The next day, Rose sent him a message saying that the initial funds had run out after she rented an office floor and a warehouse in the suburban area.

​Properties were very expensive, and to rent a factory, she would need more money. Everything was kept strictly in the records so she wouldn’t be suspected of embezzling funds.

After verifying some documents online, Neo sent her the money.

He might not have had a clear idea of how business worked, but he knew ten or twenty million dollars was nothing in this day and age.

It was already a miracle that she had managed to get this far.

​That being said, he felt the need to secure more funding as he was slowly finding himself in a tight pinch.

He quickly found a way: he would synthesize low-grade metals to create extremely precious ones.

With that thought in mind, he went to a local shop to buy some raw iron ore.

After some haggling with the owner, he was able to buy 5,000 kg of raw ore for $300,000.

​The cost seemed high, but it was the standard rate. He wasn’t worried about the expense, however; after all, these iron ores would earn him millions, maybe even billions.

​The transport cargo shipped the materials to his warehouse in the suburbs. Once he confirmed no one was sneaking around, he initiated the synthesis process.

Neo’s hands glowed with an ethereal light. as the [Universal Synthesis] skill began to fold the molecular structure of the raw materials, refining them into something far beyond their original state.

​

​Step 1: Iron Ore (F) + Iron Ore (F) → Refined Iron (E)

The jagged rocks melted and merged into smooth, dark ingots. Neo felt a slight tug on his energy, but it was manageable.

​Step 2: Refined Iron (E) + Refined Iron (E) → Carbon Steel (D)

The metal became denser and took on a cold, grey sheen. His Cosmic Force began to circulate faster to keep up with the structural transformation. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

​Step 3: Carbon Steel (D) + Carbon Steel (D) → High-Tensile Alloy (C)

The density of the metal increased significantly. Also, beads of sweat formed on Neo’s brow as he forced the atoms to bind into a complex formation.

​Step 4: High-Tensile Alloy (C) + High-Tensile Alloy (C) → Tungsten-Titanium Composite (C+)

At this step, the warehouse was filled with a low hum.

Neo’s breathing grew ragged as his energy reserves were dipping below 50%. The strain of maintaining the synthesis field was like holding back a rushing river.

​Step 5: Composite (C+) + Composite (C+) → Star-Silver Ingot (B)

This time, the metal began to glow with a faint, silvery luminescence.

Neo’s vision blurred momentarily. But he gritted his teeth, pouring the last of his immediate Cosmic Force into the core to prevent the synthesis from collapsing.

​Step 6: Star-Silver (B) + Star-Silver (B) → Mithril Essence (A)

Buzz!

This time, a shockwave of energy rippled through the room.

Thud!

Neo fell to one knee, gasping for breath. His energy channels felt like they were on fire, but he refused to let go.

The metal was now semi-liquid, shinning with a magical signature.

​Step 7: Mithril Essence (A) + Mithril Essence (A) → [Dark Adamantite] (A+)

This was as far as Neo could go.

​As the light died down, Neo slumped against a shipping crate, his Cosmic Force completely bottomed out.

His muscles felt heavy, and a sharp migraine throbbed behind his eyes.

He had really pushed himself to the limit this time.

At least, the hard work bore fruit.

​But before him lay a single, modest-sized bar of dark, iridescent metal that seemed to swallow the dim warehouse light.

​[Item Synthesized: Dark Adamantite (Grade: A+)]

Description: It is an extremely rare metal used in the construction of Titan-class ship cores and S-tier weaponry.

[ Estimated Price: 1.2 Billion Dollars (12 UC)

​Neo let out a weak, triumphant laugh. This one bar was worth more than the entire warehouse and the land it sat on. Although it had taken 2,500 kg of iron ore to produce, the profit margin was catastrophically high.

​After an hour of recovering his Cosmic Force, he repeated the process one more time. By the end, Neo was extremely exhausted and couldn’t lift a finger. Only two Dark Adamantite bars, weighing about 5 kg total, stood by his side.

​However, he noticed one thing:

​[ Cosmic Force: 1 / 235 ]

​His energy capacity had extended by ten points because of the extreme depletion, which was a good sign. His pain and suffering hadn’t been for nothing.

​After another hour of recovering his energy, he was about to leave to sell the two Adamantite bars when two people wearing security guard uniforms entered the warehouse through the main entrance. They were ordinary humans, so Neo relaxed.

​As Neo stood up, they approached him carefully.

​"Hey, are you an employee here? We’re the new guards Miss Rosella hired," one of them said, introducing himself.

​Neo smiled, and extended his hand. "Yes, I am. The materials will arrive here very soon. You must secure them well if you want a good salary, understand?"

​"That we will do, man. We brothers will keep the warehouse safe and secure. Do not worry!"

​Neo noticed how enthusiastic they were.

​"Good. Take my contact number and inform me immediately if any emergency arises."

​"Sure!"

-

​After that brief introduction, Neo headed to a treasure shop in Delta Square, a place where money flows like water. Rich businessmen, tycoons, and prominent politicians gathered there to buy whatever they find interesting.

It was the perfect location to get the right price for his items.

​Along the way, he noticed several small auctions ongoing in the open streets, mostly featuring otherworldly jewelry and gadgets.

It was then that something caught his eye.

​"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our live street auction! Here, you will enjoy the finest wonders and behold never-before-seen rare treasures. Take a look, these items will be perfect presents for your loved ones."

​The auctioneer’s voice boomed over the crowd, drawing a thick circle of curious onlookers and wealthy collectors.

​"Our first item is a Spatial Ring, forged by the ancient dwarves on the distant planet of Eldorian. It boasts a storage space of 20 meters in diameter. The starting bid for this item is 200 million dollars!"

"A space ring?"

​Neo paused, his interest piqued. He had seen one in the hand of Zestia.

Such a storage device would be incredibly useful for his work, especially considering the weight and volume of the raw ores he had to transport everytime.