Chapter 26

In the midst of the petals of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

Among those materials, besides the monster materials, there were also some rare herbs and minerals. It seemed that the two groups of adventurers had quite a good harvest.

Herbs, when used in cooking, could be used to make some dishes that were previously impossible to prepare. As for the minerals, they had many uses. Of course, the biggest use was to make weapons, armor, and jewelry.

When Ji Ran saw these minerals, his eyes lit up. One of the main reasons he couldn't make many magical artifacts was the lack of metal materials!

In the game "Immortal Freedom," many magical artifacts required metal materials. Of course, there were also some natural treasures that could serve as the main body of magical artifacts, and with some other materials, one could refine top-notch magical artifacts without needing materials of other attributes, but that was something for the mid to late game.

In the early stages, magical artifacts made from metal materials were more powerful. After all, metals were hard, sharp, and flexible, making it easy to meet the standards, while other low-level materials were far inferior.

With these minerals, after refining them, he might even be able to make a couple of magical artifacts!

"Great, these minerals are just what I need. After I rest for a while, I'll use them and the monster materials to refine a couple of magical items... Speaking of which, if I had refined a real magical item for Beck before this happened, maybe..."

Suddenly, he remembered that he had refused Beck's requests to refine magical items multiple times in the past. Back then, he pursued perfection and wanted to refine top-notch attributes even for low-level magical artifacts. If he had just refined a couple of magical artifacts back then...

"Haha, what's the point of talking about that now! Who knew we'd run into this kind of situation. You were striving for excellence back then, trying to make something good for me. What happened later was an accident, no one can blame you!" Beck was very broad-minded.

"But..." Ji Ran wanted to say more but was interrupted by Lai Si.

"Ji Ran, don't worry about this for now. I just thought about it, and I think it's better if you don't easily make too many magical items."

Ji Ran looked at Lai Si in surprise, not knowing why he said that.

"Well, first of all, I have to thank you for your trust in us, showing us so much. However, your character might not be a good thing," Lai Si's expression was very serious.

Before Ji Ran could speak, Ban beside him nodded.

"That's right, Ji Ran. The things you make might not seem like a big deal to you, but in reality, they are almost revolutionary in alchemy. We've seen alchemists before, and even for the most ordinary magical items, they need more than ten days to a month. But you, you can do it in less than half a day... The difference is too great."

Lai Si sighed, "Yes, as Ban said, your speed in refining magical items is too fast. And you can even use some almost worthless materials to refine temporary magical items... Heh, even these are not inferior to the ordinary magical items made by alchemists. Do you know what this means?"

Hearing this, Ji Ran began to understand.

"You mean... I might provoke the jealousy of alchemists?"

Ailin glanced at him, "You do realize this. It's not just the jealousy of alchemists. If your ability is widely known, what do you think the major forces would do? Remember, you have no roots here..."

Ji Ran fell silent. Indeed, his ability to refine magical artifacts was too powerful. If some major forces found out, they might try every means to recruit him... But if they couldn't, who knows what they would do.

"Those major forces, including the state, are not philanthropists. Your ability, at the very least, can quickly amass a large fortune, and at the most, it could influence a country's military reserves. What do you think they would do?" Lai Si's words made Ji Ran even more alarmed.

"The things I make aren't that effective. Even for real magical items, I can only make bronze-tier ones..." Ji Ran tried to argue, but his voice grew weaker.

"Bronze-tier is enough. A country's strongest force might be gold-tier or even beyond, but such forces are only used in wars of national survival. The true main force in wars is still bronze-tier professionals. You can make these things quickly, and the materials needed are not rare, allowing you to quickly arm a large army. In this situation, you would be more sought after than high-tier alchemists..." Lai Si's tone was profound.

After thinking about it, he realized it was indeed the case. Although high-tier professionals could serve as a deterrent, a deterrent cannot be used lightly. Therefore, a large number of ordinary troops were the main force in wars. Ji Ran could quickly and efficiently arm ordinary troops, making him a valuable asset.

"For your own safety, don't easily use this ability. The gains from this adventure are enough for you to go to school. Don't sell your alchemical products for now—newly made items are too obvious. When you have the chance, you can slowly use other methods to cover it up... like learning alchemy. Even then, don't refine alchemical products too quickly, to ensure your secret remains hidden." Lai Si concluded.

Ji Ran nodded silently. Reflecting on it, he realized he had been too rash, revealing several of his trump cards to a group of people he had just met, which was a suicidal move.

This time, he was lucky to meet trustworthy partners who he could rely on. But what about next time? Who could guarantee he would always meet good people?

"Haha, I understand, Uncle Lai Si. It turns out my intuition was right, you are all good people... Meeting you first was truly my luck." Ji Ran smiled. He could feel their genuine concern for him.

"Haha, it's good that you understand! If you become successful in the future, don't forget us! In my life, I just want to eat and wait to die, but unfortunately, I don't have a good father, so I have to work with my brother. But maybe in the future, I can realize my dream through good brothers!" Beck laughed heartily...

This matter was thus resolved. However, magical items still needed to be made, at least one for each person. After all, they were adventurers, and enhancing their strength was necessary. If they only wore ordinary equipment out of fear that magical items would attract others' covetous eyes, it would be like the saying "throwing out the baby with the bathwater."

But Ji Ran needed sufficient rest to regain the energy to refine magical artifacts. Therefore, the most important thing now was to rest.

The current gains had already exceeded their expectations for the adventure. Due to the encounter with the True God Sect, they began to head back from the Blue Pine Forest. Along the way, they avoided monsters whenever possible to reduce unnecessary trouble.

During this time, Ji Ran rested, exercised, and recovered from his injuries while studying the changes in his body.

That sudden energy, the ability to liquefy and attach magical artifacts to his body, and the instant burst of power... What was it all about?

This was something completely absent in the game, and there was no way to find any experience. Everything had to be explored on his own.

Fortunately, compared to others, he had a significant advantage: the attribute panel.

Checking the attribute panel, Ji Ran found that most attributes were fine. Level 25, Strength, Agility, Constitution, Essence, Stamina... all attributes were normal. Looking further down... What were these attributes below True Qi and Mana?

As mentioned before, Ji Ran's attributes included both True Qi and Mana, which were distinct and did not interfere with each other. Now, there was another attribute below them!

The name of this attribute was three question marks, indicating that the system didn't know how to name it. Additionally, this attribute bar was very short, much less than the True Qi and Mana above it.

What was this thing? Ji Ran was very curious. He wanted to study it, but his injuries weren't fully healed, so he didn't dare to take the risk. The itch to know was driving him crazy.

So, he had to persuade everyone to hunt a few monsters to make some delicious meals to help everyone recover faster. Eating only beef jerky for a long time would ruin their appetites, which wouldn't be worth it.

His suggestion had some effect. Later, when they encountered weaker monsters, they would kill them and let Ji Ran cook. Ji Ran did not disappoint, using various herbs and other materials as seasonings to make many delicious dishes.

Speaking of healing, alchemical potions were the best. But for recovery, Ji Ran's cooking was much more effective. For example, increasing stamina and strength fundamentally improved physical condition, helping injuries heal faster, which was quite normal.

Therefore, everyone's injuries healed much faster than expected. By this time, they hadn't even left the Blue Pine Forest.

With his injuries healed, Ji Ran naturally began to study the new thing. From its position, it seemed to be some kind of energy bar, and it was a different type of energy from True Qi and Mana. So, what did this have to do with the strange phenomenon that day?

Carefully, Ji Ran triggered that energy.

Then, the same strange feeling as that day appeared.

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(End of the page)