Chapter 448 - Spirit Gathering Cellar
Chapter 448 of "Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God" opens introducing the plot: "The Soul Gathering Array is now easy to deal with, but the Fermentation Barrels are... Continue exploring!
"The Soul Gathering Array is now easy to deal with, but the Fermentation Barrels are not," said Lord Felen. "The Shadow Wood Material previously transported from the Land of Sealing has all been used up. Its conduciveness to Negative Energy is also very crucial. If we donât have Fermentation Barrels made from this type of wood, the difference in Negative Energy inside and outside the barrel will be significant. The higher the Negative Energy Index in the Spirit Gathering Cellar, the higher the demands for the barrelsâ conduciveness to Negative Energy."This characteristic is related to the inert nature of the energy when its concentration is too high.
Below a value of 1, Negative Energy remains in an intangible, shadowless gaseous state.
Above 1, it generally turns into a black fog.
As the value increases, the severity naturally worsens. When unobstructed, its fluidity is imperceptible, but once thereâs a physical barrier, the difference in levels becomes immediately apparent.
"So soon?" Gaven was somewhat surprised.
He had brought back a considerable amount of Dark Wood from the Land of Sealing; how could it have been used up in just a few days?
"Lord Felen, the amount of Shadow Wood Material you brought back from the Land of Sealing was indeed substantial, but the manor has many uses for itâanywhere that involves the conduction of Negative Energy requires it, such as Shadow Yarn spinning, looms, Shadow Fermentation Barrels, the layout of the Spirit Gathering Cellar Formation, and new models of Wine Barrel devices..." Daphne began to detail where all the Shadow Wood Material had gone.
"No need to say more, I know where itâs all been used. I just didnât expect it to be so soon. This is good; it means that youâve done a lot of work while I was away."
Gaven praised affirmatively, "Iâll find a way to deal with the Shadow Wood issue. Before then, make do with ordinary barrels. Once new Shadow Barrels are available, weâll switch them out. After all, the process of Ghost Grape Wine absorbing Negative Energy is gradual, especially before it reaches 0.2. Make as much use as possible of the manorâs own concentration."
"Understood," Daphne responded, interpreting Gavenâs approach as a way to save costs.
After all, maintaining the Soul Gathering Array costs money.
The higher the Ghost Index of the Spirit Gathering Cellar, the greater the cost to maintain the Soul Gathering Array.
If all seven Spirit Gathering Cellars were to operate, a preliminary estimate indicates that it would cost at least one hundred thousand Gold Coins annually in maintenance expenses, not counting the Spell materials Daphne would use in setting up the Array.
As costs rise significantly, so too will the price of Ghost Grape Wine next year, especially those with a high Ghost Index, which could be several or even dozens of times more expensive.
It remains to be seen whether stronger uses for Ghost Grape Wine can be discovered or if there is special demand for it.
"Letâs go. I want to take a look," said Gaven, his curiosity piqued by Daphneâs introduction, deciding to personally check out the new cellar.
The new cellar was not an expansion of the old one.
Instead, it was entirely newly excavated, not only for more convenient Array placement but also to make better use of the locationâs geography.
Each Spirit Gathering Cellar was separated by a solid meter-thick stone wall, which effectively prevented some of the spillage of Negative Energy.
The new cellar was located directly below the main building, expanding downwards as a basement.
In fact, this was the future primary direction of expansion for Weizemay Manor.
Rather than expanding outward,
vertical development was more suitable for this place.
After all, there are too many secrets here that shouldnât be exposed.
Even without turning it into a terrifying ghost house, visitors to the manor would not be scarce in the future, given its reputation.
With guests wanting to visit, it wouldnât be possible to refuse them, right?
Another reason was that the ground area of the manor is limited.
Although the load-bearing point had been activated, Gaven was not sure if the overall coverage of the load-bearing point would recognize construction outside the manorâs existing area.
There would definitely be no issues underground, as the old cellar was proof of that.
Another advantage of underground expansion was that Weizemay Manor also sat atop a small stone mountain, robust enough to allow for excavation right above it.
Following a dim stone staircase down thirty steps, there was a massive stone door.
Approaching the door, it opened on cue.
This half-meter-thick stone door, of course, didnât open on its own.
It was opened from the inside by two Enlightened Trees responding to the command.
With them guarding the door, even dozens of people combined wouldnât be able to push it open.
Behind the massive stone door was a hall used to station the guard Enlightened Trees, and if necessary, it could also accommodate two squads of soldiers.
To the left, right, and straight ahead from the hall, there were three dark passages.
From the dark passage on the right, there came a rhythmic clicking sound.
That was the sound of machinery.
That was where the Ghost Textile Factory was located.
In the middle dark passage, there were occasional thudding roars, indicating the Wine Barrel Device Development Room.
Compared to the other two passages where sounds emerged now and then,
the left passage was silent.
Dark and profound, a cold breeze blew in from the other two passages.
This was a sign of Negative Energy quickly flowing in this direction.
Without asking, it was clearâa Spirit Gathering Cellar was Gavenâs destination.
At present, the Soul Gathering Array in the cellar was not yet fully activated with the critical gems; it was merely drawing attention through its innate strength.
However, once he actually entered the corridor, he found the level of Negative Energy unexpectedly low, aside from a bit of chill.
Most of the Negative Energy was absorbed by the Spirit Gathering Cellars, sealed by those stone doors.
There were a total of seven chambers.
Labeled in sequence with the Ghost Index of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 0.5.
On the first three stone doors, a clear magical aura was already flickering, with all the negative energy converging upon them.
Although labeled, the remaining doors were still closed shut, resembling ordinary stone chambers.
Gaven casually pushed open the first one and found no disgusting scene of a room full of skeletons or blood offerings. These were only the easiest and cheapest materials related to negative energy spells, not necessities.
Ghost Grape Wine might potentially be a food product in the future, so how could these spellcasting materials be used?
Gaven also wouldnât allow his territory to turn into a true Guaiyu.
The Spirit Gathering Cellar was made of stone walls and was rectangular in shape, with numerous arrays made of Shadow Wood Material embedded in the walls.
Daphne used these Shadow Wood Materials in place of skeletons as spellcasting materials. Although many were offcuts from making large instruments, their sheer quantity made this a significant outlet for Shadow Wood.
In the rectangular chamber, only one enormous Fermentation Barrel was horizontally placed, entirely crafted from Shadow Wood. At the top of the chamber was a skylight that hadnât been sealed off.
Daphne explained from the side, "We are now right below the old cellar. When the Ghost Grape Wine has been brewed and undergone preliminary fermentation there, it can be directly funneled through this bulkhead into the barrel, and then we can start the Soul Gathering Array by sealing the lid."
Having a new cellar did not mean the old cellar was discarded.
Instead, it was split into two levels, representing two steps of the process.
One was visible, the other hidden.
Whatâs visible isnât feared when seen, and whatâs hidden never sees the light.
Without looking, the rest are known to be identically sized and designed as this chamber.
The only difference lies in the concentration of surrounding negative energy.
At 0.5 and 1, it was merely dense; by 2, it had become a faint, elusive black mist.
Entering one would affect not just sight but even perception to some degree.
This was not even at their peak state; this place was probably just meeting the standard for 0.5âs official activation. When it actually reaches a level of 2, the negative energy here might be so thick that one wouldnât see their own hand in front of them, even if it doesnât vaporize into mist.
Gaven revealed a satisfied smile and nodded, "Very good, your recent performance has been exceptional. Your contributions in many matters are significant. Without your assistance, numerous tasks could not have been accomplished. I am a fair and just person, where thereâs punishment, there will also be rewards. Tell me, what reward do you want? As long as itâs not excessive, I will fulfill it."
His words were not empty. Keeping Daphne had certainly been a wise decision.
Her true nature might be unknown for now, whether evil or not, but her abilities were undeniably exceptional. The latest_epÉŞ_sodes are on_the Nová´(l)FÉŞre .É´á´t
In fact, not just hers; the capabilities of those Dwarves Shadows were also top-notch.
Think about it, those who can survive and grow up in an environment of fierce competition, filled with infighting and assassination among the Dwarves Elf, are all elite.
The fools have long turned to dust.
Felen had a universally recognized maxim, that when the Dwarves Elf ceased their infighting, united, and faced outward together, the whole world would tremble and submit at their feet.
But such a scenario would never occur.
Their beliefs and nature doomed them to spend most of their energy on internal strife rather than external conflicts.
Even turned into Shadows, under Gavenâs firm control, this trait was not completely altered.
Any of these Dwarves Shadows was exceptional when taken individually.
But when two were placed together, the outcome wasnât one plus one equals two or greater; it was less than two.
The more gathered together, the more severe the situation of dragging each other down became.
Gaven now rarely assigned tasks to multiple Dwarves Shadows together, preferring to spread them out, each responsible for their own area, or he would set clear competition, allowing them to each lead a group in a competitive stance to stimulate their potential. No matter who won, he ultimately reaped the benefits.
Daphne was stunned, caught off-guard by Gavenâs sudden offer of reward.
After all, she wasnât his subordinate but a prisoner.
Serving him was a matter of course.
And receiving no compensation for it was also a matter of course.
If talking about wishes, resurrection and regaining freedom would undoubtedly be her foremost desire.
But based on her understanding of the man before her, that wish would definitely not be granted.
No, that wish couldnât even be spoken.
To mention it would signal a rebellious mindset.
What could have been good might then turn sour.
Even more power couldnât be directly requested.
This man had a strong desire for control, especially with those coming from an evil background, and he was extra cautious when it came to using them.
As long as she showed her capabilities, he would grant her the necessary authority when he needed her.
This was clearly the case with the previous recruitment of the mercenaries.
She should take this opportunity to accumulate chips in her favor.
Daphneâs eyes brightened, and her ethereal body began to solidifyâPhasing Transformation, a new ability she had just acquired.
In her solid form, Daphne was slight and frail, barely 1.6 meters tall, with a waist as slender as a willow branch, skin like chocolate with a natural sheen, hair of silver cascading to her waist, and contrary to her petite stature, a pair of majestic features graced her chest. She wore a black and white maid outfit.
This was the latest design by the Pikespirit girl Nicole, reportedly inspired by the man before her.
The black material was made of Shadow Weave, and the white of Spider Silk Shadow Gauze.
Both were produced by Weizemay Manorâs Ghost Textile Factory, being magic and semi-magic fabrics that could undergo Phasing Transformation with Daphneâs abilities.