Chapter 69: Chapter 65: Elemental Reagent and Magic Stone
TING-A-LING—
The crisp chime of a bell sounded from the entrance. A silver-haired old woman looked up at the customer who had just walked in.
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Hello, Lady Julian."
Lin Mo looked at the woman before him—an elderly lady dressed exquisitely but not ostentatiously, possessing a gentle and elegant air. Compared to the arrogant thugs swaggering through the streets, someone like Lady Julian was a much better match for his mental image of a ’noble’.
"I’d like to purchase a Basic Life Potion... Also, there’s a small matter I was hoping you could help me with."
"Of course."
The elegant old lady spoke as she took a Basic Life Potion from a nearby shelf, wrapped it in a soft cloth, and handed it to Lin Mo.
"The potion bottle is made from a fairly sturdy material, but it’s not metal, so please be careful with it."
"Understood."
Lin Mo nodded. Since his Leather Armor was with Edgar for repairs, he carefully placed the Potion into an inner compartment of his backpack for the time being.
’Come to think of it, I need to replace this backpack too. It got several holes poked in it from carrying those two pairs of horns, but they don’t go through to the inner pocket, so I don’t have to worry about the Potion falling out.’
"So, what was it that you needed my help with?"
Julian asked curiously.
Lin Mo took the opportunity to pull out the fiery red Potion and a small, fingernail-sized bead from his pack.
"Oh?"
Lady Julian’s expression changed in an instant. Her interest piqued, she took the two items from his hand.
"I was hoping you could tell me what these two things do."
Julian gently swirled the liquid in the vial, placed it carefully on the rack in front of her, and went into the back room. She returned about ten seconds later holding another fiery red Potion.
’The two Potions... they’re identical!’
At least, they were to Lin Mo. But in Lady Julian’s eyes, they were worlds apart.
She picked up the Potion Lin Mo had brought and, after a careful comparison, let out a soft sigh. "As I suspected... there’s a huge difference."
"This Flame Reagent... it must have been created by an Alchemy Master, at the very least. It’s a full 30% more effective than the Potion I make!"
She composed herself and turned her attention back to her customer.
"My apologies, you’ve seen me make a fool of myself... This is a Flame Reagent. It slightly enhances a Mage’s Affinity for the Fire Element and increases the efficiency of their resonance with it. In practical terms, it provides a small boost to the Casting Speed and power of Fire Elemental Magic."
’Say no more. Just from the description, it was obvious how ridiculous this thing was.’
Lady Julian sized up Lin Mo’s attire. "Are you looking to sell this Potion, sir? A normal Basic Flame Potion would be priced around 600 Gold Coins, but the purity and craftsmanship of this one are exceptionally high. I can offer you 800 Gold Coins for it."
’How much?’
Lin Mo was stunned speechless.
Gold Coins!
’Even using the Life Potions he considered so precious as a measuring stick, that was enough to buy a full 53 of them!’
’But even so...’
"I’m sorry, Lady Julian, but I don’t intend to sell it at the moment."
’Although he didn’t have a path forward yet, he wasn’t ready to give up on becoming a Mage. The Potion was astoundingly valuable, and selling it now would make his future adventures much smoother.’
’An item like this was easy to sell, but buying another one in the future would be far from simple.’
’Lady Julian herself had said it was the work of at least an Alchemy Master. Once he let go of such a High Level item, it was doubtful he would come across another one anytime soon.’
So, no matter what, Lin Mo couldn’t bring himself to sell the Potion.
"I see..."
Lady Julian nodded, a hint of regret in her voice. She pointed to the fiery red bead on the table. "This is a Fire Attribute Magic Stone. Its craftsmanship is also Excellent, and it has already been attuned, so it can be used immediately. It’s worth about 300 Gold Coins."
"What does it do?"
"It’s similar to the Potion."
Their effects were similar, yet one cost more than twice the other. Lin Mo was confused.
Lady Julian patiently answered his unspoken question, and the reasoning immediately became clear to him.
Simply put, the Flame Reagent was permanent once consumed, whereas the Magic Stone was only effective while being held or socketed into a Magic Staff.
The former had no restrictions and didn’t conflict with other Elemental Reagents. The latter, however, couldn’t be used in multiples, or it might cause one’s Magic Power to fall into disarray.
"Thank you for your help, Lady Julian."
Lin Mo gathered the two Magic Items. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally asked, "I have one more question. Do you know how one obtains Magic Power?"
Lady Julian wasn’t surprised by the question. His choice not to sell the items could only mean he harbored the dream of becoming a Mage.
The vast majority of people on the Continent dreamed of being a Mage, but actual Mages were exceedingly rare.
The Profession demanded too much talent, and it also demanded a noble background.
She shook her head gently. "I’m sorry. The Perception and mastery of Magic Power require long practice and guidance. Furthermore, there are differences in how Alchemists and Mages perceive Magic Power. In that regard, I’m afraid I cannot help you."
’Fair enough.’
The outcome was as he’d expected. Lin Mo smiled, a little disappointed. "Thank you again for your help. The next time I need to buy a Potion, I’ll be sure to come to you."
Lady Julian returned his words with a gentle smile. "I look forward to your next visit."
Stepping out of the Alchemy Workshop, Lin Mo stretched and glanced at the sky.
’It’s still early. I’ll head back to the inn and rest first.’
’I can come back out for dinner this evening, maybe get a massage...’
’The next mission isn’t for another day and a half, at least. I should take the time to really experience life in this other world.’
Back in his rented room, the exhaustion from several days on the road caught up with Lin Mo. The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep, not waking until dusk.
He got up, showered, and changed into a set of clean clothes. Lin Mo then pulled out the "tourist guide" he’d made for himself in his spare time and headed to another popular local restaurant—the Silver Inn.
Like the Hearthfire BBQ, it was a fairly down-to-earth establishment. But unlike the former, which focused on grilled meats, the Silver Inn’s menu was a bit more refined and complex. Of course, it was still at a home-cooked level, nothing too fancy.
Lin Mo ordered a few of the specialty dishes, which turned out to be quite good. He also took the opportunity to listen in on the latest town news.
For instance, there was talk of the arrogant and tyrannical Miss Unis, who would apparently kill someone over the slightest disagreement.
’She certainly sounded excessive, but a figure like that would probably never cross paths with a minor Adventurer like him.’
Sipping his cream of mushroom soup, Lin Mo mulled over the problem of finding teammates.
