CH151 - CH152

CH151

In the Barren Lands, messengers are typically accessible only to the upper echelons of major wizard families and organizations. Ordinary wizards rarely have the means to contract with a messenger.

For them, the only way is to acquire a complete messenger ritual.

The messenger ritual can take many forms, such as a quill or a mug of butterbeer.

Wizards can unseal the messenger ritual to contract with a creature, which may not even be from this plane, depending on who responds.

Messenger rituals are usually expensive, and Helag wasn't planning to spend so much on something that didn't directly enhance his power.

Two days later, Brack received news about the magical beast flesh he had contacted.

"Bloodthirsty Serpent meat, 100 magic stones per kilo, minimum purchase of five kilos."

Helag only needed a small amount, but the seller required a minimum of five kilos.

He had no choice but to buy five kilos.

Bloodthirsty Serpent meat is relatively common among magical beasts, known for its good quality, often bought for consumption.

However, its high price means only wealthy wizard families or organizations can afford it.

Upon receiving the Bloodthirsty Serpent meat, Helag found it stored in a copper box.

Opening it, he saw several pieces of fresh red meat, still pulsating.

Helag cut a small piece for his experiment.

In the lab, he quickly extracted a vial of blood.

"Great Dark Heaven."

Helag slowly absorbed the bloodline power from the Bloodthirsty Serpent's blood, frowning as he did.

"The bloodline power is too weak."

Though the Bloodthirsty Serpent's blood contained bloodline power, it was too diluted to be of much benefit to him.

This realization made Helag's expression sombre.

It meant that ordinary magical beasts offered him little help; he needed much stronger ones.

However, defeating powerful magical beasts was uncertain, let alone obtaining their bloodline power.

"What should I do?"

Helag pondered, realizing his power growth was limited.

With Great Dark Heaven, he thought he could endlessly absorb bloodline power to grow stronger.

But even magical beasts' bloodline power was weak, hindering his plan to grow through bloodline absorption.

"Do I have to go to the Abyss Plane?" Helag considered, knowing it had many powerful bloodline creatures but was extremely dangerous, requiring careful planning.

Helag decided to roast the remaining Bloodthirsty Serpent meat, using the traditional Great Dark Heaven method to absorb its bloodline.

His appetite was now immense, needing more food due to his strong constitution.

He devoured all five kilos of Bloodthirsty Serpent meat without feeling full.

[Bloodthirsty Serpent's enhancement: Strength +0.2, Agility +0.3, Constitution +0.1]

Helag was speechless at the meager gains, feeling the cost-to-benefit ratio was too low.

Spending 500 magic stones for such a small improvement felt like a loss.

He could continue buying Bloodthirsty Serpent meat to consume and enhance his bloodline.

But the cost was too high, and he didn't have the funds.

Helag approached Brack again, asking, "Mr. Brack, any news on high-level magical beasts?"

"High-level magical beasts? That's tough. Even if available, they're hard to buy, usually only at auctions. If you're interested, I can invite you to the next auction," Brack replied.

Helag thought and asked, "Are auctions safe?"

He associated auctions with trouble and wanted to avoid unnecessary complications.

Brack laughed, "You're cautious. Don't worry, auctions are safe, organized by major wizard families and organizations. No one dares cause trouble."

He stroked his beard, "It'll be good to take you out, and meet people. Wizards need social connections, especially at our level, where resource exchange is crucial. You need to build a network."

"I'll take you to the next auction, it's settled."

Helag hesitated but saw Brack's eagerness and didn't refuse.

He realized that at the formal wizard level, many things were hard to buy through normal channels.

Connections were indeed important, especially for high-level magical beasts, which were often internally consumed or auctioned.

Helag could commission the Terchy family to auction for him, but only he knew what was useful to him among the many items at an auction.

Half a month later.

At Kent Valley's entrance, Helag and Brack boarded a carriage, driven by Pete.

"Is dragon blood confirmed at this auction?" Helag asked in the carriage.

Brack nodded, "Yes, it's from a dragon with second-level wizard strength, acquired at a cost from the dragon, real dragon blood!"

"But I might not afford it, it'll be expensive," Helag said, checking his space ring with only 3,600 magic stones.

Brack reassured, "Don't worry, they've divided the dragon blood into many lots. Most wizards don't need large amounts, you should afford a small portion."

"That's a relief," Helag nodded.

With many lots, the price shouldn't be too high, and competition would be less.

The auction was held at a place called White Fang Castle, a gathering spot for wizards.

Besides the auction, it had bars, inns, and markets like other places, but all attendees were wizards or apprentices.

The carriage reached a cliff and continued forward.

The horses stopped at the cliff's edge, and Pete lifted the curtain, saying, "Sirs, we've arrived."

Helag followed Brack out, seeing only a bare cliff, nothing else around.

The cliff rose hundreds of meters, with a forest below and white mist drifting through the mountains.

"Let's go, we're here," Brack said.

"Here?" Helag was puzzled.

Brack smiled, taking out a wooden plaque inscribed with "White Fang Castle" and some carvings.

"Hold this and look again," he said.

Helag took the plaque, feeling the space ripple around him. Looking up, the cliff was gone.

CH152

Surrounded by a lush forest, Helag stood by a fountain gushing water.

What was once a sheer cliff had transformed into a long white stone bridge.

The bridge spanned a rushing river, the water roaring beneath.

"Where is this?" Helag asked, puzzled.

Brack, holding a wooden plaque, explained, "This is the token for White Fang Castle. Only wizards with this token can see the path to the white stone bridge."

Helag glanced at the plaque, finding nothing unusual.

"Let's go. It's the effect of the wizard array here," Brack said, noticing Helag studying the plaque, and led the way with a smile.

"Another wizard array…" Helag knew nothing about wizard arrays, lacking any knowledge in that area.

Crossing the white stone bridge, he saw a bustling town lit brightly on the other side.

The town was lively, with people coming and going.

After crossing the bridge, a woman pushing a cart approached, offering various candies with insects inside.

"Would you like some bug candy? I made them myself, very tasty," she said.

Helag declined with a wave.

The woman smiled politely and moved on with her cart.

Helag noticed even the woman was a first-level wizard apprentice.

Looking around, he saw no ordinary people, only wizards or apprentices.

Walking down the street, he noticed some apprentices hanging clothes from windows.

"Mr. Brack, do many people live here?" Helag asked curiously.

"Yes, many wizards and apprentices settle here," Brack replied.

Helag observed numerous shops, each bearing family crests, indicating they belonged to wizard organizations or families.

"We're almost there. The Terchy family's property in White Fang Castle is just ahead," Brack said, turning a corner with Helag.

The street opened up to a wide avenue lined with tall buildings.

Some buildings reached over ten meters, each floor lit, giving Helag a sense of familiarity from his past life.

The street was crowded, resembling a shopping district.

Couples strolled hand in hand, families with children walked together, and elderly in wheelchairs were pushed leisurely.

Looking back, Helag realized the previous area was more residential, hence quieter.

The current street was a commercial hub, filled with shops, stores, and restaurants.

"The wizard world is more vibrant than I imagined," Helag murmured.

He had thought wizards were reclusive, focused solely on study, but many enjoyed life.

Brack overheard and laughed, "You think everyone is as diligent as you? Many wizards relax occasionally, which is why I brought you out. You've stayed in Kent Valley for a year without leaving. I don't know how you managed."

Brack admired Helag's dedication, staying in the quiet castle without venturing out unless necessary.

Helag smiled sheepishly, not mentioning his fear of unexpected encounters.

He was always aware of Malcolm's looming threat, avoiding risks without certainty of victory.

Without Brack's company, he wouldn't have ventured out.

While observing the street, Helag realized not everyone advanced like him; many hit a barrier they couldn't surpass.

Reasons varied, from aptitude to resource limitations, hindering smooth advancement.

Some, realizing their limits, chose to enjoy life or, like Bessie, focused on nurturing the next generation.

Helag, always striving for improvement, never relaxed, even replacing sleep with meditation.

After ten minutes of navigating the bustling street, they arrived at a shop.

The shop was brightly lit, with "Terchy Potion Shop" written at the entrance.

It was a Terchy family business, selling potions and materials, and accepting potion-making orders.

"Lord Brack!" The shop attendants were surprised to see Brack and hurried over.

Brack nodded and introduced, "This is Helag Merlin, He's the one who responsible for many recent orders."

The attendants bowed, memorizing Helag's appearance.

The shop manager, a thin middle-aged man, rushed over upon hearing the news.

The manager handled daily affairs, while attendants served customers.

The shop's decor was grand, with potions neatly categorized.

Helag noticed the prices were much higher than market rates, with some resembling his creations.

Despite high prices, business thrived.

The Terchy family's potions were renowned for quality, attracting constant buyers.

Brack and Helag led the way, followed by a group of attendants.

Helag's status was naturally higher, as the others were apprentices.

Within the Terchy family, potion masters held high esteem.

"We'll stay here for a few days. There are plenty of rooms with good conditions," Brack said.

Helag nodded, "Whatever you arrange, Mr. Brack, I have no objections."

The lower floors sold goods, while the top two floors housed Terchy family members or guests.

The rooms were spacious, with bathrooms and luxurious amenities.

Upon entering, Helag smelled a pleasant fragrance, recognizing it as "Withering Herb," known for relieving anxiety and aiding sleep.

It was a luxurious scent, priced like high-grade potion materials.

The auction was two days away. Helag soaked in a hot bath, then collapsed onto the soft bed.

The comfort tempted him to sleep, but he chose to meditate instead.

Sleeping was fine, but only after completing his daily meditation practice.