The Glorious Evolution

After returning to his studio, Levi opened a dimensional screen... It showed a list of the evolutionary materials required to concoct the Perfect Evolutionary Formula for his breakthrough to Warden rank, as well as the details of the formula itself.

Memoryroot Resin - Grade B: Preserves distinct flavor impressions for thousands of years with a single taste.

Prismatic Salt - Grade B: Separates and balances the ingredients’ harsh properties during preparation.

Clearwell Distillate - Grade C: A stable liquid base that allows the other ingredients to blend without losing their potency.

Glutton Slug’s Gastric Pearl - Grade A: Supports digestion and assimilation... must be extracted intact to preserve its properties.

Thousandflavor Orchid Nectar — Grade A: An iridescent nectar that temporarily allows the tongue to taste intangible energies... sunlight becomes warm honey, shadows leave a bitter chill, and spiritual power acquires a flavor unique to its source. Refining the nectar preserves its exquisite taste but destroys this extraordinary property.

Levi went through their descriptions, not surprised that all of them supported the same evolutionary trait.

Taste.

Just as his Junior evolution required materials related to sound, and his Pathfinder evolution needed spirit-based materials, his next formula would build upon the sense he was developing at Pathfinder rank.

The Nine Senses Seed offered too many possibilities to leave the direction of his ultimate entirely to chance.

”The resin, salt, and distillate should be easy enough,” Ash’Kral continued. ”The pearl will be troublesome... You need an intact one, extracted without damaging its outer layer. Plenty of idiots crack it while cutting open the slug.”

”And the nectar?”

”Find someone willing to part with properly preserved stock... then worry about whether you like their price.”

Levi wasn’t fond of the sound of his ominous statement... he opened the markets and entered its name.

Perfumes, wines, flavored extracts... There were enough results to fill several screens, with some stores even offering bulk orders.

”You need the unprocessed nectar, boy,” Ash’Kral shared.

Levi also figured out that these wouldn’t work and adjusted the requirements... almost every result disappeared at once, leaving only the merchants’ requests to purchase the nectar at a premium price.

”It usually changes hands privately,” Ash’Kral added. ”The people who cultivate it have their own exclusive buyers.”

”Then I’ll ask their buyers.”

Levi searched for these buyers and sent official requests to purchase a single portion of Orchid Nectar... he had enough money to negotiate.

...

By the end of his visits to the Main Hub’s alchemy stores, Levi obtained the resin, salt, and distillate, along with the preparation supplies.

The pearl required several more referrals before a specialist produced a specimen that met Ash’Kral’s requirements.

Levi inspected its preservation records and paid the quoted price without wasting another hour arguing over a discount.

However, the nectar remained unavailable.

He even checked the Infinity Shop’s eligible treasures... unfortunately, it wasn’t among them.

One merchant offered a concentrated extract and insisted that it would work just as well. Another suggested reserving a portion of a future harvest, only to give Levi a delivery date more than five years after his planned evolution.

Eventually, a supplier agreed to speak with him directly.

”I only need enough for one preparation,” Levi said. ”Ask your customers whether any of them have a surplus. I’ll compensate them.”

”They purchase according to their own requirements, Sir. Our next harvest is already allocated as well.”

”Then forward my offer. They can decide for themselves.”

The supplier agreed, but the response that arrived later contained another apology and an invitation to reserve stock for the following harvest.

”What the hell...”

Levi grew a bit annoyed as he didn’t expect to start struggling with even the Nine Senses materials so soon... the Sun and Void Seeds already weighed him down, and he didn’t need another burden.

Alas, complaints weren’t going to get him the material.

Levi closed the channel and opened the Black Slime Syndicate’s network.

His purchase request specified the nectar’s quantity and preservation requirements, with an additional reward for a verified source.

There was no reason to disclose the formula or let every broker know that his evolution depended on obtaining it.

While the post circulated, he searched for the orchid itself, hoping to find a cultivator willing to sell a mature plant.

The available specimens were too young to harvest, while records of wild orchids were easier to obtain, but none confirmed that a usable plant remained at the location.

He knew that Professional Wilderness Harvesters would have already claimed them... He could spend months traveling between those places in the Chained Universe and return with nothing.

Levi left the purchase request active but stopped opening new searches. He obtained the other materials... until someone offered him a credible lead; it was best to spend his time on his growth.

But then, several hours later, a message arrived from a broker responding to the Black Slime post.

The man had no nectar to sell.

He did, however, know where a sealed batch changed hands during the previous year.

Levi requested proof before discussing payment... the broker supplied an archived exchange record, concealing the seller’s private details but leaving the material and preservation information available for inspection.

-Can you contact the owner?- Levi sent.

-The buyer has already used it. As for the seller, he trades at the same annual gathering. I can provide the application channel, but I cannot promise what he intends to offer this year.-

Levi understood that the broker wasn’t guaranteeing that the seller would sell the Orchid Nectar at the annual gathering... so, if he purchased the rest of the information, he couldn’t blame him later on.

”Send it,” Levi approved.

Soon, the gathering’s notice appeared on Levi’s dimensional screen.

It was an annual gathering called the Myriad Treasures Exchange, dedicated mostly to rare ingredients and natural treasures used for potions, evolutionary formulas, and such.

The gathering took place in the Third Sky Province’s capital, and the principal participants needed to be Barons or above... however, possessing the rank only allowed them to apply.

An invitation depended on what they intended to put up for trade, and the criteria were extremely harsh.

Applicants had to submit their proposed materials for appraisal, and they genuinely needed to be rare and worth the admission.

Someone arriving with nothing except a full account wouldn’t necessarily gain admission, regardless of how much they intended to spend or their rank.

’Quite an interesting approach... how the hell didn’t I know about this beforehand? Is it a networking problem?’

Levi understood the arrangement well enough... the owners of those treasures had their own needs, and if the host allowed anyone in without proper treasures to trade, then the entire gathering would turn into a low-end auction or market.

Using this method, the host ensured that the gathering would offer rare treasures worth trading for.

’I might copy this strategy for my own Leviathans’ Gathering...’ Levi noted.

He planned on turning it into a free market for sellers and buyers to interact however they wanted... auction, sell, trade, whatever.

However, this method might not attract enough attention in the long term since he would have to be the only one consistently bringing interesting treasures to keep the gathering alive.

But this method? The burden lay on the customers!

His attention shifted to the date.

Approximately four Boundless months remained.

Two months on Earth...

That fit somewhat with his planned growth period.

With substantial use of his high-grade Growth Totems, sunlight, and concealed visits to absorb the Holy Pillars’ light, he should be able to bring his Nine Senses Seed to the evolution stage around that time.

’If the seller attends again, we might be able to arrange something even if he doesn’t bring the nectar,’ Levi reasoned.

’Assuming you have something he wants.’

Levi opened his wallet’s stored inventory with a faint grin... or more precisely, Alzhukar’s wallet.

’Are you kidding?’