Late into the night, when most of Blackstone City had long fallen into silence, the moon hung high in the sky like a polished silver disk. Its pale light streamed down through the cold air, illuminating the stone courtyard and the wooden buildings with a serene, dreamlike glow. The world felt momentarily distant, as if wrapped in a thin veil of tranquility.
Inside the Meditation Room, Magus sat cross-legged on the cold floor, posture straight, breath steady, and eyes fixed on the shimmering panel of light floating quietly before him. The translucent runes shifted and rearranged in a slow, rhythmic pattern—his personal status panel, visible only to him.
Magus · Yaniesite, Human Male, 17 years old
Spirit: 15.23 / Physique: 12.83
Skills
• Star Ring Meditation Lv4 (12,759 / 20,000)
• Potion Making Lv3 (108 / 6,000)
• Biological Modification Lv2 (319 / 3,000)
• Puppet Refining Lv2 (1,701 / 3,000)
A faint sigh escaped Magus's lips. It had been nearly five full months since he had stepped across the threshold to become a Second-Grade Wizard Apprentice, yet his progress still felt unacceptably slow. His Star Ring Meditation remained stuck at one-third away from leveling up. Even with nearly half a year of diligence, he still felt the dragging weight of incremental growth.
"The speed of constructing the Star Ring is still too slow…" Magus murmured to himself, rubbing his fingers thoughtfully against his chin. His voice echoed slightly within the meditation chamber, mixing with the lingering threads of spiritual energy that still shimmered faintly in the air around him.
"When I return this time, I need to try using Sub-Active Potions to synthesize more efficient variants. If I can push the upper limits of their structure, I might be able to improve my meditation efficiency significantly."
He knew that with his current physique and spiritual strength, he was more than capable of safely consuming higher-grade potions. That was not the issue. The true obstacle was cost. Gold coins—an endlessly draining resource.
His Potion Making skill had risen to Level 3, raising his success rate and lowering the raw materials wasted during brewing. As a result, each bottle of a standard Sub-Active Potion now cost him roughly 8 gold coins. But creating a single bottle of a first-tier low-grade Active Potion demanded nearly 100 gold coins worth of ingredients.
He grimaced.
"To push meditation efficiency to a noticeable level… I'll need at least a first-tier high-grade Active Potion. That will cost no less than 200 gold coins per bottle."
Two hundred gold coins per month meant 2,400 gold coins a year—the equivalent of half of Blackstone City's annual revenue before its recent development surge. That scale of expenditure made Magus's stomach knot.
"And if I attempt a second-tier Active Potion… even if I succeed, the cost will be over a thousand gold coins." He exhaled, leaning back against the stone wall, frustration flickering across his features.
Blackstone City was growing, expanding its army, extending its mining operations, developing trade, and reinforcing its defenses. Every project required money. A lot of money.
Rune had never once complained about Magus using gold coins for research, but Magus was unwilling to drain the city's coffers for his personal advancement. Blackstone's strength was intertwined with his own—its stability mattered.
"I need another source of income," Magus concluded.
He lifted a small vial from the table beside him. The translucent liquid inside shimmered faintly, glowing like a gentle candle flame in the dark room.
"If I sell zero-tier potions, it might work," he whispered.
He thought back to the battle against the Black Scale Lizardmen, where the cavalry had used his Brute Force Potions and healing potions. The results—judging by the feedback—were exceptional.
Knights and soldiers would surely be willing to pay gold for such enhancements. The only catch was ensuring the externally sold versions weren't as effective as the ones used by Blackstone City's own forces.
"That's simple. Dilute one bottle into three," Magus muttered. "Same appearance, weaker effect, still profitable."
The more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea seemed. By the time he rose to his feet, he had already made up his mind: he would prepare a full batch before leaving and let the Fire Fox Merchant Guild test the waters. If the response was good, he'd scale up production upon return.
"If I can secure this trade route," he said under his breath, "I won't need to worry about potion material costs again."
With his decision firm, his spirits rose. Magus left the Meditation Room and stepped outside into the dim courtyard. The night air was icy, still, and dark. Only he could sense the presence of the massive creature resting silently near the courtyard wall.
Hidden Dragon, curled like a mound of shadows, slept peacefully.
Over the past weeks, Magus had performed more than ten blood transfusion surgeries on the beast, saturating its veins with the essence of Dragon Lizard blood. Each transfusion had increased its bloodline percentage, strengthening its muscles, hardening its bones, and sharpening its senses.
Now, with its Dragon Lizard bloodline surpassing 35%, the creature could rival a Mid-Grade Great Knight in raw power. It could even challenge a Peak Great Knight if provoked.
This was one reason Magus intended to bring Hidden Dragon with him to Stone Bell City. Its ability to shift between solid and ethereal forms made it effectively invisible to ordinary people. As long as he commanded it, it could walk beside him unseen.
A swift mount and a powerful protector—perfect.
"The rune gems are ready as well," Magus whispered.
His encounter with the Black Sword Knight had proven just how devastating rune gems could be. Even a Primary Grand Knight, a formidable force in his own right, could not withstand a single lightning rune gem.
Over the past few days, Magus had crafted more than ten additional attack-type rune gems. He now carried over thirty in total.
He was a walking arcane fortress.
Between Hidden Dragon, rune gems, magic scrolls, and the blood vine ring's terrifying lethality, Magus felt confident. Unless a Legendary Knight appeared, he was certain he could escape any crisis—and perhaps even retaliate.
The following morning, when he presented the newly prepared potions to Rune, the city lord stared at them in disbelief.
"You want to sell potions?" Rune asked, astonished.
"That's right." Magus nodded and pointed at the rows of glass bottles. "These are diluted versions—one-third the original effect. Each costs around 70 silver coins to produce. We can sell them to the Fire Fox Merchant Guild for 2 gold coins per bottle."
Rune's eyes lit up immediately. Blackstone City was rapidly expanding, but money was always tight. Opening a new steady income source was invaluable.
But moments later, Rune hesitated.
"Isn't two gold coins a bit steep?"
A Primary Knight's yearly income seldom exceeded ten gold coins unless he possessed land or a fief. Would they truly spend one-fifth of their annual earnings on a single potion?
Magus shook his head.
"The world isn't peaceful. Battles erupt constantly—especially in the Thorn Flower Duchy, where Tyrion and his guild operate. War has been frequent for years. Spending a few gold coins for a life-saving trump card? Many will gladly pay." He held up a vial and swirled it gently.
"To be honest, if we had access to better trade networks within the duchy, we could sell these ourselves, and the profits would be even greater."
Rune fell silent, contemplating Magus's words. He eventually nodded. It made sense—if lords were preparing for war, potions that temporarily improved a knight's strength would become hot commodities.
What if your enemy bought them and you didn't?
The thought alone could incite competition.
"This could change Blackstone City's entire economic foundation," Rune murmured.
"Then let's make the first move," Magus said.
Rune, naturally decisive, made the decision on the spot. He immediately sent trusted messengers racing toward the Thorn Flower Duchy to deliver letters to Tyrion of the Fire Fox Merchant Guild.
When everything was arranged, he turned to Magus again.
"You're heading out soon?"
Magus nodded.
"Be careful out there," Rune said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "The Starfire Church won't give up after their failed assassination attempt."
A faint smile curled on Magus's lips.
"I'm planning to find them first."
Rune chuckled. "Then you and I are alike. But don't worry—I'll remain in the military camp. If their assassins dare attack, I'll make sure none return."
The two exchanged final words of caution, and then Magus departed from Blackstone City.
Not long into the journey, he felt a cold sensation on his cheek. He looked up and saw soft, crystalline flakes drifting gently from the sky.
Snow.
The first snow of the Frost Descent Month.
He lifted his hand, letting a single snowflake land on his palm. It melted into a tiny droplet.
A nostalgic calm washed through him. He breathed in deeply, then used his spiritual energy to form a faint protective halo around himself, shielding him from the falling snow. With a light leap, he landed on Hidden Dragon's broad back.
"Let's go," Magus whispered.
The creature released a low, rumbling growl, revealing its form fully. Then, with remarkable speed for such a massive beast, it lunged forward, galloping across the snowy wilderness.
Toward Stone Bell City.
Toward the Starfire Church.
Toward a new trade route that could reshape the future.
And toward the unknown path of a rising wizard.
If you'd like, I can also:
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone