Chapter 158: The Wonders of Unicorn Horn Powder
Hua Mi recalled a curious trinket left by his grandfather among the heirlooms.
So he rummaged through drawers to find it.
The item was small, about the size of a thumb, resembling a droplet, made of an unknown wood with a polished surface, utterly smooth.
While this seemed like a decorative piece, its aesthetic value wasn't apparent.
Moreover, its craftsmanship was evidently modern, lacking any historical significance.
It felt awkward in his hand.
Hua Mi directed the measurement bee onto the "droplet."
To his surprise, almost instantly, related information surfaced in his mind.
"[Crafted from the main body of floating wood from Balshan wood, its unique shape allows it to adapt to turbulent waterways, specifically made for fishing the 'Flower Language Town Fish King.' Valuation: Low.]"
Measured out! The so-called "Flower Language Town Fish King," he vaguely knew about it.
It was a rare species native to Flower Language Town, favoring turbulent waters, extremely difficult to catch.
Hua Mi remembered many anglers from elsewhere trying to fish in the Fallen Blossom River, but those who could catch the Fish King were few. Anglers regarded it as an honor.
In his childhood, Hua Mi had witnessed one Fish King being caught.
Due to the passage of time, the details had become hazy.
He faintly recalled the peculiar appearance of the Fish King, shining golden under sunlight, exuding a divine aura.
However, in recent years, severe environmental pollution had made even common fish rare in the Fallen Blossom River, let alone the Fish King. Though official bodies regularly released fish fry into the river to try to revive the ecosystem, no significant results had been observed.
If ordinary fish struggled to survive, the rare Fish King was likely extinct, much like most Flower Language Town unique flora.
Fish Kings and such aside.
Hua Mi was certain he originally knew nothing about this float.
Yet now, the related information was vividly clear in his mind.
This indicated that even things from Earth could be measured by the measurement bee.
The characteristics granted by the Void Balance seemed even more powerful than he had imagined.
"What kind of existence is this Void Balance?" Hua Mi, struck by a sudden idea, took out the tattered Exchange Cloth from his ring, having the measurement bee cover it, to see if it could measure its power source.
Indeed, a piece of information appeared in his mind:
"[Alimondobu, cover the item you wish to exchange, chant 'Alimondobu' three times continuously, and you will receive a randomly equivalent item. Valuation: High]"
Though he received the information, it wasn't particularly useful to him.
It didn't address the crucial aspect.
Nonetheless, it wasn't a pressing matter; it was more out of curiosity.
Hua Mi shook his head, stashing away the Exchange Cloth.
This incident further emphasized how insufficient his knowledge of the otherworld was.
So, he fetched a thick history book, intending to delve into it during the candlelit night.
As he wasn't particularly interested in history before, finding it dull and tedious, his previous readings had omitted historical books.
However, with his experiences in the otherworld gradually enriching, he realized that to understand a world, history was indispensable.
The book in his hand mainly chronicled the major events of the Turlan Kingdom from its founding to modern times.
Starting with the kingdom where the Black Forest was located seemed like a good starting point.
That was an all-night read.
"So, the Turlan Kingdom has a history of a thousand years."
This country arose from the ruins following the second Abyssal invasion.
One could say it was a classic case of heroes born in chaotic times.
The founder of the Turlan Kingdom, the "One-eyed Tyrant" Svei de Peran, was initially an ordinary knight. At the collapse of the empire, he consolidated the remaining local armed forces, resisted the Abyssal army, and reclaimed numerous territories.
After the Abyssal invasion ended, Peran rightfully became the king, establishing the Turlan Kingdom amidst the ruins.
He was dubbed the "One-eyed Tyrant" due to losing an eye in the war. Additionally, his decisive actions and tough demeanor earned him the title "tyrant," not in a derogatory sense here.
At that time, the human empire had disintegrated, various principalities and vassals had declared independence, and the human society in the western continent entered an era of multiple countries standing side by side.
Subsequently, there was incessant warfare among the nations, involving even races like elves. Anyone would sigh and say, "What a mess," probably even more bewildering than the Northern and Southern Dynasties in ancient China.
The Turlan Kingdom grew and expanded gradually during this period...
He knew that the human society in the western continent currently consisted of seven major kingdoms, relatively peaceful and amicable. These seven kingdoms formed a loose alliance to counter the influence of otherworldly forces.
The Turlan Kingdom was an indispensable force among them.
Of course, this history book was a product of the Turlan Kingdom, inevitably inclined towards embellishment. To grasp a clearer view of history, he'd need to consult several other comprehensive sources.
Reading this kind of book was quite mentally taxing.
With his current mental fortitude, both in reading speed and focus, far exceeding the average, he had only covered less than a tenth in a single night.
Hua Mi stretched lazily.
The sky on Earth had brightened, and he felt a bit fatigued.
It was time to sleep.
To ensure his growth elasticity, he needed sufficient rest.
Suddenly, he heard a series of cat cries outside, accompanied by scratching at the door.
Hua Mi walked over to take a look, finding the black cat from the previous night.
"This little one, addicted to electric therapy, perhaps?" Hua Mi opened the door.
The black cat took a step back, let out a "meow," then swiftly darted away without waiting for any reaction.
As Hua Mi was pondering, he glanced down to find two salted fish lying in front of the door... connected by a thin string.
"A token of gratitude? Quite intuitive... But where did it snatch these salted fish from? Clearly, they're preserved by someone else..."
Hua Mi picked up the salted fish, lost in thought.
...
He slept at home, woke up, had a bite to eat, and crossed over to the otherworld, arriving in the morning.
Hua Mi went as usual to inspect the flower fields.
Each field exhibited healthy growth, and the bellflower honey could be harvested in another four to five days at most.
After nurturing for this period, the five Abyssal Seedlings had all broken through the soil and developed into small saplings.
As for the Rainbow Glass Flower field, it was still in preparation.
The Furball was gradually transforming the land into Dream Soil and emitting a mist within the field; there was a hint of a dreamlike atmosphere.
He didn't need to worry about this Furball slacking off.
Putting aside everything else, even if it was for the sake of leaving this place as soon as possible, it would undoubtedly give its all.
...
"What's this?" Alyss, who came to buy honey, curiously asked, seeing the laptop Hua Mi brought along.
"This is... a tool called a
laptop."
Hua Mi turned off the music player, suddenly realizing that this might pair well with the architect master.
Imagine her mastering CAD and other design software, sitting in the study clicking away at the mouse. The fusion of magic and technology, presenting an intriguing scene.
But charging it was a problem.
"Fascinating."
Watching Hua Mi operate the laptop, Alyss also displayed a sense of novelty, asking him a few questions.
"Alchemy is so extraordinary."
After hearing Hua Mi's explanation, Alyss couldn't help but exclaim. At that moment, she appeared just like an ordinary girl, captivated by new things.
Back in Mordu, Hua Mi inadvertently learned from Susie that Alyss was only a little over two hundred years old, which, in human terms, was around her twenties.
The elven race possessed numerous advantages, such as long life spans. However, in return, they had an extremely prolonged growth period.
Under normal circumstances, an elf would take two to three hundred years to fully mature.
Until reaching maturity, whether it was intelligence or magical abilities, they were rather average, even slightly inferior to humans.
For Alyss to become a master at this stage was quite remarkable.
Hua Mi opened CADwhy did a beekeeper have CAD in his computer? Because he had taken related courses during school.
He was demonstrating how to draw when someone unexpectedly arrived.
It was the cheerful Hillar.
Carrying her alchemical product, she arrived at the small wooden house.
After who knows how many days, using Unicorn Horn Powder as raw material, she finally refined a finished product.
But this time, it wasn't a liquid.
It was a sharply edged crystal, brimming with organized magical energy, as if a dense ink was continuously circulating inside.
Probing with his mental strength, he discovered this crystal's nature was highly unique.
The magical energy contained within it seemed to be the exact opposite of regular magical energy. In mathematical terms, it was as if it had an added negative sign.
Before Hillar could speak, Alyss beside her exclaimed in surprise, "Is this a 'Strange Substance' crystal?"
"Yes." Hillar proudly straightened her chest.
"A 'Strange Substance'..."
The name sounded familiar to Hua Mi; after a brief recollection, he remembered Alyss mentioning it when they first visited the Brass City.
In simple terms, a Strange Substance was a necessary item to open dimensional teleportation channels.
Ordinary Strange Substances were easily prepared, achievable even by non-alchemists. They were often disposable, used to activate dimensional channels.
However, a stabilized crystallized Strange Substance implied a broader range of uses. It could be used to craft various spatial items.
It could even...
Hua Mi let his imagination run wild, wondering if he could construct a spatial window.
One end placed here.
Another placed elsewhere, perhaps in the alchemy workshop Hillar and others were about to open.
This would essentially create a spatial passage between two points, allowing him to easily sell honey through this channel.
But this was just a sudden inspiration.
Whether it could be realized specifically was uncertain.
Hua Mi mentioned this idea to Alyss.
After a brief contemplation, she nodded.
"I'm currently researching a magic array. If I can complete it successfully, coupled with this Strange Substance crystal, theoretically, it should be possible to realize your idea."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺