Reinventing Magic: An Inventor's Tale-Chapter 67: Greed’s Pursuit

Kael turned his gaze back to the fallen naga, its enormous body sprawled across the cavern floor, lifeless yet imposing even in death. The battle had been brief but fierce, and now, the true reward lay within the creature’s remains. He had faced powerful beasts before, including the earth dragon at Valteiri, but this naga had been something else—a guardian of something valuable.

With a controlled breath, Kael activated his mana sight, channeling energy through his eyes. The world around him shifted, hues of magic pulsing like veins beneath the surface of reality. The naga’s corpse flickered with remnants of lingering energy, but at its core, deep within the thick layers of muscle and bone, a brilliant crimson glow pulsed steadily.

"There you are," Kael murmured.

Drawing his dagger, he approached the corpse. The anti-defense enchantment imbued within the blade allowed it to slice through the naga’s formidable scales with ease. He cut carefully, avoiding unnecessary damage, until his fingers closed around a large, dense mana core embedded in the creature’s chest cavity. As he extracted it, a surge of power resonated from within the core, its energy raw and untamed.

Kael examined the mana core with keen interest. It was far denser than the one he had obtained from the earth dragon, its deep red color swirling with condensed power. He could already sense the vast potential it held—more than enough to refine for his own use.

"This should be perfect," he mused, turning the core in his hands. Not only could he absorb its power, but the empty crystal, once drained, could serve as a potent mana source for his next aircraft. With a flick of his wrist, he stored the core into his infinite storage, securing it for later refinement.

Next, his gaze shifted toward the naga’s formidable scales. He had noticed earlier how they had resisted his magic, deflecting spells with unnatural efficiency. Anti-magic properties—such a trait would be invaluable for crafting armor. He still had the scales of the earth dragon, untouched and waiting for a purpose, but these... these he would definitely forge into something extraordinary.

"This will make an exceptional suit of armor," Kael thought aloud as he reached out to inspect the scales more closely.

Satisfied, he flicked his fingers, activating a portal that shimmered into existence beside him. With effortless precision, he channeled his storage magic, causing the naga’s massive corpse to lift slightly before vanishing into the infinite space within his dimensional storage.

Lucien watched with wide eyes, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Incredible," he muttered. "He has complete mastery over spatial magic as well..."

Lucien had thought himself well-versed in magic, yet each passing moment with the Baron shattered his understanding of what was possible. This—this was what he wanted to learn.

Kael dusted off his hands and turned toward the others. "Now, let’s find those spirit crystals."

The battle had been only one obstacle. The tunnel ahead stretched deeper, its depths untouched for centuries. As they ventured forward, the darkness slowly gave way to a breathtaking sight—clusters of spirit crystals lined the walls, their luminescent glow casting an ethereal light through the cavern. Among them were veins of amplithyst crystals and, scattered in between, rare red mana crystals.

Kael’s eyes gleamed at the sheer abundance before him. This was far beyond what he had discovered in Valteiri. The potential here was limitless.

"Jackpot," he murmured with a smirk. "This mine holds more than I expected."

Lucien and the others stood in silent awe. The sheer magnitude of the cavern’s riches was overwhelming. Now that the naga was gone, the threat eliminated, they could safely begin extraction.

Kael ran his fingers across a particularly large spirit crystal, his mind already formulating plans. With these, they could craft advanced magical devices—perhaps even enhance his next set of creations beyond anything the world had ever seen.

"Yes," he thought, a determined smile forming. "We are just getting started."

Kael turned to Lucien, his expression firm yet composed. "Start assembling a team to begin the extraction. Prioritize efficiency and security. I want those crystals transported without any unnecessary risks."

Lucien’s face lit up with enthusiasm as he straightened his posture. "Understood, my lord! I’ll gather the best men available and ensure the process goes smoothly."

Satisfied, Kael turned to Alice. "Let’s head back to my workshop. There’s much to prepare."

Alice nodded without hesitation. "Understood, master."

With that, the two hurried off, leaving Lucien to organize the workforce for the mining operation.

Meanwhile, Victor and his team had reached a neighboring territory, their mission was clear—to secure enough food supplies for the growing population under Kael’s rule. The journey had taken a week on horseback, but now, they finally stood before the grand structure of the Merchant’s Guild, the central hub for trade and commerce in the region.

As they entered the guild, a young female employee promptly approached them, offering a polite bow. "Welcome, esteemed guests. How may I assist you today?"

Victor stepped forward, his tone straightforward. "We need to purchase 20,000 sacks of grains, along with lots of meats and a variety of fruits."

The woman’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly open. The sheer volume of the request was unlike anything she had ever processed.

"Lady?" Victor called out, snapping her back to reality.

She quickly composed herself, bowing apologetically. "My sincerest apologies! Please allow me a moment. I will fetch the manager immediately."

She hurried off to the back, leaving Victor and his team to wait momentarily. Soon, she returned with a well-dressed man, his hands clasped together as he approached them with a polite demeanor.

"Welcome to the Merchant’s Guild. I was informed that you wish to purchase 20,000 sacks of grains, as well as a large supply of meat and fruits. May I confirm the specific quantities?" the manager inquired.

Victor nodded. "That is correct."

The manager smiled, already doing the calculations in his head. "Very well. The price for the grains will be 5 big silver coins per sack. That brings the total to 100,000 big silver coins."

He continued, "For the meat, at 5 small silver coins per kilogram, your order of 10,000 kilograms will amount to 50,000 small silver coins, or 5,000 big silver coins."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "Now, for the fruits—30,000 apples at 2 small iron coins per piece will total 60,000 small iron coins, which is 600 big iron coins. As for the assorted fruits, 10,000 pieces at 5 small iron coins each will come to 50,000 small iron coins, or 500 big iron coins."

The grand total would be 100,000 big silver coins for the grains, 5,000 big silver coins for the meat, and 1,100 big iron coins for the fruits. The manager folded his hands together and gave a polite nod. "Does this pricing meet your expectations?"

Victor, unfazed, nodded. "Prepare the goods. We will arrange the transportation immediately."

The manager, delighted by such a massive transaction, quickly gave orders to his staff. "Of course! We shall begin preparations right away. I trust that you have the means to transport such a vast supply?"

Victor smirked. "We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t. Just have them ready."

The deal was sealed, and within moments, the Merchant’s Guild was abuzz with activity, workers moving in haste to gather the requested supplies.

Once the merchant had finished preparing the goods, Victor stepped forward and, with a simple motion, stored everything within his ring. The air shimmered momentarily as the vast supplies disappeared into his spatial storage.

The merchant’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. He had heard of spatial magic before, but never had he witnessed it firsthand. His initial awe was quickly replaced by something else—greed. A ring that could store such massive quantities? Such an artifact was priceless.

After Victor was done paying turned to leave, his team following close behind, but the merchant’s fingers twitched as he clenched his hands into fists. As soon as the door shut behind them, he whirled around, beckoning to one of his attendants.

"Follow them. Find out where they’re staying, their numbers, their strengths. I must have that ring."

"Understood."

The merchant’s greed was driven by more than just the allure of wealth; he saw the ring as a means to elevate his status and power within the guild, a tool to outmaneuver rivals and secure his position.

Victor and his team set out without delay, embarking on their journey back to Bryndis, oblivious to the fact that they were being shadowed. Their return was swift, minds intent on delivering the supplies. Upon reaching Bryndis, Victor promptly reported to Kael, detailing the successful acquisition of resources.

However, before the conversation could progress further, Alice suddenly vanished from sight, only to reappear moments later, holding an unconscious figure by the collar.

"Master, I found this person lurking around," she announced, tossing the spy onto the ground.

Kael’s eyes narrowed as he observed the figure. "Wake him up." freёwebnoѵel.com

Alice didn’t hesitate. With a swift movement, she flicked a drop of water onto the spy’s face, rousing him from his forced slumber. As soon as he awoke, the man’s eyes darted around frantically before he suddenly attempted to bite down on something—poison.

Alice was faster. In an instant, she grabbed his jaw and forced it open, extracting the small capsule before he could use it. She crushed it between her fingers, letting the remnants fall to the floor. The spy’s face twisted in fear.

"Now, let’s talk," Kael said, stepping forward. "Who sent you?"

The spy hesitated, but Alice merely placed a single hand on his shoulder, and suddenly, a surge of oppressive energy flowed through him. He gasped, his will crumbling under the weight of her silent intimidation.

"I... I was hired by a merchant named Alric Voss," the spy confessed through gritted teeth. "My master was only interested in the ring. He was willing to buy it, but when he saw its capabilities, he wanted to obtain it by any means necessary."

Kael’s lips curled into a smirk. An idea began to form in his mind. "Interesting..."

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