Chapter 81: The Gambler’s Choice

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Gambler’s Choice

"The Coin of Destiny has no effect on anyone at the Star Sea Realm or above. And once you throw it, the result cannot be manipulated. You can’t influence which side it lands on."

Xavier’s interest did not diminish. Quite the opposite. The Coin of Destiny was essentially a gamble.

If luck favored him, it could provide a significant boost at a critical moment. If luck turned against him, however, the same artifact could become a serious liability.

Still, there were situations where a twenty percent increase in strength could mean the difference between life and death.

Samuel leaned back and smiled.

"Those are the three options," he said. "You can only choose one, so take your time and think carefully."

Xavier was silent for several seconds. The rune fragment was excellent.

The Star Tempering Body Technique, Blazing Sun Sword, and ten thousand Extraordinary Division points were even more tempting.

The Coin of Destiny was unpredictable, but it had its own unique value.

He looked at Samuel. Then he smiled.

"Only children make choices," he said.

Samuel’s smile froze.

Xavier casually leaned back in his chair.

"I want all three."

Samuel Bush stared at Xavier for several seconds.

"Ah?" For perhaps the first time since their conversation began, the usually composed vice minister looked completely stunned.

He had offered Xavier three different compensation packages and expected him to weigh the advantages of each before making a choice. Instead, Xavier had simply decided he wanted everything.

Samuel was about to protest when he suddenly noticed what Xavier was taking out. His expression changed instantly.

The words died in his throat.

Xavier calmly placed two small bottles on the table. Samuel’s eyes widened.

One was an Evergreen Pill. The other was a Divine Descent Pill. Both were 6th-Grade elixirs.

For several seconds, Samuel simply stared at them.

Xavier had deliberately chosen these two. It was not because he lacked lower grade resources.

In fact, 4th and 5th-Grade elixirs were the resources he currently consumed most frequently during cultivation, so keeping a healthy supply was far more useful to him than giving them away.

There was another consideration.

4th and 5th-Grade elixirs were valuable enough to trade, yet they were not so rare that exchanging them would attract excessive attention.

6th-Grade elixirs were completely different.

Their effects were several times stronger, and their scarcity made them extraordinarily expensive.

Even if someone had enough money to buy one, finding a seller was another matter entirely. Their rarity was what made them truly precious.

A 5th-Grade elixir might tempt a powerful martial artist, but a 6th-Grade elixir could attract the attention of experts at the Star Sea Realm and even the Divine Power Realm.

Xavier had no intention of creating unnecessary trouble for himself.

There was another reason he had chosen these two.

He needed to reinforce the identity of Mr. X. Samuel Bush had managed to gather three extraordinary treasures for him in only two days.

If Xavier demonstrated that he could produce 6th-Grade elixirs himself, Samuel would naturally place an even higher value on him.

After all, the ability to refine 6th-Grade elixirs was proof that Mr. X was not merely an ordinary alchemist with a large stockpile of resources. It showed this mysterious fellow was very important.

And the next time Xavier asked the Extraordinary Division for something, Samuel would have to think very carefully before refusing.

Of course, there was an even simpler reason. Xavier did not currently need either of these two elixirs.

His supply of 4th and 5th-Grade healing and recovery elixirs, combined with the effects of his Everlasting Life Force, was already more than enough to satisfy his current needs.

The Evergreen Pill was essentially sitting unused in his inventory.

The Divine Descent Pill was even less useful under ordinary circumstances. Its effects were extraordinary, but the consequences were equally severe, and Xavier would only consider using it when his life was genuinely on the line.

Besides, he had two Divine Descent Pills. Giving one away still left him with another as an emergency reserve.

After considering everything carefully, Xavier had decided that these were the two resources he could part with most easily.

Samuel, naturally, knew none of this. His attention remained fixed on the two bottles in front of him. After finally regaining his composure, he looked at Xavier with a complicated expression.

"If I’m seeing this correctly, these are 6th-Grade elixirs," he said, his gaze moving between the two bottles.

"The Evergreen Pill and the Divine Descent Pill." Samuel shook his head slowly.

"Mr. X, you’ve managed to surprise me again." He took a breath before asking, "How many of these do you have left?" His tone became serious.

"If you have more, the Extraordinary Division will take all of them."

Even Samuel, a peak Spirit Platform martial artist, could only dream of obtaining treasures like these.

The value of 6th-Grade elixirs was simply beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Xavier could tell immediately that his objective had been achieved.

He had successfully raised the value of Mr. X but that doesn’t mean he would make him readily available to Samuel.

He shook his head.

"That’s all I have for now," he said. Then he added casually, "I may refine more in the future. If the Extraordinary Division acquires treasures of comparable value, you can contact me again."

Samuel’s eyes flickered.

Xavier pointed toward the three compensation packages still sitting on the table.

"As for the previous transaction, I’ll exchange these two 6th-Grade elixirs for the treasures from the other two options," he said, smiling. "Does that work for you?"

"Of course," Samuel agreed immediately. There was not even a moment of hesitation.

Strictly speaking, the two hundred 4th-Grade elixirs and twenty 5th-Grade elixirs Xavier had previously provided were already worth an enormous amount.

But theoretical value and actual market value were two different things. 6th-Grade elixirs were simply too rare.

Even when someone had the money to purchase one, they might not be able to find one for sale.

Certain treasures were priceless precisely because almost no one possessed them.

The same was true of the three items Samuel had offered.

The Coin of Destiny, for example, was essentially a gamble.

If someone used it before a life or death battle and received the favorable result, they could gain a tremendous advantage.

If they got the opposite result, they might find themselves even weaker at the worst possible moment.

Yet for the right person, even such an unpredictable treasure could be worth a fortune.

Xavier was one of those people. He was not acquiring these treasures merely to use them himself. He intended to invest them.

And if the system responded with sufficiently valuable returns, then exchanging two 6th-Grade elixirs for these resources would be an extraordinarily profitable transaction.

Both men therefore walked away believing they had won.

Samuel had obtained two treasures that the Extraordinary Division desperately valued.

Xavier had acquired several resources that could potentially trigger enormous system returns. In Xavier’s eyes, that was the more important victory.

"Then it’s settled, Minister Bush," Xavier said, collecting the rune fragment and the other treasures.

"I’ll head back for now. If you need anything else, contact me."

Before leaving, Samuel also gave him an update regarding Helena.

"The Extraordinary Affairs Bureau has already begun a full investigation," he said.

"They’ve identified several people who may have connections to the Dolly Bridle Evil Faction, and they’re following those leads now." His expression was serious.

"We’re still trying to determine where the organization is operating from, but I believe we’ll have something useful soon."

Xavier nodded.

"Understood," he said.

He did not linger. After leaving the Extraordinary Division, he returned home. It was a little after nine that evening when he arrived.

Mira was still cultivating. Xavier knocked before entering her room.

Without saying much, he took out everything he had received from Samuel and placed the treasures in front of her.

Mira stared at the items in confusion. Before she could ask where they had come from, Xavier gave her the answer he always used.

"Don’t worry about where I got them," he said. "Just use them."

Mira opened her mouth, but Xavier had already turned around. He left her to cultivate and returned to his own bedroom.

Once inside, he sat down cross legged on the bed. He had barely settled himself when the familiar mechanical voice of the system sounded inside his mind.

[Congratulations, Host. Your investment in the 7th-Grade martial skill, Star Tempering Body Technique (Fragment), has been successfully completed. The investment triggered a 30x multiplier. Reward: Star Tempering Body Technique (Fragment), 3rd-Level Mastery.]

Xavier’s eyes lit up. Another notification immediately followed.

[Congratulations, Host. Your investment in the 6th-Grade Blazing Sun Sword has been successfully completed. The investment triggered a 100x multiplier. Reward: 8th-Grade Golden Body Soft Armor.]

Xavier’s breathing paused for a moment. An 8th-Grade defensive treasure?

The rewards continued.

[Congratulations, Host. Your investment in Rune Fragment: Vitality has been successfully completed. The investment triggered a double multiplier. Rewards: Rune Fragment: Speed and Rune Fragment: Swordsmanship.]

[Congratulations, Host. Your investment in the mid-grade spirit stone has been successfully completed. The investment triggered a 10x multiplier. Reward: One high-grade spirit stone.]

[Congratulations, Host. Your investment in the Coin of Destiny has been successfully completed. The investment triggered a 200x multiplier. Reward: Six-Sided Destiny Die.]

Xavier stared at the series of notifications. A grin slowly spread across his face.

"The harvest is finally here," he murmured, rubbing his hands together slightly. "Let’s see what I’ve managed to get this time."