TRADING POST
Max went to Merlin's alchemy lectures for five days straight since then. Merlin with over-enthusiastic attitude doesn't hold back in teaching Max. He kept reminding Max to go back and practice, practice makes perfect and alchemy is the accumulation of experiences.
Max already realized the reason over Merlin over enthusiasm since day one but he never did anything. He gratefully accepted all of Merlin's knowledge. Max won't fall into alchemy too much because SECOND did most of the works.
After five days of the lesson, Max went to Trading Post.
The Trading Post was huge was located on twentieth until the fiftieth floor with the first ten floors is for apprentice level. However, it was rather chaotic; many indigo-robed apprentices set up stalls, with an erect signboard stating the items and condition that they wished to sell or trade.
The Trading Post was an open territory, allowing Mage Apprentices to bring their own items from different areas in search of materials and resources. That's why the materials and resources available in this place were abundant even without items sell by Ivory Tower.
Early in the morning, the public area has already been packed to the brim with Mage apprentices who are seeking profits. Most of them were rank 2 and rank 3 apprentices with a small amount of rank 1 apprentices can be found among them. Even more, apprentices were on the corner with a white or black cloth spread out on the floor, with a couple of strange looking items on top of it.
Once in a while, a few acolytes would engage in haggling. It was extremely bustling.
This lifestyle was just like in the shopping district in Max's previous life.
Max browsed through the stalls. Some of them were set up the floor, similar to previous world street vendor.
The stall's items belong to the miscellaneous category; most of them were bows, knives, darts and so on. There were also furs, claws or organs of living organisms. There were harvests of apprentices that went hunting outside the tower.
This public area was just on the 20th floor. Previously Max went to the 28th floor to buy spell model from Ivory Tower's shop. Max passed through the floor specialized for such as weapons or other unique items reaching the 24th floor where apprentices set up potion's stalls.
Every stall with 'potions' on its signboard has apprentices hovering over them. The potion is the final product of alchemy experiments and those who learn alchemy will sell their products in exchange for magic crystals. The rarer their potions, the more expensive it is.
According to the estimation of the SECOND, most of these apprentices here were rank 3 Mage Apprentices. The stall owners all had calm expression and radiated strong energy waves.
"As expected, the rarity of potions is above my imagination, not a single one I can afford!"
Max could not help but be a little envious. Most of the stalls set up in Trading Post earned a lot of profits in term of magic crystals. He had to work his fingers to the bone to slowly accumulating magic crystals but a profit a day here can be exceeding his half a year hard works.
Max looked at the goods on display as he walked to the center of the floor. There were a few wooden huts, and they seemed to have higher standards compared to the surroundings. The apprentices occasionally walked in and out doing their transactions.
Max casually walked into a shop that has fewer people in it.
"Welcome! What do you want to buy?" The shop owner was a fatty wearing a standard indigo robe. He looked like a cunning businessman with slit eyes. According to the scanning of the SECOND, he was also a rank 3 Mage Apprentice.
"I need a set of equipment so that I can practice alchemy," Max said unhurriedly.
"Another one who is dreaming. You think alchemy is easy that everyone can do it?"The fatty looked at Max with disdain.
"Excuse me. You don't want business? I can buy from other places."Max replied.
"Of course I am! Who don't want magic crystals? Hello kid, my name is Oswall Lindsey. Just called me Senior Oz."The fatty introduced himself, and there was a cunning expression on his face.
"Now, can you give me the introduction of the apparatus?"
"Oh! Of course! Of course!"The fatty rubbed his hands and placed a few sets of glass apparatus on the wooden table.
He deliberately put one set forward from the rest. "I recommend you to buy this one. It a second hand good, but they are still usable and look like new."
Max examined the pieces of equipment with his hand.
'SECOND! Scan all the pieces of equipment!'
[Affirmative!]
A number of holographic objects displayed in front of Max.
'As expected, the one fatty recommend looked good but there a micro-crack on some of the glasses. This would make experiments went wrong or exploded!'
"I choose this set." Max pointed at the set of equipment of far left. That the one has higher quality than the rest.
"Tch! You got good eyes kid. That would be five magic crystals" The fatty didn't even hide his disappointment.
"Please wrap it well for me," Max smiled while handling magic crystals over to the fatty.
The fatty took out an apparatus set which included beakers, a glass rod, test tubes and a set of wooden tools. He packaged the set inside a wooden box under Max's eyes.
"Do you have any alchemy recipes for the beginner?"
"Yes! I have recipes for medicines and a few recipes for enchanted tools. Just look at the list and choose any you want. As long you can afford it."The fatty smiled while showing a list of recipes introduction.
Max chose some medicine recipes. As for recipes for enchanted tools, he will buy it at his next destination on the 25th floor.
Max went to the next floor with the potter he just hired. There was always some rank 1 apprentices looking for magic crystals by providing their service with their body. Max randomly hired someone he found for one magic crystal per day. He planned to use his service for the whole day doesn't want to waste his magic crystal. Max didn't bother asking his name.
On the 25th floor, Max also randomly entered one of the shops and buys extra types of equipment and some magical tools recipes.
As he bought so much stuff, Max ordered the potter to send back to his room by trips. The potter needs to make several trips to Max's room for delivering all the stuff.