The Wizard: Grinding Experience Starting with Knight Breathing Techniques 76

Chapter 0076: Obtaining the Gleamstone – A Masterful Display! (Seeking further reading, monthly tickets, and book recommendations)

Holy Radiance Era 1008, the end of the Crucible Moon.

Inside Icewind City.

Li Wei arrived at the Jade Merchant Guild.

“Do you have any Dragon Saliva Fragrance?” Li Wei asked.

He had almost used up the Dragon Saliva Fragrance he had previously obtained and needed to replenish his supply. This was crucial for his breakthrough to a High-Rank Knight next year. Therefore, every time he came to Icewind City, his first stop was always the Jade Merchant Guild to inquire about Dragon Saliva Fragrance.

“None. Don’t even ask these past few years. Forget Icewind City; it’s incredibly difficult to find Dragon Saliva Fragrance in the entire Emerald Kingdom. The black market price has skyrocketed to three hundred gold coins per bottle, but the problem is there’s simply no stock. We want to make money too!”

The shopkeeper wore his usual expression of helplessness.

Li Wei pondered, “That damned White Horse Knight still hasn’t broken through to Legendary? Wasn’t there a rumor that his attempt failed? Can someone at least give a definite answer? It’s been so many years. If I had all that Dragon Saliva Fragrance, I might have already broken through to Legendary!”

However, complaints aside, he wouldn’t dare to cause trouble for a legendary figure in the royal family.

After all, the White Horse Knight’s fame in the Emerald Kingdom was second only to the Pope and the King, even surpassing veteran grand nobles like the Black Mountain Knight. He truly stood at the pinnacle of knighthood.

There were even unreliable rumors that the old king might break the ancient law of primogeniture to pass the throne to his younger son, the White Horse Knight, who had the potential to become a Legendary Knight. This was to leverage the prestige and strength of a Legendary Knight to ensure the kingdom’s long-term stability, deter ambitious nobles and foreign races, and break free from the church’s control.

“Then do you have these materials?”

Li Wei presented a pre-prepared materials list.

The list included various spellcasting materials, vortex worm eggs, even breathing technique manuals—a chaotic mix of everything.

He wasn’t holding out much hope, as these materials were extremely rare.

Sure enough, the shopkeeper shook his head after glancing at it.

“No breathing technique manuals. The guild’s bosses don’t allow us to sell such things. Other materials are no problem. We have some earth dragon blood in stock, and a small piece of mithril, although it’s already been reserved by Earl Silver Mountain. We don’t have orichalcum. And things like wraith dust, death cores, vortex worm eggs—I’ve never even heard of those. And finally, this gleamstone? What is that?”

The shopkeeper asked, completely bewildered.

“Um, as the name suggests, it’s probably a faintly glowing stone, possibly a meteorite that fell from the sky.”

Li Wei didn’t expect even the Jade Merchant Guild shopkeeper to be unfamiliar with gleamstone. It seemed this spellcasting material was truly obscure.

“Glowing stones? I do have some, also fallen from the sky. We call them nightlight stones.”

“Let me see it.” Li Wei’s interest piqued.

The shopkeeper instructed someone to search, and eventually, a head-sized stone, covered in dust, was retrieved from the warehouse.

After wiping off the dust, a faint glow emanated from the stone’s surface. When the shopkeeper closed the windows and doors, the light became even more apparent, with a color similar to the glow of fireflies.

“This is a nightlight stone, the closest thing I have to your gleamstone. It’s an ancestral heirloom of a noble. If you want it, it’s 200 gold coins.”

The shopkeeper said indifferently.

“Too expensive, 100.” Li Wei immediately cut the price in half.

The shopkeeper called a subordinate over and whispered inside the room, “How much did we pay for this nightlight stone?”

The subordinate whispered, “Twenty gold coins.”

The shopkeeper then came out, cleared his throat, and said, “One hundred then. Cost price, consider it a friendly gesture.”

Li Wei’s hearing was excellent, enhanced further by his beginner-level vibrational perception. He had heard their hushed conversation in the other room and thought, *I still need practice in haggling. The main issue is that neither nightlight stones nor gleamstones have a unified market price.*

But he had to buy it for a hundred. This head-sized stone was indeed the gleamstone he needed.

“Throw in some earth dragon blood. It’s been gathering dust; if it weren’t for me, would you even be able to sell it?” Li Wei said calmly, subtly exuding the aura of a mid-level Knight.

The shopkeeper, originally intending to refuse, changed his expression. He was a low-level Knight himself and recognized Li Wei as a genuine powerhouse.

“Alright. Sir, are you a wandering Knight? Would you be interested in joining our Jade Merchant Guild?” Merchant guilds desperately needed strong mercenaries. They hoped to recruit a powerhouse like Li Wei as a stable mercenary to protect their caravans.

“Not at the moment.” Li Wei declined politely.

Then, carrying the gleamstone and earth dragon blood wrapped in burlap, he left the Jade Merchant Guild.

He went to Icewind City’s library and purchased books on the geography, customs, and language of the Tuva Empire.

Then he went to his usual haunt, the Sparkling Tavern.

He ordered a glass of Blood Knight commemorative wine.

Crimson liquid flowed down his throat.

Li Wei inhaled the familiar scent of the tavern.

As usual, he inquired about breathing techniques. Lately, no one had been selling them, let alone the Giant Breathing Technique he desired.

His other requests, such as vortex worm eggs and wraith dust, also yielded no results.

He wasn’t overly disappointed. If rare materials were easy to find, they wouldn’t be rare.

Besides, obtaining the head-sized gleamstone in Icewind City was already an unexpected windfall. It would last him a long time, as the Seal of Guardianship only required a fingernail-sized amount of powdered gleamstone each time.

Li Wei’s most important goal for this trip to Icewind City was to launch his career as a craftsman.

He went straight to the commission auction and presented his carefully selected masterpiece.

A knight’s longsword, forged from ordinary refined iron.

But this knight’s longsword was extraordinary. It represented the pinnacle of sword-making quality achievable with the materials of this era.

Therefore, the moment it was unveiled, its texture, appearance, and craftsmanship immediately captivated the attention of the Sparkling Auction House’s appraisers.

Li Wei wore a golden mask. He quietly watched the appraiser examine his sword.

Finally, the appraiser even retrieved a knight’s longsword forged by the legendary Flame Hammer from the auction house’s collection and spent a considerable time comparing the two. Several senior blacksmiths were also summoned.

Ultimately, these experts were astounded to discover that the sword presented by the gentleman in the golden mask was nearly equal in craftsmanship and skill to that of the legendary blacksmith, Hagrid, the Flame Hammer, only differing slightly in style.

“Sir, did you truly forge this longsword yourself? May I inquire about your name?” the auction house’s appraiser asked excitedly in a low voice.

“Indeed, I forged it. My name? Golden War Hammer!”

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