novelraw Chapter 419: Two Plans
Chapter 419: Two Plans
Since Zhao Xuanxuan could undergo Resurrection, and her losses wouldn't exceed 35%, then it was still somewhat acceptable. He couldn't be too harsh on her.
Being fully capable of taking charge of a situation independently wasn't that easy, especially under these special circumstances. Putting himself in her shoes, even Li Wei couldn't confidently say that he could escape completely unscathed.
So, he silently left this place and turned toward the middle path, which led to the Mage Tower.
The Mage Tower itself wasn't open to ordinary Class Holders. However, the Mage Tower had an external sales and trading institution. For example, if the Enchantment durability of weapons and equipment ran out, one would have to come here to enchant and recharge them.
Also, if the durability of a Magic Crest was exhausted or if it was damaged, it had to be brought here for repairs.
Furthermore, various magic scrolls, Magic Items, Item Cards, and the like all had to be purchased here.
This was the only place of its kind in Weir City.
Actually, one could also buy 3-Star Quality and below items and Item Cards in the self-operated material sales areas of the various departments, but it was ultimately inferior to coming here.
This sales and trading institution was located right beneath the Mage Tower. Everything was built into the mountain, boasting a grand scale and an extraordinary presence. After all, this was Duke Will's best cash cow and most profitable asset.
Therefore, there were even two squads of soldiers wearing Five-Star Enchanted Armor patrolling and guarding this place. Directly above, there was also a five-person Spellcaster Squad indifferently sweeping their gazes across the area.It was exceedingly heavily guarded.
There were also quite a few people here. After all, these were rigid demands that couldn't be avoided.
The moment Li Wei arrived beneath the Mage Tower, he immediately felt a full four subtle forces locking onto him. It gave him the creeps. This was clearly some sort of highly destructive Enchanted Weapon.
Tsk tsk. Worthy of the grand style of a province.
With a sweep of his gaze, he saw that the area was further divided into an Enchantment durability recovery zone, a Magic Crest durability recovery zone, a Magic Item sales zone, a Profession Card washing and upgrading zone, a magic scroll zone, and an Item Card sales zone. All of them were money-squandering dens!
The entire Weir Province had a population of millions. Even if only one-third of them were Class Holders, roughly eighty percent of the gold coins they earned in missions every year would have to be spent here.
Li Wei subconsciously patted his non-existent wallet. Preparing himself to be fleeced, he entered the Item Card sales zone.
These sales zones were independent and separated from one another, with quite a large interior space. Various young men and women wearing gray Apprentice robes stood in a row, waiting for customers to approach. They provided one-on-one service with a very enthusiastic attitude that made people feel as comfortable as a spring breeze. There was no such thing as being looked down upon.
"My Lord, may I ask what I can do for you?"
A magic apprentice with bright eyes and white teeth, who couldn't be older than eighteen, quickly stepped forward to greet him and asked with a smile.
"I want to purchase two Five-Star Enhancement Item Cards. In addition, I also want to take a look at some interesting Item Cards."
"Understood, My Lord. Five-Star Enhancement Item Cards cost fifteen thousand gold coins each. Are you certain you wish to purchase two?"
"So expensive!"
Li Wei was slightly surprised. He knew that a single Five-Star Enhancement Item Card was only equivalent to ten units of Standard Magic Power, and the selling price of one unit of Standard Magic Power was 500 gold. This was a three-fold difference!
Hearing this, the female magic apprentice just smiled. "My Lord is truly joking. The market price for one unit of Mana is indeed 500 gold coins, but those are only available through quota purchases. To say something unpleasant, with your status, My Lord, the quota you can obtain each year would not exceed 50 units. Therefore, the selling price of the Five-Star Enhancement Card is reasonable."
"Moreover, Five-Star Enhancement Cards are crafted by Rank 3 Casters. They have built-in strengthening Magic Runes, allowing for foolproof, single-thought enhancement. They also provide an additional 10% enhancement success rate. Whether used to enhance weapons and equipment or the destiny of a Hunting Pet, they are extremely excellent choices."
Alright, so that was how it worked.
Otherwise, Li Wei wouldn't have come all the way to Weir City. Did he lack those ten units of Mana? What he lacked was a Rank 3 Caster. If Hathaway had been a Rank 3 Caster, he would never have come here.
"Alright, give me two of them. Let's look at the other stuff."
"Understood, My Lord. What category do you need to look at? Or rather, what category of mission will you be undertaking next? We currently have Eight-Star Item Cards, Seven-Star Item Cards, and Six-Star Item Cards crafted by Rank 5 Mages. You can even customize Item Cards according to your needs."
"I need an Item Card capable of hiding my identity."
"Could you be more specific, My Lord? There are a total of five kinds of Item Cards used for hiding one's identity. We are all students of the Royal Capital Magic Academy, and we can provide you with free analysis and recommendations."
"Uh, I've probably offended some powerful Neanderthal Cross-Border Players. I might have to go on a Cross-Border Mission soon, and I'm very worried that I'll be locked onto and subjected to Targeted Marking the moment I enter. This possibility exists, right?"
Li Wei immediately asked modestly. A free explanation—he especially liked that.
Sure enough, the young and beautiful female magic apprentice blinked her large eyes. "My Lord, your problem is indeed rather thorny. May I ask if your true name was ever known by the Barbarians? Or have you ever been in close contact with a Barbarian Spellcaster, especially a Rank 3 Caster?"
"Yes. I once made eye contact with a Rank 3 Barbarian Spellcaster at a distance of less than three hundred meters. The way he looked at me before he died made me very uneasy."
"Oh, My Lord. This matter is indeed even more thorny than I imagined. Did you kill that Barbarian Spellcaster?"
The female apprentice's gaze toward Li Wei finally held a bit of awe. To be able to kill a Rank 3 Caster, and a Barbarian Spellcaster at that—my goodness, this Lord truly hid his depths well.
For a moment, even the eyes of the magic apprentices not far away changed.
"You're mistaken. I didn't kill him," Li Wei hurriedly explained.
"You didn't kill him? I don't quite understand. If that's the case..."
"He committed suicide in front of me."
"Why? That doesn't make any sense!" The female apprentice was completely stunned. She couldn't even maintain her professional smile.
"I don't know either. Maybe he didn't want to bring humiliation upon himself, so he just killed himself like that." Li Wei was somewhat troubled.
At this moment, the female apprentice no longer knew what to say. She looked at Li Wei with a complicated gaze.
"My Lord, please follow me. I apologize for my previous arrogant remarks. I truly cannot solve your problem. Perhaps only the lords inside the Mage Tower can resolve this for you. I think you might need a customized Item Card."
Tsk tsk!
Li Wei also deeply agreed. For this kind of thing, it was better to believe it existed than to believe it didn't. Moreover, one absolutely could not be stingy or penny-pinching in this regard. Whatever top-tier, luxurious evasion methods were available, he had to use them. Otherwise, being ambushed and targeted by the Barbarians would be the most miserable fate.
Fighting the unprepared with the prepared—this kind of disadvantageous situation had to be avoided as much as possible right from the very beginning.
Never, never, ever fight a disadvantageous battle.
Following the female apprentice all the way up into the Mage Tower, he discovered that it was truly spacious and enormous. Each floor had five or six hundred square meters. With various Mana structures and a massive number of magic apprentices bustling about, it looked like a series of giant laboratories.
It was estimated that those ordinary Item Cards, magic scrolls, and such were all the masterpieces of these apprentices. In fact, the vast majority of these apprentices were actually First-Tier Casters.
Right, Hathaway seemed to have worked here as a magic apprentice for three years as well.
Going all the way to the third floor of the Mage Tower, the female apprentice knocked on a very classic-looking door.
"Let him in."
Night Owl's voice came from within the room.
The female apprentice cautiously nodded at Li Wei and silently retreated.
Well then, it seemed he had fallen into Night Owl's hands again.
He pushed the door open and entered, but he didn't see Night Owl. This was just an empty room without even a single window. After waiting for about a dozen seconds, one of the walls suddenly rippled like water. The next second, the surroundings completely changed. This was clearly the Mage Tower, yet it had turned into Night Owl's study room. And it seemed she wasn't in Weir City?
She was currently busy. There were seven or eight blank documents on her desk, as well as things resembling magic scrolls. Over a dozen quill pens were writing away in the void.
"You've run into trouble?"
"A little bit."
"Are you afraid of being subjected to Targeted Marking by Neanderthal Spellcasters during a Cross-Border Mission?"
"Yes."
"Oh, that is quite thorny. There are only five existing Item Cards that hide true names, but I estimate that none of them can 100% conceal your existence. I do happen to have two plans here to help you resolve this. Do you want to hear them?"
"I do!"
As soon as Li Wei said this, he heard a clinking sound of gold coins, and 5000 gold coins were instantly deducted.
So this was a consultation fee?
"The first plan: Neanderthal Mages hold grudges exceptionally well. They won't just remember you; they'll also remember your companions. Therefore, merely using concealment Item Cards on yourself is useless. Your companions will definitely expose you. So the best method is to have your companions miss out for five years. Don't let them go execute Cross-Border Missions with you. Just have them stay behind and guard the Territory while you earn money to feed them."
"Don't feel that my words are unpleasant to hear. Recently, the Neanderthals hired a Reincarnator Organization. This bunch of people don't care about any morality or Humanistic Care. In order to win, they will resort to any means necessary. In fact, just this morning, two Four-Star Territories in Cadel Province suffered complete annihilation."
"Therefore, under the new circumstances, counting on the original defenses is already difficult to maintain. How can you guarantee that while you're executing a Cross-Border Mission, the Neanderthals won't sneak-attack your home base? Just tell me, how many Neanderthal Cross-Border Players have you slaughtered? By now, even if they don't have a 100% understanding of the internal situation of our Lord Alliance, they can still manage 70% or 80%. They're probably crystal clear on exactly when you'll participate in a Cross-Border Mission."
"Thus, letting your companions watch the house while you go execute the Cross-Border Mission yourself accomplishes two things. Firstly, it maximizes your own concealment. Secondly, it also protects your Territory. Waiting for the next five years will actually amount to ten years. By that time, if you still can't fight a two-front war, then I'll truly think you are a piece of trash."
"Of course, Cross-Border Missions aren't that easy to be exempted from; otherwise, His Majesty the King wouldn't let you off the hook. However, if you have a Six-Star Dimension Ascension Card, you can exempt one person from a Cross-Border Mission. You currently have four companions. Logically speaking, three more Six-Star Dimension Ascension Cards would solve the problem."
"You are about to advance to a Tier-3 Ranger. This is the profession most suited for fighting alone and deeply infiltrating in stealth. Without the burden of companions, you would be like a swimming dragon in the sky."
(End of Chapter)