Chapter 125: Compromises

Chapter 125: Compromises

Chapter 125 - Compromises

No, not her, Kai couldnt believe his ears. After moving to Sylspring, he swore not to sell her even the scraps of his cauldron. And yet, here she was, stalking out of the shadows to steal his wealth.

Why not? Reishi took another sip of his tea. He sat in his armchair with a patient look. We need a shop in Sylspring, and she has an established business on the main street. She would also offer to supply herbs at a convenient price.

Didnt you want to sell them yourself?

I should have known that inviting me to his house for tea couldnt be just a social visit.

Merchants must be flexible, the merman waved his objections away. Partnering with her will save us months of work, maybe years. And we need to move fast, the alchemists in Higharbor are growing restless. It wont be long before they will turn their eyes elsewhere. Sylspring is the jewel of the archipelago.

Kai slumped on the couch. I get that, but does it have to be Sylpies Herbs? Isnt there anyone else?

If he wasnt blessed by the spirits, hed think they were conspiring against him.

Not anyone that can offer us a better deal or benefits. What do you have against the owner? Shes a pleasant old lady.

Shes a sly snake hiding behind the mask of a gentle granny.

Reishi gestured with a sugar-coated biscuit, Exactly! That's the best kind of human merchant.

Kai gave him a flat look. Of course, hed say that.

Come on, dont look at me like that. We dont run a charity, the merman crunched the sweet pastry. And I know how to handle their kind. Its easier to work with competent people even if you have to look at your back.

Defeated, Kai passed a hand over his face. Fine, but I dont want to deal with her.

Opposing his decision was pointless. The merman was informing him to be polite, but distribution and sales were his field.

You cant fight the tide.

Reishi broke into a smile. Dont worry, Ill take care of everything. You wont have to meet her again after today.

Wait, what do you mean

As if she had been waiting for her cue, a knock came from the door.

You invited her here without telling me? Kai whispered with gritted teeth.

She wanted to discuss the terms of the deal in person, Reishi gave him an apologetic shrug before raising his voice. Come on in.

An attendant opened the door and Old Selly marched inside wrapped in a shawl of green silk. She leaned against a cane, her back slightly hunched, but Kai didnt get fooled by her frail appearance. Her eyes were as spirited as the last time he met her.

Telu followed behind her, staring at the richly decorated room with wide eyes. The chubby kid had grown taller and leaner since the last time they met, but he still sported the same bowl haircut.

Welcome, please take a seat, Reishi stood up to exchange greetings with them.

Kai wondered if he should try to sneak away with shadow magic. His moment of hesitation robbed him of the choice.

Oh, if it isnt little Kai. Look how much youve grown. The old hag gave him a grandmotherly smile. Its been a while since you visited my shop. I almost thought youd forgotten about me.

How could I forget our time in Greenside. Kai put on a fake smile. You short-changed me at every opportunity you got.

I was just trying to teach you the ways of the world, dear. Im sorry if I was a fierce haggler, I just wanted to prepare you, Old Sally coughed in her sleeve. Oh, forgive me, this old body is falling to pieces.

Kai barely avoided the hand that shot to pinch his cheek. That was a surprising amount of nimbleness for a sickly old lady.

Failing her strike, Selly opted to pat him on the back with exaggerated familiarity. And look where you are now. It has worked wonders! I knew I saw something special in you, isnt that right Telu?

The hag pushed forward the boy.

Yes, grandma. You did always say that. Telu stood awkwardly at the center of attention, hesitantly speaking. Its nice to see you again. You dont stop by to say hi anymore.

Yatei help me. This is not fair!

Pitying the poor child, Kai decided to not make the negotiation any harder. To work with the hag who took advantage of him would be annoying, but it was an old matter, he could bury his pride.

Great, its so nice to see you catch up, Reishi invited them to sit as an attendant brought more refreshments. Kai often talks fondly of his time in Greenside. Im sure well do wonderful work together.

Elijah had onceasked him to lift a boulder higher than him without using magic. Kai scraped his hand raw against the stone, trying from dawn till dusk, for two days. Then the butler smacked him on the ear and imparted his wisdom.

Even if you try your hardest there are limits you cant overcome. Bashing your head against an impossible task doesnt show determination, just stupidity.

They cant even watch me struggle vainly, so it wouldnt be much of a joke.

Taking a minute to massage his stiff neck, Kai went for another try. The cube wasnt impossible, just incredibly hard.

It took two more tries before Kai solved the second puzzle of the third layer. The clicking of the cube as it rearranged itself was both a dream and a nightmare. He was one step closer to the final solution, and back at the start with no idea how many more were to go.

Each layer was made up of seven sets before the difficulty increased, so it most likely was a multiple of that number.

Certainly not twenty-one, maybe twenty-eight Spirits, I hope its not thirty-five.

Without complete information, he could only plan for the worst-case scenario. Though there wasnt much he could do differently.

Working on the cube from dawn till dusk couldnt be the solution. Monotonous tasks would slow down his progression. And Alchemy was excellent training for both his mana skills and Inspect.

Laying down on the bed, Kai noticed a notification that had been dismissed to not break his concentration.

*Ding*

Mana Sense has reached lv75, requisite for the second milestone met, congratulations!

Some good news for once. I thought it would never move the last step.

With some trepidation, Kai gave the go-ahead.

Mana Sense (lv75)

As you reach the second milestone, you are presented with four choices to continue your journey:

Stay the course on your current path. You wont gain considerable new benefits, but youll greatly deepen your insight into the current capabilities.Among the sea of elements, the flowing water will shine brighter to guide your way to deeper truths.Among the forests of elements, the growing might of nature will light brighter to guide your way to boundless mysteries.The stars hold many secrets, but wise men know they dont have to look so far. Peer into the swirling energies in front of you to untangle their deeper mysteries.

Kai read the floating text written in elegant letters three times. Apart from staying the course, he could continue to go down the elemental route, either choosing Water or Nature.

Yeah, probably not.

It wouldnt help with his current problem and brighter lights might also cover the other motes of mana. Picking a single element was too restrictive. He didnt want to abandon any of his other major affinitiesnot even Space.

The final option took more consideration. With Alchemy, Enchanting and his latest efforts with the cube, it wasnt hard to imagine why he got it. It was the path of a mage craftsman or researcher. All he needed to see were the creations before him.

That might be useful, especially with his brewing, though it would only marginally help with Viryas puzzles. Better sight never hurt, but that wasnt the hurdle stopping him from proceeding faster.

If that was it, he might have considered taking it. From the wording, there was another problem. Farther sight would be sacrificed for greater accuracy up close. Specializations didnt regress a skill, but he wouldnt be surprised if his maximum range never increased again after he chose this.

Mana Sense was one of the cornerstones to practice spellcraft. He couldnt cut off his future progress for short-term benefits.

Well, that wasnt too bad.

*Ding*

You chose to stay the course, Mana Sense (lv75) can now reach lv100.

The flowing movements of motes became crisper and his range slightly increased. Even his capacity to focus on a specific area came more naturally.

There was no drastic or wild new ability, but Kai could immediately feel the skill improving in a hundred tiny ways. The foundations were supposed to be broad to build a palace.

Next stop at level 100, then is up to Yellow.

The unreachable peak had been cloaked in the clouds for so long, now he could see a path. And he would gain 600 XP each step of the way, just a bit less than Hallowed Intuition.

Im on the right track, Ill find a way.

Heading for his lab the following day, an unexpected figure waited for him in an alley, retreating in the shadows after waving him to come closer.

Is a normal hi too much to ask? Not a word for all this time and now he wants to play hide and seek.

Kai followed him down two streets. He had the hint of a bad hunch, but they were still close to poshtown when the boy stopped, and Mana Sense couldnt detect anyone suspicious. Id thought you were either dead or sailed away on a ship.

Flynns eyes warily darted around as if he was afraid someone had followed them. Something happened, keep your voice down.