The Gambler Hits the Jackpot

Inside a room on level B2, Lister was preparing to synthesize a pile of outdated alchemical equipment in front of him.

I don't know if it's because the newbie protection period has ended or for some other reason.

Although his secondary profession has now reached its second job advancement and his level has reached 65, the probability of successful synthesis has actually decreased instead of increased.

The results of my daily gamble over the past two months have been, without exception, nothing but alchemical waste!

Today, when I try to synthesize it again, I have no expectations left; I just treat it as a way to gain experience for my secondary profession when I have free time.

With a soft white light flashing, three Tier 6 C-grade equipment items began to be synthesized.

During the break before the results were released, Lister turned on the music.

The melodious singing filled the room, its ethereal quality seemingly able to soothe all complex emotions, bringing a sense of calm and tranquility.

Notification: Currently, stamina recovery has increased by 2%.

As he became more integrated into the Galactic Federation, Lister finally gained a deeper understanding and experience of some of the entertainment offered by Federation citizens.

To his surprise, high-quality film and television content, as well as classic music like this, can indeed provide additional attribute bonuses to living beings.

This song alone costs 260 credits, which is something that only citizens of level two civilization or above can afford.

I've heard that hearing these singers perform live gives you an even stronger feeling of Heal and rejuvenation.

Even the top fleets of the Central Army Group have a special budget to hire singers to stay on board and perform for the soldiers.

It's a pity Lister didn't have that opportunity, but he's considering experiencing the live performance of the Galaxy Diva in the future.

As the music played, the flashing white light became increasingly dazzling.

The recording finally came to a close when the song ended.

Surprisingly, today's result was not "alchemy waste," but a dark blue gauntlet.

[Merrick's Tyranny Bracers (S-Rank) (Level 80 and above): Increases all four main attributes by 30 points and physical attack by 30% for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 7 days.]

Is this the result of months of accumulated luck finally coming to fruition?

It's important to know that the probability of advancing from C-rank to S-rank by three grades in one go is less than one in a thousand.

Not to mention, its rank even increased by two ranks! It went straight to rank eight.

So even gamblers have their day!?

Don't let the simple and brutal appearance of the dark blue gauntlets fool you; they're incredibly powerful.

The most obvious benefit is the enhanced attributes and damage, especially the increased physical attack, which is like adding wings to a tiger for Lister.

Before he could even experience it, the Jiji on his shoulder was suddenly activated.

Fluttering its wings, it struggled to fly into Lister's palm.

Kavin's voice came through when he touched its tiny forehead with his finger.

"I don't know exactly what the special resources in the recruit camp are."

Immediately afterward, a message came from the system that someone had added me as a friend.

Before long, Kavin's virtual projection appeared in front of Lister.

He still has a blank expression, but seems to be in good spirits.

Behind them lay a desolate landscape, but the presence of some strange vegetation suggested that it was still a habitable planet.

"Long time no see, Kavin!"

"I've already used the resources in the recruit camp, so that's not a problem."

It had been a year since Lister last left a message for the other party.

It seems that Kavin has indeed just returned to the Galactic Federation.

"Speaking of which, I was just planning to upgrade 'Jiji' and would like to hear your opinion."

After saying that, he picked up the Jiji in his hand and stroked its silvery, metallic head.

Kavin nodded calmly upon hearing this.

"It's time for an upgrade. When I created it, I hadn't even encountered the Galactic Federation's communication methods."

"In comparison, its current communication methods are too outdated, with its only advantage being security."

The chip used by Lister has been replaced with a "Beta Civilization Chip," which was secretly provided by Wang Yue due to purchase restrictions.

Although it was eventually absorbed by the system, the longest distance the communication covered was the entire galaxy.

Similar to Jiji's communication range, except that Jiji can only communicate via messages or real-time voice, while the communication modes between Federation chips are quite diverse.

Notification: You have received a new document.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a file was transferred from Kavin's end.

The top part contains the original design drawings for "Jiji," with a lot of densely packed information.

Meanwhile, the new renovation plan seemed to have been completed instantly and has now been sent over.

The overall effect remains largely unchanged; the most significant modifications were made to the communication components.

"Once you have someone modify it, Jiji will be able to access the Galactic Federation's communication channels without being monitored or subject to any blocking restrictions..."

"Wait a minute!"

Interrupting Kavin's presentation, Lister immediately removed the "Resentful Evil Eye".

The Jiji on my palm immediately responded again.

"Jiji ~! Jiji ~!"

At the same time, he kept circling around this "strange eye".

"These are materials I obtained from the Zerg civilization, from the mother of the Evil Shadow Eye Monster. Can they be used on 'Jiji'?"

Seeing this, Kavin stared intently for a moment, then calmly nodded after a moment's thought.

"Can!"

"Jiji has a certain degree of self-enhancing judgment, but I haven't come into contact with or seen the specific material, so I can't make an accurate judgment."

That's true, but file transfers aren't slow.

Just seconds later, a new modification plan arrived: to replace Jiji's eye with this "strange eye".

With Kavin's plan in hand, Lister didn't dwell on the matter further, but instead inquired about Calvin's current situation.

"I am currently in the Chaotic Star Region, at coordinates XXX. I have already begun preparations for our bet."

"The preparatory meeting will take place on this planet behind me, where a completely new mechanical life civilization will be built."

"This is something I recently developed..."

When the topic turned to Mechanical Civilization, Kavin became interested, even though his expression remained stiff. Lister could sense his longing for the future.

Especially in front of himself, his desire to share his knowledge of Mechanical Civilization clearly showed his confidence in the bet they made back then.

Lister listened attentively to the other person's vision, but his heart was filled with more worry.

Kavin's civilization was, after all, Mechanical Civilization, one that the Galactic Federation strongly prohibited by its constitution.

He now knows the extent of the Federation's crackdown on this area; if he were to be discovered, the consequences would likely be...

Of course, Lister didn't mention this until he hung up.

With Hoffman backing him up, Hoffman should theoretically understand the seriousness of the matter better than Kavin does.

Since the other party hadn't even mentioned it, he didn't want to dampen their enthusiasm.

Moreover, it's located in Chaotic Star Region, so the Galactic Federation can't interfere.

Two days later, Lister's projector was connected again.

While examining the upgraded necklace that had just been delivered to her, she calmly watched Powell on the screen showing off as if seeking praise.

[Merrick's Heart of Determination (Rank A) (Use at LV120 and above): Increases damage by 5% per attack, ignoring defense. (Stacks up to six times)]

"Captain, are you satisfied?"

In his presence, Powell completely reverted to his usual demeanor, displaying extreme flattery and ingratiation.

As for the Heart of Sharpness equipment, there have been significant changes. The original 3% ignore defense damage has been changed to stacking with multiple attacks.

Although it differed from what Lister had imagined, this kind of upgrading and advancement in forging could not be completely as desired.

Having achieved this much, it was to my satisfaction, so I nodded silently, indicating my agreement.

"My lord, is there anything else you need me to forge?"

"I'd prefer something related to upgrading grades and ranks, as that's something I'm better at."

Powell is unusually enthusiastic these days, even bringing up the upcoming forging project himself, as if he knows very well that I won't let him sit idle.

This attitude certainly pleased Lister.

He quickly took out the Jiji, the strange eye material, the newly received Tantalum Dark Alloy, and the Tyranny Bracers.

After briefly explaining the project to the other party, I also transmitted Kavin's upgrade plan drawings and other materials.

"Six months!"

"I think that's enough for you..."

"My lord, you're trying to kill me!"

Instantly, Powell's face turned ashen, all traces of his previous enthusiasm and initiative vanishing.

He kept complaining and groaning in front of Lister!

"My lord, upgrading this gauntlet is easy; three months should be enough."

"But your Tantalum Dark Alloy is not easy to forge; its texture is inherently tough."

"Just forging a knife from this metal would require me to collect a large amount of other materials, and considering the forging time, it would take at least six months."

"Not to mention this 'Jiji,' this mechanical creation is definitely the work of a master!"

"It would take me at least half a year to fully understand the blueprints!"

Powell's mood has now taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Being able to connect with a powerful Overlord Tier through forging skills is an incredibly worthwhile deal!

Naturally, she became more proactive in forging Lister, willing to spend more money on forging materials herself, as long as he had a little free time.

But who knew the other party would be so impolite?

Three forging tasks in a row, each more difficult than the last, and they all had to be completed within six months. He could never finish them, no matter how hard he tried!

Especially those "Jiji" mechanical creations; although they look simple in structure, their internal structure is actually far too complex.

He wasn't particularly skilled at mechanical creations, let alone that incredibly long and detailed upgrade blueprint; he really couldn't handle it in a short time.

"Alright then, let's forge the knife first. I'll give you six months."