The stark contrast between the prices displayed on the board and Karma's meager net worth nearly caused him to drool.
Eyes shining brightly, he hurriedly strolled up to the counter.
Discreetly examining the wrinkled features of the hairless, skinny-looking shopkeeper, Karma was inadvertently reminded of an albino turtle that had crawled out of its shell.
Karma suppressed his inner thoughts as he plastered a broad smile, energetically launching into his prepared spiel:
"Morning, good sir! If you could spare just a single bit of time, I have an incredibly lucrative proposition I'd like to share—"
"No," the shopkeeper interrupted, his eyelids drooping lazily.
"Pardon?"
"I'm busy. Please leave."
Karma, looking around the empty shop, barely preserved his earlier smile.
"But you didn't even hear what I was going to say …"
The shopkeeper lifted his head, his eyelids cracked open ever-so-slightly, such that Karma could feel his gaze boring into him.
Enunciating every syllable in the flattest tone imaginable, he responded, "No spatial pouch, no bulging pockets, no respectable cultivation base; those three things spoke for you the moment you entered my shop."
Lazily waving his sleeve towards the price listings behind him, the shopkeeper continued, "Here, the cheapest offering represents a sum of 50 spiritual stone fragments.
"The funds on your immediate person do not meet, nor exceed, that amount.
"Your low cultivation disqualifies you from any manual labor I would ask for in substitution."
Taking a deep breath, his eyelids grew heavy, leaving one final remark, "So I say once again, please leave. Should you meet the minimum requirements for a transaction in good faith, I welcome you to return."
Slightly at a loss, Karma drooped his shoulders and turned to walk away. Returning to the crowded streets, his melancholic figure blended into the sea of shoppers as he began wandering aimlessly.
Administrator Zhao was right. I must either be stupid or mentally deficient.
What "lucrative proposition"!? Hogshit! Three words: 'Are you hiring?' That's all I needed. When cultivators propose to their Daoist partners, do they describe a vague, mutually beneficial arrangement? No! 'Will you marry me?' At least then, it's a yes or no question …
Karma's features contorted in anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Shaking his head of extraneous thought, Karma executed a mental refresh, forcefully reorienting himself towards more pressing matters.
Complaining will do nothing to change my situation: My current funds afford me roughly a week's rent, should I avoid incurring additional expenses.
Although my attempt at leveraging an apprenticeship to attain divination arts ended in failure, my interest in the matter has not waned.
I'm confident that, given my unique circumstances, I possess more than sufficient qualifications to excel in the field of divination. All I lack is the spark to light the fuze, but how can I obtain one …
Deep in contemplation, Karma remunerated over all of the resources he had at his disposal.
It would be an incredible feat of ineptitude, should I concede at the first step.
I may be destitute in physical wealth, but by no means am I lacking in methods. I need to somehow weave my various abilities into a singular stratagem that smoothly amalgamates their respective strengths.
But how?
As he navigated the tumultuous marketplace, Karma's persistent introspection was suddenly replaced with burgeoning inspiration. Eyes radiating vigor, Karma's breathing quickened as the outline of a plan grew increasingly pronounced.
"Every step must be taken with caution, any misstep could provoke unfathomable consequences", he muttered, drowned out by the surrounding perpetual clamor.
Despite his ominous words, Karma practically vibrated in keen anticipation.
With great risk comes great reward. How very apt …
**
Exiting the tide of shoppers, Karma stood before a magnificent edifice.
Its towering golden gates shimmered under the sun, occasionally emitting pulses of violet energy in the form of roaring dragons. The entrance was flanked by twin waterfalls of crystalline azure, upon which flickered mysterious runes capable of capturing the senses of any who drew near. Above, encircled by the rotating forms of illusory dice, read the words: "Celestial Authority of Luck and Misfortune."
Karma, shrugging off the ambient charms evoking artificial feelings of awe and greed, resolutely stepped through the grand entrance.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
He was confident that the previous scenario of insufficient funds would not repeat itself, for he knew that here, the most ideal customer was not the wealthy few. Nay-nay, in this fine establishment, the poor and desperate were both loved and cherished! For the business Karma patronized was, in fact, a gambling hall!
Ahead, myriad gaming tables sprawled out, each accompanied by its set of animated players.
The vast halls exhibited the full range of human emotion, bliss, and despair, proving the two most predominant examples.
Touring the expansive facilities, Karma's olfactory senses were promptly greeted by an amalgamation of incense, sweat, and liquor.
His gaze danced between varied games of cards, spirited dice rolling, and roulette. As he was about to continue forward, an approaching figure drew his focus: Donned in a starry silken robe, an elegant waitress glided over.
"Welcome to the Celestial Authority of Luck and Misfortune. May I interest you in any amenities? Perhaps a drink?" she inquired, voice dripping with sweetness.
Karma glanced despondently at his near-empty pockets before responding, "No, thank you, that won't be necessary."
Taking his response in stride, the waitress politely replied, "Are you in need of any assistance? I, or one of my colleagues, would be delighted to answer any and all of your inquiries or concerns."
Humming in thought, Karma asked, "Do you know of any games that place heavy emphasis on intuition? I've always felt particularly strong in that regard."
Nodding in understanding, the waitress pondered momentarily before gesturing to her right.
"If you head in that direction, past six tables or so, there is a special area reserved for our "Archeological" suite of activities. Look for the area with the sign "Excavation Sensation," I believe that should satisfy your request! Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Clasping his hands in thanks, Karma said, "No, that will be all. Many thanks!"
"Wonderful! Should you require any further assistance, attendants are scattered about the premises and eager to help. Best of luck!"
**
Following the waitresses' directions, Karma quickly arrived at the "Archaeological" section of the gambling hall.
Standing before a glass-enclosed plot of sand, he watched as several figures hoisted uniform shovels with great haste, hopping in and out of holes dug throughout the area. Occasionally, a delighted yelp would echo out, inciting anyone nearby to abandon their current dig site and move opposite the sound's origin.
Initially puzzled, Karma later came to the realization that there was an implicit understanding shared amongst the participants: When an item of value is discovered, the lucky individual should communicate that information to nearby explorers; in doing so, those in close proximity are notified that the area's likelihood of discovery has experienced a decrease.
However, this practice operates under a few underlying assumptions.
Firstly, the distribution of buried treasures is assumed to be (roughly) discreetly uniform, such that the presence of one implies the lack of another close by.
Secondly, a majority of the announcements are legitimate rather than deceptive.
Third, the time spent relocating is of equal or higher value than the difference in probabilities stipulated by the previous two assumptions. Ultimately, from Karma's brief observation, the overwhelming majority opted in favor of these three assumptions.
One aspect Karma couldn't understand is how the enclosure restricted supernatural means of detection, such as augury, spiritual sense, or some variant of ocular technique.
Navigating towards the admissions booth seated beneath an eye-catching sign reading "Excavation Sensation," Karma sought out the overseeing attendant, a man clad in a robe of similar design to the waitress he'd met beforehand.
When Karma voiced his confusion, the attendant gave a knowing look and elucidated, "Ah, first time? Welcome, welcome. As for your question, the answer is simple: we don't!"
Pausing dramatically, he continued, "You see, the sand littered about the area serves a multifaceted purpose."
"It blocks visibility that much is obvious, but the real value lies in its special property: it's extraordinarily sensitive to the movement of spiritual energy."
"Cheat, and we'll know it. Divination? If you're powerful enough to breach our formation, just come and rob us!"
Karma gave an enthusiastic "ahhh."
Thanking the attendant, he retrieved a complimentary catalog to review the price of admission and potential rewards.
----------------------------------------
General Details
----------------------------------------
Name: Excavation Sensation
Type: Archaeological
Price of Admission: 2 SSF/hr
----------------------------------------
Rules and Regulations
----------------------------------------
* The use of spiritual energy is prohibited. Infractions will be met with heavy punishments. No exceptions.
* Personal shovels are prohibited; a shovel will be provided free of charge. Persons found in violation of this rule will be asked to leave without reimbursement.
* Fighting is prohibited. Persons found in violation of this rule will be asked to leave without reimbursement and will be banned from future admission.
* You may not remain past the purchased duration. Violators will be stripped of any winnings and charged a fee.
----------------------------------------
Reward and Exchange Policy
----------------------------------------
You are not obligated to exchange anything you find should you not wish to do so. All winnings can be exchanged for SSF at market price. This option can only be exercised if the winning(s) in question have not been removed from the ‘Excavation Sensation’ premises. Items that have been removed from the premises or otherwise tampered with render this option null and void.
Examples of previous transactions can be found in the table below:
Item
Price
Netherite Ore
65 SSF
Radiant Spirit Gem
72 SSF
Kirin Feces
125 SSF
…
…
----------------------------------------
Karma cracked a slight smile upon reading the transaction table. Even the lowest-priced entry quoted a sum that exceeded his expectations.
Having completed his preparations, Karma cached the catalog in his robe and returned to the admissions booth.
"One hour please," said Karma, placing down two spiritual stone fragments.
Nodding, the attendant collected the stones, bent down to retrieve a shovel, and then passed it over to Karma.
When Karma laid hands on the shovel, an illusory gateway into the glass enclosure became visible. Waving to the attendant, he rushed through the gate, vaguely registering the words "Happy digging!" as his vision reduced to a blur.