Darius assented to this as he pondered over the difference in costs. Changing a leaf to an iron dagger had cost 2 whole points but changing the same type of leaf to a leather flask for storing water cost less than a quarter of the former.
From this, Darius could ascertain that the organic development of the final item had to play an important role in calculating the cost. Organic development in this case referred to the precise process an item underwent before it was formed.
In the case of the dagger, it was formed through blacksmithing. The iron ore would have grown in the mines, before it would be extracted then purified into an ingot through smelting, then forged carefully into its current shape.
As for the flask, it would be made from good quality animal hide which had to be carefully cured, then crafted into its current shape. According to his understanding, what his ability did was artificially simulate the organic process of these items and implement it instantly.
Of course, the base of the item would be changed in order to simulate the process.
As such, Darius identified three main factors that should decide the cost of the conversion. The first was the difference between the base item (leaf) and the base version of the final item (iron ore). Converting across this chasm was likely what made up the majority of the cost.
The second was the simulation of the organic development. From what Darius could tell based on the description of the dagger and the quality of the flask he now held, the simulation was done with the best possible techniques based on the item he wanted.
So the simple iron dagger he wanted had been made as if it had been crafted by a Supreme Blacksmith with a perfect forging skill. It was quite the elitist approach, but Darius would not have wanted it any other way.
The third factor was the actual transmutation, where the item was instantly changed from one form to the other. From what Darius could tell, this stage should not consume that much in terms of cost compared to the first two.
Well, what was important was that he had ascertained some criteria he felt he had to watch out for. He would have to always be mindful of these three factors when converting items, otherwise he could end up spending his precious Conversion Points foolishly.
As of now, he had 7.7 conversion points left for the day. He still wanted to experiment and understand the limitations of his skill as well as draw a true subjective value for the Conversion Points he had.
Darius took another leaf and concentrated.
[Would you like to change the conifer leaf into an empty book? This will cost 0.01 Conversion Points.]
'Hmm… since the properties of a leaf are not as distant from papyrus as it is from iron, the Conversion Points are far fewer. Not to mention the fact that it shouldn't be as hard to make as a dagger, so the other two factors are much simpler as well.' Darius noted calmly.
[Would you like to change the conifer leaf into a blank sheet? This will cost 0.0001 Conversion Points.]
Darius nodded. The difference between an empty book and a single sheet was was big enough for such a great price reduction. However, he was not interested in making a book like this yet.
No, Darius' true goal was…
[Would you like to change the conifer leaf into a fireball spell manual? This will cost 30 Conversion Points.]
Darius breathed out lightly. To say he wasn't disappointed would be a lie. He had expected a high cost, but not so high he would be unable to pay for it even with his entire daily allowance.
However, he had learned something valuable from this experiment.
Firstly, the world of Faust indeed had something like spell manuals that mages used to pass on their knowledge to each other. This might sound obvious, but Darius didn't like to blindly assume too much when he could gain hard evidence through his own hands instead.
Secondly, he could actually spawn such items on his own. After all, it would be a waste to purchase one for exorbitant prices at a shop for mages when he could simply get a few of them free.
Finally, there was hope for him to acquire this one day. Either he had to climb above the Amateur stage and become a Journeyman to have his Conversion Point cap increased or he could acquire items and convert them into points for his usage.
Darius tried to convert the iron dagger back into a conifer leaf.
[Would you like to change the iron dagger into a conifer leaf? This will cost ??? Conversion Points.]
[ERROR, items changed through Transmutation cannot be changed back to previous states.]
Darius sighed. So many limitations!
But still, it was manageable. Such a powerful ability needed many rules to keep it sensible and within reason, otherwise it could easily be abused to cause great harm to the entire world.
Darius performed one more general test for the day.
[Would you like to change the iron dagger into an iron sword? This will cost 0.05 Conversion Points.]
Darius smiled. Finally, a small loophole that was beneficial to him! With this, he could progressively upgrade an item over time. Since he had a limit of 10 points that refreshed every day, he could convert… say, a rock… all the way into a house as long as he made the transformation slow and steady.
With that, he was pleased. Immediately, he tried something else.
[Would you like to change the conifer leaf into an empty spell manual? This will cost 9.6 Conversion Points.]
Darius smiled.
[Would you like to change the conifer leaf into an empty book? This will cost 0.01 Conversion Points.]
Darius assented and watched the leaf shift into a thick book that looked fresh from production. Darius could swear he could even smell the hot glue that was used to stick the pages together.
[Would you like to change the empty book into an empty spell manual? This will cost 5.9 Conversion Points.]
Darius smiled even wider. This loophole was truly useful and quite logical in the end. By splitting the changes into stages, it lowered the absurdity of the transformation and the complexity of a Transmutation.
