After completing Alex's assistance to Steve in the crow's plan, he still had a few hours before his exam, so he decided to take a stroll in the "White Jewel" city.
The capital market is the largest in the entire kingdom, providing a good opportunity to acquire some necessities. In plain sight were shops selling shields, weapons, and herbs, showcasing their best products in an attempt to entice self-defense artists. However, these were not the shops he was looking for.
Alex was only midway through the world of magic, with the possibility of his training reaching its peak still a distant goal. But as a sorcerer, it would be as easy as drinking water.
Finally, Alex found what he was looking for: a magical equipment store. There were various tools and equipment specially crafted for sorcerers, from mana-gathering wands to cloaks of invisibility, magic energy storing wraps, mana crystals, and much more.
His goal for today was to obtain a ring for storing spells, an essential tool that every sorcerer should possess. The simplest definition of magic is using mana to draw a circle with various inscriptions, then activating it by reciting its corresponding incantation. During battle, your opponent won't wait for you to draw your magic circle.
Even pre-stored magical circles in wraps need time to activate, and your opponent won't give you a chance to recite the incantation. To address this, rings for spell storage were created. With these rings, you could prepare magical circles and activate them beforehand, storing them within the ring to be projected later as illuminated circles in the air.
Alex stood before a collection of silver rings adorned with blue sapphire stones, examining them carefully before inquiring about their price from the shop owner.
"120 silver coins, it's one of our finest products. Only for the occasion of the exam, we're offering it at this price," the shopkeeper said.
Alex smiled and held the ring between his hands, placing it on his finger, then he extended his hand to the shopkeeper and said, "No problem, I'll accept the money you're offering along with the ring."
The shopkeeper gazed at the child, his merchant's smile flying off his face. "What are you blabbering about, kid? Are you trying to tell a joke?"
"The real joke is selling a ring studded with a defective stone that will break after a few months of use. I wonder what would happen if that news spread."
After a short while, he exited the shop, a smile reaching his ears, his new ring gleaming – one of the finest kinds – which he received as a gift from the store.
"Nothing beats catching swindlers and blackmailing them. I just hope they don't change their store like the village doctor did."
The village doctor was a miserly man, and Alex continued to pressure him, forcing him to pay for his meals, until the doctor was eventually forced to leave the village.
Blackmailing cheats and deceivers was Alex's favorite hobby, along with the pleasure of seeing their bewildered faces. There were always many benefits.
After buying or obtaining the ring – to be more precise – Alex headed to a store that sold tamed monsters. This was to be his final stop before returning to the inn and enjoying the seasoned venison, the reason he had chosen an afternoon appointment.
Time passed quickly, and finally, the time for the exam arrived. At 3 PM, Alex stood in line to present his document to the responsible supervisor.
"Excuse me, Mr. Alex, may I ask you something?"
A beautiful and attention-grabbing girl with black hair reaching her shoulders and a long sky-blue robe approached him gracefully. "Mr. Gene, have you chosen the Golden Badge mission?"
'What a silly question, and what do you think I'm doing in line for?' Alex thought, but he didn't say anything and merely nodded. Happiness spread across the girl's features, and with great enthusiasm, she came closer, holding the Golden Badge in her hand. "What a fantastic coincidence. We're in the same group. My name is Sarah. What do you think about forming a team together?"
"Enough of bothering me, and stay away from me," Alex responded to her coldly. Despite that, the girl didn't seem bothered; in fact, quite the opposite. She smiled and became even more determined.
"I'll help you get the top rank, and I won't demand a share of the prize. Think about it. I'll see you later," the girl said with a cheerful tone.
With graceful steps, she walked away, while the eyes of the young men stared at her with a mixture of jealousy and envy. Just yesterday, they had seen him with the stunning white-haired beauty, and today, here was a charming girl no less beautiful orbiting around him. After the incident with the magical seals, his confrontation with the guard, and his quarrel with a girl from a royal family, Alex had made a name for himself in record time.
At the same time, another girl with long black hair and striking beauty, wearing the attire of institute students, watched from a distance. She was observing Alex from afar.
"Hey, you there, what are you doing standing here? Students aren't allowed to stay here," one of the supervisors scolded the black-haired girl, who then bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir, I'll leave immediately."
The girl turned out to be Olivia, the same girl who had summoned Alex from the future. And for some reason, she was determined to find him.
Alex's exam began. As the participating students rushed forward, he stopped after a few meters, sensing something amiss. A gentle voice sounded as an explanation. It was Sarah, the same girl who had approached him moments ago.
"A magical barrier has been erected, closing the path with magic. It seems some magic students are preying on new candidates. We either need to fight them or pay to pass through."
Alex sighed and turned to her, asking, "And what's your solution? What should we do?"
"You're speaking in plural now. Did you agree to my proposal?" Sarah clapped her hands with enthusiasm. "My dad is an advanced sorcerer and gave me some elixirs that boost mana. We can easily pass through the barrier."
With a beautiful smile, Sarah presented the elixir to Alex. Without much discussion, he examined it and sniffed it before drinking it in one go.
"Alex, don't drink it all at once! It will harm you. I mean, you'll die faster than you should." His vision became blurry, cold sweat trickled down his body, and as weakness hit his knees, he almost fell if he hadn't leaned against a tree. He could feel his body ceasing movement. Slowly, his body would become paralyzed.
The beautiful girl in the long robe smiled again, but this time, her smile was terrifying – a stark contrast to her lovely face. Her eyes were haunting as they stared at him, and she licked her lips while saying, "Oh dear, I thought catching you would be a challenge. For a moment, I thought my charm wouldn't affect you. Your death will be a challenge, but you've quickly lowered your defenses and trusted me enough to drink a potion without thinking. How unfortunate."
Alex pulled a dagger from his cuff, though he was too weak to grip it tightly. He collapsed to the ground, and Olivia picked up the dagger, slowly sliding it across her tongue with delight before placing it on Alex's face.
"Come on, handsome, can i hear your screams ?"