Chapter 38: The Vast Gap Between Rich and Poor

Although this world possesses magic and magical equipment for communication, Nova is not a spellcaster and cannot utilize such functions. Furthermore, the effective range of standard magical communication devices is generally limited to little more than ten kilometers.

More importantly, the price of magical equipment tends to grow exponentially with the distance it can cover. Even as a branch guild leader of the Adventurers' Guild, Nova could not personally afford a device capable of communicating beyond twenty kilometers.

In a world where transportation is difficult and the transmission of information is sluggish, once two people part ways without leaving a precise, fixed location for contact, they are likely to be separated by vast distances, perhaps never to meet again in this lifetime.

Moreover, this location must be geographically anchored; otherwise, once the "Territorial Mutation" descends, one would likely need high-level divination spells just to locate the other person.

Hearing Li Rui ask about this, a gentle smile rippled through Nova’s ice-blue eyes: "To still remember this—I suppose you have a conscience after all."

She pondered for a moment, then took out a piece of parchment and began to write as she spoke: "Once everyone in Golden Wheat Town has been safely evacuated, I will set off as well. I plan to settle in Rock City.

Remember these names and places: at the Magic Crystal Tavern on Flagstone Street in the East District, look for a low-level mage named Matthew Gerrard; at the Tax Bureau in the Central District, look for a tax officer named Rhea Sanders; and at the Kingston Bakery on Aurora Street in the South District, look for the proprietress, Lula Kingston.

They are all old friends I trust. Once I arrive in Rock City, I will certainly visit them. If you wish to find me, go to any of these three places and inquire about me."

After speaking, she patted Li Rui on the shoulder and urged him once more: "Alright, go now. Learn well from Paul and the others. I have much to attend to, so you needn't come to bid me a formal farewell once you are ready—I may not have the time to spare for you then."

"Understood." Li Rui nodded and turned toward the stairs.

Before descending, he took one last look at Nova, as if trying to etch her focused silhouette into his mind.

Walking down from the second-floor office and preparing to leave the Adventurers' Guild, Li Rui suddenly noticed a figure standing near the entrance.

At the stall to the left of the foyer, the mage’s servant he had glimpsed earlier seemed to have started his shift early today. The sign reading "High-Price Purchase of Magic Cores" still stood on the wooden table before him.

Seeing the servant in his grey robes, Li Rui suddenly remembered something—wasn't there an Ice Magic Rabbit core resting in his own pocket?

Li Rui paused for a moment, then walked over.

The grey-robed servant had keen senses; before Li Rui had even fully approached, the man looked up, his clouded but sharp eyes locking onto him.

Before Li Rui could speak, the old servant took the initiative: "Sir, do you have a magic core for sale?"

Li Rui did indeed have one, but he had already decided that he needed to understand what these cores were used for before choosing whether or not to sell it.

So, instead of answering immediately, he leaned in slightly and asked with curiosity: "What does your master intend to use these Ice Magic Cores for?"

The old servant’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He pulled his hands into his grey sleeves and replied with a hint of bluntness: "Not selling? Then why ask?"

Li Rui smiled, his tone remaining calm and inquisitive: "Mages pay high prices to acquire them, so they must have great utility. I suspect... they are raw materials for some kind of magical object? Perhaps... for crafting something?"

He paused, his gaze fixed on the servant’s face: "I only wanted to ask about the price to see if I might be able to afford such finished products myself."

Perhaps it was Li Rui’s affable attitude, or perhaps the mention of "affording" them, but the old servant’s displeasure subsided slightly.

More importantly, as he scrutinized Li Rui’s face with his clouded eyes, he suddenly recalled that this young man had just descended from the second floor. He then remembered hearing the receptionists gossiping about the relationship between Guild Leader Nova and a certain man when he arrived for "work" yesterday afternoon.

Recalling this, the servant’s expression softened considerably: "Oh, I see. Yes, that is exactly the case."

Only then did he realize that having been sent by his master to this backwater town for several months, seeing only rustic adventurers who treated a hundred gold coins as a fortune, he had nearly forgotten that there were people in this small place who could actually afford the magical items his master crafted.

"My master is the mage Jacob Parker. He acquires these cores to craft magical rings. The finished product is called an 'Ice Spike Ring.' A single charge allows the user to release a first-circle 'Ice Spike' spell. In a critical moment, this is a life-saving little trinket!"

Having said this, he spread his palms and offered a seductive smile: "For only five thousand gold coins, you can own a magical ring stored with a first-circle spell!"

"You have a finished product here?" Li Rui’s eyes brightened upon hearing the price.

While this price was very expensive for him, it was not a significant burden for someone like Nova.

After all, she had already gifted him the even more precious "Constitution Bracers" that increased physical attributes and the "Recovery Necklace" which contained a first-circle healing spell.

"Uh, no."

Disappointment immediately appeared on Li Rui’s face.

The old servant froze for a moment, suddenly realizing he had made an ineffective sales pitch, and hurriedly tried to remedy it: "My master works at the Fisher Mage Tower. If you are in need, you can go there directly to make a purchase..."

Li Rui shook his head and walked away. He now felt that this old servant was perhaps too elderly and had been cast aside by his master, only to be dumped in a small place like Golden Wheat Town to scavenge for magic cores.

Come to think of it, the wealth gap in this world was staggering.

This disparity was especially evident between spellcasters and non-spellcasters—after all, a low-level non-spellcasting adventurer wouldn't even need a thousand gold coins to arm themselves to the teeth.

For a thousand gold coins, one could hire a low-level adventurer to work like a beast of burden, performing many tasks; with reasonable tactics and a bit of luck, they might even help you kill several people.

Yet, a five-thousand-gold-coin "Ice Spike Ring" could only fire a single projectile, after which one would have to pay a spellcaster again to recharge it.

Li Rui couldn't help but wonder: if five thousand gold coins could only buy such a disposable item, just how wealthy were those mages?

With these thoughts in mind, he followed Nova’s previous instructions, went to her home to seek the butler’s help, retrieved her horse and carriage, and then found Paul and his companions at the entrance of the Adventurers' Guild.

By then, they were all prepared, each of the four carrying a stuffed, heavy backpack.

"We’re all set. How about you?"

"I still need to go to the blacksmith," Li Rui replied. "My weapons and equipment should be ready for adjustment."