Dark had been contemplating the cultivation of the [Fruit of Greed] for a long time.
To date, the [Major Sin Fruits] he had cultivated included [Pride], [Lust], and [Greed].
Among them, using the [Fruit of Pride] to refine [Gatomon], and the [Fruit of Lust] to refine [Miltank] and [Sylveon], had deeply enriched his research into the [Major Sin]s.
And now, the time had come to further deepen his research on [Greed]!
The cultivation of the [Fruit of Greed], as well as the refinement of the corresponding Magic Guide Spirit, were key.
Dark arranged the three Catnips in a row; from left to right, they were Catnip, Cow Grass, and Fox Grass.
These three 'Catnips' had all cultivated [Major Sin Fruits] before, and Dark was actually somewhat worried whether this would have residual effects on the cultivation of new fruits.
But when using the [Major Sin Card]s, he had already discovered that different types of [Major Sin Card]s did not actually produce stacking effects other than emotions.
In a sense, they were independent of each other.
Moreover, low-tier [Major Sin Card]s and high-tier [Major Sin Card]s had a near-fundamental difference.
The stacking between low-tier [Major Sin Card]s of the same type could not cross class boundaries.
Of course, these were merely conclusions drawn without external influence.
Perhaps there was a way, like the [Fusion] card, to fuse [Major Sin Card]s together.
But he currently had no clue about such things.
Therefore, he roughly guessed that cultivating different types of Major Sin Fruits would have no effect on the Catnip.
Or rather, there might be an effect, but it would likely be minimal.
The greatest possibility was just a slight influence on personality establishment.
For example, being a little more [Arrogant] while being [Greedy].
Thinking about it carefully, would [Arrogant Greed] give birth to the kind of personality like an ancient chivalrous thief—not stealing from the noble, not robbing from the rich? Wait, that didn't sound right.
Actually, that would be quite interesting.
Dark stroked his chin and thought for a moment, but eventually picked up the Catnip on the far left.
He always particularly favored this Catnip, with whom he had spent the longest time.
Let's leave the heavy responsibility of having a 'second child' to it!
And since it was a [Fruit of Greed (Cat)], what core material should be chosen?
Dark actually already had an answer in his heart, but he wanted to think a bit more carefully.
However, this didn't delay him from cultivating the [Fruit of Greed] first.
...
After finalizing the decision.
Dark waved to [Miltank], asking it to look after Cow Grass and Fox Grass, then carried Catnip to the balcony.
He had already injected the three days' worth of [Greed] into the Insect Tree's insect branches.
Adding the reserves from last month, a total of 7.5 points of [Greed] were divided into five portions and stored in five insect branches respectively.
The Catnip nestled in his arms watched him reach out to open the Insect Tree's protective fence and immediately meowed excitedly.
It had been eyeing these insect branches for a long time!
It had been a long, long time since it was last allowed to touch the insect branches, so long that it almost forgot that taste!
"Meow meow, meow meow, meow meow meow!"
Catnip waved its paws, impatient.
Dark smiled, withdrew his hand to pinch its face, and then held it up to one of the coarse, hard insect branches, allowing it to stick out its little tongue and suck on the mushroom-shaped tip of the branch.
"Slurp~"
seduced by the mixed scent of the insect branch and the Major Sin, Catnip stretched its neck forcefully to lick.
Once it had licked the tip of the insect branch moist, Dark moved closer, allowing it to hug the branch tip and suck with all its might!
Watching Catnip sucking desperately, Dark's expression couldn't help but melt.
It wasn't until Catnip had licked the [Greed] stored in this branch clean that Dark pried open its paws and pulled it away from the branch tip.
"Meow meow meow!"
Although Catnip was very reluctant, it couldn't resist its master's coercion.
Dark waited for a few minutes, leaving it time for absorption and transformation.
Before long, a very faint [Greed] crest emerged on top of Catnip's head.
In the center of the crest, a small protrusion drilled out, and slowly, a sprout emerged!
Dark vaguely remembered doing diary-type assignments like "Observing the Growth of XX Plant"; if the plants back then had this kind of efficiency...
Once that tender sprout gradually grew, Dark grabbed Catnip's paws and gave them a shake before holding it back up to the Insect Tree to continue sucking on the second insect branch.
This second insect branch stored only two points of [Greed].
But after Catnip absorbed these two points of [Greed], the tender sprout on its head gradually grew stems, leaves, and a flower bud. That pale blue bud was ready to bloom, emitting a psychedelic scent.
The subsequent third insect branch stored only one point of [Greed].
After licking this one clean, the [Flower of Greed] on Catnip's head finally bloomed. The color of its petals gradually deepened, turning into a profound dark blue, while the stamen in the center was a bright purple.
It was as if all the light was devoured by the petals and then transmitted into the stamen.
"It's six o'clock."
Dark didn't rush to let Catnip absorb the final [Greed]. Instead, he picked up a pen and paper and drew the entire process of the [Flower of Greed] from sprouting to blooming.
Finally, relying on his imagination, he even drew the final "result" in advance.
Looking at the conceived [Fruit of Greed], Dark smiled faintly and allowed Catnip to pounce on the fourth insect branch.
The final fifth insect branch was located at the top of the Insect Tree, perfectly avoiding Catnip's hunting range.
The 0.5 drops of [Greed] within it would serve as a rare reserve resource for the next experiment.
...
Wait until Catnip had absorbed the 1 point of [Greed] in the fourth insect branch clean, it immediately aimed at the fifth insect branch high above its head.
But its master ruthlessly carried it away from the water it craved most, and even used that annoying fence to separate it from the water, making it impossible to touch again.
"Meow~woo!"
Catnip's mouth was blocked by Dark's finger.
Catnip, who took the opportunity to bite Dark's finger, quieted down in an instant.
The [Flower of Greed] on top of its head successfully bore fruit.
The ovary of the stamen began to swell, and the ovule developed rapidly.
The deep blue petals withered and fell at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A fruit the size of a ping-pong ball gradually grew.
Dark observed the [Fruit of Greed], which was seventy to eighty percent similar to his conception, and reached out to touch it slightly, carefully feeling the gradually thickening aura of [Greed].
A moment later.
The [Fruit of Greed] was thoroughly ripe.
It was a fruit resembling a fig, but its skin appeared a translucent deep blue, and the purple veins revealing themselves from inside the skin formed a natural crest pattern, exuding a trace of mystery.
After picking the [Fruit of Greed], only a thin stem remained on top of Catnip's head.
This thin stem, looking like an ahoge, was actually also a very useful material.
Back then, the refinement of [Popplio] had involved investing two [Stems of Lust].
It was also after that that Dark cut off Catnip's other [Stem of Pride] and had been keeping it carefully.
The [Stem of Greed] before him might also have its use.
Dark's gaze shifted slightly, but he ultimately abandoned the idea of cutting off the [Stem of Greed] immediately, and just walked back indoors holding the fruit.
Then he called [Shuckle] over, placed the [Fruit of Greed] into [Shuckle]'s hole, and requested, "I'll leave the rest to you!"
The method of using the [Major Sin Fruit] after brewing it with [Shuckle] had been verified before.
Although it couldn't be determined if the effect increased after brewing, if he didn't juice it, he always felt something would be lost.
"Shuckle, shuckle!"
However, [Shuckle] raised its head very confidently, as if saying: A Shuckle production must be a premium product!
...
"The time for Shuckle to dissolve and ferment the Major Sin Fruit is about thirty minutes; I'll prepare the experiment first."
After handing the Catnip, who had just birthed a second child, over to [Miltank]'s care, Dark went to the experiment table and began preparations!
"The mother body this time is a cat. The other core material... the one most compatible with [Greed] is indeed the [Ancient Gold Coin] gifted by Emma."
"The refinement target is tentatively set as Normal-type; I just don't know if it will turn out as I imagine."
Dark tapped the table and thought carefully for a while, then took out the [Ancient Gold Coin] and placed it in the pre-prepared potion to soak.
Then, he began experimental preparations according to the [Animal Species - Normal-type] refinement method.
Half an hour later, everything was ready.
The dissolution and fermentation of the [Fruit of Greed] were also successfully completed.
Dark poured the juice of the [Fruit of Greed] into a beaker and set it aside, then officially began the refinement.
Once invested in the Magic Guide Refinement experiment, his attention would become extremely focused—almost all distracting thoughts unrelated to the experiment would be temporarily discarded.
In this state, he would make almost no mistakes when performing a refinement experiment he had repeated many times, like the [Animal Species - Normal-type].
From the application of the Spirit Nectar to the carving of the No. 1 Transmutation Circle, the smoothness of the experimental process was almost within expectations.
Dark checked the state of the Magic Guide Card one last time, then activated the No. 1 Transmutation Circle.
With the successful activation of the No. 1 Transmutation Circle, only the final material addition and fusion refining remained for the entire experiment.
Dark picked up the juice of the [Fruit of Greed] and shook it slightly; the blue-purple juice swirled like a nebula.
He tilted the beaker and slowly poured the juice into the light array of the No. 1 Transmutation Circle.
The light array flashed rapidly, absorbing and refining the juice.
Once all the juice was poured in and the light array gradually stabilized, he took the [Ancient Gold Coin] out of the potion, shook it dry, and placed it directly into the Transmutation Circle!
This [Ancient Gold Coin], originating from the ultra-ancient era, was engraved with the bust of a certain king on the front and a building similar to a pyramid on the back; its value had long transcended the gold coin itself.
And that sedimentation of history and the brand of civilization, after being refined by the No. 1 Transmutation Circle, were all converted into constituent elements of the Magic Guide Spirit.
...
Not long after.
The No. 1 Transmutation Circle burst forth with extremely dazzling golden light, illuminating the vicinity in a sheet of golden yellow.
The refined Magic Guide Card was wrapped in golden threads transformed from the golden light, forming a golden light cocoon.
Dark reached out and touched it, injecting mana.
As a large amount of mana was absorbed, the light on the surface of the light cocoon gradually stabilized.
Dark's expression was slightly serious.
He could feel that the refinement this time was still smooth.
A brand-new Magic Guide Spirit was being born.
This gave him a solemn sense of creating life.
In past Magic Guide Spirit refinements, he hadn't felt this solemn.
But as he became closer to the Magic Guide Spirits, he could no longer treat them as pseudo-life forms like golems.
And a change in cognition would eventually bring about change.
The Magic Guide Spirits who had been paying attention to his experiment suddenly felt something; almost simultaneously, they shifted their gazes from the light cocoon to him, their eyes revealing blankness, doubt, infatuation, contemplation...
Dark pulled a mercury knife from the tool rack, aimed at the midline of the light cocoon, and carefully cut it open.
Like a C-section for delivery.
Holy.
Sublime.
Near-white light shot out continuously from the cut gap.
When the entire cocoon was cut in half, the light cocoon suddenly turned into golden liquid, which was then immediately absorbed by the Magic Guide Card, leaving not a trace of impurity.
No washing required; the Magic Guide Spirit on the card face was clearly visible.
A golden halo surrounded the Magic Guide Card, indicating its preciousness and rarity.
The newly born Magic Guide Spirit was precisely the incarnation of greed and gold coins, a conglomerate of cunning and intelligence, a Pokémon possessing strong self-esteem—Meowth?
Dark couldn't help but reveal a look of astonishment.
This was an answer that fit his conception.
But it was subtly different from his conception.
Because this Meowth was a dark-skinned one he wasn't familiar with!
...
I[Card Name: Meowth]
[Type: Spirit Card]
[Level: ???]
[Race: Animal Species]
[Attribute: Dark-type]
[Mana: 1500]
[Attack: 1500]
[Defense: 900]
[Ultimate Moves: Technician, Pay Day, Thief, Foul Play]
...
He used the [Animal Species - Normal-type] refinement method, but the final result was [Animal Species - Dark-type].
The subtle difference therein was just like the difference in its form.
The Meowth in Dark's impression should have had pale yellow fur—a cute and charming villainous character.
But the Meowth before his eyes had grey fur, half-closed eyes, and a slightly curled mouth, revealing a trace of disdain and cunning.
"This appearance, could it be the Meowth from A-something-la?"
Depending on the regional environment, Pokémon would occasionally exhibit different regional forms.
The Meowth in the Alola region was a Dark-type grey cat.
The Meowth in the Galar region was a Steel-type big-faced cat.
Dark only had a smattering of knowledge about this and could only half-guess based on his already slightly vague memories.
His initial refinement target was a Normal-type ordinary Meowth.
He just didn't expect the final result to deviate from his expectations.
But the Alolan Meowth seemed to fit his expectations for the Magic Guide Spirit's personality better?
"I wonder if this is good or bad?"
Looking at the smirk on Meowth's lips, Dark couldn't help but frown.
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