The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

In the adventurer guild of Thunder City, the elderly man with a snowy beard stared at the magic crystal watch in his hand. The more he studied it, the more astonished his expression became.

"Extracting energy from the Demon Crystal to illuminate the magic crystal powder on the watch face through interconnected engravings, thereby displaying the time digitally on the dial... Is this inscription from Isaac's era? Incredible... Is it the craftsmanship of dwarves?"

His name was Angelo, a Mage from the Northern Academic Federation, and the resident consultant hired by the adventurer guild in Thunder City, as well as an expert in maze research.

Ever since news of the Demon King's resurrection spread, he had stationed himself in this city, constantly monitoring the movements within the maze.

As a mage from the Academic Federation, he was notably confident in his knowledge.

He might not be as wealthy as the merchants in this city, but his understanding of Extraordinary Power vastly eclipsed that of mundane folk.

Yet now, his pride was severely bruised.

Even after scrutinizing the small, intricate artifact for ages, he still couldn't fathom how it achieved such an astounding function with just a handful of engravings!

Even more—

The craftsmanship behind the engravings left him in awe. Each rectangular character was crafted with precision reminiscent of being printed by a machine!

To his knowledge, no printing machine was capable of engraving inscriptions onto magical materials.

Thus, there was only one explanation: whoever made this item must be a masterful alchemist or a dwarven artisan!

But with such skill, why create something as trivial as this?

To a mage, there were countless ways to determine time; a simple spell would suffice. It was hardly worth the effort to devise something so elaborate.

At least to Angelo, using such breathtaking technology on a clock with no additional functions seemed like an immense waste of talent!

After staring at the inscriptions on the watch face and pondering for a long while, Angelo, unable to unravel the mystery, finally looked up at the student standing before his desk and curiously asked.

"Where did you get this thing?"

The magic apprentice standing opposite him was the very same person who had earlier made a commotion at the Socduo Trading Company stall.

"I saw someone selling it at the marketplace. Five hundred silver coins for one, so I bought one and brought it back." Out of curiosity for unknown phenomena, the young man, after a moment of hesitation, ultimately loosened his purse strings.

Five hundred silver coins was no small sum, but most people who advanced their magical studies in the Academic Federation were either wealthy or well-funded, and he was no exception.

However, what he hadn't anticipated was that the watch he had spent a fortune on would leave even the esteemed Angelo at a loss for understanding.

It seemed his five hundred silver coins had gone down the drain.

Thinking of this, the magic apprentice couldn't help feeling a bit disheartened.

After hearing his student's explanation, Angelo was stunned into silence for a long moment, unable to utter a single word.

It was a full five minutes before, fixing his gaze on his student with a look of disbelief, he asked again to confirm.'

"Five hundred?! Are you certain?"

The magic apprentice nodded firmly, replying with conviction, "Of course! I'm sure! I handed over the money only a few hours ago, no chance I'd forget it so soon."

Hearing his student's response, Angelo's expression grew even more intriguing, and in a hurried tone, he continued to ask.

"Is the shopkeeper still there?"

"Well...I don't know, he should still be around, right?"

The magic apprentice hesitated for a few seconds, unsure himself.

After all, it wasn't a fixed storefront, but a roaming vendor. Perhaps they were selling here today but could be elsewhere tomorrow; it was impossible to say for sure.

Suddenly, a memory struck him, his eyes lighting up as he continued.

"Oh, right! I remember the name of the trading company. I think it's called Socduo Trading Company! If you're interested, I can help you find them. They probably haven't left Thunder City yet..."

Socduo Trading Company.

Angelo silently noted the name, then spoke, "No need. I plan to visit them personally."

With the adventurer guild's network and connections, locating a merchant group wouldn't be difficult; he wasn't worried about missing them.

As he finished speaking, Angelo pulled open a drawer, retrieved a check, and hastily scribbled his signature on it.

"I intend to examine this magic crystal watch further, possibly dismantle it. Since the technology in it is something I've never encountered, I can't guarantee I'll be able to put it back together. Here's five hundred silver coins; let's consider it as me purchasing it."

The magic apprentice hesitated, reluctant to part with the item, but as this was his mentor, he begrudgingly accepted the check.

After sending his student away, Angelo retrieved a copper magnifying lens and perched it on his nose, focusing intensely on the watch in his hand.

As he studied, he muttered to himself. "How on earth did they manage this?"

...

While the chief consultant at Thunder City's adventurer guild marveled at the Netherworld-imbued technological artifact from the Great Graveyard, the Demon King walking down the streets of Thunder City was equally impressed by what surrounded him.

Only, what he appreciated wasn't cutting-edge technology but something else entirely.

Watching Thunder City's citizens swarm the Socduo Trading Company's shelves, snatching up goods left and right, Luo Yan couldn't help but muse aloud.