Chalk Country

The merman warlock was the tribe chief, and the Fish Pearl inside his body could already be considered Magic Materials. It was worth over a thousand magic stones.

This was the proof for turning in the task, and the Witch Tower would purchase it at market price.

With it in hand, the task could be considered a complete success.

However, they did not immediately set out on the return journey. Instead, they stayed outside the cave until the next morning, waiting for the poisonous smoke to dissipate before going back in to investigate.

This time, they found quite a few scattered materials, worth anywhere from several magic stones to over a dozen.

Elite Warriors with Enchanted Organs could likewise condense Fish Pearls worth dozens or even hundreds.

There were also various odds and ends that could be collected nearby...

That was another unexpected windfall!

A few days later, they returned to the Witch Tower, turned in the task, and sold the materials.

After everything was calculated, their total gains came to around 3,750 magic stones.

"We agreed beforehand to split everything evenly, so everyone's final share is 750 magic stones!"

They discussed it among themselves and divided the spoils equally.

The reason they did not use a more difficult method to determine who had contributed more or less was that they had yet to establish an authoritative leader. No one was qualified to preside over the distribution.

It was simpler to save themselves the trouble and split everything evenly.

Roy was fairly satisfied with this.

Although his strength was now far above the others, if he relied on himself alone, he definitely could not have completed the task so safely and efficiently.

Before this advantage accumulated into a Qualitative Change, he still could not do without his companions' help.

"With such a sum of magic stones, there are many more things I can do next.

"For example, I could refine the magic stones again and increase the profits.

"I could buy all kinds of potions to keep as trump cards.

"I could even prepare a few Enchanted Items with spell-like abilities for myself."

However, after browsing around the Ring Tower Market Street, Roy soon discovered that he had been overthinking things.

This much money was not enough to buy an Enchanted Item.

"Forget it. Since I can't afford an Enchanted Item, I'll look around at other things first and see if I can find any bargains."

People often set up stalls on the Ring Tower Market Street, selling all kinds of strange and varied goods.

There was no shortage of counterfeit and inferior products, but every now and then, good things could be found at bargain prices.

After browsing for a while, Roy spotted a Mechanical Beast Demon Leopard constructed from materials such as Light Spirit Oak, a Magic Source Mechanism, and Alloy Claw Blades.

More precisely, it was a half-finished product.

The kind without a Puppet Heart.

The stall owner was an old apprentice who looked mature beyond his years. No one knew how many years he had remained at the Intermediate Apprentice stage.

Seeing Roy stop, he called out to him, "Friend, it's very cheap—only 500 magic stones!"

Roy gave it a brief inspection and confirmed that the Mechanical Beast clearly already possessed the complete joint structure expected of a puppet creation. It simply lacked a power source such as an Elemental Furnace or magic core, forcing him to sell it as an empty shell.

It was probably an unfinished project caused by insufficient funds.

"This thing looks pretty good. Why are you thinking of selling it?" Roy had not actually intended to buy it, but he still asked out of curiosity.

"To be honest, if you buy it, you'll be getting an incredible bargain. A Mechanical Beast like this shouldn't be sold so cheaply."

The old apprentice spoke to Roy with a hint of inexplicable melancholy.

"But what can I do? The Witch Tower assigned me a Mandatory Task, and now I have to risk my life!

"This Mechanical Beast is completely useless to me. Turning it into magic stones is more practical."

"Another Mandatory Task?" Roy frowned.

"That's right. The Small World 'Chalk Country' that suffered an incident last year had an enormous impact. The ley lines in many places near the Witch Tower have already become disordered.

"During the years I remained in charge of affairs at the Witch Tower, I spent too much time and energy studying these External Objects and failed to convert them into Combat Power in time. Otherwise, sigh..."

The old apprentice shook his head.

Roy could not be bothered to listen to him complain. Perhaps he was merely pretending to be pitiful so that he could sell his goods.

What caught Roy's attention was the phrase "Chalk Country."

This was a term he had translated based on his predecessor's memories and the language of the Wizarding World.

"Chalk" referred to a certain constituent material, while "country" meant something similar to a nation.

But it was not a secular country in the strict sense. Instead, it was a concept akin to a divine kingdom or Paradise.

Thus, the complete meaning of "Chalk Country" was "the Paradise of the Chalk People created by a god." It was a typical Box Garden World, Demiplane, or False God Kingdom!

"A typical Genesis experimental box garden..."

Roy tried asking the old apprentice about it, but aside from knowing the name, the other man knew nothing more. Roy could only let the matter drop.

The old apprentice continued his hard sell. "Friend, even if you don't want to buy the whole thing, at least take a look at this Mechanical Beast's Claw Blades first.

"These are Aquena Magic Gold!

"If you only want the Claw Blades, how about I sell them to you separately for 400 magic stones?"

The entire unfinished Mechanical Beast cost 500 magic stones, while the Claw Blades alone cost 400?

Roy almost laughed when he heard that.

However, when he examined them carefully again, a strange, special sensation caused him to pause slightly.

Looking more closely, he saw that the surface had a lustrous texture resembling jade, while liquid that looked like blood flowed within.

"It really is Aquena Magic Gold!"

Roy recalled a certain piece of knowledge.

"This is Enchanted Metal that only Formal Wizards can refine. Where did you get it? And you even used it on this Apprentice-level Mechanical Beast?"

The old apprentice looked utterly hopeless. "Who doesn't have great ambitions in their youth?

"From the time I became a Low-level Apprentice, I was determined to become a great puppeteer and refine all kinds of Mechanical Puppets.

"The material for an offensive weapon naturally had to be the best!"

Aquena Magic Gold's most remarkable trait was that it contained a certain kind of Law Residue originating from the Weird World.

It could absorb the Metal Element, Life Energy, and magic power in blood, constantly tempering and growing stronger.

For that reason, besides its academic name, it also had another infamous common name—Bloodthirsty Magic Gold!

"It's said that its Growth Ceiling is extremely high, making it a growth-type Demonic Metal material.

"You can buy these Claw Blades, melt them down, and extract the effective ingredients.

"Even if you don't do that, you can still turn them into a weapon.

"They'll grow stronger as you fight and kill enemies, and they even possess the ability to repair themselves!"

The old apprentice coaxed him patiently, doing his utmost to make the sale.

How could such a small amount be enough to forge a proper weapon?

At most, it would make a small dagger.

Moreover, as a Wizard Apprentice, he did not have much need for a close-combat weapon.

What Roy had in mind was using them on his Hair Ghost Witch Body.

The Hair Ghost was already a strange creature with extremely high growth potential. By integrating the Claw Blades' traits, its growth methods would gain another path: absorbing blood!

"Four hundred is too expensive. If you're willing to lower the price, I might consider it..."

After a brief moment of thought, he began haggling with the old apprentice.

In the end, he bought the six Claw Blades from the Mechanical Beast for 300 magic stones.