Thanks to Jellyfish on Kofi. Enjoy this bonus chapter!

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If Qiyu’s memory served him correctly, he’d actually received a 50% discount.  In other words, the actual price of this elemental array would be double that.

Qiyu took a deep breath and set the elemental array aside.

Time to look at the magic scrolls.

Both the magic potions and the parchment paper cost 1 gold coin each. Qiyu bought 200 of each, spending 400 gold coins.

Elementary magic scrolls can be inscribed with spells of the “Engraved” tier or lower.

Qiyu did a quick search in the Guild shop and discovered that ready-made scrolls were also for sale.

However, the prices were relatively low; an elementary magic scroll inscribed with Fireball only sold for 10 gold coins. At Duo Ju’s place, they could fetch as much as 20 emerald crystals.

Qiyu speculated that this was because the Guild Shop was open only to the mages association’s members, and mages could easily learn to craft scrolls on their own. 

Next was buying magic crystals.

There are now a total of ten energy towers within the territory. Previously, it had been impossible to install more, solely due to a shortage of magic crystals.

A Level 1 magic crystal costs 10 gold coins, and 10 Level 1 magic crystals are enough to fully recharge one energy tower.

Qiyu spent 400 gold coins to buy 40 Level 1 Magic Crystals, then used 400 sand crystal stones to construct four energy towers. 

He opened the territory module and placed them.

The 14 energy towers provide complete protection for the entire territory, leaving no blind spots for attacks.

That’s a relief. 

Next, Qiyu turned his attention to the real money pit—the Advanced Magic Energy Towers.

Currently, the Advanced Magic Energy Tower’s energy level is 80/1000; each Level 2 Magic Crystal replenishes 2 points of energy. 

Qiyu silently ran the numbers: the Advanced Magic Energy Tower is currently 920 energy points short of full capacity, meaning a total of 460 Level 2 Magic Crystals are needed.

Since each Level 2 Magic Crystal is worth 50 gold coins, filling the Advanced Energy Tower would cost a total of 23,000 gold coins. 

The newly minted country bumpkin wizard had gained a whole new perspective on just how expensive this profession was.

However, since the safety of his territory was at stake, he didn’t hesitate much. Just as he was about to make the purchase, he suddenly remembered that he’d just received a hefty paycheck—a whopping 360 Grade Magic Crystals.

He sprang to his feet and rushed over to the Advanced Magic Energy Tower.

The Advanced Magic Energy Tower can’t use Level 1 crystals, but it doesn’t say you can’t use higher-level magic crystals, does it? He took out a high-level magic crystal and tentatively placed it inside.

It actually worked.

【Advanced Magic Energy Tower: 85/1000.】

One high-grade crystal restores 5 points of energy.

According to the Guild merchants’ prices, a Level 3 Magic Crystal costs 100 gold coins—twice the price of a Level 2 Magic Crystal. But when used in the Advanced Magic Energy Tower, it provides 2.5 times the energy of a Level 2 crystal.

Clearly, the higher the grade of the crystal, the more energy it contains. Qiyu immediately inserted 180 high-grade magic crystals.

Advanced Magic Energy Tower, current energy: 985/1000.

Inserted 【number】.

1000/1000.

An unprecedented sense of security enveloped him. 

Qiyu breathed a sigh of relief. Not only could he go out as a 24-hour traveling merchant, but even if he were away for much longer, he could rest assured that his territory would be safe. Then, he took 20 dark crystals from his backpack and crafted four alchemy puppets.

He used the “Cash Ability” on the Energy Crystal Cards, spending 200 gold coins to purchase four of them. The four alchemical puppets were freshly created.

Drawing on his previous experience and with his magic level having increased, Qiyu used the Spirit Imprint with ease this time.

The first command given to the alchemical golem was “Guard the territory,” and the second was “Take care of the territory.”

With a total of six alchemical golems, each fully equipped with standard-issue weapons and gear, they constituted a formidable fighting force.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t buy more—it was simply that the territory was only so large, and too many alchemical golems would make it feel crowded. Golems aren’t flesh-and-blood beings; they don’t need rest and can patrol the territory day and night without stopping.

After setting all this up, Qiyu actually found himself thinking, “I can’t wait for mutant beasts to attack my territory.” 

He guessed this was the kind of overconfidence that comes from having plenty of firepower, huh? 

At this point, his personal fund was down by 1,000, leaving a current balance of 86,463. Qiyu’s eyes shifted restlessly toward the very top of the shop.

Although he’d been complaining about the high price, as a mage, who wouldn’t be tempted by a magic array that could “accelerate cultivation”?

Spending 80,000 and leaving a little over 6,000 gold coins as a contingency fund should be plenty. He still had over 170 Grade Magic Crystals left—that should be enough to set up the array, right?

Qiyu clicked on the product page, selected a purple-quality elemental magic array, and clicked “Buy.”

【Your current membership level does not allow you to purchase this item.】

Qiyu：？

He still can’t buy it.

After trying this a few times, he found the reason.

To gather large amounts of magical elements to aid in cultivation, the effectiveness of magic arrays varies greatly depending on their level. If the magic limit is exceeded, it is a completely pointless waste.

Therefore, beginner mages can only choose to purchase green-quality elemental arrays. Green elemental arrays are sufficient to meet the needs of mages below Level 4.

Correspondingly, blue-quality arrays are for intermediate mages, and purple-quality arrays are for advanced mages.

I see.

However, Qiyu still curiously tried accessing the blue rune purchase page—and sure enough, he couldn’t buy one.

This time, he didn’t hesitate and spent 10,000 gold coins to purchase 1 green-quality elemental rune. 

【Obtained Elemental Rune (Green) x1. Please select placement location and size.】

Qiyu took a closer look and discovered that this array could cover his entire territory at its maximum range, or be as small as a dining table at its minimum. The difference between the two was simply the number of magic crystals consumed.

Qiyu thought for a moment, then set the array to the size of the shelter and placed it at the location of the two-story building.

Elemental arrays have no “physical form.” Once a location is chosen, mysterious magical runes emerge from the ground, connecting to form a complex pattern.

Qiyu instinctively tried to memorize the path of the magical runes, but suddenly the world spun before his eyes. He stumbled backward two steps and grabbed the table to steady himself, narrowly avoiding a “disastrous” fall right there on the spot.

When he tried to recall it, he could only sense that the array was extraordinarily mysterious, yet he couldn’t remember a single detail. However, after just a moment of dizziness, he steadied himself and looked up to find that the array had already taken shape.

The magical runes faded, and the light dissipated.

The faint magical fluctuations emanating from deep underground told Qiyu that the formation lay right beneath his feet.

As the creator of the formation, Qiyu automatically knew the number of magic crystals required to activate it and their current positions. 

Thirty magic crystals.

He could choose to use Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 magic crystals. Different levels of magic crystals produced different effects.

In short, it was still a money-burning strategy.

Qiyu decided to buy 30 Level 1 magic crystals to test the waters. He embedded ten Level 1 wood-element crystals into their designated positions.

Without even needing to close his eyes and meditate, Qiyu felt an instant surge of energy.

This sensation was just like when he was exploring the Star Forest and encountered a rainstorm—the moment when his meditation and cultivation were at their peak.

He took a deep breath, and for a moment, he felt as if he could smell the sunlight, flowers, fresh grass, and the scent of food all at once.

He was so happy he felt as if he were about to get drunk. 

He closed his eyes almost immediately and entered a state of meditation.

That night, the members of 01 District chatted at length, but the person at the center of the conversation didn’t show up at all.

The 01 District channel was especially lively, with one group of players arguing fiercely while another group watched the spectacle. Yet another group was woken up by the screaming lily of the valley bells and, cursing under their breath, joined the fray. 

Qiyu was jolted awake by the sudden brightness of dawn.

When he opened his eyes, he realized he was standing right there in the living room—he had spent the entire night meditating while standing. 

His body felt not the slightest bit tired—in fact, he felt refreshed. Even his legs, which had been standing all night, showed no signs of numbness or soreness.

Feeling quite content, Qiyu raised his arms to stretch his limbs, then walked to the front door—which hadn’t even been closed—and was surprised to discover that the rain had actually stopped for the day.

However, although it had stopped raining, the sky hadn’t cleared up; it remained overcast, and the air was damp and oppressive, as if constantly reminding players that the rain had only stopped temporarily—the rainy season in the Star Forest was far from over.

【Current Location: Star Forest.】

【Today’s Weather: Cloudy, 9°C–12°C.】1

A damp breeze blew across Qiyu’s face, cool and icy, sending a shiver down his spine. The temperature had dropped a bit further.

His character’s interface was now filled with messages.

The people he had sent gifts to yesterday had all replied to him.

【Your friend “Civil Engineering Brother” has sent you a gift.】

【Your friend “Dare Not Open My Eyes” has sent you a gift.】 

【Your friend “Tranquility Yields Transcendence” has sent you a gift.】

【Received 50 ml of Advanced Plant Nutrient Solution and 1 seedling of the magical seven-colored flower.】

【Received 5 Intermediate Stamina Potions, 2 Basic Attribute Potions, 5 Basic Nutrition Potions, and 10 beginner healing potions.】 

【Received the Fine-Quality Equipment “ring of power.”】

【Civil Engineering Brother: Hey, big shot, I figured you probably have plenty of other stuff, but I’m sure you’ll be interested in this.】

【Dare Not Open My Eyes: Big Daddy of the Game, I brewed all this using the little alchemy pot you gave me. I had to make sure you got the very first batch of every potion!】

【Tranquility Yields Transcendence: I guess I just caught a bit of your luck—this is the first time I’ve ever crafted a fine-quality piece of gear.】 

Receiving so many gifts first thing in the morning made my already cheerful heart even brighter. 

【Ring of Power: Fine-quality equipment. Effect when equipped: Attack +10.】

【Seven-Colored Flower Seedling: A magical plant. Legend has it that the seven-colored flower brings good luck—maybe it’s true?】

Unlike the high-quality gear Qiyu had previously owned, the ring of power has no additional effects; true to its name, it only boosts pure attack stat.

The ring of power was a dark red ring that looked quite ordinary; Qiyu slipped it onto the thumb of his left hand. 

He put all the potions into his backpack.

The seven-colored flower seedling looked quite unique. Qiyu had originally thought that the name “seven-colored flower” referred to the flowers it produced being colorful, just like its seeds.

In fact, this seedling had a total of seven leaves, each of a different color. 

“It feels like it should be called ‘Seven-Colored Leaf,’” Qiyu muttered.

No sooner had he spoken than he sensed a mood of displeasure emanating from the little seedling in front of him. 

Qiyu：？

Immediately afterward, a barrage of emotional signals rained down on him.

“I’m thirsty. I need water.”

“The flowerpot is uncomfortable.”

“I’m hungry. I need food.” 

“The light is too dim.”

“My leaves are all looking wilted.”

“……”

What a chatty little plant.