Chapter 144: Mineral Vein

Chapter 144: Mineral Vein



"Flame Blossoms, Inferno Stones, and now a few vials of Fire Lizard blood are up for sale in the market. That person must have discovered an unknown mineral vein."

Lance's eyes flickered as he made his way through a narrow alleyway.

"A mineral vein..."

"If it's a fire-attributed mineral vein and I can get my hands on it, I won't have to worry about resources for advancing as a wizard."

"Hmph!"

"Once I become a wizard and return, I'll show those who mocked me. I, Lance, am not to be trifled with!"

Muttering under his breath, his thoughts in motion, he gradually left the Leipzig Market and leaped into the pitch-black forest.

The scorching sun had set, and the moonlight was still hazy.

The lush foliage blocked the glow, making everything blurry.

Lance, born into an extraordinary family, had a bit of an arrogant temperament, but he wasn't naive or ignorant. He also had the necessary caution.

He drew a wand from his waist and gently tapped his brow.

Zero-Circle Spell—Aelos' Gaze!

A faint glow ignited in the depths of his eyes, intricate spell circuits, and for the duration of the spell, his eyes were modified.

This allowed him to see clearly even in the pitch-black night, and he even possessed far-sightedness and x-ray vision.

"Ignorant tribesmen!"

"You have no idea what kind of foundation the Six-Circle Tower has. The tower's exceptional apprentice wizards possess the ability to kill full-fledged wizards."

He chuckled lightly, his gaze shifting as he followed the lingering traces of life on the ground, delving deeper into the forest.

At the same time, he waved his wand again.

Zero-Circle Spell—Night Elf's Blessing!

As the spell was cast, a black shadow appeared out of thin air and pounced on him, instantly merging into his body.

This spell increased Lance's speed and made his footsteps nearly silent; his senses were also enhanced to a certain degree in the darkness.

In terms of foundation,

Lance, born into a legendary wizard family, not only surpassed the 'tribesmen' of the Magic Forest but also most of the tower's disciples.

The spells he cultivated, even the Zero-Circle Spells, were exceptionally proficient.

"Now..."

"Where are you?"

With a low chuckle, Lance's figure darted forward, like a shadow weaving through the darkness, moving through the forest.

"Hmm?"

His voice carried a hint of doubt.

Lance turned and approached a towering tree, his expression darkening at the sight of a corpse by its roots.

"Useless waste!"

He recognized the body; a few days ago, he had hired this person to investigate a target, boasting incredible tracking and stealth skills.

Unexpectedly,

Just as he had uncovered some information, before Lance could act, the man had died here.

"Are you looking for me?"

A cold voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Lance's eyes narrowed, a hint of fear flashed in his gaze, and his body instinctively lunged forward.

"Sss..."

A faint whooshing sound echoed in his ears as fierce battle energy weaved a net, and he was the fish caught in it.

Damn!

A Great Knight!

Great Knights weren't terrifying, but for a wizard apprentice to be attacked by one was undoubtedly a nightmare.

Lance clenched his teeth, his body suddenly engulfed in raging flames that exploded.

Zero-Circle Spell—Inferno Burst!

"Boom!"

The bursting flames dispersed the oppressive battle energy, and a trail of fire seized the opportunity to escape the encirclement, landing several meters away, revealing Lance's figure.

"Is it you?"

A heavily cloaked man, holding a longsword, stood where Lance had been.

The man stared at Lance, his voice cold and disdainful:

"I remember you, the one from the apothecary. So, the so-called Six-Circle Tower is also coveting others' possessions?"

"Hmph!" Lance's face turned ashen:

"Tell me where you got the Flame Blossoms and Fire Lizards, and I might spare your life."

"Spare my life?" The man chuckled:

"Just you? I could kill you without anyone knowing."

Spell Trap—Bloodthirsty Vines!

The ground beneath Lance's feet suddenly trembled, and dozens of thorny vines shot out like arrows, instantly binding him tightly.

A spell trap had been set up here in advance! At the same moment:

The man's figure flickered, and with a longsword in hand, he charged forward. The howling battle energy was heart-stopping, and as it entered Lance's gaze, his fear reached its peak.

He was going to die!

"Bang!"

"Boom..."

Clusters of flames exploded one after another, and within, sparks of electricity flickered.

First-Grade Engraved Charm—Plasma Fireball.

As a member of the top family of the Six-Circle Tower, Lance naturally possessed a First-Grade Engraved Charm, which he instantly triggered in his moment of fear to ensure his survival.

The next moment:

"No!"

"You're a legend..."

Lance's terrified voice echoed, followed by a scream and the sight of an arm flying high.

"That's right."

The man slashed with his sword:

"It's a pity you found out a bit too late!"

"Hmm?"

Just as he was about to finish off Lance, his figure flickered, and his sword rapidly slashed towards the side.

"Ding ding ding..."

Several arrows that shot towards him were deflected.

"Stop!"

Sasson, in his High Tower uniform, quickly approached, shouting:

"Let go of Lance and leave immediately! Do you know the consequences of offending the Six-Circle Tower?"

"Hmph!" The man's voice was cold:

"One kill, two kills, does that mean only you from the High Tower can act, and I can't resist?"

"If I kill you, who would know it was me?"

His heart filled with murderous intent, and his sword-wielding hand tightened.

"You..."

Sasson's expression changed, and he brandished his wand.

Zero-Circle Spell—Burst Crystal!

Over a dozen stars appeared in mid-air, shooting towards the man's position, like stars streaking across the void.

It was a beautiful yet deadly display.

Stellar Wizardry spells often had dazzling effects and incredible destructive power.

"Ding..."

"Bang!"

The man's figure flickered, and his sword danced, and with a flick of his finger, an invisible force field descended upon him.

Lesser Mage Field!

Apprentice Wizard!

The man was not only a legendary knight but also an apprentice wizard, and Sasson's face paled.

Zero-Circle Spell—Stellar Maze!

Zero-Circle Spell—Stellar Magnet Shot!

...

He retreated, casting spells one after another. Although his combat experience was inferior to Lance's, he couldn't hold back the relentless assault of a legendary knight.

"Bang!"

The howling battle energy sent Sasson flying, landing beside Lance, who was crying in pain, having lost an arm.

"Six-Circle Tower?"

The man's voice was disdainful:

"Not that impressive, is it?"

"It's not impressive." Just as he prepared to strike, a leisurely voice sounded from behind:

"Your skills are decent, but even in a group battle, you couldn't gain an advantage. Your practical combat experience is lacking."

"High Tower..."

"Not everyone there is a genius."

Karl sighed helplessly and shook his head as he walked out of the forest.

He hadn't intended to intervene.

Lance had brought this upon himself, and Sasson was not entirely blameless, but Sasson's death would affect the business, and many matters would need his personal attention.

"Senior Karl!"

"Wizard Karl!"

His appearance was like a savior from the heavens, bringing joy to Lance and Sasson, who were in despair.

"Hmm?"

The burly man in the black robe suddenly turned around, his eyes flickering as he watched Karl approach leisurely.

"You beat up the little ones, and now the elders are here. Is your Six-Circle Tower just a place where you bully others with numbers?"

"Hmm..." Karl stroked his chin.

"If you have the ability, it's not impossible."

"Clang!"

Before his words could even finish, the sound of a sword piercing the air rang in his ears, and his heart tightened as if someone had stabbed a needle into his psychic sea.

A spell attacking the mind?

Karl had strong resistance to such spells and barely reacted. With a flick of his fingers, a stream of water appeared out of thin air.

First-Circle Spell - Tidal Force.

The water surged out, flexible as a water dragon, covering a vast area and instantly engulfing the burly man in the black robe.

The vortex squeezed, and water arrows shot out.

"Boom!"

Under the onslaught of Tidal Force, the body of the man in the black robe exploded, and the legendary knight seemed to have no ability to resist against a formal wizard.

"Careful!"

Sasson suddenly shouted, his eyes wide open as he looked behind Karl, filled with fear.

Swish! The figure of the man in the black robe appeared silently behind Karl, his eyes gleaming with malice. He gripped his sword and thrust it forward, but the figure that had been burst open by the water stream was just an afterimage.

Death! Even a formal wizard was in danger when faced with a legendary knight, let alone Karl, who had only recently been promoted to the rank of a formal wizard.

He had only mastered one First-Circle Spell.

As the unexpected turn of events unfolded, the glimmer of hope that had just risen in Lance and Sasson's eyes instantly dimmed.

"Ding..."

Karl raised his hand, and in it appeared a broadsword, which he held horizontally behind his head, perfectly blocking the incoming stab and even counterattacking.

Combat Technique - Gale Slash!

Whoosh...

A fierce gale rose in the arena, and countless sword lights fell from the sky, creating an unceasing surge of energy.

"You..."

"Pffft!"

The man in the black robe's face changed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. With a flash, he disappeared into the depths of the forest.

He vanished in a few flickers.

"He's fast!"

As he watched the man escape, Karl paused for a moment, then decided against pursuing him.

...

Karl did not handle this matter privately but chose to report it to the High Tower, which clearly took it very seriously. They sent two wizards to specifically inquire about the situation.

"That man came to our shop to sell Flame Blossoms and Inferno Stones. He probably discovered a hidden mineral vein."

Sasson spoke honestly, "Lance got curious and secretly investigated him. During this process, he invited me, but I refused, considering the potential damage to the High Tower's reputation..."

They were in the backyard of the apothecary, where Sasson was being questioned by the wizards.

"You refused?" Golder, the wizard sitting in the middle, interrupted with a dark expression, "If you didn't agree, why were you at the scene yesterday? Did you have other intentions?"

"No... no," Sasson's face turned pale, and he quickly explained, "I noticed Lance's unusual mood and was worried he might be in danger, so I secretly followed him."

"Is that so?" Golder's voice turned cold.

"Are you trying to shift the blame onto Lance to exonerate yourself?"

"Cough, cough..." Karl coughed lightly, "Wizard Golder, there's a spell to discern lies here, and he doesn't seem to be lying."

"Hiding your true thoughts isn't that difficult." Golder's expression remained unchanged.

"I think we should search his psychic sea!"

"Golder!" Bella frowned, "If Lance is at fault, shouldn't you also search his soul according to your logic?"

"Don't go too far!"

Forcing a search of the psychic sea was akin to destroying a wizard's path. Nancy's case was a prime example.

"Lance made a mistake, but he didn't lie. He admitted his fault, and this attitude of his is commendable." Golder spoke up, "I will punish him."

"You will punish him?" Bella scoffed, her face full of disdain. Was she praising someone for admitting their mistake when they did something wrong? Was she blatantly shielding someone from her own family?

"I propose to hand Lance over to the High Tower for punishment."

"He's from the Green Family." Golder turned his head, his eyes cold, "Wizard Bella, don't try to provoke me!"

"Boom!"

Bella abruptly stood up, and the table shattered into countless pieces. Her raging spirit power created a giant wave within the room.

She glared at Golder and roared, "Golder, do you think you're so great? You're over a hundred years old and still in the middle stage of wizardry. Don't think that just because you have the Green Family's name, I'll be afraid of you!"

"Please, calm down," Karl sighed, "Let's talk this out. It's just a minor issue. There's no need to ruin our relationship over this, is there?"

"Hmph!"

Golder grunted, his cheeks twitching. As he looked at Bella, a hint of apprehension appeared in his eyes.

What was going on with this woman's spirit power?

She seemed close to reaching the late stage of wizardry, and in over twenty years in the Magic Forest, her power had increased so much?

"I'll handle Lance, but the rest is up to you."

"And Karl, as the manager of the apothecary, you bear some responsibility, regardless of the circumstances."

He stood up and started walking towards the door.

"Forget it."

Karl stopped Bella, who was in a rage.

"After all, the Green Family has produced a five-circle wizard, and it's inevitable for them to enjoy certain privileges. Moreover, this incident hasn't caused much trouble."

"Hmph!"

Bella coldly huffed, "The Green Family..."

"As for you, Sasson," Karl turned to the apprentice wizard inside, his face pale and anxious, "This matter ends here. You don't need to worry. You... have a mentor, too."

Sasson sighed.

His mentor was just a first-rank wizard with no background in the Six-Circle Tower. He took Sasson as his apprentice purely because of his talent and as an investment for the future.

This time, his mentor didn't even show up.

Bella calmed her anger and asked suddenly, "Is that person really aware of a hidden mineral vein?"

"He should be," Karl replied. "Flame Blossoms and Inferno Stones... There are no fire-attributed mineral veins near the Leipzig Market."

"That's it," Bella sneered. "Gold and Lance are the same; they'll definitely keep an eye on that person. With them around, the reputation of the High Tower will be ruined sooner or later!"

Karl raised an eyebrow.

The injured man from yesterday had coughed up blood. With a wizard's methods, there were too many ways to track him down.

On one hand, Gold didn't want to anger Bella, but the key reason for his haste was likely to investigate this matter.

Two days later.

In the backyard of the apothecary.

"It seems we can't underestimate anyone."

Karl sighed, leaning back in his chair.

Before Gold could catch up, the information about the mineral vein had already been voluntarily disclosed by someone, and there were even people who had returned after collecting Flame Blossoms.

With this development, the secret of the mineral vein was out, and Gold naturally wouldn't spend too much effort to continue investigating the person.

As time passed, even with blood samples, it would be difficult to track down the person.

"What determination!"

"To protect himself, he revealed a mineral vein that had never been discovered before. He's willing to give up such a secret; this person's character is extraordinary!"

Moreover,

This matter seemed to involve more than just the mineral vein.

"Demiplane!"

"That mineral vein is suspected to be connected to a certain demiplane. The Leipzig Market is about to get lively again."

'Demiplane' is related to at least Third Circle Wizards, and possibly even Fourth Circle, Demi-God, or higher-ranked beings.

Even Bern, a wizard who had almost abandoned his cultivation, was inquiring about this matter these days, seemingly intending to make a comeback.

"Forget it!"

"I might as well refine Blood Pills in the other world; the Magic Forest is still too dangerous."

Half a month later.

Abyssal Bloodline Fusion: 32% - 34%

Constitution: 6.4 - 6.9

The next day, after refining the second Blood Pill from the Abyssal Crocodile, Karl's bloodline fusion rate and constitution attributes increased significantly again, with the pill's effect being almost as powerful as the previous one.

In the other world, on an unnamed island.

"Go!"

"Be careful!"

"There's another one here!"

"..."

Over a hundred people were shouting and yelling on the island, engaged in a fight with a group of 'Dreammoths' that were several meters long.

These 'Dreammoths' had bulky bodies and bizarre appearances. With a flash of their wings, they created a hazy mist of colorful powder that shimmered under the glow.

If one inhaled even a little, they would fall into an illusion and eventually be sucked dry by the creatures while in a dazed state.

However, the 'Dreammoth' itself wasn't very strong.

After taking a potion to resist illusions, even ordinary knights had a chance to hunt them, and great knights could handle them with ease.

"These creatures are called 'Dreammoths'. Besides creating illusions, they also have the ability to cause decay."

Conn walked through the muddy jungle, pointing at the rotting corpses hanging from the treetops and introducing, "This island is also known as 'Dream Island'. It's a place where pirates exile criminals. According to those who have escaped from the island, when you come here, you'll see everything you've ever dreamed of."

"Gold, jewelry, beauty, power..."

"You name it!"

"But as you can see, it's all fake, and losing your life is real."

"Not entirely," Karl said, emerging from a nest filled with white powder and tossing the Great Providence aside with a smile. "Over the years, who knows how many people have died on this island, but they've also left behind many good things."

"Please help me look for something. The Great Providence and Dreammoth corpses are mine, and the rest are yours!"

The crowd's eyes lit up.

These creatures only needed food and had no interest in gold, jewelry, or various other treasures.

Their nests were filled with all sorts of things, and it was foreseeable that this journey would be a bountiful one.

For Karl, ordinary treasures meant nothing to him, the Great Providence was an unexpected delight, and the Dreammoth corpses and powder were essential materials for refining a certain hallucinogenic potion.

"Boom!"

A three-meter-long, bulky Dreammoth was dragged by Ana and slammed onto the ground, where it let out a long, muddy breath and asked, "Does this meet the requirements?"

Karl stepped forward and pressed down on the Dreammoth, his eyes flickering slightly. "It should work."

He needed to refine Blood Pills, and his requirements for 'materials' were high; they had to be First Rank creatures.

He had thought these Dreammoths only had special abilities, but he hadn't expected their rank to be First Rank as well.

Several days later.

The group had searched the entire island and found a total of seven First Rank Dreammoths, while the Great Providence had found sixteen.

There were also various other resources...

...

Name: Karl

Constitution: 7.1

Spirit Power: 6.6

Source Quality: 2.4

Rank: Legendary Knight, First Rank Wizard

Abyssal Bloodline Fusion Rate: 34.8%

"The Blood Pill refined from Dreammoths has an effect that's not even one-tenth of the effect of the Blood Pill refined from the Abyssal Crocodile."

Karl glanced at the data panel and shook his head lightly.

"Seven Blood Pills only increased the bloodline fusion rate by 0.8, and the same bloodline Blood Pills had decreasing effects as more were consumed, almost as if there was a tolerance."

"But this should be the normal situation, after all, it's not easy to find First Rank late-stage Abyssal creatures."

On the Homeward Ship.

Conn spread out a map, his fingers lightly sliding across it.

This map was a strange item, automatically recording the places he had been and marking place names, and it even had the ability to discern directions in the fog.

"It should be around here."

He looked ahead,

and his eyes showed confusion.

"I remember there was an island here with a towering tree emitting a corrupt aura."

"I was able to escape from the island thanks to luck."

"Look at that bird!" the lookout shouted.

Conn looked in the direction of the shout.

A flying bird was circling in the distance, as if it had lost its way, flying east and west.

Suddenly, its body stiffened, and it dove straight down.

When it was about a hundred meters above the water's surface, ripples appeared in the air, and the bird disappeared.

"That was..."

Conn's eyes narrowed.

"Invisibility?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and waved his hand. "Turn towards that direction!"

"Yes!"

The first mate responded, steering the ship towards the open sea ahead, with the other ships following suit.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous roar, an island shrouded in smoke and filled with trees came into view.

Please collect!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end