Chapter 7 Witchblood
I clutched the small pouch Isabelle had given me and stood at the market entrance, taking a deep breath. This place was even more chaotic than I had imagined. The air was thick with the sharp, earthy smell of herbs, the metallic tang of metal, and a faint, sour-sweet odor like overripe fruit starting to rot. Shouts, haggling, and even some kind of animal screeching all collided in the air like a huge, boiling cauldron.
"Relax," the old wizard's voice echoed in my mind. "A magic potion materials market is basically no different from an ordinary farmers' market. The only difference is that what they sell is... a bit more interesting. Oh, and since we're here, pick up some other potion materials while you're at it."
Interesting, huh.
I glanced at a nearby stall where a row of wriggling, oddly colored "fresh tentacles" was hanging, and my stomach churned.
I started looking for Blood Vine bark first.
That went pretty smoothly. I found some at an old lady's stall and bought it for a bit below market price — 350 Mana Stones.
Even though it came from a vine, it had a faint grassy smell.
Next was Moonlight Grass. This took a bit more effort. I compared three shops before finding one with bright colors and no signs of wilting, and the price was fair — 400 Mana Stones. Finally, Ghost Shark blood. This was the most expensive, but the quality looked good — 500 Mana Stones. The other materials the old wizard mentioned, for who knows what potions, I bought ten portions in total for 100 Mana Stones — actually, the cheapest part.
So far, I had spent 1,450 Mana Stones altogether.
But with the fourth and final ingredient, Witchblood, I ran into a wall.
"Excuse me, do you sell Witchblood?"
"Witchblood?"
The shopkeeper frowned.
"That's a controlled substance, listed on page thirty-two of 'Wizard-Controlled Prohibited Materials.' I don't deal in that kind of highly toxic material."
Highly toxic?
I had suspected as much, but hearing it out loud still made me flinch.
What kind of potion was the old wizard trying to make? Would it really be safe for my body?
The ring stayed silent.
I braced myself and tried several more shops. The shopkeepers all refused me, some even giving me wary looks. If this were the normal world, they would probably have called the cops on me by now, right? Though I had no idea what the wizard-world version of calling the cops looked like... Did they even have wizard police?
I walked out of yet another shop.
Still no Witchblood. My expression must have looked awful.
That was when the old wizard in the ring finally spoke:
"Looks like you won't be getting Witchblood. Last time I was here, this stuff wasn't even controlled yet."
"So what now?" I rolled my eyes. "Is there some kind of black market where people sell this kind of thing?"
Back home, the authorities kept announcing that they would crack down on things like marijuana.
But John and Derek could still get their hands on it whenever they wanted.
I figured the wizarding world probably had similar places, too.
"The black market is too dangerous for you. Find somewhere with no one around."
The old wizard instructed.
I had no idea what he wanted to do in some deserted spot, but I had already bought three of the ingredients — I wasn't about to give up now.
I headed toward a secluded corner.
First, the old wizard's soul emerged.
Then a pitch-black magic robe wrapped around him, and his soul gradually solidified. Soon, he looked almost like a normal person.
"Leave it to me. Wait here," the old wizard said.
"Don't you need the money?"
"No need," the old wizard said coldly.
Watching him leave, I had a bad feeling.
About ten minutes later, the black-robed old wizard returned. He tossed me a small pouch containing a red vial, then impatiently reverted to his original form and dove back into the ring.
"Fresh Witchblood acquired."
I could hear deep exhaustion in his voice. Apparently, leaving the ring and going out alone was not easy for him either.
"Wait, what do you mean by 'fresh'?" I could not help asking.
"They all deserved to die anyway. Might as well use them as your stepping stone," the old wizard said.
I drew in a sharp breath.
Had this guy just gone out and killed someone? And killed a fully-fledged wizard while in soul form?
"Don't worry, it was just a dark wizard," the old wizard seemed to guess what I was thinking. "Once you find out what dark wizards have done, you'll think I did the right thing."
I still felt uneasy.
On one hand, I was disturbed and unsettled by the old wizard killing someone.
But on the other hand, when my eyes fell on that vial of Witchblood, then drifted to the three ingredients I had already collected, a huge, uncontrollable joy and excitement surged up from the bottom of my heart.
All the materials were complete. Finally complete.
I could go back and make the potion. I could restore my magic power quickly, pay back Isabelle's money, and then... then get into magic school and stop being that despised dud.
These conflicting emotions tore at me, leaving me standing there, body rigid, not knowing how to react.
"Stop spacing out. Put the Witchblood away. We are leaving."
The old wizard's voice rang in my mind.
His tone carried a hint of impatience, and also a trace of... barely noticeable reassurance.
I took a deep breath, then turned and almost fled from that dark corner.
Outside that corner was the sunlit wizard commercial street, but I could not feel any warmth.
The Witchblood in my hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
"All right, all the materials are gathered. Let's head back. Since you don't have a magic power yet, I'll make the potion myself this first time. But after you have magic power, you'll do it on your own," the old wizard said.
I nodded, my throat too dry to speak.
I had obtained all the materials I needed, one step closer to restoring my magic power. But at the same time, I had just seen the cruel side of the magical world for the first time.
Killing, for survival, for power.
I did not know if this was only the beginning, or what else I would encounter in the future.
But for now, I could only move forward.
I gripped the pouch of materials tightly and hurried toward the exit of the wizard commercial street. I hailed a magic car, with only one thought in my mind: go back and make the potion.