After the winter snow, a kind of colorful mushroom is abundant.

This kind of mushroom has thick texture and delicious taste. If it is handled well, it is a great delicacy.

If it is not handled well,

It will be poisonous! Karl was barefoot, wearing a white nightgown, carrying a bamboo basket, and bending down from time to time to pick up colorful mushrooms.

Early morning hours.

The wind is cold and fierce.

He seemed unaffected by the biting cold wind. He picked up a colorful mushroom, brushed off the dust and put it in the basket.

“Tsk tsk…”

A soft sound of "tsk" came from not far away: "Is this what you eat?"

The voice is charming, with the allure of a mature woman.

Carl looked up when he heard the voice.

really.

She is a mature woman, not only in age, but also with an exaggerated figure that cannot be concealed by a dress.

"Occasionally."

Carl nodded to the other party and said, "Are you Xibel's friend?"

"Althea Linton, the guest who came here yesterday, got drunk so I'm staying here for one night." The woman smiled and said, "You can call me Althea."

"I heard that you saved Xibel. Given her personality, she shouldn't be so indifferent to her savior."

"Indifferent?" Karl shook his head: "Senior sister is very good to me."

"Really?" Orthea raised her eyebrows.

If they have such a good relationship, why didn’t they mention the banquet yesterday and didn’t they invite Karl?

Although they have the same mentor and live very close to each other, they are like neighbors who don't interact with each other.

"Colorful mushrooms are good too."

Rolling her eyes, Orseya smiled and said:

"In addition to being edible, this mushroom is also a magical material that can be used to refine certain hallucinogenic potions."

"I see you've planted a lot, and the yield is not small. Why don't you let me handle it? I'll give you a satisfactory price."

"No thanks." Carl stood up: "I like the taste of it."

“Hmm…”

"Are you a businessman?"

"Yes." Orseya placed one hand on her chest, leaned forward, and performed a somewhat strange etiquette:

"Formally introduce myself. I am a wizard merchant from the Kingdom of Slo. Nice to meet you."

"Respected Alchemist Carl!"

Kingdom of Slo.

It borders the Kingdom of Sak, and its main deity is the Mother Goddess of the Earth. It has always had disputes with the Kingdom of Sak.

Part of the authority of the Lord of Dawn overlaps with that of the Mother Goddess of Earth, causing ordinary people to be hostile to each other.

certainly.

Wizards have no beliefs, so there will be no conflicts.

"Slo?"

Carl looked surprised:

"You actually came to Black Swamp."

There is a Sak between the two countries. It would probably take a year to travel across by horse carriage.

“Hehe…” Orthea chuckled. “It seems that what Xibel said is right. You are too immersed in witchcraft knowledge and lack understanding of the situation outside.”

"The Grey Wizard wants to build a star gate to the real wizard world. Which wizard wouldn't be interested?"

"Except for the people of Cologne, wizards and wizard apprentices from other places have been rushing to the Black Swamp after hearing the news."

Carl suddenly realized.

He thought it was simple.

No wonder Hetty has been so excited recently. The more people come, the more valuable the land she has becomes.

"I run a small shop at the Swamp Alliance's station, selling various materials and magical items."

Olseya threw a wooden sign over: "If you need anything, you can come to me."

"If you have any magical items you want to sell, you can give them to me. I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the price."

Carl took the sign.

There are two lines of small words engraved on it: Ortheya's Secret Shop, the second one on the left after the tung tree at No. 7.

No wonder the other party was so enthusiastic. It turned out that he was impressed by my ability to refine magical items.

"A dark wizard from Slo who specializes in running auctions. I have a spot to participate."

Orseya smiled and said, "At the auction, high-level magic items occasionally appear, so it attracts a lot of people to participate."

Where there is traffic, there is spending power.

As someone who is eligible to participate in the auction, she can make a fortune from it and is willing to purchase various magical items.

Carl is her targeted customer.

"High-level magic item?"

Carl was more interested in high-level magic items: "Things that only official wizards have?"

"Not necessarily." Olseya smiled.

"In addition to wizards, some wizard apprentices also have one, like you, Carl, you have one."

Carl certainly has.

Gina, the 'woman in the painting' left by Adolf.

It's just that 'Gina' is more like a librarian, and there's nothing special about her.

to be honest.

In his opinion, 'Gina' was not worthy of being called a high-level enchanted item.

"Mr. Karl."

Orseya's beautiful eyes flickered:

"Have you ever thought about selling your high-level magic item? I can buy it for 200 magic stones."

Two hundred magic stones? Even if it was a high-level magic item, it was not cheap. The other party's sincerity was not low.

"No."

Carl shook his head:

“There is no such plan at the moment.”

"That's a pity." Orseya sighed and said without further persuasion:

“I hope we’ll have the opportunity to work together in the future.”

"Of course." Carl said, "If there are high-level magic items at the auction, please let me know. I want to learn more."

"No problem." Orseya smiled and said, "You are an alchemist. You may have the opportunity to refine high-level magic items in the future."

"Althea!"

Xibeier's lazy voice sounded: "Are you trying to steal my business?"

"Currently, Junior Brother Karl has given me the things he refines to sell. This is a major source of income for me."

"How can you use the word 'rob'?" Orthea shrugged.

"I just want to get to know Carl. As a qualified businessman, you should always remember to expand the number of customers."

"Okay!" Sibel pursed his lips and invited: "Karl, would you like to have breakfast together?"

"No." Karl raised the bamboo basket in his hand: "I did it."

"You guys chat, I'm going back first."

Having said that, he nodded to the two of them and turned back to the house.

"Tsk tsk..." Watching Karl's back disappear without even turning his head, Orseya couldn't help but shook her head and said:

"Your junior brother has a very cold personality!"

"yes."

Xibel rubbed his dry eyes and muttered:

"If I want to sleep with him, I have to make an appointment a few days in advance."

"Yeah?"

Althea smiled and said:

"It seems that he satisfies you in that aspect. Otherwise, you don't have to worry about it. Do you mind if I share it with you?"

"You?" Xibel glanced:

"You are wearing fake clothes, I don't like it."

"Fake?" Orseya straightened his chest.

"I am the real deal, you just envy me..."

"ah!"

The two girls rushed back noisily, and the air was filled with amorous feelings.

…………

"Try it."

Anslot pushed the plate over: "This is a new specialty in Cologne, called rice beans. It tastes good after being baked with salt."

"Thank you."

Olseya crossed her legs, her exquisite crystal shoes swaying back and forth on her feet, and squinted her eyes to look over:

"I asked for you, Karl is unwilling to sell that thing."

"Really?" Anslott said calmly, "That's a pity."

"Although the woman in the painting is a high-level magic item, it is not very useful. You are willing to pay 200 magic stones for it." Orseya touched her smooth chin: "Could it be that this thing hides some secret?"

"I heard that you have a good relationship with Xibeier's senior brother. Is that also for the woman in the painting?"

"The soul of the woman in the painting is the elder of our family." Anslott's face was gloomy. "No matter how much it costs, I will buy it."

"As for the secret..."

"She has been passed down through several wizard apprentices for hundreds of years. Even if she existed, she would have been discovered long ago."

"That's right." Orthea nodded: "I can't help you with this matter."

"It doesn't matter."

Anslot smiled when he heard this, as if he didn't take it to heart, but there was a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

* * * After staying on the island for a few days, Sibel left the island again and went deep into the Black Swamp to carry out a mission.

Little Pine was not idle either.

He found a job as an errand boy in the Swamp Alliance, lived in the Alliance base, and earned magic stones while practicing.

Hetty has been busy with her investment business lately.

Now she is no longer satisfied with simply speculating on the land and plans to build houses on the land and then sell them.

She even hired a group of craftsmen and asked several earth wizard apprentices to help.

Building a house with witchcraft is extremely fast.

I heard.

She has already built six buildings, two of which are for rent and the other four will be put on sale soon.

"Everyone is busy, working hard for the future, but I seem a little special."

Carl muttered quietly.

In the eyes of others, he is indeed an outlier.

Since coming to the Swamp Alliance, he has rarely left the island and has been studying witchcraft every day.

And rarely communicate with others.

As time goes by, few people know about its initial fame.

fortunately.

From time to time, he could refine a few magic items to exchange for magic stones to maintain his life.

This way you won’t be seen as a typical example of someone living off past patronage.

"Hetty's investment returns have increased several times, and Little Pine has also mastered a zero-ring witchcraft."

"Xibel gradually became famous in the exploration team and made a lot of friends. Everyone is making progress."

"Only me, with only a fourth-level wizard talent, doesn't even think about building connections, and practices hard all day long without knowing my own limitations..."

"oh!"

"I'm already a Grand Knight and a Senior Wizard Apprentice, and I'm progressing faster than the others, so that's no problem."

Carl shook his head and continued to look at the experiment in front of him.

Inside the glass bottle, a drop of giant squid's blood was coming into contact with a piece of fresh flesh and blood.

Transplantation! "Squeak..."

A thin puff of black smoke emerged from the glass bottle, and the moment it came into contact with the flesh and blood, it melted at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"no!"

Carl frowned:

"The blood of a second-level abyss creature has the ability to alienate and corrode other creatures. Even legendary creatures cannot withstand this power."

"Bloodline suppression..."

"If I use it to practice blood witchcraft, I will either die on the spot or turn into a monster without reason."

"call……"

He exhaled a long breath: "Dilute the blood!"

…………

Half a month later.

"It still doesn't work."

Carl's hair was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot, his clothes were wrinkled, and the laboratory was in a mess.

Various test subjects were scattered around.

The hands of the secondary wizard controlled things to fly all over the sky, and the experimental data recorded by the quill pen was already half a person's height.

"It's not a matter of blood, it's a matter of bloodline!"

"The blood of higher organisms has absolute suppression on lower organisms. No matter how it is diluted, it is useless."

"Wrong idea!"

…………

"bite……"

The copper bell hanging on the door made a crisp sound, and Carl, with a tired face, walked over and untied the bell.

"well!"

Sighing, he pushed open the door and came to the edge of the island.

A cargo ship had stopped at the shore early. Seeing him coming, the boatman unloaded boxes of daily necessities.

"Mr. Carl, this is this month's..."

"Are you all right?"

“It’s okay.” Carl waved his hand: “I don’t get enough sleep, just rest for a while.”

"That's good." The boatman was also a wizard apprentice, but his wizard talent level was very low, so he started working as a deliveryman in the Swamp Alliance.

"You've heard about it, too?"

He thought that Karl’s poor rest was related to the recent news, and said casually:

"In the depths of the Black Swamp, there actually lived a group of ancient poisonous crocodiles, two of which were mutants. They were said to be very powerful legendary creatures. Many members of the exploration team were killed, and a formal wizard also died in the mouth of the poisonous crocodiles. Only then did we finally solve the problem."

"well!"

He sighed, "Sometimes having too much talent as a wizard isn't necessarily a good thing. People like me who do things honestly won't run into danger easily."

Hmm? Karl’s mind was full of experiments, and the other party’s words made him hesitate for a moment before he gradually came back to his senses.

Legendary creature?

Killed!

Even the official wizard is dead!

Karl opened his mouth and said hoarsely, "When did it happen?"

"It was yesterday." The boatman said, "Now the entire Swamp Alliance has been alarmed, but I don't know why the gray-robed wizard didn't take action."

“Swish!”

Before he finished speaking, he felt a flash in front of his eyes, and Karl's figure disappeared.

…………

Swamp Alliance.

Carl doesn't know many people here, and the only one who really has a certain position in the league is old Arthur.

The key is that he has left the league and gone to his hometown to retire.

For a while.

I can only go find Little Pine first.

"Uncle Carl!"

Pine was wearing a worker's clothes and a round hat on his head, and his height was gradually out of the range of a child.

He held a piece of soft bread in his mouth, blinking his big eyes:

"Teacher Xibeier hasn't been to the depths of the Black Swamp recently. She rented a house from the Alliance and said she was building a spell model."

"You don't know?"

"..." Karl smiled bitterly, feeling relieved: "I've been studying witchcraft recently and haven't been out for nearly a month. I really don't know."

"Rent a house?"

His eyes moved slightly: "Is it the wizard tower?"

The wizard tower is a tower built by official wizards, which makes it easier to connect with the astral world.

There are also many benefits for ordinary wizards to practice in it.

but,

The price is very expensive!

It seems like one magic stone is needed every day.

This is already the price within the alliance. After all, the resources needed to build a wizard tower are an astronomical figure for a wizard apprentice.

Maintaining the operation of the wizard tower also requires magic stones.

Only senior wizard apprentices or others in certain special circumstances would choose to rent a wizard tower.

"yes."

Pine nodded:

"The instructor has been in there for five days."

Five days?

Carl was thoughtful. He could guess what Sibel's purpose was in renting the wizard tower.

"Don't worry."

Pine smiled and said:

“The tutor is fine, Uncle Karl doesn’t need to worry so much.”

“Karl!”

At this moment, a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"bach!"

Carl looked back.

The person who came was the blood wizard Bach.

"Come."

Bach stepped forward and took his arm, not allowing him to refuse: "Come to the tavern and have a seat."

"..." Karl was a little uncomfortable with the other party's enthusiasm. After struggling for a while, he nodded: "Okay."

"You want to talk to me about something?"

"Something." Bach nodded: "It's urgent!"

…………

Inside the pub.

The dim lights flickered, casting mottled shadows on the wooden walls.

There were several ancient paintings hanging on the wall. The colors in the paintings had faded, but the figures of several wizards could be vaguely recognized.

The window of the single room was half open, and a breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness and causing the tablecloth on the old long table to flutter slightly.

Bach rubbed his hands together, his face full of excitement. He looked at Karl and opened his mouth, then suddenly changed the subject: "Why do you look so haggard?"

He was so excited that he didn't notice it just now, but now he suddenly realized that the person in front of him looked extremely haggard.

It's like suddenly becoming a dozen years older.

"...Don't mention it." Carl sighed, "I've been studying witchcraft for a few months now, but I haven't made any progress. You just said you had something urgent to do."

"What's up?"

"Sometimes witchcraft is blocked by certain places. You might as well pay to consult a senior wizard apprentice." Bach was not in a hurry to talk about his own affairs: "No wizard apprentice can become a wizard by studying alone. You have to know that knowledge is infinite. Maybe what you think is difficult can be easily solved by others."

"Yes." Carl nodded: "I will try."

That being said, there was no way he was going to try.

Bloodline wizards are rare, and there is no official wizard at all. Who can he ask for advice ?

His problem is how to analyze the second-level abyss creatures. If he tells others, he will only get into trouble.

Even a formal wizard would become greedy when facing a second-level creature.

"As for my business..."

Bach rubbed his hands and said somewhat embarrassedly: "Can you lend me some magic stones?"

"Borrow magic stones?" Carl looked up: "Aren't you always helping people transform their bodies? With your skills, you shouldn't be short of magic stones, right?"

"It's not me." Bach shook his head: "I borrowed it for my mentor."

"Your mentor." Carl frowned: "That's even more inappropriate."

Bach's mentor, Jin, is one of the few people in the Swamp Alliance who has practiced blood witchcraft to the level of a high-level wizard apprentice.

The price of his flesh and blood transformation was several times that of Bach.

Even though he has a bad temper and a weird personality, his business is still in short supply and reservations need to be made in advance.

“There was no shortage before, but it’s different now.”

Bach straightened his back:

"The mentor plans to buy the corpse of a legendary creature and use it to advance to the first level of a formal wizard."

Hmm? Carl's eyes lit up.

yes!

In the past, the reason why bloodline wizards could not become official wizards was because there were no legendary creatures to analyze and study.

Now,

Got it!

Furthermore, as long as a bloodline wizard successfully analyzes a legendary creature, the possibility of a breakthrough is very high.

In order to obtain the corpse of the legendary creature, 'Jin' is probably willing to pay any price.

Carl asked slowly:

"How much?"

"How many do you have?" Bach whispered:

"The instructor estimated that if you want to take down the corpse of a legendary creature, even the weakest one, it will probably cost two thousand magic stones."

"Two thousand?" Carl gasped, "So expensive!"

Adolf inherited a legacy from his ancestors and accumulated it for several decades. Even if he sold everything, he still would not have a thousand magic stones.

He was already one of the wealthier high-level wizard apprentices. The assets of an ordinary high-level wizard apprentice amounted to a few hundred magic stones at most, not to mention the estimated value of knowledge.

two thousand?

I should be able to buy several high-level magic items!

It’s not just an ordinary high-level magical item.

Besides, obtaining the corpse of a legendary creature only means there is hope of becoming a wizard, but it does not guarantee that you will succeed.

It’s ridiculously expensive! Karl’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t help but think of the corpses placed in the fragments of the divine domain, and his throat rolled.

or……

Sell ​​one secretly? "Legendary creatures are already very rare, let alone a top-grade legendary creature of the first rank." Bach sighed, "Those vying for the bodies of legendary creatures are not only high-level wizard apprentices, but also official wizards."

"to be honest……"

“I think it’s too expensive, but there’s nothing I can do.”

"Alas!" Carl sighed, "Two thousand magic stones, I can't help much."

He understood why it was so expensive. It must not be that easy to kill a legendary creature that could kill a formal wizard.

First-class creatures? One step further and they will become second-class creatures! "It doesn't matter." Bach said:

"Lend me as much as you can?"

"My mentor has extensive experience in analyzing magical creatures, has sufficient mental strength, and has a complete bloodline witchcraft inheritance. As long as I can obtain the corpse of a legendary creature, there is a great chance that I will be promoted to a formal wizard."

"When the time comes, pay back double the money you owe!"

"This..." Carl pursed his lips: "Becoming a formal wizard is not as easy as imagined. I believe in Senior Jin's credibility, but the magic stone is also very important to me."

"..." Bach frowned: "Karl, I treat you as a friend. If you have anything to say, just say it directly. There is no need to beat around the bush."

"Okay then!" Carl nodded. "I do have some magic stones on me, but I don't plan to lend them. I wonder if Senior Jin is willing to sell his knowledge of bloodline witchcraft."

?

Bach looked suspicious.

"Knowledge related to blood witchcraft..."

“It’s not that we can’t sell it.”

He hesitated for a moment and asked:

"But Karl, how much money can you offer? It seems too late for you to practice blood witchcraft."

Carl said nothing when he heard this. He just stretched out his left arm and rolled up his sleeves. The muscles on his arm moved, revealing a spider eye.

"Transplantation!"

Bach's eyes narrowed:

"So you've been practicing blood magic. No wonder... No wonder you asked me to exchange the Gamp Transfiguration Technique for you."

"Speak!"

He sighed, "How many magic stones can you take out?"

Karl silently counted and held up a finger: "One hundred."

"One hundred?" Bach's eyes widened: "Really?"

No wonder he was so surprised, as an ordinary junior wizard apprentice would only have a few magic stones on him at most.

As a mid-level wizard apprentice, his assets never exceeded thirty magic stones.

One hundred pieces.

This is the realm of senior wizard apprentices.

Of course he knew that Karl inherited Adolf's estate, otherwise he would not have thought of borrowing money from him.

But for more than two years, Carl has been spending more than earning, and he should have almost consumed all his assets.

I didn't expect there were so many left.

"This is all I have."

Carl said, "I need a complete set of blood witchcraft inheritance, especially the knowledge of analyzing legendary creatures."

"What if there are still legendary creatures in the Black Swamp in the future? I..."

“I want to try it too!”

“……” Bach shrugged speechlessly.

"You're really bold."

"Selling witchcraft knowledge requires the consent of the instructor, but I don't think it should be a big problem."

His mentor Jin is in urgent need of magic stones.

It is normal for wizard apprentices to trade knowledge with each other, and most of them do not mind trading except for core inheritance.

Please give me a monthly ticket!!! (End of this chapter)