Chapter 179: Legendary Card

Leo climbed into his truck. With a few hours left before moving out, he had a chance to check the loot from the recent battle. He sat on the edge of his bed.

"Now, let’s see what I got from this battle."

He pulled out the ten cards dropped by the Blood Puppet and spread them across the mattress. Most were familiar, but one card caught his eye. It gleamed pure gold.

Leo picked it up and read its description.

[Legendary Card — Mad Alchemist’s Table]

Description:

A legendary alchemical table once used by the infamous Mad Alchemist.

The Mad Alchemist was a genius who believed that anything could be improved by adding more ingredients.

Monster blood? Add some herbs.

A healing potion? Add some monster blood.

A perfectly good sword? Add some monster blood.

Nobody understood his methods, but strangely enough, many of his experiments actually worked.

The table possesses the ability to mix almost any material together, regardless of whether the components are normally compatible.

The result?

Nobody knows.

The same combination of ingredients may produce something useful one time and something completely ridiculous the next.

A powerful healing potion could become a medicine that makes the user grow fur.

A piece of iron could become a weapon capable of cutting through steel.

A poisonous plant could become a delicious candy.

And, on particularly unfortunate days, three valuable ingredients could turn into a perfectly ordinary wooden spoon.

The Mad Alchemist considered this part of the research process.

Everyone else called it a waste of materials.

[Abilities]

[Alchemical Workspace]

Creates a complete alchemical workstation equipped with furnaces, distillation equipment, mixing chambers, storage containers, and other tools required for experimentation.

[Material Analysis]

Analyzes materials and displays their properties, composition, energy characteristics, and potential uses.

[Mad Mixing]

Allows the user to mix almost any number of components together.

The resulting product is random and may possess unexpected properties.

The more unusual the combination of materials, the more unpredictable the result.

[Alchemical Refinement]

Removes impurities from materials and increases their purity and effectiveness.

[Fusion]

Combines compatible materials to create a new substance.

Unlike Mad Mixing, the result is relatively stable and predictable.

[Mutation]

Allows the properties of a material to be altered through controlled experimentation.

[Alchemical Storage]

Provides an internal storage space capable of preserving alchemical materials indefinitely.

[Legendary Trait — Unexpected Creation]

There is a small chance that Mad Mixing will produce an item far more valuable than the materials used.

There is also a chance that it will produce something completely useless.

Both outcomes are considered successful experiments.

Leo sat dumbfounded. The listed abilities felt both useful and entirely pointless. It felt less like an alchemy table and more like a disguised gambling tool.

He stared at the golden card for a long moment.

"System, what is this?"

The familiar mechanical voice chimed in his mind.

[Ding!]

[It is exactly what the description says.]

Leo frowned.

"That doesn’t answer my question."

[Ding!]

[The user has obtained a Legendary alchemical table.]

[It can mix almost anything and produce random results.]

[In simple terms, the user has obtained a magical gambling machine.]

Leo’s expression darkened.

"A gambling machine?"

[Ding!]

[Correct.]

[Except instead of losing money, the user will lose valuable materials.]

Leo fell silent. The System continued.

[Of course, there is also a chance the user will obtain something incredibly valuable.]

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"And what are the chances?"

A brief silence stretched in the cabin.

[Ding!]

[Unknown.]

"..."

The urge to sell the card at the system store crossed Leo’s mind. But this was his first Legendary Card. Its rarity alone meant it had hidden value. He knew the raw power of Epic Cards. The Apocalypse Truck had saved his life countless times, and the Cloak of Shroud possessed abilities far beyond his expectations.

Despite the dubious description, the Mad Alchemist’s Table likely hid abilities he just couldn’t grasp yet.

Leo gritted his teeth. If he overthought it, he would back out. He decided to use the card right there.

He released his grip.

The card dissolved into a flurry of golden specks. The glowing dust drifted through the air, gathering in a bare corner of the compartment. The light intensified, casting bright shadows on the walls as a shape formed within. First came the stout legs, then a thick wooden frame. Eventually, the broad tabletop materialized.

As the glow faded, an ancient workstation rested in the corner of the truck.

Leo stepped closer to examine it. The dark brown wood looked centuries old. Scratches, burn marks, odd stains, and shallow gouges marred the surface. Some scars looked like blade strikes, while others resembled deep animal claws. Faded metal rings lined the sides, bordered by ancient symbols carved into the edges. A large circular depression sat in the center of the table, ringed by complex alchemical patterns.

Glass tubes, metal bins, small bowls, and bizarre instruments clung to the frame. A few looked familiar, but the rest seemed designed by someone lacking basic common sense.

The piece radiated an ancient presence. It looked less like furniture and more like a survivor of a thousand failed experiments.

Leo placed a hand on the surface. The wood felt ice-cold. A vivid image flashed in his mind: the table cluttered with bubbling bottles, raw monster organs, glowing crystals, and toxic sludge. Behind it, a crazed old man laughed while throwing everything into a single pot.

Leo’s mouth twitched.

"Yeah..."

He looked over the scarred wood.

"I can definitely believe a madman used this thing."

Leo rubbed his hands together and looked over the ancient table.

"Okay, so how do I use this thing?"

[Ding!]

[The Mad Alchemist’s Table requires Nucleus Crystals as fuel.]

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Fuel?"

[Nucleus Crystals must be placed within the circular energy formation at the center of the table.]

Leo looked at the circular pattern carved into the tabletop.

"So I put the crystals there. Then what?"

[Place the required ingredients inside the designated beaker.]

Several glass beakers and containers attached to the side of the table immediately caught Leo’s attention.

[Once the ingredients have been placed inside, activate the refining function using the switch located on the side of the table.]

Leo glanced toward the side.

Sure enough, there was a small metallic switch he hadn’t noticed before.

"So it can refine everything automatically?"

[Correct.]

[The user only needs to provide the appropriate energy.]

Leo nodded slowly.

"That sounds simple enough."

[Ding!]

[The table will handle the refining process, mixing, separation, fusion, and other required procedures.]

Leo’s eyes brightened slightly.

"So I don’t actually need to know alchemy?"

There was a brief pause.

[The table can perform the process automatically.]

Leo smiled.

"Now that’s more like it."

He looked at the ancient table again.

The strange object suddenly seemed much more useful than it had a few minutes ago.

"All right. Let’s see what you can do."