Chapter 98: Chapter 95: Go for It
Allen’s fingertips brushed across the nacingly sharp tal limbs. In the end, he steeled himself and dismantled the three Spider Golem prototypes he had spent three months creating.
Three months of painstaking effort and an investnt of over three thousand Magic Stones were now reduced to piles of components.
After another half a day’s work and the addition of newly crafted parts, Allen managed to piece together two modified "Spider Slayer" chanical Bodies.
The "Spider Slayer’s" Control Core was originally designed for the Spider Golem. To save money, Allen had only bought two, swapping them between the three prototypes for testing. Now, he had retuned the Control Core’s behavioral logic to better suit the modified structure.
For the upcoming hunt, he planned to take these two chanical Bodies and his Judgent Alchemy Sniper Rifle, both for field testing and for his own protection.
Now, he just needed the "Shadow Embrace" spider fluid, and his final, competition-version Spider Slayer would be finished.
He pulled up his personal terminal and glanced at the monthly financial report submitted by Vera.
The business of the Learning Mutual Aid Group was now on track, bringing him a net profit of nearly 2,500 Magic Stones per month after deducting labor and operational costs.
This sum would be a fortune to an ordinary apprentice, but when invested in Golem creation, it was barely enough for a few costly rounds of trial and error.
Not to ntion, his daily training also consud a large amount of Magic Stones. As it stood, he would be lucky if he had five or six hundred Magic Stones left over each month from the group’s inco.
After this competition, he would need to learn how to build even larger Golems. The equipnt and space in his dormitory were no longer sufficient, and renting an academy workshop would be another huge, fixed expense.
’The Alchemy School is truly a bottomless pit!’
Although Allen had made this choice himself, it didn’t stop him from frequently complaining in his heart. If he hadn’t planned every step and started earning money early on as a junior apprentice, he probably would have gone bankrupt from a lack of funds long ago, let alone be able to pursue the path to transcendence.
He closed the financial report and shut his eyes, sinking into thought for a mont.
When he opened his eyes again, all stray thoughts had vanished, leaving only a clear goal reflected in his ice-blue irises.
Hunt the Shadow Demon Spider, obtain the materials.
Starting now, it’s ti to prepare for battle!
He first walked to a corner of the workshop, where his newly purchased raw materials were piled.
For the next two hours, the only sound in the dormitory was the steady vibration of the Alchemy Machine.
Under the guidance of his "Craftsman’s Hand" and multi-threaded control, the shells of one grenade after another were efficiently molded, their internal Runes precisely carved, and their fillers accurately proportioned.
A hundred assorted grenades were quickly produced, forming a small mountain on the table.
After finishing all this, Allen opened his personal terminal and brought up Lina’s contact information.
The Sinking Dream Swamp was a natural training ground for the Mind School. Its environnt interfered with Wizards from other schools, but for Lina, it was a ho field where she could fully unleash her abilities.
Allen needed her precognitive abilities.
[Allen: I’m going to the Sinking Dream Swamp to hunt a Shadow Demon Spider. I need your sensory abilities to help track it and avoid high-risk spiritual pollution zones. Paynt is two hundred Magic Stones, plus we split any other gains. Interested?]
Less than a minute later, his terminal vibrated.
Lina’s reply was simple, infused with her unique style.
[Lina: The swamp is grayish-purple. It’s full of crying lines. I’ve been there once with so companions. I was actually planning to go and collect a certain material soon. When?]
’The "crying lines" must refer to the residual negative spiritual imprints of creatures in the Sinking Dream Swamp. It’s how Lina visualizes them.’
’I didn’t expect she’d already been there once. That’s even better. Now we have a guide.’
As for her ntion of "collecting a material," Allen wasn’t surprised. He knew that apprentices of the Mind School were always searching for special materials that could help them understand the nature of the Imaginary World.
[Allen: 7 a.m. tomorrow at the Mission Hall. We’ll see if there are any convenient missions to pick up, then head out imdiately.]
[Lina: Okay. Rember to buy a pair of boots for walking in the swamp. You can find them at the market.]
With his teammate confird, Allen swept all the grenades from the table into his Space Ring.
He had already been planning to go to the Apprentice Trading Market to buy so life-saving items. His Magic Shield was a passive defense that would rapidly drain his Magic Power under a sustained, high-intensity assault.
The force barrier created by Craftsman’s Hand was sturdy, but it required active control and had a limited coverage area. He needed a more reliable trump card.
A ans to escape what would otherwise be certain death.
He could also pick up the boots Lina ntioned while he was there.
The trading market was even livelier at night than during the day.
Floating orbs of light cast a soft glow, illuminating the crowded streets lined with colorful stalls.
The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and custors haggling rose and fell in waves.
Allen ignored the stall owners pushing "potent corrosive potions" and "ancestral enchanted weapons," pausing only for a mont at a specialty food stall.
He walked into the Secret Scroll Pavilion, a shop specializing in Witchcraft Scrolls and various pieces of witchcraft knowledge. It was the most frequently visited spot for apprentices of the Witchcraft School.
"Disengagent-type Witchcraft Scrolls," Allen said directly to the clerk, stating his purpose.
"Please take a look at these."
Hearing Allen’s request, the clerk deftly pulled out several Magic Scrolls with their prices marked.
[Low-Level Smoke Scroll: When activated, creates a ten-ter radius of thick smoke that obstructs vision and carries a faint aura of confusion. Price: 30 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Rapid Flight Scroll: When activated, grants the ability to fly at up to 200 km/h for three minutes. Price: 120 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Earth Escape Scroll: When activated, allows the user to burrow ten ters into the earth for five minutes. Price: 85 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Sub-Flash Scroll: When activated, instantly teleports the user to any designated location within fifteen ters in front of them. Price: 150 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
’The Earth Escape Scroll would be of little use in a swamp, but the Sub-Flash Scroll is the most direct life-saving tool, allowing him to evade fatal danger at critical monts. This one is a must-buy.’
After a mont of thought, the well-off Allen directly paid 300 Low-Level Magic Stones and bought one of each: the Low-Level Smoke Scroll, the Rapid Flight Scroll, and the Sub-Flash Scroll.
’When it cos to life-saving asures, the more the better. An apprentice of the Alchemy School had to be this extravagant.’
Afterward, he went to a shop specializing in adventuring supplies and purchased a pair of enchanted boots, a type of Witchcraft Tool, designed for walking in swamps.
The boots looked plain and simple, but the Light Body Rune and Waterproof Rune carved inside allowed the wearer to traverse the muddy swamp as if on solid ground, effectively preventing them from sinking into the mire.
In addition to that, he also procured so basic adventuring supplies, such as compressed rations, water flasks, and primary antidotes. These didn’t cost him much.
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