Chapter 734: Transcendent Items and the Birth Ritual
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 734: Transcendent Items and the Birth Ritual
After a bit of small talk with Sister Teryx, I decided it was time to get down to business.
Teryx had sought me out so suddenly, likely because she had sensed something on the level of Luck. In all probability, she was here for that Lucky Coin.
"I didn't realize you had mastered the manipulation of Luck to such a superlative degree, Sister Teryx. I assume you're here for the Lucky Coin?"
"Oh? You already know that alchemy item is called a Lucky Coin?" Teryx said, though she didn't seem surprised. After all, she had previously told me it was called something like the "Choice of Fate."
She had performed this experiment many times within the Witch Academy.
"Yes," I nodded.
Learning the name of the alchemy item was actually quite simple. As long as the creator didn't bother to scrub the relevant Ley Line information, my Identification Art could easily retrieve it.
In truth... it wasn't so much that my Identification Art was powerful, but rather that the Ley Lines—which recorded everything and etched it into history—were the truly formidable force.
"So, has Xiao Han made that final Choice of Fate yet?"
"Well... I suppose you could say I have, in a way?" I said, sounding a bit hesitant.
If that truly counted as a Choice of Fate... I still felt like the Rank wasn't particularly high.
I suspected that what truly triggered the ritual was the act of gambling with Luck itself, rather than the Choice of Fate itself.
Bringing Yang Yunhan into the Witch Academy, or letting him enter the Wizard Academy, wouldn't have actually accomplished anything. It wouldn't have pushed the Main World forward in any way. That surge of Luck was merely a lingering echo from the distribution of Luck after the College Entrance Exam.
"In a way? That’s the first time I’ve heard that response. Usually, I hear something like 'I succeeded' or 'I failed.' Though it’s mostly failure, you don't need to be so vague, Xiao Han. I won't blame you even if you did fail."
Teryx rested her left cheek on her hand while her right hand stirred a specialty latte. The intricate latte art was quickly swirled into the coffee itself, a process she seemed to enjoy.
"I didn't fail, but I can't exactly say I succeeded either." I shook my head, finally deciding to stop beating around the bush.
I reached out and closed my hand in the air before me. A deep, crimson Luck radiated from my body, eventually coalescing in my palm into a coin shimmering with blood-red Luck.
To anyone unable to perceive the level of Luck, it would look like nothing more than an ordinary coin gradually manifesting in my hand.
This was the Transcendent Item created from the Lucky Coin alchemy prototype after undergoing a Birth Ritual.
To my surprise, it could still dissolve into formless crimson Luck or be summoned back into a solid state with a simple clench of my hand.
The moment the coin appeared, Teryx’s eyes went wide.
Blood-red... Luck!
And that coin—it was different from every other one she had ever collected!
The coin looked incredibly eerie. If one stared at it for too long, it gave the illusion of being provoked. The "aura" it radiated—something only a Luck Alchemist could truly sense—carried an air of unyielding defiance and rebellion.
"How interesting!"
Teryx couldn't tear her gaze away from the coin. She subconsciously swallowed hard before managing to suppress her excitement.
Rather than getting her hands on the item right now, she wanted to know exactly how Xiao Han had pulled it off.
But just as she was about to speak, she suddenly realized something was off.
"Wait... this doesn't seem to be an alchemy item anymore, does it?"
"Correct. I'm not sure how, but it transformed into a Transcendent Item. It seems to have fulfilled the requirements for a specific Birth Ritual," I nodded, still a bit surprised myself.
Only when I held the coin did I feel a sensation that allowed me to identify it as a Transcendent Item.
I hadn't expected Sister Teryx to distinguish its essence just by looking.
"A Birth Ritual for a Transcendent Item!" Upon hearing this, Teryx began to breathe heavily, as if she had discovered something monumental.
Alchemy items could be mass-produced by alchemists, but Transcendent Items... ninety-nine percent of those born within the Void were nearly impossible to replicate. They were almost always one-of-a-kind.
This was because the rituals required for their birth were excessively harsh. However, some Birth Rituals were less complex; they were discovered by chance and eventually codified.
The Witch race possessed knowledge of many Transcendent Item Birth Rituals, but most were nearly impossible to recreate even if one knew the steps.
The birth of a Transcendent Item often required a specific state of being and a series of rare coincidences. Even a Luck Alchemist using Luck to force the process couldn't guarantee success every time.
In the Endless Void, there were even Luck Alchemists who, in order to birth a single Transcendent Item, would interfere with the Luck and Script of a Small World. They would subvert the World Script into their desired narrative, driving the world into a state of endless war and self-destruction.
This was how the Transcendent Item known as the Crown of Thorns Irrigated by Blood and Tears was forged.
It was an item whose cost of use far outweighed its benefits, but that didn't matter. That Luck Alchemist simply wanted to add a prestigious piece to her collection.
This was why Transcendent Witches had such a terrible reputation in the Void—it wasn't a reputation earned through minor mischief.
However, from a Transcendent perspective, those people had served their purpose by being utilized by a Great Transcendent to birth a highly valuable Transcendent Item. They had died for a cause.
Ultimately, that Small World collapsed into self-destruction. Its fragments were later turned into Dungeon Worlds.
As for how Teryx knew all this... it was because she was also a Luck Alchemist. She had her own social circles within the Primal Dream. It was perfectly normal for Luck Alchemists to gather for a Witch Tea Party to chat about their findings and stories.
"Can you tell me the story of this Transcendent Item?"
"Are you that interested, Sister Teryx?" I asked with a smile.
Teryx’s excitement was so poorly concealed that the answer was obvious.
It seemed the value of a Transcendent Item was even higher than I had imagined.
But compared to alchemy items, Transcendent Items came with non-negligible side effects...
Could it be... for their collection value?
"Indeed, I am very interested in the process of this Transcendent coin's birth. Would it be convenient to tell me? I’m happy to be your Listener," Teryx said impatiently. "Oh—I forgot to ask. Have you named this Transcendent Item? This is the first time I've seen one like it. Since you are the one who birthed it, you should be the one to give it a name."
"A name?" I asked curiously.
"Yes. Just like my alchemy item—even though its original name was Lucky Coin, I usually like to call it the Choice of Fate."
"I see..." I looked at the coin in my hand, flipping it to the side with the silhouette of my head. The most striking feature was the wildly arrogant curl of the lips.
"How about... Mockery of Fate's Incompetence?"
"Mockery of Fate's Incompetence?" Teryx repeated the name. "If 'Fate' here refers to the destiny driven by Luck, then that seems quite fitting. In a closed world, the push of Luck basically represents a person's absolute destiny."
"Based on that name, it sounds like you did something quite extraordinary," Teryx teased playfully.
I picked up the black coffee Teryx had ordered for me and took a sip. I had to admit, Teryx had a good grasp of my tastes. I quite enjoyed the inherent bitterness of the coffee, which carried a hint of mellow fragrance.
"It was really nothing much," I said modestly.
"Then can you tell me exactly what happened? I'm truly curious." Teryx forced the conversation back to the topic. She was desperate to understand the sequence of events. She wanted to analyze the Birth Ritual of this Transcendent Item. Even if she didn't know the effects or side effects of this ominous coin, the fact that it was a Transcendent Item was enough!
She could already imagine the next Tea Party. She would no longer be a nameless listener in the background!
After all, she had spent years at the Main World Witch Academy, and her experiences weren't nearly as rich as those Witches who traveled the Void.
"Alright. But just telling you won't be as clear as seeing it for yourself. I can use the Tree of Great Knowledge to show you what happened." As I spoke, I called up the scene from before—a Ley Line projection of the past that was intimately connected to me.
"Wonderful!" Teryx’s eyes lit up. She felt herself liking this little witch Xiao Han more and more. She was so sensible!
But her joyful expression stiffened at my next sentence.
"Sister Teryx, since you're so curious about what happened, are you trying to understand the birth process or the Birth Ritual of this Transcendent Item?"
I laid it out plainly, as her intentions were far too obvious.
From my perspective, Transcendent Items were rare and serendipitous. If I could master the laws governing their birth, I would be willing to study them too, even if the item itself wasn't particularly valuable.
It would help me understand the essence of Transcendent Items.
In the Transcendent world, much of the knowledge isn't valued for its practical utility, but for one thing that stands above all else: "I like it."
No matter how much one talks about logic, value, or profit, it all pales before the simple phrase "I like it."
"Well... I suppose so..." Teryx sighed, finally admitting it. "Xiao Han, how much do you know about the concept of Transcendent Items?"
"Not much, I think. I only know that they generally have no threshold for use, but using them requires paying an equivalent price. Also... they are serendipitous and nearly impossible to mass-produce artificially." I gave a brief summary of my understanding.
"It seems you know quite a bit. Transcendent Items are indeed like that. Precisely because they are so rare, they attract more Witches who want to conquer them."
"So... rather than the coin itself, you're more interested in knowing how I did it, right?" I said, glancing at the Ley Line image I had pushed toward her.
"Yes. Ahem... but don't worry, Xiao Han. I'm not the kind of Witch who takes things for free," Teryx cleared her throat and emphasized. "If I truly master the method for this Birth Ritual—or even if I don't—I will still give you a handsome reward."
"Really?" I played along, letting my eyes light up at her words.
"Er... yes."
"Even if I want to keep the coin?" I asked tentatively.
"Xiao Han... you want to keep it? Are you attached to it?"
"No... it just represents a choice I made in my life. It’s quite meaningful, or at least, it left a deep impression on me," I explained.
"Is that so?" Teryx looked at the coin in my hand, then at the Ley Line projection. "In that case... I suppose I won't take what you love." Teryx thought of Mei Lind and suddenly felt a bit of a headache.
"However, I have a proposal. Since this Transcendent coin—no, Mockery of Fate's Incompetence—belongs to you, could I borrow it for some research? I promise not to perform any destructive tests. In fact, when I return it, I can tell you exactly what its effects and side effects are. How does that sound?"
"Of course!" I nodded repeatedly. I had only asked tentatively, and I hadn't expected her to actually agree!
It seemed the Birth Ritual was indeed more valuable than the item itself.
But birthing a Transcendent Item was truly difficult. My situation... well, it wasn't just "hard"; it was practically impossible to replicate.
"Since you're willing to let me keep ownership of the coin, Sister Teryx, I'm happy to lend it to you for research." I handed the coin over.
Teryx took the coin and toyed with it for a moment. "Hmm? Xiao Han, how did you absorb and manifest it just now? I could tell that wasn't a storage item at work."
"Oh, that... I'm not entirely sure. I can't really describe it... it's like an instinct. It just turns into Luck and attaches itself to me," I said apologetically.
"...I didn't realize there were creator privileges involved. It seems leaving it with you wasn't a mistake after all..." Teryx smiled, though she shook her head with a hint of helplessness. "Unfortunately, I can't do that."
"Perhaps... because its raw material came from my Luck Seed qualification?" I suggested.
"That seems very likely," Teryx nodded with a smile. "Xiao Han, are you busy right now?"
"Well... I'm alright. I have time for a cup of coffee."
"Then... would you be willing to help me experiment with the effects of this Transcendent coin right now? Just a quick test, what do you say?" Teryx asked, her impatience showing.