CHAPTER 497: 04 GOT HOOKED

The training of a Second Circle Wizard primarily relies on sensing and absorbing Star Realm Energy to enhance their spiritual power. There are many tricks to this. Simply following the methods of a First Circle Wizard to forcefully exert spiritual power is extremely inefficient. This was also the reason for Carl’s slow progress.

Thank goodness I organized that trade meeting; otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken me to find the right path on my own.

The path of a Wizard...

It’s impossible to proceed without exchanges with fellow travelers!

With these thoughts, Carl utilized the Wizard Tower he was in to sense the vast Star Realm and absorb its energy according to the proper method.

Every Wizard, without exception, desires to possess their own Wizard Tower.

Not to mention other benefits, if one lacks a Wizard Tower and relies solely on oneself to sense the Star Realm, it is not only troublesome but also incredibly slow. With a Wizard Tower, it is like unlocking a shortcut, and cultivation proceeds with extreme smoothness, as if divinely aided.

What’s more!

My Wizard Tower is Second Order. Practicing here, my speed is probably many times that of an ordinary Second Circle Wizard.

Not only that...

I also have a Divine Domain Fragment!

The Spiritual Inner Sea absorbed Star Realm Energy through the Wizard Tower. The Divine Domain Fragment in the depths of the Spiritual Inner Sea also helped Carl absorb Star Realm Energy to strengthen his spiritual power.

Therefore, he essentially had two sources for his cultivation. Moreover, the progress from each source was several times that of an ordinary person; combined, it was even more exaggerated.

Tenfold!

Carl’s current cultivation progress was ten times that of an ordinary Second Circle Wizard, possibly even more.

The lifespan of a Second Circle Wizard is five hundred years. Typically, one is already over a hundred years old when advancing from First Circle to Second Circle, leaving less than four hundred years of life.

According to my estimates, a Second Circle Wizard needs one to two hundred years of uninterrupted cultivation to reach the mid-stage.

After becoming a Second Circle Wizard, one needs to learn corresponding knowledge, construct Second Circle Magic, build a Wizard Tower, and maintain a Wizard Family. And, of course, one cannot go without eating or drinking...

Therefore, the vast majority of Second Circle Wizards are only at the early stage. Very few reach the mid or late stages, and even if they do, it’s not until they are three to four hundred years old, unless they are a Wizard from a major power like the Six Rings Tower.

But I...

Carl’s eyes lit up.

"Ten years!"

"In just ten years, I can become a mid-stage Second Circle Wizard. Even if progress slows down later, I can reach Second Circle Perfection within a hundred years."

The future was promising! There was nothing more to say—just grind it out!

* * *

Thanks to the success of the first trade meeting, especially the many fine items Carl presented, nearly twenty people attended the second trade meeting three months later. Among them was a One-Circle Late Stage Wizard.

But regrettably, to his surprise, the Wizard suspected of having ties with Viers the Flame Wizard did not appear.

「Another three months.」

Carl had upgraded the Tier of Thunder Wings and Thunder God’s Fury to Second Order.

The Thunder Wings had greatly improved flight speed and agility.

Thunder God’s Fury could now grant immunity to Third-tier death judgements and weaken the success rate of Fourth-tier death judgements. It also provided substantial resistance to mental attacks.

Furthermore, he had completely mastered the Second Circle Magic—Water of Life—and was attempting to construct the Second Circle Magic, Shattering Ice Thousand Ridges.

He was also getting closer and closer to fully mastering the Treasure Bead of Dreams. Once he did, he could take control, leave the Dream Market, and fly far away with the Treasure Bead.

No! Wherever Carl, the bearer of the Treasure Bead, was, there the Dream Market would be.

In short, he was now truly a Wizard at the initial stage of the Second Circle. Not only had he mastered the corresponding magic, but he also possessed a Second Order Magic Wand, as well as a Wizard Tower and Curios as trump cards.

The number of people attending the third trade meeting exploded to fifty, and the venue was bustling and quite lively.

"Next time, we can charge an entrance fee for the trade meeting," Carl instructed Evgeny. "Every person who wants to participate must pay an entry fee of five hundred Magic Stones. We can’t let just any Tom, Dick, or Harry in."

"Look at this, even Wizard Apprentices have shown up. What can they afford to buy?"

"Ah!" Evgeny said, her face etched with surprise. "But five hundred Magic Stones... isn’t that a bit too much?"

As a First Circle Wizard herself, she knew very well that five hundred Magic Stones were not a small sum for a Wizard. At the very least, it wasn’t an amount one would spend on a mere ticket. Keep in mind that not every Wizard attending would be able to buy something suitable; if not, wouldn’t they have wasted five hundred Magic Stones for nothing?

"Too much?" Carl sneered. "You don’t understand the mindset of those attending these trade meetings. They don’t care about a five hundred Magic Stone entrance fee at all."

"On the contrary, the more they pay, the more they value it!"

"I’m the one who repelled powerful Wizards from the Six Rings Tower! I guarantee their absolute safety here, don’t ask about their identities or origins, and even offer various Magic Materials for trade..."

"And five hundred is too much?"

"I’m telling you, from now on, not only will everyone be charged five hundred Magic Stones, but there will also be a limit on the number of people: no more than thirty-six. Once we reach that number, we won’t allow more to come. They’ll have to queue for three months..."

?

Evgeny was dumbfounded. Could this really work?

"Master," she said, not daring to voice her doubts and only whispering softly, "why limit it to thirty-six people?"

Did this number have any specific significance?

"Because I want to!" Carl declared. "And don’t you wear such a worried expression. Besides the number of people and the entrance fee, those who want to come must also show proof of their assets!"

"Proof of assets?"

"Yes!" Carl nodded. "Don’t bother joining the fray if you don’t have five thousand Magic Stones, or items of equivalent value."

"This is just the beginning. Later, it will be a minimum of ten thousand Magic Stones!"

"I want to create the top trading event in the Magic Forest, not some place where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can sneak in."

"Hmm... You also need to pay more attention to your image from now on. Learn some etiquette from the staff. When attendees see that even the gatekeepers are Official Wizards, and the invitations are exquisitely made, who would then care about a mere five hundred Magic Stones?"

"And add some entertainment venues, a few gambling tables..."

"That’s how wealthy people think. It’s all about emotional value! You have to satisfy their need for emotional value, understand?"

"As long as you give them face, what are a few hundred Magic Stones?"

The more Carl spoke, the more excited he became, words pouring out of him. The more Evgeny listened, the more uncomfortable she grew, her face a picture of embarrassment.

She felt her master’s ideas were too whimsical and utterly outlandish.

"Alright," Carl waved his hand. "You may go."

"Yes, Master!" Evgeny breathed a sigh of relief at his words, wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, and quickly retreated.

The host of the Dream Market was ’Conni.’ Carl, after slightly altering his appearance, reappeared at the trade meeting. This time, however, he mingled with the crowd as a participant.

"Friend."

Approaching a private stall, Carl squatted down to inspect the few items laid out on the ground. He casually picked one up.

"How much for this?"

"This is the whip of a Third Ring biological Flame Demon," the vendor said, looking up with a smile. "It can change size, ignite Fierce Flames, and greatly enhances the power of Flame Wizards. Currently on clearance, it’s only six thousand Magic Stones!"

"Hmph..." Carl scoffed lightly. "If it really were a Flame Demon’s whip, never mind six thousand Magic Stones, even sixty thousand wouldn’t be expensive."

"But this thing is just a Demonized Item woven from Fierce Flame Grass, not even qualifying as an Inheritance Witchcraft..."

"Fifty Magic Stones!"

"Are you robbing me!" The vendor’s expression changed drastically, but he didn’t continue his outrageous bluff. "How can this not be considered an Inheritance Witchcraft? Three hundred Magic Stones, and not a stone less."

"Fifty Magic Stones," Carl insisted, unyielding. "Not a stone more!"

"Two hundred!"

"Fifty!"

...

"Alright, you win," the vendor said with a look of resignation. "Fifty it is. Take it."

"Thanks." Carl smiled, took the flame whip, and tried swinging it a few times.

"Friend," the vendor reminded him, "Fierce Flame Grass is a half-insect, half-plant entity. So, before it’s fully refined, don’t keep it in a storage space for too long. Take it out to air from time to time."

"Understood."

Carl waved his hand and strolled off.

For the rest of the day, he continued to wander around the trade meeting, consecutively acquiring various Magic Materials. In just one day, he had spent nearly two thousand Magic Stones.

He must take the bait now, right?

「Meanwhile.」

The vendor packed up his wares and approached a Wizard who was strolling around inspecting stall items, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

"Tas!"

"The item has been sold."

"Hmm." Tas nodded. "I saw. He seems to be a Natural School Flame Wizard. Quite a coincidence for me."

"Yes," the vendor whispered. "That man is very wealthy, and his methods are bold. He doesn’t seem like a Wanderer without backing."

Wanderers were usually very cautious, unlike that man who acted so uninhibitedly and appeared so relaxed.

"Perhaps..." Tas mused for a moment, then smiled. "It doesn’t matter. He’s just one of the targets. Let’s keep looking around."

"Yes."

The vendor assented and departed.