Chapter 227 Resonance Relics
How to determine whether a piece of equipment is a magical item, or what special effects it has.
The simplest method is naturally to use the first-level prophecy ritual spell - "Identification".
With just a light touch, the usage, characteristic effects, and even the remaining number of charges of this item will enter your mind like a legacy memory.
But even the most common and ordinary practical first-level spells, after being improved by countless outstanding wizards over the years, require almost no casting materials.
The most basic condition for releasing "Identification" is to be a spellcaster.
The scarcity of spellcasters due to the high threshold also means that this low-level spell is difficult to benefit the vast majority of the lower-level civilians and low-level adventurers in this world.
As for the magic scroll with "Identification" in mind... I can only say that after seeing its expensive price in the market, those who can still use it as a common identification method definitely have wealth beyond the scope of ordinary people.
It is true that the Adventurer's Association is a giant organization with a sphere of influence that extends to the entire continent, but it is impossible to equip every branch of the association with a spellcaster who masters the art of identification.
Let's not talk about whether there are really so many spellcasters who are willing to give up their future careers and the affluent life in the manor castle to work in the association, which is often located in the frontline town where monsters gather.
The annual salary alone is already an astronomical figure.
The Adventurer's Association itself is loose and free, and the "platform"-like organizational nature cannot force ordinary members to work for other adventurers.
Therefore, in many places, the Adventurer's Association, especially the more remote branches such as the Valley Town, are rarely equipped with full-time spellcasters who master the art of identification.
Instead, ordinary people with rich experience and outstanding vision are used as substitutes.
When Xia Nan entered the so-called identification room on the second floor of the association under the leadership of Jasmine, he saw such a gentleman.
He looked a bit older, with obvious crow's feet at the corners of his eyes and loose wrinkles on his face. His short gray hair was neatly combed without any mess, and he wore a pair of silver-framed glasses on his nose.
Although he was wearing the uniform of an association staff member, Xia Nan did not think he was a professional with any special abilities, but just an ordinary person.
However, those scholars with a lot of knowledge and elegant temperament formed a sharp contrast with the messy adventurers downstairs.
"This is Mr. Tang Si, the appraiser of our association." Jasmine opened the door for Xia Nan and introduced him softly.
At the same time, she also explained the purpose of the visit to the other party.
"This is Mr. Xia Nan, and we need to provide consignment services for items."
"Hello!" Sitting behind the wooden table, appraiser Tang Si took the initiative to stand up and walked forward a few steps to greet Xia Nan.
He did not feel contempt for the other party because he was just an ordinary person, nor did he feel superior because of his professional identity.
Xia Nan smiled and shook hands with the other party politely.
At the same time, he was secretly looking at the layout of this appraisal room.
First of all, the most eye-catching thing is naturally the huge and sturdy long table made of heavy oak in the center of the room.
The middle of the table is covered with durable leather, while the two sides are covered with thick felt cloth and lead plates, as if to cope with the different types of items that may need to be placed on the table;
a shallow groove is chiseled on the edge to effectively prevent items from rolling off, and multiple models of adjustable height vises and fixing clamps, trays, scales, crucibles, reflectors... A large number of highly professional objects are neatly placed on the table.
A huge and bright window allows the slightly dim light outside to penetrate into the room, and next to it is a wooden bookshelf that almost fills the entire wall. Various books are arranged in order according to their content. There is not much dust, and it is obvious that they are often read.
Xia Nan glanced at the bookshelf. The content he saw alone included various armor styles, weapon shapes, coats of arms, fabrics, local style illustrations, historical biographies used to study the evolution of equipment and identify noble items, minerals and materials...
Rather than being an identification room, it is more like an office or a workshop.
For those low-level adventurers who came from the countryside and had never even been to Neum, they would probably have believed in Downs, the association's appraiser, just by seeing the professional layout of the room.
There was no special expression on Shanan's face, but he had to admit that with the environment in the appraisal room, the impression given by the other party at first glance was that of a knowledgeable professional appraiser.
Jasmine left the room on her own initiative and helped the two close the door.
Shanan sat across the table and first took the [Tidal Lure Rod] out of the cotton cloth and put it on the table.
He didn't waste time and directly told the other party the information he saw on the attribute panel.
Like Rock Hammer Barn, the appraiser named "Downs" in front of him did not show any contempt after learning about the extremely harsh conditions for using the stone spear.
He just meticulously checked the stone spear from the tip to the end of the pole.
"It seems that someone has told you. This kind of equipment with a special effect is indeed more suitable for consignment in the association."
His expression was solemn and serious, and his eyes were focused through the lenses, carefully examining the wave-like texture on the surface of the stone spear.
"After registration, all adventurers who need it can see this equipment, and if they have the intention to buy it, they can quickly contact and trade."
As mentioned earlier, although "identification" is convenient, the number of spellcasters is small and magic scrolls are expensive, so it is not the mainstream method of identification in most cases.
How can the association itself guarantee the authenticity of the massive magic items consigned to the association, and how to deal with the specific effects that are different from those marked before purchase?
Maybe on some levels, the Adventurer's Association sometimes looks like a makeshift team.
But at least in terms of consignment transactions, it still has a detailed and complete plan.
Like Xia Nan, when the seller already knows the attribute effects of the equipment, when submitting it to the association, he should describe the equipment attributes in detail, declare that what he said is true, and hand it over to the appraiser for a certain degree of inspection.
At the same time, the consignor needs to guarantee his reputation as a member of the association, and some may also require senior members to co-sign, assume joint liability, or pay a high deposit.
Every once in a while, the association will conduct random inspections of items being sold internally. If it finds that the items are deceptively and seriously different from the consignor's description,
or if the buyer claims that the purchased equipment does not match the attributes, the association will intervene and use resources to arbitrate and find deliberate deception (the cost of the appraisal is borne by the losing party).
Consignors will be subject to extremely severe punishments, with huge fines being the most basic of these. There are also a variety of punishments, including expulsion from the association and blacklisting, cooperating with local officials to confiscate property, and wanted arrests. This is
to ensure the authority and stability of the association platform, so that both buyers and sellers can trade on it with confidence without worrying about being defrauded.
This is also the reason why the association platform, which has the highest handling fee on the market, is still the first choice for many adventurers to recycle equipment.
And the above are only a small part of the association's consignment trading system.
Others, such as the "Association Certified Master" certificate/emblem composed of forging enchantment masters, senior scholars, and legendary adventurers, cooperation with third-party organizations, truth contracts, internal credit ratings...
Together, they have become the largest and most extensive professional trading platform on the continent of Elfala.
Of course, although the magic scroll of "Appraisal" is expensive, there must be a lot of stock in the association.
For some high-level magic equipment whose specific attributes are uncertain and whose quality level is high, the simple handling fee has exceeded the price of the scroll, so naturally they will not save money in this regard.
At the same time, they can also maintain good relationships with adventurers who can produce such equipment, which is conducive to the stability and expansion of forces.
After Xia Nan fully explained the properties of the [Tide Lure Rod], Downs checked it for another thirty minutes.
He took off his silver-rimmed glasses, rubbed his nose, and said,
"Regarding the origin of this stone spear, according to its stone material and forging process, it should be the whale clan of the Black Reef Islands on the south coast of the continent."
"It is undoubtedly a magical equipment, but it also has a certain collection value, especially for nobles in inland desert areas like Calinshan. Many people are interested in such exotic objects."
"If you encounter such noble buyers, you can pay a premium appropriately. After all, for them, one or two hundred gold coins and a few copper coins are not essentially different."
Downs put his glasses back on, made a little joke with Xia Nan, and continued.
"In terms of the selling price, I personally recommend that you negotiate with the buyer. After all, this kind of special equipment is useless to many people and can only be used as a collection, but it has very high value in some fields. Even those powerful people who are active in newspapers and epics may be interested."
"If you simply set a relatively average price, it may cause you a large loss."
Reasonable!
Xia Nan nodded secretly, agreeing with the other party's statement.
The audience of recreational activities such as fishing, not to mention ordinary citizens, but also professionals at the "supernormal" and "legendary" levels, and even some gods with leisure time are among them.
What if this "bathing artifact" of mine is favored by a big shot with less sophisticated skills?
At that time, not to mention how many gold coins it can be sold for, it is not certain that it can be directly exchanged for a suitable combat skill from the other party.
Seeing Xia Nan agreed, Tang Si took out a long box from under the table and helped to store the stone spear in it.
"After a while, you will need to sign a few contracts with the association. After the transaction is completed, a certain percentage of the handling fee will be charged according to the total value."
"Moli will explain the details to you at that time."
Xia Nan felt relieved after solving a matter that needed to be dealt with.
Then he took out the broken yew wood staff from his backpack.
"This staff comes from a beastman who is suspected to be a druid. I showed it to Barn in the Rock Hammer shop before I came here, but he was not sure either, so he asked me to send it to the association for a look."
"I know Mr. Barn. He is an excellent blacksmith." River Valley Town is not big, and adventurers and people in related industries have all heard of famous figures like Rock Hammer.
Hearing that even Barn couldn't tell, the rigorous appraiser in front of Xia Nan was obviously interested. He changed into a pair of unique glasses, carefully held the staff, and leaned forward.
"Yew wood... 200 years old..."
"Ordinary craftsmanship, this kind of grinding technique... is very common in Panyun Province... The finished product won't be too far away... five years?"
"Wait, what is this?"
I saw that Tang Si in front of me closed his eyes directly.
His fingers seemed to be stroking the staff, but the fingertips were about half a centimeter away from the staff, as if he was feeling something invisible on its surface.
This lasted for five minutes before he murmured and opened his eyes.
"It is this... I can't be wrong."
"Resonance Relic!"
"Resonance Relic?" Xia Nan frowned slightly and asked in confusion when he heard the unfamiliar term from the other party.
"It is an extremely special and rare item."
Appraiser Tang Si held the staff, carefully examined it, and explained to Xia Nan.
"To put it simply, it is an object that has undergone invisible changes after being influenced by the strong emotions of the holder."
"The core driving force is strong, pure, and extreme emotions, including but not limited to: extreme love, deep despair, boiling anger, twisted fear, ecstasy, obsession, determination, extreme hatred..."
"This change has no requirements for the material of the object, and it is non-physical in itself and will not produce any changes to the material world."
"It is precisely because of this characteristic that few people can discover the existence of resonant relics."
"Just like your yew staff, if you replace it with a piece of clothing or a blood-stained stone, I don't think anyone will hold it in their hands and study it carefully for more than ten minutes to perceive its difference from ordinary objects." "
And as for the use of this kind of resonant relics..."
Tangs pondered for a moment, as if recalling the knowledge in his mind.
"As a product of strong emotions, it is often used in certain ancient rituals as the core of curses; some spellcasters also use it as a spellcasting material to enhance the effects of individual enchantment spells."
"I remember there are several niche professions similar to psychics, and job changes also require such items, but there are not many records in the association, and the relevant promotion paths have long been lost in history."
At this point, Downs looked up at Xia Nan and suggested:
"If you want to put it on the association platform for consignment, you may have to wait for a long time, much longer than the previous stone spear, and you may not be able to get a satisfactory return." "
But coincidentally, our branch received a commission a few days ago, and the resonant relic in your hand just meets the requirements of the task."
"Maybe..."
Chapter 228 Weiruel's Inexplicable Enthusiasm
[Task Number]: T-12031
[Type]: Collection
[Reward]: 50-300 gold
[Task Summary]:
Requires thought polymer/emotional sticky solid or other similar items, the specific reward is negotiable
...
Sitting in the corner of the White Tit Tavern.
Xia Nan leaned back and relaxed on the back of the chair, stretched his legs and stretched.
On the table in front of him, there were a few scattered plates with only a few food residues left, and the air above could faintly smell the sweet and fragrant cream.
In his heart, he was thinking about what happened in the appraisal room in the afternoon.
For the resonant relic in his hand, that is, the broken yew wood staff from Mint, the appraiser "Tangs" gave him the advice to keep it for the time being and not send it to the association or any other organization for consignment.
Because just a few days ago, the River Valley Town Adventurer Association just received a commission to collect similar items.
And the resonant relic in Xia Nan's hand is very likely to meet the needs of the task.
According to Downs, considering the scarcity of resonant relics and the scarcity of similar thought/emotion polymers, Xia Nan should be able to receive a good offer during the negotiation.
Compared with putting it on consignment at the association, you can earn much more, and you don't have to wait indefinitely for a buyer who may be interested, you can sell it right away.
After listening to the appraiser's explanation of the pros and cons, Xia Nan considered it and agreed to the other party's plan.
And agreed to meet the buyer three days later when he went to the association to receive the reward for the beastman investigation mission. The
association also took advantage of these few days to contact the other party and make corresponding preparations.
"Speaking of which..."
The happy and satisfied feeling of fullness and the lingering fragrance of cream mushroom soup on the tip of the tongue made Xia Nan squint his eyes.
In his mind, he subconsciously recalled the scene when Downs appraised the item for him.
After all, not all magic equipment can have obvious differences from ordinary equipment in appearance.
For example, Xia Nan's [Dead Line] ring and [Bone Binding Iron Leg], even when the ability is activated, it is difficult for the main body to see obvious changes, let alone normal times.
As for weapons like the [Tide Lure Rod], which have demanding conditions for use, if you don't have the attribute panel, maybe no one will be able to discover its unique characteristics even after hundreds of years.
In this case, for ordinary people who don't have the identification spell, if they want to detect the special features of an object, they naturally need to accumulate extensive and profound knowledge.
Just like the treasure appraisers in the previous life, they can make a comprehensive appraisal and judgment based on the design style, raw material origin, and craftsmanship of the item with just one glance.
This also made Xia Nan completely dispel the idea of using his attribute panel to pretend to be an appraiser to make some quick money.
On the one hand, he does not have the ability to cast spells, so it is naturally impossible for him to master the identification technique;
on the other hand, his understanding of this world and the accumulation of various related knowledge are too scarce, so it is easy to reveal his feet and arouse suspicion.
If someone finds out and causes his gold finger attribute panel to be exposed, it will be ten thousand times more dangerous than the discovery of [Spring Breath Tears].
There is no need to face such a big risk for some gold coins that can be earned at any time.
In this regard, he should be more cautious.
At this point, the spoils of this mission have been basically dealt with. There is no special value, and all that can be cashed in has been exchanged for gold coins.
Excluding the [Tears of Spring] that he kept on him and did not intend to sell, the [Tidal Lure Rod] has been left in the association waiting for the consignment process, and the Broken Staff is about to be sold.
Xia Nan's originally tense heart finally relaxed.
"Then take a rest for three days."
"Wait until the reward for the investigation mission comes and the resonance relics are sold. Then, based on the gold coins on my body, I will decide whether to take a few more days to relax a little, or make money quickly and try to save up enough gold coins for the arm shield upgrade as soon as possible."
Since joining the Seathorn team for nearly two months, Xia Nan has not had a good rest. After removing the hidden dangers of beast disease on his body through the removal of the curse scroll, Xia Nan thought of using this recent free time to
find a few goblin nests to relax and make some extra money.
...
...
Eating, sleeping, training, a regular life always makes time pass quickly.
In a blink of an eye, three days have passed.
A small meeting room on the second floor of the River Valley Town branch of the Adventurer's Association.
Xia Nan sat back in an oak chair, his fingertips gently touching the armrests.
There was no obvious change in his expression, but from his relaxed sitting posture and the naturally upturned corners of his mouth, it can be seen that he should be in a good mood.
And the fact is indeed so.
The rewards for the beastman investigation mission have all been transferred to his account.
Considering the expenses of the snake-scale arm shield and magic scrolls, the demand for cash is huge. He did not choose to exchange part of it for points, but exchanged it all for gold coins.
A full 300 gold!
It made his net worth soar directly to 853 gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze!
It can be said that it is more than enough to buy a 500 gold scroll to remove the curse.
And the 200g of skeleton-etched steel in the mission reward is now in the deepest part of his backpack.
It can be handed over to Rock Hammer Barn today to start the upgrade forging of the snake-scale arm shield.
In this regard, Xia Nan's biggest feeling was...
"Lone Wolf, the money comes so fast!"
He doesn't need to share money with his teammates, nor does he need to worry about whether others can adapt to his rhythm. He doesn't need to be vigilant against backstabs during battle.
For an E-level mission like this, if the rewards are fully taken, he can directly get 300 gold coins, which is worth many goblin nests.
If he can get such rewards as this one every time he adventures in the future, his promotion speed will soar like a rocket, and he will soon be able to accumulate the points required for advanced combat skills.
Thinking of this, he began to look forward to his future, and he wanted to rush into the forest and find a few goblins to relieve his anger.
Of course, no matter how his emotions fluctuate in his heart.
He still has to sit here for now.
Because the meeting time agreed by Xia Nan and the association for the transaction of the yew wood staff is about to arrive.
He subconsciously glanced at the clock on the wall.
[9:29]
There was only one minute left before the agreed meeting time of 9:30 in the morning.
But he was still the only one in the meeting room.
He thought to himself that the buyer would be late.
It didn't matter, since he had just returned to town and didn't have many important matters to attend to.
As long as the deal could be concluded and he could have a few hundred more gold coins in his account, he would be willing to wait here for a whole day.
And just in the last minute before the agreed time, the second hand of the clock turned half a circle on the clock face and landed on the scale representing "11".
When it was only five seconds to 9:30.
Suddenly, a short, yet inexplicably steady, light footsteps came from outside the door.
As if they were deliberately stuck to the agreed time, not a second more or less.
At the moment when the second hand returned to zero.
"Click."
The door of the conference room was gently pushed open from the outside.
A young girl with a slim figure and a long robe was revealed. Her
dark chestnut hair seemed to be tied up casually with a leather rope, forming a neat and agile high ponytail, but the strands of hair hanging from her cheeks and the fluffy bangs on her forehead were not messy at all. It was obvious that she had been carefully groomed before going out.
Her amber eyes were crystal clear, and the light was flowing, revealing a kind of depth and stability that a girl of her age should not have, and there was a hint of deep fatigue.
The beige robe looked like it had been worn for a long time, and some parts were even washed white, but the surface was not stained at all, clean and tidy, and a practical dark brown cloak was draped over her shoulders.
"Mage?"
High perception took effect silently, and many information that ordinary people could not capture were summarized into Xia Nan's brain the moment he saw the girl in front of him.
The white fingers stained with ink and slight burn marks were faintly revealed from the sleeves of the robe, the magic particles in the air around him were slightly active as he moved, and the leather bag on his waist was different from the usual style of adventurers...
plus some reliable intuition from unknown sources, he was sure that the girl who opened the door in front of him should be a serious spellcaster. She was
definitely not a fake like Mint who used her own abilities and equipment effects to disguise herself.
Out of courtesy and respect for the upcoming transaction, Xia Nan stood up and greeted the other party:
"Hello, I am Xia Nan, you should be the client of the collection task, right?"
"Hello, yes, I..."
With a trace of fatigue, a soft female voice came from the front, as if to introduce herself.
But just halfway through the words, the originally fluent voice paused abruptly as if it was stuck.
Looking over.
I saw a girl with a dark chestnut high ponytail, staring at me in a daze.
However, on her fair face with delicate features, there was an inexplicable expression that Xia Nan had never seen since he traveled through time.
To give an example that is not quite appropriate, it is like an ordinary person who was not a big fan of stars in the previous life. After being persuaded by his relatives, he
finally agreed to a blind date. After arriving at the agreed location, he unexpectedly found that the blind date sitting across the table had a familiar face that often appeared on the TV screen.
That kind of momentary surprise and trance, with a complex expression of surprise and doubt in the astonishment, is absolutely impossible to act.
After the astonishment, although the other party concealed it quickly, Xia Nan still keenly noticed
the fear that instinctively burst out from the depths of his eyes.
"What do you mean?" He couldn't help but feel puzzled, "Does she know me?"
Xia Nan frowned slightly, searching through all the memories in his mind, but he never found a picture similar to the other person's figure and face.
The pause was only a moment.
The mage girl reacted very quickly. All the changes in her expression were restrained in an instant. Her face was filled with a polite but not alienated smile. She continued:
"Hello, I heard from the association that you have a resonant relic in your hand?"
"To be honest, I need some similar items to assist in experiments recently. I wonder if I can take a look."
"Of course, I will definitely give you a satisfactory quote!"
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. How rude."
"Just call me 'Weiruo', Mr. Xia Nan."
Seeing that the other party was so enthusiastic, Xia Nan also suppressed his doubts, nodded in response, and shook hands with Weiruo who took the initiative to come forward. His
excellent perception ability took effect again.
He clearly felt that the softness in his palm suddenly stiffened unnaturally at the moment of contact with him, as if he wanted to withdraw as if he was electrocuted, but was restrained by the other party's will, and completed the whole handshake process with a slight tremor.
His eyes couldn't help but move up and look at the girl in front of him.
Then Weiruel instinctively retracted her chin, hiding her fragile neck behind her chin.
"Strange, do I know her?"
The other party's strange behavior made Xia Nan even more confused, but he had already loosened the other party's palm, turned around and took out the yew wood staff from his backpack and handed it to the table.
Knowing that her unnaturalness had been noticed by the black-haired young man in front of her with sharp eyes, Weiruel did not dare to say more polite words or say any meaningless nonsense. She got straight to the point, took the staff and carefully examined it.
"Please wait, Mr. Xia Nan."
She said very politely.
After about five minutes, she nodded gently.
The white and slender index finger lightly stroked the air around the staff a few times.
Whoosh -
a soft breeze suddenly blew in the conference room with closed doors and windows.
Touching the staff lightly, the magic light flashed at the fingertips.
Weiruel's amber crystal eyes also became dazed for a moment.
The next second, it returned to normal.
Smiling, he replied to Xia Nan:
"It is indeed a rare relic of resonance. May I ask if Mr. Xia Nan has a price in mind? It doesn't matter if it's a little higher. I can negotiate."
So honest? This is
the first time I've seen someone who is willing to raise the price.
Hearing the other party say this, Xia Nan couldn't help but complain in his heart.
He didn't know whether this mage girl named Weiruoer was like this, or because...
Thinking back to the strange expression and movements of the other party when they met just now.
After thinking for a moment, he didn't rush to make a deal.
Thinking of getting some information, he asked:
"I don't know if it's offensive, but before that, I have a question."
"You say."
"What you just cast on the yew staff was... identification?"
"Yes, Mr. Shanan." Weiru smiled and nodded, patiently and politely explaining to him, "This is an improved variant of identification, specifically used to identify materials such as resonant relics, and the casting process has been greatly simplified."
"But I'm very sorry, Mr. Shanan, due to the restrictions of the school oath, I'm afraid I can't provide you with the corresponding spell model. If you are interested, I..."
"No, no."
Shanan waved his hands repeatedly.
After meeting, the wizard girl was inexplicably enthusiastic, even he was a little unsure in his heart.
Of course, it couldn't be a melodramatic plot like "love at first sight". There must be a reason for the other party's behavior.
But in his memory, he had no impression of Weiruel at all. He was sure that neither his original self nor his later self had ever seen her.
Then... why?
Chapter 229 [Likimia's Transformation Resistance]
Filled with doubts, Xia Nan frowned unconsciously, and looked carefully at Weiruer in front of him.
Although this mage girl looked exhausted, as if someone was urging her to move forward at any time, she didn't even enter the room until the last second for the scheduled meeting.
But from her fair and delicate face, and her hands that may have some ink stains or burns due to experiments or spells, but are smooth and tender without any calluses, it can be seen that she should have a very good family background.
At least she doesn't have to work in the fields under the sun all day, like the eldest daughter of an aristocratic family.
But the strange thing is here.
Compared with Weiruer's youthful appearance, who is about the same age as herself, and her high probability of wealthy background.
Her own temperament gives people a strong sense of contrast, and she is calm and stable, which is not suitable for her age.
There is no frivolity that is common among the nobles in this world.
From entering the door, to greeting Xia Nan, to sitting at the table.
His movements were simple and neat, without any affectation;
he used only common words and grammar in the common language he spoke, and he did not have any sense of superiority when it came to magic terms, and he even took the initiative to explain their meanings to Shanan.
Although he looked a little tired and busy, he was also very generous and capable.
"Could it be some old guy pretending to be young?" Shanan speculated in his heart, "But where did he know me? I have only been to Nium this year, and I haven't been there for many days."
"Mr. Shanan?"
Weiruo called softly, as if she noticed the puzzled look of the black-haired young man across the table.
"It's okay." Shanan came back to his senses immediately, with a natural look and a slight nod, "Let's continue."
"Regarding this relic of resonance, I certainly have a corresponding price in my mind, and it took me a lot of effort to get it."
- Picked it up on the ground when escaping.
"But since you want this staff so badly, I am willing to give it a good home. Of course, the premise is that I can see your sincerity. After all, for it, my armor is still being repaired in the blacksmith shop."
- Pointing out that the resonance relic is hard to come by.
"Not only did we lose a lot of precious props (several kerosene bombs), but three teammates also died because of it."
- Well... there is nothing wrong with saying that.
"You name the price. I believe you know its value."
- Retreating to advance, letting the other party make an offer to test, and also making it easier for you to raise the price further.
Long before meeting Weiruel, Xia Nan had already exchanged opinions with the appraiser "Tangs" on the value and selling price of the resonance relic.
He also learned that this kind of product that is soaked in strong emotions will not be of any special use to 99.9% of the adventurers in this world.
Even if it is placed at home as a decoration, it is also necessary to consider whether the thoughts and emotions left on the surface of the object will have a negative impact on the mental state of the people around.
Only those who have professional needs, or casters who want to use it to arrange rituals and cast spells, can use the resonance relic.
Keeping it by your side is just taking up space.
Selling it at a suitable price is the best way to deal with it.
As for the specific selling price...
combined with the information obtained by Tang Si and himself through various sources.
The upper limit of the bounty amount indicated on Weiruo's commission - 300 gold, naturally dare not ask for it.
At the end of today, he was very satisfied that he could make a deal at a price of 200 gold.
If the other party bargains hard, 150 gold is acceptable.
100 gold is Xia Nan's bottom line, but after all, the market demand is too small. If the two still can't discuss a price that satisfies both parties before dark.
85 or 70 gold, grit your teeth...
"400 gold."
The amber crystal eyes reflected the figure with black hair in front of him.
Weiruo sat upright on the chair and said seriously.
"What do you think of four hundred gold, Mr. Xia Nan?"
"Ahem..." The girl's exaggerated offer, which seemed to be worthless, made Xia Nan's heart beat violently, but he looked calm. He
even pretended to ponder for a moment, as if thinking about whether such a price was reasonable.
"Mr. Xia Nan, to be honest, although I am a mage with rough arcane attainments, I have some savings, but I have spent a lot of money recently due to various factors."
"400 gold is the most I can take out without affecting my normal arcane learning."
Weiru's attitude was very sincere, and her offer was far beyond Xia Nan's expectations.
Having said that, he no longer planned to bargain with the girl in front of him. He
opened his mouth and was about to agree, but heard the other party add.
"On the basis of these 400 gold coins, if you need anything in magic or similar, I may be able to provide some help."
"Although those mid- and high-level spells are still beyond my ability, I still have a relatively complete memory of first- and second-level magic."
Oh?
Hearing this, Xia Nan's eyes lit up.
400 gold in exchange for the resonance relic in his hand was already completely enough, and he was going to agree.
And now that the other party was willing to take the initiative to provide him with additional compensation, he naturally had no reason to refuse.
You know, at present, he has not yet removed the beast curse on his body.
If he can find another solution from the other party, maybe he can directly save him 500 gold for buying the scroll of removing the curse.
Thinking so in his heart, he carefully considered his words and tentatively asked Weiruo:
"I don't know... do you have a spell like 'remove curse'?"
"Remove curse?" The girl couldn't help but show a trace of apology on her face, "I'm really sorry, Mr. Xia Nan, the third-level spell is indeed beyond my ability."
It seems that the 500 gold cannot be saved.
Xia Nan had already prepared himself mentally, so he was not disappointed. He planned not to waste any more time and would find Jasmine to exchange the spell scroll after the transaction was over.
"But...if possible, could you please tell me a little bit about what kind of curse needs to be removed?"
Weiruel leaned forward slightly, staring at Xia Nan in front of her, and asked softly.
Her cautious look for fear of offending others was totally unlike what a high-handed spellcaster should look like.
"Remove Curse is a third-level spell, mainly because of its comprehensiveness against curse effects and its fast casting action that can be used to counter spells in combat."
"Outside of combat, there is no need to consider the casting time. If you know the type of curse you need to purify, there may be a better solution."
"After all, I mentioned it to you before." Weiruel's fair face showed a confident smile, "I have memorized a complete list of spells."
Beastiality is not a secret, and there is no need to worry about it.
Seeing that there is still hope for the money-saving plan, Xia Nan immediately explained his current troubles to the other party.
"Great!" Weiruel's face was filled with a bright smile. "If it's just lycanthropy, I do know a targeted purification curse."
"It doesn't take much time to prepare, and I happen to have the materials with me."
"If you don't mind, I can cast the spell for you now."
She was quite thoughtful. After all, the two of them were in the Adventurer's Association, which usually had a magic circle to supervise and prohibit adventurers from fighting each other. She
dared to cast a spell here, which showed that the spell she was about to cast had no hostility towards Xia Nan.
With a sudden turn of events, Xia Nan didn't waste any more effort, so he nodded in agreement.
"It will be ready soon. Just sit down and relax."
Then, Weiru stood up and wiped her hand half-covered by her sleeves on her waist bag.
Several tiny purple-green vines and a small piece of broken bone fell into her palm.
Her slightly moist lips moved silently, and a glimmer of magic flashed in her amber eyes.
Buzz -
the dark chestnut ponytail jumped flexibly, and the bangs moved without wind. A faint blue flickering fluorescence could be detected at the edge of the hair strands - that was a sign of highly condensed magic particles.
In the palm of her hand, the vines and bone pieces melted into the air like snowflakes, and the light blue magic light also appeared above the table.
Like tiny fireflies, driven by the spirit, they enveloped Xia Nan.
...
[Likimia's Transformation Resistance (Low Ring Adaptation Version)]
Level: Second Ring
School: Protection
Effect: Purify the curse that causes the body to produce deformation characteristics.
…
Following Weiruel's instructions, Shanan sat still in the chair, and tried to relax as much as possible.
He could keenly feel the magic particles suddenly active in the room as she stood up.
As the light blue dots fell on his body, an inexplicable feeling of comfort arose from his heart.
It was like bathing in a hot spring, the kind of indescribable warmth and comfort.
However, the warm spring water was not soaking his body, but his soul.
Roar -
like an illusion, the unwilling and violent roar of a strange beast burst out in his heart.
The shadow of a black bear with dense mane quietly appeared in the air behind Shanan, struggling and roaring, but could not make a sound.
It seemed that some invisible force pulled it out of Shanan's body, and under the illumination of the magic glow, it gradually faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Finally, it turned into a wisp of materialized black smoke and disappeared into the air.
At the same time, Shanan was suddenly relieved, as if he had unloaded some invisible burden, and the whole person relaxed.
He had already understood in his heart.
The beast curse has been completely removed.
I have saved 500 gold coins!
"The purification is complete, Mr. Shanan."
Weiruo sat down again, her expression remained the same, and there was no sweat on her face. Casting this level of spells seemed very easy for her, and she didn't even need a staff.
Even so, Shanan still expressed his gratitude to the other party with a sincere attitude.
"It's just a small effort, you are too polite."
The girl smiled and replied.
It's not self-deprecation. Unlike the high cost of spell scrolls, for the caster, if he already has this spell, casting the spell consumes only a little mental power, which can be restored by a little meditation.
This is one of the reasons why many casters are so wealthy.
Compared with the magic scroll of 500 gold, even if the mage offers half the price, 250 gold per time, facing the possible infection of the curse, or other dangerous diseases, there are many people willing to pay.
And the caster only needs to pay a little time and energy.
The transaction process was very smooth.
Weiru used 400 gold coins and a purification ritual to exchange for the yew wood staff in Xia Nan's hand.
She had intended to take the opportunity to ask the other party for some information, but Weiru seemed to be in a hurry.
After just a few pleasantries, she expressed her intention to leave.
"Finally, thank you again for selling the resonance relic to me. It is very important to me."
She still has to thank me?
I know that the broken staff in my hand is definitely not worth that much money. I got the advantage in this transaction.
Xia Nan suddenly felt something was wrong.
Gold coins and the like are fine, but in this case, even if the other party did not say it explicitly, I must have owed Weiru a favor.
And the debt of favor, especially for people with his personality, is the most difficult to repay.
While thinking, Weiru stood up from the table, but seemed to have noticed his thoughts.
After a pause, he said sincerely:
"Mr. Xia Nan, the price of an item is determined by people. The resonance relic in your hand may not have many people interested in it in the market, but for me, it is an important item related to my arcane learning progress."
"If I didn't have limited gold coins, I would be willing to pay 500 or 800 gold, let alone 400 gold."
"So please don't worry too much. Maybe we won't even meet again in the future, and I will never ask you to do something with this."
"It really doesn't work..."
As she said this, Weiruo couldn't help but raise a little arc at the corner of her mouth and blinked at Xia Nan.
"Let's just make friends?"
At this point, Xia Nan was not the kind of person who didn't know what to do.
He nodded to the other party and smiled and replied:
"Okay, then make friends."
...
"Bang."
The wooden door of the conference room was gently closed.
Wearing a dark brown cloak, the beige robe swayed gently as the body moved.
The slender girl's steps were still as hurried as when she came. She walked down the stairs quickly and left the Adventurer's Association.
Walking on the streets of River Valley Town, she was like an ordinary adventurer who was preparing supplies before going out on a mission, shuttling between various grocery stores.
It seemed normal, but as she got further and further away from the Adventurer's Association, the number of adventurers and even pedestrians on the street gradually decreased.
She didn't dare to use magic rashly to check behind her. She used the skills she had learned from the seniors to confirm that no one was following her.
At an inconspicuous street corner, Weiru suddenly turned and went into a hidden alley next to it.
The whole person suddenly relaxed and leaned against the wall.
There was a trace of fear on her originally relaxed face. She gasped for breath, and a layer of fine sweat had already seeped out of her pale cheeks.
At this moment, the shadow cast by the narrow brick walls on both sides, covering her, was a safety she had never felt before.
"Why, how could it be him?"
Sweat dripped from the delicately curved chin, soaking the front of his robe.
"Panyun Province... River Valley Town... Misty Forest... Xia Nan..."
"Damn it, I should have thought of it earlier!"
Chapter 230 Death Sign and Memories
Misty Forest, Outskirts.
It was daytime, and the light grey mist was like a layer of fine gauze, floating gently in the air.
Only occasionally a breeze blew, bringing with it a slight "rustling" sound of swaying branches, blowing the mist, and revealing the outline of the forest in silence.
Crunch -
accompanied by the sound of crisp leaves and rotten soil colliding and rubbing in the squeeze, a not-so-thick fallen branch was broken by the leather boots falling from above, making an untimely and abrupt sound.
The off-white robe fell to the ankles, and the corners of the clothes were stained with grass and dirt; the neat dark chestnut ponytail swayed left and right as the body moved, like a smart and small furry tail.
Weiruel walked alone in the depths of the forest.
With her slender and weak body and her defenseless clothes, she didn't look like someone who could move normally in the misty forest.
Her calm and composed look, coupled with her fair and delicate face, made it seem as if they were not in a place full of dangerous monsters, but a quiet and safe garden.
Compared to the fear and terror she had just felt when she left the Adventurer's Association, Weiruel had regained the calm attitude she should show as a senior.
In her hand, she had a staff that was gray and white with dark natural lines on the surface.
Perhaps its seemingly plain appearance could not reflect its value, but the black opal inlaid on the top of the staff, which was extremely pure, with black shadows and gold spots inside, and the size of a fingernail, which could be sold for nearly four-digit gold coins in a jewelry store, was enough to show the expensive cost of this staff.
At this moment, the magic glow that burst out from the black opal at the top of the staff, which flowed smoothly with the staff body, revealed that the staff was not low-grade "enchanted equipment".
If it were sold on the market, its price might be several times higher.
Buzz——
The light glow turned into a translucent light blue shield, isolating the fog and danger outside the shield.
——1st ring protection system [Alarm - Improved VII version in 932 of the Arcane Calendar]
While retaining the original warning function of [Alarm], it also has multiple functions such as physical protection and breath concealment.
Although the spell model is much more complicated, the required casting materials and mental power consumption have also changed compared to the original.
But for Weiruer's mind control ability and mental power reserve far exceeding that of mages of the same level, it is almost not difficult.
She took out an exquisite brass pocket watch from the leather bag on her waist and looked down at the time.
The girl slowly stopped and carefully scanned the surroundings. The translucent light shield surrounding her body quietly expanded and then suddenly retracted.
After confirming that there was no danger around, she dragged her tired body and found a sturdy oak tree nearby.
She didn't dislike the mud on the ground and just sat down.
At the same time, she estimated in her mind:
because her body had not been rested for a long time, it was close to being overloaded.
Considering the current environment and the enemies she might encounter later... if she rested efficiently for 20 minutes, she should be able to maintain her condition until she could set up camp and rest in the second half of the night.
While thinking, her eyes had already closed, and her consciousness sank at the fastest speed, entering a state of rest.
For ordinary people, sleep is the most basic luxury that only Weiruel can enjoy when her body consciousness is close to overload and collapse.
The urgency that lingered in her heart was like an invisible big hand, pushing her forward without stopping. She
didn't dare to waste a second.
"Rustle."
The slight movement from the bushes in front suddenly made Weiruel's eyes, which had just been closed, suddenly open.
Although she was very confident in her improved [Alarm Technique], she knew that there were basically no dangerous creatures that could bypass the protection and approach her outside the Misty Forest.
But at this moment, she still instinctively took countermeasures against unknown attackers.
First, there were several magic items stored close to her body under her off-white robe. Her mind had already triggered a connection, and the defense spells they were enchanted with could be triggered at any time.
At the same time, she had not even completely stood up from the ground. She was in the process of supporting herself with one hand, bending her knees, stepping on the ground, and exerting her muscles to stand up.
The spell model that had been prepared in the depths of her mind and was specifically used for the current situation had already been infused with her mental power.
Shaping, enchanting, changing... spell models of various schools were rapidly charged under the impetus of her mind.
Magical glow appeared between the strands of hair, and her bangs moved automatically without wind. Less than
a breath after the sound came, Weiruel had already instinctively prepared for the battle.
She only needed to wait for the enemy to show up, or the moment she completed the identity detection, she could pour the anger of the materialized magic particles on the enemy.
The next second.
"Sasha."
The bushes in front of her shook slightly again.
Then, a big fluffy tail and two innocent and pure little eyes came into her sight.
"A bright-tailed squirrel?"
Looking at the big-tailed squirrel with light red fur and clear and stupid eyes in front of her,
Weiruel did not relax her vigilance, but cast her spells to confirm hostility and detect changes and concealment effects, confirming that the squirrel was not an enemy in disguise, and finally put her mind at ease.
She slowly breathed a sigh of relief and sat down again.
She tried to close her eyes and take a nap again, but the concentration just now and the highly active brain under the flow of magic made it temporarily impossible for her to fall asleep.
Perhaps it was the improved version of the alert spell that reduced Weiruel's sense of existence as a living being, or it could be the magic particles jumping around her body.
The culprit who disturbed her rest, the bright-tailed squirrel, actually moved its short limbs and jumped to Weiruel's side.
Her amber-like crystal eyes reflected the small figure on the ground, and she subconsciously reached out and stroked the little guy's head with her fingertips.
Feeling the furry and delicate touch from her fingertips, for some reason, she suddenly remembered the experience in the Adventurer's Association before, and remembered that fierce figure.
Weiru's breathing suddenly stopped, and her heart seemed to be clenched by a cold hand.
"Colorful-tailed fur squirrel..."
She murmured unconsciously with her lips opening and closing, and her thoughts flowed quietly.
This small creature with colorful fur is not very famous among ordinary people nowadays, and only appears occasionally in the market.
But five years later, at a noble banquet in a big city, the Duchess wore a cape made of the fur of a velvet squirrel.
Clothing made of its fur quickly became an ultimate decoration that swept the upper class, symbolizing status and luxury.
An organization called the "Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce" smelled a business opportunity.
They wove the lie that "the fur of the velvet squirrel can bring good luck and protection" and secretly raised the price;
at the same time, they used kerosene and steel axes to clear the way, marked off restricted areas in the forest, and brought well-trained falcons and blowguns coated with paralyzing toxins.
These innocent little creatures, which were only the size of a palm but worth a lot of money, were hunted in batches.
Driven by greed, even a baron who refused to sell his ancestral woodland, along with his family castle and relatives and servants, was engulfed by fire in a deep night.
In this regard, the Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce, which bought the woodland at a very fast speed and at a low price, only claimed that it was an accident caused by the baron himself and had nothing to do with them.
But soon, this organization that briefly monopolized the trade of squirrel skins with bloody means attracted real predators because of its brutal and cruel behavior towards those who blocked its way and the huge profits hidden in its fur.
- The Anvil Brotherhood.
A sphere of influence covers more than a dozen large cities, composed of assassins and wanderers, a behemoth hidden in the shadows.
A horrifying assassination and purge ended quickly in a week.
The Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce became history, and the accumulated wealth was divided up by peers and nobles, and the business of the colorful-tailed squirrel was naturally taken over by the open organization under the control of the Brotherhood.
Weiruer stared at the little creature in her palm that cast a confused look at her, and was deeply imprinted in the depths of her mind, and the distant memory suddenly became clear.
"The Anvil Brotherhood", this behemoth that brings together a large number of professionals with interests and iron means.
Its overthrow was just due to a trivial "entertainment".
Two wanderers who had just completed the delivery mission, carrying a full cart of squirrel skins, and a whole team of young girls who were looted from various villages and planned to sell to the underground black market.
On the way back to rest, they planned to go to a nearby town to have some "fun".
Then, they provoked that existence and were beheaded on the spot.
The Anvil Brotherhood would naturally not tolerate such bad behavior against the members of the Brotherhood within its sphere of influence.
So... the Anvil Brotherhood, hidden in the depths of the night, ushered in their dawn.
Until now, Weiru still remembers the night when she followed her mentor to the headquarters of the Anvil Brotherhood.
The flag of the organization, which represents shadow and death and symbolizes glory, and is the most valued by the members of the Brotherhood, turned into pieces of broken cloth, lying quietly in the corner like a rag on the table in a tavern. Minced
meat mixed with internal organs, broken limbs stained with sticky blood, scattered everywhere in the room, as if even the air was solidified with blood.
The ambitious leader who dreamed of developing the Brotherhood into the most powerful underground force in the Efala continent and had completed the extraordinary job transfer was
also killed that night, along with all the members of the Brotherhood headquarters.
His heads were piled up into a towering corpse mound.
It was not until that day that Weiruer first learned the name of this existence from her mentor:
——"Death Omen" Xia Nan.
The fingers that were stroking the squirrel's head exerted force unconsciously, and a tingling sensation came from the fingertips.
The light red figure flashed in front of her, and the bright-tailed squirrel was stimulated and disappeared into the depths of the grass with a squeak.
And Weiruer's finger also had a small wound dripping with blood.
"Damn it!" Once again recalling the black-haired young man sitting across the table in the association meeting room, her face suddenly froze and her expression became ugly.
"It's just an ordinary commission, why did I encounter such an existence?"
"And..."
Weiruer lowered her head, and the shadow covered by her bangs made her look uncertain.
In my memory, this notorious big shot should have emerged in an adventure mission three years later, right?
According to the time calculation, the other party should have just entered the industry not long ago, and he is still far away from being a professional.
But now, he clearly has the qualifications to step onto the second floor of the association.
This also means that the other party has not only obtained the professional level, but also completed the association's promotion task.
And... In the meeting room on the second floor, Weiruo was afraid of arousing the other party's suspicion, so she didn't dare to let go of her mind and perceive carefully.
But in just a few dozen minutes, she had clearly felt the condensed momentum coming from him. It
was much heavier than that of a newcomer who had just become a professional.
It was like a senior who had been exploring the professional path for many years.
"Why?"
Weiruo's doubts almost overflowed from her heart.
"Why so fast?"
"Is it because of the chain reaction I caused?"
"No! Impossible!"
"It's only been a few years since I came back. It took a lot of time to memorize spells, search for information, and meditate to improve my mental strength in the city. It's also very far from River Valley Town."
"It's impossible that it can affect here!"
"Then why?"
Weiruo was puzzled. She was gradually out of control. The strange events that changed her future memories made her feel uneasy.
At the same time, she couldn't help feeling a sense of relief in her heart.
Fortunately, she had seen Xia Nan's face at different times in many bounty orders of underground organizations. She knew what he looked like and roughly knew that he was from Panyun Province. Only
then did she realize the other party's identity as soon as she walked into the meeting room.
Otherwise, if she annoyed the other party because of her attitude or some other reason.
She didn't want to be chopped off and piled on the grave.
Now thinking back, her performance at that time seemed too enthusiastic and abrupt compared to the relationship between the two when they first met.
"Will it make Xia Nan suspicious?"
Weiruo thought uneasily.
But no matter what, she actually bought the resonance relic in the other party's hand at a price far exceeding the market average. She
even took the initiative to provide a purification service to solve the problem of the beast curse for him.
She has already done this step. Regardless of whether she can leave a good impression in his heart, she can't let the other party feel dissatisfied, right?
"Not necessarily..." Recalling the reputation of Xia Nan among the professionals in her memory, she was not sure.
"Forget it, anyway, we have left the meeting room safely. Just be careful in the future and don't contact him again."
Xia Nan's mission itself has no conflict with Weiru'er's mission, nor does it exist. There is no need to force herself to get close to him just because of his future identity as a big shot.
Moreover, with the fierce reputation of the other party in her memory... it is better to stay away from him.
Although she doesn't know why Xia Nan's growth rate is so much faster than in her memory.
But time is pressing now, she doesn't want to, and dare not get close to explore the changes.
"It should be almost there, right?"
Weiru'er stood up after dispelling the distracting thoughts in her mind, looking at the dense forest in front of her, and estimating the distance to the destination in her heart.