36 Deal (1/2)
Just by itself, a Spiritual Magic Tool was more useful than a Spiritual Augment, since after all, a Spiritual Magic Tool had the fighting strength of a High Mage while a Spiritual Augment could even be considered useless if it was not attached to a magic tool.
But once a Spiritual Augment was added to a sufficiently powerful magic tool, this would be reversed. Especially after the Spiritual Augment completely matured, the two couldn't even be compared anymore.
This was why a Spiritual Augment with no inherent fighting power was still far more valuable than a Spiritual Magic Tool with the strength of a High Mage.
When Lin Yun realized that the item in front of his eyes was actually a Spiritual Augment, eagerness filled his face.
”Faleau,” he called out, after thinking for a short moment.
Faleau had been using this time to theorize on how the revised formula of the Abyss Potion would work. So far, assuming that his lines of thought were valid, the resulting improvements could only be described as ”crazy” because the quality would increase by several times. This kind of potion couldn't even be called an Abyss Potion anymore!
Faced with this incredible outcome, Faleau was stunned. He had been leaning on the table and staring at the papers filled with all kinds of formulas, re-checking them over and over to see whether he had made a mistake. Second check, no mistakes, third check, no mistakes, ninth, tenth… He still didn't find any mistakes. In other words, the outcome of his calculations should definitely be true. The moment he put down those papers, Faleau felt as if a door to a whole new world had been opened in front of him.
Such great happiness was something that only a true alchemist could understand, researching day after day, experimenting year after year… Not being able to take one more step forward in one's alchemy for a long time, when suddenly, that last step would be easily bridged. That sudden happiness even made Faleau wonder whether or not he was in a dream.
”Faleau?” Lin Yun called him twice without getting a reaction, and thus raised his voice impatiently.
”Yes, yes, Mage Merlin, what can I do for you?” When he noticed Lin Yun calling him with a raised voice, Faleau was woken from his dream, and he looked at Lin Yun once more. Apart from the bit of remaining dread in his eyes, there was only yearning and worship. That was yearning for knowledge and worship of wisdom.
”Go to the Sage Tower box on my behalf and let High Mage Solomon know that I can help him pay for half of this Hell Destroyer scroll, and after winning it, the Sage Tower can have it for a month first. During that month, the Sage Tower can copy the scroll and research the incantation as they wish as long as they don't destroy the scroll. And for providing half of the funds to buy it, I will get to keep it permanently after that month.”
”Yes, I will take care of this.” If it had been in the past, Faleau would still question whether Solomon would accept such unfair conditions. But after checking the theory behind the revised version of the Abyss Potion, Faleau wouldn't do something so stupid. He would have to be crazy to question such a talented future Master Alchemist…
After Faleau left, Lin Yun remained standing as he eyed the scroll on stage while thinking about the Bone Plane...
The Extraordinary Book of Death that Bane used most likely came from the Bone Plane, because an Extraordinary Magic Tool like the Book of Death could only be born in a place like that black wasteland, which was shrouded in death. If everything went smoothly, he had planned to expand toward the depths of the Bone Plane after he grasped that Nether Iron Vein. At that time, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce should have recovered some strength, giving him the power and resources needed to organize a planar expedition.
As long as he had the strength to survive in the Bone Plane, he would be able to find a way to locate the rumored shortcut and get the Book of Death that had once belonged to Bane.
With the Book of Death and a Spiritual Augment, let alone a High Mage, even an Archmage would have to turn back if he opposed them.
While Lin Yun was immersed in the thoughts of his plans for the future, the box door opened once again. This time, Faleau was accompanied by Solon. When he discovered that the owner of the box was actually Lin Yun, Solon clearly froze for a moment. But he quickly smiled cordially and greeted, ”I didn't expect it to be you, Mage Merlin. Teacher Solomon would like to invite you to sit with him, are you free?”
”Of course, it would be my honor.” When he saw that Solon had entered, Lin Yun was smiling because he knew that the Spiritual Augment was likely already in his hands.
When the group of three entered the Sage Tower box, Lin Yun found that this time, only Solomon of the Sage Tower's big three had come to the auction. The old man was thin and emaciated. He was sitting in a corner of the box, his thin body somewhat twisted as he burst into a coughing fit from time to time. No matter how one looked at it, he was an old man with one foot in the grave. If not for his reputation, who would know that this was the person who had stood at the peak of Thousand Sails City for over twenty years and held back numerous forces?
”Hello, High Mage Solomon.” Lin Yun greeted him courteously, but he couldn't help frowning slightly. The High Mage seemed even less healthy than the Sage Tower was suggesting to the public...
That violent cough was clearly a sign of mana collapse, as each of his coughs was letting out an unstable mana fluctuation.