Adventure: My Skills Evolve Infinitely

"Go on, what are you buying? I’m very busy right now and don’t have time to chat."

She really did seem to have something to do, so Lin Mo didn’t waste words and stated the reason for his visit directly. "I want to buy Elemental Reagents."

"Again?"

Chacher paused, stunned. It wasn’t long ago that Lin Mo had come to her shop to buy two bottles of Basic Elemental Reagents.

"Yeah, I need to round out the rest of the elements."

"So you really do plan on practicing every type of elemental Magic..."

Chacher shook her head, but there was nothing she could do about it.

’Who could blame him for being so talented? When you have talent, you can do as you please.’

"Sometimes, I really envy geniuses like you."

As she spoke, Chacher took out several Elemental Reagents from behind the counter. "Ice, Water, Wind... what else?"

"I don’t need the Ice one. Do you have Light?"

"You’re really something else."

Chacher took out another platinum-colored reagent.

"The Light Attribute reagent is more expensive—1000 gold coins. The other two are the same as last time, 750 gold each. That’s 2,500 gold coins in total."

"Why is the Light Element reagent more expensive?"

Lin Mo asked, puzzled.

"Because it’s difficult to make."

Chacher’s reply was succinct. Her hands were already busy with something else.

Figuring he shouldn’t disturb her any longer, Lin Mo quickly paid for the reagents and left with them.

Unlike Intermediate Elemental Reagents, the Elemental Energy in these basic ones wasn’t very potent, so they posed no burden to Lin Mo.

Back home, he chugged the Elemental Reagents one after another as if they were soft drinks.

He had to admit, each Elemental Reagent had a subtle sensation corresponding to its attribute. The Ice Element reagent, for instance, had a cooling effect as he drank it, while the Water Element one was exceptionally smooth...

In terms of taste, however, none of them were pleasant.

After downing the reagents, Lin Mo opened his status panel to check his current Attributes:

[Name]: Lin Mo

[Profession]: Warrior Level 4, Knight Level 3, Assassin Level 4, Mage Level 4

[Attributes]: (Figures in parentheses include Profession boosts)

Strength: 45 (+16 = 61)

Agility: 43 (+20 = 63)

Constitution: 37 (+14 = 51)

Spirit: 14 (+6 = 20)

Magic Power: 46 (+11 = 57)

Fire Element Affinity: 26% + 13% = 35% (After diminishing returns)

Ice Element Affinity: 13% + 16% = 27% (After diminishing returns)

Thunder Element Affinity: 12.5%

Earth Element Affinity: 12.5%

Wind Element Affinity: 12.5%

Water Element Affinity: 12.5%

Light Element Affinity: 12.5%

The Elemental Reagents produced by Madam Chacher were of a consistently stable quality, with their effects hovering around 12.5%.

However, even after taking these new reagents, his Ice and Fire Affinities were still the highest.

Without a doubt, at this stage, judging by Affinity alone, Lin Mo knew he should focus on practicing Fire and Ice Element Magic.

Elemental Reagents were certainly expensive; just buying these reagents had cost Lin Mo over 3,000 gold coins. Still, he had 1,516 gold coins remaining, and he was, of course, planning to spend that money too.

And he’d long since decided how to use it.

He was already equipped with four Superior Level items: the Secret Silver Gloves, the Frost Cold Robe, the Flame Ring, and the Peaceful Spirit Bracelet.

But his main weapon, the Black Sword, was only Excellent Level and was starting to fall behind.

’It was time to get a better sword.’

However, Lin Mo hadn’t bought one from any of the blacksmith shops he’d visited before. While those small shops certainly had an edge over the Association regarding Ordinary and Excellent Level weapons, things were different when the requirements were raised to the Superior Level.

For less-skilled Dwarf Blacksmiths, forging Superior Level equipment was bound to be difficult.

Life Professions like Blacksmith and Culinary Master were also divided by level, in a system quite similar to that of Professionals.

The first three levels for both were Entry, Veteran, and Elite. For the fourth and fifth levels, Professionals became Extraordinary and Hero, while life Professions like Blacksmiths became Master and Grandmaster. The final level, however, was Legendary for all.

Blacksmiths who opened forges in small towns were generally at the Entry or Veteran Level. Those in cities were slightly better, but most were still only at the Veteran Level; Elite Level Blacksmiths were extremely rare.

Even a Blacksmith who had reached the Elite Level and could theoretically forge Superior Level weapons would produce flawed results. Due to a lack of refined skill and experience, the Superior Level weapons forged by a newly-minted Elite would invariably have some defects.

In this respect, buying equipment from the Association meant you had no such worries.

The Association’s equipment was generally more expensive, but its quality was essentially guaranteed. For instance, the Superior Level weapons sold by the Association were crafted by, at minimum, experienced Elite Level Casters. Some might even be the work of a Master Caster.

Even if a local branch lacked talent of that caliber, the Association would procure and transfer equipment from its branches in other regions.

In a place like the Royal Capital, however, where high-level, exceptionally skilled Casters were abundant, there was no need to buy from the Association. Even private forges could offer Superior Level weapons of very high quality.

Furthermore, major hubs like that often had chain stores with branches in many Kingdoms, or even across the entire Empire. The equipment in these shops was of equally high quality, but their prices were often considerably cheaper than the Association’s.