Potions, Runes, Mystic Items

Having uncovered the secret of the wooden box and unexpectedly received Pierre's help, Gao De did not leave immediately.

Suppressing the complicated emotions in his heart, he asked Pierre again, "Boss, do you know of any external items that can assist a mage's cultivation?"

Following the Guiding Method step by step was simply too agonizingly slow.

If possible, it was necessary to rely on some external aids to speed up his cultivation.

Gao De also knew that such items had to be extremely expensive and were most likely beyond what he could afford, but there was no harm in first learning the market prices.

Pierre truly was remarkably knowledgeable. After pondering for a moment and arranging his thoughts, he said, "A mage's cultivation consists of two things: the Guiding Method and the Meditation Art."

"The Meditation Art cultivates one's own Mental Strength. No external energy is involved, so its progress depends more on the individual. Items that can aid it are exceedingly rare and exceptionally precious, so we can set them aside for now. There are rather more items that can assist with cultivating the Guiding Method."

Fortunately, my progress in the Meditation Art isn't slow right now... Gao De rejoiced inwardly.

Compared to the original owner of this body, his cultivation speed in the Guiding Method had not changed at all, but his progress in the Meditation Art had increased dramatically.

By then, Pierre had taken a seat behind the counter. "There may be many things that assist with cultivating the Guiding Method, but if we classify them properly, there are really only three categories: potions, runes, and Mystic Items."

"At their core, there are only two approaches. One is to improve the mage's efficiency in guiding mana and converting it into magical power. The other is to increase the mana concentration in the cultivation environment."

"As for potions, the most common cultivation potion is the Mana Potion."

"Mana Potions contain powerful mana. After drinking one, a mage can directly absorb the mana within the potion, replacing the mana that would otherwise have been guided into the body through the Guiding Method. This is equivalent to skipping the step of guiding mana during Guiding Method cultivation. The mage only needs to convert and temper that mana into their own magical power."

"Thus, cultivation naturally proceeds faster."

"However, Mana Potions are far too expensive. Take the Basic Mana Potion intended for Mage Apprentices, for example. One set of three small bottles costs as much as 6 gold coins."

"And one set of Basic Mana Potions is only enough for a First-Order Apprentice to cultivate for six days. A Second-Order Apprentice consumes a set every three days."

"So generally, Mage Apprentices only buy a set of Mana Potions to help break through a bottleneck when their Guiding Method is nearing a breakthrough."

"If used as a daily cultivation aid, that would be far too extravagant. It is not something ordinary people can afford."

One set cost 6 gold coins, and a set lasted six days. That came to 360 gold coins a year, equivalent to 360,000 in his previous life. With a quick calculation, Gao De knew Pierre had not exaggerated.

How many people could afford an annual expense of 360,000?

And that was only the potion expense for a First-Order Apprentice. For a Second-Order Apprentice, it would be 720 gold coins a year.

Of course, if one were truly willing to spend that much, one could presumably push the Apprentice Guidance Method to its perfected realm in a short time.

Many so-called geniuses must have been fed into existence with these "Mana Potions."

But this was not a method Gao De could afford.

Pierre could naturally see that, and quickly continued:

"If the assistance provided by potions leans toward the first approach, then runes lean toward the second—raising the mana concentration in the cultivation environment."

"Multiple runes can be combined to construct a Magic Array that raises the mana concentration within a specific area. The two most widely known cultivation-assisting Magic Arrays are the Magic Crystal Matrix and the Mana Node Array."

"The former requires a constant expenditure of magic crystals, releasing the powerful mana within them to increase the mana concentration in the environment. The latter gathers the mana from the surrounding area into a small region."

"Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The former raises mana concentration by a greater amount, but because it continuously consumes magic crystals, its cost is also high."

"The latter is the opposite. Although the increase in mana concentration is far inferior to the former, once the Magic Array has been constructed, it can automatically gather the surrounding mana without any consumption. And because mana in the world continuously regenerates and flows, it is like a business that reaps ten thousandfold profits from a single investment, making it far more economical."

"But you needn't consider this method. Magic Arrays do not have a Rank 0. The lowest are Rank 1, and the construction cost of a Rank 1 Magic Array starts at over a thousand gold coins."

"Most mages cultivate by renting the use of Magic Arrays."

"The problem is that there are no Magic Arrays available for rent in Hogan City." Pierre spread his hands.

Hogan City was still too small, with too few mages to support the operation of a Magic Array.

"Lastly, there are Mystic Items."

"Some Mystic Items are made to assist cultivation. They can automatically absorb mana to aid their owner's training."

"Of course, the effects of these Mystic Items are certainly nowhere near as obvious or direct as those of Magic Arrays. But their advantage is that they can be carried around and function every moment, unlike Magic Arrays, which are fixed in place once established and can neither be moved nor carried."

"Clearly, Mystic Items that assist cultivation are worth far more than other types of Mystic Items."

"Even among 1-ring Mystic Items, those that assist cultivation can often sell for hundreds of gold coins even if their effects are not particularly remarkable. And they have always been something with a price but no market."

Pierre's meaning was plain enough. Setting aside whether Gao De had the money, even if he did, there would be nowhere to buy one.

After all that talk, not a single option was of any use to him. Gao De was helpless as well.

At the root of it all, there was only one word:

Poor!

After leaving Pierre's Odds and Ends, Gao De, clutching 1 gold coin and 15 silver coins, headed straight for an herbal shop at the end of the street.

Brewing Novice Spider Venom required three main ingredients: one Serpent Tooth Herb, one Mountain Mugwort, and one Green Spider Sac.

The Serpent Tooth Herb and Mountain Mugwort could both be grown in the medicinal garden. Only the Green Spider Sac needed to be purchased from an herbal shop.

Although Phil's Herb Shop primarily sold potions, it also sold medicinal ingredients, including Green Spider Sacs, and their quality was guaranteed.

The problem was that when Mage Seda had still been around, purchases had always been made in quantities sufficient for at least half a month. Now that Gao De's pockets were empty, he could only buy one or two portions at a time.

Under such circumstances, it was not appropriate to purchase ingredients from Phil's Herb Shop again. It could easily arouse the suspicions of someone with ulterior motives.

With caution as his guiding principle, Gao De had no choice but to pass up the nearby option and travel farther to buy from a smaller herbal shop.

"One Green Spider Sac that's over a year old costs 12 silver coins?! Phil's Herb Shop sells them for 10 silver coins each, doesn't it? Why are yours twenty percent more expensive?"

Inside the herbal shop, Gao De subconsciously frowned upon hearing the clerk's quoted price and asked aloud.

"Customer, our shop has stood on this street for decades. The reason we have remained standing all these years is the word 'integrity.' No matter one's status, anyone who enters our shop receives the same respect and fair treatment."

"Hogan City is only so large. If our shop cheated customers, word would spread and we would no longer be able to stay in business. How could we possibly be so shortsighted as to swindle you?"

Hearing Gao De's questioning, the herbal shop owner stepped forward lightly and said with earnest certainty, "In recent days, there have clearly been more people leaving the city to hunt, and the price of Novice Spider Venom has risen with the tide."

"As one of the main ingredients of Novice Spider Venom, Green Spider Sacs have become scarce as well, so naturally their price has increased. It isn't just our shop. Every herbal shop's Green Spider Sacs are sold at this price now."

"If you do not believe me, customer, you may visit the other herbal shops in the city and see whether what I said is true."

"Fine... Give me two, then." Gao De could not stop his heart from aching.

Though this herbal shop was not particularly large, it was indeed an old establishment that had been open for nearly twenty years. It could not possibly tell such a reputation-destroying lie.

That Little Rooster he had barely had time to warm in his hand flew away from Gao De once again. After gritting his teeth through the pain and paying, his savings shrank once more to 11 silver coins.

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