Successful Crafting

It was hot and dry here, so after searching around for half an hour, Fang Linyan found three spiders beneath a nearby barn, under the eaves, and beneath some rocks. Two of them had yellow abdomens and green legs. They were local Geometric Yellow-Bellied Widows, each nearly the size of his palm.

The other was much smaller, but its entire body was glossy black, like an abacus bead that had been handled for years. Only its abdomen bore a strange red marking. This was a Six-Eyed Red-Bellied Spider.

After weighing the pros and cons, Fang Linyan ultimately chose the Six-Eyed Red-Bellied Spider.

Although this spider was small and its venom was less potent than that of the Geometric Yellow-Bellied Widow, the latter was a web-building spider, best at laying a large web and waiting for prey to wander into it. The Six-Eyed Red-Bellied Spider, on the other hand, was a wandering hunter. It didn't stay in one place, but roamed around, relying on its leaps and bursts of speed to catch prey.

From what Fang Linyan remembered, the essence of the Voodoo Sect's black magic, Blood Spider, was to use one's own blood to summon a crimson spider to attack an opponent. The Geometric Yellow-Bellied Widow could enhance its venom, while the Six-Eyed Red-Bellied Spider could improve the crimson spider's leaping ability and agility.

After weighing the pros and cons, Fang Linyan decided that the latter mattered more. He wrapped the Six-Eyed Red-Bellied Spider in a piece of paper, then set it alight. Next, he shook the ashes into the Voodoo Doll, bit his finger, and drew a strange rune on it.

As he finished the rune, an indescribably eerie chuckle rang out of nowhere, filled with overwhelming malice. Fang Linyan's whole body shuddered, and his face went pale. He collapsed awkwardly to the ground, blood trickling from his ears and mouth.

Then he vomited blood three times in a row. Every drop landed on the Voodoo Doll and was absorbed without a trace. He was lucky to be in a healthy body now; if he'd still been in his previous body, which had lung cancer, those three mouthfuls of blood would have taken half his life.

When the Voodoo Doll was successfully crafted, Fang Linyan suddenly felt the entire world before him—even time and space—warp strangely. But the feeling vanished in an instant, like a faint ripple skimming across the surface of a pond, caught somewhere between reality and illusion.

But he was exhausted, and his chest hurt as if a knife were twisting inside it. He only felt dazed for a moment before pushing the matter from his mind. He leaned against the wall and panted for a while, then picked up a cold Coke and took a long drink before he finally recovered. The moment his hand touched the Voodoo Doll, a series of messages appeared across his retina:

Hastily Crafted Voodoo Doll (Condition: Average)

Crafter: Contractor No. 72AFS

Equipment Rarity: Blue (Its original rarity was White, but its quality was upgraded by an ability during crafting.)

Materials: Paper, wax, cloth, straw, bone powder, blood

Gem Socket: 1

Equipment: Only the holder of a Voodoo Doll can use the Voodoo Sect's black magic. It also grants the holder a base damage bonus of 6–6 to their black magic.

Passive Attribute: Blood Refining (Special). The crafter's blood was mixed into this Voodoo Doll during its creation. When the crafter uses it, the casting time of any black magic that requires blood as a spell component or medium is reduced by 3 seconds. Any spell with a casting time under 3 seconds becomes instant. This bonus does not apply to anyone other than the crafter.

Passive Attribute: Inferior. Even exceptional crafting skills can't make up for the poor quality of the materials used. This Voodoo Doll will break after a certain number of uses. Uses remaining: 10.

"Rating: I could use a dozen Voodoo Dolls like this—if the price were right."

"Because all the materials used to craft this equipment are ordinary, it cannot be taken out of this world."

Fang Linyan didn't think much of the equipment's attributes. What he didn't know was that blue equipment normally received one bonus enchantment attribute, while top-tier blue equipment received two.

However, perhaps because the passive attribute "Blood Refining" was so powerful, it had been balanced out by the negative passive attribute "Inferior." In other words, even the space itself considered Fang Linyan's hidden crafting ability too powerful, so it had added a negative attribute to balance things out.

After picking up the Voodoo Doll, Fang Linyan didn't rush into action. Instead, he stayed outside and watched. He had to carry out his second most important plan: make some money. Even a hero could be brought low by a lack of cash! He had only four dollars left, not even enough for a meal, let alone to complete his main quest.

Fang Linyan had given the matter of making money a lot of thought. First, he ruled out illegal and violent methods. His body was only that of an ordinary young man, and if he caused trouble and drew the cops' attention, one bullet—even if it didn't hit him in the head—could cost him half his life.

However, making money through legitimate means wasn't an option either. So Fang Linyan watched closely, looking for an opportunity. After waiting for about an hour and a half, his eyes suddenly lit up. A "Hellcat" car was approaching in the distance. It had obvious modifications and a skull paint job—it was unmistakably a local gang's car.

There were three people in the car. Two got out, warily looked around, and quickly headed for the supermarket, while the third stayed behind in the car.

At the sight of this, Fang Linyan's eyes lit up. He got to his feet and quietly moved behind the vehicle. Exhaust was still coming from the tailpipe, so the engine hadn't been turned off. He felt more confident.

Judging by the car's appearance, there was a good chance its occupants were gang members.

There were three people in the car, but one had stayed behind. That meant there was probably something valuable inside that needed guarding.

The two who had left opened the car doors and looked around before cautiously walking away.

The temperature was around 20 degrees—not too hot or too cold, with no need to keep the air conditioning running. Yet the car was still on, and the man in the driver's seat had his hands on the wheel as he scanned the area. He was extremely wary, clearly ready to drive off at any moment.

With all four factors lined up, Fang Linyan thought the other party was probably up to something. He could take a chance—and even test the power of the Voodoo Sect's black magic, Blood Spider. After the two men had entered the supermarket, Fang Linyan moved to a spot ten meters behind the Hellcat. A van there completely hid him from view.