boyutpedia Chapter 2 Dealing with the Demonic Plants
Chapter 2 Dealing with the Demonic Plants
Luo Lin clutched his stomach, which was making a protesting sound, and forced himself to stand up, beginning to search inside the wooden house.
The original owner left behind very few things; in the corner of the wooden box, he only found a few rhomboid crystals that shimmered with a dim light.
According to the original owner's memories, this is the common currency in the wizarding world: magic stones.
After counting, there were only three low-grade magic stones and a simple identity plaque.
He recalled that the college's contribution points were not physical, but rather numbers recorded on identity plaques.
Luo Lin immediately probed the nameplate with his mental energy, and a line of information appeared:
[Contribution Points: 18]
"We're too poor!"
Luo Lin sighed. This amount of resources wasn't even enough to afford a few decent meals at the academy's cafeteria.
Not to mention buying any resources that would help with cultivation.
He must earn contribution points or magic stones immediately.
Pushing open the wooden door, an even more biting cold wind rushed in, instantly invigorating Luo Lin.
Within the apprentice area, there were already quite a few figures in gray robes moving about, most of them in a hurry with solemn expressions.
There was little communication between them, and a sense of oppression and competition permeated the atmosphere.
Based on the original owner's memories, Rolin walked towards the mission hall in the academy's public area.
That was the primary place for apprentices to obtain resources.
The mission hall was a huge stone building, bustling with noise, more lively than the cold residential area, but also more chaotic.
A massive magical water curtain floated in mid-air, its surface densely covered with scrolling messages of various missions:
[Collect Ghost Face Flowers. Reward: 10 Contribution Points. Risk borne by the user.]
[Clean up Abandoned Laboratory No. 3, Reward: 15 Contribution Points. Note: Low concentration of residual radiation remains.]
[To process the gargoyle heart fragments, you must extract all blood vessels and nerve tissue. Reward: 5 contribution points per fragment.]
[We are continuously purchasing and processing qualified moonshoe moss. Each unit will be rewarded with 2 contribution points.]
【…】
Rowling quickly browsed through the pages.
The collection mission is high-risk, and the cleanup mission has unknown hidden dangers, so neither is his best choice at the moment.
Ultimately, his attention settled on the material processing tasks, especially the long-term task of acquiring moonspot moss.
Moonlight Moss…
Lorin recalled the scattered knowledge from the "Basic Magical Plant Science".
This is a cold and gloomy magical plant, often used in tranquility potions, but it is extremely susceptible to parasitism by a type of shadow fungus, making it appear as if it is rotting.
It is very troublesome to deal with. The conventional method is to directly cut off the rotten part, but this results in a lot of waste and is also prone to leaving residue.
More importantly, the original owner's memories mentioned that a certain obscure book recorded that this troublesome shadow fungus seemed to contain a catalyst component that could slightly stimulate mental power.
It is only because extraction is extremely difficult and not worthwhile that it is considered a pure contaminant.
"Perhaps... we can give this task a try."
Luo Lin was making plans in his mind.
The effects of being a "highly efficient scholar" might help him solve this problem.
Walk to the counter and show your identification badge.
"Accept five tasks related to processing moonshine moss."
The gray-robed apprentice deacon behind the counter operated the device expressionlessly, and the contribution point number on the nameplate jumped, deducting 5 points as a deposit.
[Contribution Points: 13]
"Bring your own tools, or rent a basic kit, 1 contribution point."
The deacon's voice remained completely flat.
"Rent".
Luo Lin didn't hesitate; he didn't even have a decent knife right now.
After deducting 1 point, he received a bone knife and several anti-corrosion wooden boxes.
Instead of returning to the drafty cabin, Rowling spent another contribution point to rent a public basic materials processing room.
Although the place is simple, it at least has walls that can block the wind, a flat stone platform, and a basic cleaning array to ensure that the treatment process is not disturbed or contaminated.
Place five clumps of moss, which emitted a faint putrid odor and flickered with irregular, dim fluorescence, on the stone platform.
Luo Lin picked up the bone scalpel, took a deep breath, and concentrated.
[Highly Efficient Scholar] Specialty: Silent Activation.
In that instant, he felt as if the knife in his hand had become an extension of his arm, and an indescribable sense of familiarity and control welled up in his heart.
The subtle lines, the variations in color, and the boundaries between decay and intact on the moss became clearer to him than ever before.
He did not perform the drastic excision as is the conventional approach.
Instead, he held his breath and focused intently, his wrist steady like that of a beginner. The tip of the knife, like the most precise probe, began to peel away the fungus with extreme care, following the veins through which the mycelium of the shadow fungus had penetrated.
This is an almost artistic operation.
To outsiders, it seems like a task that requires careful attention and takes more than ten minutes to complete, with a low success rate.
In Rowling's hands, however, he handled it with ease.
His movements were precise and efficient, always managing to separate the gray shadow fungus from the fluorescent moss body at just the right moment.
The 25% reduction in time is not only reflected in speed, but also in the smoothness of the process and the almost absence of redundant movements.
Soon, a batch of moonshine moss was successfully processed.
[Basic potion ingredient processing 23%]
The progress on the panel has increased by 1%!
Luo Lin was certain that his expertise in material processing was indeed effective!
Without pausing, Rowling immediately began processing the second batch of moonshine moss.
This time, his technique was more skillful and his speed was faster.
The previously vague knowledge about the structure, toughness, and distribution of moonshoe moss became clear and concrete through hands-on experience and the support of my expertise.
[Basic Potion Material Processing (24%)]
[Basic Magical Plant Science (9%)]
Not only are the skills being improved, but the understanding of the magical plants themselves is also deepening!
He was completely immersed in this efficient learning and improvement process, ignoring the passage of time and temporarily forgetting his hunger and fatigue.
Half an hour later, all five portions of moonspot moss had been processed.
On the left side of the stone platform, five flawless, glowing patches of high-quality moonshoe moss were neatly arranged.
On the right, there are five small clumps of gray-black mycelium that are constantly wriggling and exuding a cold aura; these are the Shadow Fungus that have been completely peeled off.
[Basic Potion Material Processing (28%)]
[Basic Magical Plant Science (13%)]
Not only did Luo Lin successfully complete the task, but he also advanced his knowledge in two areas.
After packing the perfectly treated moonskin moss into a wooden box, Rowling prepared to hand in the task.
As for the five small clumps of Shadow Fungus, he carefully stored them away in another container.
This was his real first pot of gold, the super profits brought about by the combination of knowledge and a knack for making money!
When Rolin returned the five wooden boxes to the quest counter, the expressionless gray-robed apprentice deacon opened them for inspection, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
The moonshoe moss is handled so perfectly that it is even better than that of many experienced craftsmen.
"Five portions of moonshine moss, perfectly processed, reward 10 contribution points."
The deacon performed a few actions, and the numbers on Rolin's nameplate began to change.
[Contribution Points: 21]
With the deposit refunded and the task reward, you net 10 points.
The deacon then added, seemingly casually.
"The workshop has a long-term need for this type of processed material. If you can supply it consistently, the price can be increased by 10%."
Luo Lin's heart stirred, but he remained outwardly calm, merely nodding slightly.
"Thank you for letting me know, I will consider it."
He did not agree immediately; caution was the first principle of survival.
Being too high-profile or displaying consistently special abilities can attract unnecessary trouble.
I now have 21 contribution points, which is still not much, but it has eased my immediate crisis.
Hunger urged him on again.
Without hesitation, Rowling headed towards the college's public dining hall.
The canteen was also simple, but at least the food it provided was hot.
He spent 3 contribution points to buy a meal consisting of meat from an unknown beast, thick soup, and hard bread, which he wolfed down.
After eating hot food, a warm current flowed through my body, dispelling some of the chill and weakness.
Luo Lin could clearly feel that his body was slowly recovering.
With his stomach full, Rowling didn't rest; he immediately headed to his next destination.
College Library!
He needs knowledge, but even more so, he needs a formula that can utilize those few clumps of shadow fungus.
Earning a meager living solely by processing materials is too slow.
He must transform the resources at his disposal into something that can directly enhance his strength.