Alma shrugged lightly, her expression was annoyingly calm: "You should save this thank you for after the matter is done." She said, tapping a page in the book with her fingertips, her tone was a little lazy, but it couldn't hide a disturbing deep meaning, "I have to remind you that although the materials themselves are not rare, the process of obtaining them is another matter. Moreover, you have to find a chef with superb cooking skills —— this is not something that ordinary people can do." She moved a little closer, her voice was low and solemn, as if she didn't want the air around her to hear her warning: "Purifying chocolate can indeed deal with shadows, but you must know that this will also trigger its strongest counterattack. At that time, you'd better be fully prepared, otherwise..." She paused meaningfully and glanced at P Perry looked at him, "I can't guarantee that you can hold on to the end."
Perry's scalp tingled, and he felt like he had fallen into an ice cave. He couldn't help asking, "Trigger a counterattack? You mean... the shadow will become more dangerous?"
"That's right." Alma's expression was slightly restrained, and her eyes were as deep and elusive as the night sky. "The essence of the shadow is an obsession. It's not just a simple existence, but something that is tightly entangled with you. Once it realizes that you are trying to get rid of it, that obsession will drive it to become more ferocious, and even hurt you at all costs."
Her tone became calmer, as if she was narrating something that was taken for granted: "So, before it completely counterattacks, you must make the purification chocolate, and then feed it cleanly to cut off its power. Your contact. If you hesitate..." She paused, showing an almost cold smile, "Your fate will be very dangerous, and even we will find it difficult to help you."
Perry swallowed his saliva, feeling his throat dry, and tried to squeeze out a little forced smile to hide his inner panic: "It sounds like a life-and-death competition. But then again, these materials... what are they?" He spread his hands pretending to be relaxed, with a teasing tone, "Don't tell me that we have to go to the Dragon's Lair or the Valley of the Dead to dig some rare minerals."
Alma smiled softly after hearing this, and the smile was so meaningful that Perry's back was cold: "You don't have to go to the Dragon's Lair, but..." She closed the book, tapped the cover lightly with her fingertips, and then turned to a page of the book, pointing to To a paragraph of text, "Purifying chocolate requires three key materials: Moon Shadow Flower, Void Sugar Crystal and Hell Fruit. Each of these materials has unique characteristics, and only when they are combined together can they affect the essence of the shadow."
She raised her eyes and continued to explain in a familiar tone: "Moon Shadow Flower is an extremely fragile plant. It only grows in dark and humid places. It can usually only be picked on a full moon night, otherwise it will wither instantly. Void Sugar Crystal is a very rare crystal that can only be found near space cracks, which means you need to face space turbulence and unpredictable dangers. As for Hell Fruit..." She deliberately prolonged her tone, as if to tease Perry's appetite, and a subtle smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, "It usually appears deep in the cemetery, guarded by ghosts. And those ghosts..." She shook her head meaningfully, "They are not friendly beings. "
Perry's face fell instantly, his brows knitted, and his hands unconsciously rubbed his temples. He took a deep breath and tried to sort out his thoughts. "To be honest," he said with obvious fatigue and helplessness in his tone, "it sounds easier to go directly to the dragon's lair. At least dragons can be seen by the naked eye."
Alma laughed softly after hearing this, spread his hands, and said with a teasing ease: "That's why I said at the beginning that 'the process of obtaining may not be easy'. Now you understand what I mean, right?" There was a sly flash in her eyes, as if she was deliberately waiting for Perry's reaction. Then, she changed her tone and said with a bit of provocation, "But don't worry, I believe you can do it. The premise is--" She deliberately prolonged the tone, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, "You haven't been scared by the shadow yet."
Perry raised his eyebrows and smiled bitterly, but his tone was firm: "Even if I'm afraid, I have to solve the problem. Fear can't let me avoid trouble. "He paused, forcing himself to return to reason, "However, since you know what those materials look like, can you ask if there is a map? I have to know the specific location. "
At this time, Crocker, who had been silent beside, spoke. She took out a roll of map from her arms and unfolded it carefully. This map is made of a kind of flexible animal skin, with some fine embroidery on the edge. It can be seen that it is very old, but it is well preserved. Crocker spread the map on the table and pointed to a location with her finger: "I know where the moon shadow grass is. It grows on the top of Mount Bidanea, which is very close to the Kingdom of Atara. Fortunately, you can reach the nearby village directly through the teleportation phone booth, but there is one thing to note-" She raised her head and said solemnly, "The people there don't like magicians. So, it's best to disguise yourself as a businessman or an ordinary traveler, otherwise you may be driven away directly. "
"Why?" Perry asked puzzledly, frowning slightly, "Why do they hate magicians? "
Crock's expression suddenly became complicated. She was silent for a moment, as if she was hesitating whether to tell the truth. After a moment, she sighed deeply, with a hint of sadness in her tone: "Because the Kingdom of Attala was once invaded by a forbidden magician. That person used forbidden magic to control the nobles and the army of the entire kingdom for twenty years. During those twenty years, the people lived in darkness, and every day was spent in fear and oppression. Until later, a brave businessman came up with a way to help the rebels overthrow the rule of the forbidden magician, and ended the nightmare. "
She paused, raised her head and looked at Perry, with a bit of helplessness and a trace of indescribable complex emotions in her eyes: "Because of this, they are particularly friendly to merchants, and even have some respect. In their eyes, merchants are bridges connecting the world, bringing wealth and resources. But for magicians... even ordinary magicians, they are always subconsciously full of vigilance, even hostility. They believe that magicians are the existence that destroys the balance and is the source of disasters and disputes. "
Perry nodded his head after hearing this, his expression seemed a little serious: "Is that so... It's not difficult to understand. Different positions will lead to different attitudes."
The atmosphere was silent for a moment, but Crocker suddenly regained his smile, turned around and joked to Alma: "Grandma, I really don't know the remaining two materials. But I know you must know! Tell Henry quickly, so he doesn't have to run around."
Alma raised her head, glared at Crocker, and then sighed heavily: "You little brat, you really make me worry all day long. You didn't even remember these most basic things, and you dare to pretend that you don't care." She shook her head, with a bit of helplessness and blame in her tone, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to tell you, anyway, you won't listen to it. "
Alma stood up slowly and walked to an exquisite map on the wall. The map was marked with countless place names and signs. It was obviously a very detailed map of the magic continent. She pointed at a certain place with her finger, then turned back to look at Perry: "Void Sugar Crystal, this material is very rare and can only be found in Limbo Forest. This forest is quite dangerous. The key is that the location of the sugar crystal changes every year. You have to go in and find it yourself. No one can help you. "
Her finger slid to the other end of the map, pointing to an area marked in crimson, and her tone was a little heavier: "As for the Hell Fruit, this is relatively easy to find. It is in the largest cemetery in the Death City, where there are large areas of underworld plants. But..." She paused, turned her head and stared into Perry's eyes, "The real danger is not the fruit itself, but the ghosts guarding the Hell Fruit. These guys are extremely difficult to deal with, especially for the living, they will try to devour your soul. "
Alma drew a circle between two points on the map with her finger, then took a step back: "Remember, these two places are not simple, but if you can successfully find these materials, you can be considered a capable young man."
Crock, who was standing next to him, leaned close to the map and muttered in a low voice: "This map is the most valuable thing in our family, grandma, you are drawing on it again... How many times have I told you not to draw, oh, really."
Perry looked at Crocker's distressed face and couldn't help laughing, but he quickly regained his seriousness: "Thank you for telling me this, I will definitely find those materials. "