Chapter 554 - 520: Killing Two Birds with One Stone Research

Got another high-end talent in the bag! Not for his combat skills, but for scientific research, Theology! Wow, that’s spooky, and this is exactly the type Da Fei values most now.

Is this Hangeval guy decent or not? Chopped up the guy, stole his stuff, and in the end, used his identity to open a bank account, plus held him captive for decades, that’s constantly lowering the bar for humanity! But, I like it! Wahahaha!

Da Fei laughs and says, "I happen to have an Alchemy Laboratory too, so I’ll leave the research to you. Got any other requests?"

The box hastily replies, "Thanks, boss. I need a body too. Nothing too demanding, just get me a Skeleton Soldier for starters so I can take over it."

Skeleton Soldier? Is that even a problem? Da Fei laughs and says, "No problem, I’ll prepare a few Skeleton Soldiers, use one up and switch for another."

"Thank you, boss. What research topic do you want me to tackle? Although I’m known as a Theologian, my progress after so many years isn’t great, but I know some of the stuff those common Mages know."

Know some? That sounds really modest, doesn’t it? Must be at least Master Level Alchemy! He’s got into Theology and looks down on the mundane matters.

Research topic, right? Theology’s too airy-fairy, let’s not rush it. Didn’t I accept the Lamp God’s offer to build an Alchemy Laboratory in the sewer to research Slime Monsters, to address the pressing issues with sewer creatures for practical combat needs? Great, then focus on the Slime Monster. Ah, Makar kept a card up his sleeve, I’ll just develop it on my own!

Right, Slime Monsters and Suture Monsters are staple products of Undead Alchemists. Since he could assemble a Douglas Suture Monster with a Divine Level Fragment, maybe he could make a Super Slime Monster with a fragment?

Holy moly! Da Fei is instantly shocked by his fantastic idea! If I really make a Super Slime Monster with this fragment, the situation in the Pool of Radiance is going to turn around in no time! Feasible, this plan is absolutely doable, it must work! How can I focus on the battle in the Eastern World if I don’t finish this fight here?

Da Fei immediately pulls out the recipe for the Dual Core Slime Monster and says with seriousness, "This is a Slime Monster I’ve developed before, but I still feel it can go further. I’ve seen your Douglas Suture Monster too, and I greatly admire it. So, your task is to develop this Slime Monster into something outstanding like Douglas!"

The box responds in shock, "Boss! That’s amazing, this Slime Monster is a genius creation. I’ve never thought a Slime Monster could have two Life Cores. This way, the performance upgrade is more than double!"

Wahahaha! You’ve got taste alright! But, just flattering won’t do, results matter!

Da Fei laughs, "Then do you have the confidence to research it?"

The box immediately says, "Boss, I’ve already got a plan! The principle of this Slime Monster is actually not complex, it’s just that ordinary people don’t usually think of this. It has two Life Cores, one light and one dark, with perfectly equal energy, reaching a delicate balance. Adding any common attribute core would disrupt its balance, leading to a failed development. So, if you want to assemble a Divine Artifact Fragment, you must drain its energy."

Da Fei wonders, "Drain it?"

"Yes, drain it! Divine Artifact Fragments are crystalline forms of Divine Power that Ancient Gods have accumulated over eons. It contains seven core elements: light, dark, wind, fire, water, earth, and spirit. This Fragment contains spiritual element, which is the residual consciousness of Ancient Gods after death. This consciousness can’t be drained and won’t upset the balance of the two Life Cores, because it is above ordinary elements. It can bind the naturally combined light and dark cores together even more tightly, and the performance upgrade will then be beyond imagination!"

Feasible! I knew it’d work! Wahahaha! Da Fei is thrilled, "Then how can we drain this fragment’s energy?"

The box says in a muffled voice, "This... might require specialized equipment. Such equipment definitely isn’t available on the market, I need time to adapt one. Please give me time to make a list..."

Da Fei is dumbfounded! Holy cow, we were having a good talk, and you suddenly drop this on me, are you trying to annoy me on purpose? Where can I find such equipment? Continue to buy it from the Lamp God? But they’re not selling stuff to me now, should I ask Makar? Will he flip out or get suspicious over such a trivial matter?

Right then, Elena chuckles, "Master, draining this Divine Level Fragment is simple, your ship can do it!"

Da Fei suddenly perks up, "My ship can?"

Elena says with a smile, "Yes, when master wasn’t here, Miss Deirdre showed me around your ship, and I realized that master is indeed extraordinary. You could transplant such incredible plants onto the ship. And now, this plant has definitely hit a bottleneck in its growth. Absorbing regular energy might not lead to a qualitative leap, so it desperately needs some special nutrient catalyst, and the divine energy of the Divine Artifact Fragment is unquestionably what’s needed right now. And undoubtedly, the best fitting fragment is one with the Dark Attribute."

Da Fei’s brows twitch! That makes sense, the Holy Vine does need Divine Power fertilizer, don’t I collect so many stones from the Holy Vine Space? Wait! That’s not right either, this Divine Artifact Fragment absorbs so much energy, who’s consuming whom?

Da Fei asks in shock, "But the thing is this Divine Artifact Fragment also absorbs energy, won’t it pose a threat to the Holy Vine?"

Elena shakes her head, "The strong thrive, the weak perish. This Divine Artifact Fragment will not be the match for this plant."

The box spoke solemnly: "Indeed, although the attributes of the Divine Artifact fragments seem powerful, they will be absorbed by any divine presence that is stronger than them. This is why Divine Artifact fragments are coveted by some powerful divine entities, making the world of gods even crueler than we imagined!"

Da Fei suddenly realized: "So that’s how it is, but how do we actually do it? Just place it on the deck?"

Elena hesitated for a moment before answering: "Perhaps we have no choice but to place it on the deck. After all, the entire ship has been infiltrated and fused with the roots of plants. However, if we place it where the Holy Vine Heart was planted, it will most likely be the first thing the Holy Vine senses and absorbs."

Hahaha, exactly what I was thinking! I’m so lucky to have so many knowledgeable hero subordinates. It’s like having an in-game advanced encyclopedia! Da Fei said joyfully, "Let’s go to the cargo hold!"

The group arrived at the cargo hold, and Da Fei clearly remembered that Vine Demon Gardener Tamilia had placed the Holy Vine right in the center of the cabin. So Da Fei treasured the Dark Attribute Divine Artifact fragment and carefully placed it in the original spot.

Then everyone quietly observed, but after a long while, there was no movement at all.

Holy moly! What’s going on? If the NPC says it works, it should work. There must be something we’re not doing right!

At this moment, Anlicia chuckled: "Miss Elena, as an Elf, you should know that even the best fertilizer can’t be absorbed by plants if it isn’t melted into a liquid state. That’s why this ship can absorb the Dark Energy from the water but not directly from this crystal."

Da Fei said anxiously: "No way, we can’t melt the crystal!" Holy moly, it’s bad enough that you’re giving bad advice, but what’s with that sour tone of yours?

Elena smiled faintly: "Please enlighten us, Miss Deputy City Lord."

Anlicia laughed: "Of course, we should chisel a hole in the deck and bury the crystal in it. This would increase the absorption surface area, wouldn’t it?"

— Ahem! Da Fei sprayed out a mouthful of water, I’m convinced! How is this any different from just placing it directly on the deck?

Huh! Wait a minute, Da Fei suddenly remembered Little Fei sipping soup with crushed ice. So it’s about pecking at the resurrecting BOSS to enter battle, and then the energy on the BOSS turns into mist and enters the fragment, right? So that’s how it works!

Da Fei then gripped the tail end of the fragment firmly, as if holding a dagger, and stabbed down toward the deck—thud! There was a sharp sound as the tip of the fragment pierced the deck and stood upright on it! Then a line of red text "Durability -1!" popped up from the deck.

Indeed, with Da Fei’s formidable 100 Attack and inherent damage, dealing a modest -1 damage to the ship with a bare hand was really quite modest!

At that moment, another message "Durability +1!" popped up on the deck.

Da Fei’s eyelids twitched in surprise, this was clearly self-healing! Damn, this must be one of the Holy Vine’s innate skills! And just then, the expected event finally occurred. From the crack in the deck, many fine roots grew at a visible speed, looking like hair. These fine roots quickly entwined around the crystal, completely enveloping it like a cocoon! At the same time, the "cocoon" glimmered with Black Light, an obvious sign of energy absorption!

Anlicia cheered: "Ice Fruit! We did it!" then said smugly, "Some problems might seem complex, but they are actually very simple to solve!"

Elena smiled: "As expected of the Vice City Lord!"

Anlicia proudly said: "Of course!"

Ahem! You dare to act all smug? Are you sure this isn’t just a fluke? But no matter what, it’s good that the problem is solved!

Da Fei laughed: "Everyone is amazing. This is the result of all of us working together!"

Deirdre said with a wry smile: "Master, I just stood by and did nothing, I really can’t take the credit."

Da Fei laughed: "Who says that? You showed Miss Elena around the ship! Didn’t that help us find the solution to the problem? You made a great contribution!"

Immediately, Catherine called out: "Hey hey, I am the First Officer of this ship, which indirectly means I also showed her around. I contributed too!"

Hahaha! This is the feeling of rivalry! Awesome, too awesome! I love it! Not only did we solve the Slime Monster problem, but we also got to give Flying a boost before setting out. Two birds with one stone, so timely, so thrilling, hahaha!

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