Chapter 734: Extraordinary Items and the Birth Ceremony
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Sister Trix, I intended to get straight to the point.
Trix’s sudden visit likely stemmed from her perception of something on the fortune level, and it was probably for that lucky coin.
“I didn’t expect you to play with fortune so skillfully, Sister Trix. You must be here for that lucky coin, right?”
“Oh? You already know that alchemical item is called a lucky coin?” While she said this, Trix wasn’t surprised, as she had previously referred to it as something like “the choice of fate.”
She had conducted many such experiments at the Witch Academy.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
Knowing the name of this alchemical item was actually quite simple; as long as the alchemist didn’t clear the relevant earth vein information for no reason, my identification technique could definitely obtain the corresponding information.
In fact, rather than my identification technique being impressive, it was the historical records etched into the earth vein that were truly remarkable.
“So, has Xiao Han made that ultimate choice of fate?”
“Well… I can only say it’s a forced one?” I hesitantly replied.
If that could be considered a choice of fate… but I still felt it was somewhat lacking in rank.
What truly facilitated the ceremony, I estimated, was the act of gambling with fortune, rather than the choice of fate itself.
Taking Yang Yunhan to the Witch Academy, or even letting her enter the Wizard Academy, had no real effect on the Main World; that bout of fortune could only be said to be a consequence after the distribution of gaokao fortunes.
“A forced one? That’s the first time I’ve heard that response. Previously, I usually heard answers like ‘I succeeded’ or ‘I failed’, although failures were more common. But Xiao Han, you don’t need to be so ambiguous; if you failed, I won’t blame you.”
Trix rested her left cheek on her hand, stirring a cup of latte art, the original design already merged into the coffee itself, and she seemed to enjoy that.
“There was no failure, but I can’t say it’s a success either.” I shook my head, ultimately deciding not to beat around the bush.
Then I extended my hand, and crimson fortune surged from me, eventually forming a coin in my palm, glowing with blood-red fortune.
Those unable to perceive fortune would see nothing unusual; they would simply think it was a very ordinary coin, which gradually materialized in my hand.
This was the extraordinary item achieved through the birth ceremony of the alchemical embryo that was the lucky coin.
What surprised me, however, was that it could still transform into the crimson fortune and disperse into formlessness, or be grasped and solidified in an instant.
The moment the coin appeared, Trix’s eyes widened!
Blood-red… fortune!
And that coin was unlike any she had previously collected!
This coin appeared utterly bizarre; after looking at it for a while, you would feel like it was provoking you, and the “meaning” emitted by the fortune, which only a Fortune Alchemist could perceive, had a sense of arrogance and rebellion.
“That’s interesting!”
Trix couldn’t take her eyes off the coin. After swallowing hard reflexively, she still suppressed her excited heart.
Rather than getting her hands on it right now, she wanted to know how Xiao Han managed to achieve it.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly realized something was off.
“Wait… this doesn’t seem to be an alchemical item, does it?”
“Right, I don’t know how it happened, but it transformed into an extraordinary item; it seems to have completed some special birth ceremony,” I nodded, a bit surprised.
Only by holding the coin did I feel its quality as an extraordinary item.
Unexpectedly, Sister Trix could distinguish its essence just by looking at it.
“The birth ceremony of an extraordinary item!” Trix gasped upon learning this result, as if she had discovered something remarkable.
After all, while alchemical items are continuously refined by alchemists, extraordinary items… 99% of the extraordinary items born in the void are nearly irreplicable and are almost unique.
The birth ceremonies for them are exceedingly harsh, yet some extraordinary items have relatively uncomplicated birth ceremonies that, by chance, have been discovered and summarized.
The Witch Race has mastered several birth ceremonies for extraordinary items, but many of these ceremonies, even when known, are almost impossible to replicate.
Because the birth ceremony of an extraordinary item often accompanies a special state, and this state is linked to fortuitous coincidences, even as a Fortune Alchemist using luck to promote it, there’s no guarantee of success every time.
In fact, within the endless void, there are Fortune Alchemists who interfered with the fate and scripts of a small world to create an extraordinary item, altering the world script to develop in a way they hoped, until the world fell into endless wars and self-destruction.
Ultimately, they shaped what was named the “Crown of Thorns Watered by Blood and Tears.”
That was an extraordinary item whose cost far exceeded its effective result, but it didn’t matter; that Fortune Alchemist was merely adding a vivid stroke to their collection.
So, the infamous extraordinary witches in the void didn’t build their reputation through trivial matters.
However, from an extraordinary perspective, those people could ultimately be utilized by a great extraordinary, giving birth to a highly valuable extraordinary item; they could be considered to have died meaningfully.
Eventually, that small world fell into self-destruction, the world shattered, and the fragments of the shattered world were made into an Instance Realm.
As for how Trix knew… it was because she was also a Fortune Alchemist, and she had her own social circle in the Primordial Dream World. It was normal for Fortune Alchemists to gather for a Witch Tea Party to share their experiences and stories.
“Can you tell me the story of this extraordinary item?”
“Sister Trix is quite interested in this?” I asked with a smile.
After all, Trix’s emotions were almost unmasked, and it was clear to me what the issue was.
It seemed that the value of the extraordinary item was even greater than I had imagined.
But extraordinary items also come with notable side effects compared to alchemical items…
Could it be… the collector’s value?
“Indeed, I’m very interested in the process of this extraordinary coin’s birth. Can you share it with me? I’m willing to be a listener,” Trix said eagerly. “Oh~ I forgot to ask, have you named this extraordinary item? It’s the first extraordinary item of its kind I’ve seen; since you’re the one who birthed it, name it!”
“A name?” I asked curiously.
“Yes, just like my alchemical item; while it’s originally called a lucky coin, I generally prefer to call it the choice of fate.”
“Is that so…” I looked at the coin in my hand, turning it to the side with my profile silhouette; the most striking aspect was the exaggerated curve of its mouth.
“How about calling it… the Indignation Against Fate’s Incompetence?”
“The Indignation Against Fate’s Incompetence?” Trix repeated the name I proposed. “If fate here refers to the fate propelled by fortune, it seems to make sense. A closed world, propelled by fortune, essentially represents an individual’s absolute fate.”
“From that name, I can see you might have done something remarkable?” At this point, Trix jokingly teased me.
I sipped the black coffee in my hand, which was the one Trix had ordered for me earlier. I had to say, Trix had a pretty good grasp of my taste. I quite liked the bitterness of the coffee, blended with a hint of rich aroma.
“Actually, it’s nothing much.” I humbly replied again.
“Then can you tell me what exactly happened? I’m really curious.” Trix once again forcibly shifted the topic back to this, genuinely eager to understand the events. From those events, she wanted to analyze this extraordinary item’s birth ceremony. Even if she was unclear about the ominous coin’s effects and side effects, it didn’t detract from its nature as an extraordinary item!
She was already imagining that in the next tea party, she wouldn’t just be a silent listener anymore!
After all, she had spent many years in the Main World’s Witch Academy and her experience was indeed not as rich as those witches wandering the void.
“Alright, but just talking isn’t as clear as seeing it directly; I can use the Great Knowledge Tree to demonstrate what happened before.” As I spoke, I summoned a previous scene, a projection of the earth vein that was intimately related to me.
“Sure~” Trix’s eyes lit up, she felt she liked this little witch named Xiao Han even more; she was really so understanding!
But with my next sentence, her originally joyful face instinctively froze.
“Sister Trix, are you so curious about what happened because you want to understand the birth process or the birth ceremony of this extraordinary item?”
I opened my mouth, as the other party’s eagerness was all too obvious.
However, from my perspective, extraordinary items were rare and could not be demanded at will, and if I could grasp the laws of their births, I was willing to study it, even if the extraordinary item itself wasn’t particularly valuable.
But… this would help me understand the essence of extraordinary items.
In an extraordinary world, many insights on extraordinary aspects do not prioritize the value they bring, but one thing’s value is absolutely the highest: the value of “I like it.”
No matter how eloquent you are, it can’t compare to a simple “I like it.” At that moment, any reasoning, value, or interests all seem pale and powerless.
“Um… perhaps,” Trix sighed, ultimately admitting, “Xiao Han, do you have much understanding of extraordinary items?”
“I suppose not a lot; I only know that using it likely doesn’t have any usage threshold, but it does require an equivalent cost. Also… they are rare and almost impossible to produce in bulk.” I shared my understanding of the topic.
“It seems Xiao Han knows quite a bit. Extraordinary items are indeed like this; because they are rare, they attract even more witches who want to conquer them.”
“So… compared to this coin, Sister Trix is actually more interested in how I did it, right?” I mentioned, glancing at the earth vein projection I had pushed towards Trix.
“Yes, ahem… but Xiao Han, don’t worry~ I’m not that kind of witch who takes advantage.” Trix cleared her throat and intentionally emphasized, “Even if I truly grasp the method for the birth ceremony of this extraordinary item, I would still offer you a handsome reward, even if I haven’t mastered it.”
“Really?” Upon hearing Sister Trix say this, I matched her excitement.
“Uh… yes.”
“Even if I want to keep this coin?” I tentatively inquired.
“Xiao Han… do you actually want to keep it? Are you attached?”
“No… it’s just a choice I made in my life, but… it holds a significant meaning, at least it’s quite memorable for me.” I explained.
“Is that so?” Trix looked at the coin in my hand, then over the earth vein projection, “In that case… I’ll have to refrain from taking it from you.” Trix suddenly thought of Mei Lind and felt a bit of a headache.
“However, I have a suggestion; since this extraordinary coin, oh no, ‘The Indignation Against Fate’s Incompetence,’ belongs to you, can I borrow it for research? I promise not to conduct any destructive research, and when I return it, I can explain its functions and side effects, how about that?”
“Of course!” I nodded repeatedly, as it had only been a test question from my side, not expected to be a genuine offer!
It seemed that the birth ceremony of this extraordinary item was perhaps more valuable than the item itself.
However, the birth of extraordinary items was indeed quite difficult; my situation… well, let’s not say it’s hard, but it’s certainly near the level of being irreproducible.
“Since Sister Trix is willing to leave the ownership of this coin to me, I naturally wish to lend it to Sister Trix for research.” I handed over the coin.
Trix took the coin and toyed with it for a bit. “Hmm? Xiao Han, how did you grasp and condense it just now? I can see that wasn’t put into storage equipment, right?”
“Oh, that… I’m not quite sure, it’s indescribable… It felt instinctual, as if the fortune was amplifying on me.” I said with a hint of apology.
“…I didn’t expect there were actually privileges of the birth giver? It seems deciding to leave it with you was not an erroneous choice…” Trix shook her head with a smile yet some resignation, “Unfortunately, I can’t do such things.”
“Maybe… its raw materials were derived from my fortune seed qualification?” I tentatively inquired.
“This seems quite possible~” Trix nodded and smiled, “Xiao Han, are you busy now?”
“Um… not too much, but I do have time for a coffee break.”
“Then… would you like to accompany me to experiment a bit with the effects of this extraordinary coin? Just a quick test, how about it?” Trix eagerly suggested.
