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## Chapter 299: Seven Scrolls
"What did you say?!!!"
Starting from Lord Tal Rasha's instructions when I obtained the Divine Armor, I recounted getting the Horadric Cube on the second floor of the Viper Temple, and then encountering Lord Tal Rasha's Mirror Image Consciousness on the third floor of Death's Sanctuary and receiving his Soul Inheritance. Old Man Fala finally couldn't help but jump up, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently.
"Bastard, you stinking brat! Why do you get all the good things? Why isn't it me? God, are your eyes covered in eye boogers?"
The high-frequency shaking made it impossible for me to even speak. I could only roll my eyes at the agitated Fara. Damn, is this the power of an Level 82 Wizard?
"Don't be afraid, Young Wu, I'm here to save you."
Kashya, prompted by Akara, let out an excited(?) Roar and pounced, separating the two of us. Then she pinned Fara to the ground and gave him a good beating. Such a grand and legitimate opportunity to thoroughly beat up an old enemy was rare; it had to be cherished and fully utilized.
As for me, damn it, Kashya yanked me away with such force that I flew straight out and plunged headfirst into a pot. Damn, damn, damn! Are you here to save me? Killing me would be closer to the truth.
"Old woman, stop it! Ah~~~, you're actually putting your two index fingers and middle fingers together, a total of four fingers, to form the Ass-Blasting Divine Tool—Scarlet Poison Needle Quadruple Version, to stab my Buttocks? Roar! I'll fight you to the death!!"
In an instant, Akara's Tent was in chaos, chickens flying and dogs jumping over the Wall. The two High-Level Experts wrestled like children. No Move, Strength, or Dexterity could be used. For a moment, they were evenly matched.
Akara seemed to have anticipated this. The Potions and Scrolls in the Tent had been put away long ago, and her sitting position seemed to hide some mystery. No matter how the two old men rolled on the ground, they couldn't affect her. At this Moment, I was filled with Awe for the Prophecy Power of the Great Eye.
Oh!! Grandpa Cain, Old Cain, I saw it, I saw it all! You just took advantage of the chaos to kick Fara in the Buttocks, didn't you? And you used your Cane to support your whole Body, kicking with both feet off the ground with all your might (you really are still strong in your old age!). Although you tried hard to look refined and detached, you definitely kicked him, didn't you? Oh oh oh, you even added another kick! Poor Fara.
"Alright, alright, both of you stop it now. Look at the Appearance of you two right now. You're completely losing the Face of an Elder."
At the "critical" Moment, Akara finally stepped in to stop them. With the boss speaking, the two immediately separated. Kashya was bruised and swollen, looking quite disheveled. As for Fara, his Face looked a bit better, probably because Kashya thought his old Face wouldn't show the effects of a beating. But judging by the way he was holding his waist and covering his Buttocks, grimacing, his "internal injuries" were likely significant.
"Boss Akara." Fara patted the dust off his Robe, glared at Kashya, and then faced Akara seriously.
"Please give me two years to wander around the First World. I refuse to believe my Luck is worse than this stinking brat's," he said indignantly, pointing at me.
Hey, hey, what exactly are you jealous of me for? I'm completely confused now.
After receiving a fierce blow from Akara's Cane, the old man finally settled down, albeit reluctantly.
"If you've had enough fun, quiet down. I think Wu probably has something else to say, right?"
I nodded, having to admire Akara's insight.
"First, regarding the Matter of Saving the Horadrim. I already have the Materials for the Horadric Staff in the First World. For the Act II one, I'll have to trouble Lady Akara."
"I understand. Don't worry, I'll contact Hagarus (the Overseer of the Second World Rogue Encampment) later. As for the Third World, as Lord Tal Rasha said, it depends on Opportunity."
"Okay, that's good. With that, the Quests Lord Tal Rasha entrusted to me that were within my Ability have all been completed."
As for the other Quest to relocate Lord Tal Rasha's Wife's Cemetery, it was a small Matter, completed the day after I returned from Death's Sanctuary.
"So, there's one last Matter..." I paused, building suspense, and looked at Fara slyly, wondering if I should try to get some benefit from him.
"Do you know what else Lord Tal Rasha gave me besides the Soul Magic?"
Akara and Cain, with their Wisdom, seemed to immediately connect the dots from my words, their Eyes lighting up. Only Fara's Brain hadn't caught up; he looked at me blankly. As for Kashya, she couldn't be bothered to think. Seeing my Appearance, she knew the Matter didn't concern her and was just waiting excitedly to see how I would "tease" Fara.
"Don't forget, Lord Tal Rasha is a Powerful Wizard. It's impossible that he was just spacing out or sleeping, doing nothing, during the thousand-plus years he was imprisoned," I continued to Hint, seeing Fara's foolish Appearance.
"You mean..." Fara finally Realized, his Eyes instantly widening bigger than a bull's.
Seeing that he was about to lose his Reason again, I felt a chill and, fearing he would go mad like before, quickly handed him the Handwritten Scrolls Lord Tal Rasha gave me. Unexpectedly, as soon as I took them out, they vanished with a whoosh. Looking at Fara's hand, damn it, you really are wasting your talent by not being a Rogue!
Tal Rasha gave me a total of seven Scrolls. Besides the Alchemy Formula Notes, the other six were like heavenly Books to me. Even the Three-No Princess couldn't make heads or tails of them—Magic Knowledge isn't something that can be compensated for by IQ. Without long-term accumulation and experimentation, even remembering a lot is useless. On this point, I have to admit that my Marissa and Old Man Fala are vastly different in all aspects. Annoying.
I gave Fara the other six Scrolls. As for the Alchemy Formula, they couldn't use it without Soul Magic anyway, so I might as well keep it for myself.
As soon as he opened one of them, Fara's Eyes couldn't move away. His Face changed unpredictably like an actor's, which was quite amusing.
"I say, Old Man Fala, why don't you want to research the Horadric Cube?"
I couldn't help but ask. I had expected this Research Fanatic to immediately urge me to take out the Horadric Cube to research. But I was wrong. When I mentioned that the Horadric Cube was in my hands, Old Man Fala was very Calm, showing the demeanor of a High-Level Expert who cannot be swayed by force or corrupted by wealth. It was Old Cain who was curious, fiddling with the Cube a few times and then scribbling something in his Notes.
"Tch!"
Fara, engrossed, didn't forget to give me a contemptuous middle finger.
"For tens of thousands of years, so many excellent Mages haven't been able to research anything from the Horadric Cube. I'm not that arrogant."
Uh, now that he said that, I Realized. I had always treated the Cube as a lost Treasure, but actually, before Tal Rasha was imprisoned by the Three Prime Evils, the Horadrim were still active on Sanctuary, and so was the Cube. Therefore, although precious, with many people researching it, there were also many research Notes about it, and its Mysteriousness had diminished considerably. No wonder Fara was so Calm.
"Good. Very good!!"
Just as I was thinking, Fara suddenly couldn't help but slam the Table. Akara's small Table finally couldn't withstand the abuse from this Level 82 Sorceress and shattered into wooden pieces with a crack. Fortunately, everyone present was an Expert, and even the blind Akara managed to grab the Tea cups on the Table in time.
"Look, this... this..."
He was completely unaware of what he had done, carefully unfolding the Scroll and showing it to us. Regardless of whether we could understand the profound content on it, he began explaining it himself.
So, in the end, I only understood that this Scroll was about an Optimization Plan for Remote Teleportation. If this Plan could be realized, the Remote Teleportation Array would consume fewer Gems and could even operate autonomously, no longer requiring Sorceresses to be Responsible for replenishing Mana.
Oh, so that means the price of a Remote Teleportation using a Chipped Gem is no longer Meng Luo? My Eyes immediately curved with joy. But when I came back to my senses, I found that the Tent was enveloped in an unusually strange Atmosphere—sad, yet excited.
"This is great. This is truly great."
Akara's Voice was somewhat choked. A layer of tear Light shimmered in her pale eyeballs. This was an Appearance I had never seen before. Even when delivering the News about Tal Rasha, she hadn't been so agitated.
Seemingly sensing my confused Gaze, Akara gently wiped the Corner of her Eye, leaned on her Cane, walked a few steps, and pulled open the Tent Door. A refreshing Cool Breeze immediately blew in. Unconsciously, this Meeting had already lasted for several Hours.
"Wu, you are still young, so it's not strange that you wouldn't think of this aspect."
Akara, her Voice gradually becoming Calm, looked up at the Sky she could never see, and slowly said.
"All this time, the Remote Teleportation Array has only been allowed for some special people or when something major happened. It's not that we didn't want to open it up. As you know, each use of Remote Teleportation consumes a large amount of Mana and Mental Power from the Sorceress. There aren't many Sorceresses capable of controlling the Remote Magic Array. We can't possibly use all the High-Level Sorceresses just to power the Magic Array.
This is a very shameful Fact. Regardless of whether Adventurers are selfish or great, no matter what their Reason, they have defended the entire Sanctuary, and this is an undeniable Fact. However, we don't even have the Ability to let them return Home once. Once they embark on the Adventurers' journey, it is a road of no return. But now, if this Plan is feasible, it will be a great blessing for the entire Sanctuary. You should understand this without me saying it, right?"
"..."
See, this is the Gap/Difference in ideological Epiphany. It seems I'm really not cut out to be an Elder. However, I don't feel any shame about my selfishness. Anyway, I've never considered myself a great person, nor do I want to be one.
Regarding the Optimization of the Remote Magic Array, there are actually many problems to solve. Not to mention whether it can succeed or how much Time it will take, even if it succeeds, if High-Level Adventurers go to Low-level Zones, a lot of work needs to be done and many Regulations need to be established.
Besides the Remote Teleportation Array, there is another one—regarding the production of Energy Potions and Mental Power Potions. As is well known, Energy and Mental Power are two of the hidden important elements of a Warrior's and Sorceress's Combat Power, related to their Combat endurance. Therefore, Energy Potions and Mental Power Potions are, in a sense, no less effective than Life Potions and Mana Potions. I believe that if they can be successfully developed, it will be another great blessing for Adventurers.
As for the rest, Fara couldn't figure out what they were for the Moment and could only leave them for later research. After discussing for a while, everyone decided that the Sorceresses should put aside all their current work and devote all their efforts to getting the Remote Teleportation Array and Potions developed first. With research of this Scale, the Sorceresses in the Rogue Encampment Mage Guild are definitely not enough. Therefore, excellent Mages from all over the World will be summoned back to research together. Once the vast and loosely organized Mage Guild machine has a Target, its Efficiency when operating at full power is astonishing. According to Fara's guess, barring any accidents, the Remote Teleportation Array will only take one year to develop. This is a conservative estimate. As for the Potions, they are even simpler; if they focus their Energy, it will only take a Month.
After finalizing the various Matters, everyone stretched. Fara was already impatient and Teleported away first. Just as everyone was about to announce the end of the Meeting, I suddenly remembered something and turned back, pointing at Kashya's Nose angrily.
"Damn it, Old Drunkard, look at the good job you did! I met your precious student, and he almost killed me!"
Cain and Akara, who hadn't left yet, were both stunned, their Gaze towards Kashya becoming strange. It was a very peculiar Gaze that I couldn't describe, like schadenfreude mixed with a sigh.
"That..., ahaha, ahahahahaha~~~"
I had expected Kashya to argue endlessly, but unexpectedly, the old woman avoided my Gaze and actually tried to brush it off.
"You taught a good student! Tell me, how are you going to compensate me for my Mental Losses?"
"Well, you know my situation. I already gave you my most valuable Unique Bow. I only have twelve Silver Coins left on my whole Body. How about I give them all to you..."
"..."
"What did you say?!!!"
Starting from Lord Tal Rasha's instructions when I obtained the Divine Armor, I recounted getting the Horadric Cube on the second floor of the Viper Temple, and then encountering Lord Tal Rasha's Mirror Image Consciousness on the third floor of Death's Sanctuary and receiving his Soul Inheritance. Old Man Fala finally couldn't help but jump up, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently.
"Bastard, you stinking brat! Why do you get all the good things? Why isn't it me? God, are your eyes covered in eye boogers?"
The high-frequency shaking made it impossible for me to even speak. I could only roll my eyes at the agitated Fara. Damn, is this the power of an Level 82 Wizard?
"Don't be afraid, Young Wu, I'm here to save you."
Kashya, prompted by Akara, let out an excited(?) Roar and pounced, separating the two of us. Then she pinned Fara to the ground and gave him a good beating. Such a grand and legitimate opportunity to thoroughly beat up an old enemy was rare; it had to be cherished and fully utilized.
As for me, damn it, Kashya yanked me away with such force that I flew straight out and plunged headfirst into a pot. Damn, damn, damn! Are you here to save me? Killing me would be closer to the truth.
"Old woman, stop it! Ah~~~, you're actually putting your two index fingers and middle fingers together, a total of four fingers, to form the Ass-Blasting Divine Tool—Scarlet Poison Needle Quadruple Version, to stab my Buttocks? Roar! I'll fight you to the death!!"
In an instant, Akara's Tent was in chaos, chickens flying and dogs jumping over the Wall. The two High-Level Experts wrestled like children. No Move, Strength, or Dexterity could be used. For a moment, they were evenly matched.
Akara seemed to have anticipated this. The Potions and Scrolls in the Tent had been put away long ago, and her sitting position seemed to hide some mystery. No matter how the two old men rolled on the ground, they couldn't affect her. At this Moment, I was filled with Awe for the Prophecy Power of the Great Eye.
Oh!! Grandpa Cain, Old Cain, I saw it, I saw it all! You just took advantage of the chaos to kick Fara in the Buttocks, didn't you? And you used your Cane to support your whole Body, kicking with both feet off the ground with all your might (you really are still strong in your old age!). Although you tried hard to look refined and detached, you definitely kicked him, didn't you? Oh oh oh, you even added another kick! Poor Fara.
"Alright, alright, both of you stop it now. Look at the Appearance of you two right now. You're completely losing the Face of an Elder."
At the "critical" Moment, Akara finally stepped in to stop them. With the boss speaking, the two immediately separated. Kashya was bruised and swollen, looking quite disheveled. As for Fara, his Face looked a bit better, probably because Kashya thought his old Face wouldn't show the effects of a beating. But judging by the way he was holding his waist and covering his Buttocks, grimacing, his "internal injuries" were likely significant.
"Boss Akara." Fara patted the dust off his Robe, glared at Kashya, and then faced Akara seriously.
"Please give me two years to wander around the First World. I refuse to believe my Luck is worse than this stinking brat's," he said indignantly, pointing at me.
Hey, hey, what exactly are you jealous of me for? I'm completely confused now.
After receiving a fierce blow from Akara's Cane, the old man finally settled down, albeit reluctantly.
"If you've had enough fun, quiet down. I think Wu probably has something else to say, right?"
I nodded, having to admire Akara's insight.
"First, regarding the Matter of Saving the Horadrim. I already have the Materials for the Horadric Staff in the First World. For the Act II one, I'll have to trouble Lady Akara."
"I understand. Don't worry, I'll contact Hagarus (the Overseer of the Second World Rogue Encampment) later. As for the Third World, as Lord Tal Rasha said, it depends on Opportunity."
"Okay, that's good. With that, the Quests Lord Tal Rasha entrusted to me that were within my Ability have all been completed."
As for the other Quest to relocate Lord Tal Rasha's Wife's Cemetery, it was a small Matter, completed the day after I returned from Death's Sanctuary.
"So, there's one last Matter..." I paused, building suspense, and looked at Fara slyly, wondering if I should try to get some benefit from him.
"Do you know what else Lord Tal Rasha gave me besides the Soul Magic?"
Akara and Cain, with their Wisdom, seemed to immediately connect the dots from my words, their Eyes lighting up. Only Fara's Brain hadn't caught up; he looked at me blankly. As for Kashya, she couldn't be bothered to think. Seeing my Appearance, she knew the Matter didn't concern her and was just waiting excitedly to see how I would "tease" Fara.
"Don't forget, Lord Tal Rasha is a Powerful Wizard. It's impossible that he was just spacing out or sleeping, doing nothing, during the thousand-plus years he was imprisoned," I continued to Hint, seeing Fara's foolish Appearance.
"You mean..." Fara finally Realized, his Eyes instantly widening bigger than a bull's.
Seeing that he was about to lose his Reason again, I felt a chill and, fearing he would go mad like before, quickly handed him the Handwritten Scrolls Lord Tal Rasha gave me. Unexpectedly, as soon as I took them out, they vanished with a whoosh. Looking at Fara's hand, damn it, you really are wasting your talent by not being a Rogue!
Tal Rasha gave me a total of seven Scrolls. Besides the Alchemy Formula Notes, the other six were like heavenly Books to me. Even the Three-No Princess couldn't make heads or tails of them—Magic Knowledge isn't something that can be compensated for by IQ. Without long-term accumulation and experimentation, even remembering a lot is useless. On this point, I have to admit that my Marissa and Old Man Fala are vastly different in all aspects. Annoying.
I gave Fara the other six Scrolls. As for the Alchemy Formula, they couldn't use it without Soul Magic anyway, so I might as well keep it for myself.
As soon as he opened one of them, Fara's Eyes couldn't move away. His Face changed unpredictably like an actor's, which was quite amusing.
"I say, Old Man Fala, why don't you want to research the Horadric Cube?"
I couldn't help but ask. I had expected this Research Fanatic to immediately urge me to take out the Horadric Cube to research. But I was wrong. When I mentioned that the Horadric Cube was in my hands, Old Man Fala was very Calm, showing the demeanor of a High-Level Expert who cannot be swayed by force or corrupted by wealth. It was Old Cain who was curious, fiddling with the Cube a few times and then scribbling something in his Notes.
"Tch!"
Fara, engrossed, didn't forget to give me a contemptuous middle finger.
"For tens of thousands of years, so many excellent Mages haven't been able to research anything from the Horadric Cube. I'm not that arrogant."
Uh, now that he said that, I Realized. I had always treated the Cube as a lost Treasure, but actually, before Tal Rasha was imprisoned by the Three Prime Evils, the Horadrim were still active on Sanctuary, and so was the Cube. Therefore, although precious, with many people researching it, there were also many research Notes about it, and its Mysteriousness had diminished considerably. No wonder Fara was so Calm.
"Good. Very good!!"
Just as I was thinking, Fara suddenly couldn't help but slam the Table. Akara's small Table finally couldn't withstand the abuse from this Level 82 Sorceress and shattered into wooden pieces with a crack. Fortunately, everyone present was an Expert, and even the blind Akara managed to grab the Tea cups on the Table in time.
"Look, this... this..."
He was completely unaware of what he had done, carefully unfolding the Scroll and showing it to us. Regardless of whether we could understand the profound content on it, he began explaining it himself.
So, in the end, I only understood that this Scroll was about an Optimization Plan for Remote Teleportation. If this Plan could be realized, the Remote Teleportation Array would consume fewer Gems and could even operate autonomously, no longer requiring Sorceresses to be Responsible for replenishing Mana.
Oh, so that means the price of a Remote Teleportation using a Chipped Gem is no longer Meng Luo? My Eyes immediately curved with joy. But when I came back to my senses, I found that the Tent was enveloped in an unusually strange Atmosphere—sad, yet excited.
"This is great. This is truly great."
Akara's Voice was somewhat choked. A layer of tear Light shimmered in her pale eyeballs. This was an Appearance I had never seen before. Even when delivering the News about Tal Rasha, she hadn't been so agitated.
Seemingly sensing my confused Gaze, Akara gently wiped the Corner of her Eye, leaned on her Cane, walked a few steps, and pulled open the Tent Door. A refreshing Cool Breeze immediately blew in. Unconsciously, this Meeting had already lasted for several Hours.
"Wu, you are still young, so it's not strange that you wouldn't think of this aspect."
Akara, her Voice gradually becoming Calm, looked up at the Sky she could never see, and slowly said.
"All this time, the Remote Teleportation Array has only been allowed for some special people or when something major happened. It's not that we didn't want to open it up. As you know, each use of Remote Teleportation consumes a large amount of Mana and Mental Power from the Sorceress. There aren't many Sorceresses capable of controlling the Remote Magic Array. We can't possibly use all the High-Level Sorceresses just to power the Magic Array.
This is a very shameful Fact. Regardless of whether Adventurers are selfish or great, no matter what their Reason, they have defended the entire Sanctuary, and this is an undeniable Fact. However, we don't even have the Ability to let them return Home once. Once they embark on the Adventurers' journey, it is a road of no return. But now, if this Plan is feasible, it will be a great blessing for the entire Sanctuary. You should understand this without me saying it, right?"
"..."
See, this is the Gap/Difference in ideological Epiphany. It seems I'm really not cut out to be an Elder. However, I don't feel any shame about my selfishness. Anyway, I've never considered myself a great person, nor do I want to be one.
Regarding the Optimization of the Remote Magic Array, there are actually many problems to solve. Not to mention whether it can succeed or how much Time it will take, even if it succeeds, if High-Level Adventurers go to Low-level Zones, a lot of work needs to be done and many Regulations need to be established.
Besides the Remote Teleportation Array, there is another one—regarding the production of Energy Potions and Mental Power Potions. As is well known, Energy and Mental Power are two of the hidden important elements of a Warrior's and Sorceress's Combat Power, related to their Combat endurance. Therefore, Energy Potions and Mental Power Potions are, in a sense, no less effective than Life Potions and Mana Potions. I believe that if they can be successfully developed, it will be another great blessing for Adventurers.
As for the rest, Fara couldn't figure out what they were for the Moment and could only leave them for later research. After discussing for a while, everyone decided that the Sorceresses should put aside all their current work and devote all their efforts to getting the Remote Teleportation Array and Potions developed first. With research of this Scale, the Sorceresses in the Rogue Encampment Mage Guild are definitely not enough. Therefore, excellent Mages from all over the World will be summoned back to research together. Once the vast and loosely organized Mage Guild machine has a Target, its Efficiency when operating at full power is astonishing. According to Fara's guess, barring any accidents, the Remote Teleportation Array will only take one year to develop. This is a conservative estimate. As for the Potions, they are even simpler; if they focus their Energy, it will only take a Month.
After finalizing the various Matters, everyone stretched. Fara was already impatient and Teleported away first. Just as everyone was about to announce the end of the Meeting, I suddenly remembered something and turned back, pointing at Kashya's Nose angrily.
"Damn it, Old Drunkard, look at the good job you did! I met your precious student, and he almost killed me!"
Cain and Akara, who hadn't left yet, were both stunned, their Gaze towards Kashya becoming strange. It was a very peculiar Gaze that I couldn't describe, like schadenfreude mixed with a sigh.
"That..., ahaha, ahahahahaha~~~"
I had expected Kashya to argue endlessly, but unexpectedly, the old woman avoided my Gaze and actually tried to brush it off.
"You taught a good student! Tell me, how are you going to compensate me for my Mental Losses?"
"Well, you know my situation. I already gave you my most valuable Unique Bow. I only have twelve Silver Coins left on my whole Body. How about I give them all to you..."
"..."
