It was an antique golden pocket watch, big enough to fit perfectly in an adult’s palm but too large for the current Eric.

  The watch was round with a highly ornate design. The outer case was primarily gold, but it featured accents of some unknown type of metal that exuded a golden rainbow hue.

  It also had intricate engravings covering its surface. The details were so fine and delicately crafted that it looked like a true masterpiece by the best craftsman possible.

  Eric gaped. If the outside was this impressive, then what about the inside?

  Eric had thought that he might receive something good since Bella Noll was personally giving him something, but this was just way over the top.

  He glanced back at Bella Noll, who seemed to be smiling as if she had expected this reaction from him.

  Eric wanted to ask if this was some cheap plastic product, but before that, he needed to check its interior. Something told him it would be amazing.

  Eric removed the watch from the box. The first thing he noticed was its weight. Normally, a pocket watch weighs around 100 grams, but this one was well above 2 kilograms.

  He saw a small notch on one side, so he pressed it, and the lid opened with a satisfying click followed by a soft pop sound.

  The lid opened, revealing the watch face.

  Looking at the lifelike design, Eric was completely amazed.

  The face of the watch was a darkish blue, almost like the night sky. Countless twinkling stars, almost like galaxies, filled the background.

  He didn’t know why he strangely felt the watch was ‘alive’—not the talking-type alive. Perhaps the craftsmanship was so exceptional that it naturally felt that way.

  The watch face looked so magical it could draw anyone’s full attention, as if they were gazing into the entire universe.

  Eric took a deep breath and tried to calm his abnormally beating heart along with his quivering hand.

  He slowly closed the lid with another satisfying click sound, put the watch back inside the box as it was before, and then proceeded to gently close the box cover.

  After doing all that, he turned to glare at the old lady in front of him as if she were some cruel monster.

  After a short pause, Eric inquired gently to confirm his suspicions: "Old woman, did you perhaps think that it was too much to kill me with your own hands, and so you decided to use others’ hands to finish me? Is that it?"

  A pocket watch was good! Eric indeed lacked a watch to check time, but that watch wouldn’t show him the time—only the countdown toward his death!

  On what planet would someone give something so expensive-looking to a child barely eight years old? Even if he didn’t lose it, as long as people knew about it, no matter how kind-hearted they were, they would still harbor enormous greed for such a beautiful and obviously valuable item!

  If Eric was ever seen outside with this watch, it was guaranteed that even if he hid it immediately, people would skin him alive just to check if he had concealed it beneath his flesh or bones.

  Bella Noll chortled at the silly boy’s wild imagination, though he wasn’t entirely wrong about the danger this pocket watch might bring him.

  Eric didn’t quite like Bella Noll’s laughter, so he asked about the other thing that he was suspicious about: "By any chance, are the materials in it fake or cheap? Does it only look expensive from the outside?"

  After all, Eric came from the advanced 21st century, where A.I. robots looked better than real humans; similarly, there were plastic products that looked no different, if not better, than the original.

  But if he had to be honest, he felt whatever metals and whatnot were used to make this pocket watch were likely real, as everything strangely resonated with his life. It was like seeing snow in a picture and touching it physically—the difference was vast. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint why the watch seemed so magical, but he was certain that it was beyond anything he had 'felt' after coming to this world.

  Eric may lack insight on these things, but he was at least smart enough to know that even if it was fake, just the craftsmanship and beauty of it would make it very expensive!

  Bella Noll’s laughter came to a halt, and she started coughing.

  She gave Eric a harsh glare and began educating him, “This pocket watch was personally made by the Great Artisan Elendo of Satyrstane United. The material used in it is Velve Gold…”

  Bella Noll listed twenty-some unknown material names, which flew right over Eric’s head as he knew he would forget everything soon, so he just stared at her blankly.

  Bella Noll continued, “Just the material cost is enough to purchase three large cities! Not to mention the final finished product price. Overall, it’s priceless!”

  Eric’s eyes were hollow; he felt his soul had left on a vacation and was currently unreachable.

  He couldn’t recognize any of the materials, but he could approximately estimate the price.

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  Ringwood Town was called a ‘town’ by its people, but it was actually noted as a village by outsiders who sometimes happened to pass by. A big village—that’s all. So, if this wasn’t even a town, then Eric could guess what a city might be. And this pocket watch was enough to purchase three cities? Oh no-no, that’s only the material cost!

  This pocket watch was truly a nuclear bomb!

  No-no, this must be the true Power Stone!

  So, Bella Noll wasn’t just sending any random humans after him—no, she was sending Thanos after his life!

  Eric glared at Bella Noll with deep resentment.

  Watching Eric’s resentful eyes, Bella Noll didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. So, she just chuckled, “This is already yours. I have already gifted it to you, and now you can do what you like with it.”

  Before Eric could respond, Bella Noll continued, but her voice suddenly had a tinge of melancholy, “You can throw it away, destroy it, or even sell it. Don’t worry, it’s completely yours now. As for your worries... just hide it somewhere before anyone else sees it, and take it out only when you are capable enough to carry it."

  "As long as others aren’t aware of its properties and the material used, they won’t really be able to estimate its true price. As long as you’re using it covertly, and no experienced artisans, craftsmen, or similar experts closely observe it, no one will guess its true value. But it’s still a priceless-looking item, so people will still target you. My only request is, if you decide not to sell or destroy it, then, when you think you’re capable enough, carry it. Don’t let it rot inside the box."

  Eric was startled by Bella Noll’s sudden sadness-filled tone. He was also confused about why she had something so expensive with her. It seems there’s a story behind this pocket watch... But before he asked about that, he needed to voice his grievance first!

  "In that case, what’s the point of having this pocket watch when I cannot even check the time with it?!" Eric rebuked with annoyance. After all, it would probably be a long time before he could use it freely.

  Bella Noll shrugged and nonchalantly answered, "Just think of it as treasure and not as a pocket watch—problem solved!”

  Eric gave Bella Noll a nasty look and then eventually sighed helplessly. She indeed provided a good suggestion, and that was all he could do for now.

  Nonetheless, Eric was very happy internally. He felt that even if the pocket watch wasn’t much help in his day-to-day life, he could still use it to bash people’s heads, as it was quite heavy and felt sturdy enough.

  He still had one question that was bugging him, so he asked the obvious, "Why give me such an expensive item? Also, where did this thing come from? Explain everything, old woman!" Although he sounded rude, he knew this way of talking would only make Bella Noll feel happy. This was the complexity of any close relationship.

  Bella Noll quietly listened to Eric's complaints with a smile, but slowly her smile turned melancholy.

  She gently turned toward the open window with a sad expression.

  Normally, she wouldn't be sad over this topic anymore, as she had long left her past behind, but giving away the pocket watch still stung her, as it reminded her of many things.

  Eric didn't disturb Bella Noll and waited for her to speak.

  From his memory, she had never shown such a sad expression; since she did so now, it meant the story behind it was equally important to her.

  Bella Noll stayed quiet while silently gazing out the window at the dark-blue sky.

  After a long time, she turned back and smiled. "Eric, you are very mature for your age. Since I gave you this watch, I guess you have the right to know about it. Originally, I was planning to carry my past with me to my grave alone, but I suppose I can tell you a few things."

  She drank some water from her cup and continued with deep nostalgia in her eyes. "When I was young, I was an active Mana Wielder and an adventurer. I fought various dangerous and exciting battles and traveled to many amazing places. At some point, I got invited to join an adventurer team, which I accepted. We had many wonderful times, but leaving those aside... I met a man in that team. We got along well. We fell in love, married, and had a son. We loved him dearly—he was so cute... His name..." She sighed and shook her head. "It's not important."

  "One day, I went outside the city where we used to live to collect some usual things, and when I returned, the entire city was in ruins. Both Derik and our son... were dead."

  A silent tear rolled down Bella Noll's aged cheeks.

  She closed her eyes for a moment. After wiping her tears, she took a deep breath and calmed down. She then continued in her usual tone, "During one of our missions, we entered a certain ruin and found some extremely rare materials. My husband and I couldn’t even identify some of those materials. The quantities also weren’t enough to build something significant."

  "While we were deciding what to do with them, we recalled an old acquaintance we had made in the past: the Great Artisan Elendo. He also owed us a small favor, so we consulted him. Around that time, I also became pregnant. Elendo suggested we build a pocket watch for our child. He even used his own materials in crafting it, though I’m unsure what they were. After finishing, he declared it his greatest masterpiece."

  Bella Noll’s mood gradually improved as she spoke. She smiled at Eric; her expression was no longer burdened.

  She gave Eric a well-wishing recommendation: "If you ever need help in the future, seek out Elendo. He is an honest man. As long as you mention my name, he will try to assist you as much as possible—I am certain of it."

  Eric was amazed by Bella Noll's confidence in this Elpeso guy, but he was not too confident. Although he didn’t want to doubt her, he still wouldn’t go telling that Elipsoil guy that he knew Bella Noll.

  What if this Eclipse guy suddenly wished to reclaim his ‘masterpiece’ and sent killers after him because of that?

  Bella Noll could see Eric's worry, so she chuckled with amusement. "I understand your caution. Do as you see fit. I will only say, Elendo knew the value of those materials and was aware of our ignorance. He could have easily fooled us, and my husband and I wouldn’t have known any better, but he never hid it from us. Not only did he not steal our materials, he added his own to complete it. After all that work, he handed his craft over to us without hesitation and refused to take any payment, though we forced him to take some, which wasn’t even worth a single tiny design on that watch."

  Bella Noll shook her head with nostalgia and laughed.

  "Decide for yourself. I just wanted to help you forge connections in the wider world." She smiled. "I hope you don’t mind that it already had an intended user, though it remained unused and never left that box until today. I hope you accept it. Use it yourself or sell it if needed. I, no, we—won’t blame you for it."

  Eric accepted and kept the box inside his pocket, then asked with a puzzled tone, "But why now? You could have given it to me later after I’ve grown up more, no?"

  "We planned to give this to our son when he turned eight," Bella Noll answered calmly. "So I think it’s perfect to give it to you today rather than later. Besides, you are far smarter than any eight-year-old I know, so I am even less worried."

  Bella Noll and her husband Derik had originally intended to gift the pocket watch to their son when he became a Mana Wielder. Eight years old was typically when children with proper training, guidance, and resources could evolve into Mana Wielders.

  Since they weren’t wealthy nobles with unlimited resources, even if their son had failed at age eight, they would have waited until he succeeded before gifting it.

  She was currently suffering from an old injury and didn’t have long to live. At best, she had ten more years; chances were high she might pass sooner. So she didn’t hesitate and decided to give away the pocket watch.

  Bella Noll felt neither regret nor a desire to extend her life. Her injury was nearly self-inflicted. In fact, if she hadn’t opened the orphanage, she would have left much sooner.