This was the "long-awaited task"—the true test of his[ Architect of Essence] talent. He had played it safe all day, gathering wood like a common laborer, but now he had a financial buffer of 15 Spirit Coins.
Akash stood before the [Architect's Crucible], the blue flames reflecting in his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment of quiet to finally master his tools. He systematically pulled the three items from his inventory and laid them on the stone table: the[ Crude Stone Axe], the [Sharp Stone Knife], and the [Whetstone].
He picked up the [Sharp Stone Knife] and placed it into the center of the Crucible. Immediately, a small interface floated above the flames:
[Target]: Sharp Stone Knife[Options]: Extract / Infuse
He chose "Extract". A prompt flashed in a cautionary red: "Cost: 1 Spirit Coin. Item will be destroyed. Proceed?"
"Yes," Akash muttered.
The blue flames flared white. The knife vibrated violently before disintegrating into dust. A thin, jagged sliver of silver light floated into the air. Then it moved to depths of the crucible.
[Notification]: Extraction Successful. [Inferior Sharpness] has been moved to Essence Storage.
Next, he placed the [Whetstone]onto the pedestal.
Immediately, a small interface floated above the flames:
[Target]: Whetstone [Options]: Extract / Infuse
He again chose "Extract".
The interface expanded and new options displayed.
"Choose Essence Property to extract: [Inferior Abrasiveness] / [Standard Toughness]"
You selected [Standard Toughness]. "Cost: 2 Spirit Coins. Material will be destroyed. Proceed?"
"Yes."
The flames turned a deep, earthy brown. The stone slab melted away, leaving behind a dense, pulsing orb of granite-colored light.
[Notification]: Extraction Successful. [Standard Toughness] has been moved to Essence Storage.
Finally, Akash placed his [Crude Stone Axe] into the Crucible. It looked pathetic compared to the glowing essences waiting in storage.
[Target]: Crude Stone Axe [Options]: Extract / Infuse
He chose [Infuse].
"Please select essence(s) from Storage to merge."
He selected both [Inferior Sharpness] and [Standard Toughness]. A final, high-stakes warning appeared: "Cost: 3 Spirit Coins. Warning: Incompatible infusion destroys both item and essences. Proceed?"
Akash took a deep breath. "Yes."
The Crucible erupted. The silver sliver and the brown orb revolved around the axe like twin moons before slamming into the stone head. The wood of the handle thickened, and the stone edge thinned out until it looked as keen as a razor, yet as solid as the mountain itself.
[Notification]: Infusion Successful.
He immediately focused on the item to check its details.
[Fine Stone Axe]
[Grade]: Uncommon
[Essence Properties]: Standard Toughness, Inferior Sharpness, Inferior Cleaving
[Durability]: 30/30
[Description]: A masterfully restructured tool where the essence of durability and edge-retention have been woven into the very molecular fabric of the stone. It far exceeds the capabilities of any naturally occurring stone tool.
Akash gripped the new handle. The balance was impeccable, and the edge caught the light with metallic glint. The [Inferior Toughness]had been overwritten by the [Standard Toughness]. With the addition of [Inferior Cleaving], now [Fine Stone Axe]has 3 Essence Properties.
He had spent 6 Spirit Coins in total, leaving him with a remaining balance of 9 Spirit Coins.
Akash leaned back against the cool stone wall of his Living Room, the [Fine Stone Axe] resting heavy in his hand. While the result was impressive, his mind—sharpened by the pragmatism of a Lord—began to crunch the numbers. He opened the Store and pulled up the current market prices for the raw materials he had just destroyed.
[Sharp Stone Knife] : 5 Spirit Coins
[Whetstone] : 5 Spirit Coins
[Crude Stone Axe ]: 5 Spirit Coins
"Twenty-four coins for one [Fine Stone Axe]," Akash muttered, his brow furrowing. "I can sell 100 units of wood for only 10 coins. To break even on this tool's production cost alone, I'd have to chop 240 units of wood and that doesn't even count the labor time."
He realized the trap. If he bought items from the store just to strip them for essence, he would be burning through his limited resources for diminishing returns.
The only way to make the[Architect of Essence] talent profitable is to find "free" items—looting chests, scrapped items, or finding rare resource nodes.
"I can't be a customer," he decided, his eyes hardening. "I have to be a scavenger. I have to find the 'trash' of this world and turn it into my 'treasure'."
Suddenly, the silence was shattered.
"Lord! Lord Akash!" Bala's voice boomed from the Eastern Slope, sounding breathless and excited. "Something is glowing under the roots of the Great Cedar! I think it's a cache!"
Akash sprinted toward the Eastern Slope, his new [Fine Stone Axe] gripped tightly. He found Bala standing guard over a weathered cedar tree. There, wedged between the ancient roots, sat a chest that didn't shimmer with the rainbow light of his previous reward—it was solid, oxidized bronze.
Akash knelt and touched the lid. A soft, white light spilled out, and two items came into his view. At the same time, the treasure chest became misty and vanished.
[Bronze Treasure Chest Rewards]
[Short Sword]:x1
[Blueprint : Stone Fireplace]:x1
Akash grabbed the[Short Sword]. It was a simple, straight-edged blade made of hammered iron with a leather-wrapped hilt. Compared to his crude stone tools, this felt like a godsend. It was light, balanced, and—most importantly—made of metal.
"Finally," he muttered, testing the edge. "A real weapon."
[Short Sword]
[Grade]: Uncommon
[Essence Properties]: Inferior Iron Essence, Inferior Sharpness
[Durability]: 25/25
[Description]:Though small, its edge is saturated with the cold hunger of refined iron. It hums faintly with a metallic resonance, capable of biting through leather armor and hide far more effectively than any primitive weapon.
Akash compared the two items [Short Sword]and [Fine Stone Axe]in his hands. The Short Sword fell short in its durability. Its [Inferior Iron Essence] Property was a warning; the metal was brittle, a product of the System's basic tier. However, his Fine Stone Axe hummed with a 'Standard' density. By weaving the essence himself, he had forced the stone to surpass its natural limits. He realized then that a tool's worth wasn't just in its material, but in the purity of the Essence used to bind it.
Then, he focused his mind on the flickering parchment of the blueprint.
[Blueprint : Stone Fireplace]
[Grade]: Common
[Attributes]:
[Auto-Ignite: Can be lit or extinguished with a simple mental command.
[Duration] : 1 hour per unit of Wood. Can support 6 woods at a time.
[Essence Properties]: Inferior Structural Essence, Inferior Template Essence, Ignition Essence, Conservation Essence
[Production Cost]:
[Stone]: 5 units
[Description]: A reinforced stone basin designed for the harsh mountain winds of the Aegis Summit. It provides a steady source of heat and acts as the primary cooking point for the territory.
[Restriction]: Requires a [Work Station] for assembly.
Akash stared at the shimmering interface, the [Blueprint: Stone Fireplace] floating before his eyes. It was more than just a recipe; it was a condensed packet of world-laws. His talent had once again shown its brilliance. He hadn't expected that he could bypass the physical construction entirely and strip a blueprint for its conceptual "logic."
The Blueprint timing is also impeccable. The temperature was plummeting, and the system's "Newbie Protection" wouldn't stop the biting mountain cold. To build the [Stone Fireplace], he needed the [Work Station]. This requirement was a roadblock for now.
Gripping the[Fine Stone Axe], "Time to see if you're worth the twenty-four coins of investment," he whispered.