Changing the Vest

Seeing the shock in Ian's eyes, Xuan Ye felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him—he was just that kind of show-off.

Only then, with a hint of smug pleasure, did he clear his throat and put on an act, saying, "It's actually quite simple. You stored two small items separately in containers of different materials, which suggests the materials themselves might have a reactive property without needing a catalyst... Teak and oak boxes are suitable for preserving many materials, but among these, the only ones fitting your current level are the two main ingredients for the Basic Meditation Potion."

After laying out the reasoning in a grand manner, Xuan Ye inwardly preened while also breathing a quiet sigh of relief. Truth be told, with his half-baked, crammed-in foundational knowledge, he shouldn't have been able to react so quickly.

It was mostly thanks to his enhanced Perception, which let him roughly sense what was inside, and then he worked backward from the known result, using his patchy potion knowledge to reverse-engineer the reasons.

Come on, five Talent Runes weren't carved for nothing! Normally, without considering the difficulty of acquiring Talent Runes, a Five-Star Professional would be needed to possess five of them!

And this boost in control, all concentrated on a one-star level, was no simple fivefold increase!

Having said this, Xuan Ye no longer hid his spiritual fluctuations, letting them radiate outward, causing Ian to look on in surprise.

Though still slightly inferior to himself, this was undeniably an Advanced Apprentice level. Most crucially, despite his shabby appearance, it couldn't mask his youth!

Ian himself was thirty-two years old before reaching the eighth-level Apprentice stage, ranking among the top three in his teacher's tutelage. But this guy...

Seeing the other's reaction, Xuan Ye rarely felt no urge to show off; instead, a sense of relief washed over him.

This time, it wasn't about his love for showing off. Even if he liked to flaunt, he had to keep a low profile in the city for now—the Kende Family and the Shadow of Feralas incident were already giving him enough headaches.

The reason he acted this way was a sudden inspiration to find a way to clear his identity. He had only shown his face at the Mercenary Hall, and even then, half of it was covered, presenting himself as a Professional physical-type fighter.

Now, by casually chatting up this Apprentice from the Mage Tower and switching to a different outfit to appear as a Mage Apprentice, he could naturally shake off suspicion. Besides, he had already changed his gear, which was quite different from what he wore at the Mercenary Hall, so he wasn't worried about this guy connecting the dots if he heard the news.

Moreover, he possessed a One Core Five Rune Structure, something ordinary Professional Experts could never have! It was extremely stable, allowing him to hide his fluctuations. Even someone far stronger than him probably couldn't see into his Inner Palace; at most, they'd think he was physically tougher than the average mage.

Apprentice-level mages carrying conventional weapons for self-defense wasn't unusual, especially for some unorthodox ascetic mages.

"Truly, you can't judge a book by its cover. Your foundational knowledge is far more solid than mine. To be an Advanced Apprentice at such a young age—it's really disheartening."

Ian sighed with deep emotion, sounding a bit wistful.

This praise made Xuan Ye blush a little. Thanks to the comparisons and parameter feedback from his Soul Database, he had indeed crammed all the Apprentice-level knowledge down his throat. It was 'solid' enough, but when it came to application, he couldn't compare to other Apprentices.

Their exchange left the chubby shopkeeper nearly pissing himself. That guy in mercenary gear was actually a Mage Lord? Talk about a mindfuck!

Weren't Mage Lords supposed to be elegantly dressed, with an air of superiority, always moving at a leisurely, haughty pace? Dressing up like a scavenger—what a scam!

"Ahem, traveling outside, a little disguise is inevitable. I don't have any followers yet."

Clearing his throat, Xuan Ye took advantage of the other's remark about his appearance to casually stow his longbow and short sword into his Spatial Bag, then stripped off his sand-proof robe and stuffed it in too, revealing the ordinary training clothes underneath.

Though still not quite looking like a mage—very commoner-like—it was much more 'refined' than before.

"Spatial Equipment! I'm so envious. Around here, aside from the teacher, only Senior Brother Jian managed to buy one himself. Without Spatial Equipment, collecting materials is such a hassle. No wonder you could dress like that."

Seeing Xuan Ye casually stow his things away, Ian's eyes showed a hint of envy. But it was pure envy, not too strange.

For ordinary Professionals, even a basic Spatial Bag would be enough to make them fight tooth and nail, but that didn't include mages! Even a Mage Apprentice, as long as their academic skills were sharp enough, could earn the money for a Spatial Equipment without too much trouble. This was definitely someone qualified to own one!

Outside the city, it might attract covetous eyes, but here, there was no need to worry.

"Haha, traveling around, you have to carry all sorts of odds and ends. Don't sell yourself short, Mage Ian. I'm sure you could get one if you wanted; you just don't go out much."

Xuan Ye began quickly and discreetly tidying his appearance, trying to look more scholarly, while casually chatting up his lucky charm. His successful cover-up depended on him.

"Not at all. Spatial Equipment isn't something you can just buy with money. Who knows when the next one will be brought in by those profiteers? Scarcity marketing—every piece is overpriced. Unfortunately, the teacher doesn't specialize in this area, and I don't dare trouble him to ask his old friends for one. I can only wait."

Ian was noncommittal about Xuan Ye's words. He could afford one, but being a mage was a costly profession, and he didn't have enough liquid funds to splurge.

With a decent start to their conversation, the rest went smoothly. By the time the chubby shopkeeper saw them out, they had already gotten to know each other. Ian then extended an invitation to Xuan Ye:

"Night, since you haven't decided where to stay, why not come to my place? We can exchange insights and experiences. There are four or five Advanced Apprentices in the city right now."

Xuan Ye naturally changed his name, introducing himself with the single character 'Night,' which wasn't unusual in Reizel.

Faced with Ian's invitation, Xuan Ye was more than willing, but he still probed cautiously:

"Is that alright? Won't your teacher mind?"

"Not at all. The teacher is so busy; I wish I could catch him to ask some questions. Besides, he's the only Professional Mage in the city, and the Stanrose Mage Guild Branch is nominally under him. Providing assistance to passing mages is our duty."

Ian dismissed Xuan Ye's concerns.

After that, Xuan Ye followed Ian onto a somewhat luxurious carriage. As the wheels rolled, he kept exchanging information with Ian.

Along the way, he learned that Ian's mention of news about an Earth Magic Core was because his senior brother—the strongest Mage Apprentice in the Mage Tower—also followed the earth path. He must have already prepared the materials for his advancement ceremony, with plenty of spares. A little effort might allow him to trade for one.

With the most pressing matter settled, Xuan Ye's mood relaxed considerably. Otherwise, waiting for an auction or something—who knew when that would come? From the shopkeeper's attitude earlier, it was clear that Sand Magic Cores were produced locally, and unless someone placed a special order like him, no merchant would bother bringing an Earth Magic Core all the way here...

Thanks to Jidao Wuyu and Moduan Zhiqiu for the tips~

Begging for all kinds of support~