Mithril Staff

As Su Ran looked at the high-price purchase offers on the forum, an idea gradually took shape.

Since [Tiger Bone Wine] was one of the rare drops from [Crouching Tiger Slope] treasure chests, and he had just obtained a bottle by opening one a second time...

Then, if he entered [Crouching Tiger Slope] again, cleared it, obtained the treasure chest, and opened it a second time...

Could he get another bottle of [Tiger Bone Wine]?

Once the idea took root, it was hard to suppress. And unlike the others, who had to rely purely on luck to beat the near-zero drop rate, Su Ran had a unique advantage: a second opening!

What was more, he had already tested his solo speed-clear tactic for [Crouching Tiger Slope]: skeletons + Berserk + Energy Missile. It was reasonably efficient and guaranteed his safety.

The cost of farming it again was extremely low. There was no longer an entry fee; all it would take was some time and potions.

If another bottle of [Tiger Bone Wine] really dropped...

Su Ran's gaze sharpened. He needed resources, high-grade equipment, and spell models.

Rather than slowly save up to buy them himself, he could exchange this rare resource for more direct, more powerful aid!

He acted at once.

The next day, he headed straight back to the instance in the wilderness and entered [Crouching Tiger Slope (Easy)].

It was the same familiar routine: summon skeletons, cast Berserk, lure the tigers, and pick them off from a distance. With the experience of his first run, things went even more smoothly this time.

A little over an hour later, the third tiger fell.

A pillar of light descended with the results: [Contribution: 100%, experience: 18 points].

A wooden treasure chest appeared.

Su Ran put it away, immediately left the instance, and returned to his rented room.

After shutting the door, he took out the chest without delay.

"First opening." Ten copper coins and a piece of ordinary white leather armor. Worthless.

Reset.

"Second opening."

The lid opened.

When he saw the familiar, crooked earthenware wine jar inside, sealed with yellow clay, Su Ran's heart gave a fierce thump!

It really had... dropped another bottle of [Tiger Bone Wine]!

His talent had worked again!

Forcing down his excitement, Su Ran picked up the second bottle of [Tiger Bone Wine] without hesitation and headed out.

He did not go to the anonymous buyers on the forum. Instead, he followed the address in the advertisement straight to a shop in the rear courtyard of No. 73 Blackwater Alley, in the Inner Ring District. An inconspicuous wooden sign for the Grey Rat Merchant Association hung outside.

The shop was dimly lit, and only a skinny old man with shrewd eyes sat behind the counter.

Without wasting words, Su Ran placed the unopened jar of [Tiger Bone Wine] on the counter.

The old man's eyes lit up instantly, like two little light bulbs. He carefully picked up the jar, examined the clay seal, sniffed it, and even dabbed a fingertip in the fine dust at the mouth of the jar and tasted it on the tip of his tongue.

Finally, he took out a magnifying-glass-like tool inlaid with tiny crystals and held it over the jar.

A moment later, he put down the tool and looked at Su Ran, his face filled with a merchant's distinctive smile. "The genuine article: [Crouching Tiger Slope] Tiger Bone Wine brewed by the ancient method. Its medicinal properties are perfectly preserved.

"How would you like to deal with it, customer? Sell it for money, or trade it for goods?"

"Trade. I need a staff of fine quality or better, one truly suited to a Lv.4 to Lv.6 Mage."

Su Ran stated his goal directly.

The Oak Staff was already falling somewhat short of his needs as a means of close-quarters self-defense and a conduit for energy. A good staff could significantly improve his spellcasting and the efficiency with which he used mana.

The old man pondered for a moment. "[Tiger Bone Wine] is valuable, but to trade it directly for a high-grade staff... You must understand, customer, that equipment's value lies not only in its quality.

"More importantly, it lies in its attributes and special effects. A staff that is merely of fine quality would probably not be worth as much as this bottle of wine."

"That depends on what you have in stock," Su Ran said calmly.

The old man smiled, turned, and brought out three long wooden boxes from the storeroom in the back, opening them one by one.

The first was pitch-black from end to end, with a gemstone set in its head, red light flowing through it.

[Flame Amplification Staff (Fine)] Spirit +1, fire spell power +15%, and one use of [Lesser Fireball] per day.

Its attributes were narrow, and it did not suit the arcane spells Su Ran currently specialized in.

The second was made of bone as white as jade, wrapped in silver wire.

[Undead Calling Staff (Fine)] Spirit +1, increased undead spell effects by 15%, and had a weak mental intimidation effect. Its attributes were even more specialized, making it unsuitable.

When the third wooden box opened, a gentle yet lively fluctuation of arcane energy spread out.

The staff was about 1.2 meters long, its shaft a deep, dark silver. It was not metal, but a rare wood called Moonlight Wood that had been steeped using a secret method and arcane energy.

After being nourished, it had become a special material with natural, pale silver markings across its surface, like a star chart.

Rather than being set with a gemstone, the head was the naturally grown tip of the staff itself, enclosing a small piece of mithril!

The mithril had been polished into a polyhedron. Within it, a tiny, constantly revolving, miniature nebula of arcane energy seemed to be sealed.

[Mithril Staff (Fine)]

Effects: Spirit +1, arcane spell power increased by 15%, mana recovery speed increased by 10%, spellcasting speed slightly increased.

Special effect: [Arcane Resonance] When casting an arcane spell, draws on the arcane energy in the mithril at the staff's head, increasing that spell's effect by an additional 20%.

Power, range, and duration depend on the spell. Cooldown: 30 minutes.

Material properties: Excellent conductivity and amplification of arcane energy.

A direct increase of 1 Spirit! Across-the-board improvements to arcane spell power, recovery, and casting speed! And a powerful triggered special effect!

Su Ran's gaze was almost instantly riveted to the staff. This was what he truly needed!

The old man read his expression and smiled. "You have a good eye, customer. This [Mithril Staff] is one of the best pieces from a recent batch of spellcasting equipment our association received.

"It was made by a master enchanter, with solid materials and a practical special effect.

"Trading it for [Tiger Bone Wine], our association might even take a slight loss in value, but... I can see you're sincere about wanting it,

"and this [Tiger Bone Wine] has another use for our association. We can make this deal."

Su Ran did not haggle. In his view, the staff was well worth trading the [Tiger Bone Wine] for.

Its attributes suited him perfectly, and its special effect was powerful. It could directly raise his strength another notch.

"Deal."

The wine and the staff changed hands.

As Su Ran walked out of the Grey Rat Merchant Association holding the warm, power-filled [Mithril Staff], he could feel the mana within him resonating joyfully with the arcane energy from the staff.

He had traded a rare potion he could not use for the time being—he had already drunk one bottle, and a second would have half the effect or none at all—and that could also attract trouble, for a rare staff that could immediately and greatly increase his combat power.

He was very satisfied with the deal.

He put away the Oak Staff and held the [Mithril Staff] in his hand. Its shaft felt solid yet light, and the mithril at its head warmed slightly in response to his mana.

His strength had leaped forward once again.