"Actually, it's..." Light said, hearing Ryan's confusion, and sat down to explain in detail.
It turned out that the Grand Trial was designed to improve the survival capabilities of the dwarves, dark elves, gnomes, goblins, and humans in the Underdark region. All low-level adventurers were required to participate. This not only helped adventurers break through their limits, but also served as a scouting mission. It was a win-win situation. Additionally, in the Underdark, the evaluation of adventurer levels was not based on their class level, but rather their combat strength. This resulted in some strange phenomena, such as a level 3 warrior having combat power equivalent to a level 4. This was typical of warriors who could defeat beasts above their level. On the other hand, magicians' combat strength was influenced by the underground environment and terrain. However, as long as an adventurer's level reached 5, they no longer had to participate in the annual Grand Trial. Of course, they could still form teams, but the requirements for teams were doubled. For example, a level 1 warrior would only need to obtain the magic core of a level 1 beast to pass the trial. But if two adventurers teamed up, like Huaran, they would need 4 magic cores. Thus, team formations were rare, with only novice warriors and archers forming teams, as they lacked experience facing beasts. However, some did cheat, since it was impossible to monitor every participant in the trial. Another purpose of the trial was to reduce the number of beasts, to prevent them from attacking human cities in the future due to food shortages. Although there were significant casualties every year, the trial continued.
"Do alchemists also have to participate?" Ryan asked, still skeptical.
"Of course! And the Grand Trial doesn't restrict equipment. If you have good gear, people will fight over it," Old Light answered, taking a big swig from his wine pouch, his tone a mix of amusement and seriousness.
Ryan didn't think much about the so-called Grand Trial and later went to Uncle Dex's house for a meal. It turned out that Old Light was Dex's grandfather. After eating, Ryan returned to his place and found two fully armored dark elf warriors guarding his door. However, to his disappointment, they were just two handsome guys. To his surprise, the War Tree, Grandpa Keta, had moved into his courtyard, right next to the small fountain. The fountain, powered by a magic array, constantly sprayed water. The War Trees were especially impressive, capable of moving anywhere, and in Muan City, they were not restricted. However, this particular War Tree had a trunk as wide as a quarter of Ryan's courtyard, making the space seem a little cramped.
Ryan glanced at Grandpa Keta as he walked towards his room. What he needed to do now was make some weapons in the next 7 days. Energy landmines would definitely be a part of it.
"Oh, my dear friend, do you need help?" Just as Ryan was lost in thought, Kobe and Hack entered. Kobe shouted excitedly from afar.
Ryan looked at them in confusion, then remembered that they must be here to help him. That's why Kobe, who didn't like forging, was here. Ryan quickly stood up, arms open wide. "Welcome, welcome! I didn't expect you two, and one can even make leather armor!"
"Didn't we come early?" After hugging Ryan, Kobe looked at him in confusion when he mentioned the leather armor maker.
Ryan was taken aback by Kobe's response, then looked around carefully inside. He didn't see anyone, but when he walked into the living room, he saw Kobe's grin. Ryan realized he'd been tricked, but it made things feel much less awkward. Ryan conjured a small fireball in his hand, pretending to launch it.
"No, no, they're not inside the house. I didn't say inside!" Kobe quickly jumped aside, waving his hands in denial, trying to explain loudly.
When Ryan checked earlier, he noticed the furniture had already been placed: thick beast-hide bedding, silverware, and other items. But the courtyard was empty.
"It's Deff," Hack muttered. He still seemed uneasy about Ryan's change in status, not quite comfortable.
"Alright, boys, time to start working," Ryan said with an odd expression, clapping his hands and addressing Hack and Kobe.
"No problem, just don't make me learn that damn forging," Kobe said, clearly harboring a lot of resentment toward forging.
Ryan paused, thinking to himself whether he should have Kobe help with the forging part of the landmines. But right now, he needed to know about the prices in this place. Since he had declined the city lord's invitation, he would have to pay for everything himself. Fortunately, there were still some materials in the laboratory. Ryan's first priority was to produce some products so he could collect deposits.
"Kobe, do you have any money? Let me take a look." Ryan extended his hand, asking Kobe.
"I only have crystal coins, purple gold coins. My father has diamond coins, silver coins, and gold coins," Kobe said, pulling out two coins and handing them to Ryan.
Ryan examined the crystal coins and purple gold coins and inquired about their value. He learned that the transparent crystal coins were worth about the same as the copper coins on the surface, with 10 crystal coins being equivalent to 1 purple gold coin, and 10 purple gold coins being equivalent to 1 diamond coin. Ryan was delighted when he heard this because he still had a few gold coins on him.
"Look, I have gold coins," Ryan said, proudly presenting one to Kobe.
Kobe clicked his tongue, impressed. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. The craftsmanship is almost as good as the elves' artwork. Ryan, how about we trade it for one purple gold coin?"
"One purple gold coin? This is a gold coin, a gold coin!" Ryan looked at Kobe, sensing that he was still quite normal, and responded disdainfully.
Kobi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, leaving Ryan speechless. At this point, Hack spoke up: "Your gold coins aren't worth much. The silver coins here are made of a metal called Mithril, and gold coins are scarce—rumor has it they're made from a metal called Arcanium."
"Mithril silver coins, Arcanium gold coins? Goodness, this world is insane!" Ryan exclaimed, his mind racing. He finally realized that the silver coins in his hand were nothing like the ones from here, and no wonder the expensive transparent crystals were the same price as copper coins on the mainland.
After his shock, Ryan couldn't help but smile. Mithril and Arcanium were magical metals sold by weight in the mainland, and both were so rare they were practically priceless. But here, they were just types of currency—this was the unique advantage of the underground region.
"Haha! I have something good. Let's ask Grandpa Keta if it's worth anything." Ryan suddenly remembered he had bought a few peculiar plant seeds out of curiosity, one of which was the seed of the Elven Bread Tree, native to the Elves. The fruit from this tree was about the size of a fist, and grew in clusters, with each cluster containing several fruits. Eating just one would sustain a person for an entire day, much like compressed biscuits on Earth. However, it was said that these trees could only be nurtured with the Life Water, which was exclusive to the Elves. That's why there were so few of them grown on the continent. The fruit wasn't very appealing to humans who were used to eating meat, but Elves loved them, and Dark Elves were no different. In the underground, Dark Elves and Dwarves were the most populous, followed by Gnomes and Humans. Goblins were generally despised by everyone.
Ryan reached into his alchemical pouch and pulled out a seed the size of his thumb, then ran outside to show it to Grandpa Keta, the giant tree.
"What's up, little one?" Keta asked, his large green eyes opening as Ryan approached.
"Heh heh, Grandpa Keta, I'm here to trade with you. How about it?" Ryan smiled mischievously, looking like a big bad wolf about to pounce on a little lamb.
Keta sized Ryan up and then replied, "Little one, you know I don't have much to trade. If you want to make a deal, you should go find those Gnomes—they're born merchants."
"No, no, no, Grandpa Keta, this thing is useful only to your Elven kin. If I trade it to the Gnomes, you'll regret it, I promise." Ryan quickly shook his head. Without Life Water, the seed of the Bread Tree was useless.
"Oh? What's this? Tell me more." Keta asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The seed of the Bread Tree. What do you think, is it valuable?" Ryan said as he held out his palm, showing the seed to Keta.
"The Bread Tree? What kind of tree is that?" Keta asked, sensing a faint life energy coming from the seed.
Ryan was taken aback. It seemed that Keta had only been born underground, and had no idea what the Bread Tree was. Just then, a dozen Dark Elves appeared from the tree, looking at Ryan curiously. To his surprise, they were all female Dark Elves, and among them was Deff.
"Ryan, how do you prove that this is the legendary Bread Tree seed?" Deff asked, revealing that Dark Elves knew about such things.
Ryan slapped his forehead. He had originally thought he'd be able to sell the seed for a good price in front of Keta, but it seemed that Keta had no idea. He should have gone directly to the Dark Elf City Lord. However, after a thought, Ryan realized that if he planted the Bread Tree in his courtyard, he could make money even faster, especially with so many Dark Elves underground.
"I need Life Water. Only Life Water can help this seed grow," Ryan said quickly, explaining what he needed.
"Here you go." Before Ryan even finished speaking, a crystal bottle was tossed in his direction. Inside was a green liquid that emitted a faint glow in the dim surroundings. The crystal bottle was made of Arcanium and had a magical array etched into it to protect the Life Water. The one who threw it was none other than the City Lord.
Ryan's hands trembled as he held the Life Water. This substance could heal even the most severe wounds with just a drop. For ordinary people, it could even extend their lifespan. However, for level 9 or level 10 professionals, while it could heal injuries, it couldn't extend life. The Life Water Ryan held was enough for several uses, and he estimated it was worth a small fortune.
Ryan walked over to the fountain. Knowing exactly what nutrients the plant needed, he opened the crystal bottle, releasing a strong life energy that enveloped him, as if he were in the midst of nature rather than underground. He placed the Bread Tree seed on the ground. Miraculously, the stone floor of the courtyard turned into sandy soil. Ryan dropped two drops of Life Water onto the seed, and after a few moments, the seed absorbed the liquid eagerly, as if it were a hungry child.
"It's sprouting! It's sprouting!" With a cry from one of the Elves, a small shoot appeared from the seed, growing taller and thicker with each passing moment. Ryan could even hear the sound of the branches twisting. He quickly stashed the Life Water in his pouch, feeling a pang of regret as he watched the tree grow rapidly, knowing he had just used precious drops of Life Water.
"Wow!" Ryan watched the Bread Tree continue to grow, its branches and leaves sprouting with astonishing speed.
"Yes, it's the Bread Tree from the legends," the City Lord said, a rare smile appearing on his cold face. "Ryan, what do you want in exchange for the ownership of this tree?"
Ryan felt his heart race with excitement. He had to remain calm. "Calm down. Calm down. Think carefully. This is an opportunity." He took a deep breath and asked, "City Lord, could you tell me what kind of things you can offer in exchange? It's hard to estimate without knowing."