The week passed swiftly, and the Mana Crystal Colosseum was finally under construction.
Watching the dwarves begin their work was a sight to behold—their precision and expertise unparalleled. Meanwhile, my mana crystal reserves had swelled to a satisfying 700,000.
Halfway to the amount needed for the colosseum's completion, I felt a sense of accomplishment.
But I was restless. I'd spent too long holed up in my little house, managing resources, approving plans, and reading reports. A sightseeing tour around the kingdom's neighbors sounded like a fine change of pace.
Elven potions continued to sell daily in the Candlelight Chamber of Commerce, generating immense profits for both parties. These potions had become so popular that Kirin, my ally, even messaged me with a surprising offer:
"I'd like to repay you by upgrading your grade 1 troops to grade 3—for free."
I accepted and got 1,000 of my grade 1 troops send into her territory.
It didn't take long and she returned me 10 grade 3 magi!
It would have cost me 750k had I bought them normally from her but this is a sign of her gratitude.
Well, she's making a fortune with the buy and sell attitude of the elven potions.
Even our alchemists had been producing around 40-50k a day, not constant amount anymore but that's astronomical.
The growing piles of gold coins from potion sales weren't for my personal hoard. I left those matters to Barns and Lucia, trusting them to manage the kingdom's economy responsibly.
In a way, I'll have them worry about how to spend those money.
In preparation for my journey, I visited the warehouse, depositing 450,000 mana crystals for the construction of the colloseum and leaving myself with 250,000.
To secure the warehouse, I assigned Edward, my first grade 3 troop, one of my most capable and trusted grade 3 elves, to oversee its protection.
Aside that, Barn's master, Aeris had earned my trust through her accomplishments. Word had it that she was working on an advanced elven potion capable of altering bloodlines and transforming humans into pure-blooded elves.
The thought itself was unnerving and terrifying if you ask me. This is why alchemists are scary..
Aeris , you're fooling no-one even if you're beautiful! I screamed to myself in my own brain. I definitely won't be around such people, they're dangerous.
Wandering into the official forums, I browsed the listings for long-distance transportation options.
My love for adventure was balanced by an even greater love for comfort and safety. Physical pain and exhaustion? No, thank you.
Among the listings, one item caught my attention:
Ring of Teleportation (Legendary)
Price: 5,000,000 gold coins
Description: A failed product from attempts to replicate the Ring of Gates. Too damaged to serve as a proper replica.
Special Effects:
1. Teleports the user to a marked location using up a charge. (up to 5 locations can be marked). Cooldown: 1 day (5 charges, recharges one per day).
2. Instant movement of 1,000 meters. Cooldown: 30 minutes.
3. Creates a portal lasting 10 minutes to any marked location (Caution: Monsters may pass through). Cooldown: 7 days.
I stared at the listing, then at my Robe of Kitsune.
"How is this legendary item better than my mythic robe?" I muttered, annoyed. "Three abilities? Meanwhile, my robe's just a glorified insurance policy!"
Still, I couldn't deny the utility of the ring. Five million gold coins was steep, but if I could negotiate the price in mana crystals, it might be worth it.
I sent a friend request to the seller. Unfortunately, chatting in this system required both parties to add each other.
An hour passed. Then another.
After five hours, the seller finally accepted. The wait tested my patience, but I composed myself as the chat window opened.
"Would you trade for mana crystals instead of gold coins?"
The reply came instantly:
"Yes, absolutely."
The speed of their response made me suspicious. Were they desperate, or was there a misunderstanding?
"I'll have to be precise," I thought, typing carefully.
"The Ring of Teleportation."
"Yes, I know. That's the only one up for sale right now."
I sighed in relief. At least we were on the same page.
"Alright, save the ring for me. I'll send the mana crystals tomorrow. How many do you need?"
"6,000 mana crystals."
That was reasonable. Selling 6,000 mana crystals to the Alchemist Association could have saved me around 400,000 gold coins, but sometimes generosity paid off. I prided myself on being a magnanimous lord, after all.
The agreement was settled. Tomorrow, I'd gain 75,000 mana crystals from my daily accumulation, allowing me to send 6,000 to the seller while using the rest for the colosseum's construction.
Everything was falling into place.
Yet even as I finalized these plans, a shadow of worry crossed my mind. In recent time, my unknown neighboring who has treated me with his troops had made no motion as of yet.
He's in preparation, I still don't know who he was! Yes! I never bothered sending scouts , call me a fool, for I was one.
It wasn't the losses that concerned me—I always came out ahead. It was the constant interruptions to my grand projects.
As I lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts wandered.
This kingdom was thriving, but I felt the weight of being its ruler. My ambitions stretched beyond gold and mana crystals; I wanted a legacy—something to be remembered for.
The Mana Crystal Colosseum was just the beginning. With the Ring of Teleportation, I'd finally have the freedom to explore my lands, crush invaders, and connect with allies like Kirin.
But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't do it alone. The people around me—Lucia, Rem, Aeris, Hailey, Barns, Lucas—were the ones turning my ideas into reality.
Huh I wonder how Benny is currently doing..
I lay down on my bed feeling awesome.
Perhaps it is time to show them I wasn't just a detached figure sitting atop a pile of wealth.
Perhaps it is time for me to be a lord worth following.
Ofcourse, I just plan to tour around, nothing more.