"Lili's Cottage?"
Leilin looked at the signboard made of oak leaves, the shop name written in both continental script and Elven.
Compared to the other shops, this one was clearly more carefully tended—even the corners had green flowers growing from them, giving off a rich fragrance.
"Welcome!"
After stepping inside, Leilin saw a very androgynous elf come forward to greet him, a respectful but not sycophantic smile on its face: "Honored guest, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not really, I'm just browsing. Do you sell miscellaneous goods here?"
Leilin glanced at the counter—all manner of sorcery materials were scattered about, from ores and creature hides to scrolls and craftwork. Nearly everything was represented, though there were no price labels and everything was displayed quite haphazardly, yet there seemed to be some hidden pattern to it all.
"Yes! From the Bulibuji Islands in the south all the way to the City in the Sky, if it exists out there, I have it here!"
The elf shopkeeper seemed very proud.
"Oh really?" Leilin smiled faintly, not taking it too seriously. Very few things could still catch his eye these days. But during his earlier observation, he had indeed spotted many rare materials on the counter—which was quite impressive for a small shop.
"Hmm?!"
Just as Leilin was about to leave, something in the corner caught his attention.
"Is this item for sale as well?" Leilin casually picked up a sorcery scroll.
The scroll was extremely worn—the roller was caked in dust and even showed signs of damage. What wrapped it was not the usual sorcery paper but some kind of beast hide with a smooth texture.
Leilin unrolled it. What was recorded was merely a template for a second-level sorcery, and it had been studied so many times that it had become very blurry.
Wizards could forcibly extract knowledge and models from scrolls using their Spiritual Power. Many such educational scrolls were designed for single use, and repeated study would leave them in this condition.
For wizards who sought stable spell model structures and demanded extremely high precision, a scroll in this state had completely lost its value.
After all, an unstable spell model could be fatal!
That was why this scroll had been sitting here for so long without selling. When the elf shopkeeper saw Leilin pick it up, a flicker of doubt crossed its eyes.
"This is a template scroll for the second-level sorcery—Hand of Light. Originally priced at five thousand Magic Stones, but for an honored first-time customer such as yourself, three thousand Magic Stones! Just three thousand Magic Stones and you can take it!"
"Is that so?" Leilin regarded the elf with an ambiguous smile until it lowered its head in shame.
The price far exceeded the scroll's actual value, putting the inherently elegant and proud elf in an awkward position. But for the sake of making a living, there was nothing else to be done.
"You're a Wind Elf, aren't you?"
Leilin sensed the wind elemental particles lingering around the elf's body, along with that distinctive feeling of lightness, and couldn't help but ask.
"Y-yes! Yes, sir!" The middle-aged shopkeeper looked up. Many wizards could recognize someone as an elf, but very few could go further and identify them as a Wind Elf specifically.
"According to legend, the Wind Elf clan has been nearly extinct on the continent—I didn't expect to still find one here!"
Leilin smiled, tucked the scroll away, and then picked up a black mineral from the counter. "Add this to it—three thousand Magic Stones total!"
The elf shopkeeper examined it carefully, and only after confirming it was just a raw ore worth very little did it nod in relief.
Having keenly noticed the shame in the elf's eyes, Leilin said nothing more. He simply produced the Magic Stones, completed the transaction, and left the shop.
"Sigh… even the elegant and noble elves cannot escape the rules of the mundane world…"
Leilin glanced back at the refined little storefront and sighed quietly to himself.
According to legend, the elf race had migrated to this continent from other worlds in ancient times, with many different branches.
Among the elves, Moon Elves, Golden Elves, and Wind Elves all possessed noble bloodlines—similar to the nobility among humans. They enjoyed good reputations and were often the positive characters in the works of many bards.
As for Dark Elves, they were the exceptions within the elf race and couldn't be compared.
And even the noble and elegant Wind Elves had been reduced to this—it filled Leilin with a certain melancholy.
"Well, since you started it first, I can hardly be blamed…"
Leilin smiled. His palm passed over the scroll's cover, and that unique texture immediately made him squint his eyes with pleasure.
"Beep! Cross-referencing with the database—confirmed: skin of an ancient creature—the Thorn Rhino!" The Chip's notification only put Leilin in an even better mood.
Although the spell model on the scroll was essentially useless, the material the scroll itself was made from was far from ordinary. The ancient creature known as the Thorn Rhino was similar to the Comoin Giant Serpent—a bloodline creature capable of reaching the Morning Star stage upon maturity. Its hide possessed extremely high sorcery resistance and was even an essential component in the equipment of many Morning Star wizards.
For Leilin, obtaining it for only three thousand Magic Stones was an enormous windfall.
But that wasn't all. The raw mineral ore he had last picked up actually contained an even more valuable material within—mithril! Though it was hidden beneath layers of stone, under the Chip's detection, it had nowhere to hide.
"This transaction has really bled that little shop dry—the two most valuable items have both been snatched up by me…"
Leilin chuckled silently to himself.
He possessed the Chip, and especially after advancing to the Morning Star stage, where he had gained the power of the soul as a supplement, the Chip's detection capabilities had been enhanced to an unprecedented level.
Very little could slip past a scan by the Chip.
His advantage was simply too great. Even if he did nothing all day and merely browsed through countless shops picking up hidden gems, he could probably satisfy all his research and advancement needs during the Morning Star stage.
"But…" Leilin stroked his chin. "Doing this too often would be too conspicuous and too likely to arouse suspicion. If the secret of the Chip were ever discovered, things would become far more troublesome…"
"And…" A sharp gleam passed through Leilin's eyes.
He shook his head with some helplessness and walked to a teleportation array at an intersection, where two wizards were already waiting.
Both of these wizards had distinct non-human features—one bore a head resembling an octopus, and the other was covered in wolf-like fur.
"Lord
Leilin stepped forward and bowed elegantly.
"Not disturbing Lord Leilin's interests is what matters!" Paul laughed heartily and pointed at the mineral in Leilin's hand. The two exchanged a knowing smile.
"As expected, Morning Star wizards are not easily fooled—their soul power detection is remarkably sharp too, to have found the secret in that ore so quickly!"
Leilin rolled his eyes internally but didn't think much of it.
After all, his Chip activated with perfect stealth and had never been detected. Other wizards would simply attribute it to his sharp soul power perception—nothing noteworthy.
"Yes, I do apologize for interrupting your pleasure, but our exchange gathering is about to begin. If you would…" Philip asked politely.
"Of course—please lead the way!" Leilin naturally wouldn't refuse and agreed immediately.
At the same time, he could be certain that throughout all of Creavy City, there was a specialized detection magical array targeting the Morning Star level. Although he hadn't used the Mimicry Spell to alter his appearance or energy fluctuations, the instinctive restraint of a Morning Star wizard should have prevented him from being so easily identified.
But on second thought, it was entirely understandable.
Creavy City was the headquarters of the entire warlock organization, carrying enormous symbolic significance. It naturally attracted the enmity of many Morning Star-level beings who looked down on warlocks. Without enhanced security, the prosperity of Creavy City wouldn't last long.
Leilin pondered this casually as he followed Paul and Philip onto the teleportation array.
The two made absolutely no effort to conceal their energy fluctuations, immediately drawing numerous awestruck gazes. Other warlocks automatically cleared a wide open space—even the massive teleportation array was being used by only the three of them.
The might of a Morning Star was terrifying, no matter where.
Golden light flashed, and when the outside scenery became visible again, Leilin had arrived at another unfamiliar place.
Low buildings surrounded him on all sides, and the stone slabs on the roads bore many dents and signs of wear, giving everything a somewhat dilapidated appearance.
Even the concentration of energy particles in the air was quite faint—essentially at the average level of the outside continent.
"What? Surprised?" Paul said from beside him. "That the legendary core region of the Four Elemental Domain—Creavy City—should be this humble?"
He personally guided Leilin onto another moving pathway.
Click! When Leilin stepped onto a stone slab, the slab seemed to come alive, lifting off and carrying him forward at great speed.
"A little!" Leilin nodded in acknowledgment.
"To the Core Castle!" Paul spoke to the stone slab beneath them, and all three slabs immediately accelerated.
Only then did he turn back to Leilin with a smile and explain: "Due to bloodline restrictions, we warlocks went through a rather dark period on the Central Continent. So when this city was built, following several lords' proposals, the core region was deliberately kept modest—it needed to serve as a reminder…"
"I see!" Leilin nodded.