Chapter 467: Daek Daimon Remains Unshaken (6k)
The elemental egg and the materials for upgrading “Paradise” were exactly what Daek hoped for as “age-appropriate” gifts.
In his joy, he immediately picked up a gift box with a cute bear emblem drawn on the tag.
This box was clearly from the Greteber family, and it was possible that the bear emblem on the tag was personally drawn by Diana.
“Speaking of which, when are Diana and Rose’s birthdays? I should give them some biological gifts.”
As Daek pondered, he began to open the gift box.
Of course, there was nothing inside like a “bear pillow.”
But it seemed to be something that did not meet his expectations…
“What is this?”
Looking at the two bottles of ointment in the box, Daek hesitated.
The bottles containing the ointment were completely sealed metal bottles, each only two fingers high and coin-sized.
On top of the lids were printed the names of the ointments—Bailian Ointment!
“Thousand-Hammered Ointment… It feels somewhat familiar, but I can’t quite remember.”
Daek frowned.
Whatever could leave an impression on him would likely be a famous product of the Giant Bear Clan.
Not being able to recall it was probably due to a lack of knowledge in that area.
“It must be an ointment for physical training or healing wounds. I’ll ask tomorrow.”
It was late at night, and he couldn’t disturb Alvaraite or Claire.
Daek temporarily put the two bottles of Bailian Ointment aside, then opened the gift sent by the Flotte family.
Inside the gift box emblazoned with the Flotte family crest was a deep blue pearl!
Underneath the pearl was a label clearly stating its origin.
“Deep Sea Night Pearl—Jialan Star.”
“This thing is priceless!”
“I wonder why the Flotte family would send me such a gift?”
Daek couldn’t help but hesitate.
The Flotte family had few members but possessed vast wealth, making individual wealth reach its peak.
But even the wealthiest person wouldn’t squander such precious jewelry lightly.
Giving such valuable jewelry as a gift might lead people to suspect ulterior motives, thinking the Flotte family must have something they want.
However, such general jewelry, with only appearance value, had limited use for Daek.
It was even unsuitable for refining a golem.
“There’s no point in forcing it.”
Daek shook his head and placed the deep sea night pearl aside.
“Next is the Thomas family’s gift.”
“This is the gift from Jon and Joie.”
“This is Kyle’s gift.”
…
The birthday gifts from those families included rare manuscripts, valuable paintings, gold and silver jewelry, and one even gave a VIP pass!
Daek moved all these to one side, leaving only the rare manuscript and the VIP pass.
The rare manuscript was an ancient travelogue written by a wandering poet titled “Around the World.”
Although it was uncertain if the poet had personally experienced everything, the travelogue was widely circulated due to its detailed descriptions of many dangerous places, some unheard of, broadening readers’ horizons.
Whether for leisure reading or expanding knowledge, it was excellent.
At least better than gold and silver jewelry!
Then there was the VIP pass.
That was the highest-level pass, allowing unrestricted spending in the exclusive venue—”Enchantment Hall,” managed by several noble families.
Because “Enchantment Hall” operated on a membership and invitation system, one needed a membership pass to enter.
Inside, one could purchase most luxury items and enjoy many high-end services, making it an important place for nobles to indulge.
Of course, since the VIP pass was given to Daek, it naturally belonged to a legitimate and verifiable establishment.
“This person really understands me!”
Daek glanced at it; this was a rather unremarkable gift from a less noticeable cousin.
Most likely, this cousin was one of the operators of “Enchantment Hall.”
Luxury goods used by nobles often had additional value, and the items available in “Enchantment Hall” were akin to those found in black markets.
“For now, let’s keep it.”
…
Soon, only the main events remained before him.
These were the birthday gifts from the Big Princess and Alvaraite.
The best things were always saved for last.
Daek first took the birthday gift from the Big Princess and opened it.
The tag on the gift read:
[Happy Birthday! Eliza]
A simple blessing.
But after opening the box, the light released was anything but simple.
“This… No wonder it’s so heavy!”
Inside the box was a football-sized stone!
Due to obvious purification and refinement, the surface of the stone was free of impurities, emitting a silvery glow that gave a cold and sharp feeling.
Its name was “Kakarot Steel,” a precious mineral first discovered in a place called Kakarot. Later, after being developed by the magus, it was renamed “Golem Steel!”
Golem Steel had extremely special properties.
Its natural hardness was extremely high, capable of absorbing mana. Once the injected mana exceeded a certain threshold, Golem Steel would exhibit strong ductility and malleability.
Even non-professional blacksmiths could use Golem Steel to forge armor and weapons.
Most of the “armed” equipment Alvaraite had refined in her early years used Golem Steel as the main material.
Given the current scarcity of raw materials, obtaining an entire block of Golem Steel was extremely difficult.
“The Big Princess Eliza’s gift must have considered my ability to refine armed cards and thus chose this.”
“Though it’s a good item, if Meow cannot master the control of mana well, she won’t be able to polish it finely.”
“In that case, I’ll have to do it myself, which will take a lot of time.”
“Mm, wait until Meow masters the control of mana!” Daek decided.
Then he finally picked up Alvaraite’s gift!
Every year, he looked forward most to his mother’s birthday gift because it always hit the spot, being exactly what he wanted at the time.
But this year, he himself didn’t know what he wanted…
Except for the unresolved issue of the bloodline core, most of what he wanted could be obtained through his own efforts.
“Let’s see what surprise Mother has for me?”
Daek opened the final gift box with great interest.
The tag on the box, as usual, read “Treasure, Happy Birthday.”
And after opening the box, he saw a glowing seed floating in the air.
The seed itself had no peculiar appearance, and the emitted light was a warm green glow.
With Daek’s knowledge, he couldn’t immediately identify its origin.
He had no choice but to pick up the instruction manual attached underneath.
The instructions on the manual were written in delicate script with simple explanations.
“Diesel Seed.”
“A seed obtained after several generations of propagation from branches stripped from the Desire Mother Tree.”
“Superior grade of Worm Tree!”
When Dark heard “Desire Tree,” he understood. The Worm Tree he had been using all along was a lower subspecies of the “Desire Tree.”
Naturally, an upper-grade Desire Tree wouldn’t be as small as a potted plant.
Typically, it could grow to 15-25 meters, with a thick trunk and an extremely lush canopy, similar to a banyan tree.
Every branch and leaf of the Desire Tree could store emotional, desirous, and knowledge-related mental substances.
Moreover, it was very stable, not polluting the mental substances, and the storage duration aligned with the tree’s lifespan.
Using branches from the Desire Tree, one could artificially create Advanced Thought Bottles!
Ordinary Advanced Thought Bottles held thirty drops, just like regular Thought Bottles, but they were more stable, with a shelf life of a full month.
Advanced Thought Bottles made from branches of the Desire Tree could have a shelf life extended to three months.
Using it as a substitute for Worm Trees was an excellent choice.
The only issue was that the Cat Grass might not like absorbing “Capital Sins” through bottles.
Thus, the necessity of Worm Trees still existed.
“In any case, this is exactly what I need right now. Otherwise, with Worm Trees’ storage capacity of merely 24 drops, it would be insufficient.”
“Now the problem is where to plant it, how to plant it, how to nurture it, and its growth rate?”
“I should get some relevant books tomorrow morning.”
Dark was enthusiastic, attempting to cultivate the Diesel Seed into a tree within these three months.
…
After unwrapping all the gifts, Dark tallied his haul, listing all potentially useful items together: ① Elemental Egg; ② “Paradise” Upgrade Pack; ③ Hundred炼 Ointment; ④ “Around the World Tour”; ⑤ “Enchantment Hall” Pass; ⑥ Mana Steel; ⑦ Diesel Seed; …
Overall, the harvest was plentiful.
It made one think of having birthdays every day of the year.
Satisfied with the tally of his birthday gifts, Dark happily burrowed into his bed.
Unbeknownst to him, something cool slipped into the bed, making him increasingly refreshed and improving his sleep quality.
The next day…
As sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room, Dark suddenly realized he had overslept again.
Since returning home, he had become lax, and in just two days, he seemed to have lost all the good habits he had cultivated at the academy.
“This won’t do.”
Dark shook his head, yawning, then pulled the Piplup out of bed.
Sometimes he thought that to evolve Piplup, he would likely need a “Jealousy” Capital Sin Card, but where could he find one?
This question was truly difficult.
“Let me think, what do I need to do today.”
His wandering thoughts gradually stabilized.
For now, he put learning aside.
“Oh right, hatching the Elemental Egg and planting the Diesel Seed!”
“And taking Aurora around the capital… quite troublesome.”
Thus, reluctantly, Dark got out of bed, grabbing a “Gluttony III” card and using it on the “Trash Slime.”
“In the name of Dark Demon, swipe to evolve!”
Once the “Trash Slime” successfully evolved into “Greed Slime II,” he submerged himself entirely in it.
Soon, he felt much fresher.
With the “Greed Slime II,” there was no need to wash his face anymore…
Though so, Dark still entered the bathroom for his usual grooming routine.
Afterwards, he changed into clothes, clipped on his Mana Card Deck, and placed the “Enchantment Hall” pass in his bag before preparing to leave.
“Whoosh!”
The Imp Beast flew over precisely landing on his shoulder.
Dark didn’t send it back, exiting the bedroom.
“White Aries” Olivia was already standing by.
“Master, shall we dine?” she asked gently.
Dark shook his head, “Of course breakfast is necessary, but Olivia, you don’t need to go through such trouble.”
“I enjoy it,” Olivia smiled brightly.
Unable to take it anymore, Dark shifted the topic, “I entrust my Golems to the care of the White Aries sisters.”
He had already summoned the “Mana Book” before leaving, and the rest of the summoning tasks would be handled by the Organization.
…
Upon reaching the dining hall, Dark saw Claire leisurely sipping tea with a newspaper beside her.
“Good morning, Aunt Claire,” Dark greeted sweetly.
Claire smiled, “Good morning, Dark. Your mother is at work. Today, you’re mine.”
Dark’s expression stiffened, forcing a laugh, “Today, I plan to take Aurora out for a walk.”
Claire wagged her index finger, “I know, I mean if you need anything, you can come to me.”
After sitting down, Dark asked about the confusion he had last night.
Claire replied, “Hatching an Elemental Egg requires two things.”
Dark spread out his napkin, asking, “What are they?”
Claire said, “One is a corresponding treasure, preferably something like monster blood or plant juice, which can give the Elemental additional traits. The other…”
Dark, “And the other?”
Claire, “Is fate.”
Dark was momentarily stunned, “How so?”
Claire explained, “With enough energy to hatch, the Elemental essentially has consciousness. You need to guide it to hatch, making it want to come out. If it doesn’t want to, it simply won’t.”
“How capricious.” Dark was somewhat exasperated, “But if it’s of the corresponding attribute, the Elemental Egg given by Montiel Farley should be fire attribute, and I happen to have…”
“That isn’t fire attribute,” Sona Montiel Farley entered, led by a maid.
Dark turned involuntarily, seeing Aurora, who seemed shy, by her side.
Aurora always reminded him of a reversed version of Diana.
He greeted first, then curiously asked, “So what is the attribute of that Elemental Egg?”
Sona smiled slightly, “That is a Flame Sun Elemental!”
She flicked her finger, and flames danced at her fingertip, growing into a small sun-like Flame Sun Elemental.
This non-elemental-bloodline Montiel Farley was also an Elemental Master!
Before Dark could be surprised.
Seemingly provoked by the Flame Sun Elemental, two Elementals suddenly flew out from Aurora’s hair.
One of the Elementals was extremely similar to Montiel Farley’s Elemental but slightly smaller.
The other resembled a tiny crescent moon, emitting a cool light.
Cold and icy.
“Flame Sun Elemental and Ice Moon Elemental!”
At this moment, even Claire showed a look of surprise.
“Suna, where did you get these rare items?”
…
“From a temple.”
Suna sat down next to Claire. “Fortunately, it’s located underground in the Free City.”
“It’s impressive that you managed to keep it hidden for so long.” Claire couldn’t help but comment.
Suna said, “There was no choice. We couldn’t reveal it. We found traces of it while working on the city’s underground pipes, and we dug all the way to uncover a temple. The temple is dedicated to a branch of the Sun God and Moon Goddess, but it belongs to the Beast Deity.”
Claire asked, “How big is it?”
Suna looked proud. “Not small. In a few years, once we’ve explored all the dangerous areas within, we can consider opening it up to the public. That might help turn around the city’s financial situation.”
Claire: “Still in debt?”
Suna’s expression turned serious. “What else could it be?”
Claire sighed, “It must be tough.”
Suna shook her head. “One has to do something when they’re alive.”
Claire said, “Indeed. It was easier during wartime. Now that the world is at peace, monsters and ghosts have come out. Half-breeds need a place to belong.”
Suna nodded. “If you don’t work hard, no one will work hard for you.”
…
The two of them chatted for a bit before turning their attention to Dark.
The Flame Sun Elemental was naturally better than ordinary fire elementals.
However, finding compatible treasures with the same attribute was much harder.
Dark originally had a gem that sealed a drop of fire monster blood, which he got from a chocolate egg during Easter in the cafeteria.
A normal fire elemental would have fit perfectly with that gem.
But since it’s a Flame Sun Elemental…
He could only think of the “Pride Fruit”!
Yet now, he was like a little squirrel hoarding “pride,” which wasn’t easy to use.
“Actually, there seem to be three stems left of the ‘Pride Fruit.'”
Dark pondered for a while, considering whether he could squeeze juice out of these three stems.
“But one of the stems has a疯狂因子 (crazy factor), so maybe only two can be used. It’s tricky.”
As he was thinking, Claire asked, “Do you have some ideas?”
Dark nodded. “A little.”
Claire: “Then I won’t offer any help?”
Dark: “…”
Claire slowly said, “It’s not good to get something for nothing. You should do it yourself.”
MeowMeow sighed.
Dark said, “So what about the other two problems?”
Claire continued, “Gretbail Family’s hundred-refinement ointment is an extremely precious magic potion. Its main use is to eliminate injuries after intense training and enhance physical strength. It also removes scars, though not very effectively. I think you’ll find it useful later.”
Dark: “Skip it.”
“Lastly, there’s the Diesel Seed,” Claire said. “You already know its origin. It requires a very specific environment to grow, preferably in a place with strong human presence and mixed desires. Though it might not be appropriate for me to say, the best places are casinos and places with glowing fireflies.”
Dark frowned. “Any second choices?”
Claire said, “Lesser options include underground arenas and boxing gyms.”
Dark couldn’t help but ask, “What about living quarters?”
Claire smiled. “Of course, for the safety of the Diesel Tree, it can’t really be planted in those chaotic places. I suggest planting it in the backyard. There are enough people in the Duke’s Mansion to help it grow. You probably didn’t know, but the leaves of the Diesel Tree have a special function.”
Dark’s frown relaxed, curious. “What is it?”
Claire said, “Mind imprinting!”
Dark: “Hmm?”
Claire explained, “It’s a natural imprint, capable of recording thoughts onto its leaves and can be reused. The downside is that it requires a high level of mental clarity; most people don’t have clear enough thoughts.”
“A perfect material for making notebooks!”
Dark understood immediately.
The Diesel Tree is full of treasures, depending on how it’s used.
“As for cultivating the Diesel Tree…” Claire smiled, “I suggest you entrust it to someone else, like Olivia. She will handle it perfectly.”
No sooner had the words left Claire’s mouth than Olivia, standing behind Dark, patted her chest. “Master, leave it to me!”
Dark didn’t need to ask; he knew the cultivation method for the Diesel Tree would be extremely complex and time-consuming. Thus, it could only be left to the maids.
So, he didn’t dwell on it and told Olivia, “Olivia, I’ll leave it to you.”
“No problem,” Olivia smiled.
Claire watched the deep bond between master and servant, raising an eyebrow. “I know you need the Diesel Tree badly, but to cultivate it to a usable state within three months, you’ll need some special methods. Yarvarte will tell you about it.”
Dark nodded and patted the imp’s belly.
The imp beast understood, flying to the wall to grab a newspaper and returning.
Dark habitually spread today’s morning paper and started eating.
…
His habit certainly didn’t follow strict dining etiquette.
Who cared?
Even “Virgo” Teacher Vigo couldn’t manage him, let alone now.
Claire was equally casual, flipping through the newspaper as well.
Montiel Farley, who hadn’t received noble education, naturally didn’t care about such things.
Aurora ate her breakfast quietly and listened attentively.
After finishing, Dark invited her, and they agreed to meet at 8:30 AM and then returned to their bedrooms.
After Dark and Olivia returned, he handed her the Diesel Seed and asked her to quickly contact a trustworthy tutor, ideally before Yarvarte’s “holiday tutoring” began, to conduct an interview.
The Duke’s Mansion wanted to hire a tutor, and many would come for interviews if asked.
But because of the “student’s” uniqueness, finding a suitable tutor wasn’t easy.
While preparing to go out, Dark instructed, “Also, give each golem a supervisor. You know what I mean.”
Olivia understood.
The golems understood too, perking up their ears and making noise.
Eevee wrapped her ribbon tightly around his arm, trying to beg pitifully.
Dark remained unmoved.
