Chapter 19: Sealing the Deal

In theory, so-called Magic Items were simply spells permanently attached to certain objects—usually by etching Magic Circles onto the surface of a vessel. Mages would then use their Mental Power to channel Magic Power from the Weave of Magic into them, turning them into Magic Items capable of communicating with the demon king and casting spells.

However, in this world, such things were quite scarce resources. They could be very useful, especially for Mercenaries who risked their lives or soldiers on the battlefield. Being able to wield supernatural power meant they had a powerful aid when facing danger. But this also kept their prices extremely high. Many Nobles also liked to collect these things. Whether for self-defense, as gifts, or to reward deserving subordinates, they were unmatched by ordinary items.

Of course, there were different types of Magic Items. Some could only be used by specific people, like Staffs. Other than Mages, most people had no use for them. But some could be used by anyone, like magic swords, armor, and some special items with limited uses, like the Battering Ram ring on Constantine’s hand… It would work no matter who used it. What the boy thought was, if he truly mastered the method of making them, even if he was limited by spell restrictions and couldn’t make a wide variety like a Mage, even a few specific items would be enough to make an impact… For example, for trade…

“Thinking about learning it to make money? Greedy fellow?”

Soon, this idea was rejected and mocked by the Lich—just like Mages copying Scrolls, brewing potions and making Magic Items required sacrificing a small part of the caster’s own mental strength or Soul. However, the latter’s cost was relatively much greater. Oh, if using a term Constantine was familiar with, it would cause “experience loss.”

But after all, the real world couldn’t be described by such strange data. The calculations were quite complex. This phenomenon was a complicated thing. Mages generally called it the Law of the Gods. So, in the Lich’s memory, even Mages who specialized in transmutation did not easily make Magic Items for others. In fact, all Mages would think carefully even when copying advanced Scrolls, because it would affect their speed of learning and training.

It was precisely because of this that even the simplest Magic Items cost almost as much as Gemstones of the same weight. Moreover, making these curiosities, if they were a bit more advanced, would consume gold by the kilogram. For such Magic research that required burning money and expending effort to continue, most people could only look on from afar—even if he was a Mage who could quickly accumulate wealth.

At the same time, as mentioned earlier, Alchemists had to possess extremely high craftsmanship skills—carving, drawing, and forging. As you know, these fields usually only welcomed talented people. But even if you had talent in this area, it was still far from enough, because Alchemists also had to constantly meditate to accumulate their Mental Power and spend a lot of time studying the mysteries of Magic Arrays—after all, mortals’ time was limited. Therefore, only those true geniuses could stand out in the field of Alchemy.

Thus, this profession was only suitable for peaceful times, when Mages had relatively surplus Mental Power and wealth could accumulate rapidly.

“High-level Magic Items are really hard to come by… So compared to those so-called Magic Items, I actually prefer potions… Simple, effective, and no need to worry about most spell nullification effects… If I could develop some concentrated negative effect formulas to use on opponents, they would be even more practical in battle…”

Constantine slightly narrowed his eyes. The effects of Magic Items were indeed magical, but they were too easy to detect—an ordinary Mage could use a detection spell to see the spell aura on these items and deduce their general function. At the very least, they would be on guard… A weapon that someone is prepared for, even if very strong, would have diminished effectiveness.

Besides, the stronger the effect, the higher the cost. Therefore, most currently existing Magic Items did not have very powerful magical effects. In comparison, potions were more economical from all aspects…

“Concentrated potions… That’s a good idea.” The Lich pondered, but after a pause, his train of thought seemed to go astray: “Hmm? Use on others? Are you planning to give that girl some aphrodisiac? Or make something to enhance your own abilities?”

“That’s not a problem a guy without a little bird should be thinking about…”

During the conversation, Constantine suddenly felt a slight dizziness, as if the ground were shaking. The boy turned his head in surprise—it wasn’t a real earthquake, but another form of vibration… It was the so-called dimensional tremor Constantine had felt before.

But this time, the effect was obviously much greater than the one Christine had caused. Constantine caught a faint cracking sound. In his vision, the surrounding space seemed to have countless cracks like glass!

When these strange phenomena instantly vanished, an old man had already appeared beside the experiment table, smiling as he looked at Constantine and Vernal.

The boy touched his nose, noticing that the old man was tall and thin, like most Mages—studying magical knowledge gave them wisdom beyond ordinary people, but while their wisdom increased, their bodies became frail and weak… And this old man was practically the epitome of that. His emaciated body looked as if it would fall over with a gust of wind. His eyes, narrowed into slits, proved his eyesight was extremely poor. Actually, his face wasn’t deliberately showing a smile; it was just because his eyes were always narrowed, giving his face a gentle feel. But his deep brow ridges kept this expression from being too frivolous, and his well-groomed long beard made him look profound and mysterious.

“Damn it, damn it! Callister Satanber! Couldn’t you use a normal method to enter? Recharging the barrier’s crystal takes at least three days! Other spell Barriers… Do you want to duel me?” This person’s appearance made Vernal let out a series of beast-like low growls. Constantine frowned and nimbly retreated a few steps—the air around this Archmage had already become as hot as steam. In just a few seconds, Constantine felt one side of his body getting quite warm!

“Please believe me… Archmage Vernal, I don’t like this method either… To enter your laboratory, it cost me a pure crystal Rune… I even had to abandon an experiment that was about to end.” The old Mage responded in a gentle voice, while making a common courtesy gesture among Mages—his refined and elegant actions made him look more like an old-school Noble.

Then he tapped his Staff on the ground, and a moist breeze blew in from somewhere. The surrounding air temperature immediately dropped to a pleasant and comfortable level: “It’s just that using normal methods, I’m afraid I would need several hours before you would notice my presence… My friend, you really don’t need to seal this place so tightly that I have no choice but to use this method.”

“Then thieves stealing things aren’t guilty either! You full-of-excuses guy!” The corner of Vernal’s scar-covered mouth twitched a few times, making the other half of his face hidden in the hood’s Shadow look like an Abyss: “Aren’t you supposed to be playing with those crystal beads in your tower? What are you breaking into my laboratory for? Or has a peeping pervert like you finally become unable to tolerate a place in this world you can’t see?”

“Because I occasionally heard that this Constantine sir was brought here by you… Although you may have your considerations, this gentleman’s status makes his time precious. Therefore, I hope…” The old man seemed to have long been accustomed to this Black Robe Archmage’s aggressive tone. He walked forward without concern, facing the Black Robe Mage, only deliberately or not hiding the boy’s figure behind him. “…he can leave here freely…”

“Status? Don’t pollute my ears with that bullshit!… Hmm? What status requires a Master of Peeping like you to come running personally?” Vernal angrily shouted. Then he seemed to finally notice the word he had tossed far away. His tone calmed down a bit: “Oh… This little brat seemed to have mentioned before, he was from that… House of Connarivis… Those northwesterners who fight Barbarians, right?”

“However, this little fellow is a rare talent. If not trained, it would be such a waste… He should be my assistant and contribute to the progress of the magic field…” Before the other could respond, this Black Robe Mage continued to roar. The corner of Constantine’s mouth quirked up slightly, because the boy noticed he seemed to be forcefully steering the conversation in a strange direction.

“Lord Vernal, please note, Mr. Constantine is a Sorcerer, not a Mage. He does not need, nor is he suited for, participating in profound spell research…” Old Mage Callister seemed to have no intention of provoking him. He tapped his Staff on the Obsidian floor again, producing a few light sounds. His eyes narrowed into slits, making his face look much more serious: “Furthermore, as the eldest legitimate son of Duke Connalyvis, he does not have much time to participate in matters of the magic field. Therefore, perhaps you could find another suitable candidate. If you don’t have one, I can recommend one to you…”

“I have no interest in what those Nobles and such do! As for your recommended assistants? Those things are mostly mixed from Dretches and ogres…” Vernal impatiently interrupted the old Mage’s gentle words: “It’s rare to find a little fellow who catches my eye… I just want him as my experiment assistant. Do you think I’d use him to summon Demons or slice him up for research?”

“With your status, you naturally wouldn’t do that…” The old Mage’s voice remained gentle and polite, but with absolutely no intention of backing down.

“Enough nonsense! Are you determined to fight me for him?” The Black Robe Mage’s voice had become as low as scraping iron, and that frightening temperature began to gather around him again!

“Ahem! Two Masters, I think, can I now propose a more compromise-minded opinion?” At this tense moment, Constantine’s voice cut into the conversation. He took a few steps forward, standing between the two.

Choosing to interrupt at this moment, Constantine naturally had his own considerations—he knew that Vernal probably didn’t truly value his talent at all, but simply wanted to protect the secret of his faith—if Constantine revealed things like his belief in an evil god to the outside, even if he was an Archmage, he would likely face considerable pressure. Moreover, judging from the fact that he built his laboratory on the first floor of the Mage Tower, he might not be very well-liked here to begin with.

He didn’t know if the old Mage named Callister was sincerely protecting him or had some other purpose… But if this continued without reaching a goal, Vernal probably would never easily let go.

Of course, he couldn’t just stay either—he, Constantine, wasn’t a savior Buddha. Staying here, who knew if what awaited him would be brainwashing rays or dissection and other unfortunate things?

“I think I can become Master Vernal’s assistant. I have always been full of interest in the world of magic. Becoming an assistant to an Archmage is an honor for me…” The boy placed a hand on his chest and bowed to the Black Robe Mage, but then turned the topic: “Although my time might be wasted on many Noble affairs, I will still try to squeeze out time to assist Archmage Vernal. After all, although we have become fellow travelers, this path is full of twists and turns and difficulties. I am still new to walking this path and need the guidance and help of Masters even more.”

Actually, the boy’s words weren’t very meaningful… On the surface, it seemed like he agreed with Vernal, but he kept his freedom in hand… Of course, all he wanted to convey was goodwill, meaning “I’m also a grasshopper on the same string, and have no interest in spilling the beans.”

Besides, with this short-tempered guy, Constantine also truly had a thought of seeking advice from him in the future—the field of Magic was so vast and broad, no one could fully cover it all. Even someone like Hartdiel, who also held the title of Archmage, as a Lich, he had several hundred more years than ordinary Humans, but he also had no involvement in the field of making items. So if he wanted to find someone to learn how to make Magic Items, this strange-tempered guy became a pretty good choice…

His current status was equivalent to becoming “partners with a shared secret” with this Master Vernal. This way, if he wanted to learn Alchemy skills from him, it might be much more cost-effective than randomly asking some Mage… Regarding how difficult a process it was to get someone to teach you for free, he had accumulated enough experience back when he first started working.

“I think Master Vernal doesn’t have any ill intentions. He just cherishes this insignificant talent of mine. Of course, I also don’t want to waste his kindness.” He looked at the Black Robe Archmage with a smile, not knowing how much of his meaning this seemingly irritable guy could understand.

“In that case… Fine. I grant you the right to enter and leave my laboratory. You can come in anytime in the future…” After a moment of silence, the Black Robe Archmage suddenly raised his hand, drew a symbol in the air, and then pressed it onto the Amulet hanging on the boy’s chest.

Then his voice suddenly echoed in Constantine’s mind.

“If my god didn’t cherish every one of his Believers, I might have killed you on the spot! But I must still remind you… It’s best not to reveal anything you saw or heard here today! Otherwise, you might face mortal danger… The Temple of the Three Gods is never short of madmen and fanatics…” After a pause, the Black Robe Mage continued: “Also, my god does not punish those with somewhat wavering faith. But you must note, once one loses the most basic piety towards my god, or even develops terrible disgust and hatred—my god’s holy covenant will punish him, causing serious harm to his Soul, and he might even die immediately! Understood? Answer me!”

Constantine felt a slight chill. What this Black Robe Mage named Vernal said might contain an element of threat, but the truthful part might also be quite high…

“Of course, of course, I would absolutely never do such a thing…” Verbally agreeing, the boy’s mouth then curved into a happy arc—since he had some leverage in hand, letting go now would be a disservice to himself: “However, Master, you should know what a so-called ‘hush money’ is, right?”

“Cunning, greedy little brat.” The Black Robe Mage fell silent. Just obviously, his breathing became heavier. Then he released his hand from the Amulet, pulled out something light, black, and dark from somewhere, and threw it to Constantine.

It was a pair of black fingerless gloves. They shimmered faintly. The silk-like material was light and thin. Constantine put them on and felt a slight chill, but then, as if alive, they automatically adjusted their form, fitting his fingers tightly and comfortably. Although they gripped very tightly, with not a single gap, there was no discomfort at all. It felt as if the gloves had become part of his skin.

…Then, the boy found he seemed to have undergone some change… He moved his limbs, jumped lightly a couple of times, feeling his movements seemed easier, and even his jumps became higher.

Or perhaps, the weight of the world had suddenly become lighter?

“Hmph… Not bad perception either…” Regarding the boy’s actions, the Black Robe Mage sneered, then once again, out of character, uttered a string of explanation: “These are little things made by underground Mind Flayers. They slightly increase the wearer’s agility. I’ve already analyzed them. The materials needed are too complex; replicating them is too troublesome. Not as useful as an Agility Amulet. But since you already have an Amulet, this thing obviously suits you better.”

“Uh…” Once this Amulet was mentioned, Constantine felt a bit guilty inside. He instinctively wanted to explain something. But before he could speak, a dry, slender hand had already grabbed him.

“Alright, Lord Vernal, can we let Mr. Constantine leave now?” The old Mage named Callister Satanber had been standing to the side, smiling silently. He probably knew Vernal was speaking directly to Constantine and had the ability to eavesdrop on the content. But it seemed his purpose for coming here had been achieved. He had no reason to engage in pointless conflict with the famously irritable person over such a small matter.

But the Black Robe Mage reached out at this moment, and a faint light hit Constantine’s chest.

“Vernal, you used a Teleportation Circle on him?” The old Mage was stunned for a moment, then asked.

“I sent him to Central Avenue. What, is the Teleportation Spell your patent? Can’t I use it?” The Black Robe Mage sneered: “If I remember correctly, that old guy Nikolai once said that any Formal Mage in his Magic Tower has the right to use fixed-point Teleportation Circles? Or do you want to deprive me of this right?”

“Of course I don’t mean that… It’s just, I also used one just now… Probably at the same time…” A bitter smile leaked out from under the old Mage’s neatly trimmed beard.

“Oh? Hehe… This unlucky little fellow. Let’s hope he isn’t sent too far away…”