Chapter 00105: Harvest
# Harvest
Chapter 105
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 105: Harvest
As known to all, the purpose of a dungeon run is to claim the spoils, whether it be equipment, materials, or even golden coins that shine brightly from the BOSS's defeat.
If there were not even a single local specialty among the loot, would it not feel like doing community service? Moreover, even if one were to do charity work, one would still receive at least a couple of eggs to supplement their efforts!
Now that the battle was over, the loot had dropped, and identification was complete, it was time for the moment everyone eagerly anticipated—the sharing of rewards.
After all, Xiao An's family consisted of experts—no matter how much Sister Wen had arranged or how much the fans admired her, it made no sense for someone from the Ji family to work for free, right? What would be the point? Was it just to have a close interaction with GIEGIE?
Forget it.
There are many things in this world that one can get for free, and some candies can be enjoyed even while saying they’re ordinary.
However, owing favors to people is a slippery slope—what if you unintentionally hurt someone's feelings? Children might not understand, but surely the adults in their lives would grasp what kind of person Ji is.
Ji Jue laid out half of the total harvest from this expedition.
However, this pile of things barely amounted to one-tenth of their total value.
Most were materials easily converted into currency, precious metals, or simply raw crystal remnants.
In the Mercury workshop, these items were the only ones that could be neatly assigned a value.
In comparison, these items were precisely the least valuable.
After all, if one were to say money could be had by anyone, could money buy fluid alchemy? Could one purchase the cherished blessings of sages? Could one acquire those rare, long-extinct materials from the workshop? Many of these things were unique to the workshop and fluid alchemy—a single piece could not be traded for astronomical figures on paper.
Some items even existed only in various large workshops, traded by barter—where losing or profiting was only known to the individual involved.
If Ji Jue were to be shameless enough, he could even take out the piece of ether crystal that held the highest theoretical value.
This was the control core of the entire Rift and weighed a hefty forty-one kilograms, entirely pristine and flawless.
After Mercury's careful handling, its purity had reached theoretical limits, making it a rare find indeed!
Whether used to create an island-class battleship’s engine core or to serve as the command center for large-scale alchemical constructs, this item would fetch an easy tens of billions in the market—allowing one to live lavishly aboard extravagant yachts alongside beautiful companions.
The only drawback was... after being touched by Mercury, it could only be integrated into fluid alchemy.
If exchanged for modern alchemy, no matter the school, its efficiency would amount to less than one-tenth.
Let alone to sell it, this strategic resource would only bring endless problems if held, better left buried deep in the teacher's workshop.
But awkwardly enough, most of the findings from this endeavor fell into that very category.
There was no choice; the sage had no excess supplies.
Hundreds of years ago, Mercury had sold off most of the valuable artifacts to transform the Rift into a workshop.
What remained in the collection was either highly compatible with fluid alchemy—hardly enough for Ji Jue's future use—or far too rare and valuable, making it foolish to sell.
Thus, after examining the spoils carefully, Ji Jue found nothing but a massive heap of materials, and the few items that could be liquidated had already been claimed by him, to the point his conscience ached slightly.
"Wow..."
Finally recovering her senses, Tong Hua, buoyed by Sister Wen's protection, peeked over at the open chest and found herself dazzled by the glow of precious metals.
"Did you all go into the Rift or rob a bank?!"
Golden coins, orange bars, and silver trinkets sparkled under the light.
As the only wealthy sibling in the group, she quickly estimated the total weight and value, inhaling sharply.
Beyond the intrinsic values of the precious metals, most of the items contained antique qualities that were nearly impossible to quantify.
Most still bore features from the Eternal Empire era.
If all this were thrown into the market, it might just shake the entire antique trade in the federation!
As a chosen one of the Ether Way, she instinctively picked up a delicately crafted clock, dusting it off with her sleeve, and inhaled deeply.
An antiquated aroma washed over her.
A rare find indeed!
Before Wen Wen could intervene, her eyes sparked with excitement, but then darkness rushed in, seemingly kicked from behind, causing her to scream out in horror.
"Ahhh! My flashy dog eyes!"
She squeezed her eyes shut, rolling around on the sofa while Old Zhang and Wen Wen exchanged glances in exasperation.
One pinned her down while the other applied eye drops.
Ji Jue couldn’t help but twitch his expression; for the first time, he admired someone’s courage and boldness.
She was brave in a way, but every time she saw her own reflection, she acted as if she’d seen a ghost; yet she wasn’t shy about staring at everything else.
The Apparatus of Recollection made it possible for the chosen ones to touch artifacts and read history and images from them.
Even in the realm of the Ether Way, it was a rare top-tier matrix.
But the issue was, for the last four centuries, Mercury had never halted its retrospective work in the workshop.
No matter how weathered the ancient items were, after such intricate interference, their recorded memories had turned into garbled nonsense—any insight would be pure speculation.
Clearly, the petite girl seemed dignified, yet she had such a dense head!
However, facing all this wealth, Xiao An remained far more composed, almost indifferent to money.
Since Ji Jue said it was his, it was hers too.
"Thank you, Brother Ji Jue."
With sweet laughter, the boy closed the box and turned to Wen Wen, saying, "Please help me keep these safe."
The bond between the four of them in the Northern District was far tighter than the mere colleague bonds in other agencies.
In previous years, shortly after Wen Wen had taken her position, due to her extravagant habits and a reluctance to collude with shady figures, she found herself in dire straits.
On Tong Hua's suggestion, she started a shell company.
With no actual business, it primarily handled the financial management of the Northern District group; most of their undeclared income passed through there.
Thanks to Tong Hua’s operations and inside tips, they somehow managed to show a profit and live a wealthy life.
After all, relying on a meager salary just couldn’t sustain the lifestyle of a chosen one.
Given the means and the matrix, one could easily kick back, but progressing was a monumental challenge.
Equipment, potions, secrets, intelligence, training, rehabilitation—the need for funds was ever-present.
Even the recent mess caused by Laurence meant many victims of blood thirst had their healing and rehabilitation costs loaded onto the company’s accounts.
With this new influx of income, one could foresee a much more optimistic financial situation for a long while.
After getting her eyes treated, Tong Hua hardly paid attention to the ordeal anymore and currently lay sprawled over the box like a mythical dragon, counting the treasures with gleeful giggles.
After all was said and done, Ji Jue cleared his throat twice.
When everyone turned towards him, he smiled and placed his backpack on the table.
“I actually came here for this—ta-da!”
With his own sound effects, he presented his first-ever official alchemical creation to the group.
Under the soft lighting, an oddly shaped dynamic framework appeared before them.
It was like an external skeletal support, achieving motion and stability through multiple fixation points between the thighs, joints, and ankles.
The main structure was carved from a solid piece of aluminum, reinforced for strength and durability via alchemy.
Adopting a lightweight design, all unnecessary structures were omitted, bringing the total weight down to an astonishing over nine hundred grams.
The dynamics of the joints utilized designs from scholarly papers, featuring a simple magnetic energy storage structure enabled by entropy emblems and ethereal circuits—when lifting and bending, they absorbed parts of the user's weight and potential energy, releasing it when they extended, effectively reducing the user’s burden.
According to the input force, it could automatically adjust for walking, running, jumping, and other movements.
If needed, one could also channel their own spirit to achieve a brief power boost.
Ji Jue had customized the length and data according to Xiao An’s measurements.
This was specifically crafted as a prosthetic limb for him.
Amidst the confused gazes from others, Ji Jue didn’t feel the need for further explanation.
He merely pushed it towards Xiao An. “Give it a try.”
“Uh?”
The boy was stunned, staring at the prosthetic on the table, and after a moment, it seemed he finally comprehended, “Me?”
Under Ji Jue's guidance, he rolled up his pants to reveal the shocking iron nails of his stump and cautiously attached the prosthetic to his right leg.
The process was not too complex; once skilled, one could easily wear and remove it with one hand operating two clips.
The iron framework went around the nails above the knee, fitting snugly against his skin, replacing the joint's function, bearing weight, moving smoothly, and making no noise at all.
In the silence that was so hushed you could practically measure it, Xiao An's body swayed, bracing himself against the sofa's armrest, carefully pushing up to stand again.
He felt an entirely new sensation.
He instinctively turned toward Ji Jue, who just smiled and gestured for him to continue.
And so, he gently took his first step forward.
Then, a second, and a third…
The balance of the White Deer Way and bodily control allowed him to quickly adapt to the prosthetic assistance.
After five steps, he was already moving as if it were second nature.
Only now did he wake up from the daze, looking down at his feet that touched the floor.
Turning back, he revealed a delighted smile towards Ji Jue.
"It seems the basic version works just fine."
Ji Jue stroked his chin, grinning proudly at the appreciative gaze directed his way, and then, with a flourish like magic, he pulled out a few more models from his bag and placed them on the table, all different and splendid:
“Next, let’s try out the extended version, enhanced version, and ergonomic design version!”
How could it be that only a single item was completed in the afternoon? After all, with the right tools in hand, producing simple alchemical works was like a production line—frighteningly fast.
Moreover, the design was not complicated; after eliminating all the unnecessary features, the focus was on maximum lightness, comfortable wear, and simple durability.
Subtlety in craftsmanship – that’s the essence.
However, for newcomers, it’s deceptively difficult; sometimes it leads one to create fewer or excessive items.
Striking the perfect balance was often the biggest challenge.
Fortunately, under Professor Ye’s supervision, this part was swiftly finished, saving Ji Jue from the endless cycle of trial and error.
After observing the first prototype, the professor noted several points for improvement, and a rework was prepared.
An hour later, the new version was ready.
After further modifications, following the third version, Ji Jue finally saw what appeared perfect in his eyes but only “passable” from the professor’s perspective.
Afterward, fueled by momentum, Ji Jue continued to work tirelessly throughout the afternoon.
From the first prototype, he created all the various designs he had imagined.
If he had enough time, he would even have introduced a cool dyed version and a variant that glowed, ensuring Xiao An would shine bright in any dark night.
“Each style comes with two sets. If one gets damaged, just swap it out—don’t hesitate or hold back!”
Ji Jue stacked each product into Xiao An’s arms: “Try them out these next few days. If you encounter any issues with usage, just let me know. We can modify and complete it anytime!”
“Unfortunately, the materials are still quite ordinary, and the movement aids restrict some mobility. So, if it feels troublesome, just take it off. But for daily use, this should be more than enough.”
At this point, after having changed through several different styles, Xiao An was already able to assemble and disassemble the prosthetics freely.
With a simplified structure, daily maintenance became much less cumbersome—just spray some WD-40 where it needs smoothing.
Seeing Xiao An now jumping and running with ease, Tong Hua, filled with emotion, leaned against Wen Wen with teary eyes, “Waaah, the child can walk now! I’m so moved, Sister Wen.”
“Get away, get away! You’re rubbing your snot on my clothes! Xiao An is not a little kid taking his first steps! What’s there to be so excited about?”
Wen Wen lightly pinched her neck to pull her away, refusing to cuddle, but her smile couldn’t hide her joy, “If you truly wish to thank Ji Jue, don’t initiate any new tasks next time.”
Throughout all this, Old Zhang quietly spun a steel walnut, not even joining in the bustle.
After a while, he patted Ji Jue’s shoulder.
“Kid, you’ve done well.”
The old man had seen and done it all in his long life; having been both poor and rich, he learned to pass on to the next generation the skills that made him uniquely skilled in massage.
The money Ji Jue brought was indeed a surprise, but compared to this, it was a sentiment and gift that couldn’t be bought.
Old Zhang’s lips moved, the words falling barely audible into Ji Jue’s ear: “If there are any troubles later, don’t hesitate to come find me.”
Ji Jue smiled and nodded slightly.
If he truly cared about potential troubles, he wouldn’t have taken these steps in the first place.
But as he pondered, he suddenly felt a slight weight press down on him.
It was the returning young man, standing before him, tipsy and wide-eyed, arms open for a gentle embrace.
His eyes sparkled like stars, radiating happiness and pureness on his face.
“Thank you, Brother Ji Jue,” he said.
“Ahaha, no problem at all, it was just a simple task,” Ji Jue replied awkwardly, feeling stunned, raising his head and taking a deep breath in the gap of silly laughter.
Hold on, Ji Jue, hold on.
Damn it, hold it together!
He felt that if he blushed now, his straight-laced life of nineteen years would be utterly over!
But unexpectedly, beyond that, there was another feeling.
It was hard to articulate.
As if he had gained some treasure more precious than gold.
For the first time in his life, he felt such pure and abundant joy from his own creation.
“Is this what alchemy truly feels like?”
He couldn't help but gaze at his hands.
His ten fingers slowly clenched tight.
He had begun to look forward to the next lessons...
(End of Chapter)