Alchemist Wizard

"What is this?"

Beneath his face guard, Roy's expression turned puzzled.

He observed carefully and found that the stone was about the size of a fist, with a portion of it revealing vibrant colors, dyed by some kind of plant material.

Under the illumination of the [Eye of Hermes], it emitted a white Magical Aura, signifying its nature as a zero-level treasure.

However, within this zero-level white aura, there was actually a trace of golden-orange!

This golden-orange hue, reminiscent of a Humanoid Angel, endowed it with an indescribably peculiar texture!

It completely distinguished itself from the ordinary white items of zero-level quality.

"It's actually a fourth-level treasure! What exactly is this?"

After confirming that he wasn't mistaken, Roy felt a surge of astonishment.

But after a quick search in his mind, he soon arrived at an answer.

"This is the Totem Stone of the Bloodhoof Tribe!

To be precise, it's the Branch Totem Stone bestowed when a son grows up and the tribe practices the 'Separate Cooking Stoves' custom, splitting off to form another branch!"

With a hint of delight, he picked up the stone, held it in his hand, and closed his eyes slightly, sensing it with his spirit.

In an instant, a scene as if projected from an illusion appeared before his eyes.

He seemed to see a vast, boundless plain, with a natural high mountain towering like a monument.

Adjacent to it were numerous mountain ranges, undulating like a city wall, blocking the cold winds blowing from the far south.

Under its protection, the descendants of the Bloodhoof Tribe thrived generation after generation, enduring one harsh winter after another.

The centaurs referred to this mountain range as "Sacred Barrier," which in the language of Netherlands, meant "Holy Mountain"...

Or, "Sacred Mountain"!

This stone was collected from the summit of the Holy Mountain.

Originally, it was just an ordinary stone, devoid of any magical power!

However, during the joyous celebrations of song and dance, it was collected by the tribal elders and crafted into a Totem Stone.

The centaurs painted it, adorned it, worshipped it, and offered sacrifices to it...

Day after day, year after year...

The once ordinary mountain stone gradually condensed a trace of spiritual essence!

Roy suddenly opened his eyes.

"The centaur natives have backward productivity, and their settlements often can't support too many people, so most tribes are limited to a few thousand members.

Those reaching ten thousand in size are exceptionally powerful tribes.

Even the heroic centaurs of the past, who claimed kingship, directly commanded only about ten to twenty thousand in their main tribes, with others joining as vassals."

He recalled some books he had read before coming to this world.

They described the local customs and traditions of this world's inhabitants.

He quickly understood that the white radiance contained within the Totem Stone was something akin to spiritual faith, linked to the Holy Mountain.

"It's somewhat similar to the Sacred Lake Crystal I collected before; this one has also condensed some similar crystals!"

Roy suddenly thought of something else.

That special crystalline substance, resembling grains of salt, was also formed in a similar manner.

"However, not every tribe can successfully worship and form such stones.

Condensing Mana Essence is a matter of chance.

Ordinary people don't have the [Eye of Hermes] like I do, so they can't identify it at a glance.

Cutting it open to examine it closely would be akin to gambling on jade."

"The Totem Stone?"

While Roy was deep in thought, Andov and others came over to discuss with him.

"By the way, this is something they entrust their faith to!"

"Many of the natives in this world worship natural deities like mountains and rivers, right?"

"The Holy Mountain, Sacred Barrier, is probably the biggest faith!"

...

After handling various matters, Roy delegated the trivial tasks to others.

He returned to his city residence, used the Communication Crystal to contact Flosf, and reported some of the spoils.

This time, he didn't mention the Totem Stone at all, as he intended to use it himself.

He also planned to capture Marcel's essence and soul to continue his research on Golem Transmutation.

However, he decided to sell all the Soul Binding Demon Armor to his teacher.

The other centaur captives, with their heroic bloodline and special souls, were also worth tens of thousands of Magic Stones.

But he didn't plan to save this part; instead, he would exchange it for Wandering Soul Messengers, Meditation Potions, Healing Potions, and other supplies.

These were both for Andov and others and for his own reserves, to prepare for any unforeseen needs.

All these required careful negotiation to finalize the amounts.

Flosf greatly affirmed Roy's achievements, praising him, "Roy, you have excellently completed the task, and I am very satisfied.

But now, it seems that being able to mobilize such a large-scale cavalry force, the development of the Bloodhoof Tribe cannot be underestimated...

Moreover, daring to collude with demons has violated the 'taboo'!

I plan to strike them with thunderous force, completely annihilating this tribe."

"Completely annihilate the Bloodhoof Tribe?"

Roy was startled upon hearing this.

"The colonial rule of this world has finally reached this point..."

"Yes, you'd better prepare for battle.

Because by then, it will be a true Wizard-level task."

Flosf's tone slightly deepened as he reminded him.

"Weren't you planning to gather enough to master the secret technique of Shatranj Chess?

The basic reward for this is 100,000 Magic Stones, and if you include the spoils and other unexpected gains, it should bring you much closer to your goal."

He then added, "I will send a few other Wizards to join you in this mission.

Normally, it would be more prudent to have more experienced Wizards handle such matters.

But you have passed my test, performing exceptionally well both in your first battle against Yanila and in this support mission to Scarto City.

So, I intend to give you this opportunity."

"I understand, thank you, teacher!"

Hearing Flosf's words, Roy came back to his senses and expressed his sincere gratitude.

...

"Lord Roy, the money and materials you instructed have been distributed, and the various apprentice masters have each submitted their exchange requests. Here is the list."

The next morning, Atedia brought a document to report to Roy.

"Thank you for your hard work, Atedia. You are not only serving as my guard and mount but also taking on the role of a steward."

Roy didn't immediately look at the list but spoke to her instead.

"It's all my duty." Atedia blushed and murmured.

"This time, defeating the barbarians has yielded quite a bounty. Besides rewarding others based on their merits, you should also receive something.

This is my reward for you."

Roy took out an item and placed it on the table.

Atedia was overwhelmed with gratitude and quickly knelt down, saying, "Thank you, my lord!"

Roy nodded and said, "Go change and give it a try."

Atedia turned her gaze to the table and was surprised to find that it was actually a set of clothes.

An exquisite outfit resembling the Silver Battle Armor.

After spending a short while, Atedia, with a hint of shyness, came out wearing the battle armor.

Seeing this, Roy's eyes lit up.

"It fits perfectly indeed!"

(End of Chapter)