Chapter 125

"You're hopeless," James thought, regarding Dustin as an idiot.

"What on earth are you up to?" Dahlia frowned at the scene, unable to comprehend his outrageous behavior.

Ignoring the curious stares, Dustin reached into the shattered Luminianth Root and began searching. Soon, a crimson-red, finger-sized Luminianth Root emerged. Small and delicate, it was the color of blood and emanated a strange odor, clearly indicating its unusual nature.

"That's odd," Ruth said, confused. "How could there be a smaller Luminianth Root? Is it possible for a Luminianth Root to give birth?"

At that moment, Mr. Walter gasped, a sudden realization dawning on him. "No—no way! Could it be—that's a Blood Luminianth Root?!"

His statement sent the room into an uproar.

"What? A Blood Luminianth Root? Mr. Walter, you're not kidding, are you?!"

"That's right. I've read about it; this is truly a Blood Luminianth Root!"

"Oh my God! I can't believe I'm seeing a Blood Luminianth Root with my own eyes! How exciting!"

The crowd erupted in excited discussion, some surprised, others envious.

"Wait! What's a Blood Luminianth Root?" Ruth asked, bewildered.

"A Blood Luminianth Root is a rare variant, far more precious than a normal Luminianth Root!" Mr. Walter explained, his voice brimming with excitement. "You could say it's the King of Luminianth Roots! An invaluable treasure!"

"Invaluable treasure? Then how much would it cost?" Ruth asked curiously.

"A Blood Luminianth Root is extremely valuable," Mr. Walter replied. "If I were to auction it, it would fetch more than ten billion dollars!" The words hung in the air, shocking everyone.

"What? Ten billion?!" Incredulity filled the room. It was an amount beyond the wildest dreams of anyone present.

"How—how could it be? This tiny thing is worth ten billion dollars?" Florence's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ten billion is just the reserve price," Mr. Walter exclaimed. "At auction, it might even fetch more!"

His words drained the color from Florence's face. This Blood Luminianth Root was hers, yet she had sold it for five million dollars. The difference was staggering.

"How could this happen? No! This can't be!"

Julie and the others were stunned, unable to process the situation. Who would have thought a Blood Luminianth Root could be hidden within a wilted one?

"Dustin, my man! I can't believe your luck! You discovered a Blood Luminianth Root. Those five million dollars were well spent!" Ruth laughed, admitting that even she had never encountered anything worth ten billion dollars.

"You! Thanks for your sacrifice," Ruth continued, addressing Julie and Florence. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten our hands on such a valuable treasure. To be fair, it was supposed to be yours. What a shame you didn't recognize its value. Thanks to your loss, we got it for a steal! Ten billion dollars! How wonderful!" She shook her head and sighed.

Her words stung. Julie and Florence flushed with anger, their faces betraying their humiliation. A ten-billion-dollar treasure, lost because of a simple mistake. Their misfortune was palpable.