Chapter 42 Nourishing Spirit Liquid

If there were enough essence, the best option would undoubtedly be epic-grade magic rune paper, but the crucial problem was that he was still falling quite a bit short.

This was precisely what made it such a frustrating dilemma.

Qin Yuan decided to spend the pumpkin essence right away.

The next moment, a system notification rang out.

[Purchase successful. You have obtained the following items:]

[Magic Rune Paper (Meditation ★ Common): Magical paper dropped by monsters. Upon use, you will directly activate the corresponding magic rune.]

[Meditation ★: Active skill. Enters a meditation state, significantly increasing mana regeneration.]

......

[Magic Rune Paper (Holy Light Ball ★ Common): Magical paper dropped by monsters. Upon use, you will directly activate the corresponding magic rune.]

[Holy Light Ball ★: Active skill. Releases a sphere of holy light, dealing damage.]

[Placed in player's inventory.]

Both pieces of magic rune paper were of common grade.

After reviewing them, Qin Yuan felt they were not needed for the time being.

The effect of meditation seemed decent, but the catch was that it would occupy a valuable skill slot, so after some thought, he decided against it.

The Holy Light Ball was a standard offensive skill; a mage couldn't go without one, but having too many was pointless.

Next, he weighed whether he should use the pumpkin essence to buy crafting materials or save it to use all at once next time.

Qin Yuan simply summoned the Grimoire of Murmurs to hear its opinion.

"It really isn't an easy choice..." The Grimoire of Murmurs thought for a moment and said, "Let me break down the approximate value ranges of the two options for you."

"First, let me explain the differences between magic materials."

"One-star magic materials have relatively single-purpose functions, mostly serving as primary materials for making magic staves or robes. For instance, the Star Meteorite you obtained previously is an important raw material for crafting staves, and the Volcanic Rock you used in the roulette draw last time is a material for creating magical artifacts."

"However, two-star magic materials are not like that. Their effects cover a very wide range, and their price spectrum is also massive. The one you have come into contact with most frequently is the Mana Crystal. This item actually has great utility, and many items driven by mana require it, but because its yield is simply too massive, it isn't worth much, translating to only five gold coins—falling into the cheapest tier."

"On the other hand, higher-value two-star magic materials, such as the 'Ascension Stone ★★', have the effect of directly expanding a magic rune paper slot by one. An item like this can easily sell for several hundred gold coins."

"Based on the median of a three-choice-one pool for two-star magic materials, I estimate their value to be around a few dozen gold coins."

"In comparison, epic-grade magic rune paper, due to its extremely low yield, also holds a high price, but standard ones go for around a dozen gold coins, while better ones command twenty to thirty."

"So, theoretically, buying two-star magic materials yields the highest profit."

"Yet, there is no denying that a random epic-grade magic rune paper—provided your luck isn't terrible and you don't roll some utterly useless skill—will provide an extremely substantial immediate boost to your combat capability, surpassing magic materials in the short term."

"As for how to make the specific choice, that ultimately depends on you."

After listening to the explanation from the Grimoire of Murmurs, Qin Yuan pondered in silence.

Ultimately, he decided to purchase a batch of two-star magic materials first.

He made this choice because he had taken another factor into consideration.

Assuming he bought the two-star magic materials now, he would still have a small amount of essence left over.

Then, he could try to gather the materials for the bait potion and holy water potion later, which would drastically increase his efficiency in the twisted dreamscape next time.

When the time came, he would attempt to slay two pumpkin lords simultaneously, netting exactly six points of essence.

Add that to posting another guide upon returning to reality, which, combined with the three points from the S-grade evaluation, would bring the total precisely to ten points.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, even without hoarding the pumpkin essence now, he would still have the opportunity to purchase epic-grade magic rune paper later.

In comparison, upon entering the Land of Spirits next time, he would need to destroy the abyss pustule, which remained a hazardous endeavor, and magic materials could at least provide a certain boost to his combat strength.

With that thought, Qin Yuan hesitated no longer.

[Purchase successful. Please select one of the following three magic materials to acquire.]

[Snow Berry ★★ *1: A magic material that has a probability of growing on "Ice Crystal Trees" in the Land of Extreme Ice. Consuming it permanently increases frost element affinity by 3 points.]

[Note: You must drink a Warming Potion before consumption, otherwise it will trigger severe frostbite or even death.]

......

[Nourishing Spirit Liquid ★★ *300ml: A magic material with a low probability of forming deep underground, widely applicable to the repair of various magical items, weapons, and equipment, and equally effective on special items to a certain degree.]

[Note: Applying it to the corresponding area will initiate a slow repair process, which will last anywhere from one to two days depending on actual conditions.]

......

[Surging Spirit Stone ★★ *1: A magic material with a probability of being produced in certain dungeons. Using it can increase the total capacity of mana your body can store.]

[Note: This stone surges with exceptionally pure mana!]

......

The first material permanently increased his frost element affinity, but currently, the only ice-attribute spell he possessed was the Frost Wall.

Its utility was rather mediocre.

As for the second material, it seemed he didn't have anything that needed repairing right now...

Wait!

Qin Yuan suddenly slapped his forehead.

Didn't he have the Owl's Whistle?!

The status had always indicated that due to item damage, the feather's skill set remained incomplete.

With that realization, he casually glanced over the last material and made his decision instantly.

The next moment, the system prompt chimed.

[Nourishing Spirit Liquid ★★ *300ml has been added to the player's inventory.]

Taking it out for a closer look, he saw a glass vial resembling a potion containing a pale cyan liquid.

"What did you exchange for?" The Grimoire of Murmurs noticed the commotion and drifted over.

Qin Yuan relayed the effects of the magic material.

The Grimoire of Murmurs pondered for a moment and said, "Theoretically, repairing spirit liquid is primarily used to restore damaged items like staves and robes. Special items are of a higher tier, but it should still retain some effect. How well it works will depend on actual circumstances."

"As long as it's useful, that's enough!"

Qin Yuan immediately retrieved the Owl's Whistle, summoned Feather, and shared the good news with it.

To his surprise, upon hearing the news, Feather remained uncharacteristically calm and simply yawned, "I don't really mind either way..."

What kind of laid-back attitude was that...

Twitching the corner of his mouth in resignation, Qin Yuan followed the advice of the Grimoire of Murmurs: he first recalled Feather, then immersed the whistle into the Nourishing Spirit Liquid.

Immediately, a faint, life-infused glow enveloped the entire object.

According to the item description, the process would take approximately one to two days.

With that settled, in accordance with his initial plan, Qin Yuan began frantically scouring the trading market for crafting materials concerning bait potions and holy water potions.

Such one-star magic herbs were gradually growing more abundant on the market, making them less difficult to locate.

Qin Yuan acquired the majority of them, though a small fraction still had no listings.

Consequently, he drafted a trade listing, raised the bounty price a bit higher, and posted it.

With nothing else to do for the remainder of his time, he decided to diligently practice the spells he had recently acquired.

......

The next day.

Waking up in the morning, he discovered that Feather's repair process was still ongoing.

Qin Yuan simply browsed the forums while waiting for the transport to arrive.

Thanks to his high-bid acquisitions yesterday, the materials for both potions had been fully gathered, and the corresponding concoctions had already been successfully brewed by the Grimoire of Murmurs.

The same went for the Stealth Potion he had commissioned earlier; two bottles had been successfully produced as well.

Soon, the hands of the countdown began to turn.

The scene before his eyes shifted rapidly, bringing him back to the wooden tavern room.