Chapter 3: Physical Crystal
Sumir only needed to inhale the concentrated energy aura for a moment before he felt his muscles tremble slightly, as if they were subtly strengthening!
"What is this?!"
His eyes widened in surprise.
In his palm, he held a crystal that gleamed with an incredibly smooth light. It was a thirty-six-sided gem, reflecting light in brilliant colors, truly extraordinary!
"Does the synthesis bar come with a lottery function?"
Sumir understood the prompt he had just seen—
10% chance to synthesize a better item, 1% chance to synthesize a mutated item, and 0.1% chance to trigger a jackpot, with the synthesized item's effect greatly enhanced!
This meant...
Even if Sumir only managed to obtain the lowest-grade enhancement potion, the Physical Enhancement Diluent, he could still rely on a 0.1% chance to acquire extremely rare resources!
He wasn't being overly cautious either; the Physical Enhancement Diluent was the only resource Sumir had seen that could truly make him stronger, and for the time being, he had no way of obtaining other items.
But the synthesis bar's lottery feature had solved Sumir's predicament. Even with the most basic Physical Enhancement Diluent, he could go far!
Now…
Sumir moved the crystal he had just acquired into the synthesis bar. Though the Physical Enhancement Diluent was used up and he couldn't continue synthesizing, he could still examine the properties of the new item by placing it in the panel.
[Physical Crystal]
[Type: Consumable]
[Tier: Non-formal Player]
[Quality: White]
[Description: A physical crystal created using over 40 rare materials that can be endured by non-formal players. This is undoubtedly an enigmatic creation, and the process to create it is extremely complex, making the cost of crafting the crystal far exceed its inherent value.]
[Effect: Greatly enhances the physical attributes of non-formal players, with no side effects.]
"An item?"
"This is the item's panel!"
Sumir's tone was filled with excitement. The physical enhancement resources and the Tree Spirit Essence he had previously synthesized could be considered extraordinary, but in the realm of players, they were still not on the level of even the most basic gray-quality items!
Because items, as defined by the game's rules, were a whole different category.
For example, a healing potion instantly replenishes health without any process.
Whereas, even the most powerful healing methods require time and might not be as effective as a basic gray-quality healing potion.
It was clear that ordinary resources and game items were worlds apart.
Sumir hadn't expected to synthesize a white-quality item that could amplify his physical attributes!
He knew that, in terms of items, skills, and equipment that could affect non-formal players, the highest quality he had seen was gray!
If higher-quality resources existed, they were probably extremely rare!
And the thought of them made Sumir feel a sense of awe he'd never experienced before.
"This physical crystal in my hand... There can't be many like it even in the entire Federation of America, right?"
"Does that mean... I've just gotten the highest-tier resource available to non-formal players?"
His eyes began to burn with excitement.
Just holding the physical crystal and inhaling its aroma already made Sumir feel like his strength was increasing. If he consumed it directly—what would happen then?
Moreover, the physical crystal not only dramatically increased his strength but also had no side effects!
No side effects—this was no small feat!
As the saying goes, "Every medicine has its poison." Even with the best materials and the most perfected techniques, body-enhancing potions usually left a trace of toxicity behind. While the effects might not show up immediately, these side effects could accumulate and damage a player's future potential.
But Sumir didn't have to worry about that. He had been too poor to afford resources before, but now he was directly using the top-tier item—with no side effects!
Without hesitation, he popped the physical crystal into his mouth.
Immediately, the sparkling glass-like stone transformed into liquid, flowing into Sumir's body. He felt a warm, comforting sensation, as if he had been moved from a cold winter night to the side of a cozy fireplace.
Sumir felt his body being stretched and massaged, his muscles completely relaxing, growing smoothly and effortlessly.
"Is this... what it feels like to get stronger? It's so comfortable..."
He smiled to himself.
Sumir remembered a guy named Marquis from the training institute. Marquis had deliberately brought some diluted physical enhancement liquid to the institute, drinking it in front of everyone to try and show off.
Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Marquis's physical stats increased by a whole 0.08 points!
At the same time, he was gritting his teeth, shaking as though he were cramping up, sweating profusely!
If no one had been around, he probably would've collapsed on the floor, writhing in pain.
Sumir, on the other hand, felt like he had just soaked in a hot spring. He relaxed, his eyes closing in contentment.
His strength surged.
He clenched his fist slightly to feel the change.
"My punch strength has increased by over 200 kilograms!"
"The comparison just makes the sense of happiness even stronger!"
He muttered joyfully to himself.
But the next moment, Sumir's expression shifted slightly as a strange, unpleasant smell filled the room.
He realized that as his muscles grew, a large amount of impurities and waste began to surface in his body.
As soon as he moved, he felt his whole body was sticky, covered in black "sludge" that was extremely uncomfortable.
Instinctively, he tried to get rid of the mess, making an effort to move.
Squish!
The floor beneath him cracked under his weight.
"!!"
"Wait! No!"
Sumir's eyes widened in panic. This was the flooring he had spent a long time researching and spent 99.9 dollars buying online as part of a special package!
And now it was ruined!
His strength had increased so quickly that he couldn't control his explosive power.
Sumir could only carefully step into the bathroom, feeling regretful as he tossed the clothes that were completely ruined by the filth, clothes that would never be wearable again.
Afterwards, he felt refreshed and changed into a new set of black clothes.
Despite Sumir being extremely careful, he still managed to tear up four T-shirts and two pairs of pants in the process.
He winced in pain, feeling the loss.
Luckily, he comforted himself: "It's alright, I've got the synthesis ability, how could I not make money in the future?"
"A white-quality item, I wouldn't dare sell."
"But the lesser-quality physical enhancement solvents should sell, right?"
"I mean, they're strong and have reduced side effects."
"Selling them for tens of thousands should be fair, right?"
"Besides, I've heard that the rarer the resource, the higher the premium. Who knows, I might even sell them for over a hundred thousand."
With this thought, the pain vanished.
The imagined numbers almost knocked Sumir out.
However, to make money, there was still one more step.
He needed to get some Physical Enhancement Diluent first, but with his current social standing and connections, that was impossible to buy.
"Then I'll go to the gym first."
"I'll ask Medis if she can help."
"The rich kids at the gym might have their own channels… Maybe if I help them out as a support worker, I can borrow their channels to buy some enhancement Diluent?"
He clenched his fists, feeling that his strength had increased by at least two to three hundred kilograms—about 0.2 to 0.3 in physical stat!
To become a backup player, only 1 point of physical strength was needed.
And the physical crystal, from swallowing it to its effects, took only an instant.
It was as if Sumir's entire past life of hard training had been condensed into this one moment.
"I'm really going to be invincible!"
The boy was overjoyed, even walking with a bit more spring in his step.
Right now, he only had a rough idea of his improvement values. Since he hadn't become a formal player, Sumir couldn't open his personal panel to check his stats.
And given his broke situation, he couldn't afford a punching strength tester, so his only option was to head to the Lone Wolf Club.
No matter what, he had to test how much his strength had increased!
…
An hour later.
Sumir walked out of the subway station confidently, surrounded by people just finishing work, all jostling together.
The boy felt a bit uncomfortable, but his eyes were bright with excitement.
The struggles he had endured would soon be solved one by one with the synthesis bar!
Around him, office workers were noisily chatting on the phone.
"Really don't know which idiot took all the hand soap from the restroom! Damn!"
"Asshole!"
The words and the crowded feeling reached Sumir's side.
"It's just a little bit of hardship," he muttered, his face showing no change.
…
Sumir left the station and rented a shared bicycle. After pedaling for six minutes, he finally arrived at his destination.
The Lone Wolf Club.
He took out his phone to scan and return the bike, then walked into the club.
Immediately, someone shouted at him in a rather unfriendly tone.
"Sumir, are you trying to act all high and mighty now?"
"Lady Medis has been waiting for you for a long time."
Before the words even finished, a figure as massive as a wall blocked Sumir's path.