Chapter 43 - 42: [Animal Communication]

Chapter 43: Chapter 42: [Animal Communication]

After returning to the Medicinal Garden with the damaged Beast Language Ring, Gaode wholly devoted himself to his new "work": repairing the Beast Language Ring, brewing Magic Potions, and practicing his Guiding Skill and Meditation Technique. These were his top priorities at the moment.

Spring Bud Moon, the thirteenth day.

Five Green Spider Sacs were completely used up again, yielding five sets of high-quality Basic Spider Venom Potion in return. Since the inventory was barely enough this time, Gaode took the five newly brewed sets straight to Phil’s Magic Pharmacy to sell. The two parties had been cooperating for years, and their trading pattern was already fixed. As a result, this transaction went incredibly smoothly, without a hitch.

The only difference was that this time, Gaode immediately exchanged his receipt for cash: ten gleaming Sean Gold Coins. It was worth complaining about that the price of Green Spider Sacs—the main ingredient for the potion—had increased by twenty percent due to soaring sales. Yet, the Magic Pharmacy’s purchasing price for the Basic Spider Venom Potion remained unchanged at two Gold Coins per set.

However, this was a pre-agreed price. Raising it would be a favor, while keeping it the same was only natural. Harboring a bit of resentment, Gaode didn’t bother looking elsewhere; he splurged right there at Phil’s Magic Pharmacy. He spent nine Gold Coins and bought fifteen Green Spider Sacs in one go—a full half-month’s supply. He was afraid that if things continued like this, the price would only rise further.

Spring Bud Moon, the sixteenth day.

It was also the eighth day since he had received the Beast Language Ring.

"Done!" Looking at the Beast Language Ring on the table, now stripped of its green rust and displaying flawless, delicate Runes, Gaode smiled with satisfaction.

He focused his Spiritual Power onto the ring for a final check. In the next instant, a stream of information fed back into his mind:

Wearing the ring grants a slight sobering effect.

Allows the casting of the First-Ring Spell, Animal Communication, once per day without consuming Mana.

Animal Communication (Prophet, 1st Ring): You can ask animals questions and receive answers, but this Magic does not make them friendlier or more cooperative. Cunning and alert animals might give vague, brief answers, while less intelligent animals might say foolish things. If an animal is friendly to you, it may offer assistance or even follow your commands.

...

The feedback of information indicated that the Beast Language Ring’s Magic Power had been restored, which also meant Gaode had successfully repaired the damaged item. He had completed the task two days ahead of schedule.

Actually, Gaode was somewhat curious about the Magic’s description of "asking animals questions and receiving answers"—how exactly did one receive an answer? Surely the animals wouldn’t suddenly start speaking a human language? The very thought was a bit horrifying, and highly unlikely...

Since the Beast Language Ring was fixed, Gaode temporarily ended his seclusion. He tidied himself up a bit and headed out. When he arrived at the commercial district again, he distinctly felt that the foot traffic had increased significantly. Clearly, the growing number of wild beasts and Earth Vein Creatures outside the city was still compounding its effects on Hogan City.

At least for now, the impact appeared to be positive, stimulating the city’s economic prosperity to a certain extent. Gaode shook his head, pushing aside these matters that had little to do with him, and headed straight for Pierre Grocery Store.

"Not bad. A 1st Ring Magic Items repair, and you got it done in less than ten days." The little old man had always been shrewd. Seeing that Gaode hadn’t visited in eight days but showed up today, he guessed the Beast Language Ring had to be finished.

"Take a look." Gaode chuckled, handing the ring over to Pierre.

Pierre first took a sip of tea, then set down his cup and accepted it. Gaode felt a tinge of envy. Even the most inferior tea cost two copper coins a pot, and judging by the color of the liquid in the cup, this was clearly of good quality. This little old man sure was rich!

Meanwhile, Pierre finished his inspection and nodded in satisfaction. Rubbing the previously damaged and corroded part of the Beast Language Ring, he clicked his tongue in admiration. "Your craftsmanship is truly exceptional. To think you could repair such severe damage to such a perfect state."

Gaode grinned. It was repaired with Magic, how could it not be perfect!

Putting away the ring, Pierre reached into his pocket, pulled out a coin pouch, counted out eight Gold Coins, and slid them over to Gaode.

Gaode was slightly taken aback. "This is...?" A client wouldn’t pay the repair fee in advance before seeing the successfully fixed ring. They were clients, not gullible fools.

"I’ll be closing the shop in a day or two to head to Bremen City. Before I leave, I’ll deliver the ring to the client. I’m paying you the repair fee in advance so you won’t have to make an extra trip later," Pierre explained.

"How long will you be gone?" Gaode asked.

"It’s nearly two hundred kilometers from here to Bremen City. The round trip alone takes about ten days. Adding the time needed for business, it’ll take roughly half a month. Just don’t waste a trip here during that time," Pierre reminded him.

Thanks to the existence of Mages who could use Extraordinary Power like Magic to participate in the nation’s infrastructure construction, the road conditions in the Sean Duchy were actually quite decent. Furthermore, since Pierre was well-off, he would certainly rent a horse for long-distance travel. Thus, despite his advanced age, he could easily cover the four-hundred-kilometer journey in about ten days.

"Safe travels, and I hope everything goes smoothly," Gaode said.

Leaving the grocery store with his "massive fortune," Gaode thought for a moment before heading to the "Pea and Lamb" Market. He spent two silver and two copper coins to buy four pounds of meat. He was treating himself to an extra meal today!

...

As the days passed, Gaode’s life was simple yet fulfilling: brewing Potions, selling them, and cultivating. Then, on the third day after repairing the Beast Language Ring—the nineteenth day of the Spring Bud Moon.

Gaode, who had only recently manifested a six-petaled lotus, surprisingly achieved another minor breakthrough in his Meditation Technique, successfully forming the seventh petal. This speed startled even Gaode himself. After all, cultivating the Meditation Technique was inherently more difficult than the Guiding Technique. Yet, while his Guiding Technique had not achieved even a single minor breakthrough, his Meditation Technique had leveled up twice in a row. He was now only one step away from the Eight-Petaled Lotus of a Second-class Apprentice.

Gaode’s Mana had long since met the requirement for a Second-class Apprentice: casting five Tricks in one breath. It was merely his predecessor’s slow progress in the Meditation Technique that had held him back, keeping him firmly stuck at the level of a First Class Apprentice. Right now, he was working hard to fill the pit left by his predecessor.

Of course, this wasn’t unique to Gaode. For ninety-nine percent of Mages, having their Guiding Technique progress faster than their Meditation Technique was the norm. Aside from the Meditation Technique being harder to cultivate, the primary reason was that items capable of assisting in its cultivation were simply far too Rare.

...

Every five days, Gaode would personally deliver his newly brewed five sets of Basic Spider Venom Potion to Phil’s Magic Pharmacy, collecting ten Gold Coins in return. As his finances gradually grew more comfortable, "extra meals" at the Medicinal Garden became increasingly frequent. This was because Gaode realized that his body was severely malnourished, depleted, and extraordinarily frail. Since his mornings were quite free, Gaode designed a strict physical training regimen for himself. It included both aerobic and anaerobic exercises aimed at strengthening his physique.

Even though he had Wind Spirit Moon Shadow by his side—meaning that barring any major accidents, he was destined to rise to the top and grasp formidable Extraordinary Power—he still didn’t look down on the minor improvements physical exercise could bring. He deeply understood one core principle: only what was already in one’s hands truly belonged to oneself.

A soaring ambition often spells an early grave. Future matters could be dealt with in the future. Even if he could eventually rely on Magic to soar through the skies and tunnel through the earth, that was a distant, unreachable dream. Strengthening his body through exercise right now was the most practical choice.

Staying grounded was the only sensible approach; reaching for the moon would do him no good. And as the fitness saying went, results were thirty percent exercise and seventy percent diet. The importance of eating was beyond doubt—he absolutely had to supplement his protein. Besides, at his age, he was right in his developmental phase—the golden period for growing taller. How could he possibly skip out on meat? Gaode certainly didn’t want to end up a "Level 3" dwarf.

With the combination of exercise and extra meals, Gaode’s body visibly grew stronger day by day. The price was that his previously budgeted minimum daily expense of four silver had skyrocketed to five silver a day. Moreover, his appetite was only getting better, and his craving for meat was constantly increasing. It was easily predictable that the daily expenses of the Medicinal Garden would rise once again in the near future.