Nothing but Tricks

"Service level?"

Rayne was a little confused. Wasn't the Soul Transformation Ritual just an injection of the potion? What difference could there be?

Viola said nothing. Talini beside her answered for her, "Mr. Rayne, ordinary Soul Transformation Rituals are very simple—just an injection of the potion. Violet House is different. For our customers' safety, and to improve the ritual's success rate, we can provide several service packages."

Rayne was somewhat interested. He had never heard of such things before.

Talini explained, "First is the effect of the Soul Devouring Potion. Although the main ingredient in all Soul Devouring Potions is Soul Devouring Grass, Violet House has a unique formula. The potions we brew are more effective than ordinary ones, slightly reduce the pain, and allow customers to endure for longer."

"Of course, our potions are also somewhat more expensive than ordinary ones."

"How much more expensive?" Rayne asked.

"One potion costs thirty Gold Shields," Talini replied.

Rayne nodded slightly, but inwardly, he was unimpressed.

Under normal circumstances, a Soul Devouring Potion sold for around five Gold Shields. This price was rather outrageous.

No matter how much one researched the formula for a Soul Devouring Potion, its effect remained the same: it allowed a human soul, under the stimulation of intense pain, to gain the ability to fuse with other souls.

What Talini had said about allowing someone to endure longer did not mean much.

Everyone's physical condition and strength of will differed. The same potion would naturally have different effects on different people. Even for the same person, performing a Soul Transformation Ritual at different times and using the same potion could produce different results.

Without a quantifiable standard, there was no way to prove which potion was more effective.

Violet House's potion might truly reduce pain, but it might also simply be psychological comfort. It could neither be proven nor disproven.

Still, many people would probably be willing to pay thirty Gold Shields for the effects Violet House claimed.

After all, the Soul Transformation Ritual was too important!

Once the ritual failed, one would lose ten years of lifespan, and the soul would remain weak for three to five years.

Because of the Blood Soul Curse, humans found it difficult to live beyond seventy even without illness or disaster. By the time their souls recovered and they risked their lives on another Soul Transformation Ritual, if they failed again, they would only have a few years left to live.

Therefore, everyone only had one or two chances in their lifetime to become a Transcendent. As long as they had the money, even if it only improved their chance of success by the slightest amount, they would willingly spend their entire fortune.

Even those with exceptional talent would gladly pay for better potions if they could endure longer during the ritual and make their Soul Transformation more complete.

Rayne considered his own chances fairly high. Music could also greatly reduce his pain, so passing the Soul Transformation Ritual was practically certain. Naturally, he would not waste money on this.

However, he did not refuse immediately.

Talini continued, "Besides better potions, we also provide a bottle of Vitality Potion, a Mind Protection Scroll made by a Psion, and a Rune Altar specifically for Soul Transformation Rituals."

"Drink the Vitality Potion before the ritual begins. You should know that a Soul Transformation Ritual may last nearly an hour. Enduring pain consumes a great deal of stamina, while the Vitality Potion will keep you vigorous enough to hold on until the end."

"Mind Protection is a Third Circle spell. It can shield you from part of the Lord of Darkness's whispers and prevent the Blood Soul Curse from taking advantage of your weakened soul."

Rayne's expression turned grave when he heard that.

During a Soul Transformation Ritual, the extreme pain tormented the soul and provoked intense emotions. It was the best possible opportunity for the Blood Soul Curse to exploit a weakness.

Nowadays, those who died during Soul Transformation Rituals usually did not die from the torment of their souls, but from the curse flaring up and turning them into Fallen Ones.

This was also the most dangerous factor in a Soul Transformation Ritual.

Rayne had experienced a Blood Soul Curse flare-up shortly after crossing over, but he was not sure whether his phone could still protect him during the ritual.

If the Mind Protection Scroll truly worked, then it was indeed necessary to buy one.

"How much is this Mind Protection Scroll?" Rayne suddenly asked.

"Fifty Gold Shields," Talini said. "Because it is a Third Circle spell, the material cost of the scroll alone accounts for half of that. And only Psions can make it, so it is somewhat expensive."

Rayne nodded. The price was fairly reasonable.

Psion was a professional branch of Wizards and one of the four major specializations of the Seal School. They were extremely rare.

There might not even be a few Psionic Wizards in all of Longshande. Furthermore, Mind Protection was a Third Circle spell, and turning it into a scroll was somewhat difficult. It was understandable for Violet House to charge more.

Talini then introduced a Rune Altar used for Soul Transformation.

According to her, this Rune Altar had been arranged by a Rune Master and came equipped with an injector. Performing the ritual on it was safe and reliable. It could also promote the Soul Transformation process, improve the fusion effect, and even give a very small chance of increasing one's elemental affinity.

Rayne did not quite believe that.

After humans had been cursed by the Lord of Darkness, their bodies had degenerated, their racial talents had vanished, and their elemental affinity was almost the same as that of an insulator. Even if it improved slightly, it would be of little use.

Still, he needed to use this Soul Transformation Rune Altar. It was considered the most basic item, and it was not expensive anyway—just a few Gold Shields.

In addition, Talini introduced several other services.

For example, a Calming Technique Scroll could be used after the Soul Transformation, whether it succeeded or failed, to soothe the soul and prevent pain-related aftereffects.

Or they could invite an experienced Intermediate Tier Wizard to preside over the Soul Transformation Ritual and activate the Rune Altar. There were also better Vitality Potions, Mind Protection Scrolls above Level 3, and so on.

Violet House did not forcefully sell a complete set of services. Instead, it thoughtfully offered different service packages for customers to choose from.

Talini took out a framed package price list for Rayne to examine.

As Rayne looked at the price list in his hand and listened to all the familiar terms Talini used—package deals, discounts, special offers, services, member prices—he had a strange illusion.

Isn't this just a sales pitch?

Why does it feel like I've walked into a massage parlor, and this is the price list for some deluxe package?

Rayne's thoughts drifted. The way he looked at Talini became somewhat strange, as if the woman before him was no longer a Transcendent but a top-rated technician.

As for Viola sitting opposite him, that breathtakingly beautiful half-elf was the parlor's owner and star attraction...

"Mr. Rayne?"

Halfway through speaking, Talini suddenly noticed that this handsome young man seemed to have drifted off. The way he looked at her was also rather odd, making her skin crawl.

"Mr. Rayne, have you decided?" she asked again.

"Oh, sorry! Everything here is so good that it's hard for me to choose." Rayne came back to his senses and used praise to cover his lapse, quickly casting the messy thoughts from his mind aside.

Talini smiled. "If Mr. Rayne thinks everything is good and finds it difficult to choose, then simply select the highest-tier ritual package. It includes every service item. Become a Violet House member, and your first Soul Transformation will receive a ten percent discount."

"Membership card..."

Just hearing it gave Rayne a headache. He had not expected that even after crossing into another world, he still could not escape this kind of scheme.

He had just heard Talini explain that Violet House had several membership levels. The most basic ordinary membership required an annual fee of ten Gold Shields.

The highest-tier VIP membership, meanwhile, required an annual fee of three hundred Gold Shields!

It was practically robbery.

In fact, this was not a business model unique to Violet House. Many merchant associations and shops had similar methods, but Violet House had taken it to another level. It was no different from businesses on Earth.

There was no need to guess. The half-elf Viola must have come up with all of it.

Rayne turned to glance at Viola. Throughout Talini's sales pitch, she had not said a word. A smile had remained on her exquisite face as she watched him the entire time, putting considerable pressure on him.

If someone else had never encountered this sort of sales method and was being watched face-to-face by such an exceptionally beautiful woman, they would probably have been talked into a daze long ago, eagerly signed up for membership, and then bought the most expensive ritual package in a muddle.

Tricks. It's all tricks!

Rayne found it both amusing and exasperating, but he put on a troubled expression and said, "I do not have much money. I can get a membership card, but I can only choose Package Four. There should be a member discount for that too, right?"

Soul Transformation Package Four was among the cheapest options. It included one ordinary Soul Devouring Potion, one Third Circle Mind Protection Scroll, and the most basic Soul Transformation Rune Altar, with nothing else.

This package cost only sixty Gold Shields. The Mind Protection Scroll alone accounted for fifty Gold Shields. With the membership fee, the total came to seventy Gold Shields, and with a further discount, it would be quite affordable.

Of course, if Rayne were ruthless enough, he could buy only an ordinary Soul Devouring Potion for just five Gold Shields.

But doing that would be somewhat offensive.

Talini was a Transcendent and a Plant Tender with healing abilities. If Rayne had no money, he naturally would not pretend to be wealthy. But since he had the money, he might as well show her some respect.

Besides, he genuinely needed the Mind Protection Scroll as a precaution. He might buy more things from Violet House later, so an ordinary membership would come in handy.

Talini was somewhat disappointed by Rayne's choice, but she did not try to persuade him further.

"All membership cards come with discounts, but only for the first service. Mr. Rayne, when do you plan to perform the ritual?"

Rayne did not hesitate. "The sooner, the better."

"We need to make some preparations. The earliest would be tomorrow. Would tomorrow noon work for you?" Talini considered it for a moment before asking.

"Yes."

"Very well." Talini reminded him, "Before tomorrow's ritual, please bring the money with you, Mr. Rayne."

Rayne nodded to show that he understood.

At that moment, Viola, who had been silent for a long time, spoke. "Mr. Rayne, with your talent, you will certainly have no problem passing the Soul Transformation Ritual. Have you considered which Transcendent profession you wish to choose? Violet House can provide consultation services for you."

She paused and smiled softly. "Of course, it's free."