Chapter 128: 64. Conch
Fisher is now taking Jasmine to the largest magic materials market in all of Saint Nali, where many well-known magic companies sell magic materials, including those under the Nali Exploration Company, and there are also many individuals selling their own goods.
Since the backer of Saint Nali University is the Nali Exploration Company, the school recommended Fisher to buy magical items from the company’s magic store, but Fisher believes the quality of the magic materials there is quite poor, and he has better options.
“Question, since magic runes can be driven by magic power to resonate with the world, why do magicians still need to buy magic materials to assist in rune carving?”
As he leads Jasmine toward the center of the market, Fisher suddenly poses this question.
“Well, there are two reasons. First, some magical lights rely on magic power and runes and are insufficient to resonate with the world; at this time, magic materials are needed to deepen the connection between the rune and the world. Second, most magic induced by runes and magic power cannot be stored for long, and the effects cannot last, so magic materials are needed to maintain the efficacy and duration of the magic.”
Jasmine frantically recalls the knowledge from her books, all of which she had read about before, so she recites everything clearly. After speaking, she nervously looks at Fisher, showing a tense expression.
Before landing, the underwater tribes basically do not use magic; this is her first systematic study of magic because her mother said, “Humans are a race very adept at using magic.” It indeed seems so now, so she has the humble attitude of learning as she enters Saint Nali University to study human magic, which also provides a legitimate identity for her mission.
Fisher nodded in response and added,
“You are correct, in ancient times, subhumans and humans used magic materials to create various items with magical effects, which were called ‘relics’. However, the craftsmanship has been lost, and scholars can only deduce their methods based on the remaining relics.”
Jasmine realizes that she knows this point because her aunt, Muxi, can make relics!
When she was young, her aunt made many such items for her, but before she turned one, her aunt went to the surface world and occasionally sent some things back.
Her aunt once said that all the crafting techniques for making relics come from a race far away from the ocean, and only her aunt Muxi enjoys exploring the world, which is why she learned such crafting skills.
Just as Jasmine was about to share this, she suddenly remembered that she is currently a well-behaved human student, what if after she said it, Professor Fisher asked her how she knew?
She didn’t speak, but the unspoken words felt as if they were being scratched by a cat’s claw in her heart.
Fisher didn’t notice her little movements and continued to guide her through the streets. Next to the streets, there were not only vendors shouting to sell various wild magic items but also food and small animals.
I forgot to mention that this magic market is formally called the “Saint Nali Magical Goods Market,” where plants, pets, and other goods are also sold, but magic items are the main products, and most people come here for them.
“High-quality adult dragon blood and dragon scales! Gentlemen, don’t miss out!”
“Morgue lily from underground mines, can bundle with Tolira red leaves and magic crystal ores for sale! Large quantities come with delivery service!”
“Shivali’s pet cat, obedient to be held and petted, the perfect choice for a household pet!”
Jasmine looked at a little cat by the roadside licking its fur, admiring its long and smooth fur, and for a moment, she really wanted to reach out and touch it, to see what it felt like.
Fisher intentionally slowed his pace to allow her to take in everything around her.
Here, subhuman slaves are occasionally sold, and soon Jasmine saw a cage by the roadside locked with several male bullmen and dogmen.
This was Jasmine’s first time stepping out of the lecture hall and seeing so many things she couldn’t usually see. Upon seeing the chains tied to those subhumans, she bit her lip nervously and closely followed Fisher until they stopped at a very small shop at the street corner.
The shop was wedged between two walls, the entrance was less than half the size of the other shops, and a crooked sign hung over the door, reading “Gina’s Wholesale Store.” As the name suggests, this store mainly deals in wholesale magic materials, occasionally selling some high-end materials, but those are seldom seen.
The materials used in magic classes can be bought here, and since Fisher had a previous acquaintance with the shop owner, he came to support her business this time.
“We’re here. The recommended shop doesn’t have good quality, so I found one I often collaborated with before. Let’s go in.”
“Enough! If you don’t want to give, then don’t give!”
Before Fisher finished his introduction, the small door suddenly burst open, revealing a young girl with short hair and quite revealing clothing. She was furious, but upon seeing Fisher, her expression softened slightly. She greeted him with a nod.
“Fisher.”
Fisher looked at the girl, nodded, and watched her leave his side, entering the noisy street, quickly disappearing from sight.
“If you’re going, hurry up and leave, and don’t come back forever. Oh, Fisher, it’s you! I thought that Meg hadn’t left yet.”
Following her out of the shop was a boisterous middle-aged woman, wearing a large blue apron that fishermen use to scale fish, with gloves on both hands, holding two strange roosters with long colorful feathers, and a cigarette dangling from her mouth.
She took a puff of her cigarette, her fierce demeanor softened a bit upon seeing Fisher, and she greeted him with a thick accent.
This was Gina, the owner of the shop. The young girl who just ran out was her daughter Meg, who was not yet of age, only about seventeen or eighteen.
“What happened?”
Fisher obviously asked about Meg, as her complexion didn’t look good.
“What else could it be? It’s the cliché story of my rebellious daughter skipping school to hang out with those punks; after running out of money, she comes back looking for her innocent mother for cash, and when refused, she storms out in anger. That brat always thinks there’s a future hanging out with those gangsters; those scoundrels won’t do anything but take advantage of her!”
As she spoke about her daughter, her tone revealed her disappointment. She threw the two innocent roosters to the ground and locked them in a cage at the door, taking out her frustrations on the chickens.
Fisher glanced at the street behind, not wanting to get involved in Gina’s family matters. Although he remembered that Meg was quite well-behaved as a child, who knows what changes might have occurred in her mindset and experiences after he wasn’t around.
Gina, ignoring the headache of the family topic, turned to Jasmine, who was behaving like a small animal behind Fisher, and pointed at her with her head, asking,
“By the way, what brings you here? I heard you were previously in the Southern Continent? Who is this?”
“Just for a research project, I’ve returned. I’m now teaching magic at Saint Nali University, and this is my student. We mainly came to buy some magic materials needed for class, perhaps some redstone powder and luminous worms, and if there’s anything else, I’ll take a look.”
“Saint Nali University, that’s a good school.” Gina finished her cigarette and casually tossed the butt onto the street at the shop’s entrance. She looked at Jasmine and sighed,
“If only Meg could be half as well-behaved as you, I would thank the Mother Goddess. I’ve donated so much to the church over the years, and this is how she repays me; it’s meaningless. Alright, come in, I happen to have some excess loose goods.”
Fisher walked into the small shop. From the outside, it was unassuming, but inside it was relatively spacious. However, since Gina piled too many magic materials in such a small room and lacked any isolation measures, the smell inside was a bit unpleasant.
After all, magic materials are not just herbs that grow in mountains and valleys but also the dried waste left by giant beasts.
In the wilds of Nali, there is a type of pink deer called “Sikori Ma,” which only produces waste once a year and cannot be domesticated; if caught, they quickly fall into depression and die. However, their feces are precious medicinal material and magic supplies, and many advanced healing magics require it as a raw material.
By the way, the main material for Heilson’s level thirteen magic “Rebirth” was indeed Sikori Ma’s feces.
Every year, a large number of “material hunters” follow behind Sikori Ma, anticipating the moment it squats to defecate, hoping for precious magic materials, but unfortunately, what they mostly receive is gas.
Jasmine curiously surveys the countless magic materials around her, which she has never even seen in the sea, although she has encountered many even stranger materials.
Fisher gathered a lot of materials that will be used in class. Just as he was about to explain their uses to Jasmine, he noticed Gina pushing a very peculiar conch shell in front of Fisher.
“What is this?”
Gina sighed and said,
“It’s Meg’s latest money-making scheme; she claims this is a magical material from the sea that she found by the Coco River in Saint Nali. I’m not too sure, but it does look unique; I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Fisher focused his attention on the conch shell. It exhibited an extraordinarily peculiar spiral pattern, the entire shell was deep black, appearing quite hard, but it shimmered with a strange fluorescence.
“This is a drill black snail; it’s not a magical material, but it looks nice. If you blow into the inside, dense bubbles will come out the back.”
Jasmine, who had somehow walked up beside Fisher, suddenly spoke up, easily recognizing what was in front of her. When Gina and Fisher looked at her, she blushed again and explained,
“My hometown is by the sea, so… so I know this thing.”
Actually, such a creature only exists in the deep sea; the reason why the shell is so hard is to withstand the underwater pressure, but it seems Fisher and the others didn’t know this.
Jasmine internally scolded her own inability to keep secrets, always revealing much that shouldn’t be said.
“Heh, I think this doesn’t look like a magical material; that brat will do anything to trick me into giving her money, damn it!”
This statement was evidently approved by Gina. She glared fiercely at the conch shell as if looking at Meg.
Immediately, she began to curse her unworthy daughter, leaving Fisher shaking his head with a wry smile.
But at this moment, Jasmine was wondering why this conch from the deep sea was said to have been found in the river of Nali by that human girl.
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(End of Chapter)
