Chapter 115

Chapter 116: The Black-Hearted Merchant Izay (First Update of the Day! Begging for Subscriptions!)

Inside, bathed in the soft glow of magic stone lamps.

The room wasn’t spacious; instead, it felt cramped due to the clutter of various vessels and artifacts scattered around.

Izay stood before his lab table wearing safety goggles, fully geared up with gloves, a face mask, and a large white apron.

With utmost care, he manipulated the glass test tube in his hand, dripping a single drop of deep blue liquid onto a white gem crystal situated on the lab bench.

As soon as the deep blue liquid touched the crystal, Izay’s magical energy surged forth, flowing like a starry curtain, radiating an enchanting beauty.

After several minutes, the reaction between the liquid and the crystal ceased. By then, the once-white crystal had turned deep blue, shimmering with star-like specks that could captivate anyone.

“Success! The development of the first generation Mystic Crystal!”

After a pause, Izay lifted his goggles, his face beaming with joy as he excitedly examined the deep blue crystal in his hand.

Strictly speaking, this was Izay’s first attempt at using “Mystery” to develop his own magical artifact.

At the beginning, Izay had pondered what he could create if he were to use “Mystery.”

Or rather, what he wanted to create.

He initially didn’t have much of a clue.

However, a few days ago, he happened to see a craftsman from the Hephaestus Familial Group making a pair of gauntlets next door, which sparked an idea.

Gauntlets are commonly used by adventurers to protect their arms during combat, making them a favorite among melee fighters.

At that moment, Izay had an idea.

Why not make himself a unique pair of gauntlets?

Something like the legendary explorer EZ’s Arcane Gauntlets!

Though he wasn’t aiming for exact replication since worlds differ and so do many things.

What caught Izay’s attention was the powerful auxiliary ability of the Arcane Gauntlets to enhance attacks and automatically channel magical power.

And the core of the Arcane Gauntlets was the mysterious crystal embedded within them.

To create a unique set of gauntlets based on the Arcane Gauntlets, a crystal capable of guiding magical power, amplifying magical energy, and aiding in battle was indispensable.

Once he had the thought, he acted upon it.

Thus, Izay began utilizing the effects of “Mystery,” consulting books, asking Riviria, and even seeking advice from another holder of “Mystery,” Amide, all in order to create the Mystic Crystal now in his hand.

Additionally, he entrusted the one-eyed giant master of the Hephaestus Familial Group to craft him a custom-made pair of gauntlets, leaving a space in the center of the handguard to embed the crystal.

Having spent nearly a month here, Izay had built a good relationship with the craftsmen of the Hephaestus Familial Group. With his identity from the Loki Familial Group, such a request naturally wouldn’t be refused.

For these gauntlets, Izay spared no expense.

Izay attempted to enchant the rare dungeon treasure “Millennium Tree Crystal,” greatly enhancing its magical properties, then injecting his own magical power into it.

This way, when casting spells, the magical power within the crystal would resonate with his own, achieving results greater than the sum of their parts.

Just the scrapped Millennium Tree Crystals from research over the past few days added up to two billion Valis.

Then there was the commission for the gauntlets crafted entirely from superior Magic Silver, which, though not as expensive as weapons, still cost forty million Valis.

While the expenses seemed high, successfully creating his first magical artifact was definitely worth celebrating.

“This Mystic Crystal alone could fetch at least a billion Valis if sold.”

Izay glanced at the palm-sized deep blue crystal in his hand, its ability to amplify magic was unimaginable.

“The next step is to wait for the completion of the commissioned Mystical Silver Gauntlets, which should be ready in a couple of days.”

Someone was already eagerly awaiting his new equipment.

…

The next day, Twilight Manor.

“Two billion four hundred million??? I’ve never seen such expensive gauntlets in my entire life!!!”

Tiona’s scream echoed through the courtyard as she nearly dropped the two-billion-four-hundred-million-valued gauntlets after taking them from Izay.

It shocked her for an entire year!

“So expensive…”

Refia’s little face showed a hint of bitterness; the value of these gauntlets was about the same as her staff.

“Actually, it wasn’t that expensive. The main issue was failing multiple times while researching the Mystic Crystal, which led to such high costs.”

Shaking his head, Izay explained.

“Millennium Tree Crystals” are one of the treasured secrets of the dungeon, starting at several tens of millions of Valis each. How could they not be expensive?

“I say, kid, you’re not using the money you earned from us to upgrade your own gear, are you?”

With a complex expression, Tione voiced her suspicion. Judging by the timeline, she felt it was highly likely.

“What’s the problem? The money I earned from you is mine to spend however I want, right?”

Izay tilted his head and placed his hands on his hips, replying with perfect righteousness.

The money he earned was his, and if you didn’t like it, try returning his enchanted gear!

“That’s true… but it still feels weird…”

Compared to them, Ais’s reaction was much simpler.

Among the four girls, her magical compatibility with Izay was the best.

Since both specialized in Additional Magic, she could clearly feel the enhancement this gauntlet provided to her magic.

Looking at the silver-white gauntlets handed to her by Tione, especially the dazzling interplay of the Mystic Crystal and the mysterious patterns, she couldn’t help but admire him.

“Izay, you’re so amazing…”

“Not bad～ In the future, if you want enchanted gear, you can come to me. Not just weapons, I’ve found that even armor can be enchanted. I’ll give you a discount!”

“Eh—Can’t you just give us one for free?”

“There’s nothing I can do, Tiona. I need to eat too, you know.”

“Black-hearted merchant!” Refia muttered with a pout.

“Huh? What did you say, Refia?”

“N-nothing! I didn’t say anything!”

On the other side, in Finn’s office on the upper floors of the Central Tower.

“The expedition is in three days. We must confirm all medications, weapons, equipment, etc., within the next two days. Don’t forget the consumables and magic swords!”

Clan leader Finn looked at the second-tier members present, including Raul, Anqi, Alisia, Cruz, and others, sternly reminding them.

Gress and Riviria sat nearby; discussions before the expedition couldn’t exclude them either.