Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

He put the Redemption pendant back on, straightened his clothes, walked to the door, and used the key to open the heavy stone door of the Ascension Chamber.

Light streamed in from the long corridor outside, contrasting with the tranquility inside.

Back in the Adventurers' Guild Hall, he was once again surrounded by the clamor of voices.

Having completed his promotion and job change, Su Zhisu's temperament seemed to have undergone an indescribable change, becoming more reserved, yet also more eye-catching.

Some perceptive adventurers would subconsciously glance at him as he passed by, and then involuntarily make way for him.

"Is this the original passive effect, the 'Survival Path'?"

He quietly turned off the passive effect; he didn't want to be so conspicuous.

Without lingering, Su Zhisu left the guild directly.

The sunlight shone warmly on the plaza outside the Adventurers' Guild.

He took a deep breath of the slightly salty morning air in Hydeland, feeling the even greater power within him.

"The attributes have been improved, and the upper limit of the strange power has also increased significantly."

"More importantly, I gained a new career!"

"Now, it's time to test the actual effectiveness of this new profession."

Instead of returning to the hotel, he headed back to the dock area.

He needed to find a spacious, undisturbed place to properly test the abilities of the strange alchemist, especially the core skill called "Alchemy Alienation".

After passing through the bustling streets, Su Zhisu arrived at a relatively quiet corner of the dock area.

This area contains some discarded cables and barrels, far from the main loading and unloading area, and is rarely visited.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then took out a few items from his inventory.

One of them was a regular white sailor's short knife that I had collected casually before.

The other item is the rare green "Venom Sac of the Rotten Lurker," which I collected when I encountered the "Strange Symbiote - Energy Absorbing Anemone."

Finally, there was the [Potion of Reason] he had concocted earlier.

"Try the most basic one first."

He picked up the white-quality sailor's dagger.

"Alchemy Transformation".

Concentrate your mind, and the skill will be activated.

The strange power within his body fluctuated slightly, flowing out along the connection with the Redemption pendant, mixed with a trace of the Night Watch Heart Flame, enveloping the short knife in his hand.

Three vague options naturally came to mind:

Option 1: [Sharpness] Tendency - Increases the weapon's physical penetration and sharpness, and may have a slight "tear" effect.

Option 2: [Sturdy] Tendency - Increases weapon durability and structural stability, and may have a slight "shock" effect.

Option 3: [Erosion] Tendency - Adds a subtle and strange erosion property to the weapon, and attacks may cause continuous erosion to the target.

"For white-quality items, the mutation options seem to be quite basic."

"And... you didn't feel any consequences?"

He remembered the passive skill [Cost Reduction].

"Is it because the target quality is lower than that of blue?"

He tried choosing the first option, the "Sharp" inclination.

The strange power and the characteristics of the Night Watcher's Heart Flame were slowly infused into the short sword.

A faint, eerie light emanated from the blade, lasting for about three seconds before disappearing.

The short knife in his hand didn't look much different, but Su Zhisu could feel that its blade seemed to be a little denser and sharper.

[Network Notification]: Alchemy Successful! Sailor's Short Sword (White) has gained the following mutation trait: Slight Sharpness (Slightly increases physical damage, with a minor tearing effect).

"It was successful, and the process was very smooth."

"Is this the effect of cost-free transformation? For low-quality items, alienation becomes almost cost-free and risk-free."

"Try something else."

He put away the short sword that had undergone initial mutation and picked up the green [Venom Sac of the Rotten Lurker].

"Would the options for differentiating materials be different for those with green quality?"

The alchemical mutation was activated again.

The consumption of strange power was noticeably greater than before, and the options that surfaced in my mind were clearer:

Option 1: [Concentration and Purification] - Increases the purity and potency of the toxin, suitable for refining more potent poisons or corrosives.

Option 2: [Property Transformation] - Transform the properties of the toxin into paralysis, weakness, or other negative states, thus broadening its application scope.

Option 3: [Activation Activation] - Imparts a brief, weak activity to the toxin, making it easier to attach and penetrate, but stability and duration may decrease.

Su Zhisu chose [Concentration and Purification].

This time, the process lasted about five seconds.

A layer of dark green oil seeped from the surface of the venom sac, and the pungent odor became even stronger.

[Network Announcement]: Alchemy Successfully Obtained! The Green Venom Sac of the Rotten Lurker has gained the trait: Concentration (Increases toxicity when used as an alchemy material).

"The transformation towards green quality has also gone smoothly."

"So..."

His gaze fell on the last bottle of [Rationality Potion].

This potion was an alchemical creation he made when his alchemy level was not high.

"Now, from the perspective of a peculiar alchemist, let's see if we can refine the alchemical product again, or even mutate it?"

He uncorked the bottle and carefully sniffed it.

The medicine still exuded that blend of minty coolness and some indescribable, subtly stimulating aroma.

With the help of his new profession, he could vaguely sense that the potion contained a faint but exceptionally pure "tranquility" power, only it was enveloped by a layer of unstable energy.

"It seems there is an opportunity to stabilize it and improve its effectiveness."

"Give it a try."

He activated the alchemical transformation again, targeting the potion.

This time, the consumption of strange power increased significantly, and he could even feel a slight tension in his mind.

The options that appear in the mind carry a stronger energy disturbance:

Option 1: [Power Release] - Forcibly dispel unstable energy and attempt to release the inner "tranquility". The result may be that it turns into a powerful sedative, or it may produce unknown consequences due to energy disorder (possible explosion).

Option 2: [Stability of Alienation] - Solidifies the current unstable state into a permanent characteristic. The potion effect will be changed to "Unknown". The effect after use is unknown.

Option 3: [Harmony Reversal] - Invest more bizarre power and Night Watch Heart Flame to try to harmonize unstable energy with "Tranquility". There is a chance to produce new compound effects. If it fails, the potion will be destroyed.

"The three options each carry different risks."

Su Zhisu pondered for a moment.

"Option 1 has too many consequences and is likely to attract attention."

"Option two only makes its effect unknown, so it's better not to choose it."

"Option three may result in damage, but if successful..."

He felt the strange power surging within his body, and the Night Watcher's Heart Flame burning steadily within the pendant.

"Worth a try."