Chapter 36 - Deal
Just by itself, a Spiritual Magic Tool was more useful than a Spiritual Augment, since after all, a Spiritual Magic Tool had the fighting strength of a High Mage while a Spiritual Augment could even be considered useless if it was not attached to a magic tool.
But once a Spiritual Augment was added to a sufficiently powerful magic tool, this would be reversed. Especially after the Spiritual Augment completely matured, the two couldn’t even be compared anymore.
This was why a Spiritual Augment with no inherent fighting power was still far more valuable than a Spiritual Magic Tool with the strength of a High Mage.
When Lin Yun realized that the item in front of his eyes was actually a Spiritual Augment, eagerness filled his face.
“Faleau,” he called out, after thinking for a short moment.
Faleau had been using this time to theorize on how the revised formula of the Abyss Potion would work. So far, assuming that his lines of thought were valid, the resulting improvements could only be described as “crazy” because the quality would increase by several times. This kind of potion couldn’t even be called an Abyss Potion anymore!
Faced with this incredible outcome, Faleau was stunned. He had been leaning on the table and staring at the papers filled with all kinds of formulas, re-checking them over and over to see whether he had made a mistake. Second check, no mistakes, third check, no mistakes, ninth, tenth… He still didn’t find any mistakes. In other words, the outcome of his calculations should definitely be true. The moment he put down those papers, Faleau felt as if a door to a whole new world had been opened in front of him.
Such great happiness was something that only a true alchemist could understand, researching day after day, experimenting year after year… Not being able to take one more step forward in one’s alchemy for a long time, when suddenly, that last step would be easily bridged. That sudden happiness even made Faleau wonder whether or not he was in a dream.
“Faleau?” Lin Yun called him twice without getting a reaction, and thus raised his voice impatiently.
“Yes, yes, Mage Merlin, what can I do for you?” When he noticed Lin Yun calling him with a raised voice, Faleau was woken from his dream, and he looked at Lin Yun once more. Apart from the bit of remaining dread in his eyes, there was only yearning and worship. That was yearning for knowledge and worship of wisdom.
“Go to the Sage Tower box on my behalf and let High Mage Solomon know that I can help him pay for half of this Hell Destroyer scroll, and after winning it, the Sage Tower can have it for a month first. During that month, the Sage Tower can copy the scroll and research the incantation as they wish as long as they don’t destroy the scroll. And for providing half of the funds to buy it, I will get to keep it permanently after that month.”
“Yes, I will take care of this.” If it had been in the past, Faleau would still question whether Solomon would accept such unfair conditions. But after checking the theory behind the revised version of the Abyss Potion, Faleau wouldn’t do something so stupid. He would have to be crazy to question such a talented future Master Alchemist…
After Faleau left, Lin Yun remained standing as he eyed the scroll on stage while thinking about the Bone Plane…
The Extraordinary Book of Death that Bane used most likely came from the Bone Plane, because an Extraordinary Magic Tool like the Book of Death could only be born in a place like that black wasteland, which was shrouded in death. If everything went smoothly, he had planned to expand toward the depths of the Bone Plane after he grasped that Nether Iron Vein. At that time, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce should have recovered some strength, giving him the power and resources needed to organize a planar expedition.
As long as he had the strength to survive in the Bone Plane, he would be able to find a way to locate the rumored shortcut and get the Book of Death that had once belonged to Bane.
With the Book of Death and a Spiritual Augment, let alone a High Mage, even an Archmage would have to turn back if he opposed them.
While Lin Yun was immersed in the thoughts of his plans for the future, the box door opened once again. This time, Faleau was accompanied by Solon. When he discovered that the owner of the box was actually Lin Yun, Solon clearly froze for a moment. But he quickly smiled cordially and greeted, “I didn’t expect it to be you, Mage Merlin. Teacher Solomon would like to invite you to sit with him, are you free?”
“Of course, it would be my honor.” When he saw that Solon had entered, Lin Yun was smiling because he knew that the Spiritual Augment was likely already in his hands.
When the group of three entered the Sage Tower box, Lin Yun found that this time, only Solomon of the Sage Tower’s big three had come to the auction. The old man was thin and emaciated. He was sitting in a corner of the box, his thin body somewhat twisted as he burst into a coughing fit from time to time. No matter how one looked at it, he was an old man with one foot in the grave. If not for his reputation, who would know that this was the person who had stood at the peak of Thousand Sails City for over twenty years and held back numerous forces?
“Hello, High Mage Solomon.” Lin Yun greeted him courteously, but he couldn’t help frowning slightly. The High Mage seemed even less healthy than the Sage Tower was suggesting to the public…
That violent cough was clearly a sign of mana collapse, as each of his coughs was letting out an unstable mana fluctuation.
In this era, there was no solution for mana collapse. For any mage, once they suffered a mana collapse, it meant that their life’s efforts had come to an end. For Solomon to still manage to keep his power as a High Mage despite the mana collapse could only be described as a miracle.
But that miracle was probably coming to an end.
Lin Yun estimated that this High Mage who had shaken Thousand Sails City for over twenty years would only live another five years at most. From his cough, Lin Yun could guess that the berserk mana was already destroying his internal organs. Maybe three years, maybe five, but all that was certain was that this powerful High Mage didn’t have long to live.
In fact, his grooming of Solon to become the next leader these past few years was already a sign.
“Mage Merlin’s insight is much better than I imagined.” Solomon was sitting in the corner and did not get up to welcome him. This was quite normal based on his age, as there were few people older than him in all of Thousand Sails City. But when he saw Lin Yun’s slight frown, he nodded in understanding.
Because Solomon knew that this young Mage had already seen it…
“You are overpraising me,” Lin Yun modestly answered. He didn’t exchange too much pleasantry as he was led to his seat by Solon, and he directly went to the core of the matter. “I wonder whether High Mage Solomon has considered my proposal?”
“I have two questions.” Solomon displayed two bony fingers while looking at Lin Yun with a faint smile. “First, several hundred thousand gold isn’t a small amount. The current Flashing Gold chamber of commerce doesn’t seem to be able to come up with this amount. Second, if the Sage Tower also pays for half, why can’t the scroll remain with the Sage Tower?”
“Before replying to your first question, I need to introduce Alchemist Faleau to you.” Lin Yun called Faleau over and said, “Alchemist Faleau of the Black Horn Auction House. I believe he can give you a satisfactory answer to your first question.”
“Indeed, High Mage Solomon, I can guarantee that in this auction, Mage Merlin obtained the Black Horn Auction House’s full support. He can win any item he wants.”
“Cadgar’s insight is pretty good…” After Solomon heard this, he only shook his head with a smile, not inquiring further about it.
“As for your second question…” Lin Yun stopped here and glanced outside the box, before cryptically continuing, “I think it’s mostly because you dislike the Ash Tower more than I do.”
“Haha…” This answer made Solomon stare at Lin Yun for a long time, and when he saw that Lin Yun was unwavering, the old man stood up and extended his withered right hand. “In that case, Mage Merlin, I wish us a pleasant cooperation.”
“To a pleasant cooperation.”
After Lin Yun reached an agreement with the Sage Tower, the auction suddenly reached its climax. Upon hearing Lin Yun’s offer, Solomon had continued to place some spaced out bids to keep the auction going because he really didn’t want to lose to the Ash Tower, even though they had ridiculed him for having such “lousy bid increments”.
Sage Tower, Ash Tower, these two major forces fought over the Hell Destroyer spell, and the bid reached 1 300 000 gold. This price made everyone wonder whether these two forces were going crazy. This was the highest price reached in all the auctions so far. Paying such a shocking amount for a badly damaged incantation… Was it really worth it?
“1 400 000 gold.”
When Solomon suddenly raised the price by a hundred thousand again, the entire venue was shrouded in silence. Apart from a cold snort from the Ash Tower’s box, no other bid came out. After waiting a few moments, Cadgar slowly asked if there were any higher bids three times before the badly damaged incantation was awarded to High Mage Solomon of the Sage Tower.
Thus, Lin Yun would have to pay 700 000 gold for this scroll.
The scroll was quickly brought to Solomon’s box, and after Lin Yun glanced at it, he passed it to Solomon. For Lin Yun, the incomplete incantation inscribed on it was insignificant. The important part was the scroll itself. In any case, the scroll would be his one month hence, so it didn’t matter whether he had time to inspect it now.
After winning the Hell Destroyer incantation, Lin Yun had been intending to take his leave, but he hadn’t expected that this High Mage who always remained alone would actually urge him so resolutely to stay. Lin Yun thought it would be rather awkward to insist on leaving in this situation, so ultimately, he had no choice but to stay.