Li Wei's new neighbor was named Bestna. From her appearance, she was a Frost Giant who was slightly oversized and somewhat unconventional.
At that moment, her eyes were dull and unfocused as she slumped gracelessly upon a platinum throne covered in blue ice and ringed by heaps of glittering treasure.
This vast accumulation of wealth was no less impressive than the hoard of some ancient dragons. And if any knowledgeable spellcaster saw the many oddly shaped black stones among it, their eyes would likely bulge from their sockets.
For in the age of Netheril, it had possessed a household name of incalculable worth—
Black Gold!
According to the analyses of Great Arcanists, this "Black Gold" contained no fewer than thirty kinds of rare metallic elements!
If they were extracted through certain special methods and mixed into steel for smelting, the resulting "alloy" could gain properties equal to—or even surpassing—Mithril equipment.
One Great Arcanist had once used it to forge a batch of Black Gold golems, only to be declared bankrupt and liquidated halfway through playing with them.
Before it was discovered on the deep-sea floor, most of it had come from meteorites fallen from beyond the heavens, while a small amount could be found during volcanic eruptions. Its value was astronomical.
A fist-sized piece of Black Gold could be exchanged for several times its weight in Mithril, or a hundred times its weight in gold!
Bestna had also chanced upon some on the deep-sea floor of the Sea of Moving Ice and brought it back, only to discover that "Mother" liked it very much.
Thus, whenever she went to the Sea of Moving Ice to hunt seals or orcas, she would try to bring some back.
Even though it was pitch-black down there, under the crushing pressure of the deep