Strange Phantoms Have Increased

Although many pieces of paper were wasted, Feng Xue's gains were not insignificant. Besides three Phantom items, what concerned him the most was still a black sphere.

This black sphere was originally a paper bracelet. During the remelting process, it spontaneously generated over a dozen Elements. Feng Xue thought a large item would be produced, but unexpectedly, those Elements suddenly shattered, and along with the paper, they contracted into a small, marble-sized black sphere.

What made Feng Xue uneasy was that his Golden Finger could see the mosaic sphere, which belonged only to an Omen, on this black sphere. The difference was that it showed no signs of being alive, nor did it have constantly moving, explicit Element tags.

"What exactly is this thing?" Feng Xue carefully avoided touching the black sphere with his hand. Instead, he took out a newly-formed Unspeakable Rod-shaped Object and poked it. However, the corrosion he imagined didn't happen. Or rather, the fact that it didn't corrode the table it was placed on meant it probably wasn't that dangerous.

"I'll experiment with it later, anyway..."

Feng Xue gently shook his head. He had no intention of putting the black blob into his Storage Bag for now. He shifted his attention back to the three Phantom items.

Speaking of these three items, Feng Xue felt like he had a lump of old phlegm stuck in his throat. While they weren't as useless as that pink remote toy, how should he put it...

Subtle, that's the word!

The first Phantom item was the Unspeakable Rod-shaped Object he had just used to poke the black sphere--

Name: Phantom · Unspeakable Rod-shaped Object

Elements: [Sturdy], [Durable], [Storage], [Versatile], [Weapon], [Item]

Description: Although it looks like just a red-tipped crowbar, it seems to be tainted with some unspeakable aura, making it almost indestructible. It also has the effect of reducing the sanity of enemies hit by it, and it can be stored and retrieved from any place that "looks like it can hide something."

Remarks: Better used with an Old Seal and friends!

If he had to say, this thing was quite useful. Its near-indestructible reliability, the debuff that reduced enemies' sanity, and its ease of storage and retrieval were all good points. But after seeing the remarks, Feng Xue could easily imagine where this thing came from.

Actually, that was secondary. The main point was, if he remembered correctly, this thing should belong to an avatar of some Evil God, right?

However, even with that said, this thing was actually the most practical among the three items, because the second Phantom item was a cardboard box.

Yes, a cardboard box. It was about half a meter tall, the kind used for large express deliveries--

Name: Phantom · Suspicious Cardboard Box

Elements: [Storage], [Stealth], [Infiltration], [Assassination]

Description: A cardboard box used by a certain mercenary to infiltrate enemy lines. Its internal space is much larger than it appears, enough to fit two adults. When one enters the cardboard box, their presence will be greatly reduced. However, when stared at by a living being, the person inside the box cannot move.

Remarks: You can't see me!

If you were to say this thing was completely useless, that wouldn't be entirely true. If he slept in the cardboard box at night, he wouldn't have to worry about keeping watch. It was just that the internal space was a bit awkward. It wasn't small, as two adults could squat inside without feeling cramped, but it wasn't large either. The height was insufficient for standing, and the width was insufficient for lying down. To stay inside, one could only squat.

More importantly, the three Element tags besides [Storage] were all top-tier! Every time Feng Xue saw this thing, he would wonder if he had thrown in an [Assassin] Element instead of [Storage], would he have gotten another good item?

Compared to these two items, the third one was what truly made Feng Xue want to curse. To put it bluntly, this third item did satisfy his needs and was a good storage item. But the problem was, this thing was a skirt...

Name: Phantom · Four-dimensional Short Skirt

Elements: [Storage], [Clothing], [Change], [All-match]

Description: A seemingly ordinary short skirt that appears to match most tops. However, it's noteworthy that when this skirt is worn, the unknown dimension between the thighs and the hem of the skirt becomes a boundless storage space.

Remarks: What lies beneath a girl's skirt?

While Feng Xue could grudgingly accept and use the first two items, this skirt... Although its practicality was excellent, he refused!

Even though the skirt was constantly whispering like a demon to him, its unparalleled practicality made a demon sing in his heart.

Humans shouldn't, at least not like this!

Feng Xue gritted his teeth, forcefully smashed that demon into two small patties, then picked up the skirt and said to Chen Xiyao in a tone of resolute sacrifice:

"It's yours!"

"Huh?!" Chen Xiyao, who was still agonizing over "where to put the pink remote toy" and "if I put it somewhere I can't see, will they suspect I've equipped it?" was startled by Feng Xue's voice. Then, she saw a short skirt being thrown at her, and her face turned even redder.

"This, uh, isn't this too short... And giving a skirt, isn't that..."

"It's a storage item, ever heard of a four-dimensional skirt bottom?" Feng Xue forcibly shifted his gaze away from the short skirt, afraid that if he couldn't resist, he might make a choice he'd regret for the rest of his life.

Whether to expose his Golden Finger in front of Chen Xiyao was something he had carefully considered. After weighing the pros and cons, he still decided to reveal his ability to remake Phantoms.

Firstly, Chen Xiyao didn't know the specific situation of this world. In such a scenario, the less he cared, the more she would treat it as "common sense" in this world.

Secondly, the necessary condition for becoming a Supernatural Tale was to leave a deep impression on outsiders. Compared to an Assassin with little presence, a Craftsman who could create various strange items would be more easily remembered.

And even if the impression on Chen Xiyao herself was the same, what about its spread? After seeing information about predecessors who went to the real world to wreak havoc in the knowledge granted by the Gatekeeper, Feng Xue was certain that the real world definitely had official organizations to deal with Supernatural Tales. This meant that Chen Xiyao might be interrogated or even have her memory wiped after returning. In this situation, encountering an Assassin versus encountering a mysterious person who could forge Phantoms were entirely different concepts. The former would be ignored by the authorities, but as the latter, even the authorities might remember Feng Xue's existence due to the immense benefits.

Even considering the most extreme scenario, if Chen Xiyao and he were accidentally separated, and she was captured by the Cross Sword Guild, and then his ability was exposed, what then?

Faced with someone who could produce Phantoms, what would be the attitude of the Cross Sword Guild?

Even in the worst-case scenario, he would be enslaved as livestock to produce Phantoms, right? But if the Cross Sword Guild didn't know, what would be the outcome of capturing him?

Undoubtedly, as someone who had left an impression on Outsiders and had also resisted the Manager, Feng Xue's best outcome would be to be hung on the execution platform awaiting vaporization.

Feng Xue firmly believed in one saying: as long as you are alive, there is hope. Even if you are locked in a cage, as long as you don't die, you will always have a chance to turn the tables. But if you are dead, then there is nothing left!