Invitation from the Merchant Alliance

Fang Heng and the young man sat at adjacent tables, separated by the candlelight on the wooden surface. Two dwarf guards wearing sentry helmets stared at them, leaving them only able to glare at each other.

"Just you wait, I'll beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you," the young man said, wiping sweat from his forehead with his hand, disgusted. He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Same to you," Fang Heng replied, equally annoyed. His head had hit the ground when the dwarves pushed him down, leaving a large bruise. He clearly intended to hold the other party responsible for this as well.

The Gnome Head Referee watched the two troublesome children and shook his head.

He walked over and looked up at Fang Heng, saying, "If that person from the Artificer Guild doesn't return, you'll have quite a bit of time to adjust your condition—"

His implication was that Fang Heng should get some decent equipment. Although the competition rules stated that participants could only use their own or their team's equipment, they still had time before the main tournament began to use their winnings from the preliminary rounds for something.

Fifty thousand Riser was not a lot, but it wasn't a small sum either.

Fang Heng understood the referee's good intentions and quickly nodded.

The young man wiped his face with a towel. Seeing this, he instinctively wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but Wu Di, standing beside him, patted his shoulder and shook his head. The young man, clearly convinced by his partner's judgment, shut his mouth.

The Gnome Head Referee asked again, "After the competition ends, are you interested in working for the Kaolin Merchant Alliance? You know, we are the largest commercial organization in the Sea of Clouds region. We've always been generous in cultivating truly talented newcomers. And Combat Artificers are highly sought after in any merchant guild or fleet."

"Clang—"

Hudi suddenly fumbled and dropped his cup on the floor. He jolted and, flustered, quickly picked it up.

However, no one else noticed his action. Tian Lan, Jita, and Luo Yu all stopped and looked at the Gnome Head Referee in surprise, then at Fang Heng—except for Etila and the Paparal Crossbowman, as they were not locals.

Even the young man from Silverwood Spear was similar; he casually dug at his ear, almost thinking he had misheard.

Everyone knew what a behemoth the Kaolin Merchant Alliance was in the Sea of Clouds region. Its influence in the area was probably second only to the Artificer Guild and the Kaolin-Ishurian Alliance itself. Even the Rainbow Alliance couldn't compare—the former was not only fabulously wealthy but also had the support of the Kaolin royal family, making it a force to be reckoned with in the Alliance's political landscape.

Most of these gnomes were from the Elpaxin Merchant Alliance Headquarters, so the Gnome Head Referee was essentially representing the Kaolin Merchant Alliance Headquarters. What an honor this was. The Kaolin Merchant Alliance Headquarters was a purely administrative body, so it rarely recruited administrative staff from outside, let alone Chosen.

Several gazes turned to Fang Heng simultaneously.

But Fang Heng blinked and retorted, "But I'm a Chosen?"

This answer almost made Tian Lan faint. She thought, What is in Ed's head? She really wanted to pry it open and see why he could be so incredibly slow-witted.

The Gnome Head Referee was very patient and replied, "What does that matter, young man? Many Chosen work for the Alliance. This is a free organization where people come together with the common goal of pursuing wealth, to jointly build the prosperous economic order of the Sea of Clouds—the Kingdom of Kaolin, regardless of background or origin."

Yeah, right, everyone thought. The merchant guilds under the Kaolin Merchant Alliance might have many Chosen, mostly working short-term jobs as mercenaries or guards. But the Alliance Headquarters was an exception. Forget Chosen; even people of status needed a recommender to work there.

From the Gnome Head Referee's words, it seemed he intended to be Fang Heng's recommender.

Jita was still a little curious. To be a recommender at the Kaolin Merchant Alliance Headquarters, one had to be at least middle to upper management. Was this Gnome Referee some prominent figure or official of the Kaolin Merchant Alliance?

Fang Heng was actually tempted. He wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the Kaolin Merchant Alliance and understood its scale. Moreover, being an Alchemist was a profession that consumed a lot of money and time, naturally suited for major guilds and large organizations as a Life Profession.

But rights and obligations were often equal—

Staying with the Alliance might solve his immediate problems, but in the long run, it would only be a constraint. He wouldn't stay in the Sea of Clouds forever. Fang Heng knew what he was pursuing; it was a dream he could never give up.

Besides, it was a promise he had made to Miss Scarpe and the people of Dawnstar.

He was silent for a moment, then finally shook his head, "I'm sorry, I still prefer the life of adventure, Mr. Referee."

The Gnome Head Referee looked at him, falling silent for a moment.

In his rich life experience, this was the first time he had encountered someone who refused his recommendation, and so decisively, without even much time to think. He subconsciously stroked his pointed beard, unsure if this young man was acting out of recklessness, ignorance, or confidence.

Hudi watched Fang Heng from the side with a complex expression.

Tian Lan fiercely pinched Luo Yu's arm, causing him to gasp in pain. "What are you doing?"

"I'm checking if I'm dreaming."

"You're not dreaming, it's very real. Mr. Ed refused, I saw it too—" Luo Yu replied irritably.

"Then he must be crazy."

"What's the difference between you and him? You ignored the Twelve-Colored Irises."

"That's different."

"I think they're about the same." Luo Yu, uncharacteristically, said a few more words before Tian Lan stomped on his foot, causing him to bend over in cold sweat.

Jita also carefully tugged at Fang Heng's sleeve, but the latter just smiled gently at him and shook his head.

What no one expected was that the person who reacted the most was the young man. He suddenly stood up and said, "What an idiot, so self-righteous! Who do you think you are, an Elite or a member of the Silver Veslan youth team?"

Seeing this guy, Fang Heng couldn't help but get angry. He rubbed his bruised forehead and retorted, "What's it to you?"

"It's none of my business, I just get angry when I see an idiot," the young man said, turning back to Wu Di. "Let's go, I need to wash up. Out of sight, out of mind."

Wu Di nodded, but before leaving, he looked at Fang Heng for the first time, appearing somewhat surprised.

Tian Lan, unusually, didn't argue with these two.

The surroundings fell into a silence that made Fang Heng uncomfortable—as if he had done something foolish again. Looking at the others, he finally spoke first, "Tian Lan, I thought you would have argued with him again."

To his surprise, the French girl seemed a little embarrassed and replied, "Actually, I think he has a point, Brother Ed. Why don't you reconsider?"

Fang Heng smiled brightly and shook his head. "I know my own nature very well, but that kind of life isn't suitable for me. When I was young, my uncle often told me a principle: some immediate benefits might make us waver, but if we don't forget our original intention, we won't be lost."

"Original... intention?"

Tian Lan was slightly stunned.

Luo Yu and Jita couldn't help but exchange glances. What was their original intention? In the long run, becoming a Chosen seemed like a starting point rather than a goal, but what came after that?

The French girl pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "You're right, Brother Ed."

The gnome referee listened, thought for a moment, and couldn't help but look at the young man with newfound respect. Excellent alchemists were the most valuable assets to a merchant alliance. For years, the Kaolin Merchant Alliance had been in competition with the Artificer Guild in the Sea of Clouds region, but regardless of their rivalry, they could never retain true geniuses.

Perhaps this was the reason...

They were people who truly yearned for the world above the clouds and sea, and thus would not easily fold their wings; they pursued the world that truly belonged to them, above the clouds, beyond the continent bridge, that even vaster new world--

He suddenly took out a card. It was also made of copper and emitted a golden glow under the firelight, etched with peculiar patterns. He handed the card over and said, "Alright, if you change your mind anytime, you can bring this card to the Kaolin Merchant Alliance and find me."

Fang Heng dared not refuse the other's kindness. He took the card and saw the name 'Rhyme-Shortbay' etched on the copper piece, which fit the naming conventions of gnomes. Thinking it was the Head Referee's name, he nodded in thanks, "Thank you, Mr. Rhyme."

"You're welcome. I think highly of you, young man."

The gnome Head Referee then bid them farewell and left.

Tian Lan looked at the business card in Fang Heng's hand, full of surprise, "That's a business card from the Kaolin Merchant Alliance! He actually gave you one! Oh my goodness, he must think very highly of you, Brother Ed."

She showed a distressed expression. "I regret it again. I still think you should have accepted his offer."

Fang Heng chuckled, shaking the card in his hand, "It's just a business card, aren't they given out freely?"

"Keep it safe, Ed," Etila said.

Jita then explained softly, "Aethelria's business cards are not quite like those on Earth, Brother Ed. Many large organizations have these kinds of cards, and they are imbued with magic. The Kaolin Merchant Alliance doesn't easily give out many of these cards in a year. Holding this card is equivalent to having a pass with the same authority as its owner."

"So it's just like a magical letter of introduction then," the Paparal interjected, having finally cleaned the potato mash off himself and resting his hands on the chair.

"It's much more than that," Tian Lan replied. "This card will allow you to enjoy premium services in many places, at least in the Sea of Clouds region. Let me calculate, we can save at least half a tenth on supplies." She counted on her fingers, somewhat exaggeratedly, "Wow, we're rich now! This is a lot of money."

Hearing this, Fang Heng quickly and carefully put away the business card, looking rather pathetic.

He had no choice; he was too used to being poor.

"Alright," Etila said, standing up and clapping her hands, "That's enough good news for now. Don't forget we have more important things to do."

"What things?" Fang Heng asked, confused.

"It's your competition," even the elven girl couldn't stand his cluelessness and glared at him gently. "So don't be so impulsive next time. The official matches are completely different from the qualifiers. But since you've entered, you naturally have to give it your all. I and the others will go help you prepare."

Tian Lan suddenly remembered this matter and nodded excitedly, "Sister Etila is right! I'll help gather information on your opponents."

Their words reminded Fang Heng.

The upcoming matches would predictably be difficult, and he wasn't sure how far he could go. Naturally, he couldn't go into them without any preparation like he did in the qualifiers. In fact, he had already suffered greatly from that in previous matches.

He planned to first modify the Kingfisher α Magic Furnace. The furnace itself had no issues, but the crystal the gnome merchant gave him had to be converted into a Type I Crystal before he could use it. Otherwise, relying solely on the Core Crystal within his control gloves to challenge opponents over level ten, like before, would be akin to throwing his life away.

Next, he would redesign and modify the Walker. Now that he had competition prize money, he felt much more confident. He no longer needed to rely on that 'woodworking product' to conquer the world.

Fang Heng didn't expect to modify the Walker to the high-end Type II level, but it should at least be a derivative series close to Type II, around 700 to 800, not his inexplicable Type 170.

This would require some metal raw materials and secondary crystals, as well as a set of crimson crystal energy generation devices and a balancer. However, these items should be easily procurable here and wouldn't be too expensive, so he entrusted them to Miss Etila.

At this moment, Luo Yu also stood up and said, "Next is the match between Mr. Ed and the contestant from the Elpaxin Artificer Guild, right? I'll head to the arena first. If the opponent forfeits, I'll come back and inform you immediately."

Fang Heng nodded and gave him a grateful look. This would save him some time.

"Then I'll have to focus on the next match," Tian Lan sighed. "Ah, having to watch the fight between those two annoying guys is just terrible."

Then she said to Jita, "Tata, why don't you collect the paper intelligence?"

Jita nodded softly.

"Then Mr. Parker--" Tian Lan issued an order.

"I understand, I understand," the Paparal Crossbowman immediately jumped off his chair. "Protect Jita, right?"

The former winked at him, giving him an appreciative look.

At this point, Hudi also stood up and said, "I'll go too." Fang Heng looked at him. He had originally wanted to ask him to stay and be his assistant, but he suddenly saw Hudi looking somewhat listless and seemed to understand something.

He then silently retracted his words.

Fang Heng knew that the matter with the Kaolin Merchant Alliance earlier must have affected him.

However, looking at everyone suddenly busy, he felt a little touched. This was his competition, but everyone seemed to treat it as their own business.

He had only known Tian Lan, Etila, and Luo Yu for just one day.

Not to mention Hudi.

Fang Heng couldn't help but say, "Thank you, everyone."

Tian Lan waved her hand dismissively, "Don't say that. This is also to teach that guy a lesson. I've wanted to teach that scoundrel a lesson for a long time--"

Fang Heng rubbed his forehead, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Finally managed to adjust the update schedule. Therefore, starting tomorrow, the update time will return to normal. Also, please continue to recommend and collect.