Chapter 856: Black Artmix Technique lvl max!
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
At the same time that they reached a compromise with Saruman, the three of them received simultaneous notifications from the nightmare imprint.
[You have completed the main mission: Choice]
[You have chosen: Hidden faction, Saruman of Isengard]
[You received a reward of achievement points +2 ]
[You received a reward of utility points +10,000]
[You received a reward of potential points +5]
[You have triggered a hidden main storyline mission: Saruman's Ambition/Isengard's Hidden Dangers]
[You can choose either one of the main storyline missions to complete.]
[Selection deadline: 24 hours]
[In the meantime, you can try to enquire about relevant mission content from relevant plot characters]
After hearing this notification, both Reef and Franklin expressed their joy, especially Franklin who sang praises in the party channel.
"Boss, how did you even think of this?"
Sheyan smiled wryly.
"I was just clutching at straws to be honest. The idea was from the name of the main mission, Choice. It's obvious that this main mission was to let us choose either the Middle Earth side or Sauron's side. After all, the War of the Ring would happen soon. Since we couldn't join Sauron's side, why not try Sauron's ally instead?"
Reef suddenly said.
"If that's the case, then the hidden main storyline mission on the side of the forces of Light could be to join the forces of Rohan, or even the Army of the Dead of the Men of the Mountains."
Sheyan nodded.
"That's highly probable."
Reef suddenly looked towards Franklin and said.
"If Moyi, Shuren, and Yerna are still alive, then this intelligence is worth at least 30,000 utility points."
Franklin thought for a while before replying.
"I can try to contact them."
While the three were communicating in the party channel, Sheyan was brought by Saruman to his biochemical laboratory.
Sheyan very clearly remembered that when they were brought to the previous room, they should have only reached the second floor of the Orthanc Tower. Now, when Saruman led him to the biochemical laboratory, he felt that he had climbed one floor at most. However, after taking a turn at a corridor, he actually saw the radiance of the setting sun and looked down upon the grand view of plains and rivers! At that moment, Sheyan was shocked to find that he had already reached the top of the Orthanc Tower, hundreds of meters high!
This magical experience was really worthy of such a powerful relic magic tower! One's senses and perceptions were thoroughly disorganized without one knowing it, thus distorting the distance in space and time!
The environment in the biochemical laboratory was not as bad as Sheyan imagined. It could barely count as "tidy". Of course, the smell in the air was certainly not that pleasant. Looking at the large piles of cut plants with their fiber tissues dissected out, as well as a variety of brewing utensils, Sheyan suddenly had a sense of traveling back in time to the kitchen of large restaurants in the real world.
Saruman stood before a test bench with his white robe fluttering in the wind. He asked with a malicious expression.
"Are you sure you want to receive my teaching?"
At the same time, the nightmare imprint showed a notification:
[You are about to receive Saruman's teachings. Your action will cost a total of 6,000 Fate points. Since your own Fate points are insufficient, the remaining Fate points will be evenly deducted from the rest of your party members.]
Sheyan was a little surprised and immediately inquired.
"So what use are the [Armour Fragment of Dwar the Nazgul] and the [Elven Illusion Bone Crystal] that I brought?"
The nightmare imprint's reply was: [They were proofs of your ability. You can use this kind of items to grab the attention of storyline characters and gain more valuable services from them.]
Sheyan immediately understood the meaning of the nightmare imprint. The two objects could not be used as trade goods. They were symbols of status. Only Fate points could be used as trade goods. It was similar to the cafeteria of a large company. If you did not have a work permit of the company, then there was no way to enjoy the discount and the extra dishes they offer....
After Sheyan reconfirmed once again, he was asked by Saruman to mix a few bottles of potions. Thanks to his previous "work experience" in the magic tower of Orc City, Sheyan mixed a few bottles without much difficulty. Not only that, he also made some mantis gene-mixes that he developed himself.
"Oh? So you can actually try to use insects?"
While he observed Sheyan's actions, Saruman's eyes were glimmering. To tell the truth, there was no lack of magic assistants around him. However, most of them were only people who follow the instructions. Very few of them could provide him with new ideas.
Saruman mused for a moment and suddenly waved at a half-orc who very respectful walked over. Sheyan glanced at the half-orc and was instantly stunned. There was a thick layer of grey scales on the cheeks of this half-orc, and all the skin he exposed was stiff and dead, with spots of back and grey. His skin cracked as if it was a riverbed exposed to a fierce sun for seven days, and flakes scattered as he walked.
"He's an example of someone who pursued a higher mixing technique but met with an accident. Are you sure you still want to learn?"
Said Saruman as he looked at Sheyan.
Sheyan thought, as long as he wasn't instantly killed on the spot, so what if he was disfigured? As long as he had a breath remaining, when he returned to the nightmare realm, he would be as good as new. What's there to hesitate about? He immediately agreed.
Saruman said slowly.
"I can teach you the highest rank of mixing skills. If anything unexpected happens, then you can only blame it on luck. One more thing, the negotiation chips you put on the table so far are frankly not enough. Thus, I have a condition."
Sheyan hesitated.
"Let me hear the condition first."
Saruman said.
"Not far from Isengard is the huge Fangorn Forest where the powerful Ents and their leader, Treebeard, live! My relationship with them is currently very good, but sooner or later we will fall out with each other. I happen to know that the leader of the Ents, Treebeard will bear Golden Fruits two days later, and the fruits will take seven days to reach maturity. If the Golden Fruits are taken from him, he will fall into a prolonged weakened state. So when the time comes, even if he wanted to interfere in my business, he wouldn't have the strength."
Sheyan's eyes flashed.
"You want me and my companions to do it?"
Saruman said.
"That's right. I can't let those under my command perform this task, because I currently still maintain a good relationship with Treebeard on the surface. My half-orc legion is not yet ready, not to mention that they are also incompatible with forests. The only fate awaiting them will be annihilation. But if it was you guys, no matter whether you succeed or fail, you would not be traced back to me."
Sheyan's expression was incomparably ugly as he said.
"But my lord, the strength of the Ents led by Treebeard is far beyond Isengard's!"
Other people might not know this, but Sheyan did - it could be argued that Saruman's ambition was destroyed by the interference of Treebeard during the War of the Ring. When Saruman tried to use the Orc army to sweep through the entire Rohan kingdom, it was Treebeard who single-handedly stopped Saruman and ironically confined him inside the tower of Orthanc. From this, one could imagine Treebeard's formidable strength!
Saruman said emotionlessly.
"I'm not asking you to defeat his army. I just wanted you to take away his Golden Fruits. More importantly, you should have a way to get help from a friend with a strong power of nature. Thus, most obstacles and traps of the Ents in Fangorn Forest would pose no problem for you."
When Sheyan heard Saruman say this, his heart jolted but he still forced a smile.
"I...."
Saruman's deep eyes seemed to penetrate into Sheyan's heart.
"The [Armour Fragment of Dwar the Nazgul] that you brought contained at least a third of Dwar's soul imprint. To suppress the aura of darkness on it required an immense natural power. Even I can't do it! Do you still want to try to hide things from me?"
Sheyan pondered for a moment, then squinted his eyes as he said.
"Then....Mr. Saruman, for such a dangerous mission, you must first upgrade my mixing skill!"
Saruman thought for a moment before replying.
"Very well!"
An hour later, Sheyan sat in the reception room at the bottom of the tower of Orthanc, beaming with satisfaction. His mixing ability now looked entirely different! With Saruman's personal guidance, this seemingly incomplete ability had undergone tremendous changes!
[You obtained Saruman's personal guidance]
[Your rank 6 ability : Uruk-Hai Gene Mix (Damaged) is promoted to the rank 7 ability : Black Artmix Technique (lvl max)]
[You can skillfully combine together all kinds materials from wild beasts and insects to make powerful potions]
[The retention period of the potions you produce is increased to one year]
[After drinking the gene-mix potion you produce, the user will gain +8 points in all attributes. In addition, the 'Uruk-hai Gene' may be triggered when the user attacks the enemy, increasing the user's attack speed and movement speed by 5% for ten seconds. The effect of the gene-mix potion lasts for 6 hours.]
[Throwing a gene-mix on the ground will create a beneficial gene cloud. Your allies who step into the gene cloud will gain +6 points in all attributes for a duration of 6 hours. In the gene cloud, you allies will have their movement speed increased by 15%, and their dodge rate increased by 10%. The gene cloud covers an area of 50 square meters for a duration of five minutes.]
[Throwing a curse-mix on the ground will create a powerful shockwave. Enemies hit by the shockwave will be stunned for three seconds. This effect has Authoritative precedence.]
(T/N note: {Ability effect precedence} : No precedence < slight precedence < Authoritative (Crushing damage belongs to this category) < Domain precedence < Domain authority)
[At the same time, the curse mix will generate a curse cloud covering 100 square meters. Enemies who touch the cloud will have all attributes decreased by 6 points (this effect may lead to the enemy failing to meet the equipping requirement of certain equipments, thus rendering the equipment obsolete). The movement speed of enemies inside the curse cloud will drop by 40%."]
[When an enemy in the curse cloud receives an attack, there is a chance of triggering 'Saruman's Gaze'. Saruman's phantom will materialise to inflict 50% additional damage on the enemy, and stun the enemy for 1 second."]
These abilities were indeed quite strong, but they were all merely enhanced versions of Sheyan's previous abilities. Saruman's personal guidance wasn't that simple. The ultimate ability, Grow, which surfaced after the Black Artmix Technique reached max level, was the real cream of the crop!