Chapter 74: Lottery
Grinding herbs was not only tiring but also tedious. Zhou Ning found himself missing his departed assistant, Tool Man B.
Unlike the cheap potions he'd made before, the materials for this Starburst Preparation were extremely expensive. By his estimation, a single portion cost about fifty to sixty Viktoria. If he failed even once, Zhou Ning was sure he'd be up all night from the stress.
Having reached the Expert level in alchemy, Zhou Ning's movements were now precise and elegant. He wasted no motion, performing each step with a perfection that looked as if it had been honed over thousands of repetitions.
Moonstone and dragon scale grass were just two components of the Starburst Preparation. As a relatively expensive alchemical catalyst, its formula was complex and its refining method exceedingly difficult.
Zhou Ning centered himself, adding the auxiliary materials meant to stabilize the potion's properties into the beaker before pouring in distilled water. The powder immediately dispersed throughout the liquid.
Next, he carefully added the moonstone powder. In an instant, the liquid in the beaker was dyed a shimmering, star-like black.
Without delay, Zhou Ning threw in the dragon scale grass.
Puff!
A burst of bubbles frothed up in the beaker.
Holding his breath, Zhou Ning added a buffer and began to heat the mixture slowly. After a few minutes, the liquid shimmered with starlight, on the verge of coalescing.
Just then, a prompt suddenly blared in his ear.
[Important Note: The first closed beta test of Apocalypse has concluded successfully. Please check the forum for relevant updates. Thank you for your participation. The next closed beta test will officially begin in a month. Please pay attention to the game forum announcement.]
[Important Note: The fourth episode of the "Apocalypse" series has been released simultaneously on the forum and various platforms. This series is automatically generated by the optical computer. Players interested in learning more about the game's lore are encouraged to watch.]
The notification was deafeningly loud, sounding right next to his ear. Startled, Zhou Ning's hand trembled, and a burnt smell immediately rose from the beaker.
[You completed an alchemical blend with a quality of 9. The blend failed. You gained 276 experience points and 9 proficiency points.]
Zhou Ning was speechless.
I've been sabotaged, he thought, overcome with the urge to find this stupid optical computer and smash it to pieces. Focus. I can deal with that later. I need to finish my work first.
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Ning began the second attempt. This time, he was even more focused, his movements precise and flawless. A few minutes later, a new notification appeared on his panel.
[You completed an alchemical blend with a quality of 95. You gained 2025 experience points and 12 proficiency points.]
Success! Zhou Ning breathed a sigh of relief. The experience reward was quite high—two thousand points for a single potion.
A star-flecked black liquid now rested in the beaker. Once it had cooled completely, Zhou Ning poured it into a test tube.
Focusing his gaze on the test tube prompted a panel display:
[Starburst Preparation (Excellent): One of the catalysts used to make super-powered mixtures. Drinking it alone has a very small chance of activating special abilities in the human body.]
Zhou Ning didn't pause. He placed the test tube of Starburst Preparation into a nearby rack and began to prepare the herbs for the Artificial Devil Fruit.
The recipe for the Devil Fruit required about fifteen different herbs, and the mixing order was critical. Zhou Ning spent some time adding the herbs to the crucible in the correct sequence before pouring in the Starburst Preparation. He then sealed the crucible with its lid, began to heat it, and waited for the coagulation reaction.
He clicked his pocket watch, starting the timer. Five minutes later, Zhou Ning opened the crucible to find a red, spiral-patterned fruit resting quietly inside.
[You created an [Artificial Devil Fruit (Zoo)]. You gained 3000 experience points!]
What surprised him was the lack of any herbal residue in the crucible. Just as I'd expect from a simulator-produced skill. Completely unscientific, Zhou Ning thought.
Casting his gaze on the red fruit made a prompt pop up on the panel:
[Artificial Devil Fruit (Zoo): An unknown species. Can grant the eater powerful abilities. Side effect: The user will be unable to swim. This does not conflict with Psychic abilities.]
Including the failed attempt, this single fruit had cost him roughly 230 Viktoria. An exorbitant price!
Still, its practical value is well worth the cost. Even if the fruit's power is on the weaker side, it can be combined with psychic abilities! And at the very least, it will significantly improve my physical fitness.
Zhou Ning picked up the Devil Fruit and stored it in his inventory. Considering the immense cost, he decided to make just this one for now. He would wait and see how his other wares sold before crafting another.
Next, Zhou Ning spent ten minutes brewing a Fuling Potion. A bottle of this cost less than ten Viktoria, so he felt no pressure and completed the familiar process with ease.
[You completed an alchemical blend with a quality of 87. You gained 1500 experience points and 11 proficiency points.]
[Fuling Potion]
Quality: Excellent
Type: Consumable
Effect: Makes everything go smoothly for the user for two minutes. Overdosing may cause dizziness and incoherent speech.
Note: Drink it!
In the past, the Fuling Potion had always topped the sales charts for alchemical potions. Many players believed it brought good luck, but luck was a metaphysical concept, and Zhou Ning wasn't a believer.
Still, now was as good a time as any to test its effects. Zhou Ning drank the Fuling Potion without hesitation.
Opening the simulator, he saw he had fifty-six Time Travel Coins left. He'd keep ten in reserve, leaving him enough for five ten-pulls. Zhou Ning opened the "Lost in Fog City" prize pool but was surprised to find that the "Infinite War" pool had also been unlocked. The lottery price was outrageous, though—five Time Travel Coins per pull, the same as time travel itself.
A total scam, he thought. Someone should call the Bureau of Pricing to investigate this.
After a moment's hesitation, he selected the first prize pool and initiated the draw, hoping to clear it out first.
…
The Fuling Potion seemed to be useless. His first ten-pull yielded no surprises: six spears, two pistols, and two useless items.
Zhou Ning clicked for a second ten-pull.
The result was just as unremarkable: five guns and five pieces of useless junk.
The third pull was also standard. Gritting his teeth, Zhou Ning initiated the fourth ten-pull.
[You have obtained the rare item: Springfield Rifle (includes 7.62mm ammunition).]
[You have obtained the rare item: Roosevelt's Double-Barreled Shotgun (includes 7.62mm ammunition).]
…
[You have obtained the epic item: Arrow.]
[You have obtained the achievement: Collector of Famous Guns. This achievement will lead to a new quest.]
[Your Hall of Wonders has a new collection. Please click to view it.]
Was that a jackpot? That had to be a jackpot!
Zhou Ning had been feeling hopeless, but the final results left him stunned. He hurriedly clicked on the Hall of Wonders. Sure enough, a new item rested on the first shelf for "Lost in Fog City": an arrow, with the word "Available" displayed behind it.
He clicked to receive it and was rewarded with six Time Travel Coins.
In the Item Bonds section, a new bond name had also appeared: [Stand User's Cry: Arrow + ??? + ???]
The bond required three items. Since it was incomplete, it currently had no special attributes.
He closed the Hall of Wonders and clicked on the newly acquired arrow in his item bar.
A panel prompt popped up:
[Arrow: Part of the ancient weapon "Bow and Arrow." When a person is pierced by this arrow, they will either die or, if they survive, awaken a 'substitute'.]
Zhou Ning was speechless.
Why does this feel more and more like a low-quality mobile game?
---
⭐ $5 Tier – Early Access!
Stay 50 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 136.
⭐ $10 Tier – Super Early Access!
Stay 100 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 186.
📖 Chapters are uploaded as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
💖 By joining, you'll be directly supporting the story while enjoying exclusive early access.
🔗 Patreon link is in My Profile/About.
⚠️ Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing.
🍎 If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it's cheaper for you, and I'll receive payments faster.