Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 56: Infinite Magical Power
The creation of a spatial ring required only a single material known as Spatial Stone, a rare and precious substance.
On the continent of Aize, alchemical materials were classified according to both their rarity and the difficulty of obtaining them. Their grades, in ascending order, were: Common, Excellent, Rare, Precious, Epic, Legendary, and Mythical.
Spatial Stone fell into the third tier: Rare. While it wasn’t impossibly difficult to acquire, it was far from common. These stones tended to form in regions of intense spatial fluctuation. Stones near teleportation gates, over the course of time, could gradually transform into Spatial Stone, but such a process generally took over a decade.
Still, the crafting of a storage ring—a device capable of storing items in a personal pocket dimension—was reserved solely for master alchemists, which meant its price remained steep.
The ring Merlin held in his hand granted a cubic meter of personal storage space. He examined the intricate, silver-bound band and asked, “So… how much do I need to pay in total?”
“Master Merlin,” Henry King said, rubbing his hands together nervously, “the total cost for the suite of alchemical tools and potions you purchased from the Steam & Stars Guild—including the Great Circle of Earth and other equipment—comes to sixty-seven thousand gold coins. But as your senior and also as the student recommended by your teacher, we’ve decided to give you a discount. You only need to pay sixty-five thousand gold coins to take all of this alchemical equipment home.”
Merlin’s lips curled into a faint smile as he raised his Magical Crystal Card. “This price is quite a bit lower than I expected. Go ahead and charge it directly to the card.”
Henry’s excitement bubbled over as he took the card and linked it to his own for the transfer. “Certainly, Master Merlin!”
Ding—
Once Merlin entered his password, the transfer was complete. Henry watched the gold coins appear in his account with a sense of dizzying elation. This was wealth to fund more alchemy experiments!
Merlin slipped the spatial ring onto his finger, then reached inside it to pull out a blue necklace, fastening it around his neck. Life-saving tools like this always had to be worn close to the body.
“Junior… I mean, Master Merlin, would you like to invest in my alchemical products?”
“Master Merlin, don’t listen to him! Perhaps you’d rather look into mine?”
“I-I-I, Master Merlin, I swear I won’t disappoint you! I’ll present my research results immediately—”
The moment the transaction concluded, the surrounding alchemists seemed to appear from nowhere, pressing in on Merlin, their voices urgent and eager. Each one wanted to reach him first, desperate not to be left behind.
Merlin blinked in slight bewilderment at the sudden commotion. Henry cleared his throat and gently pushed the crowd aside. “Master Merlin, these people are hoping you’ll sponsor their alchemy work.”
“Sponsor alchemy?” Merlin echoed.
“Yes. Alchemists are creative by nature; each has their own ideas and aims to create entirely new tools and potions. But the road of alchemy is far from smooth. Every experiment requires a substantial investment. So alchemists often hope for a wealthy patron to support their work,” Henry explained patiently.
Merlin’s eyes narrowed slightly, a thoughtful glint appearing. Ah… so this was essentially research funding.
“Once an alchemist succeeds, you gain free usage rights to the item as well as a share of the profits from its sale. If a product becomes wildly popular, both the alchemist and the investor can earn a fortune.”
Merlin nodded slowly. He scanned the hopeful faces surrounding him and stroked his chin. “Here’s what we’ll do. I don’t have time to listen to all of you right now. When I come back for the alchemy furnaces, write me a proposal. Explain your research in detail. If I find it interesting—or see investment potential—I’ll support you.”
Though the alchemists’ faces fell momentarily, disappointment quickly gave way to determination. They would prepare their proposals and present them the next time Merlin returned.
Henry and the alchemists escorted Merlin out of the Steam & Stars Guild. Beside him, Allison whispered, “Senior, that single spatial ring could sell for ten thousand gold coins… and you just gave it to the junior like that?”
“From now on, call him Master Merlin,” Henry replied with a chuckle. “A spatial ring is just a toy worth a few hundred coins at most. Giving it to Master Merlin isn’t an issue. What matters is building a strong partnership with him.”
Henry shook his head with a sigh. “We alchemists are often seen as wealthy and glamorous, but without patrons, we’re just a bunch of poor wretches. No matter how many alchemical tools or potions you produce, if you can’t turn them into gold, they’re worthless. Remember, only sold products are truly successful creations.”
Arcane Academy · Mage Tower · Rear Garden
Demigod Weber watched the red-crowned, white-feathered hen huddled on her nest, beneath which lay seven or eight eggs. Ordinarily, this species laid just one egg at a time.
Thanks to Merlin’s methods, the reproductive patterns of this hen had been altered.
“What a genius!” Weber muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Jones, meanwhile, was eating double-skin pudding made from icefield blueberries. “Someone who can think of this isn’t ordinary… but… Merlin—didn’t he come from that group up above?”
Weber shook his head. “Don’t worry. His background is clean. I’ve investigated. He might simply be another rare prodigy like Arthur.”
“That’s absurd. His total magical energy is like an endless ocean. Even we, Demigod beings, can’t compare. When he reaches the Seventh Tier [Archmage], he’ll wield high-level magic effortlessly. And once he attains Demigod status… could he really rival the gods?”
Weber pondered for a moment. “If he truly reaches Demigod status, he might even achieve feats like slaying gods.”
Previously, they had discussed that a magician’s total magical capacity has limits. Some have a puddle, some a pond, some a lake. The larger the reservoir, the further a mage can go.
Of course, this limit could expand through leveling up, potions, or rare treasures. But even a Demigod being had a ceiling.
Upon reaching the Seventh Tier [Archmage], a mage could rapidly draw magical energy from the environment, rendering their mana nearly infinite. Yet the decisive factor remained the size of their internal mana pool. High-tier spells required enormous magical energy. If the pool was too small, even an Archmage couldn’t cast them repeatedly.
The concept of “infinite magic” depended entirely on the mana pool. You might absorb quickly, but the total remained fixed. If a single forbidden spell drained the pool, you’d have to wait for it to refill before casting again.