Chapter 7: Spell Essence Crystals

In the system store, Sila only needed to browse briefly before finding something good.

[Rain of Fire: Essence Crystal]

[Exchange Price: 3,500 Points]

[Effect: This crystal focuses fire element magic and condenses the "Rain of Fire" arcane core. Upon use, one will instantly become proficient in casting Rain of Fire.]

...

[Mind Blast: Essence Crystal]

[Exchange Price: 3,300 Points]

...

[True Essence Shield: Essence Crystal]

[Exchange Price: 3,800 Points]

...

[Sunfire Staff]

[Exchange Price: 2,400 Points]

[Effect: Enhances a mage's affinity for fire elements, increasing the power of fire element magic by 20%. Additionally, it increases casting speed by 15% when casting any magic.]

[Bonus Applies to Levels: Apprentice to Expert]

...

[Thorny Leather Armor]

[Exchange Price: 1,800 Points]

...

[Phantom Spirit Crown]

[Exchange Price: 3,000 Points]

...

The various Essence Crystals for spells were completely unheard of rarities for Sila.

Their effects were so straightforward and almost brutal that using one would instantly grant Sila mastery over the magic recorded within the crystal.

It was incredibly "overpowered"!

Normally, an elite mage would spend at least a week, if not a month, just to learn the basics of a spell.

Mastering a spell to the point of proficiency required not only long hours of practice but also real-world combat experience.

In the original story, even the protagonist, a lucky individual, would need to go through two to three battles and an equal number of study sessions for each spell to reach proficiency.

Converting game time to real-world time meant they would spend almost a year perfecting and mastering a single spell!

For ordinary mages, the time required would be even longer!

Yet here, Sila could instantly master a spell by simply exchanging points for a crystal.

It was astonishingly unfair. Sila decisively chose an elemental attack spell, a psychic attack spell, and a defensive spell to exchange for.

Once he completed the exchange, these three proficient spells would make him invincible among elite mages!

In comparison, the three pieces of equipment he chose later were not particularly "overpowered". The bonuses provided by the Sunfire Staff were quite outstanding among magical items of the same level, and both the Thorny Leather Armor and the Phantom Spirit Crown had their unique enhancement effects, making them all excellent choices.

However, the quality of these three items was not vastly superior to others' equipment, the key was their rarity!

At Victoria Magic Academy, even students of elite status rarely had access to such equipment. Usually, only the teachers, who had spent most of their lives traveling the continent and adventuring, had a chance of obtaining a piece of equipment suitable for an elite mage.

Each of the three pieces of equipment Sila wanted to acquire would cause a stir if shown to others! Unfortunately, he was in a hurry, but he couldn't rush things.

The gold coins he had on hand were not enough to exchange for all of them, after getting the Spirit Nourishing Pill, he could only afford to exchange for one more spell at most.

"Fortunately, I have Elina." 

He thought as he quickened his pace.

...

Meanwhile, in a room on the southwest side of the mansion...

Elina felt dizzy, wondering if she was dreaming.

With the help of the maids, she changed into a long dress adorned with jade stones, the silky fabric seemingly from the eastern silk.

The room was covered with soft wool carpets, their fibers shimmering gently in the light. Each step Elina took felt like walking on clouds, the comfort spreading from her feet to her entire body.

In the center of the room stood a grand four-poster bed, crafted from fine rosewood and carved with golden vines that gleamed under the lighting.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a radiant glow that made the surroundings seem like a fairyland.

Before becoming a slave, Elina had been a noblewoman, raised in luxury.

The most extravagant items she had ever seen were mere refined gemstones or perfumes.

With her limited exposure, she tried to identify everything around her.

The dressing table beside the bed, she couldn't estimate its value, but the gemstones embedded in it were far more exquisite and luxurious than the most expensive war trophies her father had ever possessed.

She didn't recognize the wood used for the bed, but it vaguely seemed like the agarwood described only in storybooks.

The grand chandelier on the ceiling, she had only heard whispers of it in casual conversations with friends.

It was said to be a masterpiece by dwarf craftsmen, and only the royalty of the Victoria Duchy possessed such a chandelier. When it was completed, the king had even invited the maids and guards to witness its brilliance.

Were these precious artifacts really placed so grandly in her room?

Elina wasn't vain, but instinctively, she couldn't resist the warmth, beauty, and softness of this room that seemed to be filled with all the happiness in the world.

Her gratitude towards Master Sila soared to new heights, to the point of feeling overwhelmed and flattered!

Elina believed that the only thing she had to offer was her somewhat charming appearance.

But this...

It wasn't worth Master Sila investing so much in her.

As a 17-year-old girl, Elina couldn't help but associate Sila with the prince charming from her dreams and stories.

Creak~

Just then, Sila pushed open the door and saw the mix of fondness and unease in Elina's eyes as she looked at him.

He knew it then.

His plan to earn points was secure!

Sila hadn't spent much money on Elina. This mansion on the outskirts of the Victoria Duchy had been left by a former head of the Leviathan family.

Billions of gold coins had been spent on its decoration.

Those coins hadn't been enough to equip the mansion with a magic-gathering formation, making it a holy site for cultivation, but they were sufficient to bring together every kind of luxurious enjoyment.

Sila knew well that none of the male or female protagonists in "Journey of Radiance" cared about wealth.

However, people's instinctive pursuit of beautiful things could often be achieved through the accumulation of vast wealth.

Sila was confident that in the comfort of this magnificent room, the likelihood of Elina's bloodline erupting had been greatly reduced.

And all of this...

Sila hadn't done it intentionally.

It was the wealth!

The qualitative change brought by the endless accumulation of wealth.

Even a soul filled with light couldn't help but be moved and corrupted by it!

"Hehe." It seemed someone in the room chuckled at this.

"Master Sila?" Elina took a step forward, somewhat timidly.

Finally, she curtsied and lifted her skirt in a gesture of respect.

Sila stepped forward, gently took the young lady's hand, and elegantly performed a hand-kissing ceremony.

The silky touch and Elina's natural charm made him feel a little ticklish.

"Miss Elina, you're even more radiant now." Sila said with a smile.

Elina's face turned slightly red, with the shyness and excitement unique to a young girl, and she replied softly, "Master Sila, you're joking. Thank you for doing all this for me."

Seeing this scene, Sila couldn't help but recall the game CGs from "Journey of Radiance".

In the past, when the male protagonist first met Elina, her attitude was extremely cold.

Let alone accepting a hand-kiss, the male protagonist had merely been standing a little too close to her when a magical wind blade struck his shoulder, leaving him in a sorry state.

There was also a part in the male protagonist and Elina's romance where the silver-eyed girl, coming from a military noble family, despised all kinds of etiquette. During a banquet, she offended another female protagonist, the princess of the Victoria Duchy, because of this.

In that part of the story, players needed to use skilled maneuvers to ensure that the favorability of both female protagonists increased simultaneously...

Now, the noble, cold, and etiquette-hating young girl was as docile as a kitten in front of him, bumbling through unfamiliar etiquette movements to avoid contaminating this perfect room and angering the perfect Sila before her.

In reality...

Sila only had a good appearance. On ordinary days, he indulged in debauchery and lived a life of dreamy hedonism.

When this room was built, not only was an astronomical amount of wealth spent, but over a dozen craftsmen were executed on the spot afterward to prevent the exposure of the Leviathan family's extravagance.

In the original work, Elina Sivern was one of the female protagonists with a radiant soul, never to be corrupted, never to fall.

Yet now, she was somewhat captivated by everything before her eyes.

And Sila...

He didn't have many thoughts.

He couldn't wait to start earning points.