Chapter 61: Dark Demon's Second Magic Spirit Card
"Meow, meow, meow!"
Dark held the Cat Grass on his lap, gently scratching its chin while carefully observing the bud on its head.
Overall, the Cat Grass had instinctively protected its bud, preventing any damage.
Suppressing the urge to "add another drop," Dark attempted to formulate another research question:
"If I don't increase [Pride] any further, can I make the bud bloom through normal cultivation?"
After all, autumn was the season for Cat Grass to bloom and bear fruit.
Thinking this, Dark finally managed to restrain his impulse.
Given that the situation was relatively stable, there was no real need to take such risks.
The brain, after all, was the most complex system in the human body. A single misstep could lead to irreversible damage.
Relying on the self-control he had honed over the past month, Dark successfully steadied his resolve.
But soon, a new idea struck him: Even without waiting for the bud to bloom, couldn't he still conduct experiments?
While the bud couldn't be tampered with, the Cat Grass itself had a fleshy stem, and its fur was akin to the needles of a cactus.
It was impossible for the Cat Grass to absorb and convert [Pride] with 100% efficiency.
Some of it was bound to leak out and spread throughout its body.
So, wouldn't it be feasible to start experimenting with the Cat Grass's fur?
With this in mind, Dark flipped open Magic Spirit Synthesis: General Handbook and quickly found the basic synthesis methods for [Beast-Type - Grass Attribute] and [Plant-Type - Grass Attribute].
At present, the Cat Grass hadn't displayed any other attributes. Based on its ecology, it appeared to be a beast-type cat on the surface, but its essence was that of a plant-type.
Thus, for now, he would proceed with experiments along these two paths.
First, he copied down these two basic synthesis methods, both for easy reference and to familiarize himself with them.
Next, he selected ten long strands of fur from near the Cat Grass's head crest, washed them with clean water, and then dried and pressed them.
After that, he confined the mischievous Cat Grass to the balcony.
...
With everything prepared, Dark eagerly began his experiment.
Professor Cazel hadn't assigned any related homework for this class, but this was merely to give the students some buffer time. Next Monday's Magic Theory class would focus on experiments, requiring students to bring their own materials such as fur, plant organs, and the like.
Of course, if students were motivated, Professor Cazel never minded lending them the keys to the laboratory.
Dark no longer needed this, as he now had his own small lab.
First, he brewed potions, then processed the materials.
Although the "Basic Synthesis Method" had "basic" in its name, it was actually much more challenging than the method for creating [Phantom Beasts].
The creation of [Phantom Beasts] only required following the steps one by one. Aside from the number of steps, there wasn't much difficulty.
But the "Basic Synthesis Method" involved more complex synthesis arrays, and the potion brewing was also highly demanding. A single mistake could lead to failure.
In the entire synthesis process, one wrong step could mean starting over from scratch.
Fortunately, the materials used were all basic.
The materials Dark had bought over the weekend were just enough for this.
First, he followed the steps to produce a small bottle of Elven Nectar.
Elven Nectar, as a foundation for cultivating pseudo-life forms, was widely used in the synthesis of Magic Spirits.
Almost all basic synthesis methods required this special potion.
Additionally, Brainleaf Essence Water was also a highly versatile potion.
After this, Dark also prepared a bottle of Brainleaf Essence Water.
...
The entire preparation process took half an hour, with each potion and material being prepared in at least two batches.
Dark never felt frustrated during the potion-making process. He always maintained an enthusiastic state, so the potions he brewed carried a certain "spirituality."
Next, he took out a blank Magic Card, laid it flat on the table, and evenly spread Elven Nectar over it, followed by a drop of Brainleaf Essence Water.
After letting it dry slightly, he applied a layer of dark green "Plant Essential Oil" and sprinkled Grass Attribute "Attribute Powder."
"Attribute Powder" was a conventional powder divided into 20 attributes.
Its production process was very complex, so it was usually purchased as a finished product.
Dark had bought an entire set of Attribute Powders.
After this, he needed to draw the No. 7 Synthesis Array to fuse this part of the material with the blank Magic Card.
This was only the first major step.
...
In total, it took just under an hour.
On Dark's desk now lay a highly complete semi-finished Magic Card.
This Magic Card had a greenish hue, belonging to the [Plant-Type - Grass Attribute].
"Final step."
Dark took a deep breath, picked up the Magic Pen, replaced the mercury core with "Chlorophyll Solution," and began drawing the No. 1 Synthesis Array.
This time, it only took 14 seconds!
The No. 1 Synthesis Array was completed!
The moment the circuits connected, the entire array emitted a faint green light!
Dark carefully used tweezers to place a strand of Cat Grass fur above the No. 1 Synthesis Array!
The fur was gradually engulfed by the green light.
But the light from the No. 1 Synthesis Array didn't intensify.
After a moment of consideration, he added a second, then a third strand of fur… until all ten strands were placed inside.
The light intensified slightly but became very unstable.
Dark's eyes flickered, and he clipped a bit of his own fingernail and added it to the array.
Instantly, the green light erupted!
All the materials were consumed, and the entire Magic Card transformed into a green cocoon.
...
"Is it done?"
With a hint of doubt, Dark took out a small mercury knife about 0.5 centimeters wide, infused it with magic, and carefully sliced open the green cocoon.
As he cut, green light continuously seeped out from the cracks.
But when the cocoon was fully split in two, it suddenly dissolved into green slurry and collapsed!
"Did it fail?"
Looking at the Magic Card soaked in the slurry, Dark picked it up with tweezers, rinsed it under the faucet, and then examined it closely.
On the card's surface was a puddle of green, slime-like substance.
"Green Slime?"
Dark couldn't help but think of a certain common sewer-dwelling creature.
[Card Name: Trash Slime]
[Type: Spirit Card]
[Level: ✪]
[Race: Elemental-Type]
[Attribute: Grass]
[Magic Power: 100]
[Attack: 0]
[Defense: 0]
[Special Skill: Enhanced Gastric Acid]
[Enhanced Gastric Acid: Secretes enhanced gastric acid to rapidly digest substances swallowed.]
...
"Trash Slime?!"
Dark's hand trembled, almost dropping it.
"So, does this count as a success or a failure?"
"Zero attack and defense? Seriously?"
After recording the data for [Trash Slime], Dark wasn't actually disappointed.
The fact that there was data meant the synthesis was successful.
As for whether he could find a use for this trash, that was up to the skill of the magician.
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