In the shop of 'Arthdal Chronicles: Three Factions' (hereinafter 'Arthdal Chronicles'), you’ll find a rather overlooked item called the 'Life Crystal'. It’s a handy substitute for crafting materials, yet many players remain blissfully unaware of its existence. So, how do you get your hands on them, and more importantly, how do you use them? KookminTree has done the legwork to find out.

Q. What exactly is a Life Crystal?
A. It serves as a substitute for ores, logs, leaves, leathers, and specialty goods when crafting gear.

You can find these crystals under [Shop]-[General] and purchase them with specific gems. When crafting gear, one crystal of the corresponding grade replaces one unit of raw material—be it ore, wood, leaves, leather, or specialty items. There’s no cap on how many you can buy or use, which is quite generous.

Pricing is as follows: 5 gems for 999 Common Life Crystals, 6 gems for 100 Advanced ones, 40 gems for 100 Rare ones, and 50 gems for 100 Rare Excellent ones. Breaking that down, you’re looking at roughly 0.005 gems for Common, 0.06 for Advanced, 0.4 for Rare/Rare Specialty, and 0.5 gems for Excellent Specialty per unit.

If you peek at current market prices, common materials usually go for around 0.01 gems, advanced for 0.3, and rare for 3 gems. It’s a bargain, really. Just keep in mind that herbs cannot be replaced by these crystals; you’ll have to snag those from the exchange or buy them for silver from a master chef.

Q. How do I actually use a Life Crystal?
A. When crafting gear, simply hit the swap button on the material icon.

Swapping is a doddle. When crafting, just click the swap button on the material icon to switch to the crystal. It automatically applies the correct grade. A word of caution: specific rare specialties like Bamnyangidol, Sunrise Flowers, and Songari Flowers require Rare Life Crystals, not the Rare Excellent ones, so do watch what you’re buying.

Q. Which materials do you recommend replacing with Life Crystals?
A. If the market price exceeds the crystal cost, swap them all.

Popular specialty items like Horongdol, Daellae Bellflowers, Shinyu Flowers, Dalrae Trees, Bamnyangidol, Sunrise Flowers, and Songari Flowers often trade for over 1 gem. Since you can replace these with Rare Excellent or Rare Life Crystals at a cost of 0.5 or 0.4 gems respectively, you're essentially halving your crafting costs.

There’s an added bonus, too: purchasing materials from the exchange doesn't net you any mileage since it's a player-to-player trade. However, because Life Crystals are bought directly from the shop, you accumulate mileage. It’s a small amount, but it adds up—perfect for saving towards that guaranteed legendary item.