Kubo's Malt House.
Afternoon is often the quietest time for a tavern.
Pushing the door open, this tavern wasn't actually very large, with about twenty tables scattered throughout the hall. Inside, there were both workers taking a break for a drink and some bar regulars who spent every day doing nothing.
Two women, dressed in tight, off-the-shoulder tops and floor-length hoop skirts, were busy working.
They wore professional smiles on their faces, carrying trays full of glasses, skillfully dodging and weaving between tables and outstretched hands trying to grope them.
Durin and Vayne went to a private room on the second floor, overlooking the street, with an oak dining table covered by a white tablecloth.
Durin sat by the window, able to clearly see the bustling crowd on the street through the glass.
A voluptuous waitress brought the menu and drink list, introducing with a smile: "Hello, both of you. Our main dishes here are local Piltover cuisine: fried shrimp balls, pan-fried beef ribs, fried Devilfish, tomato and potato beef brisket stew, etc. Our most popular desserts are cream pudding, lava cake, and apple tart."
Durin noticed that the text on the menu was in Noxus common language, but Vayne, as a Demacian, had no trouble reading it and skillfully ordered several dishes: "Two portions of pan-fried beef ribs, two portions of fried potato wedges, two portions of tomato and potato beef brisket stew, and two portions of cold salmon."
After quickly jotting down the order, the waitress continued to ask: "Alright, would you like any drinks? Our malt beers here are freshly brewed, guaranteed to be mellow."
Durin waved his hand, refusing: "No need."
After the waitress left, Vayne took off the dark red sunglasses perched on her high nose bridge, folded them casually, and placed them on the white tablecloth, saying calmly, "What are your thoughts on the Council's arrangement?"
"I think it's pretty good, I can accept it," Durin thought for a moment and replied.
"…Actually, you don't have to force yourself. You know better than anyone the strength and danger of that Demon roaming Piltover. I can completely explain the situation to those councilors on your behalf," Vayne said suddenly after a moment of silence.
Durin was not surprised by Vayne's words. Firstly, Vayne was, to normal people, a cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside huntress, somewhat like the white wolf Demon Hunter.
Her parents had died tragically because of a Demon, so she would absolutely not allow Demons to randomly kill people in front of her. Secondly, as a Demon Hunter Master, Vayne had the ability to protect herself, but not necessarily the strength to protect Durin.
One had to know that engaging in a gamble with a Demon was an extremely, extremely dangerous thing.
After all, from her perspective, Durin was just an ordinary Mage Apprentice. He had luckily managed to break through the Demon's Demon Sight, or what was called an illusion, by relying on a magic item.
But unfortunately, Durin had already made up his mind. The thrilling experience of last night made him clearly realize that he needed to speed up and get stronger as soon as possible.
But to get stronger, money was definitely indispensable.
And the rewards mentioned in the Council meeting—50 gold cogwheels, a Piltover University scholarship, a high-end residence with half a year's rent waived, and a magic item—were all quite generous.
Not to mention, this condition was worth him taking a risk; furthermore, the Demon named Heart of Manipulation would not let him go. What she said when she escaped made Durin feel as if a Sword of Damocles hung over his head, ready to fall at any moment and sever his neck.
Durin could only secure his safety by clinging tightly to Vayne's leg.
After thinking all this through, Durin's gaze instinctively met Vayne's seemingly indifferent almond-shaped eyes. Her wine-red eyeshadow subtly gave her a charming expression.
Durin calmly said, "It's fine, Master Vayne. I also want to personally witness the moment you eradicate the Demon."
"…"
Vayne raised an eyebrow, saying nothing more.
At this moment, the female attendant brought out steaming pan-fried beef ribs and two servings of French fries. Soon after, she also served two pots of tomato potato beef brisket stew and two portions of cold salmon.
So, the two decided to eat and talk.
"Master Vayne, you told me this morning that after the council meeting, you would tell me how to improve my mental strength. What exactly is it?" Durin pondered for a moment before speaking.
Vayne did not refuse to answer this time. After some thought, she dipped her finger in clean water and drew the characters for "soul" on the table, saying casually, "Actually, as an Ionian, you should understand this better than I do. Last year, I visited the First Land and conversed with the monks in an inconspicuous monastery. He took me to visit Placidium, and there I realized that what is called mental strength is equivalent to a person's soul, and what they call the spiritual world is actually the world the soul goes to after death.
"So, improving mental strength is actually about increasing the soul's intensity, making it exceptionally profound and boundless."
Durin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly, he grumbled. He felt as if people in Runeterra held a stereotype that Ionians must understand theories about the soul and spirit!
He wished he understood, but unfortunately, he wasn't a pure Ionian; he was just an ordinary Earth traverser. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so clueless about everything now.
"There are many methods for improvement: Soul Magic, Dragon's Blessing, Rune Tattoos, and so on, an endless variety. But the most effective method is through actively training the soul yourself."
Next, Vayne explained in detail to Durin what active soul forging entailed.
After listening carefully, Durin felt it was a bit different from what he had imagined, somewhat similar to physical training methods. It involved refining the soul through countless trials, causing a painful tearing sensation. The longer this was maintained, the greater the feedback effect, leading to a more powerful transformation.
However, the soul and the human body both have the concept of limits.
Once the soul reaches its limit, various strange methods are needed to break through the bottleneck and enter the next stage, achieving transcendence.
Often, most people get stuck at the first stage's bottleneck for a lifetime. Generally speaking, the more profound and powerful your soul becomes, the more unparalleled your strength will be.
Therefore, enhancing soul strength is a process of tearing the soul and then restoring it to grow stronger again. Vayne's method, while painful in the process, would be very effective.
"You need to refine a Devil Potion, then consume it, and submerge your body and head completely in water. The pain from the potion and underwater suffocation will serve as a method to tear the soul."
Vayne earnestly instructed, "But there's one thing: you need a medium to restore your soul afterward. It can be music, dance, or books—anything that makes your soul feel relaxed and comfortable."
A name instantly popped into Durin's mind: Seraphine.
The body is an extension of consciousness, and consciousness and soul are inseparable. Seraphine can not only hear the sounds emitted by souls, but her voice can also directly reach the soul.
If, as Vayne said, restoring a torn soul requires a medium, then Seraphine's singing is the best and most optimal choice!
Perhaps, he should increase his interactions with Seraphine.
As for the Devil Potion, Durin thought that he hadn't formally started alchemy yet, nor begun to refine potions. He decided it would be better to buy two ready-made bottles from Vayne first to use.
Later, he would purchase a potion recipe and refining method from her.
"Miss Vayne, I have a humble request."
"Speak."
"I would like to purchase two ready-made bottles of Devil Potion from you. May I ask approximately how much they cost?" Durin inquired sincerely.
"Yes, 20 silver lun coins per bottle. For two bottles, I'll charge you 35 silver lun coins." Vayne readily agreed, "Do you want them?"
A cunning glint appeared in her almond-shaped eyes beneath the dark red sunglasses, and a triumphant smile curled her lips.
35 silver lun coins for two bottles?
20 silver lun coins for one bottle?
This is robbery!
This was much more expensive than the last time he bought a bottle of inferior recovery potion from a potion merchant, which cost 6 copper circle coins.
Although Durin's heart was bleeding, he still gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Two bottles."
As he prepared to pay and take the goods, out of caution, Durin still asked, "This Devil Potion won't cause any irreversible harm, will it?"
"As long as you promptly restore your soul afterward, it won't cause any harm."
"Then if I want to switch to other methods later, will there be any side effects on my body?"
"None."
Vayne shook her head and replied.
After receiving a definitive answer, Durin finally felt a little relieved.
"Then, Master Vayne, how do you think my soul strength compares?"
Durin asked with some curiosity.
Vayne looked at him, forking a piece of beef into her tender red lips, and mumbled, "From a soul perspective, you can only be considered a relatively powerful mortal."
Just a relatively powerful mortal?
Durin wasn't disappointed. It made sense; he had only spent a little over two months transforming from an ordinary person into his current state.
Now, many shortcuts lay before Durin; it just depended on whether he was willing to pay the price.
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