Frostfire Ring

Rayne looked over. Since he was relatively tall, he could see a woman in a wizard's robe standing in the middle of the crowd, holding up a dazzling azure ring for everyone to admire.

The witch looked to be in her early thirties. With red curly hair and dignified features, she radiated the air of a wealthy heiress from head to toe.

The wizard's robe she wore was clearly an enchanted item, flickering with subtle magical energy.

In addition, she wore a strange necklace around her neck, two bracelets on her wrists, and an exquisite badge on her chest. Every one of them was an enchanted item.

With that luxurious equipment, along with her impressive looks and figure, the witch had become the center of attention at tonight's trade fair, second only to Viola. She attracted the gazes of countless men.

Rayne had noticed this witch earlier, but Viola had yet to introduce her.

Viola walked over, and the crowd automatically parted to let her reach the witch's side. Rayne followed behind her.

After glancing at the ring in the witch's hand, Viola asked with a smile, "Phyllis, you're not planning to sell this ring, are you?"

The witch named Phyllis looked at Viola, swept her gaze over Rayne, and seemed to show a hint of disdain. She said indifferently, "I already have a better Enchanting Ring, so I have no use for this one. I'm selling it through your trade fair. Maybe I'll be able to exchange it for something good."

Only then did people notice that she was wearing another ring on her hand, one set with a huge green gemstone. They could not tell what tier it was.

Rayne muttered, This woman's trying way too hard to flaunt her wealth.

Besides, she and Viola did not seem to get along. It was unclear whether they had some old grudge between them or were simply engaging in a bout of female rivalry.

A witch who dared to compete with Viola in Longshande definitely had a powerful background.

Rayne activated Soul Eye and took a quick look. He immediately saw that Phyllis's soul was extremely powerful. It had eight distinct layers from the outside in, while deep within her soul lay a hazy sea of elements. More than twenty Spell Seals floated and sank within that elemental sea!

Each Spell Seal represented a spell, which was also an Arcane Element.

This was the first time Rayne had seen so many elements in a soul below the Legendary Tier, and it surprised him somewhat.

"A Seal School Wizard, an eighth-rank Elementalist!"

A Level 8 Wizard had already entered the Advanced Tier, and an Elementalist was renowned for explosive spell power and destructive force. Phyllis did not look very old, yet she possessed formidable strength. The sheer number of Spell Seals she had far exceeded that of Wizards of the same tier.

She was a rare genius Wizard.

No wonder Phyllis had the confidence to challenge Viola. Her strength was indeed greater than Viola's.

In terms of looks and bearing, Phyllis was more than a notch below Viola. However, when it came to wealth, the witch appeared even richer than Viola, stealing the spotlight from the hostess herself.

The rivalry between the two beauties made the atmosphere subtly tense.

The onlookers secretly laughed to themselves as they waited for the show to begin. The men in particular probably wanted to loudly egg them on, if this had been a less formal occasion.

However, Viola seemed completely unconcerned. The other party was conducting a transaction at her own venue and sending her money in the process, so she could not have been happier.

"According to the rules, this ring has to be appraised by us first. Is that all right?"

As she spoke, Viola nodded toward Levenshtein in the crowd. The white-haired appraiser stepped forward and said, "Madam."

Phyllis casually handed over the ring.

Levenshtein adjusted his glasses and carefully examined the ring in his hands.

He looked at it extremely closely, then cautiously injected a small amount of Soul Power into the ring to test it. A chill emanated from the ring, making everyone nearby feel as though they had suddenly stepped into winter.

The cold quickly dissipated. Levenshtein completed his appraisal and returned the ring to Phyllis.

"What do you think of my Frostfire Ring?" Phyllis was asking about the ring, but her gaze rested on Viola's face.

"So it's called the Frostfire Ring." Levenshtein answered on behalf of his employer. His face was full of admiration. Raising his voice slightly so everyone could hear, he announced, "Madam Phyllis's Frostfire Ring is a top-tier Enchanting Ring. It belongs to the Supreme Tier, and its creator must be an Alchemy Master."

"A Supreme Tier ring!"

"And it was made by an Alchemy Master!"

A slight commotion rippled through the crowd, and many guests' eyes filled with amazement.

When Phyllis had first brought out the ring and claimed that it was Supreme Tier, everyone had not quite believed her.

A Supreme Tier enchanted item, and a ring that was so easy to carry at that—who would be willing to sell it?

Weapons and armor were the most common enchanted items, and they were also in the greatest demand, so their prices were somewhat lower. However, the most popular enchanted items were still the small and convenient accessories, such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and badges, which could be worn at any time to provide their effects.

Because they were small, accessory-type enchanted items were much more difficult to produce and were scarce in number. Their prices naturally rose accordingly.

The guests present were all wealthy, whether they were Transcendents, nobles, or merchants. Yet few of them owned even one Supreme Tier item, let alone an accessory-type enchanted item.

Levenshtein continued, "The Frostfire Ring comes with three spells. First, the fourth-circle Frostbolt, usable three times per day; second, the third-circle Calm Mind, usable once per day; and third, the second-circle Ice Armor, usable twice per day."

The hall filled with a chorus of sharp inhalations.

Everyone stared at the ring in Phyllis's hand with shining eyes, especially the Spellcasters, who looked as though they wished they could snatch it and put it on immediately.

Rayne, who had not seen much of the world, also shook his head repeatedly in admiration.

Levenshtein was worried that many people did not understand these three spells, so he proceeded to explain them in detail.

The most important spell, Frostbolt, was a Rare Tier spell of the fourth circle. It possessed both ice and fire elemental properties, combining the advantages of Frost Arrow and Fireball. Once cast, it flew at high speed over a long distance, then exploded upon striking its target and released frost energy that froze the surrounding area.

If one compared destructive power alone, Frostbolt was inferior to Fireball. However, its other advantages made it more useful than Fireball in many situations.

"Calm Mind" was also a Rare Tier spell. It had only a supportive effect: slightly increasing casting speed!

Anything that could increase casting speed, whether a support spell, potion, or piece of equipment, was something every Spellcaster dreamed of. They could never have too much of it.

The final spell, Ice Armor, was merely an ordinary spell, but its effect was quite impressive as well. It was triggered passively. When the wearer was attacked, a layer of ice armor would form over the surface of the body. It did not conflict with a conventional magical shield, allowing both to stack and provide an additional layer of defense.

The three spells each had their own uses, and this Frostfire Ring had practically reached the pinnacle of ordinary enchanted equipment.

It could be called the best of the Supreme Tier.

Aside from the rare Epic Tier and Legendary Tier equipment that could only be encountered by chance, this was the highest tier of enchanted equipment an ordinary person could obtain, no matter how rich they were.

Yet Phyllis intended to sell it, claiming that she already had something better.

For a moment, everyone marveled at how wealthy this witch was. At the same time, they wondered what tier the green gemstone ring on her hand was.

Could it possibly be an Epic Tier ring?

When Phyllis saw everyone whispering among themselves and discussing her while sneaking glances at the other ring on her hand, a hint of smugness flashed through her eyes. She looked provocatively at Viola.

Viola remained unmoved, a smile still on her face.

At that moment, Levenshtein came to her side and quietly reported a price. She nodded slightly and announced, "According to the appraisal results, we've priced this Frostfire Ring at 18,000 gold coins. Phyllis, what do you think?"

"That's fine." Phyllis agreed. "The price is fairly reasonable."

Rayne was still observing her with Soul Eye. He discovered that her emotions were perfectly calm, as if she did not care about the price at all.

This puzzled him.

No matter how wealthy someone was—even if they were a billionaire—it was impossible for them to be so casual about a ring worth an astonishing amount of money.

Rayne thought about it, then immediately understood.

Phyllis did not truly intend to sell the Frostfire Ring. It would be difficult to complete a transaction for something so expensive. Few people could afford the sky-high price of 18,000 gold coins, and even if someone really was willing to pay, she could simply refuse.

She actually just wanted to flaunt her wealth and steal the limelight from Viola.

Women and their jealousy! Rayne was speechless.

He glanced at Viola. She had clearly seen through Phyllis's ploy as well, but she did not expose her. Instead, she called out loudly, "Everyone, if anyone is interested in this Frostfire Ring, you may discuss it with Madam Phyllis. We'll handle the appraisal and pricing."

The trading hall fell silent for several breaths, and no one moved.

A few Spellcasters were clearly very interested in the Frostfire Ring and were eager to make a bid, but the exorbitant price had frightened them into hesitation. Others had seen through Phyllis's true intentions and secretly shook their heads, unwilling to wade into the mess.

"What's all the excitement about?" a gentle male voice rang out.

Rayne turned his head and saw a well-dressed middle-aged man walking in from outside. He was of average height and very handsome, with a genial smile on his face. A litless cigar was held between his fingers, giving him the air of a true gentleman.

"Mr. Gallowayna."

"Your Excellency, Viscount."

The man was very popular, and his status seemed quite high. Everyone greeted him and made way for him. He responded repeatedly, displaying impeccable manners.

He walked up to Viola and said warmly, "Viola, I was delayed by something at the company, so I arrived late. You won't blame your uncle, will you?"

"Of course not."

A smile appeared on Viola's face, and she said happily, "It's wonderful that you could come, Uncle Gallowayna. Welcome."

Rayne thought, So he's also a member of the Silvery Family. His seniority is even higher than Viola's. No wonder he's so popular.

However, Viola did not seem to like this uncle very much. When she saw him, the color of her soul shifted toward gray-blue, indicating that she was extremely annoyed by this elder.

She hates him so much inside, yet she's smiling so beautifully on the outside...

Rayne once again marveled that women were born actresses.

"Haha, then I'll have to take a good look at the items at today's trade fair. Maybe I'll find something I like. If so, I'll buy a few things and contribute to your shop." After saying this, Gallowayna noticed Phyllis's Frostfire Ring. He seemed to know Phyllis as well and began chatting with her.

From beginning to end, Gallowayna never noticed Rayne beside Viola, ignoring him completely.

Viola had no intention of introducing Rayne to her uncle either. She simply took him along to continue meeting the other guests.

However, the guests were clearly distracted. They kept glancing toward Phyllis and watching the Supreme Tier ring's movements, and even the number of completed transactions declined.

Rayne was helpless as well. He had to admit that Phyllis's tactic was simple but effective. Not only had she drawn everyone's attention away, but she had also dealt a small blow to the trade fair.

Unfortunately, this was still part of the normal transaction process, and Viola had no way to resolve it for the moment.

When no one was nearby, Rayne quietly asked Viola, "What exactly is Phyllis's background?"