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Chapter 34: "The List" and the Soundwave Curse
Chapter 34: "The List" and the Soundwave Curse
Luo En instinctively reached out, but the moment his fingers twitched, Madame Ellen slowly snapped the notebook shut. The gemstone glimmered faintly, as if bidding a reluctant farewell.
She placed the book on the counter, but her slender hand remained over it, fingers splayed protectively instead of pushing it toward him.
"Brat", she scoffed, her hawk-like gaze piercing Luo En's eyes, "you clearly haven't grasped mageworld's fundamental rules."
Her voice carried sharp disapproval as her blood-red nail traced slow circles over the cover. "Knowledge has weight. Nothing of value is ever freely given. Equivalence is the only eternal law."
The faintest chill crept up Luo En's spine under her penetrating stare.
"Apprentices who greedily take without giving become the rot of our world", she continued, her lips curling into a smirk that revealed both amusement and calculation. "Before sharing the Meditation Technique, I need to determine if you're truly worth... my investment."
Realizing his error, Luo En straightened. "Madame Ellen, forgive my impatience. I'll gladly pay the necessary price."
The witch studied him, her emerald eyes glowing faintly as if peeling back layers of deception. After a pregnant pause, her expression softened.
"Good." She slid a shimmering parchment across the counter. "Then complete this task for me."
The parchment glowed with faint crimson runes that seemed burned into its surface rather than written.
"These ingredients fuel my potion research", she explained, red nails tapping several entries. "Mastering The Murmuring of the Star Devourer requires more than raw spiritual energy. You must prove you can acquire knowledge through any means necessary."
As Luo En examined the list, his fingers tingled from the paper's residual mana. Ancient mage script detailed ingredients like The Eye Liquid of the Dream-Devouring Spider and Crystalline Moss alongside cryptic symbols he couldn't decipher.
His brow furrowed deeper. Most components were absent even from the Basic Alchemy Manual. Items like Night Talk Pollen and The Tongue Moss of the Thirsty Dead carried ominous warnings: Prohibited Trading Items.
"Most aren't available in the Apprentice Market", he stated cautiously, testing her reaction.
Madame Ellen tilted her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Then surely someone as clever as you knows where to find them?"
Her voice was honeyed, but her gaze cut like a scalpel. Luo En understood instantly - this wasn't about rare ingredients. This was a test of his survival instincts in mageworld's perilous gray zones.
He nodded slowly, already mapping potential sources. "I'll acquire these materials."
"Excellent." Madame Ellen's satisfaction was palpable. "Remember - this isn't just about the Murmuring. It's about your growth. In Black Mist Jungle, unconventional channels and tactics keep you breathing."
Her tapping fingers suddenly stilled. "Speaking of..."
Her mood darkened instantly. "Be extremely cautious around Aolifu. Especially now that he's taken interest in your soundwave magic."
She leaned in, her Full Mage aura prickling his skin as she whispered, "His Living Curse research has crossed boundaries even senior Mages avoid. If he sees connections between your magic and his work..."
Luo En instinctively shifted back. Sensing his discomfort, Madame Ellen subtly reined in her power.
"The core issue?" she continued, her voice grave. "Traditional curses require physical anchors - their greatest weakness. Soundwaves..." She hesitated, choosing words carefully.
"They penetrate barriers. They transmit energy without contact. If Aolifu succeeds, curses could spread like sound itself - omnipresent, unstoppable. The implications dwarf conventional magic."
A cold sweat broke across Luo En's back. If true, Aolifu's work could birth an undefeatable weapon at the apprentice stage.
"What do you recommend?" Though his decision had already crystallized.
"Refine your soundwave magic", she advised, "but guard its secrets jealously. Knowledge in different hands produces different catastrophes." Her tone dropped conspiratorially. "And sometimes... the best defense is striking first."
He nodded slowly, the unspoken understanding settling between them. In this world, waiting for danger meant death.
Slipping the list into his inner pocket, Luo En turned to leave.
"Take your time", Madame Ellen called after him, her violet curls swaying. "Survival comes first. Dead men can't master The Murmuring, after all."
As he stepped into the mist-veiled night, the jungle's shadows seemed to whisper at his heels. But his stride remained steady - in this arcane world, danger and opportunity shared the same breath.
(End of Chapter)
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