Chapter 40: One Hundred Million Dollars

The shop owner was instantly intrigued. "A bet? Sure, I'm in. What's the wager?"

"If there's something special about this sheepskin scroll, you give us back the $300,000!"

The shop owner didn't even hesitate. "Deal, but what if there's nothing?"

I replied without a second thought, "If there's nothing, we'll pass on the $300,000 and hand you another $300,000!"

The crowd went wild, thinking I was out of my mind!

Alicia grabbed my arm. "Dennis, have you lost it?!"

I patted her hand. "Relax, it's all good."

Lorenzo was left speechless, trying to speak but failing. He knew I was just a kid from the countryside, and at this point, I must have some serious confidence.

But where was this confidence coming from? He didn't know.

The shop owner was also taken aback by my words, and after a few seconds, he laughed and clapped. "Alright, I agree! If there's something special, I'll give you back the $300,000. If not, you give me another $300,000! Everyone here, including Mr. Graves, can be witnesses!"

I nodded and started looking around the street, ignoring him.

Alicia stuck close to me, like she was afraid I'd bolt.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"Clean rainwater."

It had rained a few days ago, but after a few sunny days, the ground was dry.

"If you need rainwater, I have some," a nearby shop owner who had been watching the commotion called out. "I collect rainwater for my plants. How much do you need?"

"Not much, just a tablespoon."

"Alright!"

A minute later, I returned to the shop with a spoonful of rainwater. I dipped my finger in the rainwater and drew a StarAmulet on the table, then laid the sheepskin scroll flat on it. I then drank the rainwater and sprayed it onto the scroll, ensuring an even distribution.

A few minutes later, the sheepskin scroll slowly changed color.

From yellowish-brown, it turned to grayish-white.

Everyone gathered around. I asked the shop owner for tweezers and carefully rubbed the corner of the sheepskin scroll—the corner of the scroll lifted!

The crowd was shocked.

"A hidden layer? This is a hidden layer!"

"Wow, this kid is really a hidden expert!"

"What's inside?" The shop owner was nervous, staring intently at the sheepskin scroll.

After a few more seconds, I used the tweezers to slowly lift the thin paper on top.

Amid the crowd's breathless anticipation, another set of characters emerged from beneath the delicate paper. They bore a striking resemblance to the surface script but possessed a much finer and more vigorous touch, clearly the work of a master.

What they didn't see was that after I lifted the top layer of thin paper, a white mist dissipated—this was originally hidden by a master with a StarAmulet.

The crowd stared in silence for a dozen seconds before cheering!

Brian leaned over the table, carefully examining it with his reading glasses, his voice trembling. "How could this be..."

Lorenzo was also excited. "Brian, what is this sheepskin scroll?"

"What sheepskin scroll? Do you know what this is?" Brian stammered. "This, damn it! This is Eldric's original, the Scroll of Lumina!"

The cheering crowd fell silent instantly.

Eldric's Scroll of Lumina!

What did that mean?

It was a priceless treasure!

"Brian, are you serious?" Lorenzo was stunned.

The sheepskin calligraphy scroll found within the layers exhibits a rough, yellowed paper, but it was well-preserved. The calligraphy was vigorous, graceful, and subtly expressive, exuding a sense of peace and harmony in its overall natural beauty.

Brian's eyes welled up with tears. "I've studied Eldric for decades, I can't be wrong! This sheepskin scroll is a unique masterpiece!"

Brian took a deep breath. "I never thought I'd see the original Scroll of Lumina in my lifetime. I can die without regret..."

I was taken aback as well. While I was aware of a hidden secret within, the sheer extraordinariness of the sheepskin scroll caught me off guard, driving Brian to the brink of madness.

Alicia nudged me with her elbow. Following her gaze, I saw the shop owner slumped in his chair, looking ashen.

He wasn't upset about the $300,000, but about having placed a priceless treasure on his shelf as a fake for a year—today, he was the real fool!

Lorenzo also snapped out of his shock, looking at me with eyes shining so brightly that I almost wanted to hide in Alicia's arms.

Alicia thought I was taking advantage of the situation and said to Lorenzo. "Dad, it's just a sheepskin scroll, why are you so excited?"

"Why the excitement? Any idea what Eldric Carvyn's sheepskin calligraphy scroll, which was in worse condition than this one, sold for last year?"

"How much?"

Lorenzo lowered his voice. "One hundred million dollars!"