Mermaid's Tear with Heaven-Defying Effects

A smug glint appeared in Song Chi's eyes. His act was perfectly measured, vividly portraying the pride of a lucky fellow who had accidentally discovered a more potent medicine hidden behind this gene-drug shop.

He discreetly glanced around behind him. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did he lean close to Gore's ear and whisper,

"It's an enhanced version of this gene optimization drug, and its effects are more than ten times greater than the gene drugs before you.

I paid an enormous price to buy one before. The effects were simply intoxicating. Unfortunately, the shop has special rules: each person can purchase only one. Otherwise, I would have bought them all."

At once, Gore was like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, nearly jumping into the air.

"What? Its effects are more than ten times greater than gene optimization drugs? There's really such an enhanced drug?"

As if in response, the words on the light screen in the center of the shop changed again.

Advanced gene drugs: only nine remaining. Their effects far surpass those of ordinary gene optimization drugs.

Along with those words, nine blue-tube drugs appeared on the counter. They glowed faintly, and their packaging was visibly more refined.

Pop!

One of the nine blue-tube drugs was opened slightly, immediately releasing a faint medicinal fragrance. Though it was sealed again the next instant, Gore, who had taken only one breath of it, felt every cell in its body cheering. At the same time, its bloodline—genes that had already undergone one correction—showed faint signs of reviving once more.

Instinct told Gore that this advanced gene optimization drug could greatly elevate its bloodline. One vial might not be enough to completely restore its king-tier bloodline to its former peak, but with two or three vials, reviving a small portion of that king-tier bloodline would be no problem.

Thinking of this, it suddenly spoke loudly.

"Please make sure to save these nine advanced gene optimization drugs for me. I'll be back soon."

Seeing how intense its reaction was, Song Chi remained expressionless, while the light screen in the center of the shop changed once more.

Advanced gene optimization drugs are costly to produce and scarce in number. They can only be exchanged for deepwater clam pearls over a thousand years old.

Gore hurriedly glanced at it without saying anything. It swiftly turned around and left the market at an even faster speed than before.

Inside the palace on Conch Island, the chieftain of the Bronze Halberd Tribe violently flicked its fish tail, sending a powerful current surging in all directions. The pressure of a second-rank lifeform was especially terrifying.

"Absurd! What do you take thousand-year deepwater clam pearls for? Or do you think—"

Before it could finish roaring, Gore directly took out over thirty basic gene optimization drugs and handed them to its father.

When the chieftain of the Bronze Halberd Tribe took one of the basic gene optimization drugs and opened it to take a sniff, its reaction was the same as Gore's. A sharp gleam flashed in its eyes, and the withered bloodline within its body seemed to begin coming back to life.

"This is the drug you mentioned? It actually has such effects."

"Are you certain there are advanced drugs with effects more than ten times greater than this?"

Gore nodded heavily, its manner incomparably certain.

The chieftain of the Bronze Halberd Tribe tightly gripped the drug in its hand. After pondering for a while, it looked at Gore again.

"This is a heaven-sent opportunity for our Bronze Halberd Tribe. Since you are certain, go exchange for them. However, I don't have any thousand-year deepwater clam pearls at the moment. Take this and give it a try."

"Remember, this item is exceedingly precious. Exchange it for as many advanced drugs as possible."

At the Myriad Heavens Market, when the long-awaited Gore returned, Song Chi focused his attention on the gene-drug shop once again.

Hearing Gore's answer, he frowned deeply, greatly disappointed.

"No thousand-year deepwater clam pearls? In that case, you cannot exchange for these advanced gene optimization drugs."

As he thought this, he was just about to manipulate the virtual light screen in the shop to reply when Gore took out an item first.

"Though I do not have thousand-year deepwater clam pearls, this item is even more valuable than such pearls. It is nurtured by mermaids, who appear only once in a thousand years among our merfolk race, and is called the Mermaid's Tear by other creatures."

As it spoke, it took out the so-called Mermaid's Tear and placed it on the shop counter.

Then it added,

"This Mermaid's Tear was nurtured by my ancestor, a third-rank mermaid. It can promote the evolution of the life levels of the vast majority of creatures in the Starry Sea."

The moment this crystalline teardrop, even more lustrous than a deepwater pearl, appeared, Song Chi's entire attention focused upon it.

He was extremely familiar with Mermaid's Tears, because they were among the few currently known items capable of providing additional success rates for the advancement of Kindling Starships.

According to Gore, this Mermaid's Tear had been nurtured by a third-rank mermaid. That meant it could likewise increase the advancement success rate of Kindling Starships at third rank and below.

First rank to second rank: an increase of 10%.

Second rank to third rank: an increase of 5%.

Though those figures did not seem large, for every Kindling captain about to undergo advancement, they were absolutely second in importance only to their lives.

And Song Chi clearly needed this item right now. The advancement success rate of his mother's Dragonfly was far too low. Even though his father was doing everything he could, the situation was not optimistic.

If they could obtain a treasure that increased the success rate, his father would have used it on his mother long ago. Why would he have delayed until now? As for the titanium crystal, there was still no sign of it.

Therefore, he had to obtain this Mermaid's Tear.

Third-rank Mermaid's Tear. Its value is acceptable.

In consideration of the item's value, the restriction of one advanced gene optimization drug per person has been lifted. It may be exchanged for three advanced gene optimization drugs.

Originally, he had wanted to offer only one vial, but after thinking it over, that would have been pushing things too far. If Gore refused the exchange, would he have to haggle with it through the virtual light screen?

The personas he had set for all the trading intelligences in the shops were completely fair and impartial, with fixed prices and no bargaining. To avoid ruining that persona, he ultimately set the exchange amount at three vials.

It was neither too much nor too little, the most appropriate number. He believed Gore would not refuse.

And indeed, just as he had expected, although Gore initially wanted to bargain, after the intelligent light screen offered no concessions whatsoever, it ultimately agreed to the transaction.

As three advanced gene optimization drugs were delivered into Gore's hands, Song Chi also received the Mermaid's Tear. For a moment, he could not hide the joy in his heart.

With this Mermaid's Tear added to the equation, if his father could find another solution afterward, then when the Dragonfly officially advanced seven months later, its success rate would definitely exceed 50%.

Though that was still not entirely safe, it was far higher than 24%. Moreover, if they truly managed to obtain that titanium crystal later, the success rate should increase by quite a bit more.