Reborn with Steve Stand - Chapter 49
The mod called ‘Twilight Forest’ was one of Fang Mo’s favorites. It added a new adventure-filled world to the game, allowing players to explore it gradually.
One of the remarkable features of this world was the Thorns, a unique plant that surrounded the Final Castle. These Thorns had an extraordinary ability: no matter how players tried to destroy or collect them, they would instantly regenerate and multiply. They were indestructible and multiplied with each attempt.
However, there was a way to destroy them in the game. Players had to defeat the Cloud Giant, use the Pickaxe to dig through the obsidian in the Troll Cave, and obtain an item called the Lamp of Cinders. Only when the Thorns were burned by the Lamp of Cinders would they lose their regenerative properties and turn into ash.
In the past, when Fang Mo was a server owner, he used to place Twilight Thorns near other players’ houses, challenging them to find the Lamp of Cinders and explore the entire map of Twilight Forest. He fondly remembered those mischievous and enjoyable moments.
Although the Twilight Thorns currently had little practical purpose for Fang Mo, he still found satisfaction in knowing that they couldn’t be collected in survival mode. The idea of Thorns with similar properties in the real world fascinated him.
With these thoughts in mind, Fang Mo cheerfully stored the Twilight Thorns in his backpack and asked Steve to open the Lucky Block. However, his luck seemed to have run out after obtaining the Void Ring and the Extremely Primordial Pearl, as the next four items he received were rather ordinary.
These items included Shears, the Bio-Ball from Thermal Expansion, the Collation Folder from Mystcraft, and an item called ‘Blood and Flesh’ of unknown origin.
Fang Mo knew the purpose of Shears, which could be used to break leaves and had a guaranteed chance of obtaining saplings. The Bio-Ball resembled a Master Ball from Pokémon, capable of capturing entities but disappearing after releasing them.
Regarding the ‘Collation Folder’, Fang Mo had limited knowledge of the Mystcraft mod, but he knew it served little practical purpose.
As for the ‘Blood and Flesh’, Fang Mo remained perplexed. Its appearance resembled crimson and peculiar zombie flesh. Fang Mo tasted it experimentally but couldn’t determine its true nature. He couldn’t understand if it was food or something else.
This puzzling situation troubled Fang Mo. He realized that he might have never encountered the mod associated with this item before, as he should have some recollection or familiarity with it if he had played it previously.
“Forget it, I won’t dwell on it,” Fang Mo muttered, shaking his head. He asked Steve to put away the four items he had obtained.
Among all the items, the Void Ring intrigued Fang Mo the most. He hadn’t expected to draw such a rare item with only seven attempts. Lady Luck had truly favored him this time.
As for the other items…
They were not as significant as the Void Ring.
To be honest, if Fang Mo didn’t have a mod stuck at 80% completion without being unlocked, he would have used the Linking Book to return to the Minecraft world for some mining. He had no desire to spend another second in this unfamiliar realm.
However, even without returning to the Minecraft world…
Fang Mo couldn’t contain his excitement to test the power of the Void Ring.
As mentioned earlier, the Void Ring could be activated by placing it inside the Alchemy Bag. Anything within the Alchemy Bag would be disassembled and converted into various valuable materials.
When Fang Mo had entered the Marvel world, he had filled the Alchemy Bag with various items, including enchantment tables, potions, Nether Stars, Ender Pearls, and valuable resources like enchanted golden apples, gold blocks, and lapis lazuli blocks.
With a single thought, Fang Mo instructed Steve to open his backpack and increase its capacity using experience points, creating more space for the Alchemy Bag.
Then, Fang Mo activated the Void Ring within the bag.
As the Void Ring activated, its gem emitted a deep glow.
Eagerly, Fang Mo fixed his gaze on the resources within the Alchemy Bag, anticipating their transformation into valuable materials.
However, to his surprise…
He waited for a long time, but the Void Ring didn’t convert any of those resources as expected.
“Hmm?”
Observing this perplexing sight, Fang Mo realized that something was wrong. “What’s happening?”
Refusing to accept the situation, Fang Mo tried again with another batch of items. But no matter what he threw into the Alchemy Bag, whether it was trash like rotten flesh or dirt, the Void Ring remained ineffective in converting them.
Initially, Fang Mo thought he might be misusing the ring.
However, when he had Steve toss a stone on the ground as a test, the stone was immediately drawn into the Alchemy Bag by the gravitational force of the Void Ring.
It turned out that the gravitational function of the Void Ring still worked flawlessly.
Only its conversion ability seemed to be malfunctioning.
“No way…” Fang Mo couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The ring had held so much promise, the potential to transform waste into treasure and create valuable materials. Discovering that only the gravitational function remained was a devastating blow.
Despite his disappointment, Fang Mo tried to cope with the situation.
As he contemplated his life choices, a sudden knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Annoyed, he had no interest in opening it. With a wave of his hand, the door swung open on its own.
Thor entered the room with a hearty laugh.
“Haha, Fang Mo, I have good news.”
Thor’s face beamed with joy, his jovial mood contagious. “The craftsmen of Asgard have repaired the Bifrost, and the Bridge is operational once again!”
Lost in his own world, Fang Mo continued to stare blankly at the wall.
“What’s wrong?” Thor’s expression changed as he noticed Fang Mo’s state. “Tell me, my friend.”
“I’m in a terrible mood and need some time alone.”
Fang Mo rubbed his forehead. “Do you know which race in the Nine Realms is causing trouble? I can help you subdue them for free, turning them all into minced meat for dumplings.”
Taken aback, Thor burst into laughter, looking up. “Haha, come now, friend, you wouldn’t actually do something like that.”
“You underestimate me…”
“Alright, let’s not dwell on unhappy matters.”
Thor pulled Fang Mo to his feet, and they walked together toward the exit. “In Asgard, feasts and fine wine can soothe any worries. Come, I’ll take you for a drink!”
Initially hesitant, Fang Mo couldn’t resist Thor’s infectious enthusiasm.
They arrived at the banquet hall, where Asgardian warriors warmly greeted them. Traditional Asgardian arts accompanied copious amounts of wine.
However, as a digitized entity, a player, Fang Mo remained unaffected by alcohol.
Despite consuming several barrels of Asgardian wine, even Thor succumbed to intoxication, slurring his words as he tried to console Fang Mo, his dazed expression accompanied by a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, my friend, all hardships shall pass…”
“Thanks, I do feel better now.”
Fang Mo chuckled and nodded, acknowledging that Thor’s words had lifted his spirits somewhat.
Reflecting on the situation, Fang Mo realized that the Void Ring couldn’t decompose and convert items because he lacked the basic structure of the Equivalent Exchange module.
The items in Steve’s backpack had no EMC value, rendering them incompatible with the Void Ring’s abilities.
But Fang Mo had a new idea.
Since the ring couldn’t function in Steve’s hands, he would materialize it himself. Who knew? It might have some miraculous effects.
“Very well, let’s give it a try…”
Thor, pleased to see Fang Mo’s improved mood, smiled warmly. However, something caught his attention, and he raised his arm to greet someone. “Hey, Heimdall!”
Fang Mo turned to see Heimdall approaching, which was unusual considering his role as the guardian of the Bifrost and his usual abstention from alcohol. Perhaps the repairs had afforded him a rare respite.
Yet, what surprised Fang Mo even more was that Heimdall bypassed the revelry and made his way directly to him.
“Fang Mo, I witnessed something in the distant realm of Midgard.” Heimdall’s expression turned serious as he addressed Fang Mo directly. “Tony Stark is your friend, isn’t he?”
“Yes.” Fang Mo was puzzled. “What happened?”
“He is on the verge of death.”
