The Zhen team did not win the Prospector's Challenge, but then again, neither did the Wolfe team or the Corrada team. Instead, that honor went to a(n) (un)surprising upset team.
"And the winner of this year's Prospector's Challenge is...an unexpected dark horse, the Bolt Team!"
"HECK YEAH!"
"WOOOO, WE DID IT POPS!"
"Y'ALL CAN RESPECTFULLY SUCK IT!"
The Bolt Clan's team was (un)surprisingly rather boisterous about winning the Prospector's Challenge. While it wasn't unusual for a mid tier family to upstage the Big Four during the Prospector's Challenge, it was still uncommon enough that it made for a big deal.
"Damn, wasn't expecting this out of the Bolt Family of all families..."
"Congratulations, Patriarch Zulk! Your inheritors proved to be quite talented."
"I still say it's bullshit. We clearly saw that it was the Zhen, Corrada and Wolfe heirs that did all of the work!"
"Hey that's life for ya, sometimes you do all the work, only for someone else to steal your gains."
"Speaking of, where did they go?"
Granted, while the three families were mildly upset about not winning the challenge and all of those treasures from the ruins, they still reaped some "small" benefits.
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Among the Corradas
"Here you are Mother. These are the treasures we managed to extract from the ruins," Gianna said in a respectful tone as she handed over three jade medicine bottles on a red lacquer tray.
Matriarch Telana gingerly accepted the tray before settling it upon her lap.
"The firs-"
"Hush child," Telana interrupted, "I can determine the contents myself."
The matriarch of the Corrada family carefully opened and quickly sniffed the contents of each bottle before replacing their stoppers and placing them back onto the tray.
Telana closed her eyes for a moment as she analyzed the contents of the bottles.
"Hmmm. The young sapling of a Star Cloud Fruit tree, Dire Basilikong's Saliva and Effervescent Lotus...fine additions to the treasury and potent substances. You did well to hide these Gianna, they'll be of great benefit to the family," Telana told her daughter with a smile. It was a strange kind of smile, one that attempted to be warm but didn't feel quite right or practiced.
"Thank you mother," Gianna said with a small tinge of pride to her voice.
Nonetheless, Gianna was happy that her mother was happy...or at least what passed for happiness on that face...
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The Wolfe Abode
Jacob Wolfe sat upon a black leather chair, made from the hide of an Shadowfang Crocodile, whilst agitatedly tapping the marble floor with his cane.
Before him was his son Donovan and his son's subordinates, Richter and Jeremiah. The three young men looked a tad nervous this time around, not showcasing the same bravado they had earlier in the day.
"So...you three have failed the Prospector's Challenge..."
"Father I-"
"Silence!"
Donovan promptly proceeded to shut his face.
"But...at least neither the Corradas nor the Zhen Clan managed to win as well...," Jacob said contemplatively, "Did you at least managed to secure some gains?"
A devious smile formed on Donovan's face. "But of course Father. Richter?"
The heavyset Richter proceeded to produce a strange looking silver bracelet from his back pockets and placed it upon his wrist. Richter began to move some of his aether into the bracelet, causing it to glow for a brief moment before expelling a surprisingly large amount of Ifrit Fire Heart Crystal shards, more than what was claimed by the Bolt Family, as well as some other high quality ores. Evidently, the Wolfe Family decided to outfit their team with something a bit more than a single aether puppet.
"We made sure not to submit everything we had...acquired in the ruins, father. As well as...remind people why we're the top powerhouse in Stone Claw."
A look of greedy ambition, mixed with a smile reminiscent of Donovan's, formed on Jacob's face as we stared at the pile of valuable minerals.
"Most excellent. Looks like our blades are about to become much, much sharper."
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Zhen Clan Compound
[Knees...]
The Zhen team heirs were currently sitting upon their knees, thankfully on cushions, while their grandfather was busy reading the arts scroll that they had managed to retrieve from the ruins. Zhen Shi had also shown interest in the weird club that Zhen Liu was now swinging around, but found the arts scroll to be the more pressing of the two...well, more pressing of the three technically.
Frosttusk was still hanging around while this was happening, alongside the mechanical centisnake's head. Zhen Liu was initially going to dismiss him, but his grandfather insisted on keeping him out so he could inspect him.
Evidently, this made Zhen Liu a tad nervous, because if his mother knew about Nepherage, then there was a possibility his grandfather knew too.
"Hmmm."
But now wasn't the time to think about it.
"You've done quite well grandchildren," Zhen Shi said as he closed up the scroll, "this art will prove quite useful in strengthening our clan as a whole. Granted, it will take time for even me to fully master this art, so it will be a while until I can fully teach you three as well on how to use it."
Zhen Hai and Zhen Yue immediately perked up upon hearing this.
"Really? We get to practice this art too?"
"But of course," Zhen Shi nodded with magnanimous smile, "You were the ones to retrieve, although...I don't think all of you will need my tutoring. Xiao Liu."
"Yes gran-patriarach?," Zhen Liu said while catching himself.
"Tell me," Zhen Shi said while staring at Zhen Liu with a pair of eyes that seemed to dig into his soul, "When did you make this new puppet of yours? And why did you bring back this strange mechanical head?"
"Uh...well...," Zhen Liu stalled as he tried to remember his bullshit excuse. He had saw this coming eventually, so he had practiced a somewhat believable lie ahead of time.
"Okay, so my formula is a little...funny."
"Funny, how?"