Chapter 125: Scheming

Chapter 125: Scheming



A few days later.

Analytic Spell!

A faint glow emanated from Karl's palm, covering the several vials of potions in front of him, and he spoke:

"Detoxification potion, moderate quality, meets the requirements."

"The purchase price is a total of seventeen magic stones. Keep the receipt and come to exchange for the stones next month."

A nearby quill pen dipped itself in ink and wrote out a receipt on triplicate paper, handing one copy to the Alchemy Apprentice.

The other two copies were kept, one for the shop and the other for Wizard Arch to reconcile the accounts.

The apothecary shop didn't pay for the potions immediately but would settle the payment uniformly after a month.

This effectively alleviated the financial pressure on the shop and was a credit system established after the shop's success.

"Thank you!" The apprentice's face lit up with excitement as he eagerly accepted the receipt with both hands, carefully tucking it away before taking his leave.

"Not bad," Charlie, sitting nearby, nodded in approval. "Karl's Analytic Spell is well-practiced, but he lacks experience and isn't familiar with the potions here."

"Yes," Karl responded, using the Wizard's Hand to send the potions to the warehouse. "I didn't expect that even a simple detoxification potion would have dozens of variations. The abundance of spell materials here is truly enviable."

"Haha..." Charlie burst into laughter. "I should say that this is the normal state of affairs."

"The radiance of the deities on the Eastern Kingdom Continent is too dazzling, even blocking the existence of the Star Realm."

Without the Star Realm scattering its extraordinary seeds, the birth of various magical creatures and countless materials was naturally absent.

He stood up.

"Now I'm relieved. I can see that the shop is in good hands and functioning well."

"Next, I'll help you gradually familiarize yourself with the ledgers. A portion of the shop's income needs to be handed over to the High Tower, as well as the Cape family's taxes. The remainder is for the workers' wages and our profits."

He patted Karl's shoulder and strolled towards the market, clearly relieved and unburdened.

Midnight.

After a busy day, Karl returned to the backyard of the shop.

Wizard Arch rarely stayed at the Wizard Tower; although Charlie didn't have a family here, he kept several women and had a fixed residence.

Therefore,

The backyard was currently Karl's private domain, and he also acted as a guard to prevent theft from the warehouse.

A round disk, the size of a washbasin, sat in the center of the courtyard, engraved with intricate rune markings.

Celestial Disk!

This was a magical artifact capable of activating various spell traps, somewhat similar to the array plates from Karl's memories.

The Celestial Disk channeled the power of the Star Realm and, with the aid of magic stones, enveloped the entire apothecary shop.

Any intruder attempting to sneak in would face various spell attacks.

Of course.

The consumption of magic stones was not insignificant.

Maintaining the basic operation of the Celestial Disk required eight magic stones each month, and encounters with enemies would consume even more.

Whether it was the Celestial Disk or other magical artifacts, it was clear that the Wizard Path here was far more advanced than in the Black Swamp.

After inspecting the Celestial Disk, Karl strolled into the study, where several thick books rested on the desk.

These books documented the current state of the Magic Forest.

"The Magic Forest is vast, but the areas suitable for human habitation are few and scattered throughout the forest. As a result, over countless years, no unified power has ever emerged."

"Similar to the Cape family's management of the Leipzig Market, there are several other markets controlled by different families and forces in the Magic Forest."

"Each family or force that controls a market has at least one Second Circle Wizard."

"The most powerful among them is the Wettin family, which governs four markets and has a Third Circle Wizard. However, this Third Circle Wizard hasn't been seen for decades, leading many to speculate that they might have passed away or traveled to a distant land."

"The Sixth Circle Tower from the Calim Continent, the White Tooth Castle, and the Order of the Mystic hold a unique position here. Despite their relatively weaker strength, they have formidable backing of powerful entities, so other forces rarely dare to provoke them. These three major organizations are secretly connected and also possess a Second Circle Wizard."

Karl paused his reading, deep in thought.

"In other words, the presence of a Second Circle Wizard is the key indicator of a force's strength."

A Second Circle Wizard typically lives for five hundred years, and with the practice of special spells, they can even survive for a millennium.

For example, Grey Robe Wizard Addison could have lived for a thousand years if he hadn't sacrificed himself.

Therefore, having just one Second Circle Wizard almost guarantees a family's prosperity for hundreds of years.

With a few more centuries, a family can nurture a Second Circle Wizard among their descendants, ensuring the continuation of their legacy.

"Strange!" Karl furrowed his brows slightly and shook his head. "Even if the environment is unfavorable and the threats within the Magic Forest are numerous, a unified power would seemingly enhance the survival capabilities of ordinary people and Wizard Apprentices. Why hasn't there been a unified power for thousands, or even tens of thousands, of years?"

"Geographical factors alone couldn't have prevented the trend towards unification."

"Could it be..."

"In all this time, has the Magic Forest never produced a brilliant and exceptional figure?"

Karl's curiosity remained unanswered by the books.

Rather than concern himself with grand trends, he turned his attention to his immediate surroundings.

Sixth Circle Tower!

The Sixth Circle Tower was the pinnacle of power on the Calim Continent, and being an apprentice there was an honor.

Similarly,

In the eyes of the Sixth Circle Tower's Wizards, the Magic Forest was a dangerous, barren, and primitive land.

No one was willing to venture there.

Like the children of wealthy families in the capital, how many would be willing to go to the countryside and stay for thirty years?

The reason the group from the Black Swamp came over was that they had no choice, and the place they came from was even worse.

"Next year, when the Star Realm portal opens, with us coming here, the Sixth Circle Tower will no longer send disciples over."

"They've made a good calculation, using the identity of the Sixth Circle Tower to let the people from the Black Swamp replace the real disciples."

"But..."

"Lack of manpower!"

"Severely understaffed!"

Karl looked out the window, his eyes glimmering.

The Sixth Circle Tower had four mountains under development, with tens of thousands of ordinary people working under them to cut down trees.

The actual managers numbered no more than thirty.

There were also shops in the market, but just like how Karl had to guard one shop alone, there was a shortage of manpower everywhere.

As a result, they had no choice but to recruit locals like Simon to help with business.

Even so, they were still short-staffed. For instance, Karl had to keep an eye on the shop during the day and had no time to cultivate.

"Blessings and misfortunes come hand in hand!"

Karl pondered, "Although the environment here is harsh, as a disciple of the Sixth Circle Tower, I am also held in high regard by the natives of the Magic Forest, and no one dares to provoke me easily."

"The shortage of manpower is a good thing; it means there's no surveillance, and the freedom is high. As long as I adapt, life should be more relaxed."

...

Divine Realm Fragment.

To prevent being discovered, Karl had not entered the Divine Realm Fragment since arriving in the Magic Forest.

Only after confirming that he wouldn't be detected did he step into it.

"Hmm!"

Quincy's memory still permeated the Divine Realm Fragment, and his consciousness was immediately impacted upon arrival.

Karl shook his head helplessly and took out the knowledge of the Dimensional Cage spell, slowly opening it on the stone pedestal.

Dimensional Cage!

A spell of no rank.

After cultivating it, one could use psychic energy to construct a maze, trapping and killing the soul body that invaded one's consciousness.

The spell's power was related to the strength of the psychic energy and the complexity of the maze construction, and its origins were mysterious.

"First, I need to construct this spell; otherwise, nothing else can be done."

The constant memory impact was affecting even his absolute rationality, making the process of constructing the spell model a constant struggle.

Moreover, with the need to manage the shop during the day, he had even less time to work on the spell model.

For the first time, Karl experienced the difficulty of cultivating a spell.

Fortunately, he had been studying related knowledge recently, so he could keep up with the progress.

Half a month later...

"Out!"

Karl muttered, and a bright light appeared above the Divine Realm Fragment, forming a complex maze.

Quincy's memories, floating in the Divine Realm Fragment, were like a giant whale, drawn towards the maze above.

After falling into the maze, it turned into a speck of light, wandering aimlessly inside.

"Hmm?"

"Can it still escape?"

The maze wasn't complex, and even without intelligence, the speck of light might be able to escape.

Karl stroked his chin in thought, and the maze above changed immediately.

In his memory, there was a man named Herbert Simon who had made significant contributions in the field of artificial intelligence. Based on his theories and techniques, many extremely complex mazes had been created.

The most common maze was a flat maze, using various obstacles to confuse and hinder those inside from finding their way out.

The next level up was a three-dimensional maze, with complexity increasing geometrically.

If mathematical formulas were added, escaping from such a maze would be almost impossible.

What Karl needed to do was to replicate this complex maze system.

Fortunately, his psychic energy was relatively strong, and the cost of modifying the maze wasn't significant. Soon, he completed the task.

Finally, the overwhelming memory impact in the Divine Realm Fragment disappeared, and a long-awaited calmness returned.

"What a pity!" Karl muttered, "The Dimensional Cage can't completely seal off the memories. Only by completely sealing them can it become an endless cage."

"Now, it's time to verify my idea."

Initially, Karl had only treated the Divine Realm Fragment as a warehouse and a means to travel to other worlds.

Gradually, he discovered other uses for it.

For example, the Data Panel, which could be used to enhance one's strength using Essence.

Later, he learned from the deities that the Divine Realm Fragment could also be used as a wish-granting machine and a soul-harvesting device.

So...

Could any wish be granted? And what would be the different costs for different wishes?

...

Simon, dressed in luxurious clothing and holding a staff, strolled leisurely down the long street, occasionally tapping his palm.

"Simon!"

On the second floor of a tavern facing the street, a man with thick hair pushed open the window and waved, calling out, "Old friend, if you have nothing better to do, why not come up for a chat?"

"Ferla!" Simon's hand paused, his eyes glinting as he turned and climbed up to the second floor.

"I told you, the Sixth Circle Tower folks look down on us locals. No matter how much you try to please them, you're still an outsider," Ferla said, pouring himself a drink and laughing.

"Now you see it, don't you?"

Simon's face tightened, and the veins on his hand holding the wine glass bulged.

"You're not any better off," he snorted coldly. "Following around the young master of the Cape family like a dog, isn't that being treated like a servant?"

"Haha..." Ferla burst into laughter, "I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but being associated with the Cape family means I can at least live a decent life."

"And when I'm old, I can leave behind some inheritance."

"What about you?"

He raised his cup and looked at Simon, "You're smarter and more capable, but you've chosen the wrong person. The Sixth Circle Tower never shares its secrets with outsiders."

"Bang!"

The cup in Simon's hand shattered.

"Mr. Karl."

A salesperson named Trudy approached and spoke softly, "We're running low on health potions. In a couple of days, we might face a shortage."

"Health potions?" Karl, reclining in a soft chair with his eyes closed, opened them and asked, "The kind supplied by Ms. Ye Lu?"

The Magic Forest was extremely dangerous. While the area near the market was relatively safe, hidden perils lurked everywhere else.

Whether it was for food or magical resources, one had to venture into the forest, which often took a long time. Health potions were, of course, a staple item.

"Yes."

Trudy nodded, "We were supposed to receive a shipment seven days ago, but it never arrived. They said there was a problem at home."

"..." Karl sat up straight, "Recently, there have been quite a few issues with the supplying apothecaries."

Besides Ms. Ye Lu, several other supplying apothecaries had failed to deliver on time or were delaying their shipments.

Initially, it wasn't a significant concern.

But now,

it was starting to affect the normal operations of the store.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"It seems that relying solely on one apothecary for a particular potion is risky, as it can be easily disrupted."

Standing up, Karl spoke, "I'll go and ask Brother Charlie; he should know other apothecaries who can make health potions."

"Bang!"

As his words fell, a dull sound came from the entrance, and the outer door shook slightly.

"Scoundrel!"

"Despicable scoundrel!"

Someone shouted outside the store, "Murderous scoundrel! Selling expired, inferior potions as high-quality goods, you killed my brother!"

"Arch's shop is a murderous place!"

"..."

Every month, the stores in the market had to pay a management fee. Of course, this money wasn't collected without reason.

The Cape family's patrol officers quickly arrived at the scene and restrained the two knights who were shouting.

However, the situation escalated quickly.

The commotion attracted a crowd of onlookers, and the simple accusations directly pointed to Arch's apothecary.

"What's going on here?"

Karl stepped out with a grim expression and looked at the two knights kneeling outside the store, "Are you causing trouble?"

"We're not here to cause trouble!" One of the knights glared, his neck veins bulging as he looked up, "The health potions we bought from your store are useless! They couldn't save my brother, and he died out there."

"His corpse is right here. We demand justice!"

The already decaying body lay outside the store, and Karl was well aware of it, his expression growing darker.

"Mr. Karl."

The patrol officer spoke, "If you have no further questions, we'll remove them. We can't have chaos in the market."

"Wait a moment." Karl looked up and asked, "On what grounds do you claim that the health potions came from our store?"

"How dare you?" The other knight's eyes widened, "Do you intend to deny it?"

Struggling, he took out a few bottles of potions from his pocket and threw them on the ground, shouting, "These are all potions bought from your store! They have your mark on them, and you can't deny it!"

Karl picked up the potions from the ground and examined them briefly, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Indeed, the potions were the ones sold in the store.

Moreover,

they had indeed expired.

They even contained a certain level of toxicity, which could be fatal if consumed at a critical moment.

"What's going on here?"

At this moment, Charlie arrived, having heard the commotion. After seeing the potions in Karl's hand, his expression changed slightly, and he shouted, "Get them out of here! How dare you cause trouble at a formal wizard's store!"

"Get out!"

Signaling the patrol officers to take the knights away, he gave Karl a look and headed inside the store.

"Scoundrel!"

"Murderous scoundrel!"

"Ah..."

Outside, the roar grew fainter, but the whispers of the crowd continued.

"What's going on here?"

Charlie sat down, his expression grim, "There's a problem with the potions?"

"..." Karl sighed helplessly and handed the potions to Charlie, "Yes, they were sold in our store, but Brother Charlie, I inspect every batch of potions that come in, and there were no issues at the time."

Potions couldn't be opened, as doing so would cause irreversible changes. So, these were sealed potions.

Charlie took them, did a quick inspection, and set them aside.

"It's too late to talk about what happened. The key now is how to handle the situation."

"The mentor's reputation must be protected."

"Brother Karl!"

His voice carried a hint of gravity, "You were personally brought in by the mentor, and I hope you won't let him down."

"..."

Karl bowed his head.

...

Leaving the bustling Leipzig Market, they hadn't gone far before it felt like entering another world.

Various houses intertwined, and the streets of different sizes resembled a maze. The passersby wore simple clothing, and from time to time, one could see emaciated children playing in muddy pits.

For a moment, Karl found himself in a daze, feeling as if he had arrived at the Port of Freedom, a place of chaos and disorder.

"There are few places in the Magic Forest where food can be grown. To obtain food, one must venture into the mountains and hunt various dangerous creatures."

The store's guard, J, a Grand Knight, was familiar with Karl's background and whispered an explanation:

"So, the natives here don't have the best living conditions."

Karl nodded slowly.

His life in the Wizard Tower and the market was so convenient that it rivaled the modern society of his past life.

Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation were all easily accessible.

But here,

it was like medieval Europe.

Two vastly different eras, yet they coexisted in the same place, separated only by an absolute power divide.

In reality, only a tiny minority could afford to live in the market, while the vast majority resided in places akin to slums.

"Let's go!"

Following a muddy path for a short while, the two men stopped at a relatively spacious courtyard.

"Sir."

J spoke softly, "This is the place."

"Hmm."

Karl nodded, and with a gentle wave of his wide sleeve, an invisible force tore the courtyard apart.

Minor Mage's Hand!

"Boom!"

"Who's there?"

The loud noise caused a stir in the courtyard, and a white-bearded wizard holding a staff appeared, looking towards the gate.

Upon seeing Karl, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Mr. Karl."

"Why are you here?"

"Harold!" Karl's face darkened as he threw two bottles of expired health potions at Harold's feet:

"These potions were acquired from you. How do you explain this?"

"Is there a problem with my potions?" Harold picked up the potions and, after a quick inspection, his face contorted with anger:

"Mr. Karl, what proof do you have that these potions came from me?"

"Health potions are in high demand, so the apothecary has three potion masters supplying them. To prevent mistakes, I marked each batch from every supplier. Karl scoffed, "Harold, do you think you can get away with this by denying it?"

This was a suggestion from Charlie to facilitate accounting, but Karl had never expected to use it in this way.

"Even if that's the case, what can be done?" Harold's expression changed slightly, but his tone hardened again:

"My potions are flawless. They were checked by you as well, and now there's an issue. Who knows what happened?"

"Dad!"

At that moment, an extremely obese woman squeezed out of the room, her mouth agape:

"When will the roast suckling pig I ordered arrive?"

"Go back!" Harold's face darkened:

"Can't you see I'm busy with important matters?"

"No!" The woman shook her body, her excess fat jiggling, and even her loose robe couldn't hide it:

"I want roast suckling pig, I want roast suckling pig..."

Karl's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his eyes glowed with a faint light.

Terror Aura!

Possessing the bloodline of a Second-Rank Abyssal Creature, this bloodline spell now had the power of a solid First Circle Spell.

"Ahh!"

The woman screamed, her crotch soaked, and a pungent urine odor filled the air.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed on the ground.

"What have you done?"

Seeing this, Harold's face paled, and with a slight wave of his staff, several sharp icicles appeared in mid-air:

"Stop!"

"Don't touch my daughter!"

"Clang!"

J drew his sword, and the Battle Aura of the Grand Knight roared forth, his sword pointing directly at Harold as he shouted:

"Harold, put down your staff!"

"Do you know what you're doing? You're threatening an Apprentice Wizard from the Sixth Circle!"

Harold's body stiffened, and he took a step back, fear flashing in his eyes.

Hmm...

Karl pursed his lips.

Having a powerful backer made all the difference, even when it came to bullying others.

"Harold."

As the thought crossed his mind, Karl's expression remained unchanged, and his tone remained icy:

"I know you have a way to make inferior pills temporarily pass Analytic Spells. If you don't want trouble for your daughter..."

As he spoke, he intensified the power of the Terror Aura slightly.

"Ahh!"

The obese woman, lying on the ground, screamed loudly:

"Stay away, stay away! Devil... You're a devil, Dad, save me... Come save me!"

"No!"

Harold's face changed, and he loosened his grip, letting the staff fall to the ground:

"It was Simon. He made me do it!"

...

"Simon?"

Wizard Arch held the investigation files handed to him by Karl, his eyes slightly lowered, not bothering to read the contents, and tossed them aside.

"Tell the deceased's family that the potion master deceived the apothecary with subpar potions. Have Harold apologize and compensate to salvage the apothecary's reputation."

"The apothecary will also provide appropriate compensation."

"As for Simon..."

"Forget it!"

Karl looked surprised and glanced up.

Just let it go? But he quickly realized that Simon had dozens of suppliers for the apothecary, and even if he was responsible, they couldn't afford to act rashly.

Otherwise,

the apothecary's operations would be in jeopardy.

As soon as they exited the room, they saw Simon waiting outside with a gloomy expression.

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(End of Chapter)

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