Chapter 21: Preparations Before the Elite Raid!

Boredom suddenly sparked an idea in Xiao Yang. From his personal backpack, he retrieved the most precious item in his possession: an extravagantly ornate black iron pot, which was a genuine legendary-grade wonder.

Xiao Yang took it out, wanting to see if it possessed functions beyond those listed in its description—much like the Dark-Repelling Lantern. The interface and descriptions of this "God Game" were notoriously vague and cryptic, offering only general outlines while leaving special usages entirely to the player’s own exploration. For instance, the lantern’s ability to detect environmental changes was never mentioned. At times, such ambiguity was truly headache-inducing, like the cursed, hidden excavation opportunities of the Shovel of Freedom. Therefore, the best approach was to thoroughly experiment with his own gear and items.

But how could he explore the potential extra uses of the Pot of Greed?

With this thought in mind, Xiao Yang pulled a Minor Healing Potion from his backpack. Holding the potion in one hand and the Pot of Greed in the other, he pondered for a moment before moving the potion toward the mouth of the black iron pot. Since it was a pot, he figured it should at least be able to hold things. He wanted to see if stuffing the potion inside would trigger any unexpected changes.

Just as he was about to feed the potion into the pot, his movements suddenly froze. A peculiar sight unfolded: the Minor Healing Potion in his hand shattered instantly. The faint red liquid seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, pouring directly into the gaping mouth on the surface of the Pot of Greed.

He did not know if it was just his imagination, but he felt the expression on the pot’s surface shift. To put it simply, it made a retching gesture, as if it had tasted something repulsive. No, it wasn't an illusion—the Pot of Greed began to vomit. A puddle of red, sludge-like substance was spat out. Instinctively, Xiao Yang cast an Inspection spell on the red sludge, or rather, the vomit.

To his surprise, the red sludge was actually an item:

[Minor Life Essence]
Quality: Common
Type: Consumable
Status: Essence rapidly dissipating
Effect: Grants a weapon a temporary Life-attribute bonus.
Description: Perhaps you could try throwing this at those who dislike the scent of life; the effect should be quite good. By the way, here is how the creator feels right now: (Truly such inferior quality, it makes me want to vomit!)

Looking at the twisted metal face on the Pot of Greed, Xiao Yang couldn't help but laugh. "You're a pot, yet you're snobbish?" However, after considering the taste of a Minor Healing Potion, he wasn't surprised by the reaction; the taste was indeed quite strange.

Xiao Yang had successfully discovered another function of the Pot of Greed: it could seemingly consume healing potions and transmute them into something else. Of course, it was hard to say whether this was a loss or a gain. After all, if Xiao Yang had simply consumed the potion, it would have permanently increased his maximum health.

Yet, it all depended on how one utilized it. Sometimes, an item that added attributes was more useful than a few points of health. Moreover, these two outcomes weren't necessarily in conflict; if he had enough Spirit Coins, obtaining such potions would not be a difficult task.

And if it were possible... A new possibility occurred to Xiao Yang. If the Pot of Greed could produce this Life Essence from a mere Minor Healing Potion, what would happen if he fed it even better potions? Could it grant him even more powerful, albeit temporary, buffs? Could it allow him to briefly overcome the limitations placed upon his attacks?

Such short-term high-damage bursts weren't always effective, as more powerful monsters possessed stronger stats across the board. It wasn't as if a level 10 rogue with maxed-out agility could dance around a level 25 Earth Dragon—which had high defense and low agility—without consequence. The result wouldn't be him slowly whittling down the dragon's health with a rusty dagger to become a dragon slayer; it was far more likely that he would be wiped out by a massive, sweeping area-of-effect attack after only a few moments of dancing.

Reality, after all, was not a game. High agility allowed one to react to an opponent's moves, but it didn't mean one could dodge everything. This was exactly why Xiao Yang had been hesitant to challenge the Dungeon Guardian, choosing instead to play it safe against the floor boss of the Skeleton Dungeon. Both of those entities wielded long-reach heavy weapons in confined spaces. Xiao Yang could react to their attacks, but he couldn't guarantee he could dodge every single one. Especially the former; given the Dungeon Guardian’s exaggerated attack power, a single hit would send Xiao Yang straight to meet his ancestors.

Nevertheless, this extra function of the Pot of Greed stirred something in him. As the description suggested, he didn't necessarily have to use these transmuted potions as weapon coatings; throwing them was also an option. The Dungeon Guardian’s state was unique—powerful, yes, but its "Wear and Tear" status had reduced it to an unprecedented level of weakness, with only 20 HP and 3 Agility.

This made Xiao Yang want to tweak the tiger's whiskers. Even if it failed, he could immediately retreat to the safety room. But if it succeeded, the rewards would be immense. After all, a weakened Dungeon Guardian was still a legitimate elite boss. It was far more prestigious and cost-effective than a Skeleton Warrior. It was worth a try. Of course, whether it would work depended on the pot's reaction to higher-quality potions.

Even if the potions transmuted by the Pot of Greed were disappointing, it wasn't as if there were no other ways. He refused to believe there were no items or methods effective against the undead. With only 20 HP, there had to be a way.

He had decided: the most important task for this round of Interdimensional Trading would be preparing for the crusade against the Dungeon Guardian!