"Steel Slime devoured the Black Organization uniform and gained growth."
"Steel Slime growth, current value: 251/1000"
"Steel Slime devoured the Pulse Double Guns and gained growth."
"Steel Slime growth, current value: 552/1000"
...
Bai Ye had the Steel Slime devour everything in his hands, then looked at the Fire God Gatling and the Yin Yang Talisman.
This was Bai Ye's true goal!
For a moment, a flash of inspiration struck Bai Ye. He wondered if the Steel Slime could remember and even replicate items obtained from the gashapon machine if it devoured them.
If that were the case, would everything he got from the gashapon machine be permanent?
Just like how consumed items couldn't be retrieved, but the abilities granted by items were retained permanently, not as if they were obtained from the gashapon machine itself!
Thinking this, Bai Ye grew excited and pointed at the Fire God Gatling and the Yin Yang Talisman, saying, "Keep devouring!"
The Steel Slime quickly wriggled and soon expanded, engulfing the Fire God Gatling.
"Steel Slime devoured the Fire God Gatling and gained growth."
"Steel Slime growth, current value: 578/1000"
"Steel Slime devoured the Yin Yang Talisman and gained growth."
"Steel Slime growth, current value: 581/1000"
...
After devouring the last two devourable items, Bai Ye had nothing left in his hands. The growth value was close to six hundred, but it was still quite a ways off from the Steel Slime reaching green quality.
The next moment, Bai Ye waved his hand, and a light screen appeared before him.
Steel Slime (Item) (White): A very rare mutated slime capable of devouring all objects, and then transforming to use the characteristics of the devoured object. Effect: Devour (With continuous devouring, the Steel Slime's magic will strengthen, thereby improving its quality). Current growth value: 581/1000.
Condense (Steel Slime can condense any devoured item).
Condensable Items: Black Organization uniform, Pulse Double Guns, Seven-Colored Rainbow, Frost Condensation, Famous Sword · Bloodthirsty, Fire God Gatling (15 hours 22 minutes), Yin Yang Talisman (15 hours 22 minutes).
...
"Damn it!" Bai Ye cursed as he looked at the light screen, "It didn't work."
The Fire God Gatling and the Yin Yang Talisman were eaten by the Steel Slime, but...
The permanent item acquisition Bai Ye had imagined didn't happen.
The items could be condensed, but unlike other items, the Fire God Gatling and the Yin Yang Talisman had a time limit behind them, which coincidentally matched the time until the gashapon machine reset.
In fact, after thinking carefully, Bai Ye understood the reason.
The case of the Poison-Poison Fruit was different because the Poison-Poison Fruit itself was a consumable item that disappeared once used, which was why the gashapon machine couldn't retrieve it. The abilities of the Poison-Poison Fruit were obtained from the fruit itself, not the gashapon machine, and thus were retained.
However, the items devoured by the Steel Slime were simply eaten by it, not consumed, so they would be reabsorbed by the gashapon machine when the time came.
"Wait a minute..." Bai Ye's eyes suddenly lit up, and he muttered, "The items will definitely be reabsorbed, but will the growth value gained from devouring them be reabsorbed?"
Bai Ye began to ponder. Theoretically, the logic from the Poison-Poison Fruit case seemed to apply. If so, then the items devoured by the Steel Slime were indeed related to the gashapon machine and would be reabsorbed. However, the growth value gained by the Steel Slime from devouring items was not related to the gashapon machine, but to the items within the gashapon.
This was the same logic as the abilities of the Poison-Poison Fruit being related to the fruit itself and not the gashapon machine.
So, would the Steel Slime's growth value be retained?
Bai Ye's eyes gleamed. If his deduction was correct, then he might have found a way to quickly strengthen the Steel Slime and improve its quality.
That is...
To consume God Stone Shards and devour gold-quality items!
However, whether this theory held true would only be known after the gashapon machine reset and the Fire God Gatling and Yin Yang Talisman were retrieved.
If the growth value remained unchanged, it would mean Bai Ye's deduction was correct, and he could rapidly improve the Steel Slime.
As for the present...
He should do what he needed to do.
"Steel Slime, condense!"
The black Steel Slime crawled onto Bai Ye's body, then wriggled and spread rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into the appearance of the Black Organization uniform.
Immediately after...
Bai Ye reached out, and the Frost Condensation sword appeared in his hand.
Frost Condensation (Flying Sword) (Blue): Drawing upon the floating source of morning dew, rinsing with the swirling frost. Effects: Sword Control (Enveloping oneself in frost, capable of self-attack), Sword Illusion Frost (Conjuring frost with the sword to randomly inflict freezing, frostbite, and slow effects on targets within a 3-meter radius), Ice Wall (Conjuring an ice wall with the sword for defense).
Bai Ye deliberately opened the light screen and re-examined the effects of Frost Condensation. Nothing had changed.
However, because it was condensed by the Steel Slime, the Frost Condensation sword became entirely black, from the blade to the hilt.
But, the signs of use on the Frost Condensation sword had disappeared.
The nicks left on the blade from previous battles were now completely gone, just as Jin Sha had said. Items condensed by the Steel Slime could be used permanently, without any worry of them breaking.
"It's not bad either, and the condensation speed is fast enough. It's much quicker than retrieving items from my inventory, definitely quite convenient."
Bai Ye relaxed his grip, and the Frost Condensation sword turned into mud, quickly merging back into Bai Ye's body.
He waved his hand, dismissing the light screen, and stepped out of the alley.
There were still many people in front of the city gate. With the Great Wall Guards maintaining order, Bai Ye had no choice but to queue obediently, waiting for each person ahead to be sent onto the city wall.
After about half an hour, it was finally Bai Ye's turn.
Upon reaching the city wall, there were still crowds everywhere. However, the Great Wall Guards were directing everyone to move to the sides to guard the Great Wall.
As Bai Ye walked, he glanced down at the base of the city wall, and was truly startled.
"So many demon seeds?"
The area below the city wall was densely packed with demon seeds, madly assaulting the city wall. Looking up ahead, the approaching demon seeds seemed endless, surging towards the Great Wall like a black tide from the horizon, making one's scalp tingle.
...