Gaode accepted the Yellow Paper from Yom and quickly skimmed its contents.
The Magic list detailed a total of five 0th Ring Magic:
[Acid Splash] (Curse Magic, 0th Ring)
Fires a small acid orb at the target, with an initial maximum range of 25 feet (approximately 8.5 meters).
You must make a successful ranged touch attack to hit the target, which will inflict strong acid damage.
The acid from the orb will dissipate after a few seconds.
[Enhance Resistance] (Defense Series, 0th Ring)
Infuses Mana into the target (which can be oneself) to increase the target's Magic Resistance, thereby reducing the magic damage and magic effects endured. A single Casting lasts for one minute.
[Blade Protection] (Defense Series, 0th Ring)
Extends a hand to trace a defensive mark in the air, granting oneself Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage dealt by weapon attacks.
[Frozen Ray] (Shaping Series, 0th Ring)
Fires a freezing blue-and-white ray at the target to make a Ranged Magic Attack, with an initial maximum range of 25 feet.
If it hits, the target will suffer Frost Damage and have its movement speed reduced.
[Reading Magic] (Prophet, 0th Ring)
Allows you to decipher Magic Text on items—such as books, Scrolls, weapons, and so on—that cannot be read by other means. Such deciphering usually does not trigger the Magic contained within the text.
Furthermore, once this Magic has been cast and a particular segment of Magic Text has been deciphered, you can understand that same text in the future without needing to rely on Reading Magic again.
...
"How is it? Are you satisfied?" Yom asked.
Gaode forcefully suppressed his excitement and looked up expressionlessly. He was satisfied—incredibly satisfied! How could he not be? The Magic list Yom provided contained not just one, but two lethal Magic that he needed the most. However, the most important rule of trading was to never let the other party see how pleased you were with the goods; otherwise, they would inevitably hike up the price.
"One or two of these Magic are decent. They barely meet my needs, but the number of Magic Formulas is a bit lacking," Gaode replied, offering mixed praise.
"It's not lacking. For a Mage Apprentice, it would take at least a year or two to master all five of these Magic," Yom muttered.
Gaode pretended not to hear Yom's muttering and asked straightforwardly, "How much are you asking for one Magic Formula?"
"Three little roosters," Yom said, holding up three fingers.
"Too expensive. I'll offer 1 Gold Coin at most for a Magic Formula." Gaode frowned slightly, instantly slashing Yom's asking price by more than half.
"In the official Mage Association, the average price of a 0th Ring Magic Formula is 6 Gold Coins," Yom immediately emphasized.
"You said it yourself—that's the official price. If your price doesn't have a clear advantage over the official one, why should I buy Magic Formulas from you? Not only would I be violating the ban, but I'd also be taking a huge risk. After all, who knows if the Magic Formulas you're selling me are real or fake?"
"2 Gold Coins and 10 Silver Coins." Yom fell silent for a moment before his voice sounded again. "I am a native of Hogan City. I live right here and can't just run away. Because of that, there is at least some guarantee regarding the authenticity of the formulas. It's far better than trading with any random stranger you might find."
Gaode shifted his gaze toward Pierre, who had been watching the spectacle from the side.
Pierre was a shrewd man as well. He nodded and said, "Yom is indeed a Hogan City native. He has lived here for many years and never left."
Gaode's mind stirred. If Pierre wasn't lying to him, then the authenticity of Yom's Magic Formulas was indeed somewhat guaranteed. After all, he was rooted here. It was impossible for Yom to flee his hometown over a single deal worth less than ten Sean Gold Coins. Looking at it this way, a slightly higher price wasn't unacceptable.
"Sell me three Magic Formulas as a bundle. One final price: 6 Gold Coins." 2 Gold Coins and 10 Silver Coins was actually within Gaode's target price range, but he chose to continue haggling.
"The price I gave is already the absolute lowest," Yom said through gritted teeth.
"That is a shame." Gaode shook his head, cleanly handed the list back to Yom, and immediately turned to walk out of the shop. His expression was incredibly calm, but in reality, his heart was full of tension.
"Will he stop me?" he wondered.
He knew very well that if he missed this opportunity with Yom, it would be extremely difficult to find anyone else willing to trade Magic Formulas with him in the short term. Time was exactly what Gaode lacked the most right now. However, his funds were truly tight, so he had to save wherever he could. Regardless, this was just an attempt.
Gaode was already prepared. If Yom really didn't stop him before he left Pierre's grocery store, he would immediately turn around with the self-deprecating smile of a failed gambler and say, "Alright, sir. 2 Gold Coins and 10 Silver Coins. You win."
Pride couldn't put food on the table, but 30 Silver Coins saved could buy many meals.
One step, two steps, three steps... Just as Gaode was about to step out of the grocery store, Yom's slightly frustrated voice finally rang out from behind him.
"Wait..."
Gaode turned around and looked at him.
"Fine, 6 Gold Coins it is. You win. If I weren't so tight on cash lately..."
"Beautiful! To succeed so brilliantly in my very first haggling session across both my past and present lives, I truly have a natural gift for this," he thought.
Gaode fiercely praised himself in his mind, then revealed a placid smile. "Sir, this should be called a win-win."
He was in a genuinely great mood, so the smile came straight from the heart.
"Which three Magic Formulas do you want?" Yom asked.
"Acid Splash, Frozen Ray, and Enhance Resistance." Gaode had already made his decision.
With his current financial capability, buying three Magic Formulas was his absolute limit. First and foremost, the two Attack Magic were mandatory. Out of the remaining three Magic Formulas, Reading Magic could be ruled out. It wasn't that this Magic was inferior to the others, but simply that Gaode didn't need it at the moment. What he needed was Magic that could directly enhance his combat prowess.
As for Blade Protection and Enhance Resistance, both Magic belonged to the Defense Series. They merely targeted different damage types—the difference between Magic Resistance and Physical Resistance. Setting Mage Seda as his hypothetical enemy, Enhance Resistance was undoubtedly the better fit. An elderly Mage surely wouldn't whip out a Longsword to fight him in close quarters, right?
Although the final price was 30 Silver Coins lower than he had hoped, the 6 Gold Coins transaction was clearly still within Yom's acceptable range. He very straightforwardly pulled out three thin booklets from his person, which were the three Magic Formulas Gaode had selected.
Paying with one hand and taking the goods with the other, Gaode also took out 6 Gold Coins to complete the transaction with Yom.
After receiving the money, Yom called out a farewell to Pierre and left first. Having waited in the store for Gaode for quite a while, he was already eager to head back.
"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Pierre," a thoroughly satisfied Gaode said, expressing his gratitude.
"Taking money to get things done is perfectly reasonable. There's no need to be so polite with me. On the contrary, I should be the one asking you to keep looking after my little business," Pierre said, still beaming.
Ten Trifoliate Flower Silver Coins wasn't a huge deal for him, but earning a tidy sum just for putting in a good word without expending any other effort was something Pierre was more than happy to do.
...