While Nualis, Ceperet, and the Moon all advanced, Liu Shu checked her crafting progress. She had been trying her best to create those semi-living artifacts that could Level Up together with their user, and she finally got results on it. 

‘I am doing too many things at once, hehehe.’ Liu Shu giggled and looked inside her workshop. 

There, not only did Liu Shu enjoy her craft-related buffs, but she also had an increased +130% bonus to all Rune and Woodcrafting activities she performed within. Things that would usually take her 10 years to develop, after stacking all her buffs, could now be accomplished in just 1 or 2 years. 

“Let’s see the details…” 

***

[Level 50-100 Blessed Necklace Of Emerald Endurance (Profound-Grade Complete Level)]

<Level 50 Stats>: 

+434,236 Aether Mana

+985,712 Phoer

+434,236 Anima Energy

Attributes: Aether (+1,529) / Physique (+2,708) / Anima (+1,529) / Willpower (+2,351)

Affinity Percentage:

Aether Resonance (10) / Physique Refinement (26) / Anima Affinity (10) / Mental Palace (22) 

Equipment Skill: You can create a shield around your body that can absorb up to 50% of your total <Phoer> reserves. Cooldown: 7 days. 

Note: An incredibly intricate amulet that a crafter of significant skill created for her loved ones. This amulet has been made with precious items like <Blessed Bark> and <Flow Life Emerald> to bring out the potential of the materials to the maximum. After many tweaks and a stroke of genius, the amulet has gained the ability to <Level Up> with the user. 

***

Liu Shu smiled happily with the results. “The materials I used are B+ Tier, with only a few A- Tier materials that will help it overcome the barrier to Level 100. Compared to other Level 50 amulets with similar attributes, the materials are undoubtedly too expensive. I could buy around several hundred, if not thousands, of sets of materials worth Level 50 equipment with this one amulet’s value. Even compared to normal Level 100 equipment, this one would be around 2 times as expensive.”

Even then, Liu Shu was delighted. The lifetime of equipment such as this one, covering Levels 50 to 100, was something that everyday artifacts could never come to match. While a person could use higher-level items, the special effects and stats would always be lackluster compared to items that matched their Level. That was why items of Level 9, 24, 49, 74, and 99 were the most sold among Explorers. 

Those Levels, the ones just before the <Energy Cycle>, were the levels where users got stuck for the longest time. Now, though, Liu Shu made a significant breakthrough that would allow for equipment to have their lifetime increased exponentially. If someone didn’t have much talent, they could buy a Level 1-50 sword and use it for their entire lives. 

“This might impact the crafting economy. After all, crafters know that they can often sell items because they become unusable after a certain amount of time. Still, instead of focusing on a consuming culture that replaces items often, a culture that focuses on repairing might be better.”

The items were far from indestructible, and they needed maintenance. So, once broken, these expensive items would show that they could also dig a hole in people’s savings accounts. 

“Hm… I guess that I need to introduce the technology slowly. Nevertheless, with all the comprehension buffs I’ve shared, crafters will soon find ways to perfect the basic techniques I will share.” 

It was both a blessing and a curse. After all, the constant technological progress meant that industries would die and be reborn at breakneck speed. Those who fail to adapt will be left behind, and they will also be left out of opportunities. ‘While survival of the fittest is something natural, and I have no intention of getting in the way of progress, I feel that people’s mental health will be incredibly impacted.’ 

Only a few decades ago, Ceperet was just slightly more advanced than Nualis. The significant difference between Nualis and Ceperet was the presence of the interstellar powers. Yet, due to their agreements, their influence on Ceperet’s technological progress was minimal. Otherwise, with creatures like the Manta Ray, no local power would’ve had a chance to raise their head in their presence. 

Life was, therefore, slow-paced and rather simple. Crafters focused on creating equipment for explorers, farmers focused on growing food, etc. Now, due to the technological advancements, the crafters need not only to focus on craft, but also on learning the new techniques that appear in the market every so often.

If their competition could create equipment that could Level Up from Level 10 to 25 by itself, why would clients go to their shops to buy a Level 15 sword?  

‘Hm…’ After bouncing her ideas back and forth, Liu Shu did what a good World Tree would do in this situation. “Life is very adaptable, so they’ll figure it out.” 

Inside one of the shops, a man entered to buy a new sword. He had made a killing lately, so he was ready to expend generously, which is why he entered the luxurious <Golden Sap Merchant Shop>. 

“Welcome, customer. What might you be searching for?”

Quite a few clerks were working in the shop. After all, Liu Shu’s <Woodcrafter> and <Rune Crafter> professions made it so that the array of items she could create would vary tremendously. On one side, you could find a spear that shot fire bolts each time you thrust, and right on the other side, there would be a runic device meant to camouflage the entrance of a cave. 

Liu Shu was always tinkering and learning, trying to perfect her craft, and all those items were thrown haphazardly into the <Lignified Vault>, to be picked by a few people hired by Flor. Then these people organized the items by effect and shipped them to shops across Golden Sap City. 

The man looked over at the being who had spoken and noticed a petite red-haired fairy smiling at him, wearing an adorable outfit. The human man was not disdainful in the slightest. He smiled and spoke of his needs to the fairy, who hovered at a respectful distance. “Hello, I’ve come here to find a new shield. Mine got destroyed by a monster not long ago, and the woodcrafter I go to told me that it’s better to retire than repair it.”

The fairy smiled and nodded politely. “It’s a shame when we outgrow the equipment that has helped us along the way. Nevertheless, you’ve chosen correctly. A shield that has broken once will break twice, and that’s not safe. Follow me, customer.” 

The man followed and had a small conversation with the fairy. “My current Level is 42. I hope I can find a Level 49 Shield so that I can use it for a while longer. I am confident in reaching Level 50, but it might take a while.” 

“I wonder how much you were thinking of spending. We have new merchandise that Lady Heavenly Willow crafted recently. While it is pricey, it’s not because of its origin, but more because of its effects.”

The man was not surprised when hearing that clarification. Most people who had never entered the Golden Sap Merchant Shop often thought that all the items would be overpriced because the Heavenly Willow created them. Only the people who bought items knew that the price increase was due to the quality, not the origin. 

At the same Level, Liu Shu’s items were often 10% to 20% stronger than usual. They even had special skills from time to time to help in combat. So, if you had the budget, it was well worth expending that extra money for the equipment crafted by the Heavenly Willow. 

“I wonder what’s special about them? Do they have more than one skill attached to them? I heard of a few famed weapons Lady Heavenly Willow crafted in the past that could have up to three skills at once.” 

The fairy chuckled. “Those are special equipment that appear very rarely. I know some people who asked Lady Heavenly Willow if she could create three or more skills consistently, and the answer was that it depended on luck more than skill.” 

“I see. I guess that even Lady Heavenly Willow has her limits.”

The fairy looked at the human, smiled, and said nothing. Inside, though, she was disdainful. ‘Lady Heavenly Willow is managing the entire world while crafting items that even our best can barely recreate. Only monstrous people like Lady Mariane dare to compare themselves to Lady Heavenly Willow.’ 

“We are here. Please take a look at these three shields.” 

The man looked over and saw three elegant shields, each with some special features. 

The first one was entirely green, with some twisting white roots at the edges and a red gem right in the middle. It was kite-shaped, and the height of the shield could cover more than half of the body. The gem’s shape was like a star, gleaming gorgeously with some flames leaking around it. 

The second one was a circular shield that covered the torso and not much more. It was sand-colored with sprinkled blue sapphires, which made it look soft and light, perfect for combatants that prioritized agility. The man’s eyes lit up when looking at it. 

The final one was even larger than the first: a full-body shield, gleaming like recently cut obsidian. There were white gems inlaid on the edges, while a cross-shaped red root reinforced the middle. 

“This middle one looks gorgeous. How much is it?” 

The fairy smiled and flew over to pick up the shield that was larger than her own body. Once she touched it, the shield shrank to fit her frame. The man was not surprised, as many items had the ability to shrink and enlarge. The size modification only stretched the item to a certain degree, though. It was far from infinite shrinking and enlarging.

On average, a human-sized shield could shrink to fairy-sized and be enlarged to fit someone around three times the height of a normal human. 

After the man picked the shield, the item enlarged once more, fitting his size. Once he equipped it, the item’s energy poured out and entered his body. There was a sensation of strength and lightness, making him smile. “This is a great shield.”

Then, he looked at the property panel. 

***

[Level 25-60 Light Circular Shield Of The Sea (Advanced-Grade Flawless Level)]

***

“Hm…?” The man read the name and was confused. “This shield… The Level seems to be broken. It says Level 25-60.”

The fairy smiled, her eyes a bit smug after the human’s last comment. “That’s not broken, customer. This shield is specially tailored to fit users from Level 25 to 60. In short, it’s equipment that can Level Up with the user.”

The man’s eyes widened, his hands trembling as he held the precious item. He only reacted after he rapidly bought the shield and went back to tell all his confidants about it so that they could buy as many as possible. 

And so, the news spread. 

On that day, crafters all around the world screamed to the heavens, crying with tears of blood as the <Golden Sap Merchant Shop>, renowned all around the world for being Liu Shu’s outlet to sell her items, put on sale a few of her “failure items” that shook everyone to the very soul.

As a side effect, the calming tea leaves sold exceedingly well in the following months. 

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep