Lin Suo’s hint was nearly an explicit declaration that he could swear by the Origin that he would not disclose any secrets. Knowledge blockades target the social ranks, not individuals, after all, and there’s the constraint of the oath.
Though not high-ranking, Tominoos had the background and political status to access his family’s library and even tour the Bertos Kingdom’s library of witchcraft.
After his family poured resources into him to little avail.
Tominoos’s development in wizardry had essentially come to a halt, as the input did not justify the output, and there were no shortage of talented individuals in his clan.
They couldn’t devote too much to him. It was a cost-performance issue.
Thus, after taking up the post of Chief Governor’s left hand (secretary), he became inherently avaricious, unable to give up the temptation of the eternal life that the wizard path promised.
The family couldn’t invest much, so he had to rely on himself.
The thirty thousand Magic Stones Lin Suo offered, if agreed upon in secret, would indeed be an extremely profitable deal.
He couldn’t think of a reason to refuse.
Thirty thousand Magic Stones!
The entire wealth of a Wild Wizard usually ranged between twenty to a hundred stones, while a skilled Wild Wizard might possess between five hundred to a thousand.
(Note: No mention of the Rank of Magic Stones, assumed to be Low-Level Magic Stones)
And for a direct descendant of a wizard faction, just at Apprentice Level, one would spend about a hundred thousand Magic Stones a year, which was quite enough; any more would cause grumbling among the clan members.
For him, also an Apprentice but from a collateral branch, this sum was indeed an irresistible fortune.
Biting the bullet, Tominoos struggled to spit out three words.
"Well then, may our cooperation be pleasant. In a month, bring what I’ve asked for on your next trip to Koster, and don’t forget the corresponding methods to condense the Magic Rings."
"How about we swear by the Origin then?"
Seemingly over the guilt of exploiting his clan, Tominoos’s speech became more fluid once again. After all, he was an elite; once his mind had overcome the barrier, it was no longer an obstacle to him.
Tominoos, with his auspicious beginnings, failed to gain the attention of the wizard Clan Elders and lacked the money to purchase Extraordinary Resources.
Lin Suo had money and was willing to spend it. While this transaction seemed unprofitable at first glance, it had actually tapped into Tominoos’s greed, further fueling his desire for the eternal life of a formalized wizard.
The three First Rank witchcraft were not significant, what mattered was the person and the access to resources he had. The knowledge blockade of ranks wasn’t just about information; it also included many essential materials for the consolidation of Magic Rings.
For a Wild Wizard, it was incredibly hard to acquire these unless they ventured out to find them on their own.
With this man, Lin Suo now had three channels to acquire blocked resources: Migaron, Reynolds, Tominoos!
The broader his connections, the safer he was and the smoother his path would be in the future.
Lin Suo, with his hands in his pockets, turned and walked away. He didn’t leave the Upper City but changed his clothes on the carriage and sprinkled on some Deodorant Powder.
Then he took a trip to Old Master Reynolds’s Alchemy Factory.
This visit, since it was night, meant everyone was typically home. Oddly enough, when Lin Suo knocked and entered.
The male host, the female host, and their little daughter all ignored Lin Suo, as if they couldn’t see him.
The eldest daughter Vera led him to the basement with a smile on her face.
Old Master Reynolds was tinkering with the Magic Energy Particle Separation Device, and the sight of the Moon God Talisman in his hand made the corners of Lin Suo’s mouth twitch.
Damn, it was like shearing the Nature Language family!
You’re not supposed to fleece .
"You’re here." Reynolds didn’t look up for quite some time while he continued to tinker. Eventually, he raised his head to look at Lin Suo, his face flushed with the glow of recent wealth.
Lin Suo sat down, weighing his words carefully before speaking.
"Old man, the situation in the city has been bad recently, I’ve moved. How about we change the Magic Stone trade to once a month?"
"That’s fine. Didn’t you just deliver 60,000 Magic Stones a few days ago? What’s the matter, had a breakthrough in strength and want to increase the quantity?"
"You could say that."
Lin Suo smiled faintly.
"I feel that I’m not far from breaking through to an Official Level Wizard. Do you have any Meditation Methods for above the Third Rank or any First Rank witchcraft at your disposal?"
Reynolds touched the ring on his index finger, which blinked with a faint light.
A book appeared in his hand.
"These are from my personal collection, not regulated by the Padolon Wizard Association. You can choose two books in exchange for doubling the monthly supply of Artificial Magic Stones."
"And sometime later, I’ll have a task for you."
"Of course, the split remains the same. Do we have a deal?"
"Let me take a look first."
Lin Suo took the books, only needing to glance at the first two pages to understand their value.
Two Meditation Methods, three First Rank witchcraft.
[Extreme Cold Meditation Method] and [Starry Sky Meditation Method] were both Sixth Ring Meditation Methods, which showed how strong and well-stocked old Reynolds was.
This was just a small part of his collection.
As for the three First Rank witchcraft, according to Lin Suo’s knowledge, they were more complex than his own Plant Control, whether it was the complexity of the Runes or the rare materials required for the Magic Ring.
[Mud Dragon Transformation], [Green Grass Healing], [Shape Shifting Technique].
Simple names, yet the described effects were incredibly domineering.
Lin Suo was quite conflicted. He definitely wanted one of the Meditation Methods, but while mastering the three witchcraft would be simple enough, forming their corresponding Magic Rings would be exceptionally difficult.
For instance, the Shape Shifting Technique required the very rare Transformation Monster Skin, White Demon Skeleton, and Night Blood.
Mud Dragon Transformation needed Earth Dragon Essence, Green Grass Healing required Life Juice...
"Old man, can you tell me about the task you need me to do?"
"It’s related to the recent changes in Koster."
Lin Suo’s expression became serious.
"In about one and a half months. What do you say, do we have a deal?"
Lin Suo took his time to consider.
In a month at most, he could break through to a One Ring Wizard, lacking only the means and the total amount of Magic Power in his body.
At present, his physique has pre-emptively broken through to Official Level, with Magic Energy coursing through his blood and bone marrow, but he would not call it Magic Power yet—it needs to combine with the Spiritual Space.
To bring Magic Power into existence, that is the foundation of casting for a One Ring Wizard.
One and a half months should be ample time.
The problem was, even if the supply of Artificial Magic Stones doubled, it would only add an extra 60,000, which is far from matching the price of a Sixth Ring Meditation Method.
As one can imagine, the task Reynolds is asking for must be extremely difficult.
Moreover, it’s closely related to the changes on Late Bell Island.
With the situation now chaotic and involving three Fifth Ring Wizards, a direct confrontation would surely end in failure.
This was a rare opportunity.
After much thought, Lin Suo finally opened his mouth.
"If there’s no strict requirement for magical strength and you only need help with language knowledge, I can agree."
Reynolds seemed to have choked for a moment before explaining.
"Rhein, think about it carefully. A Sixth Ring Meditation Method is already the limit for a Middle Grade Wizard. To go a step further, that’s the realm of an Upper Grade Wizard, a powerhouse that Koster has never produced!"