blogombal 029: Shuzhong Town
029: Shuzhong Town
Before me lay an unimaginably vast underground space, its dome high and inlaid with countless self-luminous crystals and slowly floating luminous spores, like a starry sky beneath the earth, providing soft yet ample light.
At the center of the space, there is not rock or soil, but a super root system with intertwined roots that is probably hundreds of meters in diameter.
They hang down from above and rise up from below, together "supporting" a real, incredible giant tree!
The trunk of this tree is as thick as a mountain peak, and its bark has an ancient bronze-like texture, with naturally formed spiraling patterns and platforms.
On its vast, umbrella-like trunk, all sorts of houses are built, one after another—
There are shops converted from natural tree cavities, suspended treehouses built among branches, spiral staircases and corridors that rise along tree trunks, and even rooftop gardens woven from giant leaves and vines.
Lights twinkled in the treehouse windows, along the lampposts in the corridors, and among the twinkling fluorescent vines, reflecting off the "starlight" of the dome.
The clamor of voices, strange hawking cries, and faint fluctuations of magical power, mixed with the majestic yet tranquil life force emanating from the giant tree itself, emanated from that direction.
Truly worthy of being called the world's best!
This scene is far more stunning than anything you see in the game!
Lynch was amazed.
He walked forward and arrived at the entrance of the market town.
The entrance is not an ordinary door, but a passageway guarded by two naturally formed, giant aerial roots covered with crystal clusters.
On either side of the passage stood two rock giants, each over three meters tall, with a clearly etched emblem on their chests: a strange snake coiled in a bizarre spiral, its head and tail intertwined.
This is the emblem of the serpent Stock, the symbol of the Stock family, known to all in the Abyss Witch Domain.
The ruling structure of the Abyss Witch Domain is fundamentally composed of various wizard families, and the Stock family is one of the top ten most powerful families in the Abyss Witch Domain. The entire Tree Town belongs to the Stock family's business.
It's worth mentioning that the second-level wizard behind the Gray Tower is also a member of a powerful wizarding family, the Barrick family, which ranks sixth among the top ten families in the Abyss Wizarding Domain.
Two rock giants blocked Lynch's path: "Entrance fee: ten magic stones!"
That's expensive!
Lin Qi couldn't help but complain in his heart, but he still obediently took out ten magic stones and handed them over.
Tree Town has a Level 2 Wizard residing here. Not to mention a mere mid-level apprentice like him, even a fully-fledged Wizard wouldn't dare to break the rules here.
The rock giant accepted the magic stone, then handed over a miniature hourglass, his voice booming: "Go in. You have four hours. You must leave before the hourglass runs out, or you'll have to pay the entrance fee again."
Such a resource-rich area is obviously not a place for apprentices to stay for long. The starting price for a night's stay here is 20 magic stones, and the higher the strength, the more expensive it is.
Unless one reaches the wizarding level and signs some special agreements with the Stock family, some fees cannot be waived.
no way,
That's how the wizarding world is.
There is no such thing as free in this world. Wherever you go, if you want to gain something from it, you will inevitably have to pay a price.
Equivalent exchange!
The first principle of the Wizarding World is not just a casual saying.
Time was of the essence, and Lin Qi had no intention of leisurely strolling around and admiring the magical atmosphere after entering the town; instead, he went straight to the point.
His first stop was a three-story wooden building woven naturally from living vines, located beside the main road, with the Stock family's serpentine crest hanging at the entrance—the official acquisition station.
This is the official purchasing station set up by the Stock family. Although the prices are low, it is safe, fast, and has a very wide range of purchasing options.
They acquire almost everything related to magic, including potions, magical plants, monsters, and magical items.
More importantly, the credibility is well guaranteed.
After entering, Lin Qi went straight to the "Potion Materials and Finished Products" counter and took out all the mental recovery potions that he had carefully prepared using those low-grade materials under rudimentary conditions over the past two weeks.
After half a month, Lin Qi had used all the materials to prepare a mental recovery potion, producing a total of 35 bottles.
The appraiser at the purchasing station was an old apprentice with a stern expression. He checked the purity, color, and stability of each potion one by one, and finally gave a purchase price of 15 magic stones per potion.
Lin Qi knew that this consumable hard currency would retail for at least 18 to 20 magic stones at the market, and the purchasing station had directly cut off nearly 30% of its profits.
But as a newcomer, he had neither the time nor the energy to understand the rules of setting up a stall, deal with potential troubles and price gouging; making a steady profit was his top priority.
He obtained 525 magic stones from 35 bottles of potions. Combined with his original savings, his total number of magic stones now reached 632.
With the funds in place, Lin Qi immediately began purchasing.
He first arrived at another, more imposing tree fortress not far away, which resembled a multi-layered tree fortress growing on the bark of a giant tree.
The serpentine emblem on the tree fortress indicates that it still belongs to the Stock family and is their official magic shop.
Here, he purchased the most important spiritual supplies: meditation candles.
These magical candles, made from specific monster oils, spices, and elemental dust, continuously release a gentle flow of elemental energy when lit.
Increasing the elemental concentration of the surrounding environment in a short period of time is a common magical tool used by wizards to create elemental environments.
Each candle can support approximately 6-8 deep meditation sessions, and costs a hefty 40 magic stones. Lynch bought 8 candles at once, spending 320 magic stones.
This expense is huge, but it is an essential basic investment in order to maintain basic training progress in the magic-free zone.
Then, he turned to the official materials store next door, which was also affiliated with Stock.
He had personally experienced the profits from concocting basic mental recovery potions, which was currently his easiest and most stable source of income.
He carefully selected and purchased enough materials to make about 50 bottles of the potion, based on the recipe he remembered and the expected production volume.
Including Silverleaf Grass, inferior Moonstone Fragments, Blue Frog Secretions, and Variegated Mushroom Spores, it cost another 180 Magic Stones.
With the two core matters settled, Lynch's magic stone reserves were reduced to 132.
He glanced at the miniature hourglass; most of the silver sand had already flowed away, leaving less than half an hour.
With his objective largely achieved, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to stroll leisurely through the stalls near the main road.
It's a chance to relax and see if there are any unexpected surprises.
As he passed a stall with a canopy made of giant fungal caps, his eyes were drawn to an item.
It was a fist-sized, slightly worn crystal ball with fine silver patterns flowing slowly like ripples on water inside.
A small sign stands next to it: Second-hand detection crystal.
Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat, and he remembered Lucy, the "little jinx" in the manor.
"How much is this?"
The stall owner was a short man wearing a hood and had a hoarse voice. After some initial probing and haggling, Lin Qi finally bought it for 85 magic stones.
Holding the crystal ball, Lin Qi couldn't help but feel a pang of regret; it really wasn't cheap.
"I hope they won't let me down!"
This crystal, used for preliminary testing of mental traits and wizard potential, while not as accurate as the professional instruments in the Wizard Tower, is perfectly adequate for his current needs for initial screening and observation.
The transaction was complete, and the hourglass was almost empty. Lynch didn't linger. He quickly walked back the way he came to the exit, and just as the last grain of silver sand fell from the hourglass, he passed through the archway guarded by the rock giant.
Leaving the warm, bright, and elementally vibrant underground tree town, and stepping back into the cold, damp, and elementally sparse misty forest, Lynch felt no reluctance whatsoever.
He discerned the direction, and his figure quickly disappeared into the thick fog, heading towards Armor Rock City, disappearing into the distance.