Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

Chapter 652: Energy Well

The voyage was so smooth that it was almost imperceptible, and Duke spent most of his time in his suite, using the Thinking Core to research some information in advance.

Two days later, the airship began to descend smoothly.

Through the observation window, the silhouette of a city emerged in the twilight and rapidly magnified.

Even from a high altitude, one could sense its extraordinary nature.

The city was not traditionally circular or square, but spread along the banks of a river as wide as an inland sea, unfolding layer by layer like the most precise machinery.

Countless magic lighthouses, neon rune billboards, and giant floating holographic projections illuminated the entire city as if it were daylight, with light and shadow flowing, leaving almost no corner in darkness.

Innumerable airships of various shapes, magic-driven cargo ships, and even individual flying crafts intertwined into an orderly three-dimensional traffic network above the city.

Several towering spire-like buildings constantly shot massive energy beams into the sky from their tops, serving as the most advanced defensive Witch Arrays.

The airship trembled slightly, docking steadily into the berth channel.

The night view of Goldstream City was steeped in eternal neon magic, with the air filled with the restless scent of money and magic power.

Duke did not act rashly on his first night, but used the Thinking Core to reserve the top-floor suite of a high-end hotel known for its absolute security and privacy in the city.

The night passed without incident, and Duke spent his energy using the limited public network access of the Thinking Core to screen large commerce associations with excellent reputations and sufficient strength in Goldstream City.

Ultimately, he set his sights on the Star Dome Commerce Association, a group with a long history, profound background, and renowned in high-end magic resources, whose headquarters was one of the landmark towers in the city.

When Duke had left Anvil Castle, he had traveled aboard the Star Dome Commerce Association’s Floating Airship, the Star Dome.

The next morning, Duke directly sent an initial inquiry intent to the Star Dome Commerce Association via the Thinking Core.

The response came quickly, with the association expressing the highest level of welcome and scheduling an exclusive reception for that afternoon.

In the afternoon, Duke appeared punctually under the towering crystal starlike headquarters tower of the Star Dome Commerce Association.

Through a dedicated Teleportation Array requiring multiple verifications, he was sent directly to the upper floors.

Exiting the teleportation chamber, the scene before him was vastly different from the bustling commercial hall below.

This place was more like a top-tier art gallery and private club, with a high vaulted ceiling painted with dynamic starry sky scenery, and dark magic wood floors reflecting shadows.

The walls on either side of the hallway were made of some kind of energy curtain that slowly changed the scenery, sometimes displaying the heat of lava veins, sometimes showcasing the faint light of deep sea mysteries.

The air was filled with a faint scent that helped keep the mind focused, and occasionally a guest or staff member, impeccably dressed and carrying a composed aura, would silently pass by, nodding greetings without a word.

A middle-aged deacon, dressed in a dark silver star-patterned robe and with an impeccable smile, was already waiting.

"Mr. Duke, welcome to Star Dome Commerce Association. I am your exclusive advisor, Oliver. Please follow me, we have prepared a quiet room for you."

Deacon Oliver led Duke through a few quiet corridors, eventually arriving at an unmarked heavy wooden door, which he opened with a gentle and solemn motion.

Behind the door was a moderately sized but extremely comfortable and private space. The room was circular, with walls covered in sound-absorbing dark velvet, centered around a large, lustrous round table made of ancient wood, surrounded by equally comfortable high-back chairs of the same material.

The sole light source came from a floating orb in the center of the dome, emitting soft, natural daylight-like illumination, while one wall featured an entire one-way observation window, overlooking most of the bustling and orderly streets of Goldstream City.

The room was already stocked with perfectly tempered tea and a few plates of unidentifiable but energy-filled snacks.

Deacon Oliver gestured for Duke to take a seat, while he sat opposite, hands folded on the table, his demeanor professional and relaxed.

"Now, regarding your initial inquiry, you are interested in consulting about Energy Wells, and it’s for multiple attributes?"

"Yes." Duke got straight to the point without any small talk. "I need to purchase Energy Wells for upgrading to a Level 2 Mage, with the specific requirements being: wind, earth, water, fire, light, and dark—one for each of the six elements."

Even for Oliver, with his extensive experience, there was a barely noticeable twitch at the corner of his eye upon hearing this list.

He paused for a moment, neither quoting nor refusing immediately, and instead retrieved a small crystal board from his pocket, where his fingers quickly swiped for information.

Oliver quickly gathered the information and began, "The first four you need—wind, earth, water, fire—are the stable four basic elemental series. The technology for these Energy Wells is very mature, with many classic configurations that have been verified over millennia available on the market, ranging from standard to master custom versions, catering to all budgets.

With our current inventory and immediate allocation capacity, we can provide high-quality, well-configured finished or semi-finished products. The price for a single Energy Well depends on the quality of the core materials, the complexity of the rune arrays, and the level of stabilization devices and ranges from twelve to eighteen million Magic Stones.

If you purchase four at once and the core material attributes allow for some joint optimization design to save costs, the total price can be controlled around sixty million Magic Stones, with complementary stabilizing anchor bases included."

Oliver finished speaking and carefully observed Duke’s expression. Seeing no change, he slowly continued with the second part, "However, for the light and dark attribute Energy Wells, the situation is entirely different."

His tone became cautious: "These two attributes, particularly when it comes to core essences with high purity, high activity, and stable output characteristics achieving Energy Well construction standards, are extremely rare.

They often originate from some very special or dangerous environments, making them very difficult to obtain, and the associated high-level construction technologies are more secretive. This type of Energy Well depends on luck to encounter."

Oliver turned the crystal board to Duke, displaying several encrypted messages with only names and out-of-stock statuses: "Unfortunately, Mr. Duke. Currently, neither the regular inventory nor the foreseeable supply chain of our association has light and dark attribute Energy Wells that meet your expected standards."

The room fell silent, with only the soft glow from the dome’s light sphere illuminating the space.

Duke’s fingers lightly tapped on the smooth table; this outcome was also within his expectations.

Even in the Seville Empire, light and dark attribute Energy Wells remained very rare.