Magical Cat

While old Finch nodded to Elaine, Li En was also busy browsing around the store.

The shop is full of strange and unusual items, many of which are of unknown purpose, but the magical energy fluctuations emanating from each item are real.

"That must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Li En browsed around the store, hoping to find some treasures.

But after watching for a short while, he was suddenly picked up by old Finch.

"Keep a close eye on your pet, or the owner will be responsible for all losses. Don't accuse me of trying to extort you!"

After saying that, he threw Li En to Elaine.

Elaine quickly stepped forward and took Li En into her arms.

Elaine was somewhat displeased with Old Finch's casual way of tossing Lee En around.

Li En also looked Old Finch up and down.

Melina quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "This is indeed the store's rule, Elaine, please don't take offense."

"We can talk this out properly, why did you throw Li En?" Elaine muttered.

Old Finch pretended not to hear; it was his shop, and he was in charge.

"By the way, old Finch. Is what I asked for ready?" Melina changed the subject.

"Everything's ready, just waiting for you to come and get it," Old Finch said, turning and walking into the store.

After Old Finch left, Melina patted Elaine's hair and soothed her, saying, "Don't let Old Finch's bad attitude fool you. His shop has many things you can't buy anywhere else, and he can even custom-make magical items. Old Finch's craftsmanship is masterful. Ordinary people who accidentally wander into his shop will just be kicked out. He only does business with people he knows. If you need something that you can't buy anywhere else, you can try your luck here. If you get to know Old Finch, you can even get him to help you get supplies."

Elaine nodded, knowing that Melina had kindly brought her to meet old Finch.

Li En seemed to be deep in thought.

When Old Finch picked him up just now, he felt a magical fluctuation emanating from Old Finch at close range.

Sloppy clothes, a leather apron covered in stains, and that monocle...

Old Finch's magical energy fluctuations were very complex; almost everything on his body was a magical artifact, and the magical energy contained within it was quite strong.

However, Li En could only sense this magical fluctuation when he was close to it; once he moved away, he could no longer feel it.

"Is this old man a whale (someone who spends a lot of money on in-game purchases)?"

He seemed to have grasped some of Finch's approach.

Don't let Old Finch's slovenly appearance fool you; he's just as dangerous as any of the professors at the academy.

"This is indeed a good way to enhance our strength, but it's a bit expensive."

Looking at the dazzling array of magical items in the shop, Li En couldn't help but wonder if there were any that suited her.

At this moment, old Finch, who had gone to retrieve the items, returned with an extra package in his hand.

"Melina, this is what you wanted. You'll be absolutely satisfied with its quality," old Finch said confidently.

Melina didn't say anything and silently opened the package.

Li En and Elaine also craned their necks curiously to see what was inside the package.

As Melina opened the package, a soft, pale blue light shone from it.

It was a rare, heterochromatic pearl, only the size of a quail egg, but perfectly round and containing a large amount of water-attribute magic power. It was clearly a rare and exquisite piece.

Li En couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling the magic power within her body become active.

Melina picked up the heterochromatic pearl, examined it carefully, and then nodded in satisfaction.

"This new core is perfect for the Tide Bracers. Since you're a regular customer, I'll waive the labor fee for replacing the core."

As soon as old Finch finished speaking, Melina took off the wristband she always wore: "Then I'll have to trouble you."

"Wait a moment." Old Finch took the wristband and immediately began his work.

He pulled out some sophisticated tools from somewhere and started tapping and tinkering with Melina's wristband.

"Teacher, what are you doing?" Elaine asked.

She understood the gist of it; they had only learned about magic items in the first semester.

For magicians, these items with various magical effects are also indispensable.

Some powerful magical items can even allow an ordinary person to cast powerful spells.

But such magical items are undoubtedly extremely expensive.

As for changing the core of a magical item, Elaine had never even heard of it.

"Eleanor, people who make magical items like this are called spirit crafters, and old Finch is one of the best among them."

"But magical items have their own durability, or lifespan. If you maintain them properly, you can extend their lifespan as much as possible. But eventually, some of the materials on the magical items will lose their magic, and then you will have to replace the materials like you are now."

Melina then provided a brief explanation of the topic.

They watched Finch work from the sidelines, and Finch didn't chase them away, but just focused on his work.

His rough, large hands wielded those exquisite tools with ease.

Old Finch used tools to remove the original gemstones from the wristband.

The gemstone's luster has dimmed; though still beautiful, it has lost its most important magic, greatly diminishing the wristband's effectiveness.

"The materials of magical items are divided into energy-supplying materials and energy-conducting materials. Generally speaking, energy-conducting materials rarely need to be replaced, but energy-supplying materials are different. Even the best materials will reach their limit in three to five years, and their effectiveness will decrease over time. For magicians, this may be a fatal flaw."

During a break from changing materials, old Finch interjected, clearly speaking to the young Elaine.

He was, after all, a businessman, and he could tell that Melina had brought Elaine here alone, which meant she must think highly of the child.

Old Finch would not turn away such a potential collaborator.

"These salvaged materials can also be recycled by Old Finch; the price is fair!"

Old Finch grinned and continued to install the heterochromatic pearl.

"That's true. Old Finch hates haggling. If you find it troublesome, he can give you a fair price without you having to say a word," Melina said with a smile.

Li En was immediately tempted; he hated the hassle of scheming and wasting time when buying things.

Old Finch's business methods suited Li En's tastes quite well.

It took about another ten minutes for Old Finch to finish the installation.

He examined it carefully before handing it over to Melina.

"Give it a try."

Melina put on the repaired Tidal Bracers, and with a gentle lift of her hand, a water shield appeared on her body. With another flick of her wrist, the water shield immediately froze into an even more solid ice shield.

"good."

Melina nodded and continued to press her palm against the space in front of her.

With a forceful grab, a water elemental materialized from the void and appeared before everyone's eyes.

The water elemental is only half a person tall, and it looks like a wave. It has two points of light as eyes, and its palms are two small, surging waves. Its whole body is fluid and looks very powerful.

"It can even summon elemental creatures, this bracer is quite effective." Li En was secretly amazed.

Elaine was also greatly impressed.

Some classmates also have magical items, but they are all used to aid their studies.

Elaine had never seen a magical artifact like this before, one that was purely for casting spells.