The Ritual

Magic crystals are divided into eleven elements, consisting of five basic types and six variant types: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Additionally, there are rarer types such as Lightning, Wind, Ice, Light, Darkness, and Lava.

Among the commonly used low-grade magic crystals, the Darkness and Lightning elements are the least utilized.

The Wood-element magic crystal doesn't just generate plants; it also accelerates plant growth, significantly saving time. Moreover, Wood possesses healing properties similar to Water, making it highly favored by Healing Mages and Potion Masters.

The Water-element magic crystal can generate water, making it extremely valuable in arid regions or drought-stricken nations. Fire-element crystals are commonly used for cooking and lighting. Earth-element crystals are utilized for creating soil for farming or for construction. Similar to Water-element crystals, Earth-element crystals are highly sought after in desert and wasteland regions.

The Wind-element magic crystal is primarily used for sailing. Sailors often buy them as a precaution in case of windless conditions that would otherwise leave their ships stranded.

The Light-element magic crystal is favored by both the nobility and grave robbers.

The nobility use Light-element crystals for illumination at night when Fire-element crystals do not provide sufficient brightness. As for grave robbers, these crystals are essential, as ancient tombs are often underground where air circulation is poor, making Light-element crystals a necessity. Additionally, they help dispel surrounding negative energy.

The Ice-element magic crystal is mainly used for food preservation and transporting goods such as fruit, alcohol, and other perishable items, making it highly popular among merchants.

The Metal-element magic crystal is frequently used by sailors. Out at sea, resources are scarce, and if they encounter pirates and their weapons break, they have no means of obtaining iron for repairs. Carrying Metal-element crystals is the most practical solution.

The least utilized magic crystals are Darkness, Lightning, and Lava.

The Lightning-element magic crystal has no widely known uses, making it largely unappealing to the general public. Wealthy individuals sometimes use Lightning-element crystals as a security measure, creating electrified barriers around their estates to deter intruders.

Meanwhile, the Darkness and Lava-element magic crystals are nearly useless to ordinary people.

The Darkness-element magic crystal is the rarest and most dangerous to mine and use. The Lava-element magic crystal is similarly hazardous—it generates molten lava that burns through anything and leaves behind hardened impurities when cooled.

It is said that Darkness-element magic crystal mines are frequently inhabited by shadow-type monsters, which are vicious and bloodthirsty. Because of this, Darkness-element magic crystal mines are rarely exploited, putting Darkness Mages at a disadvantage compared to other spellcasters.

Additionally, Darkness magic is seen as eerie and difficult to understand, making people wary of those who practice it. Over time, Darkness Mages have been labeled as heretics, and in some regions, Darkness magic is considered a blight to be eradicated. To survive in this world, Darkness Mages often form their own communities. Behind them stands the Church of Darkness, a mysterious and dangerous sect.

After listening to the lanky man's explanation, Darius Noctis finally understood the significance of magic crystals in this world. They were no different from technology in his own world.

"How long can a crystal like this burn for?" Darius Noctis asked.

"At this intensity, it can burn continuously for about eight hours. You can adjust the flame level by touching the magic circle—turning it right increases the fire, while turning it left decreases it. Other magic crystals work the same way. But I'd advise against touching a Fire-element crystal with your bare hands—it's easy to get burned. Unless you're a Mage, you won't be able to withstand its magical heat."

The lanky man noticed that Darius Noctis knew nothing about magic crystals, so he patiently explained. This showed how friendly the villagers were.

"Can I buy some? How much for one?"

Judging by their common use, these crystals probably weren't too expensive. If he could use them to replace firewood and gas, it would be far more convenient. He couldn't afford to gather firewood all the time—it was too troublesome. These magic crystals would make things much easier for him.

"We don't sell them, and we don't use Dailong Coins either. Our village has a blood feud with the empire—we only trade goods for goods. If you have something of equivalent value, we can exchange it."

Saying that, the man pulled out a small pouch containing about thirty or forty magic crystals.

"I have thirty-eight here. Each one is worth ten Dailong Coins. You can trade for them with goods of equal value."

"That cheap?" Darius Noctis exclaimed.

That meant he could trade a single bowl of noodle soup for a magic crystal and still have 5 Dailong Coins left over. Darius Noctis also noticed that the man had several similar pouches at his waist—probably filled with magic crystals of different elements.

"Do you have Water-element crystals?"

"Of course, we have all the common types. How many do you need?"

"But remember, this price is only here in the village. Out there, merchants sell them for ten times what we do. Don't think they're cheap and waste them carelessly."

"That just makes me want to buy even more."

Darius Noctis and the lanky man continued haggling over their trade.

After a while, Darius Noctis successfully traded for twenty Fire-element magic crystals and twenty Water-element magic crystals. In exchange, he offered a bag of flower seeds, which contained a few hundred seeds.

Previously, he had received this bag from a little girl in Phucloc Town after giving her three bowls of noodle soup. At first, he hadn't thought it had any value, but among all the items in his vehicle, the lanky man had only asked for this specific bag of seeds.

Additionally, the lanky man made a small request—he asked Darius Noctis to help him plant the seeds the next day. Feeling that he had already gained a great deal from the trade, Darius Noctis decided that if the man ever brought his entire family to eat, he would serve them for free.

After finalizing the exchange, Darius Noctis returned to check on the broth. Seeing that the meat had been simmered long enough, he set up tables and chairs and wrote a new price board.

A regular bowl of noodle soup was priced at two magic crystals, a special bowl at three, and a children's portion at one. As soon as he placed the board down, several waiting customers immediately sat at the tables and placed their orders.

The writing system of this world was incredibly difficult, and Darius Noctis had struggled to put together a readable menu. Customers had to strain their eyes just to decipher what he had written.

"Oh, this dish is absolutely irresistible! The broth is both sweet and refreshing, with a hint of richness that doubles the flavor. The noodles are chewy yet soft, making them even smoother to eat than regular pasta. Hey, shop owner! How did you cook the pork to make it smell so good? Whenever we cook it, it always has a foul odor."

"It's all in how you clean the meat. First, wash it thoroughly with salt water, then blanch it in boiling water for about three minutes. After that, rinse it with cold water before cooking. This method removes the unpleasant smell, especially for wild boar, which has a much stronger odor and requires extra care. When cooking wild boar, you also need to control the heat properly to ensure the meat turns out tender and flavorful," Darius Noctis explained with a smile.

On his way here, he had seen plenty of wild boars roaming around, so he figured he might as well teach them how to prepare it properly.

Darius Noctis had time to chat because there weren't too many customers. He had ten tables, but only three to five were occupied—quite different from the bustling crowds in Phucloc Town. Earlier, the villagers had gathered in large numbers, but now they had dispersed, leaving him puzzled.

Perhaps they were busy with something. The large bonfire in the courtyard was certainly not there for no reason. As he observed, he saw them drawing numerous circular patterns around the fire. After finishing their drawings, each person took out multiple magic crystals, radiating so much energy that the entire area began to glow brilliantly.

Each type of magic crystal had its own unique color and energy. Even from a distance, Darius Noctis could clearly feel the distinct flows of power emanating from them—some were hot, some cold, some gentle, some intense, some radiant, some gloomy, some chaotic, and others serene.

"What are they doing?"

Darius Noctis quietly asked Fat Luu, who was sitting nearby, heating up broken glass shards in a small iron pot, just about the size of a cupped hand.

Smack!

A loud slap landed on Fat Luu's head.

"Oww!"

"You idiot, the stove isn't for you to play with. Turn it off."

"I was just testing it out… just a little bit! You said glass can melt, so I wanted to try it…" Fat Luu whined while rubbing his head.

"We're running low on gas, and you're wasting it! If you want to mess around, find your own fire. The stove is for cooking, not for playing with flames. You're asking for a kick at this rate."

With that, Darius Noctis pointed toward the villagers, who seemed to be performing some kind of ritual.

"What are they doing? Is this some kind of ceremony?"

"I have no idea. I've never been outside the forge much," Fat Luu replied with an awkward laugh.

"They're performing a summoning ritual for the Goddess of Magic's Envoys—it's for the children."

A nearby customer, who was enjoying his meal, chimed in to explain.

"A ritual? A tradition? But… can gods really be summoned?" Darius Noctis asked in doubt.

"Not the gods themselves. We can only summon their envoys. Families with young children participate in this ceremony, offering their magic crystals as tribute. The envoys of the Goddess of Magic, each representing a different element, appear at random and grant the children a suitable awakening spell."

"My family doesn't have any children, so we're sitting here enjoying your noodle soup instead. By the way, it's absolutely delicious."