Chapter 116 Precious Things
Returning to the room entrance, after I showed the emblem to the two who obediently remained in place, questions immediately arose.
"What is this, Mr. Yumi?"
With her clear eyes blinking, Hikari made no attempt to hide her curiosity.
Meanwhile, Shen Xue, who was looking around with her arms crossed, gave him a reluctant but uninterested look, indicating that "don't waste time, let's talk as we walk."
I've always liked this about Hikari, and of course, I'm not too bothered by Miyuki's straightforwardness. So, I first reached out and gently rubbed Hikari's head as she nuzzled over, and then slipped the crest into her hand.
"You must have heard Yao mention what the most precious things are for a mage, besides abundant magic power, right?"
As I walked out along another spiral staircase, I asked questions.
Hikari's answer came slowly, hesitantly, after a long period of contemplation: "Hmm... a suitable magical artifact, a complete and skillful combination of spells, equipment with various auxiliary functions, and... what else was there?"
I shook my head: "Actually, it all boils down to two things. One is a magical artifact that allows you to unleash your full power without holding you back, and the other is practical equipment that ensures you can survive no matter what the circumstances."
It was obvious from her bewildered little face that Hikari hadn't understood what I was saying.
Pushing open the doorway before me, I raised my hand, causing a flame to ignite in my palm, illuminating the slightly dim corridor: "Take mages like myself, for example. Unless necessary, we generally don't choose our magical artifacts early on. This is partly because ordinary magical artifacts can easily cause a disconnect during periods of rapid growth in strength, and partly to train mages' control over magical power."
"In most cases, we prefer to use one-time mediums or catalysts to release larger spells, from magic stones and elemental stones to various enchanted gems, and occasionally we will choose suitable monster materials. This is one of the reasons why academic mages seem to spend a lot of money."
Another reason is that if one wants to conduct large, serious research that has never been done before, it will also create an exceptionally large financial gap for the individual, and there is no guarantee that the final result will be practical or that the appropriate funds can be obtained to fill the gaps—even with special funding approved by the college, this is not possible.
Here, we must mention again the guy who sold his amazing graduation project. Although he was immediately arrested by the college's disciplinary committee after the presentation, he still managed to make a huge profit with minimal cost, which could even be considered one of the ultimate goals for all the slacking-off students in the college.
However, this is unrelated to the issue I'm about to discuss, so I'll leave that aside and move on to something else.
"As for the second type, the equipment I'm referring to here isn't the kind of thing enchanted with defensive barriers or delayed attacks—the simplest spells. It's more like some kind of survival equipment." I thought for a moment, then added, "Have you heard of the [Shield of Aegis] from the story?"
Hikari's eyes lit up instantly from her daze, and she nodded vigorously: "Is it the legendary bronze shield covered with seven layers of sheepskin that has withstood the invincible javelins? I heard Yao-jie tell me about it!"
"Just like that, most of them have unique properties, can resist specific attacks or damage, or are simply life-saving trigger items."
I casually pointed to the emblem Hikari was holding in her hands, and looked up at the pattern carved on the door in front of me: "If I'm not mistaken, the one in your hand should be the Phoenix Emblem that was rumored to have appeared once."
"At that time, this emblem had just been brought back from the forbidden zone. After being appraised, it was put up for auction, attracting a large number of people who spent a fortune. It even seemed to have caused a considerable fight after the auction. I don't know who ultimately won such an item. Hmm, it seems that the auction was hosted by the Wan Jin Merchant Guild."
I paused, gazing at the pattern on the door before me, and couldn't help but exclaim, "...What a coincidence, the painting here is actually of a phoenix."
"It's such a precious item!"
The little fool stared wide-eyed in surprise, examining the small emblem, which was only half the size of his palm, over and over. His hands trembled so much that he almost dropped it on the ground.
I shrugged, glanced around briefly to make sure there were no other things nearby besides scattered, ineffective materials and scraps, then called back Miyuki, who was chasing after a few small golem dishes and running into the distance. Then I remembered to mention the thing's effect: "It's not exactly precious, it just ensures the holder will be reborn after death. Of course, the method of resurrection is to ignite a great fire and be reborn from the flames, just like the legend of the phoenix."
That's why I couldn't help but want to mock the cave's former owner after finding this thing.
Despite possessing a resurrection item that could bring him back to life, he kept it separate from himself and hid it in a dark box for the sake of caution and secrecy. However, he never expected to be betrayed by someone close to him, resulting in his complete death. Even the material warehouse where he stored the item was completely emptied.
As Shen Xue slowly walked back from the distance, she casually flicked away the flame marks that clung to the blade, a satisfied smile seemingly curving her face. Suddenly, she tossed an old, worn-out package with a hole in one side revealing glistening, multicolored glitter, right in front of me.
"What is this?" I couldn't help but wonder.
"I don't know either."
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