Chapter 366: Time-Knowing Eye (Expert Level)

The next morning, when Luo En stepped out of the mansion gate, he felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.

It was not just because of the shock brought by the exchange with Vinad last night.

The research funding he had applied for through the "Abyss Simulation Device" also gave him the confidence to make large-scale investments.

The funding of five hundred complete magic stones, plus the funds accumulated before,

gave him the ability to carry out a comprehensive upgrade of his mobile workshop.

The "Star-Shine Market" in the commercial district of the Central Land was the largest transcendental item trading center in the entire Ring Abyss Continent Group.

When Luo En stepped into the main road of the market, he was immediately shocked by the prosperous scene before him.

Every building here exuded magic light.

The shop signs were made of living crystal, automatically adjusting the displayed content according to the needs of customers.

On both sides of the street, merchants from different races were hawking their respective goods.

There were short gnomes displaying precision mechanical parts;

there were elegant half-elves demonstrating the strange characteristics of transcendental plants;

and there were even several fully metal-modified cyborgs selling their "upgrade services."

The air was filled with various strange fragrances, a complex smell mixed from the breath of different materials.

Some made people mentally refreshed, while others brought a subtle sense of trance.

Luo En’s first stop was the "Heart of All Things" alchemy supplies specialty store.

This was the most authoritative alchemy material supplier in the Central Land; it was said that their procurement network covered all known alien worlds.

The exterior of the shop was made of obsidian and Abyss crystal, with dark red patterns like blood flowing on the surface.

When he pushed open the door made of dragon bone, a rich magic aura rushed toward him.

"Welcome, respected wizard."

The one who received him was a tall minotaur, but this minotaur had clearly undergone extensive alchemical modification.

His left horn had been replaced with a spiral-shaped metal structure, and his eyes had also been replaced with prosthetic eyes capable of analyzing material composition.

"I am Saruk, the senior consultant here. What level of materials do you need today?"

Saruk’s voice was low and powerful, every syllable trained with precise pronunciation:

"We have commodity areas for basic level, professional level, and master level."

Luo En looked around; the display in the shop opened his eyes.

Various strange-shaped materials were properly preserved in special containers:

Some were writhing slowly, some exuded eerie light, and some were even silently singing some kind of melody that exceeded human understanding.

"I need some rare materials with space attributes, as well as auxiliary equipment that can improve alchemy precision."

He showed his identity badge:

"The budget is about one hundred complete magic stones."

Seeing the identity mark of the New Star Project runner-up, Saruk’s attitude immediately became more respectful:

"Understood, Lecturer Ralph. Please follow me; I will introduce you to some of the highest quality choices."

The minotaur consultant led him toward the professional-level area in the depths of the shop.

The magic concentration there was clearly higher, and even the air seemed a bit sticky.

"This is 'Void Silk', from the edge of the crack space."

Saruk carefully displayed a mass of almost transparent silk-like material:

"It can add space expansion attributes to alchemical products without destroying the original structure.

The price per ounce is twelve complete magic stones."

Next, he introduced more than a dozen precious materials such as "Anchor Stone," "Dimensional Film," and "Stability Core."

Each had its own unique function and application direction, and the prices were all quite expensive.

Luo En listened carefully to the introduction, while using the "Supernatural Identification" skill to analyze the true quality of these materials.

To his surprise, Saruk’s introduction was quite honest, without any exaggeration or deception.

"Your eye is very professional, Lecturer Ralph."

Noticing Luo En’s detailed observation of each material, Saruk showed an expression of appreciation:

"Many young alchemists only value price and fame, but ignore the actual applicability of materials."

"Experience makes it so," Luo En responded modestly:

"I need these: three ounces of Void Silk, two Anchor Stones, and this Stability Core."

"A total of sixty-eight complete magic stones," Saruk calculated the price quickly:

"Considering your identity, I can give you a 5% discount."

After the payment was completed, Saruk proactively recommended some high-end alchemy equipment:

"If you are interested in upgrading experimental devices, I recommend you go to the 'Click Moment' workshop.

Although the equipment parts there are not cheap, the quality is definitely the top-tier in the Central Land."

After leaving "Heart of All Things," Luo En went to the "Click Moment" workshop as recommended.

The exterior of this shop was more low-key, but the equipment inside opened his eyes.

"Adaptive Alchemy Table," "Mental Power Amplifier," "Environmental Simulation Room"...

"This 'Micro-Operation Arm' can perform precision operations at the atomic level."

The hostess of the shop was a half-elf; her hands had been completely mechanized, and ten fingers had been replaced with precision tools:

"Used in conjunction with the 'Energy Focusing Lens,' it can perform the finest processing without damaging the essence of the material."

Luo En spent more than eighty magic stones to buy several pieces of equipment that were most helpful for improving workshop precision.

Although he felt a bit of heartache, thinking about the long-term returns these investments could bring, he felt it was still worth it.

During the procurement process, a detail caught his attention.

Unlike the strict supervision when he used those fifty magic stones before,

this time no staff member asked about his purchase purpose or source of funds.

Even when he bought some potion materials that were clearly unrelated to the "Abyss Exploration Simulation Device," no one raised any questions.

"It seems that the improvement in status brings not only resources, but also freedom."

He summarized the meaning of this change in his heart:

"The funding of five hundred magic stones is basically supervised in name only. And those fifty magic stones before, every expenditure had to be carefully reviewed."

This difference clearly reflected the hierarchical order of the wizard world.

When your status is high enough, the entire system will assume your choices are reasonable and will no longer perform micro-intervention.

"Do you need me to arrange transportation for you, Lecturer Ralph?"

The owner of the last shop asked proactively:

"The total weight of these materials is not small, and they require a special preservation environment."

"No need, I have my own storage space."

Luo En patted the space bag: "But thank you for your suggestion."

When he walked out of the Star-Shine Market, the sunset had already begun to set.

Today’s procurement would allow his personal equipment to be comprehensively upgraded.

On the other hand, he also personally felt the various conveniences brought by the improvement in status.

"Power is indeed a good thing."

He sighed in his heart, while also maintaining the necessary vigilance:

"But I cannot forget that all of this is built on the foundation of strength.

If one day I lose my value, these conveniences will also disappear instantly."

Thinking of this, Luo En quickened his pace, preparing to go back and organize today’s harvest.

Tomorrow he still had to go to Vinad’s laboratory to pay the consultation fee, and at the same time perform the fusion work of those two alchemical items.

………………

The next morning, when the door of the dedicated elevator slid open, Luo En was immediately shocked by the metallic aura and mental pressure that rushed toward him.

The air here itself carried weight, and every breath could feel the stimulation brought by high-concentration magic power.

Vinad’s private laboratory was simply the perfect embodiment of a mad scientist’s dream.

Dozens of precision devices up to ten meters tall were neatly arranged, each exuding awe-inspiring energy fluctuations.

Some equipment shells were covered with tentacle-like conduits, performing some kind of mysterious alchemical experiment;

some were surrounded by transparent force fields, and precise operations at the atomic level could be seen inside.

The most eye-catching were the "specimens" hanging from the ceiling; those were samples of strange materials from different worlds.

"Arrived on time, very good."

Vinad’s Void-Skeleton projection appeared in the center of the laboratory; at this moment, he was completely different from the communication last night.

In order to perform precise alchemical operations, he projected more of his Void-Skeleton body here.

The silver metal body became more "real," with dense rune circuits engraved on the surface.

The face had completely abandoned human features, replaced by a sharp-edged metal structure.

A triangular blue crystal was embedded in the forehead; that was his core computing unit.

Only that pair of pure silver eyes still retained a trace of the "temperature" from when he was human.

"Ten magic stones consultation fee, just put it into that charging device."

Vinad pointed to a strangely shaped container in the corner.

It looked like the stomach of some Abyss creature, with writhing tentacles and blinking eyes covering the surface:

"Don't be afraid, it only eats magic stones and has no interest in living people."

Luo En carefully put the magic stones into it.

The container immediately emitted a satisfied gurgling sound, and the blood vessel patterns on the surface flickered like a heartbeat a few times.

A few eyes blinked, seemingly expressing gratitude.

"A very novel design," he couldn't help but comment.