The next morning, Elric left the tavern early, once again expressing his gratitude to George and Melissa.
Following Calista's advice, he decided to earn some money first, as becoming a psychic required a lot of funds.
Elric wandered aimlessly through the streets and soon came across an herbal shop.
A sign hanging at the entrance indicated they were buying various parts of psychic beasts and different herbs.
"Should we try collecting some herbs?"
Elric murmured to himself as he looked at the sign.
"We can, but you'll need to follow my instructions," Calista replied.
Elric had grown accustomed to following Calista's guidance.
Soon, Elric left Blackstone City and headed into the woods outside the city.
The locals referred to this forest as the Blackwood.
From a distance, the forest appeared pitch black, and it was eerily quiet inside.
He didn't bring anything with him this time—he was far too poor for that.
The name "Blackwood" was indeed fitting.
As soon as Elric stepped inside, he noticed the light around him dimming rapidly, creating a stark contrast with the bright world outside.
Even though it was daytime, the forest remained dark and gloomy, as if perpetually shrouded in twilight.
The oppressive silence was almost overwhelming, broken only occasionally by the rustling of leaves in the distance.
It was Elric's first time in the Blackwood, and he felt a bit nervous.
Following Calista's instructions, he walked for a long time before finally spotting a faint glow up ahead.
The light wasn't harsh but soft and peaceful, resembling a field of gently glowing grass.
"That's glowgrass. If combined with melancholy violets, it becomes a key ingredient for a First Realm sigil," Calista's voice echoed in his mind.
Hearing the term "sigil," Elric immediately recalled how Calista had often mentioned this profession in his dreams.
A sigilist was one of the most prestigious auxiliary professions in this world.
By channeling psychic energy, they could create runes with special effects to aid in combat or cultivation.
In this world, aside from the main profession of a psychic, many auxiliary professions were also held in high regard.
Blacksmiths could craft powerful weapons and equipment, while alchemists could brew potions that healed or enhanced abilities.
Sigilists specialized in creating various sigils, all professions built upon the foundation of psychic energy.
Calista's voice once again broke through his thoughts.
"Let's just gather some glowgrass today.
When you have enough money to buy tools, you can come back for the more delicate plants."
Elric nodded, knowing Calista's advice was sound.
Many precious herbs were incredibly fragile, and even a light touch could cause them to wither.
Without the proper tools and skills, harvesting them would be nearly impossible.
But glowgrass was one of the few plants that didn't require special handling.
As he crouched down to start picking the grass, Elric noticed a green snake staring at him.
"Breathe slowly and imagine a surge of psychic energy moving through your right hand, ready to burst forth," Calista instructed.
Elric crouched there, tense, but he followed Calista's directions.
He took a deep breath, adjusting his breathing, and focused his attention, trying to sense the flow of psychic energy within him.
After a moment, he felt a surge of energy gathering inside him, flowing through his right hand.
Suddenly, his right hand was enveloped in a bright white light tinged with a faint green glow.
The psychic energy burst forth with immense force, shooting straight toward the green snake.
The light streaked through the air like an arrow.
"Hiss—"
The snake let out a pained hiss. Under the powerful blast of psychic energy, its body went rigid and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Elric exhaled a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding.
Calista's voice, now tinged with approval, spoke again.
"Well done, that's the basics of controlling psychic energy.
Pick up that green snake; it could fetch a good price."
Elric moved quickly, his hands gathering up the snake and stuffing it into his cloak.
Before long, his pockets were full of glowgrass, and the snake was hidden inside his cloak.
He retraced his steps, leaving the forest.
As the sun began to set, casting a yellowish hue over the land, Elric realized the city gates would soon close.
Fortunately, when he arrived at the gates, they were still open.
He hurried through the gate, exhaling in relief, and made his way toward the herbal shop from his memory.
As he ran toward the shop, he noticed that the lights were dimming, a sign that the store was about to close.
Seeing the shopkeeper preparing to shut the door, Elric felt a sense of urgency and quickened his pace, calling out loudly.
"Wait a moment!"
The shopkeeper frowned, pausing in his actions with a hint of impatience in his voice.
"What do you want?"
Without wasting any time, Elric quickly pulled out the green snake from inside his cloak, presenting it to the shopkeeper for inspection.
The snake, though dead, was still intact and appeared fresh.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as he hummed in approval, clearly pleased with the snake's condition, but then he sneered.
"Oh, not bad. Where'd you steal this from?"
It was clear he didn't believe a boy so young could have killed such a dangerous snake on his own.
Elric's expression darkened at the accusation, and he calmly responded,
"I didn't steal it. I killed it myself."
The shopkeeper glanced at him, doubtful, but the snake's quality made him unwilling to miss out on the deal.
He stroked his chin before saying,
"I don't care how you got it. I can buy the snake from you. How much are you asking for?"
"Twenty-one silver coins, no more, no less," Elric said coolly.
The shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback, surprised by the boy's confidence.
He had expected the child to be ignorant of the market value and had planned to offer a lower price.
But Elric's offer was right on point—he knew exactly how much the snake was worth.
This particular green snake was indeed worth about twenty-one silver coins, and Elric's price hit the mark.
The shopkeeper's expression shifted from disdain to seriousness, realizing that this boy was no fool.
Though reluctant, the shopkeeper knew that haggling would only waste time, so he nodded.
"Alright, twenty-one silver coins."
He turned to retrieve the money, but Elric suddenly spoke up.
"Wait, I also have some glowgrass."
With that, he pulled out the glowgrass he had collected from his pockets.
Although these herbs weren't particularly valuable, together they were worth about thirty copper coins.
The shopkeeper glanced at the glowgrass and, after a brief moment of thought, said,
"I'll take the herbs too, but it's not safe for a kid like you to carry too much money.
How about this: I'll give you five silver coins and throw in a bottle of bone-tempering elixir. How does that sound?"
Elric was about to refuse when Calista's voice rang in his mind.
"That bone-tempering elixir typically sells for around fifteen silver coins.
It'll be very useful to you."
Hearing Calista's words, Elric responded,
"Deal."
The shopkeeper smiled, his admiration for the boy growing.
He silently acknowledged that this kid had a keen eye.
The shopkeeper handed over five silver coins and a small white porcelain bottle containing the bone-tempering elixir, placing them in Elric's hands.