Chapter 373, Can Create a Small World
The elf woman wore a long red dress, with pointed ears, golden hair, and delicate, beautiful features. She sat in a chair, her long legs crossed, revealing straight, fair calves beneath her skirt.
Wu Heng observed her, while she also looked at him with curiosity.
Even though he wore a cloak, she scrutinized him carefully.
Once Wu Heng sat down, a servant brought some tea and snacks.
The elf smiled and said, "Guest, your transactions at this auction have reached a certain level, so we can offer you an upgraded emblem, making future collaborations even smoother."
Saying this, the elf handed over an emblem.
Emblems held significant importance within the Snake Emblem Consortium.
Whether it was for commissions or specific types of trade, the consortium didn't recognize individuals—they only recognized emblems and receipts.
Receipts were used by those without emblems, while those who had an emblem were only judged by it.
If an emblem was lost, it would be challenging to retrieve without specific connections.
This policy might seem strict, even unreasonable.
But many elites appreciated this point and were willing to work with the consortium.
"What kind of standard do you need to meet to upgrade an emblem like this?" Wu Heng continued to ask.
"There are two ways. The first is being the highest bidder at the auction, and the chief manager assesses whether to offer an upgrade based on your potential. The second is that, after achieving the highest volume, reaching a set transaction amount will automatically qualify you for a purple-gold level emblem," the elf explained softly.
In other words, the emblem upgrade depended mainly on wealth.
The first method required achieving the top bidder status, but the total amount might not be high enough, and the chief manager might decide whether to upgrade or not.
If you topped the bidding and your transaction amount reached a certain level, you fully qualified for the emblem upgrade.
He was certain he met the second condition.
"What privileges does this emblem provide?"
"It means you are one of our most valued guests. You receive significant discounts on purchases, can use the consortium's vehicles for free at any time, and if unrest breaks out in your city, you can seek refuge in our consortium's buildings—they will protect you and your family with all their power."
The elf smiled and looked at him, continuing, "Of course, these are just the basic privileges. The consortium's network is extensive; it can offer you many advantages."
Wu Heng raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by these privileges.
It seemed that owning this emblem not only symbolized one's status when making requests but also granted access to some of the consortium's resources.
Vehicles, safety, network influence—all of these were resources.
It appeared that this emblem was indeed quite valuable.
"Thank you, I'll take it," Wu Heng said as he accepted the emblem.
The elf smiled, took a sip of her tea, and said, "My name is 'Retyri,' and I'm in charge of the Snake Emblem Consortium in Lopez City. If you ever visit, you can come to see me."
The man before her piqued her curiosity.
She wondered if his lavish spending, buying items for tens of thousands of gold, was meant to draw her attention.
Before the auctioneer switch, he hadn't shown such extravagant buying behavior.
After she came on stage, however, he bought every single item.
Although his face was obscured by the cloak, his voice and the way he sat indicated that he was young.
For her, it wouldn't hurt to build connections with a young and wealthy guest.
Hearing her straightforward way of speaking, Wu Heng replied, "Hmm, if I have the chance, I will visit." He then stood up and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now to catch my departing ship."
"Of course, guest." The elf rose to see him out.
...
As he stepped out of the room.
Wu Heng paused again.
Outside, more than ten cloaked figures gathered.
When Wu Heng and 'Keramu' emerged, all eyes turned towards them.
"Sir, I run a jewelry store in 'Raparis' City. If you're interested, you can visit, or I could tell you more, and you could place an order directly." One figure quickly stepped forward, speaking.
Jewelry business?
Wu Heng glanced at the others, lining up.
Were they all waiting here to talk business with him?
"I don't have any immediate need for jewelry," Wu Heng said.
"Sir, you can at least remember our store's name—Pearl Shell Jewelry. You might visit someday." The figure hastily scribbled the shop's name on a piece of paper and handed it over.
Wu Heng accepted it, "Sure, I'll remember!"
The next person stepped up, "Sir, our store specializes in everyday magical tools; it's called White Whale Tool Shop."
Another note was handed over.
Then the third, the fourth, approached one by one.
"Sir, we specialize in magical weaponry—high-quality or above, and with special effects," another said.
Weaponry?
Now that was something Wu Heng was actually interested in.
"Where's your store located? What's it called?" Wu Heng asked.
"Lopez City, Boiled White Tool Shop."
"Alright, I'll remember. I may visit sometime."
"Thank you, sir."
After taking all the remaining notes.
With 'Keramu' providing escort, Wu Heng left the ship cabin and headed for the deck.
...
Inside the room they had just left.
After Wu Heng departed, two figures emerged from a partition at the back of the room.
One was a burly, white-haired elderly man, and the other was the original middle-aged male auctioneer.
Both walked out, and the elf auctioneer 'Retyri' bowed to the elder, "Sir."
The elder nodded, sitting down beside her, and asked, "Is he from the Ekow Kingdom?"
"Probably not. He doesn't seem very familiar with the consortium's rules, and it looks like this was his first time attending the auction," Retyri answered.
"Since when has there been someone so extravagant along the coastal cities?" the elder wondered aloud.
"Not sure." Retyri shook her head.
The middle-aged auctioneer thought for a moment and said, "Shall we have someone tail him, see which ship he takes? At least then we might have an idea."
The elder shook his head, "Consortium rules must be followed; don't do anything foolish."
"Yes, sir. I spoke out of turn."
"Alright. The auction went well this time. I'll make sure you two are rewarded."
Both auctioneers were delighted, "Thank you, sir."
...
Wu Heng waited on the deck for a while.
The ship that would take passengers back soon approached the vessel.
Wu Heng had initially considered choosing a different ship to leave and then using the Ghost Train to return to Gold-Silver Island later.
But after some thought, he dismissed the idea.
Besides Gold-Silver Island, the nearest port would take two days to reach.
It would be a waste of time.
And wouldn't serve much purpose.
Soon enough, the ship heading to Gold-Silver Island arrived.
Wu Heng boarded with the crowd and settled into the room assigned to him.
The ship started moving towards Gold-Silver Island.
...
Inside his room.
Wu Heng pulled out "Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion" and casually flipped through it.
The book seemed to be made of some sort of leather—its texture was noticeably different from that of paper.
It was probably because of this material that, despite its current worn condition, the book had not turned to dust as regular paper would have.
The spell type was categorized under Conjuration.
The first part described the motivations behind creating the spell and its effects.
The spell was initially developed.
To solve the problem of temporary campsites during group adventures.
Unfavorable environments, bad weather, or campfires that could attract enemies or beasts.
Hence, the original creator began working on this spell.
The Magnificent Mansion allowed the caster to create a space in an extradimensional location to build a dwelling.
Unlike a dimensional gate, it did not transport existing objects; rather, the caster used their mental power to shape the entire house.
Including decorations, furniture, and even servants to do chores.
"It can create a small world?"