Chapter 148: Blueprint Improvement

Cheng Shuili examined everything carefully; the items up front were still ordinary materials, she already had them in hand, but the last three...

She does have them, but what good is a workbench that requires a hundred wires? What use is a hundred alloy parts?

Forget it.

Cheng Shuili's gaze fell on the "Mechanical Heart" at the top; this thing was the most important.

If it's like the "Heart of Creation", which also has to be purchased...

How many Game Coins does this cost? At least a few hundred thousand, right?

A chill ran down Cheng Shuili's spine, as if the Game Coins in her pocket were being watched for no reason.

She shook her head, brushed off the uneasy feeling, scoured the system pages to no avail, then suddenly remembered that the workbench also had a user manual.

Cheng Shuili fetched the manual and saw that the new functions after the upgrade were indeed listed there.

【Note: Crafting requires a blueprint! Once obtained, the blueprint can be used infinitely!】

【Note: During crafting, regardless of what happens, you cannot leave the workbench; please choose a safe time to craft!】

【Note: The workbench can be upgraded!】

【New feature of this upgrade: Blueprint Improvement!】

【Blueprint Improvement: There is a chance to upgrade your blueprint. Have you noticed that most of the blueprints you obtain are "Simple" or "Ordinary"? Indeed! Out of respect for human civilization, this system makes the directly obtainable blueprints the simplest and most ordinary! To get better blueprints… humans! Use your wit!】

【Note: Consuming one energy stone allows a blueprint improvement!】

【Note: Can be performed only once per day! If the improvement fails, the blueprint is returned, but the energy stone is not!】

Energy stone not returned?

Cheng Shuili stared at those words, almost grinding her teeth to pieces.

This damn system, if it wants to torment us, just say so, okay? And it talks about "respect for human civilization"?

Does it not know?

Pulling all humans onto a highway survival scenario for no reason is super disrespectful!

And the energy stone too—so many places need it! How exactly do you obtain it? The system should at least point a clear path!

Cheng Shuili paused, this… feels familiar.

The previous thing she didn't know how to get was the Game Coin, right? After the Newbie Protection Period ended, the system started paying wages directly.

So… this energy stone?

Cheng Shuili couldn't find any explanation of how to obtain it; could it be that this thing isn't supposed to appear at this stage at all?

Did she bug it out?

Cheng Shuili recalled the scene when she first got an energy stone; whether then or now, she considered it perfectly normal. Yet she doesn't rule out the possibility.

Cursing aside, she pulled an energy stone from the Abyssal Ring.

Now she has to decide what to do with the five energy stones in her hand.

Save them for the Sunroom…

Sunroom…

Cheng Shuili reviewed the materials needed for the Sunroom again; aside from lacking enough energy stones, she had no shortage of any other material.

It's the supplemental blueprint for the potting soil needed for the flowerpot; although she knows which monster drops it, she can't encounter that monster, so it's useless.

Cheng Shuili had originally planned to keep the energy stones, mainly because that blueprint was of little use to her, and to the few members of her team; the crafted item would just sit in a corner gathering dust, so keeping the energy stones made more sense.

But now…

Cheng Shuili had to admit that plans can't keep up with change.

The improvement blueprint for the workbench can be used only once a day, so today…

Cheng Shuili pulled the "Simple Hunting Trap Blueprint" from the bottom; compared to water, which is already in the wooden supply box, what she lacked most was, of course, meat.

She took a deep breath and placed the energy stone into the specially designed groove beside the blueprint.

Tiny metallic tendrils sprang from the groove's edge, securing the energy stone firmly.

The workbench emitted a low hum, and the entire surface began to glow with a faint violet aura.

【Detected improvable blueprint: Simple Hunting Trap】

【Consume Energy Stone ×1】

【Improvement success rate: Shielded…】

【Proceed?】

"Shielded?" Cheng Shuili widened her eyes. "Then why display this?"

Cheng Shuili paused, suddenly realizing that perhaps some item could reveal the success rate, but she clearly didn't have it now.

She gritted her teeth, stared at the tiny text, and resolutely clicked the confirm button.

The workbench jolted violently, and the energy stone began shrinking at a visible speed, its violet light flowing into the blueprint like liquid.

The lines on the blueprint started to warp and recombine, the crude trap diagram gradually becoming complex and precise.

Cheng Shuili instinctively stepped back half a step, watching the lines writhe like living things, rearranging themselves.

【Improving... 1%... 15%...】

The progress bar advanced slowly, and Cheng Shuili's heartbeat rose along with the percentage.

She suddenly noticed a line of tiny text she'd never seen before appear on the side of the workbench: 【Engraving the Improver's Mark...】

"Improver's Mark…?" Cheng Shuili tried to get a closer look, and behind it was her ID, Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji, in bold.

Followed immediately by another line of tiny text.

【The mark will be engraved on all items crafted using this blueprint!】

Cheng Shuili: "!!!"

This is the best advertisement! Or rather, a free advertisement!

【47%... 63%...】

Cheng Shuili held her breath, her hands unconsciously clenched.

The energy stone had shrunk to half its original size, and its surface luster had dimmed.

It must succeed......

【89%... 97%... 100%！】

With a crisp "ding", the energy stone turned entirely to ash, and the blueprint erupted in a blinding golden light.

Cheng Shuili had to close her eyes; when she opened them again, the blueprint had completely changed its appearance.

【Congratulations! Improvement successful!】

【Obtained new blueprint: Superior Automatic Trapping Device Blueprint!】

Cheng Shuili picked up the blueprint in disbelief; the originally ordinary paper had become heavy.

【Superior Automatic Trapping Device Blueprint】

【Effect: Works 24 hours after installation! Fully captures all usable prey within a certain range! Capture probability greatly increased; owning it is equivalent to having a warehouse stocked with fresh meat!】

【Materials needed: Iron blocks ×8, alloy parts ×4, wires ×6, plastic ×5, fiberboard ×2, rubber ×3, small motor ×1, energy stones ×4!】

After reading the effect, Cheng Shuili's mouth unconsciously curled up; she looked at the required materials with a smile, but when she saw "small motor," her mouth immediately fell.

Is this a new material?

Cheng Shuili immediately searched the area channel.

Good news: I found it; a player said he had obtained a small motor.

Bad news: that player's avatar is already gray.

He is already dead.

Cheng Shuili fell silent for a moment, edited a line in the area channel, and only realized when about to send it: most people are still inside the Instance and haven't come out yet.

Asking would be pointless.