By Bai Xuan’s conservative estimate, if he found the right buyer, that ring could probably be worth ten gold coins.
Calculated this way, the liquidable items he had on hand were worth about twenty-odd gold coins under ideal conditions.
There was still a significant gap before he could pay off the total debt of seventy-five gold coins for his custom weapon.
However, he was only about ten gold coins short of the forty-five gold coins required for the first installment when he went to pick it up.
In the coming days, he had to find a way to take on some high-paying commissions or look for other money-making opportunities in the market.
Bai Xuan took a deep breath and took out the three most important items he had obtained from this trip from his ring.
The Dragon Steel Strength Potion, the Soul Purifying Stone, and the simple ceramic bottle containing the Sanctuary Embers.
His gaze finally settled on the ceramic bottle.
Amelia’s insistence on exchanging it with him and Anna’s shocked loss of composure at the time were enough to prove the extraordinary nature of this item.
“It suits you particularly well...” The young girl’s soft, sweet voice seemed to echo in his ears again.
Bai Xuan broke the wax seal on the bottle. Inside, the dim golden dust lay quietly, without the slightest ripple of energy.
The description on the panel stated that Holy-attribute Classes could use this item directly. After use, they would immediately gain a potential boost, new skills, and elemental resistance.
If carried for a long time, it could slowly nourish one's potential.
But potential was a tricky thing...
Bai Xuan couldn't help but think of his own potential column, which had shown an abnormality from the very beginning and had disappeared entirely after he obtained his Class.
Whether these Sanctuary Embers could have an effect on his potential remained an unknown.
He had also considered another way to maximize the item's effect.
He could wait for a future day when he obtained another Item Rank-Up Card from the panel, use it to upgrade the Sanctuary Embers, and then use the embers.
But as soon as this thought emerged, Bai Xuan forcibly suppressed it.
Rank-up cards were rewards obtained through luck. Whether he could get another one was unknown, and even if he did, it might not necessarily work on the Sanctuary Embers.
Moreover, for items that could directly increase strength, the earlier they were used, the more security they provided.
There would be many opportunities to increase his strength in the future; he didn't need to obsess over the extra gain from a single upgraded item.
Right now, his most important goal was to survive and become stronger as quickly as possible.
Bai Xuan no longer hesitated and gripped the ceramic bottle.
Following the panel's prompts, he slowly drew out the uniquely textured mana from his body and steadily enveloped the golden dust in the bottle.
At first, the mana was like water flowing into sand, silent and triggering no reaction.
He immediately tried to adjust, recalling the sensation of mana flow when casting Holy Light Catalyst, and integrated a trace of the Holy Light attribute's intent into the outputted mana.
This time, a faint resonance finally came from his fingertips.
The dim dust seemed to be instantly awakened, beginning to slowly absorb the mana he injected. The entire process was slow and laborious.
Bai Xuan remained focused throughout, steadily maintaining the mana output and mental connection. Sweat gradually seeped from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks.
Time in the room seemed to become viscous, and the fragmented whispers of adventurers drifted in from outside the window.
After an unknown amount of time, the clamor of the market gradually died down, and the sunlight outside the window turned to a dim yellow.
It wasn't until the last grain of golden dust in the ceramic bottle completely lost its luster and turned into ordinary gray powder that Bai Xuan finally couldn't hold on any longer.
He was almost completely exhausted. His back was soaked with sweat, his head was heavy, and there was very little mana left in his body.
But in the next second, a solid strength slowly spread from deep within his chest, flowing through his torso and limbs.
The feeling wasn't overwhelming; instead, it was like the internal scaffolding supporting everything had been quietly reinforced and widened slightly.
Bai Xuan immediately checked his status. Although there were no numerical changes on the attribute panel, three brand-new skills had appeared in his skill list:
【Pain Empowerment Lv.0 (0%): Increases all attributes of the target slightly and amplifies their emotional reactions. Converts pain felt by the target into additional empowerment, further increasing the skill's buffs and duration.】
【Healing Ascent Lv.1 (40%)】
【Elemental Resistance Lv.1 (40%)】
It was a bit of a shame that no domain-type magic appeared; it seemed his luck was a bit lacking this time.
However, the new skill, Pain Empowerment, was a perfect match for his original skill, Holy Light Catalyst!
Bai Xuan was secretly delighted. He couldn't tell if this skill was an ability originally waiting to be unlocked by his Class or a product spawned by the Sanctuary Embers.
But his Holy Light Catalyst, which came with intense pain, would undoubtedly become the best fuel for Pain Empowerment.
In the future, when performing healing, he would only need to activate both skills together, and the pain caused by the healing could be converted and neutralized.
He would never have to worry about drawing strange looks from others again.
As for the two new passive skills, Bai Xuan gradually understood them.
The "significant increase" mentioned in the description turned out to be the direct acquisition of passive skills, and their initial levels were even boosted.
Healing Ascent and Elemental Resistance had directly reached the second level.
Among them, Healing Ascent not only increased healing intensity, but thanks to the Class trait Sacred Martial Radiance, his own attack power would also grow simultaneously.
Elemental resistance couldn't be tested for now, but Bai Xuan decided to try the effect of Healing Ascent immediately.
He pulled out the small knife from his supply bag and quickly made a shallow cut on an inconspicuous spot on the back of his left hand. Blood instantly seeped out, accompanied by a sharp but brief sting.
“Holy Light Catalyst.” Bai Xuan whispered.
He lightly brushed his right hand over the wound. A warm golden light lit up, and the wound healed almost instantly, leaving only a trace of a slight, numbing itch.
Sure enough, there was still no painful side effect during the healing.
However, the healing speed was noticeably faster, though with such a small cut, the specific increase in healing volume couldn't be fully determined.
Next, with a thought, he activated Pain Empowerment, and his remaining mana was exhausted.
His body shook slightly, and a faint heat rose from the spot where he had just been injured, quickly spreading throughout his entire body.
He could clearly feel that his body had become slightly stronger, and his mind had become more focused.
However, the effect was short-lived, quietly dissipating after only one minute.
This skill consumed 20 mana points, which was higher than expected.
Bai Xuan understood that the small amount of pain he had deliberately created could only be converted into a limited amount of empowerment.
The true utility of this skill was never for self-harm in a safe house.
It was for enduring enemy attacks in battle or when performing healing on others, using the generated pain to transform it into the power to counterattack.
His gaze fell on the remaining Dragon Steel Strength Potion and the Soul Purifying Stone.
Judging by the effects of the Sanctuary Embers, this Dragon Steel Strength Potion probably didn't just simply increase strength.
Its true function might be to directly grant a strength-enhancing passive.
But since he already had a Strength Enhancement passive and could increase its level through Pleasure, using this potion himself wouldn't yield a very significant improvement.
It was better to keep it for now; he could use it later to exchange for other types of potions to unlock different passives.
It could also be considered an item that could be exchanged for money. If he really couldn't earn enough, he could sell this.
Bai Xuan put the Dragon Steel Strength Potion back into his ring and picked up the Soul Purifying Stone instead, but doubt rose in his heart.
This item was labeled "requires recognition," but how exactly did one obtain that recognition?
He held the cold, translucent crystal, trying to contact it with mana, then with mental energy, and even whispered a request, but it remained like a stone dropped into the ocean, without any response.
Bai Xuan frowned at the crystal. Could it be that he had already been judged as unqualified?
He shook his head, unable to figure it out for now, so he put the Soul Purifying Stone away as well.
After taking stock of all his gains, a long-lost sense of relaxation welled up in Bai Xuan's heart.
He got up and stretched his stiff limbs, then took the chipped ceramic basin downstairs. Seeing this, the owner pointed toward the backyard.
Bai Xuan drew well water and did a simple wash under the crude shed in the backyard. The cold water washed away the dirt and sweat from his skin and also cleared his heavy head a bit.
Returning to the room, he took off his stained old clothes and changed into a clean set of coarse hemp clothes and trousers from his backpack.
By now, the clamor of the market outside the window had died down, and the night slowly crept into the room through the high window.
Bai Xuan lay on the hard wooden bed, barely feeling the presence of the thin mattress beneath him.
Tomorrow, he would go to the Adventurer’s Guild.
...
The morning light filtered through the glass of the high window, casting hazy, checkered shadows in the simple room.
Bai Xuan changed into a new set of robes. Although not luxurious, they were neat and clean, completely hiding yesterday’s disheveled state.
He gripped the Whispering Staff in his hand; the wood felt warm and the mana flowed smoothly.
Then, thinking that the newly acquired Pain Empowerment might completely solve the side effects of his healing, he felt a bit more at ease with his identity as a Healer.
Based on his memory, Bai Xuan arrived at the local Adventurer’s Guild.
The guild's stone building looked particularly crude in the morning light. The large doors were wide open, and the mixed sounds from within could be heard from afar.
Stepping into the guild hall, a variety of smells hit him. Though chaotic, it was full of the bustling atmosphere of adventurers.
The hall here was smaller than the branch in Blackcreek Town, but there were more people, and it was noisier.
Around several heavy wooden tables sat adventurers talking loudly. Some were looking down to check their weapons, while others were carefully wiping stains off their leather armor.
On the wall at the far end of the hall, a huge wooden bulletin board was covered in layers of parchment.
Various tasks and commissions in scrawled handwriting were crowded together on it in no particular order.
Bai Xuan’s appearance drew the attention of many.
His neat clothing and the staff in his hand, combined with an air of indifference that suggested he wasn't a regular here, made him look somewhat out of place in his surroundings.
A few adventurers standing in front of the bulletin board discussing in low voices subconsciously moved aside to make a bit of space as he approached.
Finally, their gazes quickly skipped over him with a hint of avoidance.
A shorter warrior hesitated for a moment, seemingly wanting to ask if Bai Xuan was willing to join their team temporarily.
But after meeting Bai Xuan’s calm, sweeping gaze, he eventually swallowed his words.
Bai Xuan didn't care about the surrounding gazes; his attention was entirely focused on the bulletin board.
The commissions here weren't strictly partitioned by rank. Everything from simple herb gathering to dangerous nest clearing was posted together in a jumble.
His gaze hurriedly passed over the commissions labeled as Iron Rank.
The rewards were certainly generous, but they required the taker to possess at least a Bronze Rank badge.
Bai Xuan subconsciously touched the crude Paper Rank badge in his pocket, temporarily suppressing the thought of taking an Iron Rank commission.
He continued searching through the numerous pieces of parchment, and finally, his gaze settled on a commission with ink that was still fresh:
【Bronze Rank Commission: Long-term acquisition of two specific materials produced in the dungeon.
Requirements: Glowing glands of Fluorescent Worms; shell fragments of Black-Armored Crawlers.
Risk: The aforementioned monsters have an estimated challenge level of about Lv.3 and are mainly active in the fourth to fifth floor areas of the dungeon.
Reward: For intact and effective Fluorescent Worm glowing glands, 1-3 silver coins will be paid per gland depending on the quality. For Black-Armored Crawler shells, 4-6 silver coins will be paid per shell depending on the quality. No limit on quantity, long-term validity.
Special Note: Fluorescent Worm glands lose their luster easily after being removed; they must be stored in specialized sealed containers. Glands that have lost their effectiveness or are dim will not be purchased.】
“More work, more pay. This is suitable.”
Bai Xuan calculated in his mind.
The unit price for Fluorescent Worm glands was low, and they required the hassle of specialized sealed containers for storage.
The shells of Black-Armored Crawlers were twice as expensive and simpler to handle; one just needed to kill the monster and strip the shell.
Based on the reward gap and the difficulty of preserving materials, the danger level of Black-Armored Crawlers was likely higher.
But in the end, they were only Lv.3 monsters. As long as he was cautious enough, the risk shouldn't be large, and the efficiency of earning money would be higher.
After making up his mind, Bai Xuan walked toward the reception counter.
Behind the counter sat a young man, propping up his chin with his hand, his eyes half-closed as if he hadn't fully awakened from his sleepiness.
Bai Xuan placed the Paper Rank badge from his pocket onto the counter. The young man sluggishly raised his eyes.
He picked up the badge and looked at it, then raised his eyes to size Bai Xuan up. His eyebrows twitched slightly, his expression as if to say, “This outfit and you have a Paper Rank badge?”
However, he didn't ask further, merely reciting in a flat tone, “Taking a Bronze Rank task as a Paper Rank is a cross-rank commission. If an accident occurs, the guild will only handle follow-up matters according to Paper Rank standards.”
“Do you want to rent specialized sealed jars? The deposit is five silver coins. Compensation must be paid according to the price if damaged or lost; the jar itself is twenty silver coins.”
“No need. I’m only collecting Black-Armored Crawler shells.” Bai Xuan responded calmly.
“Fine.”
The young man didn't waste any more words, pulling out a carbon copy commission form and handing it to Bai Xuan.
He had Bai Xuan press his thumbprint in the designated spot. The entire process was simple. “After you bring the shells back, come here for inspection and payment on the spot. Next!”
Leaving the noisy hall of the guild, Bai Xuan didn't enter the dungeon immediately, but instead turned toward one side of the market.
There were several stalls scattered there. On one of them, a thick cloth stained with various suspicious colors was spread out.
Dozens of glass bottles were arranged messily on the thick cloth. The colors of the liquids inside ranged from murky green to eerie purple, in all sorts of varieties.
Guarding the stall was a lean middle-aged man, his eyes darting around flexibly.
At a glance, he didn't look like someone who refined potions, but rather like a merchant who had bought stock to sell here.
Seeing Bai Xuan approach, a forced, overly enthusiastic smile immediately appeared on the man’s face, and he called out loudly, “Sir Mage, come and take a look!”
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