Chapter 111: The Magic Carpet

Chapter 111: The Magic Carpet



Over the past month, Karl and Sibel had managed to sell a staggering 1,600 magic stones in the market.

Their profit margin was an impressive 830 magic stones.

If it weren't for the last-minute price slashing and quick disposal, they could have earned even more.

After deducting the interests and wages for others, they had to pay, they still had a net profit of 600 magic stones.

Dividing it between the two of them, each received 300 magic stones.

Three hundred magic stones may not seem like much, but in reality, many high-level wizard apprentices would struggle to accumulate this much in their entire lives.

And yet, in just a little over a month, these two had accomplished a lifetime's worth of wealth accumulation for others.

It was truly a windfall!

"No wonder people prefer business; the hard work of laborers can't compare to a merchant seizing the right opportunity," Karl mused as he counted the magic stones, feeling a sense of awe.

He reflected on their endeavor, "With the resources from another world, crafting and selling enchanted items, it would take years to earn this much money."

He shook his head, "Tsk tsk..."

Then, he picked up a bag and emptied its contents onto the table with a flourish.

The magic stones clattered, forming a small mountain.

"Aside from my collaboration with Sibel, I've also invested a considerable amount of magic stones in the market, reaping substantial profits," Karl added.

"With a total of 320 magic stones from our partnership and my personal investments, my overall earnings amount to 620 magic stones. It's like we became overnight millionaires."

Looking at the pile of magic stones in front of him, Karl's face lit up with satisfaction.

"In the entire Swamp Alliance, aside from those few official wizards, my wealth should be among the highest, right?"

"Hmm..."

"Compared to those big merchants..."

This speculative venture wasn't just Karl's doing; several merchants with official wizard backing had also joined in.

They entered the market just a day or two later, investing even more, which explained why their actions caused such a stir, forcing the Alliance to intervene.

However, due to the scale of their operations, while they earned more magic stones, they also had to share it with others, so the final amount they kept was still uncertain.

A few days later.

Alysia's shop.

"Just looking at you, I can tell you've had a great haul," Alysia shrugged, "It's enough to make anyone envious."

"You've also profited from this," Karl pulled up a chair and sat down, changing the topic, "I heard the Alliance arrested a few merchants for disrupting the market?"

"Yes," Alysia nodded, "They arrested five and released two, probably because they had official wizards backing them, and the Alliance didn't want to offend wizards."

"You guys reacted quickly, even if it meant lowering prices to sell fast. Your foresight is admirable."

They had bought low when others were still unaware and sold before the Alliance intervened, making a substantial profit.

"Hmm..." Karl shook his head slightly, "Let's not talk about that for now. I want to acquire an advanced enchanted item, do you have any leads?"

"An advanced enchanted item?" Alysia shook her head, "These things are always about seizing the right opportunity; they're not always available, and now isn't the best time to buy."

"A few days ago..."

She took a sip of her fruit wine and spoke softly, "At a black wizard's auction, an advanced enchanted item was sold, leaning more towards offensive capabilities. It was initially priced at around 200 magic stones, but in the end, it was sold for 430 magic stones, almost doubling its value."

"With an impending war, who wouldn't want to strengthen themselves? The value of such items is bound to skyrocket."

Karl's face turned slightly grim.

If it weren't for his recent windfall, he wouldn't even dare to think about buying such an item.

'What's going on?'

'I worked hard to earn this money, but now the prices have skyrocketed. What's the point of earning money if I can't buy what I want?'

"Buying an advanced enchanted item now isn't a wise decision," Alysia spoke up, "Moreover, even if you acquire one, it's difficult for a wizard apprentice to fully utilize its power."

"It might even attract unnecessary trouble."

"My suggestion is, with this money, it's better to purchase magic seals!"

"Magic seals?" Karl looked up, "Seals that replicate magic circuits?"

"Yes," Alysia nodded, "Official wizards will inscribe a magic circuit onto special magical materials, which are what we call magic seals."

"Although magic seals can only be used once, they can unleash the power of a magic circuit, which is far superior to advanced enchanted items."

"Magic seals..." Karl spoke softly.

"They're not cheap, indeed."

"That's true," Alysia agreed, "But recently, official wizards have been selling quite a few magic seals, so even though other things are getting more expensive, the price of magic seals hasn't increased much."

"Most are priced between 20 magic stones, and I have two magic seals here. Would you like to take a look?"

II. Thirty magic stones, buying disposable items, is indeed not cheap, but it can be used in an emergency.

One-Ring Wizardry!

Even the current Karl doesn't have much confidence in handling it, and immediately asked:

"What kind of seals are they?"

"A Life Spring, as long as the head or heart is not severely injured, can quickly recover." Alysia approached the counter and took out two thumb-sized, jade-like seals:

"Even if the hands and feet are cut off, as long as they are picked up and brought back, this seal can reconnect them."

"A good thing for self-preservation, priced at twenty-eight magic stones."

Life Spring?

One-Ring Wizardry!

However, this seal is useless to Karl. Ever since he refined the Abyssal creature's essence, his recovery ability has become increasingly stronger.

The Abyssal Giant Squid is a Tier 2 creature. Its flesh has an innate talent similar to that of a golem, but even stronger. As long as it has sufficient energy, any part of its body can regenerate. Not to mention limb reattachment, with its essence progress reaching twenty percent, limb regeneration probably won't be an issue.

Karl shook his head and looked at Alysia:

"What about this one?"

"This one can release a several dozen square meters ice storm, everything within will suffer indiscriminate frost and wind blade dual attacks. Even a legendary knight wouldn't feel good about it."

"Priced at thirty magic stones."

Karl's eyebrows raised slightly.

"The magic materials needed for refining seals are very precious, plus it consumes formal wizard's spiritual power. In fact, thirty magic stones is not expensive."

Wizards usually rarely refine seals.

Firstly, they can't use them, and secondly, it's time-consuming and laborious. They only refine a few for their juniors' protection.

Thinking about it, he asked:

"How many seals are there in the market?"

"Even a small merchant like me has two, what about you?" Alysia smiled:

"Since formal wizards can't take action this time, they can only use this method to increase the wizard apprentices' strength."

"Do you want one?"

Karl hesitated, then fixed his gaze on the Ice Storm seal:

"Cheaper!"

"It's already very cheap!" Alysia exclaimed:

"You're my old customer, and you're still haggling over this small amount of money? Moreover, do you still lack this little money?"

"Twenty magic stones!"

"Impossible! At least twenty-eight magic stones!"

"Twenty-two?"

"Twenty-eight! Not a single stone less." Alysia's face tightened, not budging.

"Alright!"

Karl sighed helplessly:

"By the way, where can I find control seals for sale?"

---

After the formation of the Starlight Secret Society, it was natural to have a gathering place for all members.

The gathering point was chosen on the island rented by Oma.

On this day.

All members rarely gathered together.

In the simple 'Great Hall', twenty members filled the bronze table, with Mortilis, the first president, sitting at the head.

Sibel, Oma, and another advanced wizard apprentice, Nelius, sat on either side of him.

According to their cultivation and contribution to the team, the rest of the members were seated accordingly.

Karl and Amy sat near the end of the table.

"I just returned from my mentor."

Mortilis's expression turned solemn:

"Although I don't know the reason, it's confirmed that the Swamp Alliance and the Kingdom of Gandor have reached an agreement."

"We will assassinate the nobles, generals, and several marquises of the Kolon Army."

Sibel looked at Karl, who was sitting at the back of the hall.

Currently, within the entire Swamp Alliance, besides the formal wizards, perhaps only a few knew the true situation.

The agreement with the Swamp Alliance was not made by the Kingdom of Gandor, but by the Morning Sun Lord, who resides in the Divine Realm.

A deity! Perhaps Mortilis also knew, but he didn't say.

"Although the Alliance has tried to block the news, the Black Swamp is too vast, and it's inevitable that there will be informants from Kolon. I believe the news will spread soon."

Mortilis continued:

"Once the news gets out, Kolon will be prepared, and our assassination attempt will become more difficult."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

"So..."

Mortilis looked around at all the members, and said:

"We must complete the task and eliminate the targets given by the Alliance before the news spreads."

"Because of my mentor, I obtained a list of targets in advance."

He waved the staff in his hand, and a stack of documents was placed in front of everyone by the Apprentice Wizard's Hand.

This kind of precise control over the Apprentice Wizard's Hand ability also impressed many people.

The president is getting stronger!

No wonder he's known as one of the most promising young wizards to become a formal wizard.

"Sibel and Oma will act together, their target is a legendary knight. The rest of you shouldn't interfere."

Mortilis said:

"My target is a marquis, and I will take action with four wizard apprentices. Additionally, our society needs to set two to three more tasks."

"Like the Spirit Weavers, Shadow Sanctuary, and our Starlight Secret Society, we've all obtained assassination lists in advance, and the Alliance has assigned tasks to us. As for the rest of you, you can choose from the remaining targets."

"As we wait for the others to make their choices, the news will undoubtedly spread, and the Kolon side will be on guard," Duru spoke up. "The longer we take, the more difficult and dangerous it becomes."

"So..."

He looked at the others, especially the few at the end of the bronze long table.

"You should be grateful to be part of the Starlight Secret Society. Otherwise, you'd only be assigned dangerous tasks. But remember, what we discuss today must not be shared outside. Or I'll personally deal with those who betray our trust!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"We also have a High Wizard Apprentice leading us, ensuring even greater safety, and they'll definitely follow the Society's rules."

Everyone nodded repeatedly, relieved.

"... "

Karl sat near the end of the table, his expression unchanged, while Amy beside him was excited, her face turning red.

"Karl," she whispered as she leaned closer.

"It's fortunate that you introduced me to the Starlight Secret Society. Otherwise..." She paused, then continued, "Let's go on missions together?"

"Depends on the situation," Karl replied, snapping out of his thoughts.

"We'll see then."

"Yes," Amy nodded, then added, "I'll definitely accompany you."

Karl raised an eyebrow.

This young lady's trust in him seemed a bit excessive.

The list of tasks from the League covered almost all of the upper-level officers and nobles of Kolon.

Everyone picked and chose, selecting two counts as their targets.

Generals were not an option.

Most of them resided in the military camps, guarded by heavy troops, and accompanied by Fire Stealers and Wizard Apprentices.

Moreover, the generals themselves were not weaklings, and assassinating them would be both difficult and dangerous.

It wouldn't work if they were too far away.

By the time they gathered enough people and started their mission, the news might have already spread, and the other side would be prepared.

The farther they were from Gandor, the more likely they were to encounter unforeseen dangers on their return journey.

After much deliberation, they finally chose a few who met the requirements.

"Karl!"

Duru looked up.

"You'll accompany me."

Karl raised an eyebrow, instinctively glancing at Siebel.

He didn't have much interaction with Duru, but many wanted to accompany this High Wizard Apprentice.

By calling him, it was clear that Duru was showing favoritism.

As expected.

Siebel returned a knowing smile.

Apparently, Duru had asked her to look after Karl.

After the main meeting, Karl, Amy, and a few others huddled in a corner, whispering.

"Our target is the son of one of the three Grand Dukes of Kolon, Count Bob," Duru said, pointing at a portrait on the table.

"Being a count means he can't inherit the Grand Duke's title, so he's probably not valued by the Grand Duke," Duru explained.

"But Bob himself is a Grand Knight with a certain level of prestige in the Kolon military, is not to be underestimated."

"Additionally!"

"He's currently residing in the city, with not many troops around, which is advantageous for our mission."

"Brother Duru," Amy raised her hand, "When are we taking action?"

"My plan is to do it as soon as possible," Duru said, taking out a map and tapping a location, "First, we'll head to Rotar City and meet up with those hiding in Gandor. Then we'll discuss the next steps."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Next, you all prepare your things. I'll set off the day after tomorrow. If possible, let's travel together as much as we can."

Duru continued, "If you have other matters to handle, then half a month later, we'll gather in Rotar City."

Half a month? Karl touched his chin, thinking, 'That should be enough time!'

Divine Realm Fragment.

Karl sat cross-legged in the center of the Artifact Chamber.

Around him, numerous fine red threads of varying thickness covered the floor, filling the entire chamber.

These threads were the fruits of his recent labor.

After the death of the Flame Island's strange bird, it left behind a pile of fluff, an extremely rare Artifact material.

Following the Wizard's method, Karl re-refined the fluff, taking a long time to achieve the current results.

"Let's begin!"

Focusing his mind, Karl took a potion that temporarily boosted Mental Power and drank it, his eyes narrowing.

Minor Mage's Hand!

"Rise!"

A delicate thread slowly floated up, forming an eerie curve under his control and hovering silently.

"First thread!"

Karl held his staff and waved lightly, causing another thread to fly up from the floor and hover in mid-air.

"Second thread!"

"... "

"Seventy-third thread!"

As the threads increased, a magic circuit formed by numerous threads appeared in the air.

Levitation!

Karl had just crafted a magic flying carpet!

If there were others present, they would surely laugh at his overconfidence.

After all, a magic flying carpet was an Advanced Enchanted Item, something only a proper Wizard could craft.

Perhaps a High Wizard Apprentice skilled in Alchemy could craft Advanced Enchanted Items, but it was still a challenge.

"A magic flying carpet requires engraving thousands of magic circuits in one go, without interruption or mistakes. Otherwise, all efforts would be in vain, and maintaining the Minor Mage's Hand for an extended period is no easy task."

---

Karl's thoughts shifted.

"Moreover, weaving a magic carpet with silk threads requires meticulous attention to detail, and historically, all magic carpet weavers are female wizards, which proves this point."

"But..."

"I disagree!"

His eyes narrowed.

"In the Divine Realm fragments, I have precise control over my mental power, allowing me to complete tasks with minimal consumption."

"Others may take years to construct spell models in the mental sea, but I can do it in a matter of days."

"The same goes for the magic carpet!"

"Additionally, after consuming the Light of Wisdom and other potions, my mental power can slowly recover and increase resilience within a certain period, theoretically making it possible to weave the carpet."

Time passed slowly.

"Six hundred and sixty-seven threads!"

The threads varied in length, and the order couldn't be wrong, with the weaving becoming more complex as he progressed.

He was crafting an enchanted item.

It required formidable mental power, exceptional focus, and experience in weaving...not to mention the rarity of the necessary materials.

Due to these constraints, even among official wizards, those capable of crafting enchanted carpets are extremely rare.

"One thousand eight hundred and one threads!"

"One thousand eight hundred and two threads!"

Time seemed to pass both in hours and days as the magic carpet gradually took shape.

And then there was Karl.

He remained seated on the ground, his eyes bloodshot, and his hand gripping his staff trembled slightly.

"I've gone too far!"

He smiled bitterly, turning to look at the carpet on the ground beside him.

"At least I finally crafted it!"

"I'll take a good rest first!"

...

Two days later.

A refreshed Karl appeared at the edge of the Black Swamp, with two broadswords hanging at his waist and a thick package on his back.

After leaving the Black Swamp and reaching an uninhabited area.

"Come out!"

Karl commanded, and the package on his back trembled, opening to reveal a scroll from which a carpet flew out and unfurled before him.

It slowly spread out and gently fluttered, inviting him to sit.

A magic carpet!

The carpet had a dark red hue, feeling as soft and smooth as feathers to the touch.

It hovered in mid-air, its corners occasionally twitching and undulating like a playful magical creature.

"It's a little."

Karl stepped onto the carpet and sat down, occupying most of its area, prompting him to shake his head in dismay.

"Using Zero-Ring Wizardry's Levitation Spell, not the Flying Spell, the carpet's ability to fly relies on the special materials. Once I become an official wizard, I can modify it."

"As for now..."

With a thought, the magic carpet trembled as it consumed his mental power, lifting him into the sky.

Ten meters!

Twenty meters!

...

One hundred meters!

At a height of one hundred meters, the gentle breeze below became a howling gale.

He even felt a sense of oxygen deprivation.

"Huff..."

Looking down, Karl saw the trees, the ground, and the people below becoming minuscule, causing him a sense of vertigo.

Acrophobia?

He shook his head, suppressing the discomfort.

"A hundred meters is about the limit; going higher will significantly increase the mental power consumption."

"However..."

"It's enough."

At a height of one hundred meters, looking down, one would only see an insignificant black dot.

It's easy to overlook unless you're staring directly at it.

"Next, speed."

With a thought, the carpet beneath him surged forward against the wind.

The sound of the wind howled in his ears.

"Slower than a horse but much faster than a normal person's sprint, comparable to the long-distance travel speed of a knight's retinue."

Karl estimated.

"With my mental power, without potion replenishment, I can fly up to ten li."

"Not bad!"

He patted the magic carpet beneath him and pointed into the distance.

"Let's go!"

"To Rotta City!"

The carpet vibrated and accelerated forward.

At the same time, a single ring of light appeared on the carpet, and the dark red hue quietly faded away.

Concealment Spell!

With Karl's current abilities, true invisibility was beyond his reach, but deceiving ordinary people's eyes was not a problem.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end