Chapter 125
"Guest, here is the artifact you purchased."
The auctioneer led Ye Bai to the back room.
"This is five gold coins."
Ye Bai handed over 5 gold coins, leaving her with 24 gold, 18 silver, and 55 copper. Once the trade routes opened, she would earn it all back.
The moment her hand brushed against the damaged golem, a task notification popped up:
[You have obtained the historical clue 'Unexpected Experimental Result'. You gain 10 points of historical experience and 10,000 points of experience.]
This was it!
Ye Bai stored the golem in her spatial backpack and then stepped out of the back room.
As she walked through the corridor, her red velvet gown transformed into a simple silk dress. Compared to when she entered, her fashion value had dropped significantly, making her much less conspicuous.
So much so that she walked right past Su Da and his companion, who were waiting at the door, completely unaware that she was one of the potential buyers of the golem they had noted down.
Legendary items always had powerful effects, and clothing was no exception.
...
After leaving the auction house, Ye Bai opened the accompanying certificate and records that came with the golem.
There was no need to consult the golem registration office in Laan City like Su Da did; the certificate clearly stated when and where the golem was damaged and the reasons behind it.
In the myriad realms, task clues never came from just one source.
If Su Da had had the money to attend the auction like Ye Bai, he could have bought the golem first and then consulted a historian to study it, thus obtaining the historical clue 'Extraordinary Disintegration'.
She noted that the location of the golem's damage was called the "Goddess of Fortune Alchemical Laboratory."
Laan City had numerous alchemical laboratories available for alchemists to rent. Based on the address, Ye Bai set off for this laboratory.
The task to trigger the golem's quest needed to be completed there.
If Su Da had seen the address, he would have recognized it immediately as the laboratory he had investigated based on his clues.
The "Reform Triggered by the Traitor" series of tasks had three parts, each appearing in the main cities of the three major schools in the game.
All three were hidden first-tier classes, which could also be accessed by other players, who might even complete the class transition.
After completing the first tier, unless players like Ye Bai had a strategy in hand, most would continue to enhance their original classes. For instance, a Whisperer could, upon reaching level 40, follow the previous task hints to find the mentor who misled Leto in the Chaos School and complete the transition to the more powerful advanced class, 'Mystic Seer'.
However, players like Ye Bai, who treated these three hidden classes as a continuous three-tier progression, could form a brand new and powerful hidden class system.
Because completing all of this required immense coincidence and luck, once successful, it would undoubtedly be considered the strongest class in the myriad realms.
If it weren't for the 'server merge' in this holographic universe, Ye Bai would never have chosen this class in the first place.
Just like Su Da, who had triggered his quest through a normal yet complex task chain in Laan City, even as players gradually reached level 20, hidden tasks remained elusive. Yet, there were always a few lucky ones who stumbled upon them. Ye Bai's rapid level-up allowed her to snatch the task from Su Da just in time.
Without the 'server merge' setting, if someone had beaten her to the Chaos City task in the Blue Star server, Ye Bai would have had to abandon that route and follow the standard progression.
However, now that the entire universe was merged, even if someone completed the Chaos City task in the Blue Star server ahead of her, Ye Bai could still try other star region servers. It was merely a matter of paying a few gold coins for the teleportation fee.
After walking two blocks, Ye Bai arrived at her destination.
"Welcome to the Goddess of Fortune Alchemical Laboratory. How may I assist you?"
This was a characteristic of the alchemical main city; since alchemists spent all their money on materials, it was rare for even a grand alchemist to have a private laboratory. Thus, Laan City had spawned numerous commercial alchemical laboratories available for rent, outnumbering restaurants and inns.
"I'd like to rent Laboratory No. 9; nine is my lucky number."
Ye Bai said, looking quite the part of a true alchemist.
"Oh, of course! Laboratory No. 9 is currently available. The rental fee for a day is three silver coins, and it comes with standard experimental materials. Some are free, while others have a price list. If you wish to rent it, you just need to pay the daily fee upfront, and we can settle the rest daily."
At this point, the cashier pulled out a sheet of paper listing several insurance companies: "Also, which damage insurance would you like to purchase?"
"I recommend the latest insurance from the Cole family. For just 52 copper coins, it covers losses up to 30 silver coins." The cashier winked at Ye Bai with a smile. "Although there’s a protective array and the Goddess of Fortune will look after you, it’s always wise to prepare for unexpected accidents..."
In Laan City, where experimental explosions happened every few days, the construction and insurance industries thrived alongside the experimental rental business, providing long-term compensation and renovation services for these laboratories.
"I'll take it." Ye Bai nodded in agreement. Noticing the cashier's subtle expression, she chose the most expensive insurance, which cost 1 silver coin, and handed over 4 silver coins.
Holding a 'key' similar to a door card, Ye Bai opened the door to Laboratory No. 9.
This laboratory was not much different from an ordinary alchemical lab, though the walls and windows showed clear signs of recent renovations.
After closing the door, Ye Bai placed the damaged alchemical golem in the center of the alchemical reactor and connected it to the maximum mixed energy.
This task process could be found in the investigation documents regarding the runaway mage, who had once suggested during a discussion about golems, "What if connecting a golem to mixed energy increases its resistance?"
Normally, this was a notion that even beginners wouldn’t propose, much like asking if shocking a robot could increase its power.
However, due to a slight operational anomaly that occurred when the reactor was set to maximum mixed energy, a fortunate coincidence arose.
The golem gained a unique power—absorbing incoming magical damage and releasing it again.
Had that mage not left due to the experimental accident, he might have discovered the golem's secret.
Alchemical reactors are expensive and sturdy instruments; even if an experimental accident occurs, they can be repaired and reused, as they are a crucial part of the task, likely influenced by the system's causality.
As Ye Bai repeated the operation, suddenly, with a 'click', the reactor overloaded and shut down automatically, while the golem, previously deemed completely destroyed, glowed with a faint blue light.
The remaining 'eye' on its broken head lit up with a red glow, shining directly at Ye Bai.
[The 'Disruptor' class trial has begun.]
With the system notification, a long health bar appeared before Ye Bai. The golem before her was not only a task item but also the trial BOSS for her level 40 class transition.
[Disruption Golem]
Level: 40
Health: 40,000/40,000
Skills: Disruption Return
Weakness: Circuit Anomaly
Due to its uniqueness, the Disruption Golem had very little information available. After using Insight, the basic details appeared clearly before Ye Bai.
Compared to other level 40 BOSSes, the Disruption Golem had significantly less health, but its design was in a damaged state, and its weakness, [Circuit Anomaly], was not a combat weakness but rather a limitation.
The Circuit Anomaly placed a 'Pending Explosion' debuff on the Disruption Golem, with a countdown of 10 minutes.
If a player who hadn’t triggered other task chains came, they would face a level 20 Disruption Golem, which would be in a much worse state. During attacks, it would automatically lose health, and the transitioning player would need to survive the golem's attacks for ten minutes to gain [Disruption Power] after it was destroyed and complete the transition.
Now, however, Ye Bai had to defeat the golem before the 10 minutes were up, or her transition would be considered a failure.
"Whoosh!"
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