Ian rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared at the materials before him.
Coal → Alchemical Coal → Mobius Fuel → First-grade Klein... After countless layers of crafting, he finally obtained—
The Tier-6 Klein Star! Omega!
He held the softly glowing orb in his hand. It felt warm and smooth like fine jade, but somehow alive—almost as if he were holding a tiny sun.
"Man… this nesting is getting ridiculous." Ian grinned. He had lost count of how many times he'd crafted and recrafted the same thing—it was like Russian dolls, but worse.
He could feel the immense energy radiating from the Klein Star—a boundless, unfathomable power. It felt as though, if he wished it, the orb could unleash world-ending destruction. And that was without being fully charged. He didn't even want to imagine what it would be like when filled with EMC.
"If I threw this thing…"
He snickered, quickly shaking off the dangerous thought. Tossing a Tier-6 Klein Star for fun? That'd be insanity!
Ian got back to crafting—Mobius Fuel into Aeternalis Fuel, which he then fused with diamond blocks to form Dark Matter.
The dark, swirling mass in his hand looked like a miniature black hole, but Ian didn't bother inspecting it too closely. He was rich now—Dark Matter was just another step in the crafting chain.
After hours of this endless nesting, his arms were sore from swinging, but it was worth it. Before him now shimmered a set of dark crimson armor—the Red Matter Armor!
The armor glowed faintly like molten magma, arcs of energy flickering across its surface. The air around it twisted slightly, like a small black hole devouring everything nearby—even light couldn't escape.
"Holy crap, that's awesome!"
He couldn't wait any longer. Picking up the Red Matter Helmet, Ian couldn't help but complain to himself—how could a blockman wear something that weighed millions of tons without snapping his neck?
Clack.
The helmet sealed perfectly onto his head. Instantly, his vision sharpened—dark corners became bright, every mote of dust visible in the air.
He slipped on the chestplate, leggings, and boots one by one. Each piece sent a surge of power flooding into his body until he felt unstoppable.
When the last boot clicked into place, Ian felt reborn.
He looked down—the armor hugged his form perfectly, gleaming with fiery power.
"This... this is too handsome!" Ian couldn't help but bounce up and down twice, feeling the surging power within his body, and excitedly clenched his fists.
He now felt like he could punch and kill a... polar bear!
No, what's a polar bear? He now felt like he could punch and shatter a mountain!
After reveling in his newfound might, Ian quickly returned to work. He wasn't done yet.
"Glowstone, lapis… I'm just missing these for the Gem Armor!"
He rolled up his sleeves. Time to grind again. From the Transmutation Tablet, he pulled out a Chicken, then used the Philosopher's Stone to transmute it.
Zombie—nah. Skeleton—keep for sale. Enderman—keep for pearls.
Huh? Couldn't sell it? Whatever, time to slice it down for Ender Pearls.
Right before the Enderman died, Ian thought he heard it mumbling something weird, but he didn't understand a word. One swing later— Ender Pearls acquired.
Next—horse. "Nice, sell it. Later I can breed a super horse with potions. Flying's cool, but who'd say no to a stallion faster than a bullet train?"
More transmutation… witch. "Oh-ho, jackpot!"
Huh? Couldn't sell her either. What's up with that?
"Heh, fine then, little witch. Time to turn you into glowstone!" Ian drew his sword, stepping forward.
"Wait! Don't kill me!"
The sudden scream startled him so much that he almost swung by accident.
"Huh? You can talk?" Ian froze. A witch—with consciousness? He thought they were just dumb mobs that threw potions at players!
Looking closer, he realized—she wasn't even blocky.
Her oversized hat nearly hid her entire face, revealing only a small chin and trembling lips. Even so, her beauty was undeniable. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, as if untouched by sunlight, and her wide, princess-like eyes shimmered with fear.
Her small nose and mouth made her look even cuter.
Then she dropped to her knees with a thud, clutching Ian's pants in desperation.
Looking up, she cried out with a trembling voice: "Please… don't kill me! I'm useful! Really, I can help!"
Ian was speechless. He'd expected an NPC—but this? A real, living, adorable girl? The contrast almost broke his brain.
He scratched his head awkwardly and sheathed his sword. "Uh… well. You should get up first. The ground is cold."
But she didn't move—still clutching his leg like her life depended on it, trembling and tearful.
"I—I can really help you! I can make potions, gather ingredients, and also I can… I can also…"
She kept saying "also" for a long time without completing a sentence, clearly terrified.
The little Witch then realized that she seemed to have overreacted a bit. She secretly glanced at Ian and found that he wasn't angry, but was looking at her with a helpless expression. She finally felt a little relieved.
She cautiously released Ian's pants and wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve.
"Right… so, can you trade?" Ian's eyes lit up. If she could, then he wouldn't have to kill mobs for loot anymore!
The witch girl nodded quickly. "What do you need? I'll check what I have."
"Emmm, do you have Glowstone and Lapis Lazuli?"
"Okay, please wait a moment, Sir. I'll check." The Witch then began to rummage through her wide Witch's Robe, patting down all her pockets.
At last, she seemed to find what she was looking for and sighed in relief.
A trade menu popped up before Ian:
[Emerald ×1 → Glowstone ×8]
[Emerald ×1 → Lapis Lazuli ×5]
"I only have this much left on me right now. Do you have any other needs, Sir? I can go restock later," the Witch said pitifully to Ian.
"..." Ian fell silent. He admitted that this price was so cheap.
"Uh, Miss Witch, one moment."
Ian used the Philosopher's Stone function to convert a Diamond into an Emerald.
Then he sold them through the Transmutation Tablet, summoning piles upon piles of gleaming emeralds until they formed a small mountain beside him.
The witch girl just stood there, mouth agape, eyes reflecting nothing but pure green light.