Chapitre 82: Chapter 82: Acquiring the Ring and Reaching the Peak

At this moment, the transaction was completed. A shop assistant handed over an exquisite gift bag adorned with violet flowers and approached Rhett.

"Sir, please take your potions. Is there anything else you need?" the woman in the floral dress asked, her smile brimming with satisfaction.

Having handled such a large transaction—equivalent to several months' worth of earnings—how could she not be pleased? She decided to gather some friends and head to the Flowerdew Tavern later to relax and celebrate.

"Sir, we also have Boiling Potions available. Would you be interested?" she added, remembering that she was still on the job and couldn't neglect such a valuable customer.

After a moment of thought, Rhett pointed to a few potions on the counter and said, "I have about three hundred gold coins left. Exchange them for six Boiling Potions, please."

With this final purchase, Rhett had spent nearly eighty percent of his family's wealth in just a short time after arriving in Twilight City. However, he didn't regret it in the slightest.

Not only was his territory about to yield a harvest of mid-to-high-grade magical plants, which would provide significant income, but the water-elemental plant industry supported by the Snow Elf, along with the Fire Vein mine, would also ensure a steady flow of wealth.

Additionally, the upcoming operation against the evil alchemist organization was bound to yield spoils—he doubted a group that had survived for so long would be destitute. The loot from this operation would likely replenish his coffers.

As he admired the violet flower design on the gift bag, Rhett casually inquired, "Do you happen to have any alchemical rings from around ten years ago when this store first opened? The rings were engraved with the same violet flower design as on this bag."

"Are you referring to the Violet Flower Rings?" the woman in the floral dress asked, a bit surprised. After a moment of thought, she replied, "I remember that during our ten-year anniversary, our boss had a batch of rings specially made. It seems we didn't sell them all and still have some left."

"Still have some? Where are they?" Rhett's excitement was evident as he struggled to contain his emotions. "I'm very interested in those rings. Could I take a look?"

The woman was slightly taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm, given the calm and collected demeanor he had displayed earlier. Nonetheless, she remained polite. "The rings aren't in the store's inventory; they're in the care of our store manager. I'll need to ask for her permission."

Rhett nodded and waited patiently, using the time to survey the shop's decor and atmosphere.

Soon, the woman returned, accompanied by a curvaceous middle-aged lady with purple hair cascading over her shoulders. Even in the dimly lit room, she wore a wide-brimmed hat with ruffled edges.

"Hello, I'm the manager of Violet Flower. I understand you're interested in our ten-year anniversary rings?" the purple-haired woman smiled, her lips painted in a striking red, exuding an air of mature elegance.

As Rhett gazed at the woman, something stirred in his memory. He was certain he had seen her somewhere before. After a moment of reflection, his eyes brightened with recognition.

"Were you working here when this store first opened? I recall you were behind the counter back then," Rhett asked.

The purple-haired woman appeared surprised by the question, then chuckled softly. "Oh? A returning customer, I see. Yes, when Violet Flower first opened, I did work the counter for a few days since we were short-staffed. But after that, I never handled front-line duties again. I'm impressed that someone still remembers those days."

Rhett felt more at ease after confirming his memory. He wasn't trying to test her for any ulterior motive, but simply to verify that she had been involved with the store during that time, ensuring she knew about the rings.

"Well then, might I ask if the rings from your ten-year anniversary are the same as the ones sold when the store first opened?" Rhett inquired.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" The manager smiled and opened her palm, revealing five rings of various colors.

Rhett's eyes lit up as he spotted a ring with a purple band and a blue gemstone embedded in it. Excitedly, he said, "This one—I'll buy it. How much is it?"

The purple-haired woman shook her head with a smile. "Kristina has already told me about you. A valued customer like yourself, who's also an early patron of our store, is indeed Violet Flower's good fortune. Consider this ring a gift from us."

"And may I ask for your name, sir?" she added.

"Rhett Green," he replied without hesitation.

"The Lord of Falcon Town? Rhett Green?" The woman's eyes widened in surprise, and her demeanor shifted slightly as she gazed at him.

Rhett nodded, not bothering to inquire how she knew him. Instead, he smiled and said, "Thank you for the ring. I have a good impression of the Violet Flower Trading Company."

"I'm honored to hear that," she replied with a warm smile.

After some further polite conversation, Rhett bid farewell and left the Violet Flower Trading Company. He wandered around various parts of Twilight City, searching for old acquaintances from over a decade ago. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain—many had left and never returned, and he couldn't even find any information on some of them.

Feeling a bit nostalgic, Rhett rented a room at an inn and settled in for the night.

With a thought, Rhett initiated a simulation.

"Yes."

The surrounding space rippled as the simulation began. Rhett then drank a Moonlight Potion and started his meditation.

As each bottle of potion was absorbed, his mental power increased incrementally. However, he noticed that, as a Tier-3 Mage, the effects of the potions were less pronounced than they had been when he was a Tier-2 Mage. This wasn't due to any problem with the potions themselves but rather because his overall mental power had grown significantly.

Nonetheless, with each simulation and the use of 24 Moonlight Potions, Rhett's mental power steadily increased.

...

After completing the 151st simulation, Rhett selected "Mental Power."

Opening his eyes, he exhaled slowly, gazing at the white wall before him with deep intensity.

"Finally, the peak of a Tier-3 Mage!"

He could feel the immense mental power surging within him, far surpassing what he had at the start of Tier-3. This naturally meant his combat strength had also improved.

Despite the diminishing returns from the Moonlight Potions, using 24 bottles per simulation and pouring in a vast amount of Destiny Points allowed him to reach the peak of Tier-3 smoothly.

Fortunately, each simulation reset his potion resistance, otherwise, this progress would have been impossible.

However, the next challenge loomed large in Rhett's mind.

"The bottleneck from Tier-2 to Tier-3 cost me over 200 Destiny Points. Breaking through from a Tier-3 Mage to a Magister will undoubtedly be even more difficult. I can only imagine how many more Destiny Points it will take."

Unfortunately, there were no alchemical potions to assist with breaking through such a bottleneck. Rhett estimated that, under normal circumstances, it would take years of persistent meditation to overcome this hurdle.

Shaking his head, Rhett pushed these thoughts aside. He would have to take it one step at a time. Rushing things wouldn't help—he was already progressing incredibly fast.

Advancing to the rank of Magister after only a few months, leaping two major stages, would certainly raise eyebrows if word got out. People might even suspect him of being involved in evil alchemy experiments.

Of course, this was just his way of comforting himself. If he had a large enough reserve of Destiny Points, he would still choose to break through without hesitation.

Books containing magical knowledge weren't hard to find; most major trading companies sold them. Rhett headed to the nearest one, Dalton Trading Company, which was not far from Dalton Auction House.

As he left the trading company with a new magic book, he passed by the Dalton Auction House and noticed a sign outside.

It read:

"The third installment of the best-selling fantasy series by renowned author Ferrar will be released tomorrow! Exclusive first release in the Southwest Region—Dalton Auction House."

Rhett paused, glancing at the bold black text.

He mused that he had indeed stumbled upon Taylors' favorite novel. But… what was the point of announcing it today if it wouldn't be available until tomorrow?

With a shrug, Rhett dismissed the thought and continued on his way, leaving Twilight City behind.

...

On March 25th, Rhett made his way to Maplewood Town at a leisurely pace, taking time each day to practice the Tier-3 earth spell—Quicksand.

This spell was not unfamiliar to him, capable of creating treacherous quicksand on the ground. Once mastered, it would be a powerful tool for restricting enemy movement.

If an opponent were to get caught in the quicksand during battle, they would be at a severe disadvantage.

For an earth mage, Quicksand was an essential spell, adding versatility to their combat repertoire. After just over half a month of practice, Rhett felt that he was close to mastering it.

According to his last simulation, dealing with the Tier-3 dark mage attacking Maplewood Town wouldn't be affected even without Quicksand, so Rhett wasn't in a rush.

...

As Rhett approached the boundary of Roy's territory, marked by a road sign, he knew he had arrived.

Looking at the buildings ahead, Rhett decided to bypass the town and head directly to Red Leaf Castle, located north of Maplewood Town.

From a distance, he could see two trees at the castle's entrance—both were special varieties of large red maple trees. Standing over twenty meters tall, each leaf measured between half a meter and a meter in width. Despite their size, the leaves were soft and vibrant. When the wind blew, they rippled like waves of red, creating a mesmerizing effect.

These large red maple trees were planted throughout Maplewood Town, creating a striking landscape.

Neigh, neigh.

Rhett reined in his horse at the castle gate and called out, "Lord Rhett Green of Falcon Town, here to pay a visit."

Hearing the visitor announce himself, one of the knights at the gate bowed respectfully and said, "Please wait a moment, sir!" before hurrying off into the depths of the estate.

A few minutes later, Rhett saw a tall, middle-aged man with a cheerful expression approaching.

With open arms, the man greeted Rhett with a warm embrace.

"Oh, Lord Rhett, the guest I've been eagerly anticipating has finally arrived! It was such a shame I couldn't meet you when I visited Falcon Town last time," Roy said, his shirt slightly damp with sweat, indicating he had just finished training.

"Indeed, it was unfortunate that we missed each other," Rhett replied with a regretful shake of his head, adding, "If there's a next time, I'll make sure not to leave the territory."

"Haha, welcome to Maplewood Town," Roy said with a smile, gesturing for Rhett to enter. "It's the perfect season for maple syrup production. You simply must try some of our special treats."

"That sounds wonderful! I'm glad I came at the right time. I'm looking forward to it," Rhett responded with a polite smile.

Inside Red Leaf Castle, the decor was vibrant and colorful, surprising Rhett. He hadn't expected such a lively design in a castle.

"Please, have a seat, Lord Rhett. I've already sent someone to prepare the latest maple syrup desserts," Roy said, waving a servant over.

"Thank you," Rhett replied.

"No need to be so formal. Your son, Raleigh, always praised our maple syrup whenever he visited Maplewood Town. After all, our red maple forest has been around for over two hundred years, and the maple syrup we produce is rich and flavorful, with a unique depth. Our Snow Maple Syrup is especially exquisite, though it's usually sold out by the end of the year."

"Snow Maple Syrup?" Rhett's interest was piqued. "Was last year's batch the same?"

"Of course! If you're interested, Lord Rhett, I'll make sure to set aside a few jars for you this year," Roy offered warmly.

Rhett nodded and thanked him, his thoughts drifting back to last winter when he had just recovered from White Eagle's Poison.

Raleigh had mentioned the Snow Maple Syrup from Maplewood Town, which now made sense—it was his son's way of testing Taylors and keeping him from leaving the estate.

Rhett chuckled inwardly, appreciating Raleigh's cleverness. Perhaps he had already noticed Taylors' unusual behavior at that time.

As the meal continued, Red Leaf Castle's maids served a dozen dishes, all featuring maple syrup in some way.

"Lord Rhett, I'm sure you'll enjoy these maple-infused delicacies. It's a shame that my eldest and youngest daughters left on a trip a few days ago and can't join us," Roy said as he carved into a maple-glazed chicken.

Rhett savored the unique sweetness of the dishes and offered genuine compliments.

After nearly half an hour, the meal was winding down when Roy suddenly sighed and set his utensils aside.