Chapter 73 : Chapter 73

Chapter 73. Test

The reason Fulan came to this society to take commissions was because she had no other way to promote the fact that she could craft spell rings.

Her skill in crafting spell rings came from Habos, but Habos had no connections within the City of Apprentices.

So even if she used Habos’s name as a banner, it would not matter. If the people who actually needed spell rings could not see her work, there would never be any orders.

In the entire Graysoil Province where the City of Apprentices was located, the spell ring industry operated under a master-apprentice inheritance system that was even more backward than the old clan monopolies.

Even if someone wanted to pay to learn the trade, without connections they could not even find the path to enter the industry.

Worse still, others monopolized all the trading channels. Forget major clients—if you only had money but no connections, you would not be able to find a single person willing to engrave a spell ring for you.

That was why Fulan came to this society. She hoped to use the society’s reputation for high-end equipment to see if she could attract some orders.

After all, the shop sold high-grade equipment. If someone suddenly noticed that a service for custom spell rings—something they had searched for unsuccessfully for a long time—was offered here, they would surely be tempted to give it a try.

Baul hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to let Fulan attempt the test. After all, she was paying for the materials herself. Since the society would not suffer any loss, there was no harm in letting her try.

He unlocked a cabinet positioned high on the wall and took out three gemstones along with several prepared ring bands.

Although they normally did not sell spell rings, they did sell rings with minor enhancements—such as a Ring of Strength that slightly increased physical power.

Naturally, those sold for much less than spell rings. The cheapest ones might only cost seventy or eighty silver coins.

“Are you testing the engraving of spells for others?”

Even the crafting of spell rings was divided into two types.

The first type was when the creator already knew the spell themselves. In that case, they could cast the spell during the process without assistance and naturally complete the ring.

The second type required cooperation from another person. During the crafting process, the other person would cast the spell, and the creator would record the spell into the ring before completing a series of finishing steps. Only then would it become a true spell ring.

The first method was easier than the second. When casting the spell yourself, the coordination was naturally better than relying on someone else.

The other person’s spellcasting proficiency might not be high, which made success less certain.

Of course, most custom orders were of the second type.

After all, a craftsman’s energy was limited. They could not learn every useful spell. If they did not know the spell themselves, how could they craft the ring alone?

Moreover, many clients would bring along someone who could cast the required spell. That way, the spell could be engraved into the ring without the client needing to learn the spell personally.

“Of course.”

Others might craft spell rings to earn money, but Fulan genuinely intended to steal other people’s spells.

“Very well. I’m from the Elemental School. Let’s engrave Ignite once.”

Baul proposed this. He was an apprentice of the Elemental School, but his magical talent was insufficient, so he had become a craftsman instead.

The Elemental School was a major school, and every year new apprentices attended a welcome ceremony.

Baul had never seen Fulan at such a ceremony, so he instinctively assumed she was not from the Elemental School.

Engraving a spell from another school was something craftsmen often encountered.

Although the structure of Ignite was relatively simple, Baul believed it would still reveal Fulan’s true skill.

“There are three sets of materials here. If you think that isn’t enough, we can add two more sets—but no more than five.”

“That’s fine.”

“Good. Begin when you’re ready. Call me when you need me to cast the spell.”

Fulan picked up one set of materials from the table. First, she compared the ring band to ensure the size was appropriate.

Then she examined the gemstone’s quality to determine whether it was suitable for engraving the spell.

After confirming everything, Fulan nodded. She used Telekinetic Hand to lift both the gemstone and the ring band into the air.

“A very skilled Telekinetic Hand. She’s definitely a qualified craftsman,” Baul thought.

Using Telekinetic Hand during weapon and equipment crafting was an advanced technique.

It allowed objects to rotate freely in midair, enabling craftsmen to inspect them carefully for errors while also keeping the process safe.

However, not everyone could use the spell effectively. Craftsmen varied greatly in mental strength and magical talent.

Although Baul could also use Telekinetic Hand, he only applied it when forging large equipment such as armor or longswords.

When crafting small components, his precision was insufficient, and forcing its use would only slow his progress.

“You can begin.”

Seeing that Fulan had already engraved patterns into the gemstone, Baul asked,

“Where should I cast the spell?”

“In front of me. Just don’t stand too far away.”

Baul adjusted his position and cast the only spell he could use with reasonable proficiency—Ignite—in front of Fulan.

A flash of fire suddenly appeared in the air, then vanished just as quickly.

Baul knew that this was the effect of spell engraving. When he normally cast Ignite, the flame would burn for several seconds even without combustible material before disappearing. But this time it vanished instantly.

He turned his head and saw Fulan toss the ring directly into her pocket.

She explained, “That one failed… Let’s try again.”

Baul had nothing to say about that. Since she had already paid for the materials, treating a failed attempt as scrap was perfectly acceptable.

After Fulan prepared the materials again, Baul cast Ignite once more. The red flash appeared and vanished again, and he turned his head away.

This time, Fulan did not stuff the ring into her pocket. Instead, she held it in her hand and examined it carefully.

The yellow gemstone emitted a faint glow, indicating that the spell engraved within it could now be used.

Only spell gemstones could record spells—this was their unique natural property.

They could capture a spell while another mage was casting it. However, without a craftsman guiding the process, it might take hundreds of attempts to record the spell properly—and even then, the result might still be poor.

“It can be used once every three hours. It consumes a portion of mental power and a small amount of mana.”

After testing it, Fulan handed the ring to Krich.

Krich placed the ring on his index finger, gathered his concentration, and cast the spell toward the air.

After a second, a small flame appeared in the air. A few seconds later, it vanished, and the gemstone on the ring dimmed.

“Impressive. You really have skill.”

Krich exclaimed in surprise. He had never imagined that one day a craftsman capable of making spell rings would appear in his society.

“Our society’s rule is that we take a commission fee… um, for your commissions I’ll only take ten percent.”

“That’s fine.”

Seeing Fulan agree without hesitation, Krich scratched his head. He had been fully prepared for her to bargain for an even lower commission rate.