The following day.
"Son, are you going somewhere? But your health is still not good..." Mrs. Godson said when she noticed Neo getting dressed.
"Yes, Mom. I have something urgent with Uncle Dorok at the old market. And don't worry about my health. I am feeling very energetic today," he replied.
His mother sighed. "Sigh, you and your work. Do you need some money for the taxi?"
"No, Mom. I have enough for the ride."
Saying that, Neo looked at Nina, who was ready to go to school.
"Let's go, Nina. I will drop you off on the way."
Nina smiled happily. "Sure, brother."
It had been such a long time since her brother accompanied her to school. She really missed it a lot.
Afterward, they took a cheap taxi to head to the Central District.
Chronopolis was mainly divided into five districts: East, West, South, North, and Central.
Combined, approximately 25 million people lived in this city.
The Central District was the richest among them, as most high-tech businesses, federal institutions, and rich tycoons were gathered there.
After a while, the taxi stopped before Betanet High School.
It was not as great or wealthy as other institutions, but they still provided her with a 50% scholarship for her academic intelligence.
"Be diligent, Nina. Don't be like me," he said through the window.
She pouted. "Don't make yourself look bad, bro. We know why you had to drop out of school."
After that, she slung the bag over her shoulder and left.
Laughing to himself, Neo signaled the driver to continue.
After another 20 minutes, the taxi stopped at the old market square.
Neo paid the fare and stepped out.
Instantly, a natural refreshing scent entered his nostrils.
Unlike the other high-rise concrete buildings, this old market square preserved tradition and simplicity.
The buildings were made of wood, tiles, and stone.
The market had always been like this to preserve its historical value.
Because of its rich heritage, Neo liked this place more than other parts of the city.
Without lingering too much, he headed toward a particular wooden workshop in a lonely corner.
The bag in his hand held the Aqua Core Flask.
Clink. Clink.
As soon as he entered, the doorbell rang, notifying anyone inside.
At first glance, Neo saw no one but shelves of glowing items.
Some held gemstones, some rare magical items, and some held clockwork puppets.
They looked very mesmerizing to look at.
Clink. Clink.
The bell's echo had barely faded when a soft mechanical whirr came from behind one of the shelves.
Neo turned his head to see a small figure slowly stepped out from between the rows of glowing artifacts.
It was a little girl, no more than 4 or 5 years old.
She had short chestnut hair tied into two small ponytails and wore a neat brown apron over a simple white dress. A pair of round glasses rested on her nose, making her look unusually serious for her age.
Beside her walked a mechanical dog.
The machine was about the size of a real guard dog, built from dark metal plates and glowing blue circuits running along its joints. Its eyes shone like two small lamps as they locked onto Neo.
The moment it noticed a stranger, the mechanical dog stopped and lowered its body slightly, as if preparing to pounce.
The girl quickly placed a gentle hand on its metal head.
"Easy, Bolt," she said softly.
The dog's glowing eyes dimmed slightly, though it still kept watching Neo cautiously.
The girl then looked up at Neo with a calm, professional expression.
"Welcome to Dorok's Workshop. Are you here to buy something, mister?"
Neo blinked for a moment, slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected the shop to be managed by a child.
Still, he smiled faintly.
"I'm actually looking for Uncle Dorok. Is he here?"
The girl adjusted her glasses, and replied,
"Grandpa is in the back workshop. But he's very busy right now. If you want to buy something, I can help you."
The mechanical dog beside her let out a low mechanical growl, as if reminding Neo that it was still on guard.
Neo raised his hands slightly in a harmless gesture.
"I'm not here to buy. Rather I came to sell something."
Hearing him, the girl's expression changed a little.
Her curious eyes glanced toward the bag in his hand.
"Oh?"
"What kind of item are you selling?" she asked.
Neo gave a small shrug.
"Something interesting."
"But more importantly, Uncle Dorok knows me."
"You can tell him Neo Godson is here."
For a brief moment, the girl looked thoughtful.
Then recognition sparkled in her eyes.
"You're… Brother Neo?"
"You know me?"
"Yes. Grandfather said you're the undefeated GoGo player in the world. Your nickname is 'God-Hand,' right?"
Neo felt a little embarrassed as she looked at him with admiring eyes.
GoGo is basically an old retro-style game in the virtual world. Players operate space fleets and organize them like modern warfare.
It's a game of hand skill and brain, and he happened to be a little proficient in it.
He had access to the game in this same workshop when he saw Master Dorok playing it like a kid.
He had been interested in it ever since.
But to say he was the best player in the world was simply an exaggeration.
"Yes, that's me. But that old man has exaggerated a lot to you. I'm basically not that great," he replied humbly.
"Hehe... Grandpa also said you'd reply exactly like this. Anyway, my name is Roxy Fritz. It's very nice to meet the Hands of the Gods in person."
She extended her little hand, still smiling sweetly.
Neo accepted it like a gentleman. "It's a pleasure. Though I would prefer that you don't call me by that nickname. You can call me Neo. I wouldn't mind."
"Ah, sure. I will. Alright, let me call Grandpa from the back. He will be glad to know you have come here."
As she disappeared into the backroom, Neo waited with bated breath.
It was time to find out how much this Aqua Core Flask was truly worth.