abnabooks Chapter 389 Ancient Artifact? Soul Power Surges!
Chapter 389 Ancient Artifact? Soul Power Surges!
Chapter 389 Ancient Artifact? Soul Power Surges!
The pay-to-win system in Arknights is no exaggeration.
He knew all too well that the importance of resources on the path of cultivation was self-evident.
To expect such generous contribution point rewards again, we'll probably have to wait until the Corruption and Poison skill tree is fully developed and perfected.
That is why not all 4000 contribution points can be used for gambling on stones.
He also has to set aside a large portion of his resources for any other cultivation opportunities that may arise.
After having a clear plan for his budget, Fangzhou began to carefully examine and observe each stone, constantly eliminating and filtering them.
"This stone, dotted with black like stars, has a very distinctive surface."
However, its flat, pancake-like shape means that even if it contains ancient artifacts, it can't be very large. "This black stone, though dazzling, is only the size of a fist."
If there truly are ancient artifacts, the amount of soul crystals within them wouldn't be very large.
"This fossil is indeed quite large, but its surface is extremely smooth, so it's probably not what I'm looking for."
Ancient artifacts, eroded by time, have formed fossils that are so seamless that they virtually eliminate the need for most methods of detection.
The remaining detection methods are almost all forceful and brutal; once used, they would directly destroy any ancient artifacts that might be inside.
Therefore, when students come to select stones, they can only rely on guessing, experience, luck, or even an occasional flash of inspiration.
Otherwise, this place wouldn't be called a casino.
Of course, the world is full of wonders, and it is possible that there are a few gentle detection methods that allow students to know in advance whether there are ancient artifacts hidden in the stones.
Fangzhou knew so much because he received a lot of information from his senior brother Gu Yueyuan.
Gu Yueyuan has a cold personality, and his only hobby is gambling on stones.
Fangzhou heard some rumors from Guyueyuan, but after verification, he found that most of those so-called detection methods were just rumors and should not be believed.
Fang Zhou privately speculated that if such a method truly existed, it would surely be a secret inheritance, held only by a very few mysterious individuals, and would have no impact on the overall gambling industry.
It's better within the jurisdiction of Haicheng Military Academy and even the Longxia Federation.
The further west you go, the more prevalent casinos become.
In some lawless areas, there were even large casinos everywhere.
The tent where Ark is now located can barely be considered a small casino.
But for the other lower-grade military academy cadets, this place was already dazzling enough that even when they were choosing fossils, they were just pointing randomly.
But Ark is different; he has a cheat code.
He looked up at the female student who had been quietly waiting for him and said, "Senior sister, I would like to buy some stones."
"But I can't tell anything from its appearance. Can I touch it?"
"Newbie!" The word immediately popped into the female student's mind.
Even the worst gambler has to be discerning before making a purchase.
First, observe it carefully, then hold the stone in your hand and rub it to feel the texture and weight of the stone.
After observing for a while, if they feel something is amiss, the gamblers will give up and won't immediately say they want to bet.
People like Fangzhou, who immediately want to buy, are undoubtedly novices who are gambling on stones for the first time.
However, although the female student thought this, her expression did not change on the surface. She still smiled and asked Fang Zhou softly, "Of course, no problem, junior."
Fangzhou didn't stand on ceremony and immediately started touching it.
He didn't know about others, but his Ark had some kind of cheat code.
Attribute panel, give me the jade gambling!
The attribute panel naturally lacks the function of gambling on stones, and Ark has no idea whether there are ancient artifacts hidden inside the stones.
However, the attribute panel is extremely sensitive to the power of the soul, almost to the point of being a supernatural sensory ability.
This ability allows the Ark to easily sense whether there are absorbable soul crystals hidden within fossils through the Soul Power section of its attribute panel when it comes into contact with them.
This is the way of gambling on stones in Ark!
Soon, witnessed by the female students, Fang Zhou touched all the dozens of fossils in the stalls in front of him.
To his great excitement, among these fossils that showed no discernible signs from their appearance, he was able to sense incredibly clear fluctuations of soul crystals emanating from eight of them.
This is the feedback from the properties panel; it's absolutely correct.
After confirming the target, Fang Zhou remained completely calm despite his inner excitement.
He first gently pointed to one of the fossils with the strongest soul crystal fluctuations and said to the female student who was greeting him, "I want this one."
The female student smiled and nodded, then quickly handed the fossil to the Ark.
Fangzhou then pointed to: "This piece."
The female student was slightly surprised; she hadn't expected this student to buy two at once.
"This junior is really daring; he's one of those people who gamble a lot," the female student thought to herself.
But then Fangzhou added, "And this piece, and that piece, I bought them all."
This series of actions completely stunned the female trainee.
She never expected that the student in front of her would be such a big spender.
She looked at Fang Zhou again, a sense of curiosity rising in her heart: "This junior is so handsome, his qualifications as a professional must be extraordinary."
Judging from his current rank of lower Iron, he should be one of the best in the second year.
I never expected that such a promising new star would emerge just a few months after leaving military academy.
We'll have to find out more about it later.
Thinking of this, the female student's smile became even gentler and kinder.
I never expected that the junior in front of me would be such a big customer.
This was an unexpected delight.
However, the Ark surprised the female students once again.
He pointed to two black stones in the farthest distance and said softly, "Oh, right, and those two over there too."
The female student was slightly startled, and her smile became even gentler.
Soon, eight stones were neatly arranged in front of the ark, each radiating a different texture and luster, but without any apparent special features on the outside.
Fangzhou immediately took out his personal terminal and transferred 800 contribution points to the female student without hesitation.
This action immediately attracted the attention of the other trainees in the tent.
"Hmm? Someone's started gambling on stones." A student said in a low voice, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"We've been watching for over an hour, but we didn't dare to make a move. Now that someone's testing the waters, it's good to see," another student chimed in, a hint of envy in his eyes.
"Hey, it looks like Fangzhou, the junior. No wonder he could pull out 800 contribution points at once."
Among the second-year students, only Fang Zhou has such a substantial fortune.
Some of the older students have already recognized Fang Zhou's identity.
After all, Fang Zhou had won first place in the recruit skills competition and was already a household name in Haicheng Military Academy.
Like this female student who was greeting guests, she was usually only focused on cultivation and did not care about gossip from the outside world. So she had only heard of Fangzhou's reputation but did not know what Fangzhou really looked like.
But after being reminded by the other students, she immediately connected Fang Zhou's handsome face with his legendary achievements, and was overjoyed.
However, in a corner of the tent, some trainees were secretly watching the show unfold.
"Ark's talent and combat power are undoubtedly top-notch, and his wealth is also much greater than ours."
However, when it comes to gambling on jade, he seems to be a complete novice.
Hmph, is gambling on jade really that easy?
"We're going to get a bloody nose today," one student said contemptuously, while several of his companions nodded in agreement, their faces showing a hint of schadenfreude.
The trainees stood still, whispering among themselves, their eyes all fixed on the ark.
"Fangzhou junior, would you like your stone cut open on the spot? This casino will cut your stone open for free."
The female student offered gentle suggestions, her eyes frequently flashing flirtatious glances.
Fang Zhou glanced around out of the corner of his eye, a strange smile playing on his lips.
He waved his hand, politely declining the female student's offer: "Black is my lucky color. This is my first time gambling on stones, so it's very meaningful."
I want to cut the stone myself!
The female trainee's eyes shone even brighter, and she secretly admired, "This boldness is truly the style of a champion in the recruit competition."
.
However, some people whispered among themselves, "They really don't know their own limitations. Who chooses stones based on lucky colors!"
"Sigh, this kind of behavior is like throwing contribution points onto the water and then watching the splash."
"The contribution points in Ark don't come for free; they are all earned through hard work and deduction of skills using one's own talent."
People have the ability to earn this money, so naturally they can spend it however they want.
What are you being so sour about?
However, upon seeing Fangzhou's actions, most of the students in the tent couldn't help but feel their eyes dim.
The already low expectations have now dwindled to almost nothing.
Some trainees even turned their attention away and re-examined the fossils on the counter.
The changes around him did not affect Fang Zhou's state of mind in the slightest.
His expression remained calm as he silently mobilized the necromantic power within his core.
His right hand emitted a dark gray glow, like the deepest star in the night sky, carrying a chilling aura.
Fang Zhou picked up a black stone, held it in his palm, then closed his fingers and slowly kneaded and rubbed the surface of the fossil.
The gray light kept flashing, and the ripples were like water.
The black stone gradually shrank in Ark's hand, and large amounts of powdery stone chips slowly fell from between his fingers, scattering onto the carpet in the tent.
"Wow, Fangzhou is really something."
This ability to use magic at will is something very few Black Iron level students can do.
It's only been a little over two months since he broke through the bottleneck and advanced to Iron rank.
"Judging from his magical power fluctuations, he's almost breaking through to the mid-level Black Iron realm. His talent is truly astounding." A student murmured in admiration.
"This technique is too crude for cutting stones," some experienced and prudent students said, shaking their heads.
The black stone grew smaller and smaller in Ark's hands.
At first, it couldn't even close its palm, but after a while, it shrank to the size of a fist and was tightly wrapped by Fangzhou's fingers.
The gray light intensified, and the fossil gradually shrank to the size of a marble until finally, only a pile of stone dust remained, which fell onto the carpet and formed a small puddle.
It's just a solid stone; there are no ancient artifacts inside at all.
The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly became somewhat somber, and the trainees shook their heads, their eyes filled with disappointment.
"As expected, he's unreliable. Junior Fangzhou is probably going to suffer a huge loss this time."
"Junior, there are still seven stones left," the female student encouraged gently, trying to ease Fang Zhou's embarrassment.
Fangzhou's expression remained calm, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.
But in reality, he was overjoyed.
There is no other reason.
As he used necromancy to grind the fossil, his attribute panel kept sending notifications.
"Soul crystal detected, which can be absorbed as soul power. Absorb?"
Fangzhou, of course, chose to confirm without hesitation.
By the time the black fossil had completely turned into stone chips and scattered on the ground, the Ark had successfully absorbed 120 points of soul power.
This was naturally a very satisfying outcome for Fangzhou.
After all, the reason he came here to gamble on stones was to covet the possible spiritual essence within the fossils.
Whether there are ancient artifacts inside is actually irrelevant to the Ark.
It would be best to have it, but it doesn't matter if you don't.
This was like exchanging 100 contribution points for 120 soul power, a ratio exceeding 1:1, which made Fangzhou extremely satisfied.
After all, with the improvement of his soul essence, although the efficiency of his skeletal clones in killing and leveling up in the undead realm is getting faster and faster, the soul power he draws from black iron level undead creatures is not increasing as much as he had imagined.
This greatly hinders the speed at which players can become stronger in Ark by spending money and cheating.
Now, taking advantage of this trade fair, he was able to successfully extract the soul crystals hidden within these fossils, which undoubtedly greatly accelerated the speed at which he accumulated soul power.
Fang Zhou secretly calculated that if the remaining seven fossils were similar, his harvest today would be even greater.
The more Soul Power a ship possesses, the faster it can deduce new skills and improve skill proficiency.
This is a perfect virtuous cycle.
Fang Zhou calmed his somewhat turbulent emotions, picked up the second black fossil, and continued grinding it.
However, this piece turned out to be a solid stone block, containing no ancient artifacts.
However, Ark successfully extracted 80 points of soul power from this fossil once again.
They replaced it with a third fossil, but the result was the same.
Although it appears to be solid ore, the Ark absorbed another 140 points of soul power.
This series of successes gradually led Fang Zhou to a guess.
Although he hasn't fully figured out the principle behind the formation of soul crystals in ancient artifacts, he can roughly deduce that soul crystals are special and rare resources that ancient artifacts produce under certain conditions under the influence of the power of time.
The formation of this resource is a complex process that requires long-term geological changes and energy accumulation.
The reason why the three fossils he just dissected contained soul crystals but no ancient artifacts is quite simple.