When aliens invaded the Infinite Land Star, countless beings misunderstood that weapon craftsmen and artifact forgers were the same.
However, there is a vast difference between the two professions.
Weapon Craftsmen specialize in crafting and refining weapons, such as swords, spears, sabers, bows, and other combat tools. Their creations are typically physical weapons used in battle. These weapons are often made from rare materials and enhanced with inscriptions or runes to increase their sharpness, durability, and power. While they may add some elemental or spiritual enhancements to their weapons, their primary expertise lies in the structure, balance, and material quality of the weapon.
On the other hand, Artifact Forgers specializes in creating and refining mystical artifacts, which can range from weapons to accessories, talismans, or tools with specific abilities. There is no fixed shape of an artifact. It can even be a stone or a drop of water. Artifacts can be anything.
Artifacts may not always be combat-oriented and can possess unique functions like storing spiritual energy, providing protection, creating dimensional spaces, or amplifying a cultivator's abilities.
Unfortunately, there are no Artifact Forgers any longer, at least not in several surrounding empires. That is why, it is said that the art of Artifact Forging has been lost.
The runes on the wooden door were obviously carved by a Rune Master. Eryx could not help but wonder how a beast could learn and even engrave runes on objects.
After all, this place exists inside the Hundred Beasts' Cave. Obviously, it was closely related to one of the hundred ancient beasts.
He didn't know what these runes represented, but he felt curious about them. After all, runes are magical. They can hide secrets, create spells, and unleash powerful strength beyond comprehension.
He stared at the runes, hoping to understand them.
What if something bad happened if he tried to open the wooden door without understanding the meaning behind these runes, and the runes activated?
Minutes passed, but he failed to understand what these runes truly represented.
But then, he suddenly recalled that his system could extract energy from anything as long as they have energy worth at least 1 point of High-Level Energy.
He doesn't know what these runes mean or what will happen if he tries to open the door without understanding them. However, activating runes requires a certain amount of energy. Doesn't that mean he can simply extract all the energy connected to these runes, rendering them useless?
By doing that, he can easily open the door without worry and take a look inside!
Thinking of this, he extended his hand and placed it on the wooden door engraved with faint runes.
As expected, his guess was not wrong.
The next moment...
⟪Wooden Door: 500 Energy Points⟫
To his surprise, the door could provide him with only five hundred energy points. But then, he soon understood.
These runes must not be of a high level. Considering how many years they've been protecting this wooden door, the energy supporting them must have significantly depleted, leaving behind only 500 points of energy.
Eryx wasn't disappointed. He smiled and immediately chose to extract the energy.
The next moment, the runes flickered slightly before dissipating.
As expected, the 500 energy points weren't for the door itself but for the runes. However, since the runes were engraved on the door, the system named it "Wooden Door" rather than "Runes".
Now that the runes were no longer there, Eryx decided to push the door. To his surprise, as soon as he gave it a small push, the door actually crumbled completely.
"Crrrk-shhh"
Pieces of old, rotten wood fell to the floor, making a soft crackling sound. Dust filled the air, and Eryx stepped back quickly to avoid it.
"What the…?"
Eryx was surprised. But then, he soon realized that the disappearance of runes also caused the door to lose its durability completely. Thus, when he pushed a little, the door crumbled.
Sighing with relief, Eryx looked into the chamber. Whatever was inside was now his to explore.
Eryx stepped inside.
The chamber was dark, with ghostly blue flames burning on the walls, hanging in different places.
Fortunately, the light these ghostly blue flames illuminated was enough for Eryx to see everything inside clearly.
The chamber didn't have many things. There was just an old stone pedestal in the middle of the chamber. It looked cracked and broken, with pieces chipped away.
A small black box could be seen on top of the pedestal. The box was dusty and looked old.
The air inside the chamber was cold, making it hard for Eryx to breathe. He could also smell a faint musty odor, clearly indicating that this place hadn't been opened for a very very long period of time.
Eryx was very careful. This kind of tomb normally has hidden traps.
Carefully, he walked towards the pedestal.
Standing in front of it, he observed the black box for a minute or two, and when he felt no danger, he grabbed the box.
Nothing happened!
Eryx was alert. Only when he felt no change in his surroundings or the box did he open it.
The box was not locked so it was easily opened.
He saw three items inside the box.
One was a small, round vial filled with a dark, shimmering liquid that seemed to swirl on its own. Eryx couldn't tell what it was, but it looked powerful and mysterious.
The second item was a polished stone with faint blue lines glowing across its surface. It was cool to the touch, and he felt a soft hum of energy pulsing from it.
The third item was a stalk of grass with three distinctive leaves. Every leaf was different in color. They also had slight differences in their shapes.
Eryx failed to recognize any of the three items. Despite having the knowledge of 1,000 herbs, the stalk of grass in front of him was unfamiliar. This could only mean that this stalk of grass was an herb of a higher grade, far surpassing the ones recorded in the ⧼Record of 1,000 Herbs⧽.
Eryx could not help but touch the herb.
⟪Elemental Trinity Grass: 20,000 Energy Points⟫
"Damn!"
Eryx exclaimed in surprise. He never imagined coming across an herb worth 20,000 Energy Points.
"What is this herb?"
Eryx felt overwhelmed for a few seconds. He even wanted to extract energy from this herb immediately but stopped himself forcefully.
He immediately decided to keep the herb and take it back to the sect. He wanted to learn more about it. Just its name alone was enough reason for Eryx to keep the herb rather than extract its energy. After all, he had a body related to elements, making it especially useful to him. But there were other reasons behind his decision.
The fact that this herb was worth 20,000 Energy Points indicated its high value.
His recent visit to the city with Lin Ning'er had broadened his perspective. Since this herb was valuable, he wanted to explore how much it could sell for or potentially be auctioned off.
If selling the herb could fetch a substantial amount of spirit stones, which would in turn give him more than 20,000 energy points, he was willing to do so. Otherwise, if it didn't prove worth selling, he could simply extract its energy later. For this reason, Eryx didn't mind waiting a little longer before deciding its fate.
Taking a deep breath, Eryx shifted his attention to the other two items inside the box.
One was a round vial filled with a dark shimmering liquid and the other one was a small, polished stone with faint blue lines glowing across its surface.
As Eryx reached out and touched the polished stone.
The instant his hand came in contact with the stone, a sudden pulse of energy coursed through his fingers. His vision blurred for a split second, and he felt a slight pull, but then everything returned to normal.
Eryx couldn't describe the sensation he felt at that moment. He was confused.
Then, an interface materialized before his eyes.
⟪Space Stone: 50,000 Energy Points⟫
Eryx's eyes widened in shock, and his breathing quickened. This stone was actually worth a fifty thousand energy points.
Just one small stone and so many energy points.
How could Eryx not be astonished?
He grew excited and wanted nothing more than to extract the energy immediately.
However, he quickly stopped himself.
The system evaluates objects based on how many Energy Points they hold. But cultivators don't think the same way. They judge the value of an object based on its rarity and how much they need it.
What if this Space Stone is worth tens of thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones?
Wouldn't that allow him to obtain hundreds of thousands of energy points instead?
Eryx dared to let his imagination run wild just based on the fact that the Space Stone could provide a fifty thousand energy points.
This item is simply too valuable.
Although he isn't aware of countless things, that doesn't mean he is a fool. He can always weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
It is true that greed can cloud a person's judgment. But sometimes, greed can also make a person bold enough to take risks they wouldn't normally consider.