"Are there still Clow Cards?" Yarrow asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
The effect of the card seemed pretty useful, though. After all, in the kingdom, the Flying spell was a Five Elements spell that required at least the strength of a Crystal-level mage to master. Seeing the Clow Card, Yarrow figured it was worth a try.
He immediately pointed at the Clow Card, asking Dave for the price.
Dave raised three fingers.
"30?"
"Wawa Rou!"
Yarrow counted out thirty gold langs, handing them over eagerly, and received the Clow Card in return. He bought a few more items while he was at it: Old Man's dried lizard, Conan's anesthetic needle watch, a Poké Ball, and even a sleeve arrow and a green onion as quirky mementos.
Then, he spotted something interesting—a revolver.
He examined it, intrigued by the description:
[Arthur's Revolver: Grants the holder the skill "Death's Eye," which slows the flow of time. Bullets automatically hit marked enemies. Cooldown is one hour. The revolver has unlimited bullets, but reloading after firing a full magazine takes seven seconds. (Leave this damn place and be a real man!)]
"This is…" Yarrow muttered to himself, impressed by the power of the revolver.
He turned to Dave. "How much?"
Dave held up four fingers.
Another 40 gold langs gone, but Yarrow didn't hesitate. He paid the amount and got the revolver in return.
Altogether, Yarrow had spent 180 gold langs—almost all he had—but the gains were absolutely worth it.
With everything packed into his storage bag, Yarrow gave Dave an "OK" gesture.
"I'm done buying," he said.
"Alright! Thank you for your patronage, buddy! If you've got any corn tortillas later, I can give you a big discount!" Dave replied in an exaggerated, broadcasting-style baritone. He raised the iron pot like a salute, pulled down the store counter, and then, with a burst of blue flame from the time machine's thruster, he vanished into a space-time rift.
Yarrow stood there for a moment, holding his storage bag, stunned.
"Damn it, so you can speak properly…" he muttered to himself.
He returned to the campfire where Tao Fox was waiting, still trying to wrap his head around the bizarre encounter. The two of them sat down, and Yarrow pulled out the items they had obtained.
He picked up the Clow Card first. Although the white bird image on the front felt a little nostalgic, it didn't immediately trigger any strong memories. However, the magic circle on the back was unmistakable.
"Well, if this works, we might get to our destination faster tomorrow," Yarrow said, setting the Fly card aside to test it at dawn.
Next, he turned to the time-stopping pocket watch. Given its cooldown, he decided not to test it just yet, reserving it for a critical moment—perhaps once they left the secret realm.
Then, he picked up the revolver.
Standing up, he slid the magazine into place and saw that it was fully loaded with six bullets. He cocked the hammer, raised the revolver, and aimed it at the dark forest.
Death's Eye activated.
Time seemed to slow down instantly. The wind's rustling grew deeper in his ears, and a leaf drifting in front of him appeared to freeze mid-air. The world quieted in an almost eerie way.
Suddenly, six red lights blinked in the dark forest as the revolver locked onto six targets.
Yarrow pulled the trigger six times. Each bullet found its mark with deadly accuracy.
The world snapped back to normal. The wind resumed its usual rustling, and the leaf continued its fall to the ground.
"What a loud noise—was that a firecracker?" Tao Hu exclaimed, covering her ears in surprise.
"It's like a super-fast crossbow, only louder," Yarrow explained, still holding the revolver.
He walked toward the forest, the fluorite lighting his way. Beneath him, he found six bird corpses, all headshot by the revolver's bullets.
"More useful than I thought," he said, admiring the power of the weapon.
The revolver clicked and began reloading automatically. Seven seconds later, the magazine was full again, six brass bullets ready for use.
Tao Hu came up beside him, curious. "Did you get something good?"
Yarrow twirled the revolver in his hand with a grin. "That's an understatement." Without a holster, he stuffed it into his storage bag.
The items he'd bought from Dave were certainly a solid haul. He felt confident that even if the secret realm exploration ended here, they were well-equipped. Still, Lawrence's mission wasn't complete yet, and he had a hunch there might be even more treasures waiting for them.
At dawn, Yarrow rested for a while, and when the sun rose, he packed up his gear, ready to set off.
Just as he was about to roll up his sleeping bag and stow it away, a sudden noise broke through the early morning calm.
He looked up and saw a group of small, yellow-orange creatures wearing blue denim overalls and goggles emerging from the forest. They were chattering excitedly in a language Yarrow couldn't understand.
"So many of them," Tao Fox exclaimed, her eyes wide as she watched the cheerful little creatures parade out.
"What… are these?" she asked, turning to Yarrow.
Yarrow blinked, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of these strange beings. What kind of luck was this? In less than half a day, he had encountered two types of characters who couldn't speak clearly.
"Don't worry, they're probably not dangerous," Yarrow said, trying to reassure Tao Hu. "Just ignore them."
But then he suddenly remembered the item he had bought…
Cardore Old Residence Ruins.
Dick Cardore, the family's third young master, stepped out of the grand gates, savoring the fresh air. His life had become delightfully easy—eat, relax, and watch over the entrance to the secret realm. It not only brought the family wealth but also elevated their status.
The ancestors had blessed them with this prosperity, and Dick swelled with pride at his family's position. With a hand on his chest, he saluted the towering statue of Cardore I.
"Great ancestor," he began, "you're the one who brought this glory to us. I swear, I will—"
Boom!
Before he could finish, something came crashing into the statue's head at high speed. The stone figure shattered, the massive head tumbling to the ground and landing with a loud thud, right in front of Dick.
His heart stopped. He stared at the broken statue, eyes wide.
"Ancestor! No!" he wailed, dropping to his knees in distress.
Boom! Another crash sounded, this time closer. Dick looked up, eyes widening as a slender figure with silver-white hair appeared before him. The figure was armed with dragon wings and a tail—a powerful presence radiating from her.
"You, you—!" Dick stammered, trying to move toward her in outrage. "How dare you—"
But when his eyes locked with hers, the intense, golden vertical pupils froze him in place.
"Get lost, Your Majesty!"
Zen flicked her tail dismissively, and Dick was sent flying, rolling across the ground like a ragdoll before crashing into a heap.
Zen moved past him, her steps shaking the ground, and made her way into the grand hall. Without pause, she stomped on the floor, causing the ceiling to cave in and revealing a hidden basement below.
In the tomb of Cardore I, the butler, Hunter, was kneeling before the ancient tombstone, offering his daily prayers.
Suddenly, the ceiling shattered above him, and a figure descended, crushing the coffin beneath her feet. Hunter looked up in horror, speechless.
"You…" His words caught in his throat as he gazed at the silver-haired woman.
Zen's gaze was icy. "Hmph, this is where your ancestor's last breath faded. Yarrow, you bastard, don't think you're safe just because you're hiding here! Your Majesty will find you!"
She snorted coldly and stepped into the void rift, vanishing without a trace.
Hunter's heart raced as he stared at the shattered ceiling and broken coffin. His legs trembled, nearly giving way beneath him. He quickly scrambled to his feet and bolted from the room, his voice cracking as he screamed in a panic.
"Master! Master! Summon the family! Someone has destroyed the ancestor's tomb! And they've trespassed into the secret realm! Cough, cough... Master!"