Chapter 10

"Please, feel free to ask."

"I need some magical materials. Here is the list; could you see if you can help me find them?" Lin Yun said as he handed over the list he had written.

After completing the All-Color Potion, Lin Yun had not left his room. He was dissatisfied with the two Hurricane Lashes he had used that day. Whether it was in power or accuracy, they were far from what he used to be capable of. Lin Yun even doubted if he had cast them himself.

But after careful consideration, he understood. This Mafa Merlin had been stuck at the 9th level of Magic Apprentice for a reason. His innate talent was truly terrible. Whether it was in magic control or magic capacity, he was far below the average, which could be considered a physical defect. Effort and diligence could only make his magic accumulation more substantial, but it would never allow him to overcome his physical defects and advance to the Mage rank.

Of course, after Lin Yun came, he relied on his far superior magic control ability to advance to the Mage rank in a simple and brutal way. However, all of this was only because the current body's owner was Lin Yun, not because the body's issues had been resolved.

The problem was far from solved. Although the magic vortex had formed smoothly, what about after that? From Mage to High Mage, from High Mage to High Sorcerer, from High Sorcerer to Archmage, every breakthrough would make the body's defects a bottleneck for Lin Yun's advancement. If this issue wasn't resolved soon, it would eventually cause Lin Yun a lot of trouble.

In this era, where research was still immature, such a physical defect was almost equivalent to cutting off the path of a mage. Even a slightly intense flow of magic couldn't be sustained, let alone becoming a qualified mage.

Fortunately, Lin Yun did not belong to this era.

To solve the problem of insufficient magic capacity, Lin Yun had at least two methods.

One was to use a special meditation technique to change the way magic flowed. However, this would take a considerable amount of time, and Lin Yun wouldn't be able to advance to High Mage for at least three to five years. The second method was to use alchemical potions to strengthen the body, which would be much faster, taking only ten to fifteen days, which was negligible compared to three to five years.

Of course, the cost might be significant. Many magical materials were considered precious even in this era, and the 30,000 gold coins Lin Yun had were definitely not enough...

But there was no rush. Lin Yun estimated that he still had some time before advancing to High Mage. Before that, he should take the time to understand this world better.

Raymond was almost impatient to have another chance to help. He hadn't even finished his ten-day vacation when he rushed out with the All-Color Potion, leaving the old butler shaking his head in disappointment, lamenting that his son was growing up and didn't want to spend much time with him anymore.

"Right, he's really disrespectful. Next time, you should give him a good beating..." Lin Yun defamed Raymond without any guilt as he prepared to head to the Mage Guild.

...

The Mage Guild was also located on Triumph Street, just two streets away from the Gilded Rose. From a distance, one could see the spire of the Sage Tower towering into the clouds, with runes carved on its body flickering on and off. Even on a sunny day, the mysterious and dazzling light could not be concealed.

Lin Yun stood below the tower, examining the runes carved on its body while waiting for the guard to check his pass. From the runes, it was clear that the tower was not built during a peaceful era. Most of the runes were used for army battles, requiring at least ten thousand people to unleash their true power. Moreover, from the magic flow of the runes, it was evident that they had been used more than once. This place was more like a war fortress than a tower.

"Welcome to the Sage Tower." Seeing the golden magic mark on the crystal card, the guard's hand trembled, and his expression became respectful. The golden magic mark indicated the highest authority, allowing free access to any book in the Sage Tower's library. In the entire Thousand Sails City, there were only seven such passes, each owned by a person at the pinnacle of their field, not someone a mere guard could afford to offend.

"Thank you." Lin Yun took the checked pass, smiled at the respectful guard, and then turned to enter the thousand-year-old magical sanctuary.

If the Sage Tower was the magical sanctuary of the entire Thousand Sails City, then the Sage Tower's library was undoubtedly the city's treasure house of knowledge. It housed the most comprehensive and richest collection of books in the eastern part of the kingdom. Countless sages had left their marks here, and every year, countless mages would travel thousands of miles to enter the Sage Tower's library, even if it was just for a day.

For mages, knowledge was like a drug, and their thirst for it far exceeded everything else. In the Losanda region, many mages would pay unimaginable prices for a pass to the Sage Tower's library without hesitation.

Of course, Lin Yun, holding the highest authority pass, did not feel this way...

Climbing the intricately carved stairs, he occasionally passed by hurried mages. Before long, Lin Yun stood at the door of the library on the 18th floor of the Sage Tower.

The library was very quiet. From the outside, one could see many figures in black robes sitting at desks, rarely speaking to each other. Even when they had to exchange a few words, they kept their voices low. Lin Yun stood at the door for a while, hearing nothing but the rustling of pages.

It was indeed an excellent reading environment...

Lin Yun entered the library and tried not to make any noise, finding a desk by the wall and sitting down. He placed his pass on the desk to indicate that it was occupied. Just as he was about to get up to find the books he needed, a young mage in a black robe sat down opposite him.

The young mage placed three books on the desk with a loud thud, causing Lin Yun, who had already stood up, to frown and give him a strange look.

"What, Merlin, don't you recognize me so quickly?" The young mage looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, with a handsome appearance, but his current expression was one Lin Yun did not like, causing him to frown again.

Unfortunately, this young mage was not Raymond. If it were Raymond, he would have immediately shut up upon seeing Lin Yun frown twice, knowing that the day at the Gilded Rose, when this guy almost killed him, he had only frowned once. Now, frowning twice meant the problem was serious...

The young mage, however, seemed oblivious to Lin Yun's displeasure, continuing with exaggerated expressions, "We met last month, how could you forget so quickly? Being so forgetful is not good. I'm Mason, the one who made your nose bleed at the Chamber of Commerce Alliance gathering the month before last!"

"Mason?" Lin Yun recalled and found that Mafa Merlin's memory did indeed include such a person.

And the impression was quite vivid...