Castle of Black Iron

Zhang Tie couldn't wait to open the Living Beings and Communities Management Panel of the Castle of Black Iron. He selected the Micro-organisms Management Projects under Carbon-Based Living Beings and Communities Management Item and further checked the latest mutation and evolution process of yeast fluid.

The familiar semi-translucent dialogue box appeared in front of him. Besides that bottle with yeast fluid inside, there were several photo samples of the control groups.

The photo samples of the first comparative group were about the yeast individuals under microscopes before and after evolution and mutation.

Before mutation, the microorganisms looked as common as water drops or beans of oval or irregular round shapes. They were semi-translucent and different-sized. However, after mutation, they looked greatly different in shape. In Zhang Tie's eyes, the microorganisms after the mutation were like miniature gourds which looked pale emerald and brought one a sense of vitality.

The comparative samples were the sample comparisons about the gene and DNA between two yeasts. The vertical photo samples of genes and DNAs of the two yeasts were revolving in the dialogue box in a very vivid way. However, Zhang Tie had a headache since he didn't know what the hell were those photos at all. Intuitively, he only felt that the DNA sequence of the yeast after mutation was longer than before.

Under this comparative group of photos were several more comparative groups. Those samples were more micro, seemingly having went deeper into the differences between the internal sections and chromosomes of the two yeasts' DNA. Only a slight glance was enough for Zhang Tie to feel like he was reading an alien language; he couldn't understanding anything in the photo samples or what was written next to them.

Almost at the end of the entire text, he finally saw several paragraphs that he could almost make sense of.

——Basic aura yeast is a wholly new yeast species after mutation and evolution. The viability of this yeast in oxygen-deficient environment is 25% higher than that of the original yeast. In common environment, this yeast's fermentation time is 8% less than that of the original one. Besides, it can produce 27% more kinds of enzymes and 18% more of them quantitatively with 31% higher activity.

——Note: Higher energy and aura affinity means that the yeast can extract and convert more life energy and aura of the leavening during fermentation. The yeast's energy and aura affinity value is 1, which indicates that the amount of energy and aura that can be extracted and converted in fermentation accounts for 1% of the total content of the leavening.

——Based on its super high energy and aura affinity value, the system named it as basic aura yeast. As the creator, you, the castle lord can also rename it in the management panel.

——The life template of this yeast has been recorded by the system. If you need, the system can present it at any time.

...

After reading this, Zhang Tie started to have a more concrete understanding of this new yeast, especially the part that the yeast could extract and convert life energy and aura from the fermented food.

Zhang Tie remembered that when he was suffering from minor illnesses or bruises, his mom would always feed him some yeast fluid made of fruits and vegetables. He would then recover very fast. He didn't need to eat other medicines anymore.

Previously, he didn't understand why, but now, reading that paragraph, he immediately understood the reason. It must be the life energy and aura that was extracted and converted from various enzymes that were formed from the fermentation of the shattered fruits and vegetables mixed with sugar and yeast.

If Miss Daina was beside him, Zhang Tie was sure that she could explain it to him better. In his eyes, any question concerning living beings could be solved by her.

Zhang Tie didn't think too much at this moment, neither did he feel how great this new yeast was. After all, yeasts were trivial and could be easily obtained. He had only input a few aura and merit values and energy into a vial of common yeast fluid for four times during the past three months. After failing three times, he had finally succeeded.

When he thought of the yeasts, the only thing that Zhang Tie was concerned about was whether he could use this new yeast to make better rice brew and improve his family's business.

After chatting with mom and dad, he knew that in the past three months, because of the sudden change in the situation and the arrival of the war, the prices of grains in Blackhot City had almost risen to twice their size. Now, although the market had slightly recovered, the highest prices of grains were still roughly three times what they were before.

Before Zhang Tie attended the survival training, his dad had used the money given by Zhang Tie to buy several bags of rice and some raw materials for rice brewing. Soon after the prices of grains surged, the sales volume of rice brew declined. So the rice were left, thankfully, because of which his family members did not have to starve.

No matter what, although it was trivial, the new yeast might be helpful to the rice brew business of his family, so Zhang Tie felt a bit pleased with himself.

Having not checked the basic attributes of the Castle of Black Iron for a long time, he then opened the basic attributes panel.

——Castle of Black Iron

——Length: 1 Krosa

——Width: 1 Krosa

——Aura value: 31637

——Merit value: 6338

——Basic energy storage: 712

——Special output: basic aura yeast

The aura value and basic energy storage were still within Zhang Tie's expectations. The basic energy storage had remained unchanged for a long time after completing one time's topographic transformation and the last two times' evolution and mutation of yeasts. These were the remaining points out of the 4000-odd basic energy value that he had accumulated through mining. It delighted him that the aura values in the Castle of Black Iron increased over 1000 per day now.

However, the surging merit value greatly startled him. He remembered that after several times' consumption, the last time he checked, it was only a bit more than 1000, which even included him saving Salvey. How could it have become over 6000 so quickly? The sudden increase of more than 5000 merit points was greater than what he had obtained after killing Snade and Huck. What was happening?

Zhang Tie hurriedly opened the log of merit value and checked it with great care.

——Do the righteous thing for the Gods. You have ended the evil souls in the cell on the underground floor 3 in Blackhot City prison. By spreading the Gods' mercy in the secular world and punishing the evil people, you have obtained 5179 merit points as a compensation.

Zhang Tie was so happy that he almost jumped into the air. After shutting off the log's and attributes' window, he rushed towards the small tree jubilantly.

On the same twig where the last Fruit of Brilliance had grown up was hanging another golden and round Fruit of Brilliance.

——Fruit of Brilliance has become ripe. Usage: Pick and directly eat it. Notice: The fruit cannot be taken out of the Castle of Black Iron. After twelve hours of having been picked off the tree, its energy and vitality will gradually decline.

'Is this the award for killing those scumbags that day? It's too cool!'

Zhang Tie burst out laughing before touching a button on the top of the dialogue box. He then saw the familiar words, seemingly telling him about how the Fruit of Brilliance was formed.

——The deteriorating glorious rays will definitely be used after the death of the sinners. The soul of the sinners shall return to the Dark Land, while the glorious rays of the soul shall remain. The glorious rays are a force that is granted to the soul by the Creator and should not be desecrated. The glorious rays belong to the brave men who spread the righteousness of the Gods. As a brave fighter who brandished your blade against evil, you will earn glorious rays as you judge evil. The glorious rays of the soul will coexist within you, making you stronger.

'It must be because of that.'

Zhang Tie shut off this dialogue box with satisfaction and picked the Fruit of Brilliance without any hesitation. After sitting down with legs crossed, he threw this fruit into his mouth and broke it with one bite.

What happened next was the same as when he ate the first Fruit of Brilliance. Zhang Tie felt his body become completely translucent while the gold fog from the Fruit of Brilliance constantly rose up from his mouth and the inside of his body. Afterwards, they converged by wisps into a swirling golden fog in his mind. It gradually became denser and much brighter as it expanded.

'Yeah, yeah, yeah!'

Zhang Tie's soul was cheering, expressing an inexpressible delight.

Finally, when the wisps of golden fog completely converged into that golden radiance in Zhang Tie's mind, his spiritual energy surged to thrice its size at once.

If Zhang Tie's spiritual energy was a slim bamboo before, that bamboo had become a thick and stout tree now. With the addition of the spiritual energy of the scumbags in the dark cell, Zhang Tie increased his spiritual energy by three times. Along with the one brought by the nine Wild Wolf Seven-strength Fruits, his present spiritual energy was at least 30-40 times greater than the one he had before having the small tree.

Zhang Tie's hidden strength surged once more.

Opening his eyes, Zhang Tie felt that the world had become much more vivid and real, like a layer of thin silk had been torn from in front of his eyes.

After picking himself up from the ground, Zhang Tie felt more energetic while a powerful strength flowed across his body. That powerful strength brought him a lot of confidence; He felt like there was nothing that could not be made by him in this world.

Such a fruit was really great. Even if that bastard Samira suddenly became adorable in Zhang Tie's mind.

'Without being screwed by that guy, how could I have gotten this Fruit of Brilliance?'

After a surge of his spiritual energy, Zhang Tie abruptly felt that there one more fruit on the tree. He somehow knew it through an uncertain and indescribable spiritual sense without even having to look at it.

It was a whole new fruit in the shape of a tiny emerald green gourd. It reminded Zhang Tie of the yeast that he had created just now.

——Fruit of the Creator. Usage: Pick and directly eat it. Notice: The fruit cannot be taken out of the Castle of Black Iron. After twelve hours of having been picked off the tree, its energy and vitality will gradually decline.

——All the creations are related to infinite karma. Because of you, the basic aura yeast microorganisms appeared in this world from nowhere. They were created by you. Therefore, they belong to you. You are the father and god of this creation. The Fruit of the Creator will allow you to control all the basic aura yeast microorganisms in this world based on the material existence rule that the microorganisms follow. From now on then, your will and orders will decide their existence.

Although Zhang Tie had experienced so many surprises today, he still couldn't have imagined that the greatest surprise would appear last. This Fruit of the Creator was Zhang Tie's biggest achievement today. Because he had created the new species—basic aura yeast—he was the father and god of this basic aura yeast.

From today on, after eating this Fruit of the Creator, all the basic aura yeasts would listen to his orders. This was the most powerful control, based on the material existence rule that was followed by this kind of micro-organism.

Zhang Tie didn't know what was the most powerful control based on the material existence rule; however, he would control a new species which was also a great and a magnificent thing for him.

With curiosity and piety, Zhang Tie picked the tiny gourd-like emerald green fruit from the small tree and ate it.

After that, the moment he closed his eyes, numerous messages from the tiny gourd impressed themselves into Zhang Tie's mind by patches, while that special energy in the tiny gourd also converged with Zhang Tie's spiritual energy.

After ten minutes, Zhang Tie opened his eyes. This time, his spiritual energy hadn't increased anymore. Instead, his eyes were ravished with joy. He finally understood what was the most powerful control as he felt that he was the God, the God of the trivial yeasts of only several micrometers in diameter that he had created.

Merely with his pure spiritual energy and thoughts, he could completely control those yeasts.

'If it was not a vial of yeast fluid but a different species such as a pack of smart wild wolves or other advanced magical beasts, would I become the inherent deity of the new species which would have been created through mutation and evolution in the Castle of Black Iron..?'

When this thought suddenly flashed across Zhang Tie's mind, even he himself didn't notice that a new emotion budded in his heart. It was an emotion called - Ambition!