Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

So many novel gizmos here gave Yan Xing the impulse to buy them all and study them.

But after asking about the prices, he managed to rein in his impulsive shopping urge.

Anything related to Alchemy was truly, ridiculously expensive.

Yan Xing also inquired about the price of the heavy alchemical golem for road construction from the Golden Oak Chamber of Commerce.

The Goblin Gaga quoted 50,000 Gold Coins, and that was just for the low-end, "beggar" version.

As Yan Xing repeatedly suffered these setbacks, he also gained a clearer understanding of the price points for his own goods.

Amidst Gaga's relentless sales pitch, Yan Xing reluctantly bought a very small alchemical bomb and then left the Goblin Alchemy Shop with Hibel.

Yan Xing, riding on the back of his Ferghana Horse, Fei Ying, held the grenade-sized alchemical bomb in his hand.

Frowning, he asked Hibel, "Why are these things so expensive! 1,000 Gold Coins each... Can no one other than these greedy Goblins make them?"

Hibel replied, "They can be made, of course. The Wildwind Highlands Legion has its own Alchemy Factory in Storm City. But the alchemical bombs they produce... one of this size costs nearly 1,000 Gold Coins, and the biggest problem is their instability. After a few accidents, they decided it was more cost-effective and safer to buy from the Goblin Alchemy Factory. It's the same with most other alchemical products. Those that can match the quality of the Goblin Alchemy Factory are too expensive to produce. If you try to cut costs, the results are difficult to use and completely unsellable. The Alchemy of Cloud Tower is indeed very, very strong."

Yan Xing understood. Goblin Gaga wasn't just arbitrarily hiking up the prices.

These prices were just within the acceptable range for the various powers, and the quality was much higher than what they could develop themselves.

Since buying them was better than making them... why keep investing in Alchemy?

The products they researched weren't even as good as others' obsolete models. If they made them and no one bought them, the investment costs would never be recouped.

Naturally, they wouldn't invest further.

It could be said that Cloud Tower and the Goblin Alchemy Factory had monopolized alchemical products through their technological advantage.

They exploited this technological gap to earn high profits.

Then, they used the wealth and resources gained to further improve their level of Alchemy. This growing disparity in alchemical skill then led to the current dependence of the various powers on the Goblin Alchemy Factory.

Everyone was willing, even humbly accepting Cloud Tower's leeching off them.

Cloud Tower!

Yan Xing noted the name.

He then carefully packed away the alchemical bomb to give to Chui Chui for research.

Now, he just had to wait patiently for the delivery of the mana generators and Low-Level Magical Puppets, and then find a way to integrate them into the Eternal Domain's information network.

They would form the first batch of technical workers.

But before that, the need to make more money was paramount.

The bag-weaving business and the road construction project had brought Yan Xing nearly 30,000 Gold Coins.

This sum of Gold seemed substantial, but after one visit to the Goblin Alchemy Shop... Yan Xing felt that even using it all to understand the evolution of his Ferghana Horse, Fei Ying, might not be enough to cover that expense.

Funds were also needed for other procurements.

Sigh, I thought I was well-off for a moment, but my pockets still feel just as tight.

「After returning to the Lord's Mansion, Hibel took Yan Xing to see the Battle Griffin she had prepared for him.」

Yan Xing was full of anticipation.

Although my Ferghana Horse, Fei Ying, will eventually be able to fly, how could I refuse such a large creature delivered to my doorstep?

To refuse... would mean declining a gift as good as a bicycle, wouldn't it?

After all, a Battle Griffin is an eighth-tier creature, a fierce beast of the sky.

Griffons prefer to live in high places. Thus, in the courtyard behind the Lord's Mansion, stood a very tall Griffon tower. Inside were layers upon layers of Griffon nests. Dedicated servants fed the Griffons living there and cleaned their habitat, while special Griffon trainers were responsible for their taming and training.

When Hibel and Yan Xing arrived at the courtyard beneath the Griffon tower, a Battle Griffin was led out by a Griffon trainer.

The Battle Griffin Hibel gifted to Yan Xing was extremely majestic. Its front claws were sharp, and its hind limbs strong and powerful. Its feathers were smooth, its fur glossy. Its eagle head was held high with pride, its gaze sharp, radiating the solitary arrogance of a hunter.

The Griffon trainer had already equipped the Battle Griffin with a saddle.

Hibel was explaining to Yan Xing how to ride a Griffon.

"Griffons are naturally drawn to Angels and powerful human Knights. They respect strength and will never allow the weak to ride them.

"Therefore, before riding a Griffon, you must first dare to look it directly in the eyes. Let it see your courage; let it sense that you are as fearless as it is."

Hibel reached out her hand to the Battle Griffin, and it obediently bowed its head, nuzzling her palm with its head.

When Yan Xing stretched out his hand, intending to stroke its feathers, the Battle Griffin immediately became very alert.

Following Hibel's advice, Yan Xing showed no fear; he looked into its eyes and slowly continued extending his hand.

Under Hibel's soothing, the Battle Griffin didn't make any dangerous moves. It just stared at Yan Xing, uttering threatening low growls.

Yan Xing continued to slowly extend his hand, carefully placing it on its head, then stroking down its neck and feathers.

The Battle Griffin instantly relaxed, squinting its eyes as the threatening growls turned into contented purrs.

"You have the talent to become a Griffon Knight," Hibel praised Yan Xing. "Not all Knights are accepted by a Battle Griffin on their first try; many get pecked and injured by them."

Encouraged by the Battle Griffin's acceptance, Yan Xing grew even bolder in petting it. He stroked it from head to tail, touching its feathers and fur.

"This big fellow belongs to me now, right?" Yan Xing said excitedly, eager to try riding it.

Hibel said, "Yes... A well-tamed Battle Griffin is more likely to accept a Knight. You can mount it now."

Hibel patted the Battle Griffin on its shoulder.

The Battle Griffin immediately crouched. It spread its wings halfway, revealing the stirrups hidden beneath them, allowing Yan Xing to easily mount its back.

Yan Xing stepped on a stirrup and swung his leg over, settling onto the saddle on the Battle Griffin's back.

Hibel handed the reins to Yan Xing, then patted the Battle Griffin's shoulder again, prompting it to stand up.

Then, Hibel whistled sharply, and a huge figure dove down from the top of the Griffon tower.

THUD!

It landed beside Hibel.

That was Hibel's Royal Griffon, a powerful magical beast.

The Royal Griffon intimately nuzzled Hibel with its head, then with a nudge, lifted Hibel onto the saddle on its back.

Once settled, Hibel took the reins of her Royal Griffon and said to Yan Xing, who was noticeably shorter, "As a Knight, I trust your riding skills are sufficient to keep you steady on the Griffon's back. But to truly master a Griffon, you'll need plenty of practice.

"Pay attention to the position of your feet; don't interfere with the Griffon's wing movements.

"Also, do you see the helmet on the back of your Griffon's neck?"

Following Hibel's direction, Yan Xing saw his Battle Griffin had a folded helmet on the back of its neck.

The helmet was connected to the cloth armor covering the Battle Griffin's front shoulders.

Following Hibel's instructions, Yan Xing pulled a rope on the saddle's pommel, deploying the helmet. It completely covered his Battle Griffin's head, leaving only the lower part open.

Curiously, Yan Xing asked, "What is this helmet for? It completely blocks its view to the front, above, and to the sides."