Chapter 283 Awakening <TOC> Chapter 285 The Hesitant Ananda
Next page password is bold portion: b@brePlc3up
Translator: SumTLMan
A wizard’s gaze remains perpetually focused on the future, never dwelling in the past.
Even if he had endured a lopsided confrontation today and achieved something worth bragging about for the rest of his life, he would merely store it in his memory vault, without ceaselessly reminiscing. For others, it might serve as casual post-dinner conversation; but for the one who underwent the experience, it is simply an enriching episode in life’s journey.
Throughout their dialogue, Angel also discovered the events that transpired after he lost consciousness.
For instance, the final auction piece.
“Who could have anticipated that Twilight would manage to procure a Mysterious Item as the grand finale?!” Merely hearing David’s account aroused a longing within Angel’s eyes.
To a wizard, mysteries can be transformed into an exploration of the unknown and the pursuit of truth.
If words were hierarchically ranked, “Mysterious” would undoubtedly be the most supreme and prestigious tier in a wizard’s perception.
In the realm of wizards, daring to bestow the title “Mysterious” upon an item demonstrates its distinguished nature.
Particularly as an alchemist, Angel is naturally captivated by such Mysterious Items, which are only mentioned in legends and have never been witnessed firsthand.
“I’m curious about the appearance of this Mysterious Item and how it differs from other alchemical items,” Angel’s eyes brimmed with anticipation.
Promi: “I’ve only heard that the classification of Mysterious Items adheres to an alternative set of principles. Regrettably, I have never encountered one, so I cannot provide a more comprehensive explanation.”
Angel himself had limited knowledge about Mysterious Items. The alchemical tomes collected from the Nightmare Plane seldom contained any related information.
He was only aware that Mysterious-grade items were not inherently superior to other entry-level alchemical tools. Frequently, mid- and low-level alchemical items surpassed Mysterious Items in quality, let alone the high-level and strategic-grade alchemical creations.
Nevertheless, the low ranking of Mysterious Items does not imply diminished value.
Comparable to a royal prince and an ordinary warrior, while the warrior would undoubtedly excel in personal strength, individual prowess does not always equate to true power. The mere status of the prince represents something unattainable by the warrior.
The majority of Mysterious-grade items possess a transcendent nature that surpasses conventional alchemical rankings.
“It’s unfortunate that I didn’t witness it personally. It is indeed a great pity,” Angel expressed his regret.
Seeing Angel’s interest, David said, “If you want to see it, you can go to your mentor! Didn’t we just mention it? The final Grudge Doll was actually bought by Lord Sanders! Given his favor towards you, he probably wouldn’t refuse if you wanted to see it, right?”
Angel was taken aback, “The Grudge Doll was bought by my mentor?”
“Yes, he spent nearly seven million magic crystals on it. This price set a new record for the highest transaction in Twilight Auction House’s three hundred-year history!” David exclaimed, “Seven million magic crystals… I probably won’t earn that much in my entire life… A doll that looks like it was woven by an ordinary little girl is worth seven million, and the stitching on it might not even be better than mine!”
Promi recalled the doll, which indeed appeared to have no distinguishing features, and nodded in agreement with David’s words, “I didn’t see anything special about that doll either. I haven’t studied tailoring, but I can still judge the quality of a fabric. That doll doesn’t look like it was made by a professional.”
Upon hearing their words, Angel had a flash of inspiration and remembered a story: “Speaking of which, I once read a book in my mentor’s study called —Strange Worlds— written by the great wizard Fivenda. This book is said to introduce the scientific knowledge of various planes but actually reads more like a travelogue. There’s a story about a Mysterious Item in it that is somewhat similar to what you described.”
“Fivenda encountered a magical silverfish race in an Ocean Plane with colorful, shimmering foam.”
Angel continued his account: These tiny silverfish were only palm-sized, and Fivenda noticed them because he accidentally discovered their tribe… That’s right, a tribe.
After observing for several months, Fivenda realized that these silverfish had developed primitive intelligence. They lived like early humans, forming groups to defend against predators, building settlements for protection, and developing basic social concepts.
Such a primitive tribe without an established civilization was quite common among the myriad planes. Fivenda observed them for a while and then left the plane. About a century later, he returned to the Ocean Plane and accidentally remembered the silverfish tribe, so he went to observe them again.
A hundred years had not brought about a complete primary civilization for the silverfish tribe. Their basic social structure remained similar to when he had left. However, this time Fivenda noticed a phenomenon: during the mating season, male silverfish would attract the attention of the females by constructing mating chambers on the ocean floor using mud, shells, coral, aquatic plants, and anything else they could use.
Fivenda referred to these chambers as: Breeding Chambers.
Upon observing the female fish’s choice of Breeding Chambers, they would wait in the corresponding chamber for the male fish to come “on duty.”
Different male fish constructed various styles of Breeding Chambers, such as shell chambers, muddy-sand rooms, and coral caves. Fivenda found this fascinating and stayed for several more years, observing the reproductive endeavors of this group of little silverfish.
In the second year, he noticed a silverfish with black spots that had built a small Breeding Chamber out of the rotten wood from a sunken ship, waiting for a female fish to come. However, no female fish found it appealing.
In the third year, the black-spotted silverfish still used rotten wood to construct the Breeding Chamber. This time, it built a triangular structure that even Fivenda admired for its sturdiness. No matter how “rigorous the activity,” it wouldn’t collapse. Yet still, no female fish took the bait.
The fourth year, the fifth year, and so on until the eighth year passed, with the black-spotted silverfish unable to attract any female fish. Even Fivenda began to feel sorry for this single fish.
The lifespan of a small silverfish is only ten years, and its opportunities for reproduction were dwindling.
In the eighth year, the black-spotted silverfish constructed a small, intricate room, much like a human’s wooden cabin, delicate and adorable. Fivenda marveled at it, speculating that if it continued like this, this single black-spotted silverfish could challenge the barriers of a “primitive civilization.”
Unfortunately, the exquisite cabin still failed to attract any female fish.
By the ninth year, Fivenda started to understand that it wasn’t the inadequacy of the black-spotted silverfish’s constructions, but rather its unattractive appearance.
It turned out that female fish, when selecting a mate, considered not only the Breeding Chamber but also the appearance of their potential partner. Fivenda silently lamented for the black-spotted silverfish.
In the ninth year, the black-spotted silverfish used the rotten wood from the sunken ship to create an even more intricate structure. Not only was it ingeniously designed like a fortress, but it was also a multi-level, duplex castle!
This time, a female fish did come. However, as soon as the female fish entered the “castle,” the black-spotted silverfish killed her with a weapon.
The black-spotted silverfish attracted 39 female fish in total, all of whom were killed, staining the entire castle with blood.
Fivenda sighed, “This is what happens when one stays single for too long, leading to psychological abnormalities…”
The black-spotted silverfish didn’t live to its tenth year. It was killed by a group of guards arranged by the silverfish tribe’s chief, who had besieged the “castle.” The black-spotted silverfish met its demise, overwhelmed by the sheer number of fish.
Is this where the story ends?
No, it isn’t.
Fivenda’s story actually begins here. Fivenda is a hidden observer who, although sympathetic to the lonely fish, has never interfered with the development of this small tribe.
Upon the death of the black dot silverfish, Fivenda finds the Ocean Plane devoid of amusement and prepares to depart. It is then that he discovers a miraculous place: the “castle” built by the black dot silverfish has undergone an incredible transformation.
Without any external influence, it has astonishingly become a Mysterious Item?!
Fivenda does not document the specific enigmatic effects in his book, —Strange Worlds—.
How could Fivenda be unaware of the value of a Mysterious Item? He witnessed the birth of one! In his exhilaration, he believed he had found the method for the creation of Mysterious Items.
Consequently, Fivenda broke free from the constraints of being an observer and began slaughtering fish as a predator, using their blood to breed profusely.
However, not a single Mysterious Item was produced.
Fivenda conducted several experiments, studied the structure of silverfish, and analyzed the data of various bodily fluids.
Yet, still, there were no changes.
In the end, the silverfish tribe was eradicated by Fivenda’s hand, and he only obtained the single Mysterious Item in the form of a castle.
Initially, Angel regarded this story as a legend because he found it hard to believe that Fivenda spent ten years watching a fish build a house. As a result, he read the story without paying much attention.
However, when Angel thought of the crude rag doll mentioned by Promi and David, he noticed some similarities.
A castle built by a silverfish might be exquisite in the eyes of the silverfish. However, Angel speculated that to human eyes, it would probably appear quite crude.
The crude castle, without any other interventions, ultimately became a “Mysterious Item.”
The simple rag doll, seemingly woven by a child, turned into a “Mysterious Item” filled with resentment.
Indeed, there were some similarities between the two.
“Could it be that the birth of Mysterious Items requires a certain strong emotion or a specific idea to come into existence?” After hearing the story, Promi ventured a guess about Mysterious Items.
Angel shook his head: “I don’t know either, and I’m not even sure if the story is true or false… But I do know that alchemists can create Mysterious Items. As for how to create them, I have no idea.”
“Ordinary people… no, even ordinary fish can produce Mysterious Items. That’s indeed… mysterious,” David was also fascinated by the story, “Now I’m even more interested in Mysterious Items. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll accidentally create one and make a fortune!”
“Thirty years ago, a Mysterious Item called the ‘Dream Conch of Moonlit Coast’ was auctioned in the Sky Mechanical City. It is said to have the ability to draw all non-living beings into dreams, regardless of rank. This trivial effect led to a final transaction price of less than 10,000 magic crystals, so don’t get your hopes up. Not all Mysterious Items are that valuable,” Promi said.
Ignoring rank and allowing non-living beings to dream? Angel pondered in amazement. Can non-living beings dream? Indeed, this Mysterious Item was too inconsequential…
“Focus on mastering the basics. There are plenty of entry-level alchemical items that sell for over 700,000 magic crystals,” Promi encouraged David with a pat on the shoulder.
“You’re talking about high-level alchemical items at least. I’ve heard that strategic-level alchemical items are priceless treasures. If I could reach that level, I wouldn’t even care about ordinary Mysterious Items,” David pouted.
The three laughed and changed the topic.
Angel suddenly thought of Lydia from earlier in the day, who seemed to be quite familiar with the mentor. Curiously, he inquired Promi: “Who exactly is Lady Red Lotus in Box 1 today? Why does everyone seem to be afraid of her?”
“You’re talking about Lady Lydia, right? Well, she is actually…”
Just as Promi began to speak, he saw a little head peeking out from around the corner of the staircase.
“Lady Red Lotus has already arrived at the Shadow Demon Castle?”