Chapter 411: Soul Source Freedom (Patreon)

Chapter 411: Soul Source Freedom

The ritual spell cast by Grand Wizard Galon was called the Multi-Dimensional Space Registration Technique.

The effect of this spell was to create a dimensional space bubble placed within the dimensional gap through a magical ritual. Since this bubble existed within the dimensional gap, it could be accessed from various dimensions, enabling the cross-dimensional transportation of materials.

It had to be said—this was an extraordinarily ingenious concept.

Cross-dimensional material transportation should have been the privilege of World Masters and certain illusory creatures. Yet, through this spell, even a First Circle Wizard—or even a Wizard Apprentice—could transport materials from other dimensions to the material world.

However, this spell had one small drawback—it was too expensive.

The ritual required a vast amount of rare materials, some of which were already extinct, making them incredibly difficult to obtain.

Based on his experience, Richard did a quick calculation. Conservatively estimated, performing this ritual would cost nearly a million Magic Essence.

Moreover, this dimensional space bubble wouldn’t last forever—its lifespan was only ten years.

Once that period ended, the bubble would automatically shatter. Anything stored inside would be lost to the dimensional gap, likely never to be recovered.

No wonder even Grand Wizard Galon had muttered "expensive" when mentioning this ritual magic.

For an ordinary Wizard, this would be a terrible investment.

But Richard was clearly no ordinary Wizard.

With this dimensional space bubble, he could continuously transport Soul Source from the Nightmare World back to the Wizard World.

This essentially meant Richard had achieved Soul Source freedom.

Soul Source was a highly sought-after commodity in the Wizard World. Whenever it appeared on the market, Third Circle Wizards would scramble to buy it all up.

If Richard wanted, he could easily recoup his costs—and even make a hefty profit—just by selling Soul Source.

Of course, he had no immediate plans to do so.

That would come with significant risks, and it wasn’t necessary.

The Richard Jolod Conglomerate—his golden goose—brought him vast amounts of Magic Essence every year.

A million Magic Essence would sting, but it wouldn’t bankrupt him.

……

"Brother Richard, the items in your order are way too obscure," came Bob’s exasperated voice through the Communication Crystal Ball.

Richard chuckled in response. "That’s exactly why I came to you, Brother Bob. If it were something common, would I really need to trouble the head of Nine Stars Commerce?"

"Hah! What kind of head am I compared to you, the big shot of the White Wizards? By the way, I heard the Tesla Conglomerate is studying your Magic Support Vehicles, planning to roll out similar weapons. You might want to keep an eye on that."

The Tesla Conglomerate...

Richard frowned. The Tesla Conglomerate was a behemoth in the Wizard Chamber of Commerce. Over half of the White Wizard Legion in the Wizard World was equipped with their Alchemy Weapons.

Moreover, an era ago, the Tesla Conglomerate had merged with the Zeppelin Airship Commerce.

Now, the Tesla Conglomerate had everything—from Alchemical Magic Stone Cannons to War Airships. They were even involved in the construction of Floating Cities.

Legend has it that the Tesla Conglomerate has ties to the Council of Truth in the background.

Being targeted by such a behemoth is no small matter.

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up, old friend."

"Good, just stay vigilant. Although your Magic Support Vehicle has proven the feasibility of this weapon, developing an Alchemy Weapon from scratch is no simple task.

Especially for a major conglomerate like Tesla."

"Hmm?" Richard was puzzled. "Shouldn’t a large conglomerate like Tesla have ample technical reserves? Designing an Alchemy Weapon should be straightforward."

The Crystal Ball fell silent for a moment.

"...You don’t usually involve yourself in the operations of the conglomerate, do you?"

"Not really."

"Listen, my friend, the larger a conglomerate grows, the slower its operational efficiency becomes. Unless a high-ranking member of the Tesla Conglomerate directly greenlights this project,

I can guarantee it’ll be nothing more than a name centuries from now.

Alright, I’ve got other matters to attend to. I’ll keep an eye out for the items you need."

With that, the Crystal Ball abruptly dimmed.

Richard pocketed the Crystal Ball, sighing inwardly.

The larger the organization, the slower the efficiency—this rule holds true even in the Wizard World.

Nevertheless, Richard still prioritized upgrading the Support Vehicle on his to-do list.

The Magic Support Vehicle was a golden goose he had no intention of abandoning.

……

Naturally, gathering materials couldn’t be entrusted to just one person.

Aside from the Nine Stars Commerce, Richard also sought help from Jolod.

Jolod had always been a well-connected Alchemist Wizard, and now that he had advanced to the Third Circle and become the head of the Richard Jolod Conglomerate, his network was no less extensive than Bob’s.

Moreover, involving Jolod had another advantage—access to the Black Tower Wizard Academy’s connections.

After all, Jolod was the Vice Dean of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Using the academy’s channels to gather materials for his student might raise eyebrows, but no one would make a fuss.

Especially since Jolod wasn’t skipping out on payment.

In addition to Jolod, Jimmy from the Garon Wizard Academy also assisted Richard in collecting materials.

With the combined efforts of these three parties, Richard waited five years and spent nearly 800,000 units of Magic Essence before finally gathering all the materials needed for the Ritual Magic.

For an average Third Circle Wizard, acquiring these materials wouldn’t just take a lifetime—it’d require millennia and over a million units of Magic Essence.

Such was the power of connections.

With the materials assembled, Richard immediately began meticulous preparations for the ritual.

The Dimensional Storage Spell was roughly a Seventh-Circle difficulty, comparable to—if not more complex than—the Nightmare Gate from before.

Fortunately, this time Richard didn’t need to simplify it; he only needed the assistance of a few Third Circle Wizards.

Above the city of Northpeak.

Jolod gazed at the bustling metropolis below, momentarily lost in thought.

It was hard to imagine that this thriving city had been a barren wasteland just over two centuries ago.

Two hundred years was a blink for Wizards, yet these ordinary folk had transformed the desolate land into what it was today.

Jolod murmured to himself, "That kid is wasted as a Black Wizard."

Suddenly, a streak of light shot out from the Wizard Tower and landed beside him.

"Master, what are you looking at?"

Jolod shook his head. "It's nothing. Let's go down."

In the reception hall of the Wizard Tower, a group of formidable Third Circle Wizards were chatting casually.

Not a single word or detail was out of place—check it out at 69shuba!

"This Wizard Tower is no ordinary place," remarked the Two-Faced Wizard, who had once fought alongside Richard, as he stomped on the floor of the reception hall. The rebounding force from the ground was clearly not something ordinary enchanted bricks could produce.

"Hey, with his wealth, it’s only natural he’d build his tower extravagantly," Stio, who was familiar with Richard, replied offhandedly.

"See that city outside? He funded its construction. To establish a city in the Far North and develop it to this extent... the investment involved... heh."

Hearing Stio’s words, the Wizards present began mentally calculating Richard’s expenditures. But they soon stopped—the numbers were too staggering to be realistic.

"What are you all discussing?" Richard’s voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. He entered the Wizard Tower with Jolod, a smile on his face.

"Nothing much, just talking about that city of yours," Stio said with a laugh. "Even now, I don’t quite understand why you built it."

"To pass the time and make money, of course," Richard replied matter-of-factly. "It’s not like I’m conducting mad Wizard experiments."

"This actually turns a profit?" one Wizard asked in surprise.

"Absolutely. Far North City’s taxes are quite high. Though the revenue technically belongs to the city, if I wanted it, they’d deliver it to my doorstep without hesitation."

As a city primarily governed by ordinary people, its leaders were well aware that all its prosperity hinged on the Wizard Tower at its heart. Without Richard’s Mushrooms, the city would soon be reclaimed by blizzards.

The Wizards paused, then nodded in admiration. What others might see as a losing venture, Richard had turned into profit—no wonder he was so wealthy.

Richard glanced around the reception hall.

"Since everyone’s here, let’s begin."

With that, he led the group to the fourth underground level of the Wizard Tower.

The room that had once housed the Dragon King’s egg had been transformed into a grand ritual hall. An enormous, intricate Magic Array dominated the center, while the corners were adorned with enchanted incense to sharpen the Wizards’ focus.

The cost of this Ritual Magic was astronomical—failure would set even Richard back centuries. So he spared no effort in boosting its success rate, even going so far as to enlist Ellie’s help for a purely superstitious luck-boosting ritual.

Upon entering the hall, Richard distributed scrolls outlining each Wizard’s role. Including Jolod, he had enlisted seven Third Circle Wizards for support—two of whom specialized in soul magic. This alone reduced the spell’s difficulty to roughly Fourth Circle level.

For these seasoned Wizards, casting a Fourth Circle Spell was child’s play.

They carefully reviewed their scrolls. Success meant 2,000 Magic Essence each; even failure guaranteed 1,000.

Although none of the Wizards present were short on Magic Essence, no one was willing to pass up money that was practically handed to them for free.

Not to mention, this was an invitation from Richard himself.

After familiarizing themselves with the Spell, the participants took their positions at the eight corners of the Magic Array as required by the Ritual Magic.

Then, starting with Richard, the Wizards began chanting incantations and weaving the Spell.

Ancient verses echoed through the hall, murmurs as if from primordial times, mingling with the smoke of magical incense, lending the Ritual Magic the air of an archaic sacrifice.

As the chanting continued, the materials within the array began to transform.

These bizarre ingredients converged under the influence of the Spell, gradually coalescing into a pitch-black void.

This was the most crucial component of the Ritual Magic—the Dimensional Space Bubble.

With the formation of the Dimensional Space Bubble, the Wizards immediately raised their voices in unison.

The thunderous incantations seemed powerful enough to shatter the ceiling and tear through space itself. Under their influence, the Magic Array beneath their feet grew brighter and brighter.

Finally, amid the resonant, bell-like chants, the veil of the world was lifted, and the Dimensional Space Bubble smoothly slipped into the crevice between dimensions.

Witnessing this, Richard silently let out a sigh of relief.

Success!

(End of Chapter)