[Trying Hard to refine the Crystals!]

Let me calculate the number of Crystals I have in hand first. I sneakily withdraw my stacks of Red Power Crystals and quickly calculates their total, before I start the same on the Green Physical Crystals. After I completed, I finally obtained the total number of Crystals within my hand. In that time span of thirteen hours, I actually managed to mine a total of 99 Red Power Crystals and 73 Green Physical Crystals.

I went over to make the same exchange again, but in between of the trip, I am actually approached by a staff from the Refiner Workshop. "Hi, young brother. Are you interested to try your luck in the path of refining? We are running a free trial recruitment at the moment, why not you come over and try to see if you have some talent in refining materials?" the staff approached me with a very sweet words, but since I have nothing much to do, I go ahead and follow the person into their testing ground.

Within the testing ground, a total of three different baskets full of Crystals could be seen within, where it would be used to test the capability of the participants in their ability in refining materials. The first basket is filled with the Red Power Crystals, with the second is full of Green Physical Crystals and the third is full with Violet Resistance Crystals.

The participants' task in this test would be required to collect five pieces of the crystals to refine them into a more higher version. The Crystals that was mined before by Lu Bu within the Ling Hun Crystal Cave is only at their lower Grade 10 Red Crystals and Green Crystals. But in this exam, they are required to refine five of the Crystals to form a Medium Grade 10 Red Crystals.

But the chances of failure in this test is not too low either. The total of five Lower Grade 10 Crystals worth One Black Spirit Crystal each, and if the five managed to be refined into a single Medium Grade 10 Crystal, their value will increase to two Black Spirit Crystals each. But the success rate of this refining is only between 10% to 45%, and only the most experienced Refiner could confidently refine the five Lower Grade 10 crystals into a Medium one, so the amount of Medium Red Power Crystal within the market is very limited to purchase.

"Young brother, let me roughly teach you the basic of refining skill first. Very first and foremost, the Material Refining will need one to extremely focus on your concentration. You will first put together the five piece of Lower Grade 10 Crystals together, to allows the energy within to combined into one entity. The more focus you are, the easier it forms."

"Then, slowly, you will need to peel off those emptied crystal shells that left aside by the Energy, and stop when you're only left with the core of the Crystal Energy. Allows the Crystal Energy to crystallize, and if it's successfully formed, you will end up with a piece of Medium Grade 10 Crystals in your hand. Of course, it seems easy from the method I am explaining, but would you believe me if I tell you that in ten attempts, I usually failed around three to four times, and ends with only around six to seven success in hand?" the staff perform the example of how to refine the Crystal in front of the participants, and next, each of them were given a total of five pieces of crystals to tries themselves.

Lu Bu patiently put the crystals altogether, and grip it tightly. He put all his concentration on the five piece of crystals that were going to combine with each other, and slowly felt the energy within each crystal is slowly moving towards a point altogether. The moment the Crystal Energy finally gathered at the same spot, those leftover crystal shells quickly starts to soften, as Lu Bu carefully peel off the shells one by one.

After peeling most of the shell apart from being attached to the core of the Crystal Energy, Lu Bu allows the Crystal Energy to slowly crystallized, and soon, when it was almost success, the Crystal Energy starts to crack into two. And soon, like a cracked jewel, the almost crystallized Energy slowly turned into smaller pieces of crushed crystals, and soon, it becomes ashes and gets blown away by the wind of nature.

I am actually failed in this test. I guess that Material Refining isn't actually the suitable job for me. As I turned around to leave, I heard a voice came into my head. [Toot! One point received in the Crystal Refining. Obtain nine more points to increase your Level into another stage.] the voice spoke within Lu Bu's mind and gave him a little shock. But the moment he turned around and prepared to leave, the staff approached Lu Bu and starts to speaks.

"Young brother, it is a very good result!" the staff praise me for my good performance. But I shake my head and tell him that I failed to form the Medium Grade 10 Crystal in the end, so no matter how good is the performance, I am failed within my eyes. That is what I tell the staff. But like he was not bothered to listen to what I had said, he pulled my hand as he leads me towards to his superior.

"Section Leader Zhu, this kids potential should be quite good, shall we give him a chance?" the staff continue to praise me in front of his superior, and then, this person called as Section Leader Zhu turned his head around as he looked at me, from head to toe, causing me to felt a hint of uneasiness in my heart. "Kid, do you have any intention to join the Refining Workshop?" Section Leader Zhu suddenly extends an offer before me. Looking at what happened, the Staff happily laugh as he already expects what will happen.

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"If you agreed to join the Refining Workshop, you will be tasked with the duty of refining the Medium Grade 10 Crystals of few different types, but our main production is often either the Power Crystals, Physical Crystals, or the Resistance Crystals. As a worker of the Refining Workshop, we pay our worker a total of 30 Black Spirit Crystals every month, as long you managed to fulfil your daily quota."

"You will be required to refine a minimum ninety Medium Grade 10 Crystals every month, which is about three Medium Crystals every day. Of course, you could finish handling in your quota earlier before you start refining more to obtain more pays, but its exchange rate is One Black Spirit Crystal for each Medium Crystals you produced."

"So, are you keen to join us?" the Section Disciple Zhu asked. "I will, thank you for the offer," I answered the Section Leader Zhu immediately without any hesitations. He praised me for being so decisive, and as those small humble words are already exchanged, I am excused to return to what I want to do, before reporting into my job tomorrow first in the morning.

But the next thing I did, is no longer went over to the exchange Shop, but straight towards the alleyway instead to where Han Li usually sleeps. When I return, Han Li already left his spot, but since I roughly know where he went, I decided to let him know what just happened tomorrow before I went over to the Refining Workshop. But for the meantime, is the time for me to try and replicate the thing I've just learned a while ago.

Since I have a total of 99 Red Power Crystals an 73 Green Physical Crystals in hand, I should have the opportunity to at least try for a total of 33 attempts in refining some Medium Grade 10 Crystals. The total of 33 attempts here would cost me a total of 33 Black Spirit Crystals to practice, but if my luck is good, even by successfully refined half of them, would most probably allow me to break even on my total cost, so why not?

Being extremely motivated at the moment, I quickly start the refining attempts. I gathered all the crystals that I will spend my next few hours to refine out from the compartments, and started to refine them one at a time. Five Lower Grade 10 Red Power Crystals... "Poof!" failed. It's ok, another set, it's your turn this time... "Poof!" another failure.

Just like this, I actually failed for five times in one go, and in exchanges for that failure, I actually obtained a total of five points, making my points six in total, and only four more is required to have an increase in Crystal Refining by one stage. I tried to open the Status Panel by whispering [Active] softly, and like how I wish it to be, the Status Panel actually appears in a minuscule size this time, about a textbook wide.

I scrolled to the section where Skills is listed on it, and over here, I managed to found the descriptions of this Crystal Refining Skill Tree.

Tenth Grade Crystal Refining Level 1 (6/10) (2% Success Rate Increment)

(allows user to refine the Crystal into a higher grade/Upgrade for more special quirks)

"Hmm, seems like this skill needs to be constantly upgraded so it could provide more beneficial quirks for its user," I speak for myself as I read through the descriptions, and on my sixth attempt, it failed once again. This time, the experience point for the Crystal Refining increase to (7/10), just three points remains before It got levelled up.

This time, I put my faith in refining the five piece of Lower Grade 10 Green Physical Crystals instead. Following the same procedures again, I put most of my effort to properly completes the required task one by one. From allowing the Crystal Energy to completely gathers at one spot, I begin to slowly peel off the softened Crystal Shells next, until the Core is finally revealed. This time, the brilliant light released from the Core is so dazzling that It would actually hurt my eyes a little.

I then proceed to slowly place the green crystal on a plate, allowing the Core to slowly crystallized. The moment the core is completely crystallized, a beautifully light green lustre is released from the Green Physical Crystal, as the indication that the Core had successfully been refined into a Medium Grade 10 Green Physical Crystal.

Of course, the moment the Crystal is successfully formed, the notification regarding the Crystal Refining is levelled up came in instantly.

Tenth Grade Crystal Refining Level 2 (0/20) (4% Success Rate Increment)

(allows user to refine the Crystal into a higher grade/Upgrade for more special quirks)

"Nice! With the success rate increased to 4%, an even more successful refined product will appear in my hand!" I happily cheer myself as I quickly continue with my remaining 26 tries. An hour later, my facial expression becomes even gloomier than previously. Although I have a slight increment in my success rate, I guess that still doesn't guarantee my success no matter how motivated I am.

In that 26 tries, I had failed eleven times in a row, with only 15 more tries remaining in my hand. Although the experience point became 11/20 at the moment but losing so many crystals in such a short moment, seriously hurts my pocket slightly. I guess that's why the Crystals of higher ranks and grades could fetch such a good price in the world of stronger peoples.

I rest my mind for a short moment, and tries once again, with the Green Physical Crystals again this time. Unexpectedly, I actually succeed once again through refining the Green Physical Crystal! Without hesitating, I continue with the Green Crystals and received a consecutive two more successful refining. Just like this, my Crystal Refining skill increased into the third Level, and the Success Rate had also increased to 6% currently.

With the remaining 12 tries, I finally finished trying them within one hour, and only three managed to succeed. At the end of the day, a total of tries had been conducted, with a result of two Medium Grade 10 Red Power Crystals and five Medium Grade 10 Green Physical Crystals. The experiences had also increased into (18/40) currently, but within my hand, the crystals had all been totally used.

"Seems like it's time I need to get some from the Cave when I have some time. But before this, I need to get a short rest and attends the Refining Workshop's jobs when I wake up." Lu Bu knows what he would need to start to do later, and quickly falls asleep due to those heavily taxing trials on trying to refine all the Lower Grade 10 Crystals at once.