Chapter 1289 - Scheme (2/2)

It was just a small store. The boss was just a level-8 Archmage. The place only sold several kinds of magic tools. There were three alchemists in the store. The main reason why the store could operate was that the boss was a Master who could create Spiritual Magic Tools.

The destruction of such a small store was not important. What mattered was the reason. An alchemist who luckily survived told everyone why the store was destroyed, and who the culprit was.

The culprit was the Gilded Rose. The reason for the store’s destruction was that they bought 20 Universal Cores from the Gilded Rose. However, the 20 Universal Cores were all faulty. For its reputation, the Gilded Rose hoped to buy the Universal Cores back. After it bought the Universal Cores, it immediately destroyed the store. Only the alchemist who had a special body survived.

Immediately, the news spread in dozens of towns in the north of the Odin Kingdom, and the Gilded Rose seemed to be the last one to receive the news.

Hearing the report, Lin Yun seemed quite unruffled.

“Find out who’s been smearing the Gilded Rose.”

Faleau had cold sweat on his forehead. He looked rather awful.

It was not unusual for a bottom-level alchemy store to be destroyed. Even in Neverwinter City, which was the safest city, hundreds of people got killed every year. Hundreds of bottom-level alchemy stores opened and went bankrupt every year. Even the bigger shops often encountered robbers.

Yet, the destruction of a bottom-level store spread throughout the towns within thousands of kilometers overnight, and all the details were vivid.

Undoubtedly, there was a powerful organization behind all this, and it was specifically targeting the Gilded Rose!

20 of the Gilded Rose’s Universal Cores were faulty. To prevent the information from being leaked out, it destroyed an innocent alchemy store after taking away the faulty products!

In such a story, it didn’t matter whether or not there were any faulty products. Thanks to the rumors that spread in earlier days, everybody would subconsciously believe that the Gilded Rose did it.

The sales of the Universal Core would probably plummet. Many people would even seize the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Seated inside the store, Lin Yun wondered who was smearing the Gilded Rose. Did any organization that was powerful enough have to smear the Gilded Rose in such a way?

It was just a trick anyway. If the organization was truly powerful, it should be crushing the Gilded Rose instead of causing such minor trouble to it. The Gilded Rose wouldn’t be fundamentally hurt. Or rather, only the Gilded Rose’s Universal Cores would be affected…

Yes, the Universal Cores. The Universal Cores!

The enemy smeared the Gilded Rose with the Universal Cores as the point of breakthrough, so they had to be doing this for the Universal Cores.

The Universal Core wasn’t very technologically advanced. Any good Artisan could figure out how it was made. However, the key was the material.

Without the new material, it was possible to make the Universal Core. Also, all the technologies were actually based on the new material, which contained the black substance that could automatically attract mana. It was absolutely impossible to crack the Universal Cores.

No magic methods could figure out the internal structure of the material. Only the people who used an electron microscope instead of magic could possibly find out the technologies applied to the Universal Core.

However, there was nothing they could do even if they identified those technologies, because they didn’t have the material…

The enemy had to have realized the existence of the new material. They had been smearing the Gilded Rose using the Universal Cores probably because they were trying to get the new material it was made of.

Lin Yun put on a cold smile. With that in mind, he could narrow down the range of suspects.

The enemy was seeking after the material instead of the Universal Cores, so they had to be in the alchemy business too, and magic tools were the most profitable.

There were few powerful magic tool dealers in the Odin Kingdom. It was impossible for the enemy to leave no leads at all in such a huge operation. As long as any lead was found, it would be easy to find out which magic tool dealer was involved.

The enemy failed to present any evidence probably because they couldn’t create fake Universal Cores even if they wanted. The new material was not an alloy, but an independent material made with a fusion agent.

It was a new substance that was generated by changing molecular forms. It was impossible to copy the Universal Core by analyzing its material.

Not everybody had access to the black substance. Although the fusion agent wasn’t complicated, and any Artisan could create it easily with the special materials from the abyss, the formula of the most basic fusion agent wouldn’t appear in another 5,000 years.

Lin Yun calmly stayed in the base, not caring about what happened outside. Ever since the incident, many people had been returning the Universal Cores and asking for a refund, especially the customers who had bought only a couple of them.

Three days later, a former partner came to return the 100 Universal Cores he bought earlier.

“What kind of Universal Cores are they? They’re all garbage. I paid so much purple gold for garbage! Why do you not refund me? You’re selling fake products!”

Lin Yun came out from the rear of the Gilded Rose, and saw a lot of people arguing in the store.

Faleau looked rather awful.

“We can refund the unused Universal Cores for the prices you paid. However, the Universal Cores that are used can’t be applied to other magic tools. They cannot be returned…”

Lin Yun drew near casually, and looked at the guy who was demanding a refund. He remembered that the guy was from a medium-sized alchemy store.

“Faleau, just give their money back to them. There’s a number on every Universal Core. As long as it’s confirmed that the Universal Core was made and sold in the Gilded Rose, refund it whether it’s used or not, or even if it’s ruined.

“Keep a record of the people who have returned the cores.”

“What’s the matter? You sold fake products to me, yet you don’t want me to return them? Do you want to get back at me later?”

Lin Yun casually glanced at the guy, imposing a terrifying vibe on his soul. Instantly, the guy turned pale.

“You are not qualified for the Gilded Rose to get back at you.”

The guy wanted to say something tough, but he could not utter another word.

Lin Yun turned back and walked to the rear. Then, he thought hard.

A moment later, Faleau came in with an awful expression.

“Sir Merlin, this is getting huge. The rumor that the Universal Core is useless is spreading out. More and more people are demanding refunds, including some of our partners.

“Earlier, a couple of nobles of the Odin Kingdom returned the Universal Cores they bought too. They were one earl and three viscounts. They all expressed their dissatisfaction with the Gilded Rose in public—”

At that point, Lin Yun suddenly interrupted Faleau’s report.