people froze in shock.

"Are you from the Tree of Life organization?"

Siena beside her couldn't help but ask.

"Guess."

To this question, Carlotta remains noncommittal.

But regardless, since more Sources of Life were available, another wave of people began competing. In the end, through another round of bidding, these five bottles were quickly sold as well.

Then, the crowd turned expectantly toward Carlotta.

"That's it. I only have these Sources of Life."

Carlotta shook her head at the crowd, indicating she had finished selling everything.

This left many feelings conflicted. Some had assumed Carlotta could produce more and hadn't competed fiercely earlier. Now, upon hearing there was none left, they instantly became anxious.

"You should have more, right? Money isn't an issue. Sell me just one more bottle."

A young man asked, frowning.

"No more."

Carlotta shook her head.

"No, you definitely have more."

The young man was very certain.

He believed someone capable of selling the Source of Life would certainly keep some for themselves, and wouldn't sell every last drop.

Carlotta shook her head again: "Truly none left."

The young man naturally refused to give up, directly pointing this out and demanding Carlotta sell even the Source of Life she'd reserved for personal use.

He even mentioned his identity, causing a flicker of surprise in Carlotta's eyes.

The youth's name was Dale Castro, an alchemist from the Mechanical Fortress who held considerable status there. Of course, this could already be inferred from his surname, Castro, one belonging to the upper echelons within the Mechanical Fortress.

Dale's gaze carried a sense of pressure as he stared at Carlotta, determined to make her sell him the Source of Life.

"I said there's none, so there's none."

Carlotta said coolly. "Don't keep emphasizing who you are from the Mechanical Fortress. It adds nothing to this exchange, only annoyances. If you truly have such an impressive background, just go buy it directly from the Tree of Life. Why hassle me here?"

Dale inhaled deeply upon hearing this.

"Really not selling?"

"No."

Carlotta's reply was crisp and clear.

Many around watched the scene with ambiguous expressions, seemingly finding others' arguments quite entertaining.

Dale gave Carlotta a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Carlotta didn't mind. The ten bottles of Source of Life had earned her a substantial sum, giving her some confidence for the upcoming bidding on Sky Cornerstone.

Her gaze swept across the hall and landed on Zorn Wilson, the vampire. He was wandering around, examining items others were selling, showing no particularly conspicuous behavior.

The gathering was in full swing. Many had bought or sold what they needed and were quite satisfied, since numerous items here were truly difficult to obtain outside.

For instance, the Source of Life, magic bananas, sun radishes, and other items Carlotta sold were all extremely rare.

Soon after, Carlotta's eyes lit up. Zorn was finally about to put something up for sale.

The young vampire, dressed in a black trench coat, sat down at his designated spot, then began taking out alchemical materials one after another from his spatial item and laying them on display.

Among them was naturally the Sky Cornerstone obtained from the Sky Island.

As he started selling his items, many people immediately approached to inquire about the prices.

Carlotta also walked over.

"Most of the items are clearly priced. Pay and take them away."

Zorn had the pale complexion typical of vampires, with deep red eyes that appeared mysterious and profound.

As a well-known figure, many people were aware Zorn was a vampire. This unique identity drew curious gazes from numerous incidents.

Carlotta scanned the displayed items and asked, "Mister, why hasn't this item been priced?"

She was referring to the Sky Cornerstone.

Zorn's answer was simple, "I don't know the value of this item, so it goes to the highest bidder."

To ensure participation, he announced the origin of the Sky Cornerstone.

"I achieved sixth place in the previous Sky Island competition, and this Sky Cornerstone was my reward. It's an alchemical material never seen before in the world, full of possibilities for exploration, and the highest bidder wins."

As Zorn made the announcement, many gathered around, showing great interest in the Sky Cornerstone.

As the reward for sixth place at Sky Island, the Sky Cornerstone was undoubtedly eye-catching. In no time, it had drawn in most of the attendees at the gathering.

Carlotta had already started bidding.

But as she bid, others followed suit, progressively driving the price higher.

'The starting price I offered was already quite high, yet it's still not enough…'

Carlotta pondered.

This item was truly valuable. Although its exact use was still unknown, the prestige of being the sixth-place reward from Sky Island indicated it was undoubtedly exceptional, so naturally, some were willing to spend a fortune on it.

Carlotta thought for a moment, then offered another high bid, one that nearly equaled all the money she had on her.

When this bid was announced, the surrounding area immediately fell silent.

However, before Carlotta could relax, a voice from the side spoke up, raising the price once again.

"The Sky Cornerstone, the reward for sixth place at Sky Island, I'm quite interested in it as well."

The speaker was a young man.

Carlotta was no stranger to him, it was Dale Castro, the representative of Mechanical Fortress who had previously tried to purchase Life Source from her, only to be refused.

After Dale placed a high bid, others followed, pushing the price of the Sky Cornerstone even higher.

Seeing this, Carlotta could only respond with a higher bid, though she couldn't actually afford it, she bid anyway.

Yet the moment her bid was announced, Dale immediately countered with another high bid, surpassing hers.

Carlotta cast a glance towards Dale.

In truth, Dale had arrived earlier but hadn't bid initially. Now she noticed that every time she placed a bid, Dale followed immediately after. What did this mean? Was he specifically trying to suppress her?

Meanwhile, others continued bidding, raising the price of the Sky Cornerstone to new heights.

Seeing this, Carlotta raised her bid again, naming a price far beyond what she could pay.

Almost as soon as her voice fell silent, Dale countered once more with an even higher bid, pushing the price of the Sky Cornerstone even further.

At this point, Carlotta was certain, this man was targeting her. Was it because she had refused to sell him the Life Source, so he was deliberately retaliating?

She withdrew her gaze, ignored Dale, and returned to her seat.

The final price of the Sky Cornerstone had far exceeded her expectations. Even if she spent every coin she had, she couldn't afford it.

'Perhaps I'll have to give up.'

Carlotta returned to her seat, feeling a tinge of regret.

But it wasn't as though she absolutely needed the Sky Cornerstone. She intended to feed such materials to Stellar Workshop anyway. Other alchemical materials could suffice.

Still, the Sky Cornerstone was exceptionally rare, something that had never before appeared in the world. That was why she had wanted to obtain it earlier.

But such things couldn't be forced.

After waiting a while, the winner of the Sky Cornerstone was decided, exactly Dale of Mechanical Fortress, who secured it with that very price he had used to secretly outbid her.

After that final bid, no one else dared to bid higher. The Sky Cornerstone naturally fell into Dale's hands.

This result was slightly unexpected for Dale.

'No one else raised the bid? Did I bid too high?'

Dale thought to himself as he took the Sky Cornerstone, reluctantly retrieving a large sum of money from his spatial item to pay Zorn.

At such a gathering of prominent figures, with so many eyes watching, he couldn't back out. After all, he didn't just represent himself, he represented the massive Mechanical Fortress behind him.

Inside the hall, various transactions continued.

Unable to obtain the Sky Cornerstone, Carlotta lost interest in the other items. Instead, she sat in a corner, using magic to cleanse her body and attempting to magically transform her legs, simply passing the time with an experimental effort.

"Aren't you going to purchase other people's alchemical materials?"

Amelia asked quietly.

"There's too little available. Even rare materials might offer only minimal progress."

Carlotta replied with regret.

These alchemical materials were rare, yes, but not exceptionally precious, nothing that could compare to the Sky Cornerstone, let alone materials like Eternal Mithril or Everdark Earth Gold.

Incidentally, the Everdark Earth Gold mentioned in the intelligence, Carlotta had already visited the target individual and acquired it at a relatively low price. No one knew she had snatched such a bargain.

Carlotta continued channeling magic through her body, and soon felt her magical transformation progress reach 0.6%, a definite improvement.

After a period of steady cultivation, she had finally achieved a breakthrough in her magical transformation progress today, which lifted her spirits and sparked a flicker of hope within her.

'Could it be that my cultivation is sufficient? Is the rank of Resonator no longer far from me?'

Carlotta thought with anticipation.

She immediately focused on cleansing her body, awaiting the arrival of that long-desired advancement.

Amelia glanced at Carlotta and noticed she was completely absorbed in the process of magical transformation. Amelia herself hadn't yet completed her cultivation phase, as she had reached the peak tier Listener rank considerably later than Carlotta.

So she wasn't in a rush, merely standing beside Carlotta to keep watch.