Master of Kaidan
Chapter 110 New Profession

Chapter 110: Chapter 110 New Profession

Name: Phantom Object·Expensive Steel Pen

Elements: [Stationery], [Infinite], [Durable], [High Efficiency], [Mysterious], [Comfortable], [Precious]

Introduction: An expensive, high-end steel pen, subtly luxurious yet extremely comfortable to hold. Merely playing with it in one’s hand can bring pleasure, and its use in writing greatly enhances the fluidity and speed of the penmanship. However, this pen seems to have been used by one of its previous owners to conduct a certain ritual, thereby imbuing it with a strange power; it possesses ink that never runs out and can even enhance the accuracy of divinations.

Note: If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t use this pen to summon spirits!

...

Paying the price of five thousand towers for a pen that possesses multiple abilities ought to have been a profitable deal, but Feng Xue remembered how resolutely the shopkeeper had called the price, and she couldn’t help but feel slightly cheated.

"It seems the merchants here are even more cutthroat than I thought; dropping the price to a tenth still nets them a profit. Next time I’ll just start at one percent," Feng Xue mused as she fondled the warmly comfortable pen, unable to let it go.

As for that side effect... Feng Xue didn’t care at all. To be honest, she didn’t even know how to play with spirit summoning pens.

After all, she was a traditional person from Yan Country, deeply ingrained with the mindset of "respecting but keeping a distance from spirits". Even if she knew such things were likely just meant to scare people, perhaps with a sprinkling of psychological influence, she would still not be foolish enough to try those trouble-sounding games.

She casually slipped the pen into the breast pocket of her suit and returned to the tavern with Huo Mu, only to find it had changed location.

Upon exiting the unfamiliar tavern, she suddenly asked:

"Huo Mu, do you know where I can buy pseudo items?"

"Pseudo items..." Hearing this request and recalling the items Feng Xue had purchased earlier, Huo Mu’s eyes lit up, realizing she was dealing with a major customer and her tone became even more respectful:

"Here’s the thing, boss, the profit margin on pseudo items is quite low. Rather than picking through garbage, many head to Garbage Mountain mostly to hunt ominous signs or capture slaves. Of course, manufacturers who hold tags related to production still require pseudo items, so there are merchants who specialize in categorizing and organizing them, but these merchants usually only handle bulk transactions. If you don’t need much, it might be better to find them yourself in Garbage Mountain."

"I see," Feng Xue nodded, then added:

"What about books? Do you have a way to get books?"

Upon hearing "books", Huo Mu’s expression shifted noticeably. After a brief silence, the face that Feng Xue found excessively delicate finally nodded:

"Yes, but they are very expensive and the quality is average,"

He seemed to think that his statement was somewhat inaccurate, so he added,

"As long as they contain enough information, whether they are novels, comics, or professional reference books, they possess extremely high value. If the content is relatively professional, it can even be equivalent to a Fine Level or even an Exceptional Level Phantom Object.

"Besides reading to acquire related elements, some idle books can also be sold to those who hold manufacturing tags. It is said that using books as auxiliary materials in the crafting of Phantom Objects can greatly enhance the quality of the objects. Although most attempts fail, if successful, the result will at least be a top-grade Exceptional Level item.

"Thus, most books are collected by major forces to be digested internally. Those available through special channels are usually miscellaneous books with little content, and many are mixed with a large number of copied versions that lack related elements. These Pseudo Books are very difficult to learn from and cannot be used as manufacturing materials. Their value is much lower than ordinary books, and without Identification Skills, it’s very easy to be deceived."

"So living in this South District, one must have Identification Skills, right?" Feng Xuexin felt somewhat speechless, but she was quite intrigued by the term "Pseudo Books" because her Golden Finger didn’t care about authenticity. Didn’t the Yu-Gi-Oh card-bound item still produce a Secret Manual for her?

However, hearing that they were very expensive, Feng Xue temporarily suppressed the idea of going to see them and instead changed the subject,

"How about some white paper? Or white cloth will do."

Although she brought quite a bit of paper back from reality, Feng Xue didn’t plan to use all those tracing papers for copying, because no matter how much there was, it was limited. Feng Xue hoped to use them for Secret Manuals like those, which also require particular scripts and fonts, rather than wasting them on ordinary text Secret Manuals that couldn’t replicate "True Intent" anyway.

"This one might be planning to make ’Pseudo Books’, right?" Huo Mu thought slightly, as copying was tiring and troublesome, and slight carelessness could result in errors. But copying Pseudo Books itself is also a lucrative activity. Not to mention selling inferior quality as superior to make money, just the Copyist tag that might emerge during the copying process is a Ruyi career that makes people jealous.

If the copied books are element-less ’Pseudo Books’, then after obtaining the Copyist tag, there’s a chance to copy the elements of the book as well, turning them into real books. Although still Pseudo Objects and inferior to the originals, as long as they are books, they are not cheap in Infinite City. Not to mention that once employed, one has the qualifications to work in the library of the residential area, thus becoming a top tier presence.

Of course, with such huge benefits, it still hasn’t been rampant, naturally because of the high difficulty. Infinite City knows countless people understand the method of obtaining the Copyist tag, but among ten thousand, perhaps not one succeeds.

The specific rules for success also vary widely; some say one must flawlessly copy hundreds of books; some say you must succeed in copying a Phantom Object book; some say you must copy using the book’s original language rather than the mother tongue translated by Infinite City (since Infinite City automatically translates, so if you don’t encounter a book from your original world, you must copy in reality); and some say you must understand the True Intent of the book while copying...

But no matter what, Copyists are a very precious and rare career.

As for this gentleman here, who went to the black market just to buy a pen, he clearly has this consideration in mind. As for whether he can succeed, Huo Mu doesn’t hold much hope, but merely the by-products of the copying process are enough for a tempting huge amount of money.

Adjusting his view of Feng Xue slightly again, Huo Mu spoke with a somewhat ingratiating tone,

"The cloth supply in the South District, apart from a small amount from the garbage mountain, is mostly monopolized by the Arachne Organization. A meter wide of ordinary white cotton cloth is roughly priced at about 200 Ta per meter in the market. If it’s a softer and lighter white silk, the market price is about 10,000 Ta per meter. Although I don’t have connections with the Arachne Organization, I do know some merchants who supply Tailor professions and can offer a ten percent discount on purchases. If you have any intention of selling your copied books, I can also help you contact some booksellers to ensure you get an appropriate price."