Apocalypse: I Have A Multiplier System-Chapter 520: Mission

[Help the Tidefire Bloom Bites stall owner open a business of his own.

Reward: 200 Mission points]

"Eh? Is that the stall owner, the relative of the admin?" Su Jiyai asked curiously.

[No host, he has done a lot of charity and has a golden thread of luck which can be converted into mission points as long as you help him.] The system’s explanation made Su Jiyai raise an eyebrow.

But this one didn’t look as fancy as the last. The stall was made of rough wooden planks and covered in mismatched cloth.

The signboard was hand-painted and tilted to the side. Even the cooking pot looked a little old and wobbly.

But oh, the smell!

It was smoky, sweet, and rich, like grilled caramel mixed with sizzling garlic and something that smelled like spiced ocean wind. It was weird, wild, and completely new.

Even Qin Feng stopped walking.

"What... is that smell?" he muttered.

Xi Ping sniffed. "Smells like... roasted seafood and sugar? That can’t be right."

Still, the smell was too good to ignore.

They slowly walked toward the stall.

On the table sat a round, dark-purple food shaped like a cracked egg.

The outer shell was thin and shiny like glass, but inside it was full of soft, glowing jelly.

The jelly was bright teal with tiny black seeds that sparkled like stars.

The name of the dish, written in shaky handwriting on a chalkboard, was:

"Tidefire Bloom Bites – Made from Moon Clams and Flame Vines"

"What the heck is a flame vine?" Xi Ping whispered.

"No clue," Qin Feng said, eyes still on the glowing egg-like treat.

The stall owner was a tired-looking old man with frizzy green hair and goggles on his head.

When he saw them stop at his stall, he instantly stood up straighter and smiled widely.

"Hey there, travelers! First time in the market? Wanna try a free sample?" he said eagerly. "No one’s bought anything all morning!"

Qin Feng nodded. "We’ll try."

The old man happily grabbed a small plate and placed three mini Tidefire Blooms on it.

They looked like jelly-filled flower buds with crispy edges that sizzled slightly like firecrackers.

Qin Feng held the plate, looked down at the glowing cub in his arms, and carefully lowered the plate toward Su Jiyai.

Su Jiyai didn’t hesitate.

She leaned forward, sniffed once... and then took a small, polite bite.

CRACKLE!

As soon as her teeth broke the outer shell, it popped gently like sugar glass, and the jelly inside melted in her mouth.

BOOM!

Her eyes widened.

It was like the flavors exploded in her mouth.

First, there was a deep salty taste, like ocean waves crashing against her tongue. Then came a sweet burst, like caramel candy with a little bit of mango and mint. After that, a spicy warmth spread across her mouth, but not the burning kind. It was cozy, like a fireplace on a cold night.

And finally, the jelly left behind a refreshing, cool feeling like she had just bitten into starlight.

Su Jiyai’s tail wagged.

She took another bite.

And another.

Until her sample was gone, and she was licking her lips.

She looked at Qin Feng with glowing eyes and sent him a message through the system.

[Buy more.]

Qin Feng chuckled as he saw Su Jiyai’s glowing eyes staring at the Tidefire Bloom Bites.

"You want more, huh?" he said, amused. "Well... we don’t actually have any coins."

Su Jiyai blinked. Then her ears drooped slightly, and she nodded with a sigh. But a second later, she perked up again and sent him a message through the system:

[Ask the shopkeeper if we can sell gold for coins here.]

Qin Feng nodded and turned to the green-haired stall owner. "Hey, quick question—can we sell gold here for coins?"

The stall owner tilted his head and frowned. "Gold? What’s that?"

Qin Feng, Xi Ping, and even Su Jiyai were stunned.

"What do you mean, ’what’s that’?" Xi Ping asked, confused.

The man shrugged. "Never heard of it. Is it some kind of fruit?"

Qin Feng glanced at Su Jiyai, who gave him a small nod. He immediately held out his palm, and poof!—a shiny gold nugget appeared.

The shopkeeper squinted at it.

He picked it up carefully, turning it left and right under the sunlight.

"Huh... shiny. But I’ve never seen this kind of metal before," he muttered. "It’s not one of the precious ones."

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. "Then what are the precious ones here?"

The man listed off casually, "Mystil, Zelthium, Flowmetal, Emberite, or sometimes even Deltan Spark—I mean, normal stuff."

Qin Feng and Xi Ping looked at each other, completely confused.

None of those metals existed in their world.

Xi Ping groaned. "Of course gold doesn’t work here..."

Still, Qin Feng wasn’t ready to give up.

"Is there any place we can test if this metal is valuable?" he asked.

The stall owner blinked, then laughed.

"Of course. Just head two kilometers east—you’ll find a public metal detector. Put the metal inside, and it’ll tell you how rare and valuable it is. Simple stuff."

Qin Feng nodded. "Got it. Thanks."

He was about to turn and leave when he felt a tiny tap on his arm. Looking down, he saw Su Jiyai’s paw poking him gently.

She sent a quick message:

[Wait. Ask for the shopkeeper’s number.]

Qin Feng didn’t question it. He turned back. "By the way, can I get your number?"

The shopkeeper blinked in surprise. "My number? Why?"

Qin Feng kept a calm face. "I’m planning a banquet soon and might need someone to provide local food. Your stuff is the best I’ve tasted so far."

The man’s eyes lit up. "Really?! That’s great!" He pulled out a strange square card and passed it to Qin Feng. "Here! That’s my number."

Qin Feng stared at it.

The numbers weren’t numbers at all. It was a weird mix of curvy symbols and glowing dots. His lips twitched.

"What kind of alien code is this..." he muttered under his breath.

Su Jiyai just tilted her head. She’d seen dozens of these kinds of systems in different worlds. Nothing new to her.

Soon, they followed the stall owner’s directions and reached the public metal detector. It was a tall red post with silver buttons and a glowing box on top—almost like a fire hydrant mixed with a vending machine.

Qin Feng stepped up and placed the piece of gold into the small tray at the front.

DING!

The machine lit up and made a loud humming sound.

Then words appeared on the glowing screen:

[Material Scanned: Unknown – Value: 2 Star Coins]

Xi Ping gasped. "What?! Only 2?!"

Qin Feng scratched his head. "That’s... basically worthless."

All three of them stared at the number, disappointed.

"So... selling gold isn’t gonna work here," Xi Ping mumbled.

They were about to walk away when Su Jiyai’s ears perked up again. She looked up at Qin Feng and tapped his arm.

[Try a zombie crystal.]

Qin Feng’s eyes lit up. "Oh! Good idea."

He quickly reached into his storage space and pulled out one clear, purple zombie crystal.

Placing it in the tray, they all leaned in to watch.

DING! DING! DING!

The machine beeped rapidly, and this time, golden lights sparkled around the tray.

[Material Scanned: Energy Core – Value: 1,000 Star Coins]

"WHAAAAT?!" Xi Ping’s jaw dropped.

"A thousand?!" Qin Feng blinked in shock.

Even Su Jiyai wiggled in excitement, tail wagging like crazy.

"Yes!! That’s it! We’re rich!" Xi Ping laughed.

Qin Feng immediately pulled out two more zombie crystals, and the machine confirmed the same value for each.

They had hit the jackpot.

"We can sell these and finally eat something delicious!" Xi Ping cheered.

Qin Feng didn’t look as excited as Xi Ping.

Instead, he frowned a little and asked, "Where do we even sell these? What if people here don’t even know what these crystals are?"

Xi Ping blinked. "That’s a good point..."

But before they could overthink it, Su Jiyai tapped Qin Feng’s arm again and sent a message:

[That’s impossible. If the metal detector already knew it was an energy core and gave it a value, then people here must know about it. Machines don’t guess—they detect.]

Qin Feng nodded slowly. "You’re right. Good thinking, boss."

Xi Ping clapped her hands. "So let’s go sell these and get food! I want three more Galaxy Spiral Buns!"

And with that, the three of them began walking down the market road, checking every shop they passed.

It wasn’t easy.

Most shops only sold food or clothes or shiny floating gadgets that none of them understood.

It took them almost an hour of walking before they finally found a wide, round building with thick metal doors. Above the entrance was a bold sign:

"IRONCORE ARMORY – Best Weapons in All Five Districts"

Inside, the air smelled like oil, sparks, and heat. A massive man with glowing red goggles and silver beard stood behind the counter, hammering something on an anvil.

Qin Feng stepped forward. "Hey, do you buy crystals?"

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