Chapter 1912: Learn What You Can
"These are all props made from that stone of yours," Old Lady Lu said. "I mixed in some special ore to enhance its radioactivity, so these props need to be stored in special boxes."
"When used, each prop can produce an air blast with a coverage range of about three meters. The enhanced radioactivity can impact a person's brain, causing dizziness or unconsciousness. This kind of impact cannot be defended against by ordinary props. Although short-term exposure won't make people sick, you must retrieve them after use. If left in the wild for a long time, they will definitely have an impact on the environment."
There were twelve black balls in the box. After listening to her instructions, Xu Huo said, "In that case, why did you still make them into props and give them to me?"
A verbal agreement had no binding force.
The old lady leaned back in her chair and said, "You brought the ore, and making it into props is my job. Tools are neither good nor bad; it depends on the person using them. Besides, keeping them here wouldn't be of much use. If I one day become senile and hand them over to someone with ill intentions, that would be a real sin."
"I'll take the props. I'll settle the payment with you later." Xu Huo put the box into his luggage compartment.
The old lady happened to be free, so she took the two children and him to visit her workshop.
"The important materials have all been put away. This is the workroom. You can look around as you please." The old lady turned on the light and, as she walked, swept aside the things on the table.
Xu Huo only glanced at them and said in surprise, "Is this an Instance Authorization?"
"You've seen one?" The old lady was a bit surprised, adjusting her glasses to look at him. "I didn't expect that, despite your low level, you have quite good knowledge."
"Having traveled through the game for so long, I've learned a thing or two." Xu Huo smiled. "So Instance Authorizations are also made by Artificers."
"Instance Authorizations are paper made from ore combined with a special crafting process. They feel similar to real paper, but they aren't easily damaged." The old lady said indifferently, "This isn't a technology that needs to be kept secret in the game. It's just that the game only issues Instance Authorization forging tasks to Artificers. Once the authorization is made, it can be distributed to different instances after passing the game's inspection."
In other words, like props, this Instance Authorization had to be certified by the game before it could be put into use.
"Are Instance Authorizations also graded?" Xu Huo asked.
"Of course. Different instance levels naturally require different authorizations. The higher the instance level, the better the materials for the authorization. If an instance were to disappear because its authorization was destroyed, that would be a real joke." Old Lady Lu then pointed to some blueprints with different patterns on them and told Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi to try using the carving knives nearby.
Those should be the special patterns used for making props. Every game-certified prop was unique, and since the game had to restrict the transfer of props, the props themselves should have a unique 'key' similar to a 'switch' or 'verification'.
Xu Huo nodded to the two children, telling them to listen to the old lady and sit down to choose a pattern to try carving.
Neither child had any experience in this area, so they instinctively drew the pattern first, then used the model stones beside them to carve.
The model stones the old lady gave them were medium-sized, about two fingers thick. "When using high-grade ore materials, you must be precise without any error. Handling ore is the basic entry skill for an Artificer. If you can't even differentiate the ore, there's no point in learning the rest."
Fang Jie brought in tea again and said with a smile, "Teacher, you've scared both children. Didn't you just say that children could be given some leeway?"
The old lady's expression softened a bit. "I almost forgot you're all still young. It's okay, just try your best. It doesn't matter if you have no talent. Truly talented people in this world are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. I only managed to become barely presentable after a lifetime of learning."
It was clear she wasn't very good at comforting people.
However, this sparked a competitive spirit in the two children. Not just children, but anyone would feel this way—they don't want to admit they are mediocre before even trying.
The sound of carving knives started, halting and unsteady. Xu Huo and the old lady sat to the side, drinking tea and waiting.
After a while, the old lady couldn't sit still. She picked up a model stone herself and slowly began carving a pattern on it.
Xu Huo knew this wasn't just about the ratio of ore materials; it also involved how to structure the final product to maximize its effectiveness. Although the specific effect could only be known after the prop was formed, the Artificer should have an idea of the prop's application before crafting it. This involved the Artificer's core skill, which wasn't something he could inquire about.
He casually picked up a notebook to read.
About half an hour later, Xiao Yuan declared failure. She hadn't mastered the dimensions and couldn't carve the entire pattern onto the small model stone. Tan Qi beside her hadn't stopped yet, and judging by his progress, he was doing much better than her, which made her quite discouraged.
She silently put down the model stone, picked up a pen, and started practicing on paper.
Another half hour later, Tan Qi finally finished carving.
Old Lady Lu went over to inspect the result and nodded. "For a first-time carver, this is pretty good. At least you have a steady hand."
She then patted the somewhat disheartened Xiao Yuan. "Don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to yourself."
"I understand!" Xiao Yuan mustered her spirits and nodded vigorously.
Then the old lady looked at Xu Huo. "If you have nothing else to do, you can leave. I won't keep you for dinner."
It had been agreed earlier that he could stay at the old lady's place while learning the craft, so there were no issues with room and board. Xu Huo prepared to take his leave. "I'll arrange schools for them and then come back."
The two children saw him to the yard gate, both looking a bit reluctant.
Xu Huo reached out and patted their heads. "If you really can't learn it, don't force it. Just eat more and sleep more."
"Can't you give us some encouragement?" Tan Qi couldn't help but say. "We're seriously preparing to learn the craft."
"Learn what you can; if you can't, forget it. That's normal thinking. There are so many things you can do; you don't have to hang yourself from one tree." Xu Huo said. "I'm off now. I'll be back later."
Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi, who had originally thought they were about to part, couldn't hide their expressions. The former said hesitantly, "You're coming back later?"
Xu Huo chuckled. "Just getting a school certificate. It won't take much time."
Tan Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes, then pulled Xiao Yuan back inside.
Xu Huo left in a good mood. He met up with Xin Rong outside, as this matter had been entrusted to him. For small matters like enrolling in school, the Xin family handled them easily. He had brought the electronic documents with him when he came.
Upon learning that the two children would be living at Old Lady Lu's place in the future, Xin Rong felt a bit sour. "Great-aunt is really good to you. She won't even let me stay there."
"Offer a Subclass Stone as board and it might work," Xu Huo teased.
Xin Rong pouted. "She doesn't care about ordinary ore, and I'm not willing to part with the good stuff. I'll just have to rely on my thick skin."
"Not bringing the kids today. How about you come with me? I'll make the arrangements?" (End of chapter)