Chương 23: Misdirection

Standing in front of the stall, Rowan's gaze beneath the hood swept rapidly across the hovering holographic screens like a precision radar. In Terra's supernatural circles, the advancement of computing power had massively increased the efficiency of spell modeling, leading to a depreciation in the price of spells. However, the pricing of knowledge here followed a strict logic. Even with the depreciation, it was still the norm for the poor to be completely unable to afford knowledge.

Take the "Technique" Rad had just bought, for example. The reason a mere D1-tier fragmented technique manual could fetch the exorbitant price of 3, 500 Terra Credits was that it didn't discriminate. Techniques were primarily used to temper the physical body, channel mana, and enhance oneself. Generally speaking, as long as someone possessed a sliver of mana or mental power—even the meager traces found in a mortal—they could achieve some level of result.

Not to mention, the technique Rad chose perfectly synergized with the harsh, heavy-metal-irradiated environment of the underhive. In the eyes of a bottom-tier mercenary, it was a god-skill. But "Spells" were fundamentally different. Spells were highly integrated utility tools. They demanded the extremely stringent prerequisite of possessing a [Source Rune] as a foundational mold.

If you hadn't etched a [Fire Source Rune] onto your crystal core, then even if an S-Rank forbidden fire spell was placed right in front of you, it would be nothing more than a pile of meaningless gibberish. Because of this, the black-market price of a standard D-Rank Spell rubbing was typically much lower than a Technique of the same tier. Yet, Rowan's eyes were locked dead onto a high-tier rubbing radiating a deep blue glow in the center of the screen.

[Frost-Chill Gauntlets] [Rating: D2-Tier Spell] [Prerequisite: Source Crystal Core must be etched with a [Water Source Rune]] [Description: An extreme-cold variant application of water-source runes. Instantly extracts mana to condense high-strength ice armor over the arms and fingers. Defensive capabilities far exceed ordinary alloys. Furthermore, every physical collision transmits an "Extreme Chill" effect to the target, causing localized freezing and metal embrittlement.] [Price: 4, 300 Terra Credits.] Rowan read the description, deep in thought. What did he lack the most right now? Defense and close-quarters countermeasures! Although the Minimalist Water Blade was incredibly sharp, it was a ranged lethal strike. If a high-tier martial artist or a mana-beast closed the distance, his fragile physical body was still a fatal weakness. More importantly, this spell was practically tailor-made for penetrating Magitech Exoskeleton Armor!

Most D-Rank "Military-grade Magitech Exoskeleton Armors" relied entirely on precise magitech fluids and mana circuitry. Ordinary physical cuts struggled to break their defenses. But what if, in close-quarters combat, every single punch he threw carried an "Extreme Chill" effect that froze magitech fluids and made metal brittle?

"This is the one," Rowan decided inwardly. But when he saw the 4, 300-credit price tag, the corner of his eye shifted—with extreme naturalness—toward a row of dim cursors haphazardly piled in the "Clearance & Unsold" section at the very edge of the holographic projection. His gaze suddenly froze on a tattered technique manual that didn't even have a confirmed rating.

[Furnace Melding Art (Fragmented Scroll)] [Rating: D1-D3 (Modified from an ancient body-refining fragment)] [Description: Channels mana to transform the stomach into a furnace. Compresses and absorbs the mana essence and trace elements from ingested materials with an absolute, extreme 100% efficiency. Minorly enhances constitution, vastly enhances physical strength.] [Warning: This technique does not discriminate against toxins. If low-grade mana-beast meat or heavy-metal-polluted food is consumed, lethal toxins will be absorbed. Do not attempt lightly. Price: 800 Terra Credits (Negotiable).] Reading the warning, Rowan almost couldn't hold back a laugh. He instantly understood why this thing had been relegated to clearance trash. On Terra, even the mana in the air cost money.

The Consortium scions in the Upper City dined on specially cultivated, premium spirit-food and had professional Life-attribute mages to regulate their bodies; they wouldn't even bat an eye at a crude "stomach furnace" fragment like this. Meanwhile, the destitute ghosts at the bottom survived exclusively on chemically synthesized nutrient paste and irradiated mutant rat meat.

If a poor bastard practiced this technique and swallowed a meal of mutant rat, the toxins would be extracted with 100% efficiency directly into his bloodstream and pumped straight to his heart. Not even Old Gold the Vivisector could save him. This was the ultimate piece of garbage: "The rich look down on it, and the poor die if they practice it." But in the eyes of Rowan—who possessed an otherworldly "Pure Meat Treasury"—how could this possibly be garbage? It was practically custom-forged just for him!

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When he ate the Rock-Scaled Giant Crocodile meat previously, although it reinforced his bones, he knew very well that the human body's normal digestive system allowed at least sixty percent of that violent mana to simply dissipate and go to waste. If he mastered this technique, one bite of otherworldly mana-beast meat for him would be equivalent to three bites for anyone else!

Combined with his absolute advantage in easily acquiring premium ingredients, his physical strength would skyrocket at a horrifying, repulsive speed!

"Calm down... Absolutely cannot show a flaw." Rowan forcefully suppressed the wild ecstasy in his heart. In this core zone overseen by a Four-Phase Mage, even staring a second too long could invite unnecessary trouble. He adjusted his breathing, pulled his hood lower to play the part of a mercenary, and walked up to the scrawny stall owner.

"Boss, that Frost-Chill Gauntlets, what's the price?" Rowan deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound hoarse with a trace of urgency. The scrawny clerk looked up. Taking in Rowan's shabby attire and the broken-tipped dagger at his waist, he instantly lost interest and replied flatly.

"Kid, that's a D2-grade advanced spell. The price is clearly marked at 4, 300. I won't stop you from daydreaming, but you need a [Water Source Rune] to practice that spell. Without the foundation of a Tier 1 Mage, are you gonna buy it just to look at the pictures?"

"You don't need to worry about that." Rowan wasted no words. Hidden beneath his wide sleeve, the deep blue source rune within his Source Crystal Core vibrated slightly. Hssss— The clerk's vision blurred for a second. The murky, stifling air in front of the stall instantly condensed into a wisp of flowing water. That wisp of pure water-element mana coiled nimbly around Rowan's fingertip like a cold little snake before dissipating back into nothingness. A look of sheer shock crossed the clerk's face. A true mage!

"Oh my, it turns out you're a hidden master, my lord!" The scrawny clerk instantly plastered a fawning smile on his face.

"You absolutely have an eye for quality picking this Frost-Chill Gauntlets. This is..."

"Cut the crap. 4, 300 is too expensive. You're gouging an amateur." Rowan cut him off coldly.

"3, 800. I'll take it right now."

"Oh, my dear lord, you're carving meat off my bones here! This is a D2 spell! An extreme-chill enchantment perfect for defensive counters... 4, 100 is my absolute rock-bottom! I can't go a credit lower!" Right there beneath the dim pavilion, the two of them engaged in a fierce, rapid-fire battle of words over a few hundred credits. Rowan executed a flawless, Oscar-worthy performance of a "penny-pinching, stingy underhive rat who had saved for half his life."

Ten minutes later, the price was deadlocked at 4, 000 Terra Credits. The scrawny clerk gritted his teeth and absolutely refused to budge another inch.

"Fine. 4, 000 it is." Rowan gritted his teeth, looking as though he were in immense physical pain, as if he were being bled dry. He pulled the bearer magnetic card from his jacket. But he didn't hand it over immediately. Instead, his eyes turned cold.

"But I paid for this money with my life. Dropping 4, 000 credits on a single rubbing just doesn't sit right with me." Rowan pointed a finger toward the clearance section.

"You need to throw in a freebie. Give me one of those." The clerk froze for a second. Following Rowan's finger, he saw the clearance section, and he almost laughed out loud in his mind. Those garbage techniques had been rotting in the system database for three years without a single buyer. They were literal junk just taking up memory space.

"My lord, what do you want with that trash?" the clerk intentionally feigned a look of reluctance.

"Those techniques are absolute garbage..." Rowan shook the magnetic card impatiently.

"Give me a straight answer: deal or no deal? If you don't throw it in, this 4, 000-credit transaction is off."

"Deal! Deal, deal, deal! Consider it the price of making a friend! Pick whichever one you want!" Terrified that Rowan would back out, the clerk snatched the magnetic card and swiftly swiped 4, 000 Terra Credits. Rowan pretended to read the descriptions, let out a sigh—feigning the look of someone trying to strike gold but realizing he had failed—and pointed helplessly at the Furnace Melding Art.

"Just give me that one." The clerk knew the score immediately. Probably another idiot who doesn't believe in the warnings and thinks his body can handle the pollution. With a wide, fawning smile, he handed Rowan two micro data crystal discs containing the Frost-Chill Gauntlets and the Furnace Melding Art.

"Keep them safe, my lord! All sales final, no refunds!" Expressionless, Rowan accepted the data discs, clutched them tightly in his palm, and turned around coldly. In the exact second he turned his back to the stall owner, beneath the shadow of his hood, the corner of his mouth finally curled into an utterly unrestrained, manic grin. It was done! A close-quarters defensive spell, paired with the ultimate physical-development god-skill tailored perfectly for him. The two puzzle pieces were completely assembled!

The moment they stepped out of the heavily guarded core zone of the black market and entered a slightly quieter sewage alley, Rad abruptly stopped in his tracks. He clamped his hand down viciously on Rowan's shoulder. His blue electronic eye contracted and dilated furiously. The emotions he had been desperately suppressing inside the pavilion finally erupted like a volcano.

"You bastard..." Rad's voice even cracked slightly.

"Just now... you conjured water-element mana bare-handed?! Did you... Did you actually successfully etch a source rune onto your crystal core?! Are you a true Tier 1 Mage now?!" Looking at the two-meter-tall behemoth before him, whose cybernetic arm was literally trembling from shock, the stoic mask Rowan had been maintaining finally broke. The corner of his mouth beneath the hood lifted unabashedly, revealing a slightly smug, teasing smile.

"Just got lucky. Broke through the day before yesterday." Rowan shrugged, his tone breezy.

"The day before yesterday?!" Rad ground his teeth in frustration, his single eye widening.

"Then why the hell didn't you tell me when you handed me that meat in the alley?!"

"Because if I told you then, I wouldn't have gotten to see you standing in front of that stall with your jaw practically hitting the floor." Rowan laughed out loud, firing back without hesitation.

"Fuck! You son of a bitch!" Rad stared blankly for two seconds before barking out a roaring laugh. Overcome with pure joy, he gave Rowan a solid thump to the chest—pulling his punch, of course. The edges of his remaining human eye actually looked a little red.

"I knew it! I knew you were too tough to die! No wonder you said you'd tear Julian's mech apart bare-handed! No wonder you dropped 4, 000 credits on a D2 spell without blinking!" Rad threw an arm tightly around Rowan's neck, roughly ruffling his hair.

"Good! Fucking excellent! This weekend, I am going to survive this Martial Artist Ascension! When it's over, we're going to turn the Seventh Abyssal Hive completely upside down!"