Chapter 131: Equipment Enhancement Machine Unveiled

Watching the retreating form of Bal Island, Zhao Tianhe felt a twinge of reluctance.

"All that fifty-percent-off coupon work, gone to waste..." Zhao Tianhe sighed.

A week after the application was submitted, the promotion orders for the Zhao Tianhe trio were approved. However, due to his unique status, Zhao Tianhe was not assigned to a dungeon near Bal Island as expected; instead, he was sent to the "Ink Sea Archipelago," located at the furthest end of the Endless Sea, bordering the otherworldly Demon Realm.

Large detachments of the Council Army were stationed there year-round, and local skirmishes with the Demon Realm were frequent. The danger level was indescribable. It was precisely here that the Association could more easily monitor and control Zhao Tianhe, who was designated as a "Sealed Target." Furthermore, the dungeons here were richer in life energy, and the monsters and boss strength far exceeded those in the inland regions. Naturally, the experience points and drop rates were higher as well, making it better suited for a monster-level existence like Zhao Tianhe to train and level up.

Sitting in the cabin of the flying vessel, Zhao Tianhe occasionally manifested various blades and swords in his hands, and every so often, a weapon with an unusual glow would appear. He was practicing his skills; using the active effect of his "Infinite Armament" could also trigger his "Supernatural Premonition," though it only ever triggered high-level "Infinite Armament" effects.

"Is that how you made your sword?" asked a thin, sharp-toothed man with a bizarre appearance. This was Tianxie, another "Sealed Target" who possessed the "Descent of the Evil God" talent. Originally, Tianxie had not applied for an S-rank promotion, but he had been bundled together with Zhao Tianhe and sent over—clearly an attempt to keep both of them in a single, easily controlled territory.

However, Tianxie’s jailer, the old mage Ralph, was a dignified eighth-level archmage and a master of barrier magic; he could serve as a pillar even in an S-rank dungeon, so a mere A-rank assignment was nothing to him. It was likely that the Association didn't fully trust Li Mei, and having them assigned to the same team meant that even if her character was reliable, her strength might not be.

Two full days later, after several transfers and rests, the group finally reached their destination: the Ink Sea Archipelago.

Much like how monsters would erode the territory of the Holy Council to transform it into a domain suitable for their own survival, the Holy Council, after occupying the outer Demon Realm, had to not only expand the dungeon system but also drastically alter the ecological environment. The Golden Coast and its surroundings had not looked the way they did today five hundred years ago. In regions bordering the outer Demon Realm, because external monsters constantly eroded Council territory, appropriate countermeasures were necessary.

The so-called "Ink Sea" was one such method—a special magical organism developed by the Elven race. The coast of the Endless Sea adjacent to the Demon Realm was also planted with highly aggressive magical lifeforms. The ocean near the Ink Sea Archipelago appeared a strange, murky green, and the creatures within were bizarre and ferocious. The entire ecological structure differed from that of the Golden Coast or the rest of the Endless Sea. It was a special type of algae that possessed the ability to erode the environment on par with top-tier monsters, but its capacity for reproduction and its range had been strictly limited, preventing it from spreading into the main Endless Sea. Over hundreds of years of evolution, many ordinary organisms had mutated, forming a vast, alien ecosystem.

As it happened, the mutated creatures of the Ink Sea actually tasted quite good. The seafood was exported inland and considered a top-tier luxury. Zhao Tianhe had eaten it a few times on Bal Island and St. Ross Port; the texture and freshness were indeed far superior to ordinary sea fish, even more delicious than the special seafood produced on Bal Island.

"Wow," Zhao Tianhe exclaimed as he watched a large, murky-green fish leap out of the water. "That one fish is worth a gold coin! Ink Sea fish die and rot quickly once they leave their environment, so they must be kept in magical cold storage the whole way. These are the perfect materials for sashimi!"

"Is that so? Was that the top-tier sashimi we had before?!" Artoria watched the big fish, looking eager to try.

"Hey, don't get any funny ideas," Zelos said with a laugh. "Once we get there, you can eat all you want. Locally, you can probably buy several pounds of these for a single silver coin." The difficulty with Ink Sea seafood lay in the preservation; locally, the price was certainly low.

"Besides that, there's more good news," Zelos said, looking at a newspaper from the Hero Association. "Look, equipment reinforcement machines have started rolling out in the northern border and the fringes of the Endless Sea."

"Damn! Really?!" Tianxie exclaimed, looking excited. The others gathered around, surprised, scrambling to read the paper.

"Though, they say the success rate is very low," Zelos sighed and shook his head. "My staff is a top-tier item; the reinforcement difficulty is just too high..."

The newspaper detailed the specific parameters of the reinforcement machine. Materials aside, the reinforcement probability was naturally lowest for boss-tier equipment and relatively higher for others. There were two modes: "Safe Mode" and "Gambling Mode." Safe Mode offered a 100% success rate but consumed an astonishing amount of materials. Gambling Mode consumed very little but was not guaranteed. Additionally, every three reinforcements, the equipment would undergo a qualitative leap in evolution. However, beyond three reinforcements, the material requirements for Safe Mode would skyrocket, while the success rate for Gambling Mode would plummet. Beyond six reinforcements, the material requirements for Safe Mode could reach unimaginable levels, and Gambling Mode would become even more treacherous, with risks of degradation or the equipment shattering entirely upon failure.

*I wonder if my materials can be used for reinforcement...* During his move, Zhao Tianhe had bought a waist-pouch-style spatial storage item to hold his favorite cooking utensils and various collected materials.

A few minutes later, the flying vessel finally landed on a rugged island—Shax Island, located in the central region of the Ink Sea Archipelago. Unlike Bal Island, the residents here were mostly permanent employees of long-range fishing merchants, or the families of the stationed Council Army. Council soldiers were well-compensated, but the cost was high: they guarded newly opened frontiers, and their living quarters shifted as the Council's territory expanded. Although they had leave, the frequent border wars meant they rarely had long breaks. Those who came from inland to enlist rarely had a chance to return home until they retired.

Therefore, many soldiers, after marrying, brought their wives and children to the frontier zones closer to the front lines, making it easier to return home to visit. Because of the high salary and post-retirement benefits, many descendants of these soldiers also prioritized enlisting, relying on their parents' service records. Over time, a large population of "military families" emerged. They lived in the frontier regions for generations, with one or more children from every household entering the Council Army. Although the frontier was sparsely populated and desolate, in this era, as long as one had money, one could obtain almost anything, so their standard of living was undeniably high. Occasionally returning inland for a trip was a chance to enjoy the finer things.

*Damn! Isn't that a single-person flight skateboard? Those are ten gold coins each, and they're letting kids play with them here?* Zhao Tianhe was shocked to see a teenager zipping through the air. This item was essentially a degraded version of a flying vessel with a half-baked flight spell solidified into it; it wasn't very fast, so Zhao Tianhe didn't need one. With his current spellcasting speed and mana recovery, churning out a flight spell was trivial.

The group headed straight for the Association branch on Shax Island, handed over their documents and registration credentials, and then rushed to the area housing the equipment reinforcement machine.

The machine was located in a room right next to the Hero Loan Center. The door was a metallic magical artifact with a palm print in the center; everyone had to verify their Hero System record number to enter.

"Damn it!"

Before the excited Tianxie could place his hand on it, the magical metal door was kicked open with a roar, accompanied by a string of curses. A man of medium build with a bare, muscular torso stomped out, looking furious. Following him were several men and women, some dejected, others looking secretly pleased.

"Don't get worked up, Gao," a giant one-eyed man said, patting the shirtless man on the shoulder with a laugh. "I told you, you can't be a degenerate gambler. Look what happened? Dropped two levels. But hey, count yourself lucky it didn't shatter."

"Screw your grandfather! I used Safe Mode and finally got my main weapon to level six! Do you know how long it takes to farm those materials?! At least two weeks!" The man knelt on the ground, covering his face and pounding the floor until clear cracks appeared.

"Destruction of public property! Fifty gold coin fine!" an Association staff member shouted from nearby. "Stop hitting it! The foundation is going to break!"

"My necklace... it's just gone... even though it was only a D-rank boss item, and even though I was prepared to gamble..."

"My boots... Gambling Mode is too unreliable! It wouldn't even go to +5!"

"I told you guys, using Safe Mode steadily is the only way."

...

Listening to the wails of the losers, a shadow cast over the hearts of Zhao Tianhe’s group.

"It seems Safe Mode is more reliable," Zelos said, leading the way into the reinforcement room, rubbing his chin. "Though for the first three levels, Gambling Mode is probably fine... I'll go first!"

Zelos sat down in front of a machine that looked like an old-fashioned arcade cabinet. It was two meters tall and rectangular, with a thick glass window at the top revealing a giant crystal sphere. In the center was a hole emitting a pale blue light. As soon as Zelos sat down, a soft female voice emanated from the machine.

"Please place your arm or finger into the blue hole for equipment analysis."

Zelos complied. Several equipment outlines appeared on the glass window.

"Please select the equipment to be reinforced."

"Hmm... the Staff of Divine Radiance!" Zelos said firmly.

"Equipment detachment in progress... Detachment complete... You may withdraw your arm to add materials."

Following the voice's instructions, a gorgeous, colorful phantom of the staff appeared inside the giant crystal sphere. Simultaneously, a drawer—thirty centimeters deep and fifty centimeters wide—slowly slid out from the side of the machine. A row of information appeared on the glass:

*Staff of Divine Radiance, B-rank boss equipment*
*Elemental Affinity +10*
*Reinforcement Level: 0*
*Safe Mode Material Cost: 5*
*Gambling Mode Material Cost: 1*
*Gambling Mode Success Rate: 90%*
*Material Value: 0*

"Oh!" Zelos was moved. "It really can detach equipment..."

"They say this thing was a byproduct of an experiment meant for equipment detachment that went off the rails. It’s probably true," the old mage Ralph said with a smile. "However, the detached equipment only exists in an energy state within the machine; aside from being re-infused into the holder, it can't be used by anyone else."

It seemed he had a keen interest in this device. Zelos pulled a large bag from his robes, took out a branch, and tossed it into the drawer.

"Material detected. Confirm end of material addition?"

Zelos didn't answer and continued to pour materials in. Only when the bag was empty did he confirm. After the drawer retracted, the material value became 193.

"Hmm, looks like it's still hard to save up..." Zelos looked at the value and spoke without hesitation. "Start reinforcement. Levels one to three, all in Gambling Mode!"

The machine didn't ask again. The equipment phantom in the crystal sphere began to dissolve into a slowly rotating liquid. Simultaneously, numerous light particles emerged from the walls of the sphere, merging into the liquid, which then began to spin violently. Bright, colorful light erupted from the sphere, leaving Zhao Tianhe stunned.

"Why does this look like you pulling a gacha?" Zelos asked, looking at Zhao Tianhe. It was clear he found it strange too.

"This... are they both derivatives of the Hero System? Besides, I think it's just due to the equipment properties," Zhao Tianhe said with a smile.

"True." Zelos nodded. The Staff of Divine Radiance was a rare boss item with no special abilities, but its terrifying stat boosts were comparable to a special ability—+10 to all elemental affinities. Even A-rank boss items rarely had such an exaggerated effect.

Zelos had good luck; he succeeded every time from level one to three. The basic stat of the staff increased by three points, and it gained a third-level reinforcement bonus: "Spirit Attribute +10."

"Now for the real deal..." Zelos’s expression grew serious as he looked at the reinforcement values. The material requirement for Safe Mode from level three to four had increased to 30, double that of level two to three.

"Sigh..." Old mage Ralph sighed. He was thinking of the countless trash materials he had thrown away during his hero career—probably over a hundred thousand... his heart ached!

Though Zelos kept talking about playing it safe, he couldn't resist the temptation of Gambling Mode.

"50%... as long as I succeed within six tries, it's a huge profit..." Zelos hesitated. "Three to four, Gambling Mode, continuous reinforcement until success!"

To his surprise, it succeeded on the first try!

"Great! Profit! Then four to five, as long as it succeeds within ten tries, it's profit! 40% chance, let's gamble!"

Five minutes later, Zelos exited the reinforcement area with a +5 staff.

"We wish you a pleasant experience. Please note: destroying the equipment reinforcement machine will result in five to ten years of imprisonment and permanent revocation of the Hero System."

"This machine is definitely rigged!" Zelos shouted, looking annoyed. "How could a 30% chance be this low?!"

"Forget it, Brother Zelos," Tianxie said, licking his lips with a cold smile. "Watch me."

Five minutes later, Tianxie lay to the side with his +4 gloves.

"One must be steady," old mage Ralph said, stroking his beard with a serious expression. "I absolutely will not gamble!"

Five minutes later, Ralph sat in the corner with a dark expression, holding his +3 staff and muttering to himself. *"Wasting too much really invites divine punishment," "How can a 50% chance fail twenty times in a row," "I'm going to file a complaint"...*

Faced with these bloody examples, Li Mei didn't dare to take chances. She steadily used Safe Mode to reinforce her staff to +6, then used the remaining materials to gamble her ring to +4.

"Gender discrimination!" Tianxie pointed at the machine, shouting dramatically. "This broken machine is sexist! It sucks up to her just because she has a big chest!"

"What are you spouting?! It’s your own stupidity for not being able to control your gambling addiction!" Li Mei retorted, then turned to Zhao Tianhe. "Brother Zhao, you can't be like these idiots and gamble recklessly!"

"No," Zhao Tianhe said, shaking his head with a smile. "Gambling is the romance of a man."

Zelos and the others perked up at this, cheering him on. But how could a coward like Zhao Tianhe actually do that? He simply gambled a few important pieces of equipment to +3.

"Damn! You’re too gutless! Even Mei dared to gamble to +4!" Tianxie jeered. "Gamble to +6! +6!"

Zhao Tianhe said nothing and tossed his "Heart of Aggregation" into the machine. Although this E-rank gear had good effects, its stats were too low to keep up. The trashy physical-stat-boosting gear Zelos had helped him piece together recently was already far stronger.

"Gambling Mode, reinforce until... +9." Zhao Tianhe had noticed during his previous attempts that the material consumption varied by gear level; the consumption for E-rank boss gear was very low, so he decided to just go for +9.

Watching the brilliant golden light emanating from the crystal sphere in the glass window, the three of them were stunned.

"It's normal. If it shatters, it doesn't matter; it's just low-level gear, right?" Zhao Tianhe said with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Heart of Aggregation, which had just reached +7, suddenly dropped back to +5!

Seeing Zhao Tianhe’s calm expression, the three of them admired him from the bottom of their hearts. Little did they know, this kind of reinforcement was a small matter to him. In *FGO* gacha pools, probabilities were calculated in single-digit percentages; failing to pull a character was the norm.