Although these materials were unfamiliar, none of them were precious materials. After searching, Ge Zheng found that there was still a lot of information about them for sale. After selecting the ones with suitable quality and price, he placed an order.
After placing the order, a staff member from the guild came to sign the agreement with him. "Sir, are you an adventurer? If you are, according to your level, you can enjoy some discounts."
Upon hearing that, Ge Zheng suddenly remembered that he was also an "adventurer," even though he had only completed one mission. "Oh, I am. Here's my badge." After rummaging in his storage ring for a while, he finally found the adventure badge that had been abandoned in a corner.
The staff member gasped in shock, as he held the badge in his hand and examined it repeatedly, then looked back at Ge Zheng with uncertainty.
Ge Zheng was puzzled, "Is there a problem?" "Excuse me, is this badge really yours?" The staff member saw the level six alchemy badge on Ge Zheng's chest and asked uncertainly.
Ge Zheng nodded, "Of course it is. I've only done one mission, so I'm not very familiar with the guild's regulations." The staff member almost fainted at the information.
This legendary figure who had advanced to a five-star adventurer within two hours of registering was widely known among the staff at the Adventurer's Guild. Many adventurers were both envious and idolized this mysterious "code 68970." His sudden fame would naturally lead to two extremes in regards to how others viewed him.
The staff member belonged to the latter category. A small employee living an ordinary life every day, he couldn't help but harbor dreams. If he, like "code 68970," became famous overnight, he would have everything he could wish for - gold, beautiful women of all races, and the status of a hero.
He glanced at the badge again, with the row of words on the back, "Adventurer Code 68970."
"It really is him!" The attitude of the staff member took a 180-degree turn, speaking in a tone filled with flattery, "Great adventurer, please come with me. There's a rest area in the member's area, as well as free fruit wine. Please wait a moment and I'll go pour you a glass!"
"Uh..." Ge Zheng was somewhat taken aback, unable to understand how he had suddenly come into favor. The staff member led him into the members-only area that required payment, and then sincerely brought him a delicious fruit wine!
To be honest, Ge Zheng couldn't bring any benefits to him, but he was an idol. Fanaticism couldn't bring practical benefits to fans, but they were much more loyal than paid followers.
"The fruit wine here is the best, the Dream of Quel'ran. I specifically changed the cup for you, so please enjoy it with peace of mind. Rest for a while, and I will quickly take care of everything for you." The staff member said and left to handle the procedures. Ge Zheng was bewildered as he thought: What exactly is going on?
The glass of fruit wine in the cup was not even a third drunk, but the staff member had already efficiently completed all the procedures: "Great adventurer, please sign here. Alright, the formalities are done. I've expedited the process for you, so you can collect your orders tomorrow. The total price is twelve thousand gold coins."
Ge Zheng calculated that the total price of these materials added up to twenty thousand gold coins. So he was being given a discount of eight thousand, which was not a small sum.
"How come it's so much cheaper?" he asked. "Well, you are a five-star adventurer, so you are entitled to a maximum discount of thirty percent. I also used some internal staff benefits, which further reduced the price by ten percent, so the total is twelve thousand gold coins. I apologize for taking up your valuable time..."
"Wait!" Ge Zheng interrupted him, "Explain to me clearly why I am being treated so favorably?" He placed the wine glass down, feeling uneasy without a clear explanation.
"Because you are a five-star adventurer!" The staff member said in an extremely admiring tone.
"A five-star adventurer, what is that? Oh, you mean the five stars on the badge?" Ge Zheng still didn't quite understand it, and the staff member, holding the badge tightly, said excitedly, "You are our idol! Many of your colleagues outside are also very eager to see you. I wonder if…"
Ge Zheng instinctively nodded, and the man's eyes lit up. He suddenly pushed open a nearby door, and a group of young Adventurer's Guild staff rushed in, the magical radiance in their hands kept flashing without stopping…
It took Ge Zheng a great deal of effort to break free from the group of enthusiastic staff members. Holding his badge tightly in his hand, he carefully concealed it. He realized that the old man had stamped five seals on it in silence, ruining the perfection of his badge. It turned out that it held such a big secret.
From the mouths of those admirers, Ge Zheng roughly understood the meaning of a five-star adventurer. At the very least, he had acquired that status in a matter of hours, which surely made others feel very dissatisfied. Others would have experienced life-threatening situations and near-death experiences to achieve their level, but he had achieved it in less than two hours - according to the admiration of those followers, the other ten five-star adventurers didn't recognize his status.
…
Returning to the inn, Princess Feifei looked anxious, "Teacher, you're finally back." Ge Zheng was surprised, "What's happened?"
In the main hall, besides the people who had been following him, Gleria and Dedemond, who should have been actively preparing for the upcoming match, had also come.
"Master," Dedemond stood up and said, "His Majesty just issued an edict that the three alchemists from the three southern grand duchies will participate in the Royal Challenge, not just the final round."
Ge Zheng smiled unconcernedly, "Wasn't that already said?" Dedemond responded, "It's to participate in the Royal Challenge, not just the final round."
Ge Zheng was at a loss, "Be clearer."
"After yesterday's top 16 selection, Shara Yagha sought an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, proposing that three alchemists from the three major duchies should each create one piece of equipment for the contestants in future matches. The contestant selects equipment on their own, and the effectiveness of the equipment in the match will determine the outcome between the alchemists."
"Isn't that unfair?" Ge Zheng exclaimed. "The contestant who gets good equipment will definitely have an advantage in the match."
Deekmont argued, "Selecting suitable equipment is also part of a contestant's ability, so it is not unfair. If you have poor judgment and choose bad equipment, you can only blame your own bad luck."
Ge Zheng, after giving it some thought, found the argument reasonable. He couldn't help but joke, "So, the cow that got teased by us last time is already eager to return home even before the final match?"
"It's probably not that simple," Deekmont, being of royal lineage, had some information through different channels. "It is said that yesterday, when Princess Shara Yagha presented herself before His Majesty, she was accompanied by the alchemist who came with her this time."
"His Majesty is using this opportunity to showcase the empire's strength to all the countries on the continent, to deter any hidden adversaries. Alchemy has always been a weakness of the Austa Empire, and it seems that Princess Shara's visit last night has given His Majesty confidence. That's why he wants to more directly and strikingly showcase Austa's alchemical development to the various countries."
Everyone understood what Deekmont was implying and involuntarily showed a concerned look. Groenia said, "Yagha and Selkin are both vying for the alchemical formula. It's obvious they have recruited highly skilled alchemists. Otherwise, winning back the territory would be pointless."
Her words further heightened everyone's worries. Ge Zheng looked at everyone's expressions and smiled gently, "I'm not worried at all. What are you all afraid of?" He patted Deekmont, "What are the specific rules for the alchemist competition?"
"The materials used are determined by the royal chief alchemist and must be crafted into an equipment within two hours before the match. The result of the Royal Challenge does not affect the alchemist's competition outcome. The judgment of victory is made by the three famous alchemists who hold royal titles."
"So it's a speed alchemy," Ge Zheng found the prospect of competing in this "game" under the wisdom goddess's cape and with Parachelceus to be a bit tedious. He hadn't expected that someone would want to defeat him in speed alchemy. A barely perceptible smile crept onto Ge Zheng's lips.
"The good news is that because of the added competition, the prize money has also increased. The winner of the round of 16 will receive a huge reward of 40,000 gold coins, while the loser will get 20,000. For subsequent matches, the prize money will double each time. In fact, everyone who reaches the top 16 has already made more than 100,000 gold coins," Deekmont personally felt. "However, only the victor among the alchemists will be rewarded, the quantity matching that of the warriors."
Ge Zheng sneered, "It really is a game for the nobles."
Deekmont continued, "There are eight matches today, one of which is the match between the third crown prince and Billmondo. The topic has already been announced. Here, take a look for yourself."
Due to the addition of this component, the matches that were originally scheduled for the morning were moved to the afternoon. The topic was set in the morning, and then there was a two-hour break at noon where the three alchemists would be called to the royal alchemy laboratory to create their works according to the topic.
Ge Zheng took the paper and saw a list of alchemical materials. Deekmont said, "Time is running out. We should get going." After hastily having a bite for lunch, Ge Zheng was whisked away in a carriage by Deekmont to the Nal Imperial Palace.
Deekmont had specially arranged a carriage for Ge Zheng, allowing him a quiet environment to contemplate how to create his equipment.
As the carriage passed a snack shop, a delightful aroma wafted in. Ge Zheng, having spent the morning entangled with a group of admirers and exhausted, hadn't eaten much. When he caught a whiff of the scent, his stomach grumbled in protest, "Stop for a moment."
He handed a gold coin to the coachman, "Buy me some, the rest of the money's yours." The coachman happily went off. Seeing Ge Zheng still in the mood for a snack, Deekmont, sitting in the back of the carriage, was eagerly tearing his hair in frustration.
The coachman returned with a warm package of snacks. Ge Zheng accepted it and sat inside the carriage, happily enjoying the food. Speed alchemy—did it really require much thought? When Ge Zheng was at the Ge Manor, he excelled at this—otherwise, how could he have passed through the Nine Crown Gate? After some "enhanced training" with Parachelceus, Ge Zheng was not worried about these minor ups and downs.
"The good news is that because of the added competition, the prize money has also increased. The winner of the round of 16 will receive a huge reward of 40,000 gold coins, while the loser will get 20,000. For subsequent matches, the prize money will double each time. In fact, everyone who reaches the top 16 has already made more than 100,000 gold coins," Deekmont personally felt. "However, only the victor among the alchemists will be rewarded, the quantity matching that of the warriors."
Ge Zheng sneered, "It really is a game for the nobles."
Deekmont continued, "There are eight matches today, one of which is the match between the third crown prince and Billmondo. The topic has already been announced. Here, take a look for yourself."
Due to the addition of this component, the matches that were originally scheduled for the morning were moved to the afternoon. The topic was set in the morning, and then there was a two-hour break at noon where the three alchemists would be called to the royal alchemy laboratory to create their works according to the topic.
Ge Zheng took the paper and saw a list of alchemical materials. Deekmont said, "Time is running out. We should get going." After hastily having a bite for lunch, Ge Zheng was whisked away in a carriage by Deekmont to the Nal Imperial Palace.
Deekmont had specially arranged a carriage for Ge Zheng, allowing him a quiet environment to contemplate how to create his equipment.
As the carriage passed a snack shop, a delightful aroma wafted in. Ge Zheng, having spent the morning entangled with a group of admirers and exhausted, hadn't eaten much. When he caught a whiff of the scent, his stomach grumbled in protest, "Stop for a moment."
He handed a gold coin to the coachman, "Buy me some, the rest of the money's yours." The coachman happily went off. Seeing Ge Zheng still in the mood for a snack, Deekmont, sitting in the back of the carriage, was eagerly tearing his hair in frustration.
The coachman returned with a warm package of snacks. Ge Zheng accepted it and sat inside the carriage, happily enjoying the food. Speed alchemy—did it really require much thought? When Ge Zheng was at the Ge Manor, he excelled at this—otherwise, how could he have passed through the Nine Crown Gate? After some "enhanced training" with Parachelceus, Ge Zheng was not worried about these minor ups and downs.
The mosquito is small but it's still meat, Ge Zheng naturally accepted it with a smile.
On the platform of the sixth district of the wealthy and prominent area, Billmond stood calmly with a leather rein in his left hand and a fine double-handed sword in his right. His mount, a level five magical beast called Red Haoh, paced nervously nearby. It was about to face an opponent two levels higher than itself, a level seven Burst Flame Tiger.
The third prince wore a dashing suit of bright silver armor, and held his helmet with a red plume in his hand. He bowed towards the direction of the imperial city to show his respect to the emperor.
Billmond knew he couldn't win as his opponent was two levels higher, and his opponent's mount was also two levels higher. The outcome of this battle had already been determined before it even began.
Billmond was also a member of a minor royal family, generations back his ancestors were associated with the emperor, providing a shelter for his offspring, making them members of the royal family. But how could outsiders know the bitterness of being such a member of the royal family? They had no power, but carried the glory of the royal family. Many jobs were off-limits to them, as doing them would be seen as trampling on the dignity of the royal family, inviting disaster if the powerful royals came to know about it.
Billmond knew he couldn't possibly win the match. His only goal was simple: money. A very practical idea, to compete and win prize money. Reaching the top 16, the prize money combined with the benefits from various sources had already earned him thirteen thousand gold coins. After this match, the number would become fifteen thousand.
He had worn the same armor from the preliminary rounds until now, not even once repaired, let alone replaced. The surface was pitted and scarred, a testament to the memories left by numerous opponents in past matches.
His sword was passed down from his ancestors, of good quality, a storage magic weapon that, when fully loaded with magical power, could unleash three Wind Blade Slices.
His mount Red Haoh, was not the typical choice for a noble's beast due to its resemblance to a plebeian beast, resulting in it being cheap despite its good strength among beasts of the same level.
However, Billmond didn't care. So what if people mocked him? If you had to endure hunger since childhood but still had to appear glamorous in front of others, you would realize that being ridiculed might be a kind of indulgent treatment.
Billmond needed a powerful but inexpensive mount to help him win the match and earn more money without spending too much. Red Haoh was a good choice.
The third prince took the stage, wearing a smile as gentle as a spring breeze on his face. With his golden hair flowing behind his head, tied with a brown three-tipped leather cord, his ocean-blue eyes exuded affability. The handsome appearance, powerful strength, and noble lineage made the surrounding people extremely excited, with applause erupting incessantly.
These desires were to be fulfilled only after this match ended.