With the situation now ameliorated, the three got their spirit stones. Even though Yusa seemed to be crying as the stones were split among them, Krune still got the most of it, getting a total of 5,000 low-quality Rank Three Spirit Stones. Without him, they would probably be dead after all. The fact that the Solie Clan came for him wasn't his fault either. As for Ao, he got 3,000 of the stones while Yusa obtained the remaining 2,000.
The reason that Ao got more than her was so that he could share his spirit stones with his group. They also helped the two out, so they deserved it. In the end, Ao would be the one with fewer stones because of this.
Not long after the stones were split up among the three, Yusa disappeared like smoke. As to where she went, no one knew. As for Ao, he headed back in the direction of Katiu Forest. He wanted to meet with his group on the way and help them arrive safely at Kaley City.
As for Krune, he was invited by supervisor Lu to go through the procedures to make an ID. After taking his name and a bunch of other information, his ID was made on the spot. He couldn't help but feel a bit depressed when he looked at his picture on the monitor. He couldn't use anything to cover his face or head during that time, so his rainbow hair was visible for all to see.
He then went out to take a stroll around the city since this was the first time he had entered one, after all. The more he knew, the better it would be for him in the long run.
The city of Kaley could be said to be small compared to other cities on the continent. Nevertheless, as the closest city to Katiu Forest, it received cultivators at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment Realm all year long. It wasn't very modern, but it still had the necessary technology. Surprisingly, Krune had paid attention to the various gadgets when he first entered. But because they were in a hurry, he didn't have time to look at them in detail.
He then remembered that Yusa told him that he should buy a communicator, which would make things easier for them later when they needed to talk. Krune had seen wisp hunters using them before, but it was his first time getting one. He then found a shop that seemed to be specialized in those things and entered it.
An hour later, he left with the communicator...and a bunch of other products.
'Why do I feel like I bought a lot of things I didn't need?'
He couldn't be blamed, though. It was as if his forehead had the words 'country bumpkin' written on it. The attendants looked at him like wolves eyeing prey. In the end, poor Krune was forced to buy a lot of stuff he didn't really need. Fortunately, those were non-cultivator items, so he only used gold and silver to pay for them.
The more Krune walked into shops, the more useless things he got. Poor Krune was even dragged into a sex shop, finding a lot of 'tools' with weird names. The attendant kept using 'keywords' while describing their utilities for him. Krune wasn't dumb at all. He could understand the real use of several of those items. Nevertheless, he didn't care much about that, he had long noticed that humans had weird habits, and perhaps this was one of them. He then left the shop with a bunch more items in his spatial ring, with the attendant telling him that those items could help out on the 'relationship' between 'partners.' Hence, Krune bought a few that he thought Yusa and Ao would like.
'I'm truly a very considerate wisp with my friends.'
He also received several 'advice' from the attendant that told him it could help stimulate the relationship. Krune was a wisp who placed a lot of importance on those close to him, so he mentally jotted all of them down.
It was past midday when he started to feel hungry. He then entered a random restaurant and ate to his heart content. The waiters were delighted to have such a customer enter their restaurant since they would earn more.
Eventually, after killing his curiosity, Krune decided to look at information regarding guilds, sects, clans, and whatnot. There were a lot of them, even for a small city like Kaley. He then pondered over in silence for a bit before thinking to himself, 'In a certain way, I could be said to be part of the Solei Clan now, so there's no need for me to look for other clans, sects, or whatever. I guess I better look for a side profession that could help me make money.'
Krune looked through the list. There were guilds for alchemists, blacksmiths, formations, rune inscribers, puppets, and so on and so forth. He pondered a bit and decided to check the Alchemist Guild first. From what he had read, alchemists must have high control over the elements, especially fire and wood. Krune hadn't tried using the Wood element before. Nevertheless, he was pretty confident in his Myriad Energies Technique, not to mention the fact that his 'friend,' Casfer, was there as well.
The Alchemist Guild was one of the biggest guilds. Just like the Mercenary Guild, their buildings were scattered throughout the entire world. Then again, that was to be expected. Alchemist pills had great use during the cultivation path. They could open paths for those who would not be able to pass through.
Sadly, alchemists were also harder to find than mercenaries. Although members of the Mercenary Guild must have a combat power higher than their realm, it's still possible to find quite a few of them. On the other hand, to become an alchemist, one must meet several requirements. One does not only need to have high control over elements, talent and intelligence for the profession were also significant factors, so the number of their members ended up becoming much smaller.
Arriving at the Alchemist Guild, Krune noticed that crowds were entering and leaving all the time. With that, he understood how procured the alchemists are. It might be what he needed when talking about making spirit stones.
Inside the building were several small rooms used to receive order requests and the necessary items, with each room having an attendant. Of course, they weren't alchemists, just employees of the guild. They were responsible for taking down the orders of customers, going over which pill they wanted to be made and their grades.
Although there were a lot of people placing down orders, only a few of them would get their pills in the end. An alchemist must accept their order and the price they were willing to pay beforehand. Unfortunately, there were very few alchemists and way too many customers. So usually, alchemists wouldn't accept orders that weren't worth their time. However, it's also because of that that alchemists were often filthy rich.
Krune didn't head towards one of the request rooms, though. He headed to the information counter instead. There, he asked the attendant, "Hello, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He's a One Star alchemist here in the guild. If I'm not wrong, his name is Casfer. Can you tell him that Krune has arrived?"
The attendant looked at him after that. Krune was using his hat to cover his hair, so he looked pretty common. He was now famous because of the Mercenary Guild, but his trademark, the rainbow hair, was now covered up. With that, not only did the attendant not notice that he was actually Krune, even others didn't notice that as well.
Surprisingly, the attendant shook his head. He had seen a lot of people pretending to know the alchemists to get to talk with them just to beg for a pill to be made. Part of his job was to stop such people.
"Brother, this isn't the place to joke around. If you want a pill made, go to one of the request rooms and leave your order."
Krune could not help but be confused after hearing that. Soon, he said, "But I don't need any pill. I'm only here to see him. If you don't believe me, just pass the message that Krune has come, and I'm sure he'll come out."
The attendant was annoyed but decided to call over just to check. If it was just to ask Casfer if he knew someone called Krune, then it should be okay. After making the call, he just waited. Not even a minute later, Casfer came rushing from inside the guild.
"Krune, my friend! You've finally come!"
The attendant was surprised to see such a scene. Even though Casfer was only a One Star alchemist, any alchemist of the guild had a high status in the city. For him to treat Krune like that, just who the hell was this Krune guy?
It was then that he remembered the news about a new rising star of the Mercenary Guild who had the same name. At the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was specially accepted as a Four Star Mercenary. He then looked into the information, and sure enough, there was a picture there. He compared the image with Krune, who was using a hat at the moment.
'They're the same!'
He was amazed!
"You're th-"
Before he could even continue, Casfer shouted, "Shut up! Don't you see he doesn't want to attract attention? Pretend you didn't see anything, am I clear?"
The attendant swallowed the words he was going to say and just nodded in response. He had almost made a fatal mistake, and he could have totally lost his job. Casfer then looked at Krune with a smile as he said, "Come inside. There are too many people here at the moment. We can have a talk there."
He obviously knew about Krune. Ever since that event with the Lizard Dragons, he had been paying attention to any news regarding any cultivator capable of using several elements. He was one of the very few out there that knew that Krune could use Skill Merge even before he reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Nevertheless, because of the blood contract, he couldn't tell anyone about that.
Krune was surprised to see such a reaction. Since when were they that close?
Inside Casfer's alchemist room, Krune was looking around while Casfer was sweating all over.
'He really broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm! A Foundation Establishment wisp! He even created the legendary Universe Foundation! How is that even possible?'
Krune then looked at Casfer, who looked nervous, and said, "I'm not that scary, right? I don't intend to make or force you to do anything. I just need your help. I read that to become an alchemist, you need very high control over elements, so I was thinking of trying to become one. In the end, I thought it would be better to look for you first."
Casfer then let out a sigh of relief after hearing that. So he only wanted to try and become an alchemist, huh. With that in mind, Casfer didn't think Krune was wrong with his decision. He could already control elements to a great extent before breaking through the Foundation Establishment Realm. At the very least, he had the necessary talent.
"If it's just that, then it's easy. Actually, you didn't even need to come and look for me for that. Outside, there's another room for recruiters. Alchemists are rare, so the guild is always looking for talents. As long as you apply and pay the fee, you would be able to try the comprehensive exam."
Krune became curious as he listened, prompting him to ask, "What is this comprehensive exam about?"
Casfer then explained, "The guild is willing to take anyone, as long as they have the aptitude for alchemy. But how many people out there can even afford the necessary materials to start learning? That's where the comprehensive exam takes place! It won't test your alchemy skills, but your control over the various elements, especially wood and fire. As long as your results satisfy the criteria, you'll be able to start learning alchemy in the guild."
He continued, "After that, they will give you the necessary study materials, and you will only have one month to memorize the content in the files. Of course, if you think you don't need an entire month to do that, you can come back earlier for the practical exam since it happens once a week."
"At the practical exam, there will be a few alchemists helping the new recruiters. They will teach you how to concoct some simple pills. Then again, even if those pills are the easiest ones to concoct, they're still quite tough to make for those who are trying it for the first time. Here is where we separate those who can become alchemists from those who can't."
Krune nodded in understanding. It seemed very practical.
"How many people pass the exam?"
Casfer could only laugh at that question as he replied, "To find people with good control over elements isn't very hard, although there are only a few, the number is quite high when they're put together. But the talent for alchemy is something totally different. Usually, we would only find two or three people worth teaching every month."
Krune was surprised that only a little would pass each time. It was no wonder why alchemists were so rare.
"Then, I will apply for it. Do you have anything else to say to help me out?"
Casfer was under the blood contract, so he had to help if he can. Even with that, he answered, "Not really. It's not that I don't want to help you out, but because any information I give you will be provided by the guild from the start. If it was a few millennia ago, where alchemists tried to keep all their techniques a secret, then it would be complicated."
"But as time passed, the number of alchemist talents started to decline. The alchemists noticed that it couldn't keep going like that, so that was when the Alchemist Guild was formed. The alchemists who were willing to share their knowledge passed down everything they knew to those who could become alchemists. Since then, all the information about pill making is available in the Alchemist Guild for study."
Krune then asked, "What if I try to concoct pills to train before the practical exam?"
Casfer shook his head, saying, "I wouldn't recommend that. Sure, you'll be more proficient with the basic alchemist skills when the exam comes. Perhaps, you might even pass because of that. But in the end, it's just a facade. Sooner or later, your real talent will appear, so it's better to just follow the procedures. Those without talent for alchemy will not only not make anything out of it, but they will also lose money since they would keep failing the concocting process."
Krune agreed with that point of view. The exam was made like that so that they could find real alchemists, not medicinal herb wasters. The phrase 'you will lose money instead' was especially effective on Krune.
Krune then left Casfer's private alchemy room and went to apply for the exam. The process was very easy, plus the fee wasn't high at all, just enough to pay for the materials used during the practical exam. It showed just how much effort the Alchemist Guild placed into finding talents. Other than time, the entire process of the comprehensive and practical exam was almost free since the guild provided everything.
After that, Krune headed back to the Mercenary Guild. It was quite late, so he decided to go through the comprehensive exam the next day morning. He then stayed in one of the rooms provided by the guild temporarily until he found a place to move into.
After a night of cultivation, Krune had finished feeding his rainbow core. This time, it took him almost 300 middle-grade Rank Two Spirit Stones until it had finally stopped absorbing spiritual energy. With that came the hard part, which was to reinforce his foundation so that it could resist the breakthrough into the 3rd Stage.
Krune then left his room the next morning. He was wearing some of the clothes he had bought the day prior. Although Krune was 'forced' to buy those clothes from the clothing shops, the attendants still had experience in the area, after all. Krune didn't look too bad in them. As long as he covered his rainbow hair, everything seemed fine.
At the meeting room, Yusa was talking with Ao, who had just come back. Supervisor Lu was also there with a few assistants, discussing the Ranked Team System with them. Due to Ao Sulian's friendship with them, Yusa thought that it would be good if he joined the team as the third member.
It was then that they noticed Krune entering the room, and Yusa was the first to talk.
"So, what do you think? Ao Sulian isn't a Two Star mercenary, but he's someone we can trust. We still need one more member, not to mention that we three have gotten a better understanding of each other during this time."
Krune nodded in agreement as he said, "Sure. In fact, I was also thinking the same thing. It all depends on him now."
Krune and Yusa looked at him, which made Ao laugh.
"No problem for me. We did become closer with one another, and I also think this is a good opportunity for a One Star mercenary like me."
They then discussed with supervisor Lu regarding the procedures to enter the ranked team system. After an hour of constant talking, they were finally finished.
Supervisor Lu and the others then waited to see if Krune's group needed something else.
Yusa then looked at Krune and asked, "So, how was it? This was your first time in the city, is there anything you need?"
Yusa knew that this was Krune's first time in a city, so he certainly checked it out.
"It was pretty good, this technology thing is very convenient, and I even bought that communicator you asked me to."
He then remembered something as he continued, "Right, I bought you a few gifts. The attendant said that they can boost our relationship."
He then took out some very nice 'relationship-related' items and gave them to her. There were quite a few different ones, with the most eye-catching ones being the hardcore items like the whip and the cuffs.
Yusa almost fainted from the sight. At this moment, her face was as red as a tomato. As for Ao Sulian, Lu Ganan, and his assistants, their mouths went agape. Soon after, Supervisor Lu couldn't help but comment, "Cough, cough. Well, you two seem to have an interesting relationship going on."
Before Yusa could even reply, Krune took out a few more items and gave them to Ao Sulian, saying, "They said that if you use them right, our ties will become stronger, so you can use them when you have the time."
Ao Sulian almost vomited blood after hearing that.
Supervisor Lu and his assistants' eyes almost popped out of their sockets after seeing this. Lu Ganan looked at Krune and Ao Sulian first, and then at Yusa last. After that, he could only ask, "Is this the legendary threesome?"
Krune was as indifferent as ever. If anything, he looked a little excited to be able to give some gifts to his friends.
"No need to thank me, it's all for the benefit of improving our relationship!"
Yusa fainted right there and then, while Ao had finally vomited blood. They passed out just like that.
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