Chapter 38

Gas was the most skilled blacksmith among the younger generation in the Dwarven Undercity. Pursuing the ultimate forging inspiration, he had secluded himself for three months.

But the moment he emerged, he found the entire Undercity transformed.

Every dwarf he met, familiar or not, mentioned a place called the Keke Shop.

Even his notoriously proud friend Liansi sang its praises, which piqued Gas's curiosity. After all, Liansi had always held dwarven forging techniques in the highest esteem and looked down on the mechanical craftsmanship of other races. That a shop named Keke could win him over was nothing short of astonishing.

Liansi rolled his eyes at Gas. "That shop is different. Never mind the newly released magical appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners—there's central climate control for temperature regulation, and escalators and elevators for moving people."

Liansi's expression turned fervent and obsessed. "The precision of those mechanisms and the forging techniques behind them—there must be a truly extraordinary forging master behind that shop!!"

Gas sighed at his friend, who had been completely converted into a fanatic, but the curiosity within him was stirred as well.

"Then let's go take a look. Isn't there a blind box draw for purchases above a certain amount?"

At the mention of this, Liansi lowered his head, grinding his teeth. "I'm starting to suspect someone jealous of my talent has cast a curse of bad luck on me."

Gas shot him a knowing, sympathetic glance. As his friend, Gas was well aware of Liansi's luck, which was as infamous as his forging skill.

"Every single blind box I opened was just daily necessities like cooling patches and wet wipes... not a single mechanical item!!" Liansi pounded the ground in fury.

Gas shook his head. "Come on, if we don't leave now, we won't get those magical appliances."

Liansi looked at Gas and sighed. "Someone with luck like yours can't understand the pain of us unlucky sorts."

Gas considered this. "True, I can't."

"Alright, let's hurry. I'm quite curious about this shop." Gas urged.

Liansi grabbed his silver card. "Coming, coming!"

"Seriously, having to teleport to a human or beastman town every time just to get to the Keke Shop is such a hassle." Liansi sighed, looking at the long line ahead.

In the past, the Teleportation Array had been rather desolate, since dwarves preferred to stay home researching and rarely socialized with other races. Going out usually meant buying alcohol or delivering goods.

But since the Keke Shop had taken the Dwarven Undercity by storm, the Teleportation Array had become incredibly crowded.

"You could make a proposal to the Dwarven Elders' Council," Gas suggested. "The Beastman Kingdom and Human Empire have already set up spatial Teleportation Arrays with the Keke Shop, haven't they?"

The Dwarven Undercity was divided into four districts, each with a district chief. The chiefs held a council meeting every month to address matters within the Undercity.

The two waited in line for a while, but then the slow-moving queue came to a halt, and a loud crash sounded up ahead.

"What's going on?" Liansi craned his neck impatiently.

Then a huge plume of black smoke rose, accompanied by a despair-inducing announcement: "We regret to inform you that the Teleportation Array, unable to withstand such heavy use, has broken down. Repairs will take one week. We apologize for the inconvenience!"

"What?!"

The scene erupted into chaos. The short-tempered dwarves puffed out their beards, fuming that they would file complaints at the district chief's office.

Liansi looked disappointed. "The dwarves in charge of the Teleportation Array are far too negligent!"

Gas, however, was understanding. "It makes sense. If not for everyone wanting to go to that shop, the array wouldn't be used more than five times a day before."

"Let's just use a Teleportation Talisman." Gas tore one, and the two vanished on the spot.

The first time Gas visited the Keke Shop, he had to admit he'd been shortsighted before. Everything—the shop itself and the teleportation devices—filled him with wonder.

Liansi saw his friend's sparkling eyes and dragged him straight to buy magical appliances. "I know you're curious, but right now the priority is snagging some appliances. You'll have plenty of time for research later."

Gas, initially displeased at being dragged away, brightened instantly at the sight of the air conditioners, refrigerators, and fans on display at the new summer cooling appliance exhibition.

"Sir, please wait in line properly!" Baitang said, expertly blocking this dwarf who was trying to rush into the display counter.

Liansi, unable to stop him in time and deeply embarrassed, covered his face and dragged Gas back to the long queue at the back.

When it was finally Gas's turn, he promptly ordered three of each appliance.

After paying, Gas also applied for a silver card, then used his receipt to exchange for blind boxes. Thanks to his accumulated points, he scored five blind boxes at once.

Liansi insisted on helping open them, and Gas, not particularly interested, handed him three.

"I don't believe this!!" Liansi stared at the two large packs of wet wipes and one big pack of cooling patches in his hands, closing his eyes in anguish.

Gas casually opened one—it contained a pack of dry tissues. Liansi came over, saw it, and felt a bit better. "It's okay, Gas, that's just fate~"

Gas wasn't bothered, rolling his eyes and deciding to open the last box quickly before heading home to study the appliances.

Gas tore it open casually. "!"

A shaved ice machine appeared in his hands, and Gas beamed with joy.

Liansi, watching from the side, was envious. "Gas, don't forget to let me have a turn."

Gas cradled the machine like a treasure, as if it were the world's greatest gem.

Onlooking customers were envious, and the wealthier ones even offered high prices to buy it from him.

But, of course, Gas refused them all. Carefully holding the machine, he tore a Teleportation Talisman and returned to the Dwarven Undercity.

Liansi, left behind, called out, "Hey! How am I supposed to get back?!"

...

While the Keke Shop's event was in full swing, Chrisley and Aodisite, far away in the Goblin Kingdom, had been sightseeing for two days when they received an invitation from the city lord, Mengdeli.

When they arrived at the same study as before, they found Mengdeli with a bright smile.

"Please, have a seat." Mengdeli rose and guided his guests.

He started with small talk. "Have you two been enjoying yourselves around here these past few days? I apologize if I've been remiss. I hope you can forgive me."

Chrisley smiled faintly. "Not at all—we've had a rather pleasant time."

Mengdeli chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it. Speaking of which, I've been trying out the goods you brought over the past few days. Truly remarkable products."

Mengdeli couldn't wait to get to the point, praising the Keke Shop's wares as one of a kind.

"So, Lord Mengdeli, could you arrange an audience with the king?" Chrisley looked directly at him.

Mengdeli paused, then smiled. "Of course. The king will surely be delighted."

Chrisley nodded. "We're pressed for time, so we'd like to see him as soon as possible."

Mengdeli thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "In two days, then."

With the specific date set, Chrisley and Aodisite took their leave and departed immediately.

After they were gone, Mengdeli sighed. He had hoped to keep these guests in place for a while, since things were unsafe near the royal capital.

But he hadn't expected them to be so eager to reach the capital.

"Well, let's take it one step at a time." Mengdeli's face grew shadowed in the lamplight.