Chapter 14: Bloodvine Ring and Spirit-Nourishing Grass
Sunan sighed and shook his head, putting those thoughts aside.
No matter what, armed with the Synthesis Cube and the player panel, he wouldn't meet the same end as Anger McLean.
Setting down the diary, he picked up the other one.
To his delight, it contained Anger McLean's experimental records on the Blackrock Panthers, detailing the entire creation process.
"With this, and after I unlock the puppet creation skill from those books, I can try making Blackrock Panthers myself!"
A joyful smile spread across Sunan's face.
The Blackrock Panthers were knight-level puppets, loyal, fearless, and excellent combatants.
Having a group of them would provide invaluable protection when he ventured out to gather materials.
He put away both diaries and picked up the ring.
The dull grey ring looked like a cheap trinket, completely unremarkable.
But to Sunan's senses, it was like a miniature black hole, constantly absorbing ambient energy particles.
"A magic item!"
His eyes lit up.
He hadn't expected Anger McLean to leave behind a magic item.
Sunan glanced back, confirming the others were still outside, then discreetly opened the Synthesis Cube and placed the ring inside.
A line of text appeared:
[Bloodvine Ring (Alchemy/Minor Magic Item): Upon activation, summons bloodvines to bind a target, continuously draining a small amount of their energy. Can be used 3/3 times. Recharges by absorbing ambient energy particles or by infusing with spiritual power.]
"Not bad, very practical."
Sunan nodded in approval.
Magic items had different ranks.
The lowest was Alchemy, also known as Minor Magic Items.
These usually had a single enchantment, such as dimensional bags, spatial rings, and weapons enchanted with sharpness, bleeding, or black steel properties.
Despite being the lowest rank, their effects were significant.
For example, Sunan estimated that even a peak knight would struggle to break free from the Bloodvine Ring's grasp.
For a wizard apprentice like him, a Minor Magic Item was an invaluable treasure.
Of course, to use it, he needed to reach level 2, gaining the ability to manipulate energy particles to activate magic items.
Above Alchemy rank were Glimmering (or Low) Magic Items.
These possessed multiple magical properties and were far more valuable.
Even a level 3 wizard apprentice would be overjoyed to obtain one.
Above Glimmering was Magic rank.
These were true magic items, also known as Wizard Tools.
Wizard Tools usually had at least one activatable magical power, making them incredibly potent.
Generally, only formal wizards possessed them.
As for even higher-ranking magic items, Sunan doubted that any existed in the current Starlight Continent.
Even in the game, Wizard Tools above Magic rank didn't appear until the 2.0 version, "Return of the Wizards."
"I remember there were quite a few Minor and Low Magic Items scattered throughout the Starlight Continent in version 1.0. I'll ask my brother to keep an eye out for them."
However, unactivated magic items looked like ordinary objects to ordinary people, making them difficult to identify.
Even with Kyi's help, finding them would be challenging.
Still, it was worth a try.
Sunan put away the Bloodvine Ring and turned to the two remaining wooden boxes.
He opened the larger one. Inside were three index-finger-long leaves.
They resembled four-leaf clovers, but they were entirely blue-purple,and lustrous as gemstones.
"This is... Spirit-Nourishing Grass!"
Sunan recognized the leaves instantly, his eyes widening in surprise.
He immediately placed them in the Synthesis Cube.
[Spirit-Nourishing Grass, purity 29.28%. After consumption, slightly increases spiritual power. The specific effect depends on the user's spiritual power; the higher the spiritual power, the weaker the effect. No effect for those with spiritual power of 12 or above.]
"It actually increases spiritual power!"
"Anger McLean was really willing to..."
He suddenly realized that as a level 3 wizard apprentice, Anger McLean's spiritual power definitely exceeded 12, making the Spirit-Nourishing Grass useless to him. No wonder he didn't seem to value it.
"Well, more for me then."
Sunan happily closed the box and opened the other one.
Inside were over thirty sparkling gemstones.
"Sapphires, rubies, fire opals, halo stones, moonstone..."
Sunan marveled at the collection.
These gems were easily worth over a thousand gold coins.
"What a treasure."
He decided to keep the gems.
With the Blackrock Iron and the mine reopening soon, Blackrock City wouldn't be short of money for a long time. There was no need to sell these gems.
More importantly, gems were valuable materials for wizards.
They weren't just for aesthetics.
In the hands of a wizard, they had many uses, such as serving as spellcasting mediums for certain spells.
Sunan recalled a spellcasting school called "Gem Magic," which utilized gems as mediums.
This school was notoriously expensive.
Each spell cast consumed a gem, costing a small fortune.
Only wealthy wizards could afford it.
However, the power of their spells was formidable.
A first-ring Burning Hand, cast with a ruby, could reach the power of a second or even near third-ring spell!
Therefore, practitioners of this school were known for being both incredibly wealthy and capable of fighting above their rank.
Besides spellcasting, gems were also used in crafting magic items, most commonly wands.
Inlaying different gems into a wand could imbue it with specific magical powers.
Additionally, gems were often used as the energy cores of puppet creations.
Many wizard apprentices who couldn't afford soul crystals would opt for gems instead.
In short, gems had numerous uses. Sunan wouldn't sell them unless absolutely necessary.
After checking the drawer, Sunan thoroughly searched the rest of the room, but unfortunately, he found nothing else of value.
"Oh well, I've gained plenty this time. I shouldn't be greedy."
Sunan let out a long breath and left the room with his loot.
While he was in the study, Kyi had sent word to the soldiers outside, who were now busy transporting the Blackrock Iron ingots. The hall was abuzz with activity.
Seeing Sunan emerge, Kyi didn't inquire about his findings. Instead, he gestured towards the laboratory. "Do you want anything from inside? I can have it moved to your courtyard."
"No need," Sunan shook his head.
Decades had passed, the magic traps had failed, and the puppet creation equipment inside was long broken. Repairing it would be futile.
Besides, Anger McLean's experimental records included bluepri
nts for the equipment. He could have the blacksmiths create a new set if needed.
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