Warlock of the Magus World – Redux

Leylin walked closer to the voice's origin and saw a black cat licking its paw.

'A Magus' companion? A modulated organism? The result of a spell? Maybe two or more of the previous answers combined.' -Leylin analyzed inwardly.

He then bowed his head slightly: "Greetings, noble creature. Before I go in, may I ask to whom does this territory belong?"

Even though Leylin knew for a fact that most if not every Magus and acolyte were allowed into this market, considering how the cat had already welcomed him, he wanted to try his luck and see if the cat would provide him with additional insight. It may prove crucial for him when he does business around here.

"Certainly! The Magus Market of Lost Forest is governed by the mighty Walker family. Furthermore, it promises that everyone who enters will be ensured safety and protection. Of course, that is only within the perimeters of the market." -The black cat licked its paws as it let off a human-like snigger.

[Somehow, I doubt that.] -Aralis remarked.

'My thoughts exactly. I am sure this Walker family would not think twice to eliminate anyone who they deem as a threat to their enterprise. I'll have to tread carefully while I'm here.' -Leylin soberly concluded.

The cat then explained to Leylin that he needed to pay a small fee of 1 magic crystal, since only Magi were granted free access.

After Leylin paid the fee nonchalantly, the black cat turned around and while leaping away from the gravestone. It made a beckoning gesture towards him.

Leylin followed it and advanced toward the depths of the forest.

The further in they got, the denser the mist surrounding them became. However, there was a road under their feet that seemed to be specially constructed with rare greyish material.

Eventually, the trees and mist were a thing of the past, and now Leylin found himself in the middle of an urbanized complex filled with buildings, and boisterous clamoring sounds could be heard from all directions.

"We're here." -The black cat's voice reached the teenager's ears, earning a curt nod.

This made Leylin feel like he had returned to his academy's Trading Post. The only difference was that the people here were all tightly wrapped in cloaks or grey robes, not revealing any part of their skin at all.

Yet, among the crowd, there were still several people who did not bother about concealing their identity or just used Transfiguration like Leylin. This notion prompted the Farlier heir to start coming up with hypotheses about their possible backgrounds, motives, etc.

Roaming the area were individuals of some amphibious marine species who had scales on them. Also, a few half-beastmen who had fur on their necks could be seen from time to time. They were different from regular beastmen since they were a rather loving and affectionate species. Despite their using Transfiguration, it was feasible that their skill did not allow them to pose as a different race, so their being meta-humans was the unavoidable truth.

A large number of these people irradiated energy waves resembling an acolyte's, but Leylin felt that their aura reeked of blood in a certain way. He was an expert on the matter, so naturally, he would know. This also brought him fond memories of when he ended up drenched in blood after the fight with the plains direwolves, back at the beginning of his adventure.

'This place looks like a magic zoo. I can't wait until I get myself a lab so I can experiment with these scaly and furry meatbags. I wonder how they scream if they do so at all... What would happen if I left that fish guy under the sun for a week? Would he dehydrate or would his amphibious body be capable of adapting...?' -Leylin let his imagination run free for a second.

[Do you want me to scan their stats? I can't figure them all out, but any acolytes, I can handle.] -Aralis offered, seeing her Master's interest.

'You may proceed, but don't show me the results unless I ask for them. Besides, I already have a rough idea of these acolytes' power levels. Even though they do not have a firm foundation compared to those in the academy, they have been able to advance in an environment where resources are scarcer. Their experiences must be bountiful, and they even may be more adept at fighting than me. I can't let my guard down.' -Leylin's current serious mood was a far cry from the relaxed attitude he had whilst 'having fun' with the noble lady.

He knew full well how his reserve of combat potions was dwindling. He still had a couple of aces under his sleeve, but if possible, he would prefer to conduct his business here and leave without having any trouble. He supposed that any kind of confrontation within the Magus market would not only be fruitless, but it could even bring about a greater disaster.

Lowering his eyes to see the floor in front of him, he discovered that the black cat had vanished completely.

'It returned to the forest, huh? I am guessing it is also capable of informing the Walkers of anything strange in whoever enters their territory. Fortunately, I have so far not given any reason to suspect me, so I should be good.' -Leylin was quite focused, but he was not afraid. In case he met with trouble, he had many plans ready to save his life.

"Sir, do you perhaps need a guide? I can give you a full tour for only 1 magic crystal." -A rather skinny little boy ran over to Leylin at that instant. He had the energy waves of a level 1 acolyte coming from his body. Even though his face was extremely thin, his eyes were very lively.

Leylin wordlessly tossed a crystal to him with a practiced motion.

"Alright!" -The boy was in glee as he hurriedly ran in front of Leylin to lead the way.

"This market is under the protection of the Walker family, a well-received family by both wandering acolytes and Magi alike. Look over there; the cerulean building in the heart of the market is a shop personally set up by the Walker family." -The small boy tried his best to fulfill his duties as a guide.

'As I imagined, these guys are utterly loyal to that family. Can't go that way, then.' -Leylin concluded, as he redesigned some of his contingency plans.

"What would I require to set up a similar stall?" -Leylin pointed at the acolytes displaying their goods on the floor. Overall, they were better than those found in the academy.

Of course, more of them were counterfeits too. He did not need Aralis to tell him that, nonetheless. In the past months of bartering regularly, Leylin had already become accustomed to detecting fraudulent magic products with a mere look. In his past life, one could not pass even the best imitation as an original in front of him. He had actually murdered many who had tried to dupe him.

"You would only need to settle the procedures in the central hall, pay the corresponding fees, and then you'd be able to obtain a place to set up your stall... However, the Walker family also provides a much cheaper consignment service. Sir, what is it that you'd wish to sell?" -The skinny boy nodded and then raised a brow.

"It is me who does the questioning. Now, bring me to the centermost area for a walk." -Leylin ordered, his calm expression and tone betraying the harshness of his words.

In this Magus market, he discovered several official Magi with activated defensive force fields surrounding them. Once again, he did not need Aralis to detect them. Their energies were so dense that only being close to them would cause one to feel out of breath. Against these are existences, Leylin could simply not afford to do battle right now.

"That is the smithy. It specializes in selling weapons. Next to it is a potioneering shop; the one with the test tube on its sign. On the far left is an auction house. From time to time, they have a few premium goods." -The little boy was extremely familiar with this place.

"Hmm. What kind of premium goods are we talking about? Magic artifacts?" -Leylin casually asked. He was a little more interested now.

'I already bought 'that' with Neela's help, but it is just a one-time-use item. Acquiring a decent magic artifact is still one of my main priorities in this journey.' -Leylin determined as he slightly narrowed his eyes.

The boy touched his chin in a pensive manner: "Well, there is an immense variety of items, but magic artifacts are incredibly scarce and expensive. During last year's auction, only one low-grade magic artifact was sold. There were even official Magi present who joined the bidding..."

"Enough of that. I have purchases to make." -Leylin said, as he made for the smithy.

'Looks like that magic artifact will have to wait yet again.' -Leylin mused, feeling moderately inconvenienced.

As he entered the forge, Leylin triggered a small shopkeeper doorbell.

"I'll be right there!" -The shop owner yelled from the back of the store where the forge was.

Seconds later, out came a chubby man. He had a thick and bushy beard. He was not that tall, but the muscles on his arm were significantly large. This was normal considering his line of trade.

"Greetings, I am the owner of this smithy... People call me Black Hammer... What can I do for you today?" -The shop owner introduced himself. His words were difficult to make out, denoting that he was a bit intoxicated.

"I need a few augmentation gems for a cross blade." -Not wanting to beat around the bush, Leylin spoke his intentions.

Augmentation gems produced identical results to having a weapon or piece of armor enchanted by hand, but it was a lot more convenient since the effect was instant. On the other hand, a traditional enchanting could take minutes, hours, or even days. This obviously meant that an augmentation gem was a lot more expensive.

Leylin did not mind the price though. He merely wanted to get this over with fast. Moreover, since the fat blacksmith was not a Magus, the only magic enhancement he would offer would be the gems that anyone could activate.

"You want to enchant that cross blade? Alright, follow me." -Black Hammer undid the wine flagon hanging on his waist and took a sip, as he stole a glance at the brown-haired youngster's weapon. The scent of alcohol wafted out as he did.

'Fucking alcoholic trash, looking at my blade with those greedy eyes.' -Leylin frowned within his mask. He wanted to gouge his eyes off, but that could not be. He also knew why the blacksmith had looked at his golden sword; it was of outstanding craft and it looked like it belonged to a collector's display case. He had really hit the jackpot when he looted that soldier captain.

"My shop's finest augmentation gems. Please take your pick. Of course, if it isn't satisfactory, I could procure one according to your needs. As for the price..." -Presently, Black Hammer's words were extremely clear. He did not seem even a little bit drunk.

"No need, these are quite acceptable. I'll take two of durability, as well as one of sharpening, piercing, heat resistance, ice resistance, and corrosion resistance." -Leylin declared with an impassive look on his face.

[With those improvements, your sword will be more than suited for combat with lesser mystical creatures. Is it wise to spend money on that, though?] -Aralis commented.

'One use of a rank 0 spell can destroy the metal of my blade in seconds, no matter how many gems I put into it. This is the least I can do. If I were to fight that mutated sprite with this, it would cut her as a hot knife would do butter.'

The blacksmith almost let his jaw drop, as Leylin had pretty much selected all of his augmentations. He had left him with only two lower-grade ones.

Picking up the gems and activating them on the spot, Leylin continued: "That is not all. Prepare 20 reinforced steel crossbow bolts for me. Not those feathered ones, I want bolts for a repeater crossbow."

Waiting only for a moment, Leylin received a quiver with his bolts from the sweaty hands of the blacksmith.

"Alright. The total price would be 14 magic crystals. If you would..." -Black Hammer's eyes apparently sparkled with glee. He did not bother to drink his wine anymore.

Interrupting him, Leylin dropped a small-sized black pouch that had magic crystals poking out of the top.

When Leylin and his temporary guide walked out of the weapons store, he dismissed the boy, earning a respectful head bow from him.

'Finally, I'm alone. That meatbag was useful to get the basics of the market down, but any more of his meddlesome insinuations and I would've tested my newly enchanted blade on him.

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After his first purchase, Leylin visited every individual shop and stall found in the central area of the market. That's where the best merchandise was being sold, thus Leylin would not bother with the outer ring of stands.

Only after he was done with scanning through the entire area did Leylin walk into the potioneering shop, his last stop at the market.

"Good evening, sir. How may I assist you?" -Spoke a young male staff who wore a fashionable western-style suit.

Leylin looked at the potions on the shelves. These shimmering potions radiated various colors. The transparent glass counter also displayed various precious ingredients.

'As expected, this shop's goods are noticeably superior to those found in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.' -Leylin nodded his head in approval.

"Listen closely. I need a pair of flamingo feathers, another of a multi-tailed owl's eyeballs, one feather from a Human Head Bird, 500 milliliters of pink ink oil, 50 grams of Green Coconut Rock..." -Getting right down to business, Leylin listed his shop list to the employee, as the latter hurriedly took note.

These were all ingredients Leylin needed to treat his injuries, make explosive potions like those he used against the Giant Tree Demon, and formulate some other basic potions.

The employee unobtrusively listened to Leylin till he finished speaking before bowing and saying: "My apologies if I intrude, esteemed customer... But may I ask if you are a Potioneering Master?"

[Seems everyone here is overly curious.] -Aralis chimed in.

"Admittedly, you are intruding." -Leylin answered in a resonant voice. His facial features were concealed by the hood of his cloak. Thus, the store employee was unable to discern his expression.

"I apologize if I offended, but should that be the case, our House Walker wholeheartedly invites you to join our family. The terms we offer are the absolute best amongst Magi families of equal standing." -The employee bowed even lower.

'Inherently, Magi cannot do without potions. Hence, Magi families have always tried to recruit alchemists by offering them generous remunerations and countless benefits. I was expecting the Walkers would have something like this prepared in case one Potioneering Master showed up, the moment I set foot inside the market. After all, Potioneering Masters are an impossibly difficult breed of Magi to raise, let alone find in the wild.'

[But then, what about concealing your identity? Now they have you tagged as a person of interest.]

'This, I also contemplated before coming here. When you think about it, I would definitely not be able to conceal my identity as someone involved in alchemy if I were to buy any raw ingredients. However, as long as no one discovers my true talent or name, I am not afraid of letting them know about my profession.'

"Do you have the ingredients I listed earlier?" -Leylin said with a severe tone, ignoring the staff member's proposal.

"We do have the flamingo feathers and multi-tailed owl's eyeballs. However, they have been in storage for around 3 years. Please bear in mind that their medicinal properties may have spoiled a little. As for the rest of the ingredients, our stock is freshly harvested." -The staff blurted out with an unsure smile. He thought Leylin would be reluctant to buy old materials.

"I want all of them. Name your price." -Leylin nodded his head, a stony grimace in place.

"The total amounts to 157 magic crystals." -The employee smiled brightly. Leylin had a confident aura that made it seem like he could pay all that upfront.

The hooded figure of the youngster nodded his head and took out a small box from his robes, which he had prepared earlier. After opening it, one could see that it was densely packed with cyan-colored potions.

Leylin took out the potions and lay them on top of the counter without saying anything.

After observing this scene, the staff member became evidently disappointed. His perception of Leylin was proven wrong. Nevertheless, he quickly recovered his composure and began to inspect the product.

They were strength potions, one of the elementary potions that Leylin pretended was one of the only two types of formulas he successfully brewed. In fact, most of the Potioneering acolytes chose to brew them as their newbie project.

'Like this, I kill two birds with one stone. They immediately underestimate my skills by thinking this is as far as I can go in Potioneering, and I get rid of some of my excess potions instead of paying with crystals only.' -Leylin inwardly smirked.

"30 strength potions of average quality... I can give you 130 magic crystals for them." -The staff member said, secretly regretting he had invited Leylin to join the Walker family.

Leylin approved silently. If he were to sell these at Woox's store in the academy, he would have gotten 120 magic crystals at most. Prices outside were indeed higher, but it was more dangerous too.

"Very well." -Leylin counted another 27 magic crystals and handed them to the employee: "Now, bring me the materials I requested."

"Just excuse me for a moment." -The staff put away the potions and magic crystals before swiftly running to the back of the shop.

Leylin waited for what seemed like another dozen minutes before the staff member returned with a small wooden chest, which he placed on the floor.

"These are the goods, sir. Please, feel free to inspect them." -The employee addressed Leylin with a blank expression.

Leylin opened the small wooden chest with one hand. It was compartmentalized using wooden trays, where various ingredients were placed on them. There were colorful feathers, green-colored rocks, powders of different color varieties, and a few more ingredients.

Leylin's fingers traced the various ingredients with his piercing gaze. Meanwhile, Aralis was doing an advanced scan on them.

After his A.I. assistant indicated that all the ingredients were up to his minimum standard of quality, Leylin closed the wooden chest, carried it on his right shoulder effortlessly, and said his thanks. He forthwith left the potioneering shop.

Minutes following his giving the central building a last attentive look, he abandoned the Magus market altogether.

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On the way back to his carriage, Leylin ordered Aralis to increase her detection area to the maximum. Only after she confirmed to him that no one was following his steps, did Leylin leave the Lost Forest.

After getting far enough from that place, he sought shelter inside a cave. As for its previous owner, a regular black bear, it had long since become Leylin's dinner. His own cooking was a lot better than what Grey Stone City's inn served, he thought.

Leylin stacked a few large boxes together to form a simple experiment table. Then he placed his alchemy set on it.

'I am finally going to be rid of these damned pathogens. Every day I have to cauterize this wound. With the limitations it imposes on my Vitality and Strength, I cannot tolerate it a second longer.' -Leylin mentally asserted.

Soon enough and thanks to a flawless combination of precise movements and fast procedures, Leylin concocted a green viscous potion that moved intermittently within its test tube.

He chanted a few words in the Byron language and the liquid began to levitate, turning into a uniform water sphere.

Then he willed the sphere to float above the now-exposed wound on his left shoulder. He let the liquid slowly be absorbed by his skin, causing a bubbling reaction that induced an amount of pain equivalent to having acid poured on one's tissue.

A green mist evaporated from the wound, and it healed at an impressive rate. In seconds, his arm was as good as new.

His face muscles did not even twitch, and not a sound came from his mouth, as he swiftly put away everything again and laid on the cave floor to meditate about his next move.