“Why isn't there a more advanced alchemy workshop?”
Lan Qingyou, who had been looking forward to it, rubbed her eyes, but it still wasn't there.
If the Basic Alchemy Workshop corresponded to D-rank, then a C-rank alchemy workshop should have appeared by now.
But it wasn't on the list.
Was it because none of her skills had reached C-rank yet?
Lan Qingyou frowned as she looked over the available facilities.
She had planned to spend early and enjoy the benefits early, but it turned out there were no loopholes to exploit.
But what exactly was this 【Crystal Nest】?
Curious, Lan Qingyou clicked to view the details.
【Crystal Nest (D)】
【Effect: Increases the hatching rate of elf butterfly pupae by 100%.】
【Description: The Crystal Nest is a specialized hatching tool for elf butterflies and serves as a playground for young elf butterflies to frolic.】
Oh, so it’s a nest for elf butterflies.
I was wondering why Albert didn't choose to hatch those elf butterfly pupae after he got them.
So this was the key issue?
…Wait, no!
That guy who dedicated his entire life to alchemy might have simply wanted to use those elf butterfly pupae as alchemy materials.
She had previously thought she was short on sludge and went out to hunt monsters.
She hadn't expected a Crystal Nest to suddenly pop up and stall her progress.
“Sigh...”
Lan Qingyou sighed, then immediately sent the list of missing materials to Shang Chuan.
Lan Qingyou: “Do you have any of these?”
Shang Chuan: “I have some, but not all. Let me check the villa's inventory; I should be able to gather most of them. However, I’ll need to ask around for a few of the element essences.”
Lan Qingyou: “Alright, get them as soon as possible.”
Shang Chuan: “Is this for the Level 5 shelter upgrade?”
Lan Qingyou: “Yes.”
Shang Chuan: “What are the specifics?”
Lan Qingyou: “Changes. There are fewer basic materials required, but more minerals. You know how it is. If all goes as expected, my shelter might even undergo a major overhaul. After all, it used to require a lot of wood, but now it’s stone and various ores.”
Lan Qingyou: “Though, strictly speaking, these materials are for the Level 5 shelter facilities.”
Shang Chuan: “Oh?”
Lan Qingyou: “I won't know the specifics until after the upgrade, including the requirements for the Level 6 shelter.”
Shang Chuan: “Makes sense. Just wait for my good news.”
Shang Chuan had already guessed as much when he was collecting minerals for Lan Qingyou earlier.
After all, it hadn't been long since Lan Qingyou’s Level 4 shelter upgrade, which he had found a bit strange at the time.
Originally, he had planned to wait until she finished the Level 5 upgrade to ask.
But after seeing the requirement for so many elemental crystals, he couldn't help but speak up.
Under normal circumstances, Shang Chuan, the merchant, wouldn't have pried.
But because Lan Qingyou had pushed through all objections to bring him into the Tarot Villa, he felt he could never fully repay that debt of gratitude.
Whether it was negotiating the pricing power with the council represented by Chu Yuan or the right to purchase the researchers' results, it was enough to make him incredibly wealthy.
Therefore, he had decided that no matter what Lan Qingyou needed in the future, he would do everything in his power to find it for her.
As for money or materials...
Tacky!
Utterly tacky!
Even a profit-driven merchant like Shang Chuan wouldn't use such things to measure his relationship with Lan Qingyou!
Besides, Lan Qingyou held shares in the fourth floor of the ‘North Mountain Mine’.
She could just withdraw what she needed from there; it wasn't like he was losing out.
After finishing her conversation with Shang Chuan, Lan Qingyou immediately contacted the High Priestess to seek more mana crystals.
High Priestess: “Ah! You want more?”
The Tower: “Yes, another two hundred.”
Since she didn't know if she would need more later, Lan Qingyou simply ordered an extra hundred to keep as a stockpile.
High Priestess: “Then you'll have to wait. I can probably have them ready by tomorrow.”
The Tower: “Give me a hundred first. I need them to upgrade to a Level 5 shelter.”
High Priestess: “You haven't upgraded to a Level 5 shelter yet!!!”
The Tower: “Nope. Not everyone can hand-craft these things like you can.”
High Priestess: “Fair enough. The mana tide is coming, so I'll get on it immediately. But you have to give me a hundred Basic Mana Potions. The price will be calculated separately.”
The Tower: “No problem. How about forty +5 Basic Spirit Potions that last for ten minutes?”
Knowing the other party needed these potions to produce mana crystals, Lan Qingyou agreed without a second thought.
High Priestess: “[OK]”
Although Chu Yuan and Shang Chuan had discussed the exchange rates for goods in the group chat earlier,
For the members of the villa, their trades were entirely based on their mood.
It was purely a matter of doing as they pleased.
Among them, ‘The Empress’ Jiang Lan and the old man ‘Hierophant’ Nemo, who both focused on cultivation and fishing, were the most prominent.
The two of them were always showing off in the group.
One would say, “I harvested some vegetables today. If anyone wants some, just give me whatever you feel like.”
The other would say, “How did you know I caught a big fish today? Come, come, take some and eat.”
Nobody asked you guys!
Seriously!
Who asked!
The Tower: “By the way, I used your Flame Stone today.”
High Priestess: “How was the effect?”
The Tower: “The effect was great. It nearly blew a hole in my side. If I didn't have so many potions, I would've been done for.”
High Priestess: “What! That shouldn't be possible!”
Because they rarely went out to hunt monsters, the High Priestess had received zero feedback in that regard.
She had been one of the happiest people when Li Huai arrived.
However, because Li Huai was powerful himself, he hadn't needed to test things like the Flame Stones yet, so the issues weren't known.
Now that Lan Qingyou had provided this feedback, she was stunned.
High Priestess: “Did you use it incorrectly?”
The Tower: “No. I had it hanging from my waist. But when the automatic counterattack triggered, the stone shattered to act as a power source. This caused the belt, clothes, and skin around my waist to suffer varying degrees of damage.”
High Priestess: “So that’s what happened. I’m sorry. When I was experimenting, I always placed them on the ground and waited for monsters to attack. I’ll improve that. I’ll send an extra hundred mana crystals tomorrow as compensation.”
The Tower: “Alright.”
Even though it was a gift, Lan Qingyou had provided valuable feedback. Moreover, the fact that her product had caused Lan Qingyou injury was something she couldn't ignore.
The High Priestess immediately offered compensation and then went to find Li Huai. She reclaimed all the belts and stones she had given him for testing and began a new round of experiments.
The High Priestess felt a bit relieved now.
Fortunately, Li Huai was capable enough that he hadn't needed to use them yet.
Otherwise, the automatic counterattack from that ring of magic stones would have probably been enough to cut Li Huai in half on the spot.
Li Huai, who had seen their conversation, was also breaking into a cold sweat.
He was also glad he hadn't needed to use them yet.
Rate on N.U.
