Volume 3 Chapter 42: Mystery of the Crystal Mirror Magic Array

Qin Lun did not let the Dagger of Sin absorb all the Remnant Souls, leaving 74 Remnant Souls in the Grudge Soul Orb.

After the quality of the dagger’s Remnant Souls increased from 100 to 200, there were no more changes. He guessed that if the dagger was to undergo another major transformation, it would likely require four-digit Remnant Soul quality, or a Thousand-Kill Slayer. Even with the Remnant Souls from the Grudge Soul Orb, the Dagger of Sin was still far from achieving Thousand-Kill Slayer. It was better to keep the Grudge Soul Orb for trading.

The Hundred-Kill Slayer Dagger of Sin was already comparable to Purple or Dark Gold Equipment, and it was a weapon that had always accompanied him, the last life barrier left by the Serial Killer.

Putting away the Dagger of Sin, Qin Lun checked his physical data in the Death Notice. The last body enhancement was not comprehensive; it was only partial reinforcement given by the Shattered Starry Sky based on his combat performance in the Phantom Demon World.

At this time, Qin Lun’s body data changed to Soul Lifespan 80/100, Health 185, Stamina Points 225, Explosive Power 11, Agility 11, Constitution 12, Perception 15.

Perhaps because he had been using FN-500 for long-range combat in the Phantom Demon World, the increase in Stamina Points and Perception was most obvious, followed by Constitution and Health. As for Explosive Power and Agility, they hardly improved, each increasing by only one point, which was better than nothing.

After sitting on the bed and thinking for a while, Qin Lun swept all his items into his Storage Space, went downstairs to say something to Didi, and then headed out toward the Auction House two blocks away.

Arriving at the Auction House, Qin Lun deposited the Dark Gold Helmet and set a base price of a full 150,000 Shattered Crystals. He noted below the equipment that it came from a boss-level monster in a Quest World.

The base price for Dark Gold Equipment was usually 50,000 Shattered Crystals. The price he set was not the base price but the ceiling price. Other Apostles would immediately know that the equipment seller wanted to negotiate in person just by looking at this price and the description.

Normally, this was a necessary procedure for selling Dark Gold Equipment. Unless it was Dark Gold Equipment with very limited applicability like FN-500, few Apostles would directly exchange Dark Gold Equipment for Shattered Crystals.

After setting up the Dark Gold Helmet, Qin Lun tossed the Petrifying Magic Eye, the Encyclopedia of Low Magic World Monsters, the Molde Research Specimen Atlas, and the Phantom Demon Rumors Record into the Auction House all at once. These items were not very valuable, with a combined auction price of only a few thousand Shattered Crystals.

After clearing these items, Qin Lun did not have many things left to sell. Apart from the necessary equipment and items he needed himself, only the Grudge Soul Orb and the Exemption Token remained.

The value of the 74 Remnant Souls in the Grudge Soul Orb was hard to estimate; it could be sold or kept. In fact, as long as Apostles with Life-Taking Relics were unscrupulous, collecting Remnant Souls was not difficult—just a bit troublesome. Gathering 74 Remnant Souls might require killing hundreds of ordinary people.

As for the Exemption Token, Qin Lun decided to sell it this time. The Exemption Token could exempt one from a penalty of erasure or a failed promotion, though this was limited to Low Magic Worlds and lower-level Class Change promotions.

Originally, Qin Lun had planned to keep it for himself, but now he realized his equipment and skill reserves were too weak, so he had to sell it. However, this item was not easy to sell. High-Rank Professional Apostles did not need it, and lower-rank Professional Apostles would not offer a high price because it was not a necessity.

Unless he could find an Apostle about to undergo a Class Change promotion, this item could only fetch a price similar to that of one piece of Dark Gold Equipment.

After pondering for a while, Qin Lun recorded the introduction of the Exemption Token with a Projector and then entered it into the display section. The display section of the Auction House was not for auctioning equipment but for displaying special items. These were usually items like the Exemption Token, whose value was hard to measure and whose use was quite specific.

Renting a display space required a high fee. Qin Lun only set it for three days; if no one wanted it, he would simply not sell it. After leaving the Auction House, he immediately headed toward the Training Ground.

Paying 500 Shattered Crystals, Qin Lun entered a training room. It was a swordsmanship dojo, quite spacious inside, with weapon racks around the walls but no other equipment. However, he did not rent this swordsmanship dojo to practice swordsmanship but to conduct an experiment.

Qin Lun took out the Crystal Mirror Magic Array from his Storage Space and slowly unrolled the scroll. On the surface, four small and one large circular symbols formed a simple magic array. After the scroll was opened, the magic array slowly lit up with a mysterious glow.

As Qin Lun’s finger touched the magic array, it immediately transformed into countless silver symbols that rushed along his finger into his Law Body. A silver pattern identical to the magic array gradually formed in his consciousness.

Qin Lun felt a stir, raised his right hand, and spread his palm outward. The silver pattern in his consciousness flickered slightly, and an identical magic array instantly appeared in front of his palm.

This Crystal Mirror Magic Array was about half a square meter in size, also composed of four small and one large circles, like a small shield. The entire magic array was crystal clear, resembling a silver-edged glass mirror.

“Bang!” Under Qin Lun’s mental command, the Crystal Mirror Magic Array shattered like a real mirror, countless fragments shooting forward.

This was the Crystal Mirror Magic Array’s Elemental Burst. The previous magic array was composed of Wind Element; those fragments were actually countless tiny Wind Blade shards. The range of the Elemental Burst was only about half a meter. Beyond that distance, the Wind Blades would dissipate back into Wind Element, basically leaving only a strong pushing force.

Qin Lun closed his eyes in contemplation, carefully reflecting on every detail of the spellcasting process just now.

“It should work!” After a while, Qin Lun muttered as he opened his eyes, slightly crouched, and leaped upward forcefully.

Qin Lun leaped about a meter before starting to fall. At that moment, his eyes flashed, and a Crystal Mirror Magic Array appeared right under his feet.

“Bang!” The Crystal Mirror Magic Array exploded under Qin Lun’s feet. The Elemental Burst shot him out like a rocket booster.

“Clang!” Before Qin Lun could react, his head hit the solid ceiling, and he fell down flailing his arms and legs.

It took a while before Qin Lun sat up from the floor. He touched the large bump on his head, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

“I wasn’t wrong. The Mage who originally developed this Crystal Mirror Magic did not intend it as a defensive spell but for use on oneself, as an acceleration and evasion magic!”

When Mages develop Magic Shields, even if they do not cover the entire body, they block a certain direction. The Crystal Mirror Magic Array was only the size of a small round shield, with too small a protective area, making it hard to imagine a Mage using this spell as a defensive shield.

“Of course, even avoiding the damage range of the Wind Blades, the burst thrust of this magic is not something a physically weak Mage could withstand. Its true user should be a Magic Warrior with a strong physique!”

Looking down at his torn pants and bloodied calves—this was from failing to control the Elemental Burst distance, getting scraped by the Wind Blades.

A glint flashed in Qin Lun’s eyes. A scroll turning into a skill did not mean he had fully mastered the Crystal Mirror Magic Array. To use it as a speed-changing magic without harming himself, an ordinary Apostle would probably need thousands of practice sessions.

However, for him, it was unnecessary. As long as he appropriately input the magic array data and his jumping ability into the Combat Model, he could quickly master this skill.

Half a day later, Qin Lun stood in place with his left hand holding the Dagger of Sin and his right hand gripping the FN-500 in rapier form, eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again, his bright eyes lost focus, becoming blank.

Qin Lun pushed off the ground with his right foot, lunging forward. A Crystal Mirror Magic Array abruptly appeared half a meter behind him. “Bang!” The Elemental Burst struck him like a giant hammer, making him shoot across the entire dojo like an arrow, covering dozens of meters in an instant.

“Tap!” Facing the wall ahead, Qin Lun stepped on it and ran horizontally up the wall for several steps to the roof. Just then, another Crystal Mirror Magic Array appeared on his right. Qin Lun flipped his body, stepped on the Crystal Mirror Magic Array, and leaped parallel to the ground.

“Bang!” The moment he jumped off the Crystal Mirror Magic Array, the Elemental Burst exploded again.

As one Crystal Mirror after another appeared, Qin Lun darted and leaped around the swordsmanship dojo like a pinball, his rapier and dagger leaving afterimages in the air. His movement trajectory shifted forward and backward, left and right, unpredictably and bizarrely.

After several flashes, Qin Lun’s eyes regained clarity. He staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground, panting heavily, his muscles trembling involuntarily.

“With my current Stamina Points, I can only use the Crystal Mirror Magic Array four times consecutively, and my physique cannot handle sudden direction changes!” Qin Lun felt unbearable pain all over his body, with swollen purple patches under his skin—subcutaneous bruising from muscle tears.

Repairing his body cost Qin Lun 500 Shattered Crystals, but compared to today’s gains, it was nothing.

Originally, Qin Lun wanted to use another low-level Reflex Training Scroll in the dojo, but he was too mentally exhausted and had to go home first. After all, while the Law Body could be restored with Shattered Crystals, the aftereffects of physical injuries could not be eliminated immediately.

When Qin Lun woke up again, it was already the afternoon of the next day.

“Master, are you awake? There are several message notifications for you on the home Projector!” Seeing Qin Lun come downstairs, the little Goblin who seemed to have just returned immediately greeted him.

“What have you been doing these days?” Qin Lun picked up the panel-like projector, checked the messages, and casually asked.

“I… I’ve been doing business!” Didi’s sharp ears twitched, and he said cautiously while twisting his fingers.

“Oh, business… Huh? Business?” Qin Lun curiously turned his head.

“Yes, Master. I used the City Points and Shattered Crystals you left to earn some living expenses!” Didi blinked his big eyes and handed his servant Identity Plate to Qin Lun to check.

“Not bad, not bad!” Qin Lun’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at the 12 City Points and nearly 2000 Shattered Crystals on the Identity Plate.

He had given Didi a total of 10 City Points and around 2000 Shattered Crystals for living expenses, but they had lived in the Devil’s Horn for nearly 20 days. Adding in the living expenses for that period, the little Goblin seemed to have earned nearly 5 City Points and 1000 Shattered Crystals, about a 50% profit.