Chapter 1: The Synthetic Cube
Black Stone City, on the border of the Starlit Duchy.
The weather was gradually becoming cooler, with occasional yellow leaves swirling in the wind, a reminder that the hot summer was coming to an end.
Walking along the cobblestone path in the courtyard, the old butler, Gaile, tightened his collar to keep the cold wind out, while his other hand held a wooden box steady.
He passed through the courtyard and arrived at a secluded part of the garden.
Looking at the deserted courtyard, he couldn’t help but frown. He couldn’t understand why Master Su Nan wanted to move here and asked the servants not to disturb him.
He said he liked quiet, but it was too deserted for him.
Since the Baron Arnest, their father, had died in battle, the two young masters had been indirectly exiled to Black Stone City. Su Nan, who had always been introverted, had become even more silent and reserved.
He either hid in his room reading or tinkering with strange things.He even asked Master Kei to help him collect various herbs and small animals.
His actions were baffling.
Thankfully, Master Kei was still there.
Unlike Su Nan, Kei had been diligently cultivating himself since arriving in Black Stone City. At only nineteen years old, he was already a High-Rank Knight, loved by his subordinates.
Having such a ruler in place was undoubtedly a good thing for Black Stone City, which had been plagued by the Black Scale Lizardfolk for years.
As he pondered, Gaile reached the door of the innermost room and gently knocked.
“Master Su Nan, I’ve brought you the Silver Moon Flowers.”
“Just leave it at the door.”
A weak voice came from inside.
“Yes, Master Su Nan.”
Gaile expertly placed the wooden box on the right side of the door, bowed, and turned to leave the courtyard.
A moment later, the door creaked open, and a young man of sixteen or seventeen, somewhat thin and pale, came out.
He bent down and picked up the wooden box, turned around, and walked back into the room, closing the door behind him.
The room was sparsely furnished, with long tables lining all four walls. On the tables, glass bottles and jars were neatly arranged, each containing various strange ingredients. �
In the center of the room was a large experimental table, almost taking up half the space. It was covered with glass bottles, tubes, beakers, and other tools of various sizes.
Because the windows and doors were closed and there was no ventilation, the air was filled with a pungent, sweet smell, mixed with a disinfectant-like aroma.
Su Nan casually placed the wooden box on the table, then picked up a book he hadn’t finished reading and continued to focus on it.
After about half an hour, he finally finished the last page and slammed the book shut.
At the same time, a line of text appeared in the void in front of him.
[Reading ‘Fundamentals of Potionology’, ‘Potion Crafting’ learning progress +0.5%.]
[‘Potion Crafting’ learning progress has reached 100%, acquired ‘Potion Crafting Lv1’]
Su Nan let out a long sigh. A hint of joy appeared on his pale face.
After more than two months of reading related books, combined with numerous practical sessions of drug extraction and purification, he had finally filled the learning progress bar for Potion Crafting.
He put down ‘Fundamentals of Potionology’ and looked at the box in the corner of the room.
It contained more than twenty books.
All of them were Wizard tomes collected by his previous self.
The top book was covered in a cold, hard black cover. On the front was a string of cryptic characters, seemingly nonsensical scribbles.
But Su Nan could recognize the meaning of the string of characters – Enlightenment.
This was an introductory book for a Wizard Apprentice.
Those with Wizard potential could activate their Spiritual Power after reading it, becoming a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice, the lowest level, and embark on the path of seeking truth and power as a Wizard.
Those without Wizard potential would suffer serious consequences if they forced themselves to read it, ranging from fainting to death.
His predecessor had rashly read this Enlightenment book and died as a result, creating the opportunity for him to take over.
What surprised Su Nan was that the world he had transmigrated to was the same virtual reality game he had just begun to explore in his previous life.
The game’s setting was a vast continent of swords and magic.
Swords referred to Knights.
Magic referred to Wizards.
Of course, at this point in time, it was just the beginning of the 1.0 version of “Knight’s War”.
Wizards had abandoned the elementally impoverished continent thousands of years ago, heading to the multiverse to find more suitable living planes.
It wasn’t until a thousand years later, when the continental elements revived, that the Wizards returned.
For now, it was the Knights who were the dominant class in this era.
“It’s a pity that when I entered the game, it was already the 2.0 version of ‘Wizard’s Return’, and I didn’t know much about the 1.0 version. Otherwise, with this information in hand, I could have lived better in this world.”
Su Nan sighed.
Fortunately, as a transmigrator, he wasn’t without his advantages.
With a thought, a semi-transparent screen slowly appeared before him.
【Su Nan · Arnest, Human Male, 16 Years Old】
【Spirit 1.5/Constitution 0.7】
【Skills】
Star Ring Meditation Method Lv1 (103/1000)
Potion Crafting Lv1 (0/1000)
Player Panel!
This was one of the perks of his transmigration.
Through the panel, he could clearly understand his strength.
All skill learning was digitized, and he could see progress bars. As long as he studied, he would gain proficiency.
“As long as I grind, I can steadily improve my strength. That’s the advantage of being a player.”
Su Nan thought, and the screen flickered instantly, transforming into a grid of countless squares, ten rows and a hundred columns.
【Synthetic Cube】
This was his other cheat.
Simply put, the Synthetic Cube could combine multiple items of the same type, further improving their quality, effects, or power.
Su Nan opened the wooden box Gaile had brought. It was lined with red velvet, and ten delicate silver flowers lay quietly on top.
Silver Moon Flowers.
A plant with a stimulating effect.
Many nobles were accustomed to making floral tea from Silver Moon Flowers. A cup in the morning could dispel sleepiness and boost spirits.
This was actually because Silver Moon Flowers contained an ingredient that stimulated the spirit.
After extracting and refining this ingredient, its stimulating effect could be further enhanced.
Su Nan took the wooden box to the experimental table in the center of the room, took out the Silver Moon Flowers, and placed them in a beaker, then lit the alcohol lamp for heating.
“It’s a pity I couldn’t find a Magic Stone. Otherwise, I could make a Magic Stone Lamp and use it to make potions, which would be even more effective.”
The Starlight Continent in the 1.0 version of the game was still an elemental desert, with a pitifully low concentration of energy particles in the air.
As a result, all kinds of resources had decreased significantly compared to before, including Magic Stones.
At this point in time, the Starlight Continent didn’t have enough resources to cultivate a formal Wizard.
Fortunately, Su Nan had the Synthetic Cube.
Even without sufficient resources, he could find a way to synthesize them himself.
He added some water to the beaker and covered it with a glass lid.
Under the burning flame, the liquid in the beaker quickly boiled, releasing a large number of bubbles.
In just two or three minutes, the water inside turned completely into a beautiful silver-blue, and a lot of water vapor spewed out from the edge of the lid, filling the room with a refreshing aroma.
Su Nan took a gentle whiff and felt his spirits instantly soar.
After about ten minutes, the gurgling boil subsided, and the liquid in the beaker had evaporated by more than half.
Su Nan picked up the beaker and took a look, nodding in satisfaction.
About 100 milliliters of Silver Moon Flower Extract.
[Successfully completed one drug purification and refinement, Potion Crafting Proficiency +1]
Su Nan divided the extract into 10 equal portions, 10 milliliters each, then opened the Synthetic Cube and placed one portion of the extract in the grid.
The information above the grid quickly appeared.
[Silver Moon Flower Extract, Purity 37.12%, Increases Spirit Activity by 21.47% after Consumption, Duration 10 Hours 35 Minutes.]
Su Nan placed the remaining 9 portions of the extract in the grid.
The interface instantly changed, and a huge grid appeared on the right, containing a more vibrant and illusory silver-blue liquid.
[Silver Moon Flower Essence, Purity 76.44%, Increases Spirit Activity by 160.24% after Consumption, Duration 10 Days 14 Hours 22 Minutes.]
It was obvious that this was the finished product after synthesis.
If it was just ordinary Silver Moon Flower Extract, the effects would not be cumulative.
Ten portions of extract combined could only maintain the spirit-enhancing effect for less than five days, and the increase was only 21.47%.
But after being synthesized by the Cube, both the effect and duration were greatly enhanced.
This was the power of the Synthetic Cube!
Su Nan took a gulp of the Silver Moon Flower Essence.
As the medicinal effect spread, his entire being instantly became clear.
Without wasting time, he sat cross-legged on the spot and began to meditate.
New book, please collect and vote! Thank you, bigwigs!
(End of Chapter)