When Savis saw Gale craft a giant microscope with his own hands, he was completely stunned.
What in the world is this thing?
But after he watched Gale use the microscope and Aszuna citrine to carve rune sets on the upper and lower edges of the crown, he was left with nothing but shock!
So, runes could be carved like this.
A new world opened up before Savis's eyes.
"Once the crown is finished, can I buy this instrument from you?"
Taking advantage of Gale's break, Savis quickly asked.
"Of course!" Gale did not refuse; he could make as many microscopes as he wanted. It was already becoming popular at Nathalas Academy, and it would definitely spread to Sin'dorei in a while.
It was the perfect time to extort Savis while it still had value.
"But I don't want gold coins; I want some eternal gold for research."
Savis didn't hesitate, "I have some eternal gold in my collection; it's all yours."
At this stage, the value of eternal gold was not high. Although Gale had used eternal gold to create an artifact, in the eyes of the Mages, using enchanted thorium ingots was more convenient and easier to obtain.
Since both could be used to create artifacts, it was natural to use the more easily accessible material. They weren't like Queen Azshara, who insisted on pursuing what she called a true Kaldorei artifact.
An artifact is an artifact. Could a true Kaldorei artifact really be more powerful than other artifacts?
Of course it's stronger!
Gale thought to himself: From a structural perspective, the structure of eternal gold is more stable. If subjected to a major blow, an artifact made from enchanted thorium ingots might be destroyed, but an artifact made from eternal gold might survive.
Just like the gem on the tidal scepter, it was found in Gorgonnas Temple, similar to the tide stone. However, the tide stone remained perfectly intact, while the gem on the tidal scepter lost its magic and could only be reactivated by the energy of the tide stone.
It took Gale two days to complete the carving of the rune set. The hardness of eternal gold was too great, and Aszuna citrine was not a carving needle specifically designed for it. Being able to complete the carving at all was already quite good, so Gale didn't pursue speed.
Placing the crown on a stand, Gale attempted to attack it.
Before the fireball even got close, the crown seemed to automatically sense it, immediately raising an Arcane shield. The fireball struck the shield, creating ripples but failing to break through.
Clearly, the Arcane shield enchantment was not something just any magic could shatter.
"It's a success?" Savis quickly stepped forward, meticulously examining the crown.
"Of course, but it still needs to undergo some tests," Gale said.
"We'll handle the tests!" Savis handed the crown to a Royal Mage, instructing the Mages to take it to a specialized testing ground.
During this interim, Savis took out a magical pouch, "Here's the eternal gold you wanted!"
Gale opened the pouch and found a considerable amount of eternal gold inside, roughly 5 pounds, enough to craft several small artifacts.
There was no rush for this. Gale hadn't yet decided what kind of artifact he wanted to create. In any case, the eternal gold was in place; once the rune set was chosen, new artifacts could be easily made.
Watching Savis carry away the giant microscope, Gale's lips curved into a smile. He wondered if Savis would regret their current transaction once he learned that microscopes were about to become widespread.
Thank the Arcane for making me rich!
Gale walked out of the Eternal Palace in a joyful mood, returning to Pisaster's weapon shop. After spending a year in Azshara's treasury, he urgently needed to understand the current situation.
"A lot has changed this year!" Pisaster said, "Ever since you accepted the task of creating an artifact, Carlos joined the army and went to the front lines against the trolls. Now he has become an officer, leading an elite squad, constantly infiltrating behind the troll's defenses to hunt trolls…".
"The Forging Factory is bustling, with orders constantly coming in. The money earned now is enough for you to build a magic tower…"
"The family sent Rielly to Nasalas, wanting him to be your magic apprentice. Your father's intention is to cultivate his own family Mages…"
Gale nodded, "Let's not rush these things. I need to wait for feedback from Azshara before making my next decisions."
In this year, Gale had absorbed too much Well of Eternity energy. This went against his plan to avoid succumbing to magic addiction, and due to being busy crafting artifacts, his training regimen also fell apart.
However, after absorbing a large amount of Well of Eternity energy, Gale's strength had greatly increased. If he stayed in Sin'dorei for another two or three years, he too could become an Archmage.
There are pros and cons!
Currently, Gale had two choices: one was to continue staying in Sin'dorei, build a magic tower here, cultivate influence, and, with Prince Farodis's external support, contend with Savis and other close retainers.
The other was to continue his previous plan, distance himself from Sin'dorei, and find a way to solve the problem of magic addiction.
However, the choice was not Gale's, but Azshara's.
After testing, the crown was sent to Azshara. Azshara put on the crown and immediately felt abundant Arcane Energy continuously cleansing her body and mind. With each cleansing, she became more clearly aware of her own shortcomings.
Her political immaturity, the slanders of her favored nobles, her foolishness in being infatuated with her own beauty…
Her face changed drastically, and she abruptly pulled the crown off.
"Your Majesty?" Savis and the others' hearts tightened, and they quickly asked, "Is there something wrong with the crown?"
Azshara was startled and looked at the Mages with a hint of guilt. Seeing only tension in their eyes, she felt a little relieved.
Placing the crown on a tray, she composed herself and said, "There's nothing wrong with the crown; I am very pleased with it. However, the crown is an artifact after all. Wearing it all the time would make it seem like I value these external possessions. Savis, create a replica of the crown. I will wear the replica, and it would be better to store the genuine article in the treasury."
Savis and the others breathed a sigh of relief, as long as there was nothing wrong with the crown. They didn't suspect anything; Azshara's treasury already contained more than a dozen artifacts, so placing the crown there was quite consistent with Azshara's usual behavior.
Ambassador Veridis then asked, "Your Majesty, Gale Morninglight has crafted the crown as requested. Should he be rewarded?"
Upon hearing Gale Morninglight's name, Azshara secretly gritted her teeth. She suspected that Gale had tampered with the crown. However, she couldn't say it outright, because she could feel that the Arcane Baptism cleansing her body and mind was merely an upgraded version of Arcane Wisdom.
Though reluctant, Azshara still said, "Naturally, he should be rewarded. Gale has just arrived in Sin'dorei and does not yet have his own magic tower, so let's grant him an empty magic tower."
Everyone nodded, this reward was not out of line. They were truly afraid that Azshara, due to the artifact crafting, would favor Gale, and then they would fall out of favor.