I was shocked to see the Fruit of Separation growing on a small plant instead of the enormous trees. For a moment, I couldn't understand what was going on.
'Are these trees just for show?'
[Information about 'Tree of Separation' has been updated!]
Tree of Separation
Grade: Rare
A tree that bears the fruit of separation. Only a tree less than six months old will bear the fruit of separation.]
'So it's like this?'
Without wasting time, I started digging around the plant to take out the whole plant instead of the tree.
There were various instances where one could ruin the fruit if they plucked it from the plant. But, with a person's life at stake, I just couldn't afford to take any risks.
Slowly digging out the sides, I noticed something weird about the roots. Clearing up the soil from above, I saw another green-coloured peach right under its roots, connected to the bunch of small roots and radiating with life, unlike the purple-coloured peach.
I carefully dug out the whole plant and looked at the green-coloured fruit that was somewhat shining with a neon-coloured light.
[Fruit of Unification (Forbidden)
Type: Material
Grade: Epic II
A fruit that can unite and forge the separated soul to its body. It gives a second chance to lost souls, which is why this is a Forbidden Fruit, tearing apart the law of nature and bringing back the dead from their slumber.
The Fruit of Unification only appears once in a hundred thousand plants that bear the Fruit of Separation. Yet, for aeons, it has been a sought-out item by people from all over the world, be it Alchemists or Necromancers.
The target's soul needs to be alive to unite with a body.
Can be used as material for alchemy.]
[You have found a forbidden Epic II fruit, luck increased by 10!]
[The only reason The Fruit of Separation is rated Epic and not special and legendary is because of its limited practical use, with very few people being able actually to use its potential.]
"....."
Ssssssssss!
I took in a cold, long breath.
My mind was in turmoil, and the reason for it lay in my hand. A fruit that can, in theory, bring back the dead to life, as long as the soul is still alive.
Currently, I don't know what it means for a soul to be alive, but I could vaguely guess what it meant. The only thing going on in my mind right now was—
"Jeze…"
Unconsciously, I gulped as I suddenly found my throat becoming heavy. A string of memories started surfacing as I remembered the beautiful yet cute ogre's face.
"This…"
My heart was bursting with emotions, but I didn't want to lose this golden chance that I had stumbled upon suddenly. Fearing that somebody would steal the plant from me, I immediately stored it in my inventory or at least tried to do so.
[You can't store living things in inventory.]
[Inventory is a time-suspended space to store non-living things.]
[Hint: Inventory can be upgraded when enough conditions are met.]
Fuck!
I carefully held the plant, afraid of breaking it. I still didn't know what kind of fruit it was or what plant it was. If it was one of those fruits that died after getting plucked off from the plants, I wouldn't forgive myself.
'Careful…'
I held the plant's stem in my hand while ensuring the fruit below or above didn't get damaged or fall off.
Just when I was about to turn away to somehow return to the ground, something shiny caught my eye.
Right where I had dug out the plant, there was a small yet visible bright piece of something like a metal stuck in the boulder's cave-like area on one side.
I tried using Night Alchemist's Appraisal on it, but I got error notifications.
[Error! The targeted matter is a high-grade mineral. You need direct contact to appraise it.]
"....."
The increase in luck surely was working…
A high-grade mineral… something had to be above the rare grade to be considered a high grade from the system.
I put the plant aside and reached out towards the somewhat visible metal stuck in the boulder.
As soon as my fingers touched it, a violent surge of haunted memories hit me.
All around, there was chaos, souls and spirits shrieked in horror, ghastly smoke ran rampant, and then all of it suddenly turned to a serene and refreshing scenery, with birds chirping all around and transparent fog rising above a hot water lake, with spirits and pixies dancing around joyously.
The scenery again changed to the horrific nightmare, then switched to the dream-like place. It kept on changing, and before I knew it, I threw myself back, sweating and huffing like crazy.
—-huff huff!
I kept breathing roughly for a while, confused at what had just happened.
[Information about the targeted matter is now available.]
[Mortal Stone
Type: Material
Grade: Epic III
A stone that nurtures the Fruit of Separation and the Fruit of Unification. It's as tough as tungsten and can be used for forging.
A random special effect is guaranteed on any item made from it.]
"....."
Epic III.
A material of Epic III grade. After the rare grade, all materials are rated from 1 to 5, that is, I to V. For example, an item of Epic I would be just rated as Epic, but the higher ones will have Epic II, Epic III, Epic IV and Epic V. The same went for special grades.
For legendary grade items/materials, it was a bit different. They would be rated from Legend 1 to Legend 2 stars, Legend 3 stars and anything above that. There was no cap on the stars, meaning a single more star increases the value of the said material/item exponentially.
To think this was an Epic III material. Not only that, but it could also grant a random special effect to any item made from it, meaning even if the item formed from it turned out to be normal, it would still have a special effect, which was insane.
One can easily sell such material for at least a million dollars. I had to get the material anyhow, this could be a life-changer for me.
If I did alchemy on the whole area where the boulder was, I might also end up losing the Mortal Stone in the process.
So the best way to extract the mineral unharmed would be to perform alchemy on the area where the stone was, but the dilemma was that I didn't have anything that could draw a circle on the hard surface of the boulder.
Or did I?
I took out Eclipse and drew a small alchemy circle on the ground. After checking the circle once, I put two pieces of gold coins inside it.
I chanted and tried to get a bunch of chalks for the gold coin, but it seemed like I had run out of luck, as the alchemy failed, and I lost 20 cents on the spot.
This time, I put in ten gold coins and tried exchanging them for chalk, but the alchemy failed again.
'What is wrong with it…'
[The item 'Chalk' is very vague. It would help if you asked for something with a much better description.]
"...okay."
This time, I threw in 50 gold coins and asked for anything that could help me perform alchemy on a stone. Again, the patterns lit up, and the coins were consumed inside it, as a fountain pen-like thing was placed above the circle.
It had a wooden body with a blue-coloured stone cut into a pen's head on it.
[Alchemist's Drawing Pen
Type: Alchemy Equipment
Grade: Normal
Durability: 7/7 Damage: None
*Can be used to draw circles for Alchemy on different kinds of surfaces.
A basic item to draw various kinds of patterns for alchemy. It used mana stone to replace ink.
Durability will be consumed after every few tries.
User Restriction: Alchemist.]
"Wow…. Something like this existed for alchemy? Ignorance is bliss."
So far, I had been using sticks to draw patterns for alchemy, and I suddenly felt like a country bumpkin.
The pen had a perfect grip, and I felt like I was made to use this thing.
With it, I started drawing around the area where the Mortal Stone was. It was astonishing how the pen just drew a magic line wherever I used it. It didn't feel rough or coarse even on the uneven surface of the boulder as it glided through the area I drew on like butter.
I almost messed up the circle due to how smooth it was but managed to hold myself back. I wasn't sure how to erase the lines if I messed up, so I held myself back from messing up and drew the circles cautiously.
[Alchemist's Drawing Pen's durability decreased by 1.]
'That was fast. I guess that's why people say alchemy is a costly occupation.'
After drawing the magic circles, more of a hexagon-like pattern repeated twice at different angles, I backed off a bit and started chanting.
"Heareth mine own hest and extracteth the min'ral from this rocketh."
I looked in anticipation and anxiety towards the Mortal Rock, I didn't want the alchemy to fail, not here at least.
Soon after, the hexagonal patterns lit up, and the surface around the Mortal Stone started wiggling like jelly, a fist-sized Mortal Stone popping out of it and falling to the ground.
[The Mortal Stone has successfully been extracted without any damage!]
The notification became the final nail in the coffin as I breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the Green and Violet stone. Its surface was as shiny as steel and its weight as heavy as an iron bar.
[System suggestion!]
[The Mortal Stone is a high-quality mineral and can be used to make a high-grade key depending on the creator's skill.]
'....what?'
I was confused for a bit before I remembered about the legendary chest.
'This has gotta be a chance for me to open the chest!'
I wanted to do nothing more than to rush straight away and make a key out of the stone, but I knew better. The higher the minerals' grade, the higher chances of failure were, and I couldn't afford a failure with the Mortal Stone.
Losing a million-dollar stone on impulse would be the last thing I want to do.
'Wait, why didn't I think of it before?'
I smacked my head as I started drawing another circle on the ground. Then, putting in a hundred coins, just because I didn't want to take any chances, I chanted and soon, a rectangular glass box with a wooden base filled with soil was in front of me.
[Plant Preserver
Type: Miscellaneous Items
Grade: Uncommon
Durability: 4/4
A container to store living plants and preserve them. It doesn't need any kind of maintenance, but the container will break after a month of preservation.]
"Nice!"
I carefully planted the plant inside it, with the Fruit of Unification dug into the soil with the roots and the Fruit of Separation hanging on the branch with fellow leaves.
After that, I stored the Plant Preserver inside my inventory and boom! It worked.
"With that done, it's time to return to the ground."
I thought out loud. For some reason, I was in a happy mood, and the metallic tail behind me kept wagging as I walked toward the edge of the mountain.
Giving one last glance to the bottom, where I couldn't even see Gomchul and Nameless due to the height, I gulped down a mana potion and jumped.
—-Srsrsrrssrsrrs!
The violent wind brushed past me, but I had experienced this fall too many times to be scared anymore. I just enjoyed the feeling while doing flips and circles mid-air. I felt like one of those daredevils.
Just when I was about to hit the ground, I could see Gomchul and Nameless sitting on the ground, making circles with a stick out of boredom.
—-Woohoo!
Hearing my shout, they looked up, and their eyes almost popped out of their sockets as they started running here and there to adjust themselves and catch me.
Before I hit the ground, I manipulated my mana and brought up the water vortex in my palms as I aimed it on the ground.
I didn't want much pressure, so I just used the water element and didn't mix in the wind, and as soon as the water hit the ground, I slowly descended to the ground without much trouble… although a bit soaked.
Both Nameless and Gomchul stared at me like I was a monster… well, I technically was one.
"It's time to leave this damned forest. Raise your hands, whoever still wants to tag along."
None of them raised their hands. So I clicked my tongue and added.
"Whoever tags along gets a gift."
Both of them immediately raised their hands.
"....."
'What a materialistic bunch…but who am I to complain.'
...
//DreamNote//
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