Chapter 006: The Theory of Wands

Watching the expression on the fat apprentice mage’s face, Du Fan also felt a bit puzzled. He wasn’t sure whether this blue liquid was truly the blood of demons. Although he had just learned about demons from Anthony the day before, who said blue liquid must be demon blood? Could it not be blue ink?
Yet the expression on the fat apprentice mage’s face seemed to suggest that it indeed was demon blood. Driven by some impulse, Du Fan hesitated for less than a second before saying firmly, “Alright, I’ll take this… Give me the orc skeleton and the elf hair as well.”
The fat apprentice mage’s expression immediately brightened. He rummaged around on the wooden shelf for a while before finding a wooden box. He carefully placed the orc skeleton inside it, along with the box containing the elf hair and the small vial of demon blood, and handed them to Du Fan with a smile. “Since you, the honorable sir, seem to like these things, I’ll give them to you at a lower price…”
After some haggling, Du Fan acquired these three items in exchange for ten intermediate magic stones and one advanced magic stone. Most of the magic stones he had were obtained by killing monsters during his journey to the northern ice fields. He used them for personal gain, keeping them for himself. Since Archbishop Anthony never mentioned anything, he pretended not to know and embezzled all those items that the Temple Knights had fought so hard to obtain. Now, using them didn’t cause him any remorse at all.
Then, under the astonished gaze of the fat apprentice mage, Du Fan casually stuffed the three items into his storage ring. After saying goodbye, he left the shop.
Of course, this was just a small gain from Du Fan’s wandering around; he didn’t pay it much attention…
But after he left, the fat apprentice mage’s expression suddenly became serious. Staring at Du Fan’s retreating figure, he murmured, “The charlatans who came before didn’t even know what demon blood was. Why does this young man seem so certain…? But this item has been passed down through generations in my family. Each generation has instructed us to try selling it to any charlatans we meet… Well, it’s none of my business. If anything really happens, those high-ranking officials will take care of it. Why should I, just an apprentice mage, worry so much?”

With that, the chubby magic apprentice smiled self-mockingly, then walked behind the counter, lay down, and slowly fell asleep. After leaving that stone magic shop, Du Fan wandered around the area a few more times before being attracted to another magic shop. This shop resembled a giant tree; by Du Fan’s estimate, even a dozen strong men might not be able to抱 it. The trunk of the tree seemed hollow inside, and although the entrance was large, it was impossible to tell what was sold inside. Windows-like openings had been carved all over the trunk, giving it a uniquely distinctive appearance. At the top of the tree, there seemed to be a huge crystal ball that kept flashing in the air… Something resembling a chimney extended from one side of the tree, constantly emitting black smoke, but the smoke disappeared silently into the air after traveling just a few meters. Du Fan slowly approached the entrance of this strange shop and saw what appeared to be a wand hanging there. After hesitating for a moment, he went in and saw that various sized holes had been carved throughout the trunk, each containing colorful crystal balls. In mid-air, there also seemed to be some stick-like objects floating, but Du Fan realized they were likely unfinished wands. In addition, some fabrics covered the walls, adorned with various runes… Clearly, this place was a store selling various magic items. Although Du Fan was quite skilled in magic, he was still a self-taught learner with no systematic understanding of it. After staring at these magic items for a long time, he couldn’t tell which ones were good and which were bad, but he could be sure that each one was extremely expensive. “May I help you with anything?” Just as Du Fan was fascinated by what he saw, a indifferent voice spoke. Moments later, a person slowly walked out from behind the counter. This guy was also wearing a magic robe, with a somewhat rigid expression, but his eyes were hazy, as if he hadn’t woken up properly. With just one glance, Du Fan guessed that this guy must have been sleeping behind the counter earlier; otherwise, he wouldn’t have looked like that. From this, it seemed that this magician wasn’t any different from ordinary people—he too was lazy when doing things!

Thinking of this, Du Fan couldn’t help but smile secretly. He looked at the seemingly sleepless magic apprentice and smiled slightly, “It’s nothing. I just came in to take a look… But I have a question. Why do your wands all look like unfinished products?”
The magic apprentice chuckled, rubbed his eyes, and said, “Honorable mage… Oh, it’s you, the priest. Don’t you know? Wands are always sold as unfinished products. As for those who buy them, they naturally have them processed according to their requirements after purchase… Don’t tell me you don’t even know such basic common sense?”
When the word “priest” came up, Du Fan clearly saw a glint in the magic apprentice’s eyes—seemingly a bit surprised—but it vanished instantly.
Yet Du Fan caught that surprise.
He murmured to himself, but still pretended to be a novice—although in the eyes of a true mage, he indeed was one…
Then, with an awkward smile, he said, “Well… I really don’t know.”
The magic apprentice grinned and said, “I see. No wonder. Honorable priest, you must be aware that even among mages on this continent, everyone’s magical power, mental strength, and magic sensitivity are completely different, right? Some people have strong magic sensitivity, so their wands can be engraved with several magic arrays or inlaid with magic crystals that store magical power… Those with weaker magic sensitivity need shorter wands. Although this reduces the wand’s amplifying effect on magic, it allows them to cast spells faster and more smoothly… Of course, for those with moderate magic sensitivity, their wand is usually sufficient. In such cases, they need to craft their own wands based on their level of mastery… Of course, there are many details involved here. Some prefer to use their own elemental magic stones to enhance the power of their spells, while others like to use magic metals like sterling silver to boost the enchantment of their wands. It all depends on the specific situation…”

At this point, the magic apprentice said proudly, “I can tell you this: none of the wands that leave my shop are identical. Our magic item store has been around for countless years since the founding of the wizards’ guild, but our principle has never changed—namely, to ensure that every wizard gets the magic item that suits them best!”
Hearing this, Du Fan felt a slight stir in his heart and said, “So what you’re saying is that there isn’t a ‘best’ wand, only the one that’s most suitable?”
The magic apprentice nodded. “Yes… Under normal circumstances, that’s indeed the case.”
Du Fan asked doubtfully, “Are there any other situations?”
Seeing that Du Fan was asking questions without showing impatience, the apprentice patiently explained, “That’s natural. You see, wands are usually made from soft peach wood—do you know what soft peach wood is? It’s a type of peach wood that, though soft, is tough and has excellent enchantment properties. It has always been the preferred material for making wands. But this is just the normal case… Wands made this way can meet the needs of most wizards. However, some great wizards possess various magical materials, and the wands they create using those materials are naturally different from ordinary wands. For example, a wand made primarily of argentum can not only enhance magical sensitivity and amplify magic but also store magic energy. For a wizard, this could be considered the best wand. But I suppose you also know that argentum is extremely rare. So, not to mention making a wand entirely of argentum, even using just a little argentum on soft peach wood greatly enhances its enchantment properties. Of course, aside from wands made of argentum, those legendary divine and sacred artifacts also have various unique effects that ordinary wands cannot compare to. With something like that, once you have it, who would care whether it suits them or not?”
At this point, the magic apprentice glanced at Du Fan and said, “Honorable sir, do you think what I’ve said makes sense?”