Rewards

After uttering that legendary name, Alexander's thoughts seemed to drift back to that brilliant golden age of magic. Majestic floating cities stood tall above the blue sky, the resplendent radiance of arcane energy illuminating the entire world. Mighty and imposing mages commanded the weather, reshaped mountain ranges, altered the terrain, and advanced civilization, attempting to raise the banner of magic to challenge the thrones of the gods above.

Regrettably, following the disappearance of Ioulaum, the greatest arcanist of the Netherese Empire, his disciple—the Archmage Karsus—ultimately decided to cast a unique forbidden spell for the sake of his beloved nation and people. It was the first and last twelfth-level spell in the history of Faerûn: "Karsus's Folly."

This spell could temporarily steal the power of a deity, and the one Karsus chose was none other than the first Goddess of Magic, Mystryl.

However, Karsus underestimated the destructive power this spell would have on the Weave. As the spell—later known as "Karsus's Folly"—was enacted, the Weave was shattered, and the primordial magical energy flooded out of control. The surging, violent energy caused the arcane elements between heaven and earth to become restless.

The Goddess of Magic sacrificed herself to protect the Weave, reincarnating as the second Goddess of Magic, Mystra, while Karsus perished after briefly becoming a god, unable to withstand the overwhelming divine power and knowledge.

The loss of control over magic and the failure of arcane arts caused the floating cities of the magical empire to fall from the sky one by one. Coupled with the ravages of the Phaerimm and the threat of the Orcs, the vast empire disintegrated overnight, leaving behind only ruins and survivors woven with bitterness and hatred.

Recalling the past brilliance of the Netherese era, Alexander could not help but sigh softly. Losing his desire to talk, he said to Ryan:

"Little one, take this. Come to the Mages Guild on the next full moon, and someone will take you to the ruins. As for the reward for this mission, go ahead and claim it yourself."

With that, Alexander tossed a circular platinum badge to Ryan, who had been waiting quietly for the old man to finish his reminiscence.

"Teacher Alexander, what is the mission reward? Can I choose it myself? Would it be convenient to reveal it?" Upon hearing about the reward, Ryan reflexively glanced at the Nether Scrolls resting on the round table beside Alexander.

He had assumed the reward for this mission would be a chance to read the mysterious arcane knowledge recorded on the Nether Scrolls; he hadn't expected an additional surprise. Ryan decisively cast aside his pride, staring at the old mage with his sapphire-like, sparkling eyes, attempting to act cute and earn more rewards through his highly effective good looks.

Watching Ryan try to charm his way through, Alexander smiled kindly. Using "Mage Hand," he moved the Nether Scrolls into his own hands and waved them in front of Ryan, teasing him: "Hahaha, don't tell me you want this? Once this old man is finished with them, you can borrow them from your teacher; I believe Yefalin isn't that stingy.

As for now, I cannot give them to you. How about this: I will let you choose two items from the Mages Guild's collection, and I'll also give you the spell models for two fourth-level spells, how does that sound?"

Ryan pursed his lips, barely holding back a laugh. He was truly too embarrassed to tell the smug old mage that he had already recorded all the knowledge on the Nether Scrolls and was just waiting for a quiet moment to study it thoroughly.

After all, in Faerûn, mages usually required at least a month of intense, undivided concentration to fully read a single Nether Scroll. The information recorded on the small scroll was complex and rich; once a "page" of content was read, the silver magical script would swirl and shift on the surface, rearranging itself into the next page of content.

Furthermore, the massive amount of complex information would cause a mental shock to the mage during reading, which further demanded high mental strength and willpower. Yet, Ryan's system could help him avoid the shock, perfectly receiving, storing, and categorizing the information. It was unlikely that even someone as experienced as Alexander could imagine that Ryan had such a "cheat" to help him bypass the process.

Ryan put on a look of deep deliberation and finally nodded slowly, his heart blooming with joy: This is basically getting a Nether Scroll for free; what a massive profit!

"By the way, Teacher Alexander, I encountered a Zhentarim assassin on the road. Could you see if he's worth any reward?" Ryan remembered that he still had a corpse stored in his Planeswalker space. Although the space was temperature-controlled and sterile, preventing decay, Ryan still felt a bit uneasy having it there and decided to take this opportunity to get rid of it.

Ryan took the Drow corpse out of his space and placed it in the room. Alexander glanced at it briefly and stroked his beard: "A Bloodhand Assassin of the Zhentarim. They are all experts in the shadows, with at least a thousand lives on their hands. I didn't expect him to fall into the hands of a little one like you. I'll count this as two thousand Gold Talons."

Ryan looked at the Drow corpse lying on the floor as if he were looking at a pile of shimmering Gold Talons, his eyes flashing with the glint of coins. Ryan hadn't expected the Drow to be so valuable. In Faerûn, a single Gold Talon was enough to cover the daily expenses of a middle-class family for a month; two thousand Gold Talons was a huge sum for Ryan.

"Tsk tsk tsk, truly, murder and arson lead to golden belts," Ryan clicked his tongue inwardly. If his strength allowed it, he would have been ready to visit Zhentarim strongholds whenever he needed money. He imagined the heads of those villains from the Zhentarim in Waterdeep must be worth quite a lot.

"Alright, alright, stop staring at that unlucky fellow and go claim your reward." Alexander clearly had no more desire to talk and began to usher him out.

With a sincere expression, Ryan bowed deeply to Alexander to thank him and bid farewell.

Although Alexander appeared to be an old rascal, Ryan could still feel the genuine care and affection in his actions and words, and Ryan was naturally not stingy with his own kindness and gratitude.

Walking out of the reception room, Ryan finally took out the circular badge Alexander had given him to examine it closely, sighing to himself: "Platinum material, and it even has mithril mixed in. It seems to have spells inscribed on it as well. Good heavens, as expected of the Mages Guild in Waterdeep, the wealthiest place in the Northlands—truly extravagant."

Just as Ryan was marveling at the guild's generosity, a middle-aged mage in black robes with an expressionless face walked toward him. Ryan stepped aside to let him pass, but the mage stopped and said in a cold, emotionless voice: "Mage Ryan, the Guildmaster has asked me to take you to the treasure vault to claim your reward. Please follow me."

Ryan awkwardly touched the bridge of his high nose, looked at the middle-aged mage who had already turned and started walking, gave a wry smile, and followed.

Along the way, Ryan tried to strike up a conversation with the aloof mage, but the man remained as silent as a golem, walking mechanically in the lead. Ryan eventually gave up the struggle, walking through the awkward, silent atmosphere until they finally arrived in front of a hidden door.

The middle-aged mage stopped at the entrance, traced a specific magical signal on the door, and chanted an incantation. After a series of tedious tasks, the mage turned and spoke in a bone-chilling, dead-silent voice: "The hidden door will open for two hours each time. There are constant spatial barriers and magical surveillance inside. You may choose any two items, but please do not attempt anything you shouldn't. Now, please enter."

With the treasure vault before him, Ryan felt as excited as those fans waiting to pull for their favorite characters on screen. Ignoring the middle-aged mage's coldness, he nodded, confirmed that his buffs were all stacked, and stepped into the vault.

Entering the hidden door, Ryan discovered a world of its own. The room, expanded by spatial magic, was spacious and vast. Rows of shelves meticulously crafted from Ironwood were arranged in order, and magical light sources emitted a soft, comfortable glow from above.

Ryan's eyes swept past the dazzling, colorful crystals, gemstones, and exquisite, luxurious jewelry, then moved on to items radiating magical fluctuations and various potions.

"A Ring of Holding, Infernal Iron, Red Dragon blood, spell scrolls, Fountain of Life, Abyssal Black Blood flowers... damn, there's even a Githyanki Silver Sword? They actually raided the Githyanki's home base. For a moment, I don't know whether to sympathize with those hateful yet pitiful creatures."

Looking at the dazzling array of treasures, whether it was the life-saving Fountain of Life, the spell scrolls inscribed with ninth-level spells, or the Rings of Holding that were sold at sky-high prices on the market, Ryan was incredibly greedy. Unfortunately, he only had two slots. Looking at the vast vault, Ryan's heart wept: The familiar feeling is back—that damn sense of déjà vu of an endless shopping cart compared to an empty wallet.

Time passed bit by bit. Ryan browsed until the very last moment, satisfying his eyes, and finally walked out with two items.

The middle-aged mage outside remained the same, like a cold machine. He was indifferent to Ryan's timing. Once Ryan stepped out, the mage proceeded to seal the door with magic. After everything was finished, he spoke to Ryan, who was leaning against the wall playing with the two boxes in his hands: "The exchange for spell models can be done at the reception desk in the lobby. The Guildmaster has already granted you the authority; just return the way you came."

Ryan nodded, assuming the cold-natured mage had finished his duty, and without further thought, he thanked him and turned to leave.

The middle-aged mage stood still, his gaze lingering on Ryan as he gradually walked away. He remained silent for a moment longer before disappearing into the darkness of the corner.