Chapter 144: Third Level Magic Rune Construct, First Mate
Youhu City, Base 2.
In the bright workshop, Su Nan stood before his workbench, carefully completing the last stroke of the pattern. The special liquid, a fusion of gem and metal, was completely used up.
On the smooth metal tabletop, profound and intricate patterns intertwined, glowing under the light with extraordinary allure.
"Done!"
Su Nan smiled slightly. With a wave of his hand, the pattern before him suddenly detached from the table and floated into the air, rapidly shrinking and condensing into a perfectly round metal ball the size of an egg, settling into his palm.
After examining it for a few moments, Su Nan walked over to a shelf in the corner. Hundreds of these metal balls were already placed there, distinctly divided into three piles.
He placed the metal ball on the pile on the far left, the smallest of the three.
Su Nan had been refining Magic Pattern Constructs for some time now. These metal balls represented different grades of Magic Pattern Constructs. Once activated by injecting Battle Qi, they would instantly spread throughout the user’s body, enhancing physical capabilities.
Magic Pattern Constructs were divided into five levels.
The higher the level, the stronger the enhancement effect, but the greater the strain on the body.
To use a Magic Pattern Construct, one needed to possess at least Knight-level strength.
Level One Magic Rune Constructs were sufficient to enhance the strength of an Elementary Knight to a level close to that of a Grand Knight.
A Second Level Magic Rune Construct could only be wielded by those at or above the Advanced Knight level, enhancing them to the early Grand Knight level.
A Third Level Magic Rune Construct required a Grand Knight for use and could enhance their strength from early Grand Knight to advanced Grand Knight.
As for the Fourth and Fifth Level Magic Pattern Constructs, these were only usable by Legendary Knights, which Su Nan had not yet refined.
The Magic Pattern Constructs he had refined thus far ranged from levels one to three.
It was worth noting that Magic Pattern Constructs also came in different types, focusing on various aspects of physical enhancement.
The most common types were Agility Type, Strength Type, and Physique Type.
These three types of Magic Pattern Constructs, while all capable of enhancing overall physical fitness—including muscle strength, resistance to blows, and reaction speed—each have their own specific focus.
For instance, the Agility Type Magic Pattern Construct emphasizes reaction speed and agility more than other aspects.
The same applies to the Strength Type and Physique Type; their focuses are evident from their names.
Additionally, there are types such as Flight Type, Elemental Type, and Special Type, among others.
In general, any characteristic possessed by an Enchanted Weapon can be transplanted onto a Magic Pattern Construct.
Moreover, some effects of spells can also be integrated into a Magic Pattern Construct.
The level of a Magic Pattern Construct usually reflects the number of characteristics it possesses.
For example, a single Agility Type, Strength Type, or Physique Type is considered a First Level Magic Rune Construct.
A Second Level Magic Rune Construct adds one or two extra characteristics on top of that.
These additional characteristics might include flight, Qi gathering (which reduces Battle Qi consumption), or elemental properties (which add minor elemental damage).
A Third Level Magic Rune Construct incorporates another two to three characteristics beyond level two.
It could be said that a Grand Knight equipped with a Third Level Magic Rune Construct is akin to being outfitted with four to six Alchemy Magic Items, and its combat power rivals that of a Second Level Wizard Apprentice!
However, as expected, the higher the level of the Magic Pattern Construct, the greater the cost.
The cost of a First Level Magic Rune Construct is around eighty-three gold coins, almost doubling the price of a Stone Golem.
The cost of a Second Level Magic Rune Construct is approximately two hundred eighty gold coins.
The cost of a Third Level Magic Rune Construct nears six hundred fifty gold coins.
"A cost of six hundred fifty gold coins isn't too expensive."
"Twenty-five Stone Golems are required to synthesize one advanced Grand Knight-level Stone Golem, which totals nearly one thousand one hundred gold coins. Meanwhile, a Magic Pattern Construct costing six hundred fifty gold coins, paired with a basic Grand Knight, can yield a combatant at the advanced Grand Knight level, making it relatively cost-effective."
Given that they are of the same advanced Grand Knight level, humans, with their initiative and adaptability, can undoubtedly prove to be more effective than Stone Golems.
"The first graduating class has five hundred students," someone said. "At Dragonheart Knight Academy, to fully equip them all with Magic Pattern Constructs would cost about forty-one thousand Gold Coins."
"It's expensive, yes, but in return, we'd gain five hundred combatants close to the Grand Knight level," another person replied. "Peak Knight."
Su Nan did some calculations. If all forty-one thousand Gold Coins were used to refine Twin Blade Spiders at the Peak Knight level, they would only produce about two hundred and thirty, which is less than half the number of Knight Academy graduates.
Of course, that doesn’t factor in the cost of training the students. When that is considered, determining which method is more cost-effective becomes uncertain.
However, if it were up to Su Nan, he would still prefer having five hundred Knights with their own initiative.
"Let's gather five hundred sets of First Level Magic Rune Constructs first."
Su Nan glanced at the heap of Magic Pattern Constructs piled on the far right. There were already over two hundred sets, but still half of what was needed.
"The demand for First Level Magic Rune Constructs will undoubtedly be the highest in the future, but the difficulty of refining them is similar to that of Enchanted Weapons. Once I organize the relevant knowledge and add it to the Base's exchange list, the Apprentices in the Base can take on the task of refining them."
Su Nan stretched, refined another three sets of Magic Pattern Constructs, and then stopped, leaving the Workshop.
Back in his study, Su Nan took out the financial reports from the last few months and reviewed them carefully.
Following the depletion of the previous four mines, another three had recently been exhausted. Now, the Star Alliance only had six mines left, and the monthly output had dropped significantly, leading to a sharp decline in profits.
Su Nan had originally planned to refine another Mithril Golem, but after accounting for the costs of refining the Magic Pattern Constructs, there was scarcely any profit left in recent months.
In the end, it was still necessary to find more mines.
Especially the Silver Mine. He was eager to obtain Mithril to refine the Secret Puppet.
“I wonder how the exploration is progressing?”
With this thought in mind, Su Nan called over two Golems and instructed them to find Karolina and Red Widow.
The two women were likely in Youhu City, as they arrived shortly after.
“Master!”
Karolina and Red Widow bowed simultaneously upon entering.
Su Nan nodded, and after casually sitting down, asked, “What have you gained from your recent exploration?”
Karolina stepped forward and replied, “Master, one hundred and twenty kilometers to the east lies a massive swamp, home to thousands of Subterranean Toad Monsters and Slime Monsters. I’ve already dispatched people to begin clearing them out, but it may take some time to resolve.”
“About one hundred and fifty kilometers to the north, the exploration teams encountered several Eye Demon Tribes, including many legendary-grade Eye Demons. I’m currently considering ways to deal with them.”
Eye Demon Tribe?
Su Nan’s eyes flickered slightly.
In the Underworld's food chain, Eye Demons were considered to be in the upper-middle tier.
These creatures were very weak in close combat, but they excelled in using illusions and charming other species to fight for them.
Without a mastery of Elemental Power, Knights and Grand Knights could easily fall victim to the Eye Demons’ illusions.
Facing multiple Eye Demons at once would almost certainly result in death.
In the Underworld, Eye Demons usually lived in small groups. They directly controlled servants and slaves, existing in the form of tribes.
Typically, within a tribe, there would be one or more legendary-grade Eye Demons.
From these legendary-grade Eye Demons, there was a very small chance for a variant to emerge, such as the Elder Eye, Overseer Eye, Nest Mother Eye, or Abyss Eye.
These variants were often very powerful, even stronger than an ordinary Level Three Wizard Apprentice.
They would integrate multiple Eye Demon tribes, controlling even more slave servants and ultimately forming more powerful city-states.
In Su Nan's memory, any city-state where Eye Demons gathered was ruled by Eye Demon variants.
“If it’s just the Eye Demon Tribe, that’s manageable. Illusions and charming abilities are ineffective against puppets. Bring more Twin Blade Spiders with you and clear out those Eye Demons as soon as possible,” Su Nan said, waving his hand dismissively.
“Yes, Master!” Karolina breathed a small sigh of relief.
Since the exploration began, her subordinates had been unable to locate mines or other resource points. If the master were to blame her for that, she wouldn’t have a good defense.
Fortunately, the master was understanding.
Su Nan didn’t notice the change in Karolina's expression and turned to look at Red Widow.
“How's it going on your end?”
Red Widow smiled, “Thanks to you, Master, I found an iron mine in the west, and we are currently surveying its reserves. Initial estimates suggest it's at least a medium-sized mine.”
Su Nan was slightly taken aback, a smile spreading across his face. “Well done.”
“It is my honor to serve you, Master.”
Red Widow's smile deepened as she cast a subtle glance at Karolina, a hint of smugness flickering in her eyes.
Karolina saw it and gritted her teeth in secret.
Pretending not to notice their exchange, Su Nan continued, “Is there anything else?”
“Yes, Master,” Red Widow quickly replied. “Our exploration team also discovered a Minotaur tribe to the south. It’s quite large, with an estimated population of over five hundred. We managed to conduct some trade with them, acquiring unsmelted gold ore.”
Su Nan was immediately intrigued.
Unsmelted gold ore meant that the Minotaur tribe likely controlled a gold mine vein.
Minotaurs were not skilled in smelting. If their tribe lacked dwarves, they wouldn’t be able to process the gold ore even if they mined it, leaving them no choice but to trade it.
Red Widow added, “I’m still investigating the details, but it’s highly probable that they control a gold mine vein.”
“Excellent,” Su Nan said with an approving smile. “If we confirm that the tribe truly possesses a gold mine vein, we'll send troops to secure it immediately!”
The combat strength of an adult Minotaur was roughly between that of an elementary knight and an advanced knight.
A Minotaur tribe with a population of over five hundred was already considered a significant force in the Underworld, and those who held a gold mine vein were not easy targets to challenge.
However, the Star Alliance was an exception.
With the Star Alliance's current strength, destroying a Minotaur tribe would be a simple matter.
“Yes, Master,” Red Widow respectfully replied.
After finishing the exploration discussion, Su Nan was about to dismiss the two when Karolina suddenly presented him with a letter.
“Master, there's a letter from Xie Man.”
Su Nan understood; it was likely about the new Magical Plant Garden being developed.
However, after opening and reading the letter, he felt a sense of surprise.
“Gloomy Land Dragon?”
How could these unique creatures of the Underworld have wandered up to the surface?
"Could it be that there's an entrance to the Underworld near Ryan City as well?"
Noticing Su Nan's contemplative expression and prolonged silence, Red Widow couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master, what happened?"
Su Nan didn't respond immediately; instead, he tossed the letter to them for reading.
After they finished, surprise emerged on Red Widow's and Karolina's faces.
"Send someone to Ryan City to retrieve that Gloomy Land Dragon corpse and investigate its origin. If there truly is an entrance to the Underworld, contact the local lord immediately to seal it off and report back to me."
Su Nan didn't deliberate for long before quickly issuing the order.
If it were merely a simple Underworld entrance, he wouldn't pay it much mind.
After all, many areas around the Star Alliance still awaited exploration. He hadn't even fully charted this region yet, and he really couldn't spare the energy to develop a second entrance.
However, if Sub-Dragon Species existed on the other side of that entrance, the situation would change drastically.
Capturing a large number of Sub-Dragon Species or finding high-level specimens would allow him to extract their blood to enhance the Bloodline concentration of the Hidden Dragon.
This was what truly concerned him.
"I didn't expect to uncover clues about the Sub-Dragon Species so quickly; hopefully, it will yield some results," Su Nan mused to himself.
If numerous Sub-Dragon Species inhabited the other side of the entrance, he would need to make the trip himself.
Having served under Su Nan for some time, both Karolina and Red Widow understood that their master had been tirelessly searching for traces of the Sub-Dragon Species and held it in high regard. Thus, they responded solemnly upon hearing his words.
"Alright, go on," Su Nan waved his hand.
Both acknowledged and retired.
Once outside the study, Karolina quickened his pace. He hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of wind behind him; Red Widow had already floated up beside him, a teasing smile on his face.
"Why are you walking so fast? Rushing to handle the Swamp and Eye Demon Tribe? Or are you planning to send someone to Ryan City immediately?"
Karolina replied with an expressionless face, "Don't get cocky. This time, it was just your good fortune. Who will win or lose next is still uncertain."
"The truth is, I'm one step ahead of you right now," Red Widow said with a smile, raising her index finger to her red lips. "One step ahead leads to many steps ahead. By the time you've resolved the issues of the Swamp and the Eye Demon Tribe, I will have already discovered more Mines."
Karolina's eye twitched slightly as she glared at Red Widow before dismissing her with a hasty stride.
She had already fallen behind Red Widow in the exploration of the Mines, and she absolutely couldn't afford to lose to her again in the investigation of the Gloomy Land Dragon. She had to find the source of the Gloomy Land Dragon before Red Widow did.
Red Widow did not pursue her. She watched as Karolina walked away, her smile fading into a disdainful sneer.
Of course, she could guess what Karolina was plotting; it was nothing more than an attempt to regain ground in the matter of the Gloomy Land Dragon.
But, unfortunately for her, Red Widow would not give her that opportunity.
This time, she would be one step ahead of Karolina as well.
The longer Red Widow remained under Su Nan's command, the more she could sense Su Nan's power.
As long as Su Nan was present, the strength of the Star Alliance would continue to grow, its territory would keep expanding, and one day it would become the overlord of the Underworld.
And as long as she firmly maintained her position as Su Nan's first deputy, when the Star Alliance ascended to overlord status, she too could become a significant figure in the Underworld!
Just the thought of it ignited a fervor within her.
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