"Chef, is this thing precious?"
The trunk was rough, the leaves withered and yellow, bearing a few dim, dust-covered apples, showing no sign of anything remarkable.
Zhang Wei murmured, "Kid, this is an Olympus Divine Tree!"
[Discoverable ingredient: Bronze Apple]
[Capture Level: 60]
[Growth Type: Companion to the Olympus Divine Tree]
[Description 1: Silver Apple trees grow around the Olympus Divine Tree, and Bronze Apple trees grow around the Silver Apple trees.]
[Description 2: The shell of the Bronze Apple is forged from bronze. Each fruiting takes ten years. After unlocking the shell with a specific method, one can enjoy the flesh.]
[Description 3: Bronze Apples possess the effects of healing injuries, curing diseases, and dispelling poisons. Eating them raw yields the maximum effect.]
"Olympus Divine Tree?"
"This thing?"
The skin doll was full of surprise!
"Chef, the Olympus Divine Tree is a mythical plant. Are you sure it really exists? Legend has it that it's guarded by a hundred-headed dragon and protected by divine power, making it inaccessible to mortals."
The skin doll continued, "Moreover, legends say the Olympus Divine Tree is lush and vibrant, full of spring, and if it can shelter dragons, it shouldn't be small."
The tree before them was small and skinny, looking quite malnourished.
Zhang Wei reached out and plucked an apple, saying with a smile, "With this Bronze Apple, it means the Golden Apple is not far off."
[Collection complete: Bronze Apple]
[Replication time: 115 days]
Huh?
Was collection complete just by plucking it?
Zhang Wei wiped away the dust, revealing the lustrous bronze hue within.
The front had a square gap, filled with multiple differently shaped pieces arranged together. The shape at the very bottom perfectly fit the gap at the very top.
And that gap was next to the copper rod at the apple's apex.
Zhang Wei's eyes widened: "Huarong Dao?"
The skin doll asked, "What is Huarong Dao? The shell of this apple seems to be a decryption game. What a rare plant..."
Huarong Dao is an ancient traditional puzzle game from Blue Star, where the main gameplay involves moving block pieces.
It derives its name from 'Cao Man's defeat at Huarong Path, meeting Guan Gong head-on. Only for past kindnesses, he let the dragon go.'
It's a classic game. If you're younger, you probably haven't seen it.
And the solution to Huarong Dao remains a mathematical enigma to this day.
Zhang Wei asked with a puzzled expression, "Something that can heal injuries, detoxify, and save lives, but has such a tricky gameplay mechanism?"
"If someone is critically ill and needs this thing to save them, they'd have to squat down and play Huarong Dao for half the night?"
"If they aren't very smart, the patient would be dead by then..."
The description of the Bronze Apple had already stated.
No complex processing was required; solving the puzzle counted as preparation.
The skin doll took the apple and instinctively fiddled with the Huarong Dao in the middle...
*Ding~*
*Drip~*
*Drip~*
*Drip~*
*Drip~*
The skin doll: ...
Zhang Wei cursed, "It even has a timer? This is a rip-off!"
The skin doll panicked, saying with an embarrassed look, "What... what do we do? I don't understand this at all!"
"A mere Huarong Dao! You underestimate me!"
Now was not the time to falter. Zhang Wei immediately took the apple and squatted down, unleashing his 120 IQ.
He tried various movements.
And he encouraged himself!
"Come on!
You can do it!
Think back to when you were a child, you were the smartest kid in the village!
You've played Huarong Dao so many times, it's definitely not a problem!"
Time ticked by, and the skin doll's anxiety was impossible to express. The copper rod of the apple had already retracted by more than half. The precious ingredient was about to be ruined!
"Alright!"
The skin doll exclaimed with surprise, "It's open?"
"No, I found the pattern! Now everything will be easy!"
His fingers danced!
The piece representing 'Cao Cao' finally moved from the bottom and slotted into the gap above.
The Bronze Apple underwent a complex transformation, accompanied by the sound of unlocking.
*Ding~*
The bronze shell peeled away...
The flesh inside appeared before Zhang Wei and the two of them.
"So fragrant!"
"Pure apple aroma!"
Zhang Wei said, "My sense of smell is impaired, but I can still smell it!"
Seeing the mist wildly dissipating above, this apple was likely not meant for long-term storage.
Apples oxidize rapidly after peeling, and this was probably similar.
Although it could be stored in the right annex, Zhang Wei reached out, cut the apple in half, and offered one piece to the skin doll. "You haven't eaten anything for two days of hard work. This apple looks nutritious. Have a taste!"
To test the dangers, the skin doll had lost a lot of limbs.
The number of times bones and muscles could split was limited; for the skin doll, this was akin to consuming its lifespan.
Since they had gained benefits, Zhang Wei was happy to share.
Generosity, you see!
It needed to be displayed!
The skin doll said sheepishly, "I almost messed things up..."
"Don't be so formal with me!"
He took the apple and put it in his mouth.
It was crisp, with a hint of sweetness, its taste simple and honest, its texture likewise.
It soothed the heart and calmed the mind.
It brought no pressure at all, and the whole person seemed to relax.
It was like taking a bath, sinking into the water, thinking of nothing, doing nothing, just feeling the comfortable sensation of being immersed.
Unconsciously.
The skin doll's Lolita attire reappeared, a sign of shedding defenses and returning to its original state.
Its face, like shattered porcelain, became radiant, with a gel-like substance forming on the surface, appearing more alive.
A more significant change occurred within the skin doll.
Humans have 206 bones, and the skin doll was the same. Skills only changed the shape and size of bones, not their number. In years of combat, the skin doll had constantly lost bones.
During the final battle in Yun Nation, to withstand the demon Bogang's final blow: 31 bones.
Just now, while fishing: 2 bones.
Before achieving fame: 28 bones.
Executing missions: 16 bones.
Challenging rankings: 7 bones...
...
Battle-hardened, the skin doll's actual bone count was only 51!
Taking the ribs as an example, the current ribs were actually formed from two bones reshaped, lacking any joint mobility and relying on muscles for movement!
And now.
The skin doll's deep genes were activated, and the missing bones regrew, one by one!
The damaged muscle fibers were also being repaired!
Years of skill usage had severely damaged the ends of the mitochondria. Although the skin doll was forty years old, its cells had aged to the equivalent of a 400-year-old!
And all of this, the Bronze Apple was repairing!
It was like rejuvenation!
Such a remarkable effect was also happening to Zhang Wei!