Chapter 972: Alternate Timeline: Ether Powder

*bang*

The gunshot exploded through the Factory.

A burst of smoke escaped from the barrel due to the black powder, carrying the bitter smell of sulfur, while the recoil pressed firmly against her wrist, and the bullet itself struck her palm before bouncing harmlessly onto the floor alongside the empty casing with two sharp metallic clinks.

A faint sting spread across her hand.

Nothing serious.

Only a slight patch of redness remained.

Kiara lowered the pistol slowly and examined her palm for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

"Good enough."

[Ding! You successfully invented the Lead bullet (9x19mm). You received 100 experience points.]

[Ding! You completed the main quest III. Go to the quest list to claim the rewards.]

[Ding! Do you wish to sell the prototype (copyrights) to the system for 100 credits?]

"And how much will the system sell it to the public?" Kiara immediately asked.

[Ding! 8 silver coins each.]

The moment she saw the number, she rejected the offer without hesitation.

"No."

The answer came instantly.

Gunpowder could eventually be replicated by alchemists through experimentation, after studying the composition of her bullets.

But properly manufactured bullets were different.

Without industrial precision and exact measurements, mass production would remain difficult for normal organizations.

Besides, one of the mandatory quest conditions required her to sell a weapon that had not been designed or manufactured by the system.

If she sold the copyright now, ownership would no longer remain hers.

Why trade long-term profit and quest progression for a mere hundred credits?

After rejecting the offer, Kiara stored one ammunition box inside her inventory and opened the Quest List.

**

[MAIN QUESTS]:

Main Quest I: Sell a total of 10000 firearms (In progress: 947/10000)

Reward: Submachine gun (All models)

Main Quest II: Become Rank-6

Reward: Host’s share increases to 70% permanently, and 16000 credits.

Main Quest III: Create ten types of weapons at the factory. (Completed)

Reward: A random ether version of the host’s designed weapon

**

[SIDE QUESTS]:

Side Quest I: Earn a total of 1 million gold coins from selling the weapons created by the system, excluding ammunition (In progress – 1.4%)

Reward: Ether sniping rifle (silver grade), Ether assault rifle (silver grade)

Side Quest II: Expand the business to 10 cities and sell atleast 1000 weapons through each branch, excluding ammunition. (In progress – 0%)

Reward: Upgrade crystal (superior)

Side Quest III: Spend a total of 500000 credits (In progress: 126900/500000)

Reward: Amulet of Diyu

Side Quest IV: Tame ten monsters (4/10)

Reward: Taming skill

**

Kiara selected the completed quest.

Then suddenly, realization struck her.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Wait..."

She had not registered the newly created weapons with the system yet.

So how could the reward already be determined?

[Ding! Only two weapons designed by the host were registered in the system.]

The moment the notification appeared, Kiara’s expression froze.

Because she instantly understood the answer.

The only registered creations were gunpowder and the Chimera SGM.

A dangerous feeling slowly crept into her chest.

If the reward became an Ether version of the Chimera SGM, that would be extraordinary.

But if it became an Ether version of gunpowder...

For several seconds, silence filled the Factory.

Then the notification appeared.

[Ding! You unlocked ether powder. Check out the gallery for details.]

"Damn it."

Kiara slapped her forehead lightly in frustration.

"If only I had realized it earlier," she muttered bitterly while exhaling deeply. "Even selling two extra prototypes would have changed everything."

Still, regret could not alter the past.

A broken arrow never returned to the bowstring.

After calming herself, Kiara simply chose to move forward.

"System," she said while straightening her posture again, "open Gallery."

The interface appeared instantly before her eyes.

She scrolled through the collection quietly until her gaze stopped on the image of a strange white powder resting beside ordinary gunpowder.

"This must be the Ether Powder."

She selected it casually.

Then the details appeared.

And in the very next second, Kiara’s eyes widened completely.

"What the..."

[Ether powder]

Description: The remnant powder is made from depleted ether crystals. It is used to make ether weapons according to the quality of the powder.

Price: 10 silver coins per gram (copper); 1 gold coin per gram (silver); 10 gold coins per gram (gold); 100 gold coins per gram (platinum); 1000 gold coins per gram (diamond, ruby, Crystal); 10k gold coins per gram (Mithril); 100k gold coins per gram (Celestial); 1m gold coins per gram (God);]

For several long seconds, Kiara simply stared at the glowing information panel in complete silence while the pale white light from the system interface reflected faintly across her face.

Then slowly, very slowly, the expression in her eyes began changing from disbelief into something far more complicated, because the realization hitting her mind at that moment felt less like discovering treasure and more like learning that she had unknowingly thrown mountains of gold into a river with her own hands.

"Seriously...?" she muttered beneath her breath.

Her fingers twitched slightly.

"The Ether firearms can actually be made from those worthless leftovers?"

Until now, Kiara had always believed Ether weapons required rare metals, beast blood, monster cores, or parts harvested from Spirit Beasts, because every Ether weapon she had ever inspected carried an aura of complexity and rarity around it, and after examining those weapons repeatedly, she naturally concluded that extraordinary materials were necessary for their creation.

But now the truth appeared before her like a cruel joke from fate itself.

The white crystals left behind after draining Ether energy, the very same useless husks she had casually discarded countless times, were actually the raw material needed for manufacturing Ether weapons.

Thousands.

She had thrown away thousands of depleted Ether crystals.

And only yesterday, after absorbing the enormous 1542-carat high-grade ore, she ordered Zion to toss the remaining white remnants directly into the garbage collection site without a second thought.

Kiara slowly covered her face with one hand.

A tired laugh escaped her lips.

"Whether I should laugh or cry..." she murmured bitterly. "Even fate sometimes behaves like a street swindler. It first lets a girl throw away pearls thinking they are pebbles, then later reveals their true value and watches her face twist in regret."

The more she thought about it, the heavier her chest felt.

Those discarded remnants alone could have been transformed into valuable Ether firearms.

Gold.

No, far beyond gold.

She had practically dumped fortunes into trash heaps.

Still, after several moments of silent frustration, Kiara gradually calmed herself.

Her breathing steadied.

Her thoughts reorganized.

Then slowly, a different realization emerged.

Although she had lost enormous potential wealth, the reward itself was still extraordinary.

Ether powder meant limitless future possibilities.

As long as she possessed enough materials, enough research, and enough manufacturing capability, she could theoretically create even God-grade Ether firearms someday.

At that point, her earlier frustration finally eased slightly.

"A farmer who loses one harvest but discovers fertile land for ten more years should not keep crying over the old crops," she muttered softly while shaking her head. "What’s lost is lost."

With that thought, Kiara finally returned to the real world and immediately went to sleep.

*

Two days later.

The Nexus Training Ground, once used primarily for weapon testing and sparring sessions, had transformed completely into the venue for the engagement ceremony, and the change was so dramatic that anyone visiting for the first time would struggle to believe this place had ever echoed with explosions and gunfire instead of music and conversation.

An enormous tent had been erected across nearly the entire compound, covering the grounds beneath layers of rich fabric whose folds rippled gently whenever the morning wind slipped through the area. Meanwhile, inside, rows of elegant decorations filled the space with warm golden light from chandeliers and aluminum candle lanterns hanging above like clusters of stars trapped beneath silk ceilings.

The atmosphere carried refinement.

Luxury.

And careful preparation.

Everything had been arranged to properly welcome guests from wealthy and noble backgrounds.

As for the food, Noah had personally rented one of the kitchens from a nearby restaurant and spent countless hours preparing every dish himself despite his reluctance and discomfort with this event, including several recipes originating from Kiara’s previous world.

However, what he can do about it?

First of all, it is Kiara’s orders.

Secondly, it is not about celebrating this false engagement she was having with Arceus. Kiara wanted to use this occasion as an opportunity to quietly test the reactions of influential guests toward unfamiliar cuisine.

If the response proved favorable, she might consider opening a restaurant in the future as an additional source of income.

Naturally, such a business would never rival the profitability of weapon sales.

Not even close.

Still, Kiara had her reasons.