"Ding-a-ling!"
With a crisp chime of silver bells, an elderly
He wore golden ceremonial robes, giving him a very formal appearance. Beside him, two beautiful attendants held silver trays, presenting what looked like a plant root to the Wizards watching below, while enlarged images were projected around them.
"Tentacle Demon Hand — harvested from a Mother with the strength of a formal Wizard. Preserved in solution, in perfect condition. Estimated value: two hundred thousand to five hundred thousand Magic Stones. A pity… it's of no use to me."
Leilin merely glanced at what was being displayed on the platform before losing all interest.
"Before the exchange meeting begins, we have to sit through an auction as well? How tedious…"
Although Leilin found it tedious, the items on the platform clearly held great appeal for the First-rank Wizards below. Bidding calls rose and fell in rapid succession, and the atmosphere was remarkably heated.
The auction items the
Magical Items, high-grade slaves, rare resources, academic knowledge, and even potions that could enhance Spiritual Power were all displayed one by one, allowing the Wizards below to bid and choose freely.
But these held no appeal whatsoever for Second-rank Wizards. Not a single bid came from the VIP rooms where the other Second-rank Wizards — those accompanying Leilin — were seated.
Leilin simply closed his eyes and rested, secretly using the Chip to simulate and analyze Second-rank spell templates.
Although he had already committed all three Second-rank spell templates from the Giant Serpent Book to memory, he had discovered an additional use for the Chip's simulation when repairing the teleportation array previously.
Simulating spells on-site with the Chip could actually accelerate his own understanding of spellcasting, making his previously mechanical techniques far more flexible.
This was a function the original Chip had not possessed — one that had only been developed after his recent promotion to the Second Rank.
And through this function, Leilin's comprehension and mastery of Second-rank spells had caught up with and even surpassed those of veteran Second-rank Wizards.
"But I still know far too few Second-rank spell templates…"
After running through the Burning Touch once more, Leilin's brow furrowed.
For Second-rank Wizards, they invariably had a powerful organization backing them — and within such an organization, there would be no shortage of accumulated spell templates.
But Leilin was different. He was entirely on his own. And if the South Coast's control over First-rank Wizards was already this strict, one could only imagine how much tighter it was for the Second Rank.
Even within the
Among the spoils from killing Coben and Rainesman earlier, there had been some insights and observations on casting Second-rank spells, but what was most crucially missing was the actual spell templates themselves! These were of only limited reference value to Leilin.
"Purchasing these with Magic Stones is basically impossible. Perhaps after lying low for a while, I could try other methods..."
As the auction continued, items that could catch the attention of Second-rank Wizards appeared one after another, sparking bids from several VIP rooms.
Just then, the auctioneer's voice from below caught Leilin's attention: "Mid-grade Magical Item — the Dawn's Light longsword! This is a sword recovered from an ancient ruin, and rumor has it its previous owner was an extremely powerful Imprint Swordsman... Starting bid: five million Magic Stones or equivalent rare resources!"
Leilin opened his eyes and gazed at the stage below through the transparent glass barrier.
On the tray held by the attendant behind the auctioneer, a pale golden metal longsword was displayed.
The longsword was roughly one and a half meters in length, with a blade only two fingers wide — quite petite compared to the life-sized greatswords wielded by Number Two and Number Three, who were Imprint Swordsmen.
But a look of pleasant surprise appeared on Leilin's face. On the surface of the Dawn's Light longsword, he had spotted some unusual symbols — and these runes bore a striking resemblance to the imprint runes he had branded onto the bodies of Number Two and Number Three.
"Looks like the real deal!"
He nodded, and a wisp of Spiritual Power passed through the communication device to place a bid: "Five million Magic Stones!"
A mid-grade Magical Item naturally wouldn't be worth that many Magic Stones, but this longsword was clearly of significant research value. As such, it had also drawn the attention of Second-rank Wizards.
Soon, a nearby VIP room not far from Leilin's own placed a bid: "Five and a half million!"
Leilin's expression turned cold as he glanced toward that VIP room, but unfortunately, he could only see a blurry haze of light and shadow.
The glass installed in the VIP rooms had naturally been specially treated — guests could see outward through it, while outsiders could not observe even a hint of what was happening inside.
"Six million!" Leilin immediately raised the bid. Besides Magic Stones, he possessed a vast quantity of resources from the secret realm and the combined wealth of two Second-rank Wizards — assets that would make just about any Second-rank Wizard envious. He was certainly flush with funds.
Perhaps sensing Leilin's resolve and formidable financial strength, the Second-rank Wizard in the neighboring room ceased bidding, allowing the longsword to fall into Leilin's hands.
"Attention, honored guest of VIP Room Seven! Our staff will bring your auction item to complete the transaction. Please have your Magic Stones or equivalent resources ready..."
A message came through the communication device, and roughly five minutes later, a stone-faced, burly man arrived at Leilin's room accompanied by the attendant who had been holding the silver tray.
"Could I learn where this longsword was recovered?" After the exchange was completed, a glint flashed in Leilin's eyes as he asked coolly.
"I'm sorry! That's the client's personal information, and we have an obligation to keep it confidential!"
Even though he was facing a second-rank Wizard, the staff member still refused Leilin's request, displaying remarkable professionalism and dedication.
"Very well!" Leilin nodded, then waved for the two of them to leave.
He picked up the longsword from the table, and a streak of golden light blazed from his fingertips.
Ordinary mid-grade Magical Items could no longer satisfy the needs of a second-rank Wizard. What was useful to them were high-grade Magical Items, or even Magical Artifacts!
But Leilin had never intended to use it in the first place — he was simply very interested in the runes inscribed on the longsword.
"Chip! Scan and record the runes on the blade, then compare them with Brand Swordsman runes!" Leilin activated the command with a thought.
*Ding! Runes recorded. Comparison with Brand Swordsman runes in progress...* The Chip faithfully reported back, and shortly after, Leilin received the results: "Similarity to the fire-element Brand Swordsman runes in primary records: 67.1%. Similarity to basic metallic runes: 34.2%. Similarity to basic sharpness runes: 13.9%. Estimated classification: supplementary weapon rune for Brand Swordsman class! Can be refined and modified. Estimated time required: 294 hours!"
"As expected!"
A flash of delight crossed Leilin's face. The Brand Swordsman data he had obtained was severely incomplete. Even after the Chip's refinement and supplementation, he had only managed to produce a single fire-element Brand Rune Formation suitable for male users.
As for Brand Runes of other elements, or weapons compatible with the Brand Swordsman class, he had absolutely no leads.
But now, the appearance of this Light of Dawn had given him a glimmer of hope.
Moreover, a vague idea had been forming in the back of his mind — the Pendant of the Fallen Star, the Magical Item that had accompanied him for years, was already starting to fall short of his needs, and he had sent it back to his family.
He truly was lacking an offensive Magical Item right now.
Perhaps he could inscribe Brand Runes onto a Magical Item, modeling it after the Light of Dawn, and forge a weapon truly his own!
Leilin stroked his chin, beginning to consider the feasibility of this plan.
And while Leilin was scanning and analyzing the Light of Dawn in his hands, in the VIP room where someone had been competing with him for the Magical Item moments earlier, several Wizards were conversing in hushed tones.
"Tobh, why did you stop bidding? A mere six million Magic Stones can't be beyond your means, surely?"
A woman brimming with an eerie, bewitching aura, wearing a purple wizard's robe trimmed in gold, addressed an old man with a red beard.
"Magic Stones are naturally nothing to worry about, but I don't have much desire to possess this Magical Item — I merely wanted to study the runes on it. Moreover, a specially crafted Magical Item like this would certainly have strict requirements for its user. I suspect that someone who isn't a Branded Swordsman wouldn't be able to wield this longsword at all… and the ancient Branded Swordsmen have been extinct on the South Coast for thousands of years… disrupting our plans over this would hardly be worth it…"
The red-bearded Tobh stroked his beard as he spoke.
"Mm! Truly worthy of being a Master Alchemist! You figured out all that from a single glance…" The woman seemed to be praising him, then asked with a note of worry, "I keep feeling this plan is too hasty.
"Relax! He will absolutely come!"
The red-bearded Tobh said with certainty, "The 'bait' we've released this time holds an irresistible temptation for him. In order to make better use of that thing, he will definitely come!"
"Good!" The woman patted her chest, then cast a speculative glance toward Lin Lei's room.
"Do you think he might already be in there? Should I go probe a bit?"
"Absolutely not!" Tobh immediately stopped her. "Don't do anything rash. If it really is him, how would he dare to compete with us so brazenly? Besides, offending a strange second-rank Wizard out of nowhere would be extremely disadvantageous for us…"
"Hehe… I was only joking, why are you taking it so seriously…"
The woman laughed sweetly and melted into the darkness, while the old man wore a bitter smile.
On the elevated platform, after the last public auction item had been sold, the auctioneer announced, "The auction has now concluded, and we will be entering the free exchange period. Friends who wish to leave may exit through the corridors on either side."
Boom! With his words, the great doors on both sides of the hall swung open.