In Aethelgard, Aetherbinding practitioners used Essence Stones as currency, while ordinary people relied on gold and silver. Mara Wainwright, the young mistress of the Wainwright family, typically used gold and Essence Stones in her daily life.
When Mara mentioned Essence Stones, the store clerk was immediately stunned. She didn’t understand what an Essence Stone was, but she certainly knew about gold. Ten thousand gold coins were enough to buy the entire store.
Chris smiled and instructed Mara to take out a black card from his pocket. “Swipe it. Bring out your store’s best clothes, all of them.”
The clerk’s eyes widened at the sight of the black card. She wasn’t some clueless bumpkin-she knew what it represented. A black card carried a credit limit of up to ten billion dollars, a privilege not everyone could possess. Without hesitation, the clerk began packing clothes for Mara.
To Chris, money was now nothing more than a meaningless set of numbers. In no time, he spent millions buying clothes, designer bags, and more for Mara.
Mara, astonished, asked, “Mr. Shelby, you bought so much for me. How much did all this cost?”
Chris replied with a faint smile, “Mara, money is no issue for me. Whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you. Even if you wanted to purchase an entire city, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”
Mara was stunned. Was Chris truly this wealthy? Seeing her bewildered expression, Chris explained, “The money here is different from that in Aethelgard. One Essence Stone from Aethelgard is worth millions here, and it’s almost impossible to find.”
“Ah!” Mara was completely shocked. She hadn’t realized that Essence Stones were so valuable on Earth. If Chris decided to sell them, the major Aetherbinding families and sects on Earth would scramble to buy them.
Unlike Earth, where spiritual energy was scarce and Aetherbinding resources were in short supply, Aethelgard was rich in spiritual energy, and though Essence Stones were precious, they weren’t rare. As the young mistress of the Wainwright family, Mara had never wanted for money.
Chris spent the entire day shopping with Mara, buying everything she fancied. By the end of it, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated. It seemed that women, no matter where they were, shared an innate love for shopping. Thankfully, Chris had a storage ring, so he didn’t have to worry about carrying around countless bags.
Suddenly, the ringing of a phone interrupted their day. Since Chris had lost both hands, he couldn’t answer the call himself and had to rely on Mara to take it. Once connected, he realized it was Harold calling.
Harold informed Chris that Esther had told him Chris had returned. He planned to travel from the East Coast to Middleton to see him. Harold, once the apprentice of the Jefferson Village elder, had been by Chris’s side for some time. The news of Harold’s visit delighted Chris.
About an hour later, Harold arrived. His strength had noticeably improved since their last meeting.
“Mr. Shelby!” Harold’s voice was filled with excitement as he greeted Chris. However, upon noticing Chris’s empty sleeves where his hands used to be, Harold’s eyes reddened.
Chris smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. I just happened to lose my hands by accident.”
Harold was stunned. Chris, who had always seemed invincible, had lost both his hands.
“Let’s eat first,” Chris suggested, leading them to a restaurant.
Harold, however, was despondent and had no appetite. Chris had always been like an older brother to him, and seeing him in this state was unbearable. Harold owed everything he had to Chris. Without him, Harold wouldn’t have achieved anything.
Gritting his teeth, Harold declared, “Mr. Shelby, tell me who did this to you. I’ll avenge you!”
Chris chuckled lightly. “Don’t rush, Harold. I lost my hands by my own doing. I know you’ve broken through to the Transcendence realm, but that’s still far from where I stand.”
Harold was taken aback. Chris had seen through his strength with just a glance. Reaching the Transcendence realm within a year was a testament to Harold’s talent, but compared to Chris, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. With Chris’s current power, he could probably crush Harold with just a finger.
Harold’s face fell in disappointment. He knew his abilities were insignificant compared to Chris’s. No matter how hard he tried, Chris’s strength remained an impossible mountain to scale.
But Harold’s resolve hardened. “Mr. Shelby, I promise to work harder and improve my strength!”
Chris smiled without a word. Then he asked, “Harold, why did you come to see me?”
After a moment of hesitation, Harold said, “Mr. Shelby, the East Coast Guards have gone missing.”
“What?” Chris’s expression changed.
“What happened?”
“Mr. Shelby, after you disappeared, Bull Parker led the East Coast Guards to search for you. They haven’t been heard from since…”
Chris’s face grew serious. The East Coast Guards were a special unit trained by Tiger under Chris’s orders to protect the region. After Tiger left for Aethelgard, Chris had placed Bull Parker in charge of the Guards. But now, learning of their disappearance, Chris couldn’t hide his concern.
“Do you know where they went?” he asked.
Harold shook his head. “I’m not sure. I just remember hearing that a mysterious person approached Bull Parker, claiming to know your whereabouts. That’s why he led the Guards to search for you.”
Chris’s expression darkened. The disappearance of Bull Parker and the East Coast Guards was indeed a troubling matter. For now, though, there was little he could do. He would have to rely on Lynx to investigate their whereabouts later.
As their meal arrived, a group of people entered the restaurant.
The young man leading them froze when he spotted Chris. His eyes widened in shock. “It’s him!”
The man was none other than Eagle Noire, the eldest son of the Noire family. Eagle had come to dine, but seeing Chris here was an unexpected twist.