Chapter 28: The Big Wheel
Seeing the upgraded version of the "Mysterious Eye," Beini, perched on Su Xiao's head, was also stunned for a moment, her cat eyes widening. She then tilted her head back, trying not to laugh out loud.
Noticing that Su Xiao hadn't taken the "Mysterious Eye," the Life Workshop was displeased. It had genuinely offered one of its local treasures as a reward, yet this intruder looked down on it?
Crack, crack~
From within the surrounding walls came discordant sounds of friction and surging. The ground beneath their feet began to rumble and tremble, causing some dust to fall.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing. He simply took the "Mysterious Eye" and, with a practiced twist, adjusted it with a series of clicks and clacks, leaving the Life Workshop stunned.
In just half a minute, Su Xiao had completed the adjustment of the "Mysterious Eye." Although it was an upgraded version, the improvements were more in terms of performance, making it more appropriate to call it the second-generation "Mysterious Eye."
With a single-handed squeeze, he made a clicking sound as he manipulated the "Mysterious Eye" in his hand. After tossing it out, the "Mysterious Eye" traced a peculiar arc. By the time it flew back in front of Su Xiao, he had already raised one arm to shield his eyes, while Beini above him covered her eyes with both cat paws.
Boom!
The "Mysterious Eye" emitted an intense, blinding light, scorching the walls on either side until they hissed and glowed red-hot. The crystal layer in front of Su Xiao dissipated.
Seeing this, the Life Workshop silently picked up the "Mysterious Eye" with its grotesque arm. If it still didn't understand by now, it was simply looking for trouble. After a moment, the Life Workshop handed over another item—a mechanical arm guard that could wrap around the fingers and forearm.
[You have obtained the Ironclad Proof of Hatred.]
[Ironclad Proof of Hatred]
Origin: Second Era: Alchemical Civilization.
Quality: None (This type of causal characteristic equipment will not receive a grade certification).
Category: Causal Characteristic / Divine Curse Item.
Equipment Requirement: Any intelligent entity in any sense.
Equipment Effect 1: Source of Strength (Passive) — When you are hated by others, you will gain greater power. The increase depends on the number of haters and their overall strength.
Equipment Effect 2: Hatred/Ironclad Proof (Active) — You can take the abilities of those you have defeated and who hate you. The stronger the hatred of the person toward you, the more powerful the ability you take will be, even exceeding its original upper limit by several times to dozens of times.
Total Ironclad Proofs: 0/3 (Each Ironclad Proof is a slot for a takable ability).
Causal Power 1: Nameless Disgust (Causal Passive) — You will be inexplicably disliked by others, even provoking active attacks.
Causal Power 2: Hatred's Scorch (Causal Passive) — All who hate you will have their hearts burned by hatred, causing their animosity to continuously intensify.
Causal Power 3: Hatred's Pleasure (Causal Passive) — You will gradually come to enjoy being hated by others, even deriving pleasure and inner satisfaction from it.
Causal Power 4: Causal Devouring (Causal Passive) — You will gradually devour the causality of those who hate you until their causality is completely consumed. This will permanently enhance your overall combat power based on the amount of causality devoured (increasing main attributes, core ability levels).
Causal Cost: Self-Denial (Causal Passive) — When you encounter setbacks, there is a certain probability of entering "Self-Denial." Once in this state, your causal existence will vanish, and you will disappear forever.
Rating: -- (This item will not receive a rating certification).
Description: Hate me, until you kill me, or until you are consumed by hatred.
Price: -- (This item will not receive a price certification).
...
Undoubtedly, this was a treasure capable of rapidly strengthening oneself. The problem was its terrifying side effects. Once there was even a hint of wavering, a moment of self-doubt, it meant eternal disappearance.
In fact, this might be even more terrifying than falling into the eternal slumber of darkness. Where would one go after disappearing? Completely unknown. If consciousness simply dissipated, that would be bearable. But if trapped in an unknown rift, sealed away for eternity with no hope of improvement, forced to wait for one's own consciousness to gradually crumble before finding release—that was a nightmare.
From this gradually twisted treasure of the Alchemical Civilization, one could see how extreme their later development path had become. In truth, Alchemy as a discipline was fundamentally unsuitable for forming a major power. If Alchemy remained loose and scattered, every Alchemist would be a valued guest of major powers. Even an Alchemy apprentice could hold a decent position in a medium or small power.
But if Alchemists gathered together—say, just three of them—it might randomly spawn one Idea King, one Action Brother, and one Whatever Guy. What kind of Alchemical creation they would develop next was left to fate.
When a group of Alchemists gathered, most would be Idea Kings and Action Brothers, while the rest were Slackers.
When over eighty percent of the Alchemists in the Star Realm gathered, their wild ideas colliding with each other, other powers could only pray that these guys wouldn't develop something that threatened the entire Void, or even the entire Star Realm.
In truth, the Second Era Alchemists' weaving of causal curses into Alchemy was not only to imprison the enemies of the Mortal Realm but also a denial of this knowledge. However, having devoted their entire lives to it, they were unwilling to admit this deep down. So, they used the pretext of imprisoning enemies to do these things.
The Second Era Alchemists need not have gone this far. Alchemy was never an evil knowledge. The formation of the Alchemy faction was the result of too many coincidences converging. The initial Alchemical Civilization was very similar to the current Potion Master Guild of the Void. What truly caused Alchemy to spiral out of control was the combination of Alchemy with "Causal Power."
"Causal Power" is a stable, traditional power system. Perception-type abilities at their peak become Causal-type. The Luck Attribute also corresponds to the "Causal Power System." Luck, fate, divination—all correspond to "Causal Power."
The problem was that Alchemy could unrestrainedly leverage "Causal Power." This was the true source of all disasters. Moreover, this method of leveraging was clearly artificially created later, not an inherent effect of Alchemy itself. If this artificially created calamity were removed, Alchemy would return to being one of the several mainstream transcendent knowledge systems.
In other words, the Alchemical Civilization of that time was not fundamentally different from the current Arcane Eternal Star. The power of elements was intoxicating, and the power of causality was no different.
The Alchemical Civilization chose self-destruction as a final act of dignity. However, the fact that the Law Destruction Faction and the Spellcaster Faction chose a temporary truce at that time spoke volumes. If the Alchemical Civilization was unwilling to maintain its own dignity, others would help it meet an undignified end.
Su Xiao accepted the [Ironclad Proof of Hatred]. Although it was currently useless, it was an early creation of the Alchemy system's abuse of "Causal Power." It might be helpful in later efforts to break the "Causal Lock."
[You have submitted the bounty for the "Deadly Poison Treasure."]
[Due to the multiple bounty + bounty correction of the "Hunt List: Blood Pact," you will receive a total bounty of 44,000 ounces of Space-Time Power.]
[You have obtained Space-Time Stone Fragments × 2690 (This is an equivalent item, can be sold to Reincarnation Paradise at any time for 26,900 ounces of Space-Time Power).]
[You have obtained Happy Jackpot Coins × 2 (This item is valued at 100 ounces of Space-Time Power in this judgment).]
[You have obtained the Mysterious Wand (Unique Characteristic: Abyss Curio, this item is valued at 17,000 ounces of Space-Time Power in this judgment).]
...
[Mysterious Wand]
Origin: Abyss: Drifting Land.
Quality: Abyss Grade.
Type: Special Equipment.
Equipment Requirement: True Charm Attribute 1200 points, recognition by this weapon.
Equipment Effect: Miracle Transformation (Active) — Can transform a single target into a harmless small animal, lasting from 1 second to 820 years (depending on the user's and target's Charm Attribute).
Note: If you already possess this type of "Causal System" ability, this weapon will provide an extremely massive enhancement to that characteristic ability.
Warning: Each use of this wand has a 5% chance of permanently losing 1 random body attribute.
Note: If fully recognized by this wand, the cost is waived, and you can use it up to 5 times per natural day.
Equipment Detriment: Mischievous Personality (Passive) — Holding this weapon will affect your personality to a certain extent, making you more inclined toward pranks or making others look foolish, rather than shifting toward an evil alignment.
Rating: 9800 points.
Price: After use, cannot be sold, traded, etc. Attempting to discard it will result in backlash.
...
This was a pure white wand with a huge gem embedded at its tip. Holding it in his hand, Su Xiao faintly sensed that this was an Abyss item with a certain degree of consciousness. Such items were usually dark and cold, but a personality like the [Mysterious Wand] was truly rare.
Moreover, once recognized by the [Mysterious Wand], one could use it without any cost.
Seeing the properties of this item, Su Xiao's first thought was of Wood's sister. The reason was that Miruvil herself possessed this type of ability, making it easier for her to gain the recognition of the [Mysterious Wand].
Su Xiao wouldn't go to Wood to sell this item. Instead, he chose the old undying of the Devil Clan. Although Miruvil's ability had no killing power and was even a bit cute, it was quite practical in combat or when exploring dangerous places. More importantly, it had a deterrent effect.
Miruvil could be called the bane of ancestral-level figures. The old undying of major powers dreaded encountering Miruvil more than anything. If, during a fight, they were turned into a fluffy sheep and happened to bleat twice, that would be a hurdle they could never overcome in their lifetime. Especially since these old fellows generally valued their pride. This hurt them more than being severely injured.
Given the Devil Clan's style of conduct, those few old devils might actually take Miruvil along and do this when negotiations with an enemy major power broke down. When it came to the lower limit of moral integrity, the Devil Clan was undoubtedly the lowest among the major powers of the Void. No other reason—they were ruined by the Daddy-level Original Sin Objects.
Su Xiao materialized the properties of the [Mysterious Wand], took a picture with a click, input it into his communicator via terminal, and sent it to Wood. No further explanation was needed. Dealing with an old yinbi was convenient in every way except for the risk of being schemed against.
Taking the two [Happy Jackpot Coins] floating in front of him, related prompts appeared.
[Happy Jackpot Coin (Special Consumable): Consuming one coin summons a wandering Lich Merchant and grants one chance to spin the "Happy Jackpot Wheel." While there is a chance to get rich, there is also a certain probability of losing wealth.]
[Note: The wandering Lich Merchant is a "Neutral-Leaning Unit." Before it breaks the wheel's rules, you must not threaten or attack it, etc.]
...
Su Xiao attempted to activate the [Happy Jackpot Coin]. The phantom of an old teleportation machine appeared before him. He tossed the coin into it. The phantom gradually solidified, and a rumbling sound like shaking a trash can came from the teleportation array.
With a bang, the old teleportation machine opened, and a Lich Merchant with oily green skin, a height of about 1.3 meters, and pointed ears on his head ran out. It was hard not to suspect that, before becoming a Lich, he might have been one of the classic minor villains in stories—a Goblin. The resemblance was truly too striking.
"Hello, sir. Let me give you a grand introduction. I am the great Venerable of Insight and Gambling, Geo. To show my approachability, you have the honor of calling me Venerable, or Mr. Geo. Next, I will begin our game."
The Lich Merchant, Geo, snapped his fingers. A large wheel, over five meters wide with over a thousand compartments, appeared beside him. Compared to this heavy metal wheel, Geo seemed even shorter.
Observing the wheel, Su Xiao found the rewards exaggerated. Among them were 50 million Soul Coins, 999 "Soul Crystals," and especially the first prize of 100 "Primordial Cores" and the grand prize of a ??? quality equipment. It made one wonder if these were fake rewards.
The problem was that all of this was certified by the Void Tree as the notary.
A confident smile appeared on Geo's face. Attracting the spinner's attention with the front side of the wheel made things easier, because the wheel had two sides.
For example, the area with 999 "Soul Crystals." On the front side, it was indeed a win. But on the reverse side, it meant losing 1,099 "Soul Crystals." In the end, the spinner would actually have to give Geo 100 "Soul Crystals."
Without much hesitation, Su Xiao pressed the start button set up separately beside the wheel. This made Geo's smile even brighter. But in the next second, his smile froze.
Clang~
The long blade slowly slid out of its sheath. Su Xiao's sword pressed against Geo's neck. This immediately triggered the Void Tree's punishment, causing a certain amount of Void Tree Reputation to slide off every second. After seeing the judgment of "Neutral-Leaning Unit," Su Xiao knew that the risk of attacking Geo wouldn't be high.
Now, all the pressure was on Geo. He gulped. Years of experience in swindling and cheating told him that if he lost this spin, it would only be a loss of wealth. But what he would lose was his entire head.
However, there was one thing Geo couldn't understand. As a contractor from the Paradise faction, how did this guy dare to, and how could he, put a blade to his neck before he had shown any hostility or even had a chance to cheat? How did he dare?!
The problem was, Su Xiao dared to do exactly that. Not only did he dare, but he had also decided that if the profit from this wasn't satisfactory, he would take the opportunity to enjoy the sight of Geo's head flying off.
A cold sweat trickled down Geo's cheek. He gulped again. Before the wheel stopped, a vision of the wheel's stopping point appeared before his eyes. It was... the grand prize!?
Seeing this impending result, Geo's blood ran cold. On his wheel, the higher the front-side reward, the greater the corresponding loss on the reverse side.
The grand prize was a loss threshold he had always wanted to use but never had, because no one would be unlucky enough to actually land on the grand prize. To be safe, he had set it so that only with a Luck of at least -50,000 or more would there be a chance to land on the grand prize. Note: a chance, not a certainty.
Geo was underestimating his opponent. The man before him had a Luck of -150,000. Spinning this wheel, eight or nine out of ten times would land on the grand prize.
Knowing this couldn't continue, Geo's eyes widened. He clasped his hands together secretly and began to cheat, manipulating the big wheel. But as he tried to interfere, he found the wheel unusually difficult to control.
Geo gritted his teeth until they creaked, veins bulging on his forehead. Finally, he crossed his ten fingers in front of his face and let out a strained shout.
Blood vessels burst in Geo's eyes. The pointer of the wheel stopped one notch before the grand prize. If it had moved just 0.5 millimeters further, it would have landed on the dazzling gold area of the grand prize.
"Ah~!"
Geo let out a relieved groan. Just moments ago, he had felt the chilling approach of death at the back of his neck.
At this moment, he had no doubt that this guy holding the long blade, with a faint red gleam in the center of his pupils, would ignore the massive deduction of Void Tree Reputation and cut off his head with one swing. This guy was a complete madman.
Geo now only wanted to do one thing: leave immediately and change his urine-soaked pants. The feeling of death slowly approaching had nearly made him cry and snot. He was indeed a degenerate gambler, but he also valued his life dearly.
[You will lose 3,000,000 Soul Coins.]
[You have obtained a 4,500,000 Soul Coin Savings Card.]
[You have actually obtained a 1,500,000 Soul Coin Savings Card.]
...
As soon as the lottery was complete, Geo immediately applied to the Void Tree and fled.
After putting away the Soul Coin savings card, Su Xiao tried to activate the [Happy Jackpot Coin] in his hand. He received a prompt that he had been blacklisted by the organizer of this game and could not use this item.
Seeing this, he walked to the wall, pressed one hand against it, and formed an "Eye Ritual" with a crystal layer. He sent the [Happy Jackpot Coin] to the [Shadowless Eye] through the eye ritual.
After doing this, he had Beini communicate with the "Life Workshop" to continue deeper through this place.
After a moment, the passage ahead merged on its own. When he reached the end with Beini, the flesh-formed door slowly opened to both sides. Some sticky, connected flesh tissues stretched into threads before snapping apart at a certain point.
Dong~, dong~, dong~
A bell sound, as if from distant history, came. A golden sunset shone directly ahead. In front was an open area paved with yellowish-brown stone slabs, flanked by rock-carved wall corridors. The hollow structures in them allowed the golden sunset to filter through.
Seemingly close but actually far ahead stood a magnificent building. This structure had over a dozen floors but was several hundred meters high, entirely made of rock. It looked very much like the headquarters of the Alchemical Civilization as recorded in the Soul Library, only a smaller version of the Alchemy faction's headquarters.
Arriving before this building, Su Xiao pushed open the metal door with both hands. Amidst the rumbling sound of the door opening, a prompt appeared.
[You are about to enter the First Sanctuary.]
[Warning: While inside the First Sanctuary, you will be contaminated by Dark Knowledge. Because you possess "Top-Tier Abyssology," you will be exempt from the contamination of Dark Knowledge.]
...
Su Xiao grabbed Beini, who was inside his clothes, and let her play nearby. The Dark Knowledge contamination of the "First Sanctuary" was no joke.
Not all erosion could be treated or removed by returning to Reincarnation Paradise. Some erosion or damage was not recoverable by the Paradise. In other words, the Paradise's recovery function was both extremely powerful and uniquely singular in nature.
Stepping into the "First Sanctuary," Su Xiao immediately heard thousands of murmuring whispers in his ears. Obscure and twisted Dark Knowledge began to affect his consciousness. However, as these maddening and chaotic whispers gradually became clearer in his ears, the impact of the Dark Knowledge on his brain began to lessen.
'Will appear.'
'Ours.'
'Source of light.'
'Darkness, we, do not continue, indulge in darkness.'
'Star Realm.'
'Source of light.'
'Devour light, drive away dark suffering.'
'Wait, wait for the Elemental Barrier to dissolve.'
'Everything, belongs to.'
'Us!'
Chaotic and profound whispers in the Abyss language continued without end.
"Shut up."
Su Xiao's "Soul Severing Shadow" automatically switched to "Azure Steel: Soul Core," causing a faint blue glow to emanate from the center of his pupils.
The invisible murmuring beings around him all retreated at once. Some were even frightened into prostrating on the ground.
'Azure Steel's, Shadow King.'
'Forgive, forgive me.'
'Traitor! You, traitor! You are all, traitors!!'
'Ah~, supreme existence.'
'Forgive us. We will never again cross the threshold, never again appear before you. Forgive us.'
The surrounding murmurs gradually dissipated. Su Xiao continued forward. He could faintly sense that those invisible beings hadn't gone far. Their forms, varying in size and bizarre in shape, nearly filled this empty great hall of tens of thousands of square meters, paved with pure white marble tiles.
Su Xiao's hand rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist. The blue glow from his pupils, caused by the "Azure Steel: Soul Core" state, made the invisible beings on either side of his path, whether willing or not, prostrate or kneel. The scene was spectacular and epic.
Only when Su Xiao reached the innermost part and stepped onto the spiraling staircase did these invisible beings gradually rise and fade into unknown places.
Following the spiral staircase upward, he reached the top floor of the "First Sanctuary" without any obstruction. This was a library. Rows of wooden bookshelves stood side by side. The smell of old books mixed with the natural woody scent of cloudwood gave the place a sense of tranquility.
Walking among the bookshelves, which were over ten meters high, Su Xiao circled around from the right side. When he reached the innermost part diagonally opposite, he saw a figure sitting on a library ladder.
He was draped in a white robe, about 1.6 meters tall, severely hunched. His upper body was strong, while his lower body was withered, making his proportions very uncoordinated. His right arm was thick, while his left arm was a slender mechanical prosthetic. His eyes were alchemical prosthetic eyes like magnifying lenses. His goatee was meticulously groomed.
On the seemingly ordinary white robe, there was a golden balance scale emblem. In the Second Era's Alchemical Civilization, only one of the five most famous Alchemy mentors—the five Alchemy masters standing at the pinnacle of their respective fields—could possess such a robe.
This was none other than the absolute ceiling of Alchemy, not just in the Second Era, but even to this day: Alchemy Master Coin Morber!
There was a very absurd misconception among the public: that Coin Morber was an Alchemy master who wasn't strong himself and only relied on Alchemical creations to fight. In reality, this mistake was quite ridiculous. The oppressive aura this Alchemy master gave off at this moment was no less than that of the three giants like the Clock Tower Master; in fact, it was even slightly stronger.
Coin Morber's large right hand slapped shut the book in his hand with a snap. He turned his head to look at Su Xiao and spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice:
"Kid, you've finally come to rescue this old man. I've been waiting for you for a long time."