Chương 230: Chapter Two-Hundred-and-Thirty

Almost as soon as Adam stepped into the player house, the wand in his hand started glowing golden, and his cube announced, [You have fully evolved two compatible Classes. Would you like to fuse them together? Fusing weapons will eliminate both from your possession in order to combine them into something new. The new weapon will be based on the final Evolutions of the two that are fused together and will function accordingly. Additionally, previous Evolution effects will remain, along with any Unique Skills obtained, and you will gain a new effect according to the fusion.]"It worked," Beck said. He'd been a bit uncertain, despite the cube's assurance, and Adam had to admit that he'd been unsure if it would work as well, since he could only hold one of the weapons at a time.

"Let's see what it is," Adam told the cube. [Understood.] < < Fusion > > < Mana Devourer + Magus of Convergence > < Mana-Devouring Magus — Unique Skill (Devouring Siphon) | Devour Mana from a target on touch, replenishing 1 point of your own Mana for every 1 point of Mana consumed. Additionally deal 1 point of damage to the target for each point of Mana consumed >"Goddamn," Beck muttered.

"That's a way to instantly kill a spellcaster."

"It is likely possible to interrupt," Kat guessed.

"It says ' on touch', so breaking the physical connection should work."

"It's impossible to say without testing it," Beck replied.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea," Adam started.

"Is it considered magic?" Kat wondered. Despite none of them asking their cubes directly, Adam's cube replied, [Skills in the Trials of Defiance are not considered spells unless they have an associated Mana Cost.]"So, the Erudite Archmage's skill would not be considered a spell?" Adam asked. [It is itself not a spell, but it affects a spell and has an implicit Mana Cost.]"If I use Devouring Siphon, it won't count as a spell then?" [No.] Adam looked to the nearby target dummy.

"Let's hope I don't delete a bunch of memories," he muttered drily.

"Look at it this way," Beck said.

"If it works, then you can still use your Red King skill. It doesn't use mana, right?"

"That's a good point, actually," Adam realised. He looked at the floating wand waiting for him to make a decision. It was a finger bone with azure mana shards embedded into it.

"I will accept the fusion." [Understood.] A pyramid-shaped gem appeared in the air and flew into Adam's chest. < < Mastery Shard Obtained > > With that, he now had ten shards again, but he wasn't sure he wanted to get another vanity right away. With the fused weapon equipped, the mask of convergence covered Adam's face and the wraith lantern hung from his belt. It was fortunate that both Class relics stayed behind even after the fusion.

Adam transformed the dummy into Ezral the blood mage with a mental nudge and walked over to place his hand on the boss' body, activating the unique skill. The dummy shuddered and black veins spread like a disease from where Adam's hand was pulling mana and lifeforce out of his body, glowing with a dirty black light all the while. He was filled with a sensation of fullness, but there was no strain on his body and the stabbing needles of the Flayed Lady's gift never showed up.

Within twenty seconds, the dummy simply fell apart, as though the insides were hollowed out.

"Freaky," Beck muttered. He looked over at Adam's weapon rack, seeing everything he'd gathered so far.

"You're quite the hoarder by the way."

"Are all of these from the Forlorn Kingdom?" Kat asked.

"The banner spear, the spell-tome, the sword and shield, and the staff are," Adam replied.

"What are we fusing next?" Beck asked.

"First we're going to see Alivida," Kat said, brokering no argument. Kat, who'd led the way to Alivida's tent, came to a halt when she saw Meilo.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"A new denizen I got from using the rotmaker idol on the glass tree," Adam replied.

"I have no idea what those are. Did you get them in the Forlorn Kingdom?" Adam shook his head.

"I'll explain it later. Actually, I have quite a lot of things I need to tell you."

"I have yet to eat dinner, so let us talk while we eat," she suggested.

"I'd love to join," Beck said, grinning at the glare she shot his way.

"Buuuut, I can tell you two lovebirds want some alone time, so I'll be out of your hair shortly." Meilo watched them as they walked through the garden to the purple-glowing tent. Though it was dark on Interim Island, with nothing but the moon's light to guide players through its streets, Meilo had an inner glow that helped her see the plants she was tending to. I wonder what she'll look like after I give her the vanity, Adam considered as they entered Alivida's tent. This novel's true home is a different platform.

Support the author by finding it there.

"You have… returned," Alivida remarked.

"I have a new upgrade available."

"I actually came to ask some questions," Adam replied, "but let's see the upgrades first."

< < Mastery Upgrades For Sale > > < Scale of Nihility — Make everyone forget you — 1 Shard > < Skipping Stone — Skip a Stage if eligible — 2 Shards > < Evolution Encyclopaedia — Obtain an encyclopaedia with all discovered evolutions — 2 Shards > < Lucky Stone — Flip to increase the rarity for the next reward options — 3 Shards > < Wishing Stone — Throw into a body of water to obtain a Relic of Rare quality or lower — 3 Shards > < Vanity — Turn an Interim Island Denizen into a humanoid — 10 Shards >"Is the wishing stone like the lucky stone?"

Adam asked.

"Yes. It has one use, but you may purchase as many as you would like," Alivida explained.

"Huh, I don't have that upgrade available," Beck remarked.

"Maybe I unlocked it by using the coin on the fountain in the market?" Adam guessed.

"It will be good to have for future loops, so long as it's possible to obtain relics from future stages with it."

"Ah, you can't wish for things from future stages," Beck told him.

"I've already tried."

"What happens if you wish for something you can't get or which doesn't exist?" Adam asked him. He'd been meaning to ask earlier, but discovering the exploit with his build had derailed the conversation.

"The coin pops back into your hand," he replied.

"But it would be foolish to use it again."

"Why?" Kat asked.

"Because once a coin has been used once, it becomes a trap," Beck said.

"It can do a lot of nasty things, like curses, summoning demon relics or possessed items, bad stuff like that."

"And letting the Flayed Lady stop by for a visit," Adam added drily.

"Use the same coin three times or more and it lets Voidspawn enter the stage you're in. It doesn't do anything on Interim though, which is fortunate, but it also creates a false sense of security with the coins," Beck said.

"I appreciate the… visit, but is there anything you require of me?" Alivida interjected.

"Will you buy any of my upgrades? I see you have many shards on you. Perhaps another vanity could be tempting?"

"I wanted to ask about an upgrade that might exist," Adam replied.

"You know I cannot give away advantageous information," she stated soberly.

"Are you allowed to give hints?" Kat asked.

"No," the black moth replied, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Did you know that Adam brought one of your siblings here to the island?" Beck asked. Alivida frowned.

"I am aware."

"They are siblings?" Kat asked, surprised.

"Meilo is a hummingbird hawk-moth," Adam explained.

"Are you also unable to go meet her?" Beck asked Alivida.

"Meilo said she could not enter your tent."

"The All-Seeing System has many… rules," Alivida responded.

"Would you like to meet her?" Adam asked.

"I cannot," she replied.

"But if you could?" he pressed.

"It is a cruel fate imposed upon us," Alivida said, her gaze suddenly turning distant.

"What family does not long to be together? What siblings do not feel an indescribable bond?"

"I will make sure you are able to reunite," Adam replied." All of you." Alivida's eyes fixed on him.

"I would like to believe it to be possible. Now then, you said you had questions. I cannot answer, but you are free to ask." Beck and Adam shared a glance. Something about her wording struck them as a hint.

"Is there an upgrade to give players the ability to carry a third weapon?" Adam asked.

"I cannot say," Alivida replied.

"If such an upgrade existed, would it require fusion evolutions to obtain?" Beck went on. Alivida didn't reply, which in itself felt like a response.

"Would it require a number of fusions to be performed, as well as something else?" Adam followed, rewording the question.

"I cannot say," she replied. They shared a glance again.

"What could the second requirement be?" Beck wondered.

"The ' Evolution Encyclopaedia'," Kat replied.

"Of course," Adam said.

"That makes a lot of sense."

"Is the number of fusions required three?" Beck continued. Alivida was silent.

"Four?" Still nothing.

"Five?"

"I cannot say," she replied.

"Shit," Adam muttered.

"Look at it this way," Beck told him.

"If you get a third fusion now, you'll just be two short of getting the third weapon slot, then I'm sure you'll be able to do mega fusions."

"Mega fusion?" Kat asked, sceptically.

"You mean three weapons combined together?" Beck nodded eagerly.

"Is that possible?" Kat asked Alivida.

"I cannot say," the moth replied. Beck grinned from ear to ear.

"Told you!"

"Thanks," Adam said to Alivida.

"For what, Adam?" she asked, playing dumb.

"Now, are you purchasing any of my upgrades?" He nodded.

"I will buy the encyclopaedia." < < Meta Upgrade Unlocked > > < Evolution Encyclopaedia — Obtain an encyclopaedia with all discovered evolutions > A tome landed in Adam's hands. It was covered in black moth scales that felt like velvet and weighed basically nothing.

"With a thought, you may have the encyclopaedia appear and disappear at will," Alivida explained. Beck looked over Adam's shoulder at the tome.

"What are you waiting for? Open it." Kat tried to touch it, since Adam kept running his hand up and down the soft cover, but her fingers passed right through.

"It is soulbound," Alivida said, pre-empting their questions.

"Only the player who it is bound to may open it and see what is written within." Beck frowned.

"Damn."

"Can we write in it ourselves?" Kat asked.

"Yes," Alivida replied. That presented some interesting benefits, Adam thought. I ought to write down everything I know inside it, just in case the Flayed Lady or the All-Seeing System succeed in wiping my memories. Adam opened the tome and saw, on the first page, every weapon he had touched, and every evolution he had obtained. Despite this being his thirteenth loop, it felt woefully empty.

Of course, each starting weapon and all of the special denizen weapons all had fourteen evolutions in total, and the many stage-based ones had three each. On top of that, each fusion evolution seemed to be counted too, since Red King and Mana-Devouring Magus were both listed within, and these too would give mastery shards. But if I plan to give all of the denizens a vanity upgrade, then I'll need a lot of evolutions to make it happen. By his count, there were currently sixteen bug-based denizens on his island.

Four were the moth siblings, and another four were the ones he'd found inside the stages. He wasn't sure if it was possible to give Fal, Luvicidix, and Alivida the vanity upgrades, given that they were already humanoid, although the appearance change was just one of several effects brought on by the vanity, so it was impossible to say until he tried it. Likewise, the special denizens from perfecting stages also didn't seem like they could be targets for the vanity, but he wouldn't know until he tried.

If Luvicidix, Fal, and Alivida aren't able to receive the vanity, and the special denizens can't use them either, then I'll need ten more to give the upgrade to everyone on my island at the same time, since I currently have three vanities unlocked.

Adam had thought to just keep reusing the vanities on new denizens every time he looped in the future, but given that the denizens were asking him to give him the upgrade, and the fact that not receiving it meant they were basically paralysed whenever he went into a stage, made it a clear goal for him to unlock enough vanities for everyone to receive one. Maybe when I've bought the maximum amount I could potentially use, the upgrade will simply go away?

Still, even if I only evolve weapons with the goal of fusing them from here on, then I'll need to fully evolve about fourteen more weapons…

"Interesting book?" Beck asked, breaking Adam out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, got lost for a moment there," Adam replied. I've got a lot of work ahead of me it looks like.

"You were going to use the orb of insight, right?" Kat asked. Adam nodded.

"Right. I was hoping to get in touch with all the other players in my stage ten and figure something out." Beck looked at Alivida.

"I know this isn't my dimension, but can I buy the ' Orb of Insight' from you here, or do I need to go back to my own island?"

"I will sell it to you," Alivida said.

"After all, I am the same across dimensions." They all paused at that. Adam had suspected as much, given Luvicidix's responses in the past, but for some reason he had assumed Alivida was different, since she would deal with non-looping players too, so long as they found her tent at night.

"Can you pass messages across dimensions?" Kat asked.

"I am not allowed," Alivida replied.

"I see. I will buy the orb as well," she told the moth.

"Thank you," Alivida said gratefully to them both.

"Are we using them at the same time?" Adam asked after they'd handed over their shards in return for the upgrade. Alivida ran her hands over the purple-glowing orb and said, "Peer into… the Orb of Insight." They all leaned in to look. < < Orb of Insight Activated > > < Viewing Stage Ten — The Tower of Mirrors >