Chapter 972: Trade
Ranking up was harder at higher levels because wizard bodies tended to be corrupted by mana over the years, and while potions could help negate the effects, they did possess side effects of their own. Mana corruption and the damage left by potions would pile up over the years, causing all sorts of minor harm to the bodies of the wizards, which, in turn, would create technically irreversible harm.
So the “light healing potion” Abel took out was meant to target injury. No, he couldn’t use it to treat internal wounds. He had to use the ones he synthesized with his Horadric Cube for that. That was the reason he had the “light healing potion” out here in the first place. As for the red one, that was meant to aid bodily recovery so the healing process could be done in a more precise manner.
Wizard Hal spoke to the two archpriests bluntly, “If you have something to say to Master Bennett, please be as direct as you can.”
Archpriest Horace didn’t seem offended, “We are here to purchase the light healing potion, Master Bennett. Is it possible for you to supply us with some from your current production??
There was a lot of light healing potion being produced monthly production. There were 300 for the Wizard Union, 50 for the lightning clan, and 100 for the elves. That was quite an amazing amount, considering that Abel had to collect everything himself.
Abel thought for a bit before he spoke, “As for the supply, Archpriest Horace, I have to apologize. There is already an overload of demand. I can do ten bottles for you right now, but I can’t give you more than that because I need to think of my usage first.”
Archpriest Horace and Archpriest Ferguson looked at each other. They realized that Abel was heading to the frontline, so they thought that ten was actually quite a generous amount from him.
Archpriest Horace bowed gratefully, “Many thanks, Master Bennett. We’ll take ten bottles first. Once the battle is over, we’ll make sure to contact you again.”
With that, Abel had ten bottles on the table for Archpriest Horace to take. Archpriest Horace then took out 200 beginner light stones for him in exchange. He paid double the Wizard Union price, but he didn’t think too much about what he’s offering . As far as he was concerned now, he just wanted Abel to be satisfied to do business with him.
Abel suddenly remembered something, “How about I also buy a metallic stone monster, too?”
That’s a bit of a door-in-the-face on Abel’s side. The metallic stone monster was not usually for sale. The priests would go through long-lasting, tremendous pain just to drag the monster’s contract out of his own soul, then seal it inside his own body. Trading it away was not usually something that any ordinary advanced priest would do. They’d usually only do it when they were pa.s.sing onto their disciples, and that was only when they were about to give up on the skill one and for all. Abel sort of knew about it already. After he got one for Jason, he asked some people, and none of them really replied to him in any way.
Archpriest Horace revealed a dry smile on his face, “I don’t have it on me now, Master Bennett, but just give me one day. One day, and I’ll deliver it right to your place.”
It didn’t seem like he was giving away his own. He would probably take one away from an advanced priest that was either too old or too sickly. He might pay for it, but Abel didn’t think it would be a lot.
Abel was very glad about what he heard, “Please name your price Archpriest Horace?”
On that note, with Johnson as an example, the protection of the metallic stone monster would help to aid the stone giant by creating the ability to deflect most attacks, meanwhile adding a boulder of metal for a guard. On top of that. Not that the stone giant itself was going to need it anyways. Its defense could be broken. Still, if his enemy was just going to get stronger once he himself got stronger, he would need a lot more in advance. There were many ingredients missing, of course, but with his experience in modifying Jason, he knew that he could take the time to find the right materials.
Archpriest Horace smiled and spoke, “A gift from us, Master Bennett. Many apologies. We’ve been too rude at the promotion ceremony today.”
They quickly left after that. Wizard Hal kept giving this look at them like he wanted to chase them out. They did get the healing potions now, so that was quite alright.
Wizard Hal was in a rush after the two left, “Would the red wine be up for sale, Master Bennett?”
The red wine was no worse than the light healing potion in effect, that was for sure. It could ensure the safety of whoever drank, and it could also boost the chance of promotion for whoever ranked up. Abel couldn’t help but realize his negligence in this. He could’ve taken out all his wine on the central continent. He could’ve done so much business with the lightning clan because, since he was already at his current rank, there really wasn’t the need to rely on obscure liquor.
Abel took out an empty portal bag and threw 100 bottles in, “I’ve got some spare here, Wizard Hal. Here, I’ll sell you these before the next stock comes.”
Wizard Hal responded by handed over his own portal bag, “We’ll trade this with light stones as well, Master Bennett.”
Abel’s power of the Will scanned over the portal bag. Inside were 100 beginner lightning stones. It was one stone for one bottle of wine. That was probably the highest price for alcohol on the central continent.
Abel reminded Wizard Hal, “Remember to keep the source as a secret. I don’t plan on working in a brewery every day.”
Wizard Hal winked in reply. He knew that the trade was up in the first place because Abel wanted a good relations.h.i.+p with them. Yes, the light stones were pretty nice as well, but he would’ve just gotten more of them if he made more of the light healing potion. As the results would have it, both sides sort of got what they wanted, so they promptly left the place with what they got. Abel went back to his residence over at the Potionmaster’s Encampment to call Druid Poly.
“Do you know where Haden Valley is, Poly?”
Abel’s just learned about the place. It would seem rude to him if he asked about it at the promotion ceremony, so he had to wait until he got back.
Poly seemed to know quite a bit about it, “The Haden Valley is a 500-mile long valley, Master Bennett. The Haden Castle is located at its center, where the royals would live whenever they needed to attend the temple event.”
Abel nodded to show that he understood, “So it’s close to the temple.”
Poly replied, “Yes, not very far.”
“Um,” Abel thought for a bit to absorb the fact that he just got a new home, “Have a talk with Gunter. Get me an elf who’s good at managing a house. Also, send a message to the royal palace. Let them know that the Haden Valley is my permanent domain now.”
Abel noticed the look on Poly’s face, “Is there more than a castle, by any chance?”
Poly explained, “The Haden Valley is the biggest producer of purple word tree, Master Bennett. It’s also the home of many sorts of rare materials. That’s why the area has such a high market value in the first place.”
The purple word tree would produce purple word timber, one of the most precious ingredients for spell circles and some puppets’ variations. It was pretty much the reason why the elves would produce much stronger spell circles in the first place. Now, the valley was handed over to Abel in the first place because the royal palace wanted to show how important he was. It started to make sense of Abel now. The purple word wood was the most precious resource for the elves. That was why the grand druids all stared at him when he received his gifts from Queen Luisa. He was technically an owner of his own mineral business. The amount he produced was enough for any grand druid to trade all his wages over.
Still, he didn’t seem to care too much. He just cared about the fact that Haden Valley was close to the temple. He just cared that he could see Loraine more in the future.
Abel thought and spoke, “After circlemaster Alison’s finished with the circle over here, Poly, make sure to add more over at Haden Castle. Do it like the way that’s done at my current residence.”
Poly bowed, “Yes, Master Bennett.”
They were about to head to the frontline in a few days. Because of that, Abel equipped his body and had Frankenstein change as well. He went back to his battle fort and switched on his invisibility mode. After that, he headed to the dark world to the outside of the Rogue’s Encampment, towards the oak tree.
This time, he needed to make some rune equipment for his new occupations. By that, he needed more crystal cores from the blue howling rabbits. He was saving quite a lot of them over time. All this time, he’s been using “light stones” to replace his training, just to have enough blue crystal cores to synthesize into dark golden crystal cores. As for the recruitment, he was pretty much got all sorts of them ready. He also got the hole-punching effect of the Horadric Malus to create enough rune materials for his craft. Everything was ready. He just needed to get the rune produced.
For the rune symbols, his demands had become a lot more different than before. It used to be that he needed some for close-range, some for knight attacks and defensive rune. Now, he was going to need runes to increase his current level, which would directly affect the powers of his other types of spells.
For starters, he went with the helmet “knowledge.” The best thing about it was that it could boost the level of all his skills by one. To create it, he needed a #9 ort and a #12 sol. He could draw ort in one go, but for 12, he had to do 9 #10 thul first, synthesize them into 3 individual # 11, and put them together. Sol was a troubling one. He needed to spend quite some mana stone for that, too.
He ended up producing two helmets. One for himself. One for Frankenstein. Next, he chose to create the “spirit” sword and the “spirit” s.h.i.+eld. He needed either one with four holes punched out of them so that he could lace the #7 tal, #10 thul, #9 ort, and #11 amn.
Here’s the effect of the “spirit” rune:
+2 all skills
+35% quick casting spell
+55% quick recovery hits
+250 defense against long-range attacks
+22 vitality
+112 mana
Attacker receives anti-damage 14 (s.h.i.+eld). Every hit gain 7% life steal (sword)
Ice-resistance +35% (s.h.i.+eld) +3-14 ice damage (sword_
Poison-resistance +35% (s.h.i.+eld) +75 poison damage. Effect lasts for 5 seconds (sword)
lightning-resistance +35% (s.h.i.+eld) +1-50 damage (sword)
+38 mana absorption
The rune of “spirit” was definitely the best weapon a wizard could. Well, at least before he got anything better, that was. For now, the “spirit” sword and “spirit” s.h.i.+eld would pretty much be his irreplaceable items. It wouldn’t matter for the skills he needed to boost the two points. The quick 35% quick-casting for just equipping them could directly increase 70%, which would greatly reduce the pre-set time for some advanced and top-level spells.
There was also a 55% quick recovery hit. If he set it up early enough, he would also be able to prevent having his spells interrupted by h.e.l.l creatures who could attack him rapidly.