Chapter 1481: A-Grade Time Item
Neither party paid much attention to the surroundings. Even though the restaurant was playing love songs and robots occasionally created special atmospheres, the two people eating remained completely unmoved.
During the meal, they did converse, but only about trivial matters. To match the occasion, they slowed down their eating pace, making the most of the meal.
"When are you leaving?" Bai Kou asked.
"After the first item is made," Xu Huo said, taking a sip of wine. "Do you have any leads on Dr. Wu?"
"Just some outdated information, nothing of much value," Bai Kou replied. "However, Dr. Wu deliberately left some clues in game instances. Although many instances have been destroyed or taken over by the game, the game's peculiarity lies in the fact that it isn't completely controllable. Just like the birth of instances, humans don't have the final say."
This was actually similar to general games developed by humans. Developers could set rules, but they also had to abide by them. Moreover, in this game world filled with evolution and mutation, some changes might be something the game itself couldn't predict.
"It's already been proven that prediction-type items are useful. Dr. Wu might also possess similar items and an understanding of the game's operational patterns. The potions he placed in different districts in advance prove this. These locations weren't chosen randomly. The specific pattern and reason are still unclear, but the potions did successfully reach the players."
This meant that Dr. Wu, like He Pu, might be using some method to determine his plans, ensuring he achieved his goals under the protection of the game's rules.
"If you live long enough, you'll eventually run into him again," Bai Kou said, then looked at him. "Besides, you don't need a new potion for a short while."
That was indeed the case. Xu Huo paused, then shifted the topic to the Holy Sword Society.
Bai Kou knew more about the situation than he did, but she looked down on both factions of the divided Holy Sword Society. "There's nothing to say about the extremely vicious ones. As for the remaining few, although they don't commit many evil deeds, they aren't very bright."
Bai Kou raised her glass, watching the bubbles floating in the wine. "They think that as long as they have enough people and strength, they can fight the game. They have no idea what the real key is."
Then she said something quite profound. "Evolution is the foundation of the game."
She let the topic drop there, having no intention of continuing. After finishing the wine in her glass, she lightly wiped the corner of her mouth and stood up. "Time to go back."
After leaving the restaurant, Bai Kou left first. Xu Huo was still escorted back to Yongxing Hotel by the Enforcement Team.
Through the open car window, Xu Huo once again felt that vibration from underground. At first, he thought it was just mechanical noise, but now, it seemed more like a vigorous heartbeat—the evolution Bai Kou referred to was likely a metaphor for some power beyond the individual.
This wasn't hard to guess. In the vast game world, players and advanced players were as numerous as ants. Even super players could at most destroy a city, a country, or at best a district. This couldn't shake the game at all. If one district disappeared, more districts would appear. And unless one became part of the top tier of power, they might not even be able to find the birthplace of the game...
So, the foundation of the game was advanced technology.
At least, judging from places like the Platinum Eye, technology was the future.
In the following days, Xu Huo didn't meet with Bai Kou again. It wasn't until the Enforcement Team's surveillance and protection period was almost over that the artificer Teacher Lu's assistant, Fang Jie, sent a message through the game platform, informing him that he could pick up the first item.
Additional details about the item's creation were also attached.
Originally, he had brought quite a few Subclass Stones. If separated, they could have made several items. But when signing the contract, Xu Huo only requested "preferably a defense item" and left everything else alone. So the "willful" Old Lady Lu completely ignored cost-effectiveness, used all the Subclass Stones, worked overtime, and managed to create an A-grade defense item she considered nearly perfect in such a short time—and it was a time-type item.
According to the agreement, the bill didn't include labor costs. Teacher Lu even gave him a maximum discount on the other materials used in the process, which was quite generous.
Under the Enforcement Team's surveillance, he had established a persona of having a strong background during his "date" with Bai Kou. Xu Huo found it inconvenient to thank her in person, so he expressed his gratitude through the game platform and paid the remaining balance. He then received his first A-grade time-type defense item.
[Life Flashback: An A-grade item crafted by a master. It looks like a small pellet on the outside, but through the outermost layer of openwork, you can see that it actually contains nine layers of smaller openwork balls inside. Each layer can rotate independently and is engraved with different patterns—even without being an item, it is a masterful carving work.]
[The name "Life Flashback" comes from folklore in some regions. It is said that just before death, one's past life automatically flashes before their eyes, commemorating their life in this instinctive way. This Life Flashback has a similar function. When the holder is attacked by a trait, it will automatically freeze time within a fifty-meter radius for five seconds. During these five seconds, it will display the image of the attack in front of the holder, reminding them to dodge. (Please do not worry that localized time lag will cause corresponding spacetime collapse, as its range is very small.)]
[However, please note that it may fail against absolutely powerful traits with overwhelming effects. Although this probability is very small, it does exist.]
[Additionally, please pay attention to the effective escape time. The failure of the trait does not mean the enemy won't launch a second attack. Of course, within the five-second frozen time, a second trait attack usually won't take effect either.]
[Can be used three times consecutively. After three uses, it requires a 12-hour cooldown.]
The stronger an item, the greater its limitations might be. "Life Flashback" was a time-type item, and a cooldown of only twelve hours surprised Xu Huo. He picked up this ivory-white spherical item, smaller than a walnut, between his thumb and index finger. Looking through the outer openwork inside, the inner layers moved freely. As his hand swayed, the nine inner layers shifted to varying degrees, revealing fleeting glimpses of exquisite carvings.
It looked somewhat like a puzzle ball, but judging from the craftsmanship, it should have been built layer by layer from the center outward, rather than carved from the outside in. However, with the advanced technology of the Platinum Eye, no trace of the process was visible.
To be honest, this item completely exceeded Xu Huo's expectations. Although it couldn't defend against all traits, this was an A-grade item. There probably weren't many players or traits that could surpass this level. And since traits weren't as easy to defend against as items, its built-in playback function was a great help in guarding against attackers hiding in the shadows. He just didn't know if its defense range was limited to fifty meters. As a player's level increased, the range of their traits would also expand accordingly.
(Chapter End)