Chapter 131: Stone Gambling

With plans to visit the Dark Moon Chamber of Commerce tomorrow, Andy intended to purchase potions while also inquiring about the price of Source Energy Crystals. Although he had heard that such items were prohibitively expensive, he wanted to see for himself just how costly they were; having a benchmark would at least give him a target to aim for when trying to acquire magic stones.

He needed the Source Energy Crystals to upgrade his Magic Mirror. Andy was now certain that his mirror relied on these crystals for its advancement. He had reached this conclusion thanks to a detailed explanation Oliver had once given him regarding mystical artifacts.

Andy had learned that in the Wizarding World, mystical artifacts were categorized into three types.

The most powerful were known as Primordial Artifacts. These were treasures naturally formed between heaven and earth; because they had fused and condensed the laws of the universe within the astral realms or planes, their power was immense. For instance, the original Endless Secret Stele was a Primordial Artifact.

The second type consisted of high-quality alchemical items or rune-infused equipment crafted by wizards. Certain irreplaceable masterpieces among these were also classified as artifacts, known as Artificial Artifacts.

The third type was the Synthetic Artifact. These were products synthesized from Source Energy Crystals and other materials formed after the explosion of the Endless Secret Stele. Synthetic Artifacts were highly diverse in their functions; some powerful ones were on par with certain Primordial Artifacts, though most were merely useless junk. However, these artifacts shared distinct characteristics: they could be upgraded using Source Energy Crystals, they could consume and merge with other Synthetic Artifacts, and they possessed a shielding effect—meaning a Synthetic Artifact could not affect another Synthetic Artifact or a Source Energy Crystal. Furthermore, anyone possessing a Synthetic Artifact could not use it to harm another person who also held one.

This realization explained why the Magic Mirror would display a blue screen whenever Andy tried to search for information regarding the Grimm Stele or Source Energy Crystals. It was highly likely that both the Magic Mirror and the Grimm Stele were Synthetic Artifacts.

Andy had also heard Oliver mention that some people specifically synthesized "junk" artifacts with the smallest possible amount of magic energy crystals just to carry them around. They didn't care about the function of the artifact; they only coveted the shielding effect, which protected them from being targeted by others using similar artifacts.

It was said that every member of the Holy Blood Cult already possessed one. Initially, they had used this advantage to inflict heavy losses on the Pureblood Alliance, until the latter finally researched a way for Synthetic Artifacts to bypass these shielding effects.

Andy, of course, had not mastered this method of bypassing the shield. That was why he had been so embarrassed earlier when he tried to search for Alvis's tracks using the Magic Mirror. He hadn't found a thing; it seemed that the young man named Alvis also possessed a Synthetic Artifact. He and Catherine had been hoping to find Alvis to avenge Stein for the desecration of his corpse, but now, in this vast sea of people, where were they supposed to look?

While Andy was feeling disgruntled about being unable to find information on Alvis, he saw Duke walking toward him. The lad was currently riding high; word had it that he had been transferred to the Inner Academy's Disciplinary Department as a deputy captain of a combat squad. Furthermore, it was rumored that the captain of that squad was on the verge of graduation and would soon leave Grimm Academy for the frontlines of the Silver Wing Fortress.

Andy provocatively bumped into the guy with his shoulder, channeling the strength of a Great Knight. To his surprise, the man took the hit head-on without budging. Moreover, the guy’s personality seemed to have changed drastically; he didn't fly into a rage as Andy had expected, but instead simply gave him a deep, long look and walked away without uttering a single word.

Andy had expected him to offer some sarcastic insults, which would have given him a chance to show off and put the guy in his place. He hadn't expected such an unexpected reaction—it was as if he were a completely different person. Could the inner academy really be that good at molding people? Could this kid have been reborn in less than half a month?

Alvis couldn't be bothered to deal with such a clown. He had no interest in engaging in such tedious conflicts; if the man were to cross him again in the future, he could simply crush him like an ant. Right now, his mission at the academy took precedence; it was truly not the time to branch out into unnecessary trouble.

He entered the mission hall and walked straight to a staff member. "I'm here to accept a mission!"

The students waiting in line stirred as someone cut the queue, but they all fell silent the moment they saw the glittering badge of the Inner Academy's Disciplinary Department on Alvis's chest.

"Which mission would you like to accept, sir?" the girl at the front desk asked respectfully.

"The one for guarding the graveyard..." Alvis said in a calm tone.

"Right, let me check the mission number." After searching for a moment, the girl handed Alvis a stack of documents. She then added a worried note of caution: "Sir, there is a warning on this mission. When guarding the graveyard, you must be particularly vigilant for a certain person—the wanted Necromancer, Alvis! If you spot his tracks, please do not act rashly to avoid danger; call for reinforcements from the academy immediately."

"I understand," Alvis said earnestly. He then swiped his card, took the documents, and walked out the door.

As he stepped outside, he caught sight of a woman at the entrance who looked somewhat familiar. He curiously glanced at her twice, but he couldn't quite place her, so he ignored it and headed straight for the graveyard mentioned in the mission.

After Alvis left, Carol watched his retreating figure and whispered to herself, "Isn't that Duke?"

Having connections to the Clark family, Carol naturally recognized Duke, Blair's lackey. But now, she couldn't believe her eyes. When Duke had passed by just now, the birthmark on her arm had turned a deep shade of purple!

The guy who had been D-grade potential just a few days ago had somehow transformed into A-grade potential. Carol realized that there must be a major secret behind this.

She couldn't help but whisper to herself, "There's a secret here, there's definitely a secret!"

"What secret?" Kane said as he walked out of the mission hall. He had been taking Carol on missions for the past few days. They had a decent haul this time—a full two hundred contribution points, meaning one hundred for each of them.

After hearing Carol say it was nothing, Kane continued, "This mission wasn't easy. Let's get some good rest for the next two days. I heard there's an opera at the Caesar Theater in the royal capital tomorrow. A friend happened to give me two tickets; how about we go see it together?"

To Kane's disappointment, Carol shook her head and refused. She explained that she had business at the Dark Moon Chamber of Commerce tomorrow and couldn't accompany him.

"How about I go with you to the Dark Moon Chamber of Commerce tomorrow? I was thinking of scouting for some gear anyway," Kane suggested, unwilling to give up.

Carol didn't appreciate the gesture, replying impatiently, "Oh, are you ever annoying? I told you I'm going by myself. If you insist on going, then I won't!"

Kane was silent for a moment before saying, "You don't want me to follow—don't tell me you're thinking of gambling on stones again? I warned you about that a long time ago; you really shouldn't touch that stuff. It’s a game where you go from rags to riches or riches to rags in an instant. Even if you got lucky and made a small profit that one day, there are countless people who end up penniless and ruined..."

Before Kane could finish, Carol interrupted him, waving her hand. "Alright, alright, you're more nagging than my mother. You're not anyone to me, so stop trying to control me!"

With that, Carol ignored Kane and ran off alone, leaving him standing there with a dark expression on his face.

Once she had run far enough and sensed that Kane wasn't following, Carol slowed her pace. Suddenly, a triumphant smile appeared on her face. She gently stroked the birthmark on her arm and whispered to herself, "Me, losing at stone gambling? What a joke! Hehehehehehehe..."