"Brat, only now did you find time to meet this old man?"
Following a hearty chuckle, an old man came out from the back workshop.
The old man had grey hair, a single golden-framed goggle, and some mechanical implants on his left hand.
He was very much like the master crafter he was.
However, in front of Neo, he always acted like a child.
"In the last 3 months, do you know how many times I searched for you? But you brat gave me no address, so I wasn't able to find you at all. Just where were you in these 3 months?"
Neo slightly lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, Old Dorok. But I got into an accident that led to my coma for 3 months. I have just recently woken up."
The old man looked awestruck. "A coma? How did that happen?"
Roxy also leaned closer to listen.
"A statue fell down on us while we were pulling it out."
Roxy closed her eyes, looking frightened.
"Ooh, that must have been really painful, isn't it, Neo?"
"Haha, this brat deserved it. I had told him so many times to work here, but he refused again and again, saying he doesn't have any academic knowledge to be a crafter. Isn't that quite foolish, Roxy? I mean, I have become a crafter even without institutional knowledge."
"Don't lie, Grandpa. Father said you took an expensive memory implant in your childhood days. I am sure Neo didn't have that privilege like you."
Dorok's face turned crimson with embarrassment.
"Did you really have to expose that in front of him, Little Roxy? How am I going to boast in front of him from now on?"
Just then, Neo flashed the Aqua Core Flask in front of the old man's eyes.
His old eyes instantly shined as he saw the magical properties.
He hurriedly took it into his trembling hands, examining it with keen interest.
"I want to sell it. Can you tell me how much I can get for it?"
The special goggle the old man wore quickly appraised the item for him.
"This is an E-grade Magical Artifact, Perfect Quality... Where did you get this, Neo?"
Dorok called him by name, indicating how serious he had become.
Neo gave a shrug.
"This is a sample I obtained from a secret source. If you can give me a good price, I can give you more of these."
"But Brother Neo, what does it do? Is it not just for drinking water? Why are you guys acting as if it is some kind of treasure?" Roxy asked, looking pretty much confused by their reactions.
Neo smiled and handed it to her. "Try emptying this flask. If you can, I will give it to you for free."
Roxy took on the challenge.
At first, she began to drink the water from it. The water was fresh, natural, and pure. She felt energized at once. Honestly, the taste was really great. But what was odd was that even after drinking until her belly was full, it didn't become empty. Even when she poured the water into a bowl, it kept spilling out more.
Neo then explained the perks with a smile,
"Exactly. It generates pure, drinkable water continuously. It never runs empty. And any liquid stored inside is automatically cleansed of toxins, bacteria, and impurities. Its water also restores stamina and slightly accelerates cellular recovery upon drinking."
Roxy's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Oh wow! That's incredible! Grandpa, I want this one. Can you buy it for me?"
Dorok chuckled warmly and patted her head.
"Of course, my little angel. Anything for you."
He then turned his gaze toward Neo, his old eyes filled with interest.
"So tell me, Neo my boy. How many of these bottles can your supplier provide? If the quantity exceeds 100, I can offer you a rate of 6,000 each."
Neo's smiled.
"It can be arranged. But this one must be paid for in cash."
The old man did not argue. Without another word, he reached into a drawer behind the counter and pulled out several shiny green Federal Bank notes.
He placed them on the table.
"Here, take it. There is exactly 6,500 in there."
Neo accepted the money, clearly surprised.
"Why are you giving five hundred extra?" he asked.
"Because this one is a retail purchase, isn't it?"
Roxy quickly chimed in, hugging the bottle happily,
"Just take it, Brother Neo! I really like this water bottle a lot. I'm going to show it off at school tomorrow."
Neo would have been a fool to refuse after all that.
He carefully tucked the cash into his pocket and bid them goodbye.
Even after Neo left, Dorok's eyes remained fixed on the Aqua Core Flask in Roxy's hands. The old man still seemed unable to completely hide his astonishment.
An item that could produce water endlessly...
Such a thing could easily become a major brand.
Yet the identity of the mysterious supplier remained unknown.
Meanwhile, the "supplier" himself was already heading toward a nearby convenience store.
Neo quickly purchased two hundred bottles of regular drinking water, spending exactly 100 dollars.
The store owner stared at him with wide eyes as Neo carried away the large sack of bottles.
The man looked completely baffled, clearly wondering what this strange young customer planned to do with so many water bottles.
Naturally, Neo could not take all of them back home.
Instead, he headed toward a nearby hotel.
He decided he would synthesize them inside a rented room before returning to Dorok's workshop.
The hotel receptionist gave him a strange look when she saw him carrying a heavy sack that made him look like a wandering villager.
However, the moment Neo placed a shiny green bill on the counter, she immediately stopped asking questions.
Money solved many problems. Like this one.
The room was rented for six hours.
Once inside, Neo closed the door and began his work.
Two bottles combined: 1 Aqua Core Flask appeared.
Again. And again.
Slowly, the newly created flasks began piling up across the hotel floor.
However, after twenty synthesis attempts, Neo suddenly ran into a problem.
[ Cosmic Force: 0.20 / 5.00 ]
His cosmic force had almost been completely depleted, bringing a wave of exhaustion through his body, making him feel dizzy and weak.
Neo exhaled deeply and leaned back against the wall.
"So that's the limit."
He had no choice but to stop.
For the next two hours, he rested quietly, allowing his cosmic force to recover on its own.
Once his energy returned, he resumed the synthesis process again.
Bottle after bottle merged together.
Hours passed.
By the time the afternoon sun began to fade, Neo had successfully created 100 Aqua Core Flasks like Dorok demanded.
Looking at the massive pile before him, Neo could not help but smile.
"Jackpot."
After packing everything carefully, he left the hotel and headed straight back toward Dorok's Workshop.
Life was about to get very interesting.