Lying on her couch, Dorothy munched on cake while scoffing at the inscription on the mystical book in her hands. Her opinion of Aldrich’s lack of scruples had just reached a new low.
As expected… This guy feels more like a con artist than some stonemason… she thought sarcastically, her mind wandering to the symbol of the "Stone" spirituality—a gold coin engraved with a perfect triangle. Did this symbol imply a connection between "Stone" and wealth, or even commerce? The White Craftsmen’s Guild was, after all, a commercial organization…
Dorothy didn’t dwell on the question. Overthinking wouldn’t lead to any concrete answers, so she shifted her attention back to the present matters.
Leaning lazily on the sofa, Dorothy began reviewing her day’s gains and took stock of her current situation.
First, the loot. Besides the mystical book, she had also retrieved 50 pounds from Burton’s place. Coupled with the 16 pounds she already had, her total cash was now 66 pounds. It was more than enough for a comfortable mundane life, but still woefully inadequate in the clandestine world.
Next were the two life-eating sigils she’d acquired. Including the two she already had, she now possessed four such sigils. After using one earlier, she realized each sigil lasted about 30 seconds. For prolonged combat, one might not suffice. Furthermore, their effects couldn’t stack, and using even one consumed a point of "Chalice" spirituality.
In terms of firearms, Dorothy now owned five revolvers with over 200 rounds of ammunition—plenty for now. However, she’d found the revolvers lacking when facing the Craver earlier. She was considering acquiring a more powerful rifle or, better yet, some explosives.
Her Corpse Marionette Ring was recharged, though the “battery finger” she left behind could only handle one more charge. Once it ran out, she’d have to fuel the ring using her own "Chalice" spirituality. Originally, the ring was quite energy-efficient, with a single charge lasting half a year under normal use. However, Dorothy’s unconventional method of force-enhancing the ring with "Revelation" had drastically increased its energy consumption.
Finally, her spirituality. Of her 5 innate “Revelation” points, only 2 remained, which would take two days to fully recover. Under proper rest, she could regenerate 2 “Revelation” points daily. She also had 5 “Chalice” points, 5 “Shadow” points, 1 “Stone” point, 1 “Lantern” point, and 1 “Silence” point left.
Dorothy had studied the book earlier. Normally, she would extract and accumulate the spirituality contained within, but now she had another option.
After advancing to "Cognizer," Dorothy had felt her soul strengthen, meaning her Soul Codex had expanded! She had already recorded the third stage of Unrelenting Force, which had been in an unrecorded state. Now, there was room to acquire more otherworldly knowledge.
Having just advanced, Dorothy wasn’t in a hurry to ascend to the next rank of "Black Earth." For now, she aimed to accumulate more skills until her Soul Codex was full again before considering further advancement.
Now, Dorothy decided to test what kind of knowledge of another world could be exchanged using the mystical knowledge she’d studied.
‘System… I want to use The Secret Appraisal Notebook to exchange for knowledge of another world.’
Dorothy thought silently. The system quickly responded.
"The Secret Appraisal Notebook identified as introductory-level appraisal techniques… Exchanging… Book of Cain: Appraisal (Flawed)."
As the system’s whispery voice echoed in her mind, a wave of new information surged into Dorothy’s consciousness. She immediately grasped the new skill. Blinking in mild surprise, she began examining the knowledge she had just acquired.
"Appraisal… Book of Cain Appraisal? This time, it’s knowledge from the world of Diablo…"
Rubbing her temples, Dorothy murmured. Having played Diablo in her previous life, she naturally knew what Book of Cain and the appraisal skill were about. The book’s author, Deckard Cain, was a scholar versed in all sorts of knowledge and arcane history in the Diablo world. In Diablo II, he served primarily as an NPC for identifying items or selling identification scrolls, occasionally dispensing quests. He met his end in Diablo III, but not before leaving behind Book of Cain for his adopted niece, Leah.
To Dorothy, Cain had always been a tool for appraisals and quest distribution in Diablo II. But there was no denying the usefulness of his appraisal skill—it could instantly reveal the name, attributes, and functions of any item. If she could replicate that perfectly here, it would undoubtedly be a highly practical skill.
Excited, Dorothy eagerly examined her newly acquired appraisal skill. However, she was disappointed to find that it was a flawed version.
The original Cain’s appraisal required no cost or sacrifices, whereas Dorothy’s flawed version consumed spirituality to appraise an item. The stronger the item, the greater the spiritual cost. Frustrated, she decided to confront the system.
"Hey, System, why is my appraisal skill flawed?"
"The Secret Appraisal Notebook are introductory knowledge and insufficient to exchange for the complete Cain’s appraisal skill. Providing additional appraisal-related knowledge in the future may allow for skill completion."
The system’s response was straightforward, and Dorothy immediately understood. In short, Cain’s god-tier appraisal skill was too advanced, and she couldn’t fully replicate it with just one introductory-level book.
Still, even the flawed version had its merits. As long as she had sufficient spirituality, she could identify even powerful mystical items.
With this in mind, Dorothy prepared to test her new appraisal skill.
She extended her hand, examining the Corpse Marionette Ring she wore. Under her gaze, the ring emitted faint red glimmers, signifying its mystical nature.
The appraisal skill didn’t just reveal detailed information but also included a basic function to distinguish between mundane and mystical items. Even non-mystical items with faint spirituality could be detected if she focused her attention.
This preliminary detection didn’t require any spiritual expenditure. Only extracting the complete information of an item would consume spirituality. For instance, the faint red glow on the Corpse Marionette Ring confirmed it was a “Chalice” spiritual item.
Muttering to herself, Dorothy decided to inspect other items in her home. As she glanced around, her eyes caught the faint silver glow emanating from the crescent-shaped ring on her other hand.