Chapter Eighteen: The Night When the Stars Fell

The Carlos Mountains are not rich in Fire Crystals everywhere; only the region west of Rockstead boasts abundant yields. The lord of Rockstead holds dominion solely over the town and its surrounding lands, while the Carlos Mountains serve as the border between the Kingdom of Elno and neighboring nations. Wild regions such as the Carlos Mountains are plagued year-round by monsters, making them perilous. Mining Fire Crystals requires safety assurances. To this end, Viscount Carl, lord of Rockstead, invested considerable resources, carving out a relatively safe passage and establishing a large-scale mine.

If it were not for income from other estates and his family's support, he might have failed long ago. Fortunately, within less than a year of development, profits from Fire Crystals allowed him to recoup his investment with interest. The nobles of Blackstone City eyed this jealously, eager to get involved, but the prime locations were already occupied by Carl. They were left to establish mines in areas with lower yields.

The demand for Fire Crystals on the continent is immense. Although more mines might depress prices, the influx of guards brought by Blackstone City's nobility has indirectly made the mining areas safer. The city's merchant guilds also partnered with other traders to open smaller mines.

For small merchants like Pike, founding a mine is out of the question. He can only toil, purchasing Fire Crystals at relatively low prices at their source and earning a modest profit from the price differential and transportation fees.

Hearing Pike's proposal, Chu Yun was intrigued. The magic scroll Cain used in battle had already stirred his interest. With the help of blueprints for constructing magic models, both casting spells and crafting scrolls came easily to him. All he needed was to "farm" a few evil mages for scroll-making techniques to begin production.

Many fire-element magic scrolls require Fire Crystal powder as the base material for tracing magical runes, while wands demand relatively intact crystals. Now, despite being a rare-class traveling mage, Chu Yun possessed only a rusty dagger—a truly pitiful state.

"Pike, if I only need a small amount of Fire Crystals, I could buy them directly in Rockstead. Going to the mines seems unnecessary," Chu Yun remarked. Although prices at the mines were cheaper, for small quantities, braving the dangers of the mountains was hardly worth it.

Pike lowered his voice, saying, "Actually, the miners at the mines aren't so honest. I know a miner who periodically hides away the Fire Crystals the workers have pilfered and buries them at a spot we've agreed upon."

"Once I get the goods, I pay his family directly to complete the transaction. Last time, I got ten Tier-Two Fire Crystals and made quite a bit of money!" Pike said, excitement in his voice.

Chu Yun was puzzled. "Aren't you afraid I'll betray you?"

Pike shook his head. "We have a special way of communicating. Only I know the hiding place, and you don’t know his identity. The mine owner has no evidence, either."

"Then why are you telling me this? Why not continue trading with him as before?" Chu Yun still didn't understand.

Pike sighed. "This time is different. He hid the Fire Crystals in a mine shaft but hadn't managed to retrieve them before the shaft was abandoned."

"Now, that mine is unguarded and has been overrun by monsters. It's a bit dangerous, but I don't want the townsfolk of Rockstead or any untrustworthy outsiders involved. So, I was hoping you could help collect the crystals," Pike said, glancing helplessly at Hansen nearby.

Most of Rockstead's citizens are simple folk and deeply grateful to their lord. If they discovered Pike's actions, they might well report him without hesitation.

"So, Pike, what's in it for me if I help you?" Chu Yun asked.

Pike was overjoyed and quickly explained, "This time, there are eight Tier-Two Fire Crystals and fifteen Tier-One crystals. If you manage to retrieve them, I'll give you three Tier-Two Fire Crystals."

The price Pike paid the miner for the illicitly obtained crystals was very low, especially since this time the goods hadn’t been brought to the agreed spot, allowing him to drive the price down. Even after giving Chu Yun three, he would make a tidy profit.

Retrieving items from monster-infested areas might be troublesome for others, but for Chu Yun, who could traverse the Mirror World, it was a simple matter. This was a deal worth doing!

"Pike, I can't be certain I’ll be able to defeat those monsters. If I fail..." Chu Yun was always cautious.

"Don't worry, it's just a bunch of rock worms. With your skills, there shouldn't be any problem. And even if you fail, it's no great loss," Pike laughed, raising his glass in a toast.

The two agreed to leave early the next day, with Hansen again acting as escort. Once they reached the fork in the road, they would part ways. Their discussion concluded, the enthusiastic Pike even picked up Chu Yun’s tab, and Chu Yun ordered some extra food to take back to the inn.

Upon returning, Chu Yun knocked on a door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Xia, it’s me."

There were some strange sounds from inside. After a moment, the door opened. Xia stood there in her nightgown, looking flustered, blocking the doorway with her body. "Master Chu Yun, it’s quite late. Is there something you need?"

Chu Yun handed her the food he’d packed. "I figured you were resting earlier, so I didn’t invite you. I brought you something to eat. The effects of the berry should be wearing off by now, right?"

Seeing the generous meal Chu Yun offered, Xia was momentarily stunned. "This... you brought this back just for me?" It was clear this was freshly made food, not leftovers.

"If there’s nothing else, get some rest. I have important business with Pike tomorrow and will be going out. Here’s some money—buy whatever you want to eat, but try not to go out more than necessary to avoid trouble," Chu Yun said, handing her a gold coin for spending money.

Before Xia could reply, Chu Yun slipped into his own room.

She stood there in a daze, then took the food inside and closed the door. The bed linens had somehow been changed for fresh ones, but her outer clothes in the bathroom were still stained with blood.

"Is he worried about me? No, tomorrow he’ll leave me behind just like a master does," she thought.

Xia tried to eat the delicious food, but to her, it tasted like wax. Only fresh flesh and blood could enhance her strength and truly satisfy her cravings. That was one of the prices she paid.

She didn’t know why, but in the end, she forced herself to finish the meal, leaving nothing behind despite how unpalatable it was.

"I have no way back. I must become stronger as soon as possible." Xia stood by the window, gazing at the deep night sky and murmured to herself.

Soon, a shooting star streaked across the heavens, then another, and another...

That night, countless meteors fell, scattered across the continent. This was no ordinary meteor shower. No one knew what had happened, but some powerful professionals sensed an unusual aura.

Some priests serving the gods were horrified to find their connection to their deities growing weaker. The magical web that wizards relied upon still existed, but its stability and efficacy were greatly diminished, causing all spell-users dependent on it to suffer a drop in strength.