Magic Item Shop

Holding the map Anthony had given him, Xia Ming finally realized that some things were nothing like he had imagined.

Anthony's residence stood beside Clearwater Lake on the back mountain of Azure Flame Academy. Xia Ming had originally thought Azure Flame Academy was merely an ordinary little school, but to his surprise, it was far more renowned than he had imagined.

Azure Flame Academy ranked first among the continent's four great academies and possessed a legacy stretching back thousands of years. Over those millennia, it had produced countless legendary figures as dazzling as shooting stars. Even Orlando, hailed as the God of Magic, had once been a student of Azure Flame Academy.

Azure Flame Academy covered an enormous area. It was located on an island in the Sea of Abyss, at the very center of Canaan Continent. Because of Azure Flame Academy, the island had been named Azure Flame Island.

Of course, Azure Flame Academy did not occupy all of Azure Flame Island. On the contrary, it took up only a small portion of it. Azure Flame Island was more like a thriving city-state, a unique city-state independent of every nation on the continent—a glittering pearl rightfully renowned across Canaan Continent.

It was noon. The sunshine was bright but not harsh, making the streets gleam. The bustling crowds displayed Azure Flame Island's prosperity. Warriors and adventurers carrying weapons could be seen everywhere, and if one was lucky, one might occasionally spot a mysterious mage draped in a cloak.

Xia Ming decided to visit a magic item shop in the city first. As a mage, he naturally could not go without a weapon or a robe. Robes and staffs were necessities for every mage; they could improve a mage's affinity with the elements and grant powerful enhancements when casting spells, making them critically important. Even a powerful mage like Anthony had paid a steep price for the [Starsea Staff], which showed just how vital magical equipment was.

Anthony had also carefully marked out the districts of Azure Flame Island, so Xia Ming easily found the general location of the magic item shops.

The area where the magic shops were located was probably the liveliest place on Azure Flame Island. The streets were packed with people, and the clamor and commotion were an eye-opener for Xia Ming. Many merchants were hawking their goods, stirring an irresistible urge to browse.

"Top-grade second-tier magic crystals! Only one hundred gold coins—first come, first served!"

"Massive clearance sale! A full set of magic gemstones for one thousand gold coins! Don't miss it as you pass by!"

"Weapons for sale! A sword once used by the Storm Martial Saint Marcus!" Such cries rose one after another. Xia Ming could not help smiling inwardly. He had no intention of buying from these stalls; most of their goods were defective. Truly fine magic items were found in shops.

After making a round of the streets, Xia Ming finally settled on a magic shop called [Purple Other Shore]. His reason was simple: Anthony had specifically noted it on the map. Purple Other Shore was among the top magic shops on Canaan Continent, with branches in nearly every town and city. It had dealt in magic items for centuries and enjoyed an excellent reputation.

The moment Xia Ming stepped into Purple Other Shore, he immediately sensed its uniqueness.

Its ancient decor was understated yet luxurious. All kinds of magical tools were displayed in the spacious, brightly lit hall—well over a hundred of them—leaving Xia Ming dazzled.

The fluctuations of magical elements in the surroundings were unusually intense, and Xia Ming nodded to himself. It seemed that many of the items here were high-grade magical tools. The dazzling array truly lived up to its reputation as one of the continent's largest magic shops.

Before long, a girl in a beautiful uniform came over to greet him. She had delicate features and smiled at Xia Ming. "Honored sir, may I ask what you would like to purchase?"

Xia Ming smiled. "I need a robe that suits me, and a staff."

At Xia Ming's words, the counter girl's smile grew even sweeter, and her manner became more respectful. "Certainly, honored mage." Any mage held a lofty status on the continent, and someone of her position naturally could not afford to offend one.

"How do you find this robe?" The counter girl quickly recommended a robe to Xia Ming.

Xia Ming's eyes lit up. In the girl's hands was a silver robe adorned with magic patterns, gleaming with silver arcs like starlight. The patterns were refined and intricate, clearly containing high-level enchanting spells.

Though pleased, Xia Ming did not show it. "How much is this robe?"

"Two thousand gold coins." The counter girl maintained her professional smile, but inwardly she was uncertain. This Starry Robe was considered a top-quality item even within Purple Other Shore. Could the young mage before her afford such an expensive robe?

Two thousand gold coins! The price did catch Xia Ming by surprise, but it was not beyond his means. Before he left, Anthony had given him a crystal card containing ten thousand gold coins, clearly to handle situations like this.

"I'll take it." Xia Ming did not deliberate for long.

"Certainly, honored mage." Suppressing her astonishment, the counter girl respectfully packed up the Starry Robe. Yet she could not help guessing at Xia Ming's identity. Such a lavish young mage, spending money like water—could he be the heir of some famous magical family? But no matter how she searched through her memories of talented young mages, none matched the young mage before her.

With the robe taken care of, it was time to choose a magic staff.

This time, Xia Ming did not ask the counter girl for recommendations. Instead, he carefully inspected the staffs in the shop.

The staffs in the shop were basically designed to enhance a single type of magical element, such as fire magic or water magic. Staffs enhancing more than two types were relatively rare, while those enhancing more than three were as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Of course, a staff's quality was not determined by how many magical elements it enhanced. However, Xia Ming had always studied magic under Anthony. Given the old mage's vast magical knowledge, he naturally did not limit himself to a single element. Added to that were the rare spells from the [Book of Eternity], and Xia Ming's studies could be described as extremely varied. Thus, when it came to elemental enhancements in a staff, the more the better for Xia Ming.

"How many gold coins for this staff?"

Xia Ming pointed to a staff in the center of the shop. The entire staff was made of crystal. At its tip were earth-, water-, and fire-element magic crystals, all of considerable grade. The staff emanated the aura of all three types of magic, and Xia Ming immediately felt the earth, water, and fire magical elements around him grow much stronger.

"Honored mage, this magic staff is called the [Earthflame Staff]. It was forged by a master craftsman of Azure Flame Island, who spent an entire year pouring his heart and blood into its creation. Its price is three thousand gold coins." The counter girl once again put on a sweet smile and looked at Xia Ming expectantly.

Xia Ming nodded noncommittally. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Fine. I'll take this staff as well." Although he was not particularly satisfied with the [Earthflame Staff], which only enhanced three magical elements, there seemed to be no staff better suited to him. Xia Ming made up his mind that when he had the chance, he would definitely obtain a staff perfectly suited to himself.

Just one robe and one staff had consumed half of Xia Ming's current assets. He could not help sighing inwardly that being a mage truly was a money-burning profession. No wonder the old mage had once told him that every mage was built from piles of gold.

After calling the counter girl over to settle the bill, Xia Ming left the magic shop beneath her awestruck gaze.

Dressed in the Starry Robe and carrying the Earthflame Staff, Xia Ming felt as though a sparrow gun had been swapped for a cannon. Half the purpose of this trip had already been accomplished. The most pressing matter now was to gain some experience and properly familiarize himself with this world.

After passing through that street filled with endless bickering and clamor, Xia Ming's next destination was the Adventurers' Guild.

Though he had become a third-level mage in only a month, Xia Ming had no actual combat experience whatsoever. For any mage, that was fatal.

Without a doubt, the Adventurers' Guild was paradise to Xia Ming.

A new book is up—rolling around on the ground begging for bookmarks and votes!