Synthesis-type adventurers

Chapter 44: Basic Rune Analysis

Without saying a word, Rod took out a black iron-grade crystal card with worn edges from the leather bag at his waist and inserted it into the read/write slot.

A slight buzzing sound was heard, and the brass dial above the slot bounced a few times before finally settling on a number.

"Wait!" Avira could no longer contain herself. She took a step forward, bracing her hands on the edge of the counter. "That's an uncontrollable event! The magical tide suddenly erupted. If we don't evacuate immediately, not only will the recorder be damaged, but we'll both be torn to shreds! And the crucial data has already been brought back; it clearly records the source of the anomaly!"

The receptionist didn't even look up; she simply adjusted her monocle with her fingertips and reached for a document awaiting processing.

"That's a problem for you to solve, adventurers. The guild only checks the results." His tone was calm, as if he had answered similar questions countless times before. "If you are dissatisfied, you can go to the appeals department on the second floor, fill out a form, and wait for a response. Usually, you will receive a reply in three months."

"You..." Avira wanted to say more, but a hand pressed down on her shoulder armor.

"That's enough, Avira." Rhode pulled out his crystal card. "Thank you for the guild's generosity."

After saying that, he grabbed the indignant Avira, turned around, and squeezed out of the crowd.

Reaching a relatively quiet corner in the hall, Avira finally erupted: "Sir! This is completely unfair! We almost lost our lives there, and they..."

"In this world, there is no absolute fairness except in death."

Rhodes stared at the cursor slowly appearing on the back of the black iron savings card in his hand: Balance: 34.

"For a behemoth like a guild, Iron-rank adventurers are just expendable resources. They brought back the data, saving them the cost of an exploration team; they cut our fees, saving them another expense. That's the operating logic of monopolists."

He put the debit card back into his waist bag, his eyes devoid of warmth.

"Remember this feeling, Avira. Anger solves nothing, and explanations only expose your weakness. To avoid being swallowed by the rules, you must find a way to become the one who makes them. But before that... we must learn to endure."

Rod patted the pouch containing the crystal card.

"Let's go. Even though this is a discounted price, it should still be enough to buy another 'admission ticket'."

The setting sun was sinking below the horizon, painting the streets of Ruian Harbour a frozen crimson hue.

-----------------

Old town area.

Outside the Eye of Truth bookstore, a wooden sign hangs, creaking in the wind, its paint peeling off.

The shop was dimly lit, with stacks of old books and parchment scrolls that had changed hands countless times piled up like mountains.

Rod walked straight to the bookshelf in the corner, his fingers tracing the rows of books with mottled spines, finally stopping on a thick, black-covered book.

Basic Rune Analysis (Third Edition)

This is both the first threshold to the magical world and one of the tools for deciphering old Hansen's alchemy notebook.

"Boss, how much is this one?" Rod pulled out the book and fanned away the dust from the cover with his palm.

The bookstore owner was a hunchbacked old man, huddled behind the counter, wiping a pair of monoculars with a dirty velvet cloth.

"40 Orim," he glanced up, lifting his eyelids slightly. "The original manuscript compiled by the Archaian Sages' Council, not a penny less."

"40?" Rod laughed. "When I passed by here the month before last, it was priced at 35."

"As you said yourself, that was two months ago. You know the current situation; paper prices are rising, and shipping costs are going up too..."

"But the price increase applies to newly printed books, not these old books that have been gathering dust on the shelf for years."

Rhodes activated [Analysis Vision], fixing his gaze on the binding line of the book spine and the cut edges of the pages.

[Basic Rune Analysis (Third Edition - Defective)]

Entry:

[Dampness and Mold (Gray Inferior Quality)]: Long-term storage in a damp environment has caused pages 134-138 to stick together, and the mold has eroded some of the text.

[Missing Page (Grayish, Low Quality)]: The key diagram on page 204 regarding "Magic Circulation Stability" is missing. Due to the item's incompleteness, it cannot be removed.

……

Rod spread the book out on the counter and turned to page 134.

He pointed to the few pages of parchment that had stuck together due to dampness, and the mold on them that had blurred the writing.

"Boss, this chapter is about 'Elemental Arrangement,' right? These key runes have been eaten away by mold. If I practice according to this and my hand gets blown off, who will pay for it, you or me?"

Rod turned to page 204 and pointed to the clear tear mark.

"And here, an entire page of illustrations is missing. What's the difference between a reference book without its core illustrations and a bundle of waste paper?"

Cold sweat beaded on the boss's forehead.

He did indeed mix a batch of flawed books with genuine ones to sell, hoping to fool those newcomers to the field, but he didn't expect to run into a discerning and hard-pressed person.

If word gets out about the book's quality issues, his shop's reputation will be ruined.

"This...this..." The boss wiped the sweat from his brow, "There might have been a slight accident during transport..."

"33 Orim." Rhodes closed the book and quoted a price that was stuck at the bottom line. "I just need something to prop up the table leg, and I can also study the incomplete manuscript while I'm at it. I'd feel like I'm losing money if it were even one more copper coin."

The boss's teeth were clenched so tightly he was grinding them together. He stared at Rod's "take it or leave it" expression, and finally let out a sigh of dejection.

"You're something else. Take it, take it... consider it clearing out some junk from my inventory."

Rod handed over the crystal card and inserted it into the worn-out portable magic card reader in the bookstore.

Swipe your card and the payment will be deducted.

The number on the debit card screen changed from 34 to 1.

Rhodes could feel his heart bleeding, but he showed no sign of it on his face.

He carefully tucked the thick, black book into his bosom, pressing it close to his chest, protecting it as if it were a precious treasure.

As they left the bookstore, the afterglow of the setting sun lengthened their shadows.

Rhodes felt his pocket; all that remained was the crystal card with a balance of "1" and the faint clinking sound of dozens of silver and copper coins colliding with each other.

Avira stared at the hard bulge in Rod's arms, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Sir, you didn't even know if you had the talent for spellcasting, yet you spent all your money to buy this book... Was it worth it? That's money you risked your life for."

In her mind, money should be used to replace worn-out armor, replenish healing potions, and at the very least, to buy a decent hot meal and a bed to sleep in.

Using that money to buy a book that you may never understand is nothing short of a gamble.

Rhodes stopped and turned around, behind him the setting sun was about to fade away.

The red glow of the setting sun outlined his silhouette, the edges blurred, but there was a burning light in his eyes, his gaze sharp enough to pierce through the dim twilight.

"Avira, look at this city."

Rod pointed into the distance, towards the factory chimneys that kept spewing black smoke, and towards the vagrants on the street fighting tooth and nail for a few copper coins.

"Violence is a very useful tool in this world. It can determine how quickly you die."

He patted his chest, pointing to where the book was.

"But only knowledge can determine how well you live and how long you live."

"We can't be swords for life, Avira. That's a dead end. This book isn't just a book; it's a ladder. A ladder that will help us climb out of this quagmire, step by step."

Rod pulled up the collar of his trench coat to cover the "ladder" in his arms and started walking towards the slums.

"Let's go home. Starting tonight, I'm going to give myself a lesson."