Chapter 142: Special Exchange, Alchemy Blind Box

[Normal Exchange List]
[...]
[Accessory: Listener's Butterfly Brooch, Cost—400]
[Accessory: Puppet Father's Monocle, Cost—300]
[...]
[Summon: Domestic Mechanical Puppet, Cost—75]
[Summon: Guard Mechanical Puppet, Cost—150]
[...]
[Listener's Butterfly Brooch]
[Type: Accessory/Chest]
[Quality: Rare]
[Rating: 68/100]
[Details: A unique chest accessory exclusive to Listeners. Shaped like a butterfly-shaped blue brooch, wearing it on the chest unlocks the accessory's unique ability—Listen to Whispers.]
[Listen to Whispers: You consume a certain amount of mental power to condense an egos element butterfly that follows a designated friendly or ordinary target, perceiving the situation near the target, and communicating with the target through the butterfly ignoring distance.]
[Note: The egos element butterfly lacks stealth capabilities and cannot follow hostile targets.]
[Remarks: Turns out I am that very drunken butterfly~]

Li Nanke was now wealthy and generous. Seeing that the "Listener's Butterfly Brooch" possessed quite good functionality—virtually a teenage version of Sophia—he exchanged for it without hesitation.
He pinned the butterfly brooch to the inside of his shirt at the chest and attempted to use "Listen to Whispers."
An azure-blue egos element butterfly materialized out of thin air, leaving a trail of sparkling stardust as it fluttered its wings. It looked rather conspicuous, which explained why it could not follow hostile targets.
He controlled the butterfly to land on Pinocchio's shoulder. When the butterfly remained still, it was indeed difficult to detect.
"Pinocchio, can you hear me?"
Li Nanke kept his lips tightly closed without speaking; the faint whispering sound came directly from the egos element butterfly.
The puppet boy's eyes widened in surprise. This was the ability of the Listener Sophia!
Even though Li Nanke had already explained the wonders of the Great Beyond to him, witnessing it firsthand still left him filled with awe.
Li Nanke closed his eyes and concentrated...
Suddenly, his field of vision shifted. Though his eyes were closed, he could clearly "see" the surrounding scenery.
This did not stem from his own visual perception, but rather from observing everything through the perspective of the egos element butterfly.
Even after Pinocchio walked far away from him, Li Nanke could still observe him, just like tracking and monitoring someone across any distance with a surveillance satellite, while maintaining the ability to communicate with the target at any time.
"The effect is good."
After careful consideration, Li Nanke proceeded to exchange for the "Puppet Father's Monocle."

[Puppet Father's Monocle]
[Type: Accessory/Eye]
[Quality: Excellent+]
[Rating: 59/100]
[Details: A peculiar alchemical item from the Puppet Father Geppetto. Wearing this glasses while possessing the 'Alchemy' prime trait will help increase your success rate in crafting alchemical items.]
[Remarks: You are already a mature Amon; you should learn to wear a monocle on your own.]

With 150 exchange points and 563 egos element crystals remaining, he did not continue browsing the normal list, nor did he use exchange points to reinforce his weapons. Instead, he saved his funds and opened the special list.
Presumably, the three special exchange privileges could trade for quite a few good items.

[Special Exchange List]
[Weapon: Dark Night Phantom Scythe Blade]
[Weapon: Thunder Ruling Greatsword]
[Weapon: Blood-Glory Sword]
[Item: Egos Element Infusion Device]
[Trait: Petrify]
[Trait: Fury]
[Trait: Thunder]
[Prime Trait: Tracking]
[Summon: Subdue Puppet—The Watcher]
[Summon: Director Puppet—King's Flame]
[Summon: King of Puppets—Romeo]
[Vehicle: Super-Giant Puppet—War Machine]

[Trait: Listen (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[Trait: Mind Reading (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[Trait: Wish (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[Trait: Egos Element Tide (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[Prime Trait: Stars (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[Summon: Nameless Puppet (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[Summon: Ancient Higher Lifeform (Related conditions not met, unable to exchange)]
[...]

There were simply too many good things in the special list, encompassing weapons, accessories, traits, summons, and vehicles.
Many high-value exchange items had already been unlocked, such as the King of Puppets Romeo and the super-giant puppet War Machine.
However, several summons in the list were not permanent summons, but rather temporary ones lacking growth potential and incapable of resurrection upon death.
The super-giant puppet War Machine belonged to the vehicle category. Similar to permanent summons, items like vehicles could be repaired and reorganized by expending certain exchange points even if completely destroyed within the Forbidden Dream.
Li Nanke carefully browsed the several available traits that could be exchanged.
Petrify and Fury were both beast traits. The former was a Tier 1 trait that covered the body in emerald crystals to increase defensive capabilities, while the latter was a Tier 2 trait roughly comparable to transforming into Victor the Champion—causing whole-body muscles to swell crazily into a Hulk-like muscular monster.
Thunder was a Tier 2 human trait and the complete ability of Laxasia. It was equivalent to an enhanced version of Flame Breath, allowing the user to channel egos elements into golden thunder. Combined with the Thunder Ruling Greatsword, it could unleash even more formidable power.
Upon acquiring the "Thunder" trait, one could properly wield the "Thunder Ruling Greatsword."
Li Nanke quite liked this weapon, not only because of the greatsword's cool appearance, but also because it could transform into a spear form with a longer attack range, possessing exceptional versatility.
Though the Bloody Warhammer was fierce, blunt weapons lacked the lethal edge of sharp weapons when dealing with certain large enemies.
The remaining "Tracking" was a Tier 1 prime trait belonging to the Tracker career path, which was quite lackluster...
He settled on "Thunder" and the "Thunder Ruling Greatsword."

[Trait: Thunder]
[Affiliation: Humanity]
[Tier: 2]
[Level: 0/10]
[Details: This trait can imbue your melee weapons with egos element thunder effects, allowing your melee weapons to inflict greater damage.]
[As the level of this trait increases, the lethality of Thunder will continuously grow and enhance. When the trait reaches max level and is used in an open terrain, you will consume a massive amount of mental power to grant your weapon the blessing of descending thunder, possessing terrifying lethality.]
[Remarks: At this moment... the hour of annihilation!]

His final exchange slot was contested between the vehicle "War Machine" and the item "Egos Element Infusion Device."
The "Egos Element Infusion Device" was a scaled-down, weakened version of the device atop the central tower of the alchemical island. As a one-time consumable, it could sharply enhance the user's overall strength in a short period, serving as an important life-saving prop in critical moments.
After careful consideration, Li Nanke ultimately abandoned the War Machine.
This vehicle was far too massive in size, making it ill-suited for many indoor combat terrains.
While the War Machine's current strength was decent, this vehicle likely wouldn't keep pace with the growth rates of Li Nanke and Pinocchio, and would probably become obsolete before long.

[Egos Element Infusion Device]
[Type: Item/Consumable]
[Quality: Precious]
[Rating: 37/100]
[Details: A peculiar device crafted through alchemy. It contains a massive amount of stray egos elements within, which can be injected into the user's body upon activation, drastically reinforcing the user's various abilities and granting a massive boost in strength over a short duration.]
[Note: When the egos element reinforcement state fades, the user will enter a two-hour 'Weakened' state, reducing all abilities by 50%.]

"Pity that the prime trait 'Stars' and the summon 'Ancient Higher Lifeform' probably require completing another hidden node before they have a chance to unlock..."
Having settled his exchanges, Li Nanke still had a few exchange points left, along with quite a few egos element crystals.
These items were reserved for the "Alchemy" prime trait, as he wanted to try crafting alchemical items himself.
Acquiring the "Alchemy" prime trait not only raised his mental power cap but also granted him the ability to analyze the properties of alchemical materials.
In terms of innate talent, he had become an alchemical apprentice, though practically speaking, he wasn't one.
Because alchemy was a vast and profound otherworldly science requiring a massive foundation of knowledge.
It was much like possessing the strength to move bricks without having the knowledge or technique of architecture—building a skyscraper would be utterly impossible.
The Alchemist's Cube brilliantly solved this problem by randomly generating architectural blueprints, while also consuming egos element crystals to produce related concrete, rebar, cement, and bricks according to the blueprints. Finally, it allowed one-click synthesis, skipping the construction steps to raise high-rises directly from flat ground.
"Look at it another way: if I hadn't obtained the Cube, wouldn't the alchemy prime trait have been rendered useless? Having the title of alchemist with zero related knowledge would make crafting alchemical items completely impossible."
Now that Pinocchio had inherited a portion of Carol's memories and knew a good deal of alchemical lore, Li Nanke could learn directly from his own summon.
Yet he felt that since a prime trait could be defined as a profession or school, it should be possible to rely solely on the prime trait itself to become a true alchemist.
Li Nanke attempted to channel source energy into the alchemy prime trait.

[Prime Trait: Alchemy]
[Level: Level 0 → Level 2 (23%)]

Since Li Nanke had not acquired Tier 0 and Tier 1 human prime traits, the level cap for the Tier 2 alchemy prime trait was elevated to Level 30, with the first twenty levels essentially serving as back-pay for the Tier 0 and Tier 1 human prime traits.
This also meant leveling up the prime trait cost very little source energy. Though Li Nanke carefully controlled the injection, intending to raise it by just one level to test the waters, a bit too much rushed in all at once in a flash.
The exact moment the alchemy prime trait leveled up, a surge of knowledge and memories flooded directly into his mind...

[The cornerstone of alchemy is the Four-Element Theory. All things in the world are composed of four basic elemental particles—earth, water, fire, and air—combined in different proportions.]
[Each element possesses unique properties. Earth: stable, heavy, cold, and dry, representing the physical substance and foundation. Water: fluid, moist, cold, and soft, symbolizing emotion and the subconscious. Fire: active, hot, and dry, representing vitality and passion. Air: light, hot, and moist, symbolizing spirit and thought...]
[Through the balance and harmonization of these elements, all things in the world can be created. However, there also exists a universal life energy within the universe known as 'Prana' or 'Mental Power'. This energy permeates all living beings, serving as the crucial bond connecting all things and used for alchemical reorganization...]
[...]

Basic alchemical knowledge was forcibly instilled, filling his mind and consciousness in a cramming fashion. Moreover, these memories were deeply etched, as vivid as having read and recited them a thousand times over, making them nearly impossible to forget.
"Just as I thought."
Li Nanke's judgment was correct. By leveling up the "Alchemy" prime trait, he could acquire a vast amount of theoretical knowledge in alchemy and truly become an alchemist.
The basic knowledge acquired so far was limited, likely because the alchemy prime trait was segmented into thirty levels, dividing the relevant knowledge into thirty uneven proportions. Ascending step by step from shallow to deep would eventually turn him into an alchemical master like Geppetto or Simon.
"Human affiliation... seems reducible to techniques and knowledge."
Whether it was the previous Armament, Flame Breath, Flame Cascade, Frenzy, or the newly acquired Thunder, they all seemed to belong to transcendent techniques, whereas the Alchemy prime trait belonged to an entire system of transcendent knowledge—though it naturally contained transcendent techniques as well, such as analyzing elemental particle composition.
Upon acquiring the alchemy prime trait, Li Nanke's understanding of human affiliations deepened further.
He took out the Alchemist's Cube and began attempting to craft alchemical items.
The three wishing functions were Synthesis, Creation, and Acquisition. The first to be pursued was the third function: Blueprint Acquisition.
While the alchemy prime trait helped him acquire theoretical knowledge, actual item crafting required continuous experimentation based on existing knowledge. It was difficult for a single person to research anything of high grade, so the Cube bypassed this step, allowing him to open blind boxes directly for blueprints.
Acquisition was divided into different stages, requiring the consumption of egos element crystals: one hundred, two hundred, five hundred, one thousand, and finally unlimited injection.
"Gacha... I'm very familiar with this."
If Li Nanke converted all his exchange points into egos element crystals, he could expend seven hundred crystals.
He tossed one hundred azure crystals into the Cube and initiated the draw.
Instantly, the egos element crystals transformed into dazzling blue light, enveloping the entire Cube.
When the light dissipated, a strange knowledge recipe called "Excitement Potion" flooded into his mind.

[Excitement Potion Recipe]
[Type: Secret Formula]
[Quality: Normal+]
[Rating: 55/100]
[Details: Can make the user mentally excited for two hours, keeping key organs continuously engorged, with slightly enhanced physical strength and stamina.]
[Specific Formula: Noble Gold Powder - 1g, Dragon's Blood Tree Resin - 5g, Amethyst Powder - 3g, Silver Leaf Extract - 5ml, Moonstone Powder - 1g, Distilled Water - 100ml.]
[Crafting Process: ...]
[Remarks: You might not need it, but plenty of people do!]

"..." Li Nanke fell speechless.
The materials for crafting the Excitement Potion were all present in the exchange list, and their prices were extremely cheap. The cost to craft the potion was less than ten points, making failure virtually impossible.
Yet he had zero need for this alchemical Viagra...
"Again!"
Another hundred egos element crystals went in, and the blue light flashed faintly.
Li Nanke obtained the crafting recipe for the "Fireball Scroll," which could unleash a weak little fireball against enemies upon tearing...
Equally useless garbage.
Pinocchio at the side wore a complex expression and couldn't help advising, "Boss, why don't you try putting a few more egos element crystals in?"
The current Pinocchio was quite familiar with alchemical theory and common sense, and naturally recognized the Cube.
The Cube was a supreme treasure of ancient alchemists; legend had it that many precious blueprints were sealed within, and the more one invested, the higher the probability of being rewarded with rare blueprints.
Throwing crystals in one hundred at a time like Li Nanke was pure gambling on his own luck.
As it turned out, the boss's luck wasn't very good.
As he spoke, Li Nanke tossed in another hundred crystals.
Pinocchio opened his mouth, then obediently closed it again.
He expected the boss to remain expressionless like the previous two times and draw something of little value, but instead, the Cube shook and vibrated before suddenly bursting into a brilliant, dazzling radiance.
Li Nanke raised an eyebrow and blurted out:
"We got a hit!"