Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 251 Jade Shop

Ethan nodded, a knowing look on his face, and his explanation became more professional:

"Just like the tides in the ocean, the energy activity within the abyss also changes periodically. Now is a period when the abyss energy is relatively calm, making exploration relatively easier, so explorers from all over the world come here at this time."

Ron was quite interested in this information:
"So, what is the cycle of the abyssal tides? What are its specific manifestations?"

"The main cycle is about a year, but there are several smaller cycles in between, the shortest lasting only a few days and the longest lasting up to a quarter."

Ethan's tone carried the confidence of someone with experience:

"During the peak period, the magic density in the abyss will increase significantly, the entire environment will become unstable, the spatial distortion will intensify, and the passage will often suddenly close or change direction."

He randomly pointed to a stall where various crystals shimmered with an unusual light were displayed:
"The most obvious manifestation is the change in the activity of the abyssal material. Look at those blood crystals, those collected during the trough period have a dull luster and ordinary energy purity; while those collected during the peak period are as red as blood, and the internal energy flow is clearly visible, making them at least five times more valuable."

He paused for a moment, then added:
"Of course, the risks also increase dramatically. During peak waves, the abyssal creatures become extremely violent, and even some ancient beings that are usually dormant will awaken and become active. In previous years, the mortality rate of explorers would double during peak waves."

Ron nodded to indicate that he understood.

This so-called "abyssal tide" is quite similar to the magical wave peak brought about by the previous "constellation of stars".

In addition to the restraint that Starry Night Whispers had shown towards the abyssal creatures, there is probably some deeper connection between the two that he is currently unaware of.

"That's why you see so many activities and shoppers on the streets and in the markets of the city now."

Ron connected this information with some things he had learned before:
"Although the rewards are higher during peak periods, most explorers still choose to operate during trough periods."

“Yes, the specific situation is exactly as you see it,” Ethan agreed.

"For most people, returning alive is more important than bringing back valuable materials. Only those explorers who are exceptionally powerful or particularly mad will choose to explore deeply during the peak period."

He pointed to a well-equipped expedition team in the distance:
“Look at that team, they are all seasoned explorers with at least ten years of experience. But even they would choose to operate during a trough in the market to keep the risks within an acceptable range.”

"Alright, let's get back to the market itself. Let's start with the outer areas."

Ron simply instructed, "I need to find out about the local market conditions and the quality of materials."

Ethan immediately led the way, guiding Ron through the bustling crowd to a corner of the market.

This area primarily trades basic abyssal materials, such as energy crystals, tissue samples from common mutated creatures, and some abyssal ores.

The stalls were filled with a dazzling array of goods, from ordinary black stones to shimmering crystals, from exotic plant specimens to liquids of various colors—everything imaginable was available.

Most of the stall owners were weathered explorers or local residents, some even bearing obvious abyssal mutation features, such as extra eyes or deformed limbs.

A particular shop caught Ron's eye.

A weathered wooden sign hangs at the entrance of the shop, with the words "Lucky Stone" written on it.

A large crowd gathered in front of the gate; some left with disappointed expressions, while others were overjoyed, clutching their spoils.

The shop owner was a short old man whose left eye had been mutated by the abyss into a purple crystal, which flickered with an eerie light with his breathing.

His right hand has only three fingers; the remaining two fingers appear to have been forcibly broken off by some force, leaving twisted scars.

"What kind of shop is this?" Ron asked Ethan beside him, even though he already had a pretty good idea of ​​the answer.

"Jade gambling shops, one of the most popular forms of gambling here."

Ethan's voice carried a hint of apprehension:

"The owner of this shop, Colin, was once an Abyss explorer who lost two fingers and an eye on the fourth level. It is said that he gained some special ability in the Abyss, which allows him to accurately locate raw stones containing rare substances."

There was another secret he didn't reveal: many precious abyssal substances are often condensed from the corpses of explorers.

The shop owner, Colin, naturally wouldn't risk his life to find the stones himself.

As for what methods the other party used, and how they found such a strange jade stone, that remains unknown...

A flicker of interest crossed Ron's eyes, and he strode towards the shop.

The shop displays hundreds of black stones of various shapes, each one looking unremarkable with a rough, uneven surface, like ordinary coal.

Ron, however, could sense the high concentration of energy contained within it.

Moreover, despite their similar appearance, these stones clearly come from different levels of the abyss, and therefore contain different kinds of substances.

"Welcome, Wizard."

Upon seeing the silver badge on Ron's chest, Colin immediately put down his work, bowed, and asked, "Want to try your luck?"

Ron's gaze swept over the price list on the wall:
"Regular Jadeite: 20 Magic Stone Fragments per piece"

"Premium Jadeite: 80 Magic Stone Fragments per Piece"

"Rare Jadeite: 200 Magic Stone Fragments per Piece"

Colin noticed Ron's attention and immediately explained:

"Ordinary rough stones come from peripheral areas, with a 70% success rate, but most of them are low-grade materials;

The finest rough stones are taken from the first and second layers, with a 50% success rate and the occasional rare material.

Rare and valuable rough stones come from the fourth layer and below. Although the success rate is less than 30%, any successful find is priceless.

Ron nodded slightly, his face expressionless, but his "superhuman recognition" ability had already been activated.

In his perception, these ordinary stones began to exhibit different energy fluctuations.

Some are as faint as a candle, some as intense as a torch, and some display peculiar colors and patterns.

[Exceptional Recognition (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

However, he soon discovered the limitations of his current level of proficiency in "superhuman recognition":
Although it is possible to sense the energy intensity and general properties inside the stone, it is impossible to determine the specific type of material.

It's like being able to see a blurry outline, but not being able to discern its true appearance.

These restrictions, coupled with the high cost of jade gambling itself, are probably the reason why jade gambling shops like Colin's have been able to exist for so long.

In the extraordinary world, all kinds of insight and perception abilities emerge endlessly.

If the secrets inside the rough stone could be easily deciphered, this kind of gambling would have long lost its value.

His gaze fell on the three stones that interested him the most.

They are one rare gem and two exquisite rough stones.

In his perception, the energy fluctuations of these three stones were the most intense and complex.

One of the rare gemstones even exhibited an abnormal spatial distortion, as if the internal space and the external space were not entirely in the same dimension.

"Two high-quality rough stones, one rare rough stone, and how many magic stone fragments?"

He spoke directly, his tone revealing no particular interest.

Colin's purple crystalline eyes flickered:
"Three gambling stones, a total of three hundred and sixty magic stone fragments."

Ron expressionlessly took out several intact magic stones and toyed with them between his fingers:
"Three stones, three complete magic stones."

Colin paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in his crystalline eyes.

The value of a complete magic stone, considering its purity and portability, is slightly higher than that of a hundred magic stone fragments, but the difference won't be that significant.

If Colin agrees to the price of three magic stones, the profit from this deal will be relatively small.

After all, the cost of "cultivating" such a rough stone using his special methods is not low.

However, the fact that the other party was a formal wizard meant that he dared not offend him under any circumstances.

He could clearly feel the subtle pressure emanating from Ron—not a deliberate display of intimidation, but rather the natural aura he naturally exuded.

"Of course...deal." Colin could only grit his teeth and agree, sensing the subtle pressure in the other party's gaze.

Ron suddenly turned to Ethan and asked, "You must have gambled on stones before, right?"

"Your Excellency has excellent judgment; I have certainly tried it a few times myself." Ethan paused for a moment, then scratched his head with a wry smile and truthfully replied:
"I lost a lot of magic stone fragments, so I quit."

Ron nodded without saying anything more, took the stone-splitting knife from Colin, and felt the special energy attached to it.

This knife, meticulously crafted, can precisely cut along the energy patterns of the stone, protecting the internal materials from damage to the greatest extent possible. A crowd of onlookers has already gathered, holding their breath, eager to see the young wizard's stone-gambling results.

On the edge of the abyss, the wizard's every move always attracts the curiosity and attention of ordinary people.

Ron placed the first stone on the cutting table, closed his eyes, and slowly channeled his mental energy into the stone, sensing the direction of energy flow.

This ability stems from his profession as an alchemist, giving him a sensitivity to matter far beyond that of ordinary people.

Once he found the best entry point, he swiftly and decisively brought down the knife, his movements clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary motion.

The stone split open with a snap, and a crack spread outwards from the center.

A wisp of pale green light emanated from the crack, and as the stone was fully opened, a thumb-sized emerald green crystal was revealed.

The surface of the crystal was covered with countless tiny barbs, and a dark green mist swirled around its center, emanating an unsettling aura.

"Heart-Eating Stone!"

Colin gasped in shock, his purple crystalline eyes flashing violently.

This is a relatively rare gemstone that can be used as an energy storage medium, absorbing emotional energy and magic power. Its value is at least equivalent to five complete magic stones.

Ron has already made a fortune from this one Heart-Eating Stone alone.

After glancing at it to confirm its specific information, he expressionlessly took out the Heart-Eating Stone and carefully observed its energy flow pattern.

I've already started to envision its specific uses:
Using it as a casting medium, in conjunction with the "Sonic Oscillation" spell, might create a completely new way of attacking:

First, absorb the target's negative emotions, then amplify them tenfold or a hundredfold through resonance before feeding them back.

He made a good start with the first piece, but he knew the real treasure was yet to come.

The second stone was much harder than the first.

Ron could feel a violent energy surging inside, seemingly ready to erupt at any moment.

He adjusted his breathing, focused his mental energy on the blade, and gently slid it along an almost invisible slit.

With a crisp "crack", the stone split open.

A thick, purplish-black mist billowed out, and the air was immediately filled with the pungent smell of sulfur.

The onlookers backed away, some even covering their mouths and noses, their faces showing fear.

As the fog dissipated, a fist-sized, purplish-black crystal lay quietly in the center of the rock.

The surface was constantly flashing with electric light, and inside it seemed as if an inextinguishable flame was burning.

"Congratulations, sir. This should be an Abyss Crystal, a specialty of the third layer, 'Black Sand Wasteland'. It contains a high concentration of Abyss energy, and incorporating it into weapons can imbue attacks with Abyss characteristics."

Ethan, who was standing nearby, also recognized it this time; clearly, he had seen this kind of energy crystal before.

“I was fortunate enough to see this crystal in an exploration team. Although it was not as valuable as the ‘Heart Eater’, only worth two magic stones, it was still a great deal.”

A gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd, and some began to whisper about Ron's luck and keen eye.

It is rare in the world of jade gambling to find high-value items from two consecutive stones.

Ron maintained a calm expression, but he was already satisfied with his gains.

He turned his attention to the last stone—the mysterious rock that exhibited spatial distortion properties in the Extraordinary Recognition.

From the outside, this stone is no different from the other two.

But when you touch it, you can feel an unusual coldness, as if it absorbs the warmth of your fingers.

Ron took a deep breath and focused all his mental energy on the stone, searching for the deeply hidden energy circuit.

This time, instead of cutting the stone directly, he used the tip of his knife to draw a complex rune on the surface of the stone before gently piercing the center point.

"Click——"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and the stone split open from the center, the cracks spreading outward along strange spiral patterns until it finally separated completely.

A dazzling blue light burst forth, illuminating the entire interior of the shop, forcing those around to close their eyes to block out the blinding light.

As the light dimmed, everyone could see the treasure at the center of the stone.

It was a deep blue gem the size of a pigeon's egg, its interior seemingly containing an infinitely deep starry sky.

The stars twinkled, the arms swirled, and tiny spatial ripples rippled across the surface, as if swallowing the surrounding air.

The entire shop fell into a deathly silence; everyone was so stunned by the gem that they were speechless.

This has clearly gone beyond the scope of ordinary jade gambling and entered the realm of extraordinary treasures.

Colin's expression froze completely, his purple crystal eyes flashing wildly.

His complexion changed from red to green to white, finally settling on a grayish hue.

His lips trembled slightly, and he couldn't utter a sound for a moment.

"The Void Gem".

Colin's voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.

This type of gem is generally only found in the sixth layer of the abyss, the 'Labyrinth Domain'.

Void gems can influence the spatial structure of small areas, create large-capacity spatial equipment, and even be used as a casting medium for short-distance teleportation.

Ethan, standing to the side, swallowed hard, a complex light flickering in his eyes:
"My lord wizard, the value of this Void Gem is at least equivalent to four thousand magic stone fragments, or even more."

A suppressed gasp erupted from the crowd, and some even unconsciously took a few steps back, as if the gem might cause the space to collapse at any moment.

Items capable of influencing space are among the most precious and dangerous existences in the extraordinary world.

Ron remained expressionless and carefully placed the Void Gem into a specially made crystal box.

Such treasures must be properly preserved, otherwise the energy they emit may have unpredictable effects on the surrounding environment.

"Looks like I'm having a lucky day."

His tone remained calm, as if he had merely found a coin rather than a priceless treasure.

Ethan stood to the side, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg, his eyes bulging, as if he had completely forgotten the basic physiological need to breathe.

When he came to his senses, he immediately looked at Colin and saw that his boss's face was extremely ugly. A surge of pleasure welled up in his heart.

He himself had suffered losses several times at this jade gambling shop, each time being infuriated by Colin's treacherous smile.

Seeing him fall into Ron's hands, losing three priceless gems in one go, is truly gratifying.

"Congratulations, Wizard, on your good fortune!"

Colin forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, suppressing his deep regret.
"The value of these three treasures far exceeds what you paid; it's truly a stroke of good fortune."

Ron nodded slightly:

"Gambling on stones requires a keen eye, but I'm also grateful to the boss for providing this opportunity."

"As expected of a formal wizard, even his choice of stones is so discerning."

"I can't believe it," one onlooker exclaimed, his voice filled with awe.

Clearly, everyone present assumed that Ron possessed some kind of insight, and that his acquisition of such a treasure was entirely due to his own abilities.

This is the advantage of having sufficient strength.

If he were still an apprentice, he would likely encounter countless people coveting his treasures, and even his boss, Colin, would be the first to challenge him.

As for now... Ron put the three treasures into his spatial bag and nodded to Colin.

The other party had to bow in return, thanking him for bringing in today's sales.

(End of this chapter)