Chalkland, Faded Desert.
Amidst the endless mist, Roy rode cautiously, arriving once again at a new area.
The more he delved into this place, the more he felt that the name they had collectively given it was indeed fitting.
Looking around, the landscape was desolate, dominated by monotonous shades of gray and gloom, with even the haze appearing exceptionally dim.
This was the result of Wizardry Energy dispersing in the air, and it was unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.
This "anytime soon"...
Meant thousands upon thousands of years!
The entire world's ecosystem would be altered as a result.
Fortunately, the weather today was favorable, with sunlight breaking through the clouds and fog, providing relatively good visibility.
Taking advantage of this, Roy noticed some sparkling gem fragments through the reflections.
"These are Energy Gems!"
He investigated the area and couldn't hide his excitement.
"Though they're a bit broken, they're worth at least one Magic Stone!"
Roy's Mental Strength spread out, and he used it to pick up the scattered gem fragments from the ground.
It was literally like picking up money!
After working for nearly half an hour, he tallied up the finds, which amounted to over 2500.
Upon closer inspection, there were even more tiny gem particles, even down to dust and powder!
"A remote wilderness wouldn't just have these things appear out of nowhere. They must have been pulverized by some force and then carried by an energy storm, settling like sand and dust!
Perhaps the entire hill ahead is made of the same gem dust mixed with mud!"
But Roy didn't plan to waste too much time here, as these weren't treasures that could bring about a qualitative change, nor did they contain any Inherent Essence.
So, after pulling out a simple map and marking the spot, he decisively left.
...
After that, Roy spent the entire afternoon without any significant discoveries, so he chose to return before nightfall.
Olen, Balu, Melina, and others also returned one after another. After exchanging information, Roy, in accordance with the alliance agreement, reported the "Gem Dune" he had discovered and named that day.
Everyone did the same, and thus their respective maps were updated.
Roy looked around: "Where's Senior Apprentice Sophia?"
"Don't know, she hasn't returned..."
"Never mind, let's not worry about her for now."
The others also found it a bit strange but didn't pay it much attention.
After all, in such a place, everyone was more concerned about themselves.
Unless Sophia had discovered some ruins or a significant treasure, it wouldn't be worth their attention.
Next came the main event, the treasure exchange that Roy had been looking forward to.
He secretly rubbed his fingers, hoping to gain some benefits for nothing.
The seasoned actor, the Life Energy Crystal, was brought out and displayed prominently in front of everyone: "Let's see what treasures we can trade. I'm planning to exchange this for something good."
Olen glanced at it: "I finally made a discovery today, something similar to the flesh chunks you mentioned before.
However, they're much smaller than what you found, and there's no such crystal inside them."
Roy inquired about the specifics, but after hearing them, he was somewhat disappointed.
The area Olen had discovered indeed didn't seem like it could produce a second Life Energy Crystal.
Next, it was Balu's turn to present.
He seemed to be in a good mood: "I found some Mithril."
"Mithril? That lightweight magic-conducting metal commonly used by the mages of the Arcane Empire?"
"Of course, is there any other Mithril besides that?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a fist-sized sample from his Spatial Ring.
Melina examined it: "It seems to have been severely eroded by powerful energy, almost burnt beyond recognition."
Balu said, "That doesn't change its fundamental properties, so its value remains intact."
"This stuff has a wide range of uses, and since it's not produced in the Wizard World, its value has always been high!
I'd like to buy some to try. How much are you selling it for?"
Roy, feeling eager, asked.
Mithril doesn't fall under the category of Zabil Magic Metal, so the Bronze-level talent [Sulfur-Mercury Theory] couldn't directly affect it.
However!
Among the Zabil Magic Metals involved in this talent, there is a special lightweight metal made primarily from Mithril, called Gleaming Silver.
It possesses similar properties to Mithril, with even better magic conductivity!
If I buy this Mithril, I might be able to process and craft it using my talent.
Balu thought for a moment and said, "A fair price would be 1000 Magic Stones per pound.
The latest novel is first published on 69shu!
The weight unit in the Wizard World is the pound, but Roy felt it was similar to the Chinese 'jin,' so he spent 2000 Magic Stones to buy it.
Next, it was Melina's turn.
She pulled out a pile of miscellaneous items: "My harvest is these things..."
Roy, without showing any expression, quietly used his Origin Talent [Eye of Hermes] to observe.
Instantly, within a few meters, various gray, white, and green lights appeared, each revealing their Magical Aura.
He had now preliminarily mastered the use of this Origin Talent. Normally, he didn't enter the "appraisal" state but just casually scanned.
This allowed for a more energy-efficient way of simple screening.
The quality of an item is actually a very broad concept.
An item's composition might involve multiple components or different materials.
Focusing too much on the details would be too cumbersome and troublesome.
He adapted and adjusted the usage mode of [Eye of Hermes], usually just giving a quick glance unless he noticed an unusual Magical Aura, in which case he would observe more carefully.
However, Melina and the others had also learned appraisal and had more time and opportunities to observe carefully.
Good items were naturally already stored away.
There wasn't anything of high value here, even the green light was just a tiny bit, indicating material quality rather than overall quality.
But just as Roy was feeling slightly disappointed, he noticed a blue Magical Aura again.
Second-tier quality!
A rare item comparable to the Levitating Magic Orb!
Probably due to its restrained magical energy, it was treated as a miscellaneous item and casually displayed, with Melina and the others paying little attention to it.
"It's a pity you won't trade that crystal..."
She was still fixated on Roy's Life Energy Crystal, expressing a bit of dissatisfaction.
"How about this, after we return, you try to keep it for a while longer, and I'll see if I can gather more."
Roy pretended not to hear: "How much are you selling these for?"
"If you want them, I'll sell the whole lot for 500 Magic Stones..."
"Deal!"
After returning, Roy couldn't wait to take it out and examine it. He confirmed that it was an intact mechanical device, roughly the size of a thumb, and it looked like a dry battery on the outside.
There were signs that it had been disassembled for inspection, and Melina had carefully concealed this, pretending it was just picked up and hadn't been taken apart.
(End of Chapter)