Chapter 114 - 97: Uncanny Valley Effect (2)

In the words of her mother and etiquette teacher, "Erin, you are a lady of the Elizabeth Clan. How could you do something so unladylike?"

Zhou Chen wasn’t concerned. He spread his hands and said, "Your father wanted you to stay in Jinzhu to experience modern society, right? Doesn’t that mean he’s tacitly approved of you doing the things you’ve always wanted to do?

"Besides, you’re a world away from home now. Even if you did something, how would your parents ever know? Does drinking some bubble tea or setting off some fireworks suddenly make you not a noble lady anymore?"

His words were like a demon’s whisper, instantly stirring the young woman’s heart.

’That’s right! Father wants me to experience modern society, so I can do the things I want to do. Even if they don’t approve, they won’t know if I do them... And besides, those things won’t damage my image as a lady at all. It’s just Mother and Father being too old-fashioned...’

With this simple temptation, Erin was already itching to go.

"Th-Then when can we go shopping?" she asked tentatively.

"Let’s go tomorrow. I still have some things to take care of today. You can search online for fun places in Jinzhu City and make a plan," Zhou Chen said, pinching his chin.

"That makes sense!" Erin’s eyes lit up instantly.

·

·

After saying goodbye to Erin, Zhou Chen went for a minor procedure to have the Essence communication device and camera removed from his body. Now that he was no longer undercover, he didn’t need the surveillance equipment.

Afterward, he took the elevator to the Research Department and found Xiao Yan slacking off in his office to discuss his path for Advancement.

Xiao Yan was eating a donut and mumbled, "Fire Type Ascenders basically all go for a brute-force build. Otherwise, what’s the point of being a Fire Type Ascender?

"Even though you’re a Spiritual Element, your attack methods are similar to a Fire Type Ascender’s, so I recommend you head in that direction. Don’t even think about things like hypnosis, brainwashing, or altering common sense. You’re not cut out for that, and it doesn’t suit your Ability."

"You know quite a bit..."

"Duh. Those are the classics. Who doesn’t know about them?"

Xiao Yan handed back the proposal he’d finished reading and got back to business. "I think the first optimal choice is the best one. Of course, the specific direction is still up to you."

Zhou Chen opened the proposal. The first page was the optimal choice Jiang Che had provided: High-damage output + sustained burn.

Using the Gilded Fire Spirit’s crystal, the Magma Giant’s heart, and a Star Mango as the main materials would double his flame power and Essence Capacity. There was even a chance he could obtain the Gilded Fire Spirit’s "Flame Shuttling" Ability, giving him one of the Displacement Skills.

It was indeed an excellent option. He really did need a displacement Ability, and it was clear Jiang Che had been very thorough in her considerations.

However, as someone who could agonize for ages just choosing a class in a video game, Zhou Chen didn’t want to make a decision so quickly. This wasn’t a game; he couldn’t start over or respec his character.

So, he returned to his dorm, preparing to use a wish to determine which Advanced Secret Ceremony was best for him.

After completing the mission, the Wish Bottle now held fifteen stars.

Most of the wish value came from successfully stalling the Gentleman, likely provided by many mission personnel simultaneously, which was why the amount was so large. The rest came from helping Jiang Che dispose of the body, letting Erin set off fireworks, and finally, a few odds and ends... It was worth noting that Erin’s firework display had directly provided two stars. ’Man, how badly did that kid want to set off fireworks?’

Zhou Chen felt like he could farm a lot more wish value from Erin in the future...

He sat on his chair, closed his eyes, and gazed at the Wish Bottle deep within his Soul, stating his wish:

"—I wish for the best possible plan for my Advanced Secret Ceremony!"

A star glowed and merged into his Soul. Zhou Chen suddenly felt countless pieces of Alchemy Knowledge flooding his mind. They were as vast and numerous as the books in a Library, instantly filling his head and leaving no room for other thoughts.

Immediately after, the knowledge began to vanish rapidly, as if it were being sorted and filed, leaving only the useful information behind.

After four or five minutes, the feeling of his brain being stuffed to bursting slowly subsided. Amidst a splitting headache, Zhou Chen felt new knowledge echoing in his mind.

Main materials: Gilded Fire Spirit’s crystal + Blazing White Sunflower + Star Mango.

Auxiliary materials: Radiant Stone + Life Potion + pure hydrosol steeped from Purple Spirit Coral...

’I’ve gained some strange Alchemy Knowledge!’

’This is the optimal plan? One of the main materials was swapped out, and several auxiliary materials were changed, too. If Jiang Che asks, what should I say... I’ll just say I figured it out myself. I’ll go see her in a few days...’ Waves of sharp pain pulsed through Zhou Chen’s brain, his Spiritual Power almost completely depleted. In this state, he couldn’t even focus enough to perform Meditation. The best option was to sleep.

He guessed that the wish didn’t just create the best answer out of thin air. Instead, it had "calculated" a result based on Jiang Che’s plan combined with the Alchemy Knowledge he already possessed, ultimately producing the best answer for him.

’How should I put it... it feels a little unreliable.’

He was just an Alchemy Apprentice, after all. Although he knew the encyclopedia of alchemy by heart and understood the effects of most Alchemy Materials, that was just basic knowledge. He didn’t understand the more advanced concepts, just like how there were several materials in Jiang Che’s list that he didn’t even recognize.

’If the Advanced Secret Ceremony was modified based on my personal understanding, there’s a high chance it would be a downgrade...’

’I’ll have to ask Jiang Che and the veterans in the Alchemy Department later...’ As this thought crossed his mind, Zhou Chen’s consciousness grew increasingly fuzzy, and he fell onto his bed, fast asleep.

·

·

「The next day.」

The sun was bright, a fresh breeze blew in from afar, and it was a beautiful day.

Yawning, Zhou Chen arrived downstairs at the women’s dormitory and met up with Erin, who had just come down.

She was wearing a white dress with white lace gloves on her arms and a ladies’ shoulder bag. She wore no extravagant jewelry, but her every move still conveyed the elegant aura of a young lady from a wealthy family.

"Good morning, Mr. Zhou Chen~" Erin’s tone was light and her face was all smiles, full of anticipation for the day’s plans.

"Good morning," Zhou Chen greeted her. "How’s your schedule coming along?"

Erin took a small notebook from her bag and showed it to him. "First, we’ll go eat tofu pudding for breakfast. I’ve always wanted to try it. I often see people online arguing about whether sweet or savory tofu pudding is better.

"Which side are you on, Mr. Zhou Chen?"

"I’ve eaten the savory kind since I was a kid; I’ve never had any other flavor," Zhou Chen shrugged. "But I know a breakfast place that sells both. We can go try it."

"Yay~" Erin beamed with a happy smile.

Half an hour later, they put down their bowls, having tried both kinds of tofu pudding. For Ascenders, that small amount of food was nothing.

"Mmm, the sweet one is more like a dessert, not really suitable for breakfast. The savory one is a very tasty and appetizing breakfast if you pair it with pastries like meat-filled buns or flatbreads." Erin jotted down notes in her little book, also taking a few photos as mementos to show off to her friends.

After breakfast came the one thing that drove most men to despair: shopping.

For Erin, she had never experienced the joy of a "buy, buy, buy" shopping spree. All her clothes were custom-made by a tailor. Now that she had this rare opportunity, she was determined to experience the thrill of spending money freely.

In the shopping mall, Zhou Chen followed beside a curious, wide-eyed Erin, a look on his face as if he’d lost the will to live.

’What’s going on...’

’Why does shopping still feel so tiring even after becoming an Ascender...?’

Following Erin into a clothing store, Zhou Chen’s eyes immediately landed on the sofa. The moment he sat down, he inexplicably felt like he had come back to life, revitalized and refreshed. Then, he froze for a second.

He turned his head, his gaze falling suspiciously on a mannequin in the store.

’Did that mannequin just move?’

He got up, walked over, and examined the mannequin up close. There was nothing special about it—it was the common type of plastic mannequin seen in malls, dressed in the latest fashion and holding a pose.

The mannequin stared ahead with a stiff expression. If you looked at its human-like features for too long, a profound sense of eeriness would creep in.

Zhou Chen knew this was the uncanny valley effect. People have a Fear of things that look almost human, like wax figures or dolls... If their appearance is just slightly off, it can make one’s skin crawl with extreme discomfort, causing the mind to conjure up all sorts of horror scenarios.

"Mr. Zhou Chen, could you please come see if this dress fits me?" Erin’s voice called from a distance.

"Oh, coming!" Zhou Chen responded, turning away from the mannequin.

After he walked away, the mannequin’s eyeballs silently, almost imperceptibly, shifted a fraction of an inch in the direction he had gone.