Spell Storing Ring

Reminded by Soradin, Anse and his two companions immediately realized the gravity of the situation and hurried off to procure adventure supplies.

Whether it was the effectiveness of Soradin's shout or Anse's high charisma, shops that were originally out of stock were willing to sell them some of their inventory at a slight premium.

Waterproof backpacks, tents, blankets, raincoats, lanterns, matches, medical kits, grappling hooks, emergency rations, seasoning, a compass... a whole host of items.

Anse purchased three bottles of standard healing potions at the apothecary, costing him 390 gold coins. It was nearly triple the price of their cheapest point—absurd, yet absolutely necessary.

As for Hill Giant Strength Potions, they were nowhere to be found; they simply weren't available.

Most alchemists were mages, and without them, the markets for potions, scrolls, and magic items were on the verge of collapse.

They were lucky to be able to buy anything at all; many adventurers were being turned away empty-handed.

In truth, the open-air trading market might have been cheaper, but the time cost was too high, and it was easy to get swindled.

"Backpack, 2 gold coins; blanket, 6 silver coins; lantern, 8 silver coins; medical kit, 5 gold coins..." Brat checked the supplies against their list and realized the thirty or forty gold coins in their public fund wouldn't be enough.

"Everything is rising in price. Food has gone up several times over. If you count the potions, the squad is already in debt to you for several hundred gold coins." He offered a helpless smile.

Anse patted him on the shoulder and teased, "Then you'd better work hard."

In his view, these were essential supplies that would inevitably be used once they set out. After organizing everything, they filled three backpacks perfectly. Since all three of them were professionals, the burden wasn't too heavy.

With over a thousand gold coins left in his hand, he hefted the heavy money pouch, feeling that it was better spent on enhancing their combat power than sitting idle.

"Come on, this way."

He arrived at the Magic Curios Shop next to the apothecary. The shop occupied a large space and must have been quite prosperous in the past, though it was somewhat deserted now.

The shopkeeper was a female mage wearing a pointed witch hat. Her face was covered in wrinkles and looked rather eerie, making Anse involuntarily think of the old witch from a fairy tale.

He focused his mind on the old mage, but after the dice spun for a moment, he failed to glean any information.

Anse felt strange, but he kept his expression neutral.

"What a charming little one. What are you looking for?" The old mage tapped the brim of her hat with her staff, revealing eyes like obsidian. Her voice was as soft as a cat's, showing no trace of old age.

"Uh, I haven't decided. Is there anything I can use?" Anse was honest; he only had a staff and was lacking in everything.

The old mage leaned against the counter, elbows propped up, her small staff twirling in her hand with an elegance that made one instinctively ignore her face.

"The Weave is shifting. Some magic items are losing their magical properties, especially those with inherent spell effects. Do you... understand?"

"I understand." Anse lifted the staff in his hand.

The old mage looked Anse up and down, then waved her hand. Several items appeared on the counter in succession: cloaks, shoes, a ring, and an amulet.

"This is a Protection Cloak, a Manta Cloak, Spider-step Shoes, a Spell Storing Ring, a Health Amulet... You don't even have a decent set of robes. I suggest you prioritize staying alive."

She briefly introduced the abilities of these items before sitting back down, watching Anse with keen interest.

"How much for the Spell Storing Ring?" Anse focused his gaze on the ring; it was the only rare-quality magic item among them.

This ring could store multiple spells with a total spell level of 5, meaning it could hold five 1st-level spells or one 5th-level spell.

With the Weave in chaos, the failure rate for casting stored spells was higher than normal casting, but since Anse used mana casting, he didn't have that problem.

To others, the ring had greatly depreciated, which was likely why the old mage had brought it out.

"Someone once offered eight thousand gold coins, but I didn't sell it." The old mage picked up the ring with withered fingers, her expression distant. "Now... I'll let you have it for two thousand."

Anse's expression stiffened. He only had about twelve hundred gold coins left, which was far from enough. He turned to look at Brat and Finn, but both shook their heads silently.

So, they were all broke, he thought with a sigh.

"Not enough money?" The old mage had anticipated this; she had been observing them for a while. "Do me a favor, and I'll give it to you for free."

Anse shook his head immediately. "I'm just a rookie professional. My abilities are limited; I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Caution is an excellent quality for a spellcaster to possess." The old mage nodded in approval, then pushed the Protection Cloak and the Spell Storing Ring toward him. "Take these, plus a thousand gold coins, and help me bring someone out of the Sea Tower District."

"Me?!" Anse pointed at his own nose, looking stunned.

"That's right." The old mage nodded naturally.

"Don't you know the city is crawling with Underdark creatures? Even the Upper City has fallen. Wouldn't I be walking to my death?" Anse's eyes widened as if he had just heard a dark joke.

"Relax." The old mage swayed her staff slightly. "Currently, the Castle District, Manorborn District, Bromridge District, Sea Tower District, and parts of the Temple District are still in the hands of the Sentinels. They won't fall in the short term.

If you take a boat from Rivington, the risk isn't high."

"Uh, you've thought this through, but my abilities are limited. You should find someone else." Anse refused decisively; he didn't want to risk his life.

Taking a boat downstream from Rivington would indeed lead directly to the Sea Tower District on the west side of Gray Harbor, but what if the Gray Dwarves had secured the sea route? What if he was besieged the moment he landed? What if the boat lost control and plunged into the Giant Pit?

"No matter." The old mage smiled faintly, not forcing the issue, and placed a piece of parchment on top of the cloak. "The items are yours anyway; they are worthless in my hands.

When you've saved enough money or changed your mind, come find me."

Anse was taken aback; he hadn't expected such a stroke of luck.

He picked up the parchment and unfolded it. It was an unsigned magic contract detailing the commission, with the name Dorothea Zeitkin written in elegant script in the client field.

After a moment of hesitation, he transferred 100 platinum coins into an empty money pouch and placed it on the counter. "This is all I have for now. Thank you for your generosity and trust; I won't stand on ceremony."

"Good luck." The old mage brushed a lock of white hair from her forehead with her staff, her eyes shimmering as she kept her gaze fixed on Anse, not even glancing at the pouch of platinum coins.

Anse gathered the items, gave a nod, and turned to leave.

Brat hurried to catch up with Anse, whispering, "There won't be any problems with these, will there?"

"Back to the inn." Anse did not know Appraisal, but he had a more precise method of identification.

The three of them returned to their room laden with bags, piled everything onto the floor, and gathered around Anse.

"These two Magic Items are worth at least three thousand Gold Coins. They weren't even worried we'd run off; it's really strange," Brat said, still uneasy.

"Mm," Finn agreed.

Anse narrowed his eyes slightly and pulled up his Character Sheet to inspect the two Magic Items. There were no curses or magical marks; everything was normal.

"It probably isn't that complicated," he said, opening his eyes and picking up the parchment, lost in thought. "Perhaps they're just doing us a favor."

"What's the point of that? We're leaving anyway." Brat waved his hand, sat down on the floor, and began organizing their supplies and backpacks.

Seeing this, Finn stepped forward to help.

"Fair point." Anse decided to stop dwelling on it and turned his attention back to the two Magic Items.

The Spell Storing Ring was a dark gold band, nearly a centimeter wide, covered in rings of blue magic runes that looked extraordinary at a glance.

He slid the ring onto the index finger of his left hand; it was slightly large, but it wouldn't slip off.

The Protection Cloak looked unremarkable from a distance, but upon picking it up, he realized it wasn't pure black, but raven-black, shimmering with a purplish-blue metallic luster under the light.

This cloak was a fine-grade Magic Item. Once worn, it granted a +1 bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws, providing a modest boost to both defensive capabilities and resistance—simple and practical.

The bonus to Saving Throws was particularly valuable, as it was effective against most attacks and exceptionally potent when resisting Enchantment and Psionic Spells.

Anse put on the cloak and pulled up the hood. Outsiders could no longer see his face, adding a touch of mystery, and he felt a bit more at ease.