Monville, Sanford, and Sutherland.

  These were the three formidable participants Vance had mentioned.

  Hailing either from ancient Wizard lineages or the frontline vanguard of the legions, they possessed abundant experience in the art of slaughter.

  This intelligence alone made it clear they would not be easily dealt with.

  "Beyond these three, there are several others capable of confronting a Legendary Knight head-on. They will also be fierce competitors for the quotas."

  As he spoke, Vance cast a glance at Pierce.

  In his estimation, even if Pierce's current strength could not completely match Monville's trio, the gap could not be vast. Securing a quota remained entirely within the realm of possibility.

  As they conversed, the pair arrived at the underground hall.

  Pierce roused himself from his thoughts and surveyed the three stone monuments, his gaze lingering on the one inscribed with the words "Dark Well."

  "Speaking of which, I still have two Dark Stones within my dimensional pouch. Why not test it later?"

  With a plan forming in his mind, Pierce approached the threshold of the Realm of Truth.

  Having braved it once before, he was far calmer this time.

  He was met again by the brilliant tapestry of the starry sky and the sweeping astral river.

  The shining of thousands of stars was followed swiftly by the doomsday collapse.

  In an instant, Pierce found himself standing back at the doorway.

  He immediately checked his status and, as expected, found the familiar text lingering at the bottom of his vision.

  Rule Force: 418

  "Twenty points fewer than last time... Is it because the insights I extracted have diminished?"

  Pierce looked thoughtful.

  The Realm of Truth functioned much like a tome with finite pages. The harvest was most profound upon the initial reading, but with subsequent visits, the volume of knowledge gleaned would gradually diminish. Eventually, no matter how many times one turned the pages, no new revelations would emerge.

  "The next time I enter the Realm of Truth, the Rule Force I acquire might barely surpass three hundred."

  Pierce shook his head, dismissing the thought.

  Regardless, the harvest this time remained exceptionally rich.

  Over four hundred points of Rule Force was more than enough to trigger a surge in his overall strength.

  Gathering his thoughts, Pierce turned to Vance. "Senior Brother, is the Dark Well accessible today?"

  Vance smiled and nodded. "The Dark Well remains open at all hours. So long as you possess Dark Stones, you may utilize it whenever you wish. Do you intend to try it?"

  "I have yet to actually encounter an extra-planar entity, so I must admit to some curiosity."

  "That is perfectly normal. There isn't a single Wizard Apprentice who does not harbor an interest in extra-planar beings. Furthermore, it serves as an excellent opportunity to broaden your understanding. If the timing is right, you might even initiate a trade with an extra-planar lifeform. Simply remain cautious so as not to be swindled."

  "Thank you for the counsel, Senior Brother."

  Pierce smiled, nodding before turning toward the chamber housing the Dark Well and stepping inside.

  Though designated a room, the interior resembled a spacious courtyard, its perimeter illuminated by bright, grey stone lamps hanging from the walls.

  In the center of the courtyard sat five wellheads constructed from stacked stone. Each stood roughly a meter high and was arranged in a horizontal line, separated by intervals of over twenty meters.

  Upon the right-hand wall, the precautions for utilizing the Dark Well had been inscribed.

  The preamble was painted in a glaring, blood-red pigment, detailing several conspicuous rules:

  Prohibited: Leaping into the Dark Well. Prohibited: Ingesting the water of the Dark Well. Prohibited: Removing water of the Dark Well from this chamber. Prohibited: Discarding any object other than Dark Stones, including living subjects, into the Dark Well.

  Pierce stared in silence.

  Behind every seemingly absurd regulation, there undoubtedly lay an even more absurd, and likely macabre, history.

  Pierce continued to read; the text that followed detailed the true operational precautions.

  According to the description, the Dark Well was functionally a "World's Eye," an anomaly formed by the unique planar rules of the Wizard World. These wells could randomly bridge a connection with intelligent life in a foreign plane, acting as a conduit for contact and commerce.

  Contact naturally required little explanation. Trading, however, necessitated the use of a specific Trading Formation calibrated to the Dark Well's rules—a detailed schematic of the runic pattern was attached below. The entire transaction process was safeguarded by the overarching rules of the Dark Well itself, ensuring neither party could default on the agreement.

  Naturally, ascertaining the true value of the traded goods relied entirely upon one's own discernment.

  Perhaps for this reason, the end of the text provided a detailed list of entities that users were strongly advised to avoid bartering with, lest they be deceived.

  Demons and Devils were prominently etched at the very top of the list.

  Having absorbed the warnings, Pierce shifted his gaze back to the five Dark Wells.

  Perhaps because the hour was still early, the courtyard remained entirely deserted.

  All five wellheads were vacant.

  Selecting one at random, Pierce approached the leftmost well and peered into its depths.

  The water level rested high, barely half a meter from the stone rim. The surface was as smooth as polished obsidian, scattering the dim ambient light and lending the pool an aura of profound mystery.

  Pierce retrieved a Dark Stone, weighing the cold mineral in his palm before dropping it into the shaft.

  With a soft splash, the stone broke the surface, sinking slowly into the depths before the water gradually calmed back to a mirror finish.

  Moments later, a silhouette began to slowly coalesce upon the surface of the water, gradually snapping into focus beneath Pierce's astonished gaze.

  The environment on the opposing side did not appear to be a confined well, but rather a vast, tranquil body of water, allowing Pierce a complete view of the entity.

  It was a chimeric being, half-human and half-cervine.

  Judging by human anatomical standards, the creature was distinctly female.

  She bore a passing resemblance to the centaurs of legend, yet the physiological details were entirely different.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  Her upper torso, save for a cascade of smooth, glossy, pale-golden hair, was entirely devoid of fur.

  The skin of her face, neck, collarbone, and arms was flawless and translucent, possessing the warm, pristine hue of honeyed milk.

  She possessed the delicate, exquisite features often attributed to elves. Her ears extended horizontally, slightly elongated with downward-pointing tips. From her brow grew a crown of branched antlers, elegantly curved and practical in their structure, lacking any unnecessary flamboyance.

  Her slender frame was clad simply in a fitted, sleeveless white tunic, the hem cut short enough to reveal a lithe, athletic waist.

  Below the waist transitioned into the sleek, muscular body of a deer, the short coat gleaming faintly alongside hooves that emitted a subtle, magical luminescence.

  Though her digitigrade anatomy was clearly evolved for high-speed traversal, the graceful articulation of her four legs possessed an undeniable, otherworldly elegance.

  Pierce marveled silently. She was a genuine chimera of myth. Had she walked the earth of his previous life, her sheer, exotic beauty would have undeniably captivated anyone who laid eyes upon her.

  "Are you a human?"

  The cervine maiden looked at Pierce with undisguised curiosity. Contradicting her youthful appearance, a voice layered with classical, ancient elegance resonated directly within Pierce's mind.

  Within the Dark Well, communication with extra-planar entities bypassed the physical senses, occurring directly through the soul.

  This was a necessity; many extra-planar beings possessed no comprehension of the languages spoken within the Wizard World.

  Some bizarre lifeforms lacked even the biological concept of hearing.

  Spoken language was simply too primitive and limited a tool for bridging the gap between vastly divergent planar races.

  The guidelines inscribed upon the wall had detailed the rudimentary techniques for such soul-to-soul contact. Pierce tested the method briefly, his high mental attributes allowing him to master the connection almost instantly.

  "Correct. I hail from the Wizard World."

  Pierce held the maiden's gaze, his eyes scrutinizing her anatomy and aura.

  He was well-versed in the lore of numerous half-human beasts—centaurs, mariliths, sphinxes, and merfolk—yet he had never encountered a record of a creature quite like this.

  A cervine humanoid?

  He could not recall a single text referencing such a lineage.

  "A human of the Wizard World!"

  Upon hearing his confirmation, a look of genuine, pleasant surprise brightened her features.

  "I have heard tales of your plane. It is spoken of as an immensely powerful civilization."

  "I appreciate the sentiment." Pierce offered a slight, measured smile. "And which plane do you call home?"

  "By the nomenclature of your Wizards, my home is known as the Ancient Forest Plane. I serve as the Matriarch of the Starry Forest Ancient Tree Deer Spirit clan. You may call me Tining."

  An Ancient Tree Deer Spirit?

  Pierce's eyes flickered slightly.

  The racial designation was entirely unfamiliar; it had never appeared in the myriad of tomes he had consumed.

  Perhaps he would consult his senior sister on the matter at a later time.

  Though calculations raced through his mind, Pierce allowed none of it to show upon his face. He maintained a gentle, disarming smile. "My name is Pierce. I am a Rank 3 Wizard Apprentice."

  "A Rank 3 Wizard Apprentice? Hmm. While not as formidable as a true Wizard, you still constitute a respectable trading partner."

  A remarkably sincere smile blossomed on Tining's face.

  "It is a pleasure to meet you, Pierce."

  "..."

  Pierce studied Tining in silence for several long moments. Confirming that her demeanor was entirely genuine and devoid of any underlying condescension, he immediately understood her nature.

  She was remarkably naive, evidently possessing very little experience in dealing with outsiders.

  "Tining. I may address you as such, yes?"

  Seeing her nod, Pierce's smile widened slightly.

  "Let us dispense with pleasantries and speak plainly. What is it that you require?"

  The overwhelming majority of entities utilizing the Dark Well did so for the purpose of commerce.

  Tining was clearly no exception. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she spoke with unguarded eagerness. "I am in dire need of Radiant Moon Orchids, or alternatively, Falling Star Flowers. The greater the quantity, the better!"

  Pierce reaffirmed his earlier assessment.

  To reveal such desperate enthusiasm during the opening of a negotiation was tantamount to hanging a sign around her neck that read, "Please exploit me."

  Clearing his throat softly, Pierce maintained an aura of absolute calm. "I have access to both Radiant Moon Orchids and Falling Star Flowers. However, what do you intend to offer in exchange?"

  Both flora were rare alchemical reagents of considerable value.

  He had noted their presence within the heavily guarded warehouse of Garden Number Eight. A single stalk of the Radiant Moon Orchid commanded a price of three hundred gold coins, while the Falling Star Flower was slightly dearer at three hundred and fifty.

  And those figures were based upon an internal academy discount.

  Hearing Pierce's confirmation, Tining beamed with delight. She reached out of the scrying frame, producing a handful of wrinkled, ancient-looking seeds and presenting them to Pierce's view.

  "These are Magic Oak Seeds. A single seed holds the power to summon a Silver-tier mid-rank Oak Guardian. To translate that into the power classifications of your Wizard World, the construct would operate roughly at the lethality of a Tier 2 Legendary Knight."

  Pierce's heart skipped a beat. He stared at the dozen or so seeds resting in Tining's palm, a sudden, burning intensity flaring in his eyes.

  These were invaluable strategic assets.

  Formidable combatants like Harlan and Riker had only breached Tier 1.

  A construct possessing the might of a Tier 2 Legendary Knight would possess the physical output required to clash head-on with an Official Wizard.

  Even with his current physical supremacy, Pierce would not be fully confident in securing victory without resorting to the Argent Star.

  The decision was made instantly; he had to acquire these seeds.

  Despite the intense temptation gripping him, Pierce expertly masked his desires, keeping his voice slow and unhurried. "Do you have anything else to offer?"

  Seeing that Pierce appeared entirely unmoved by the Magic Oak Seeds, Tining made no effort to conceal her crestfallen expression. She reached to the side, retrieving a brightly colored, jagged crystal. "This is a Rage Crystal, the organic life-core harvested from the chest of a Rage Giant Bear. It houses a massive volume of kinetic energy, though its internal structure is quite unstable."

  "Anything else?" Pierce pressed, his tone neutral.

  Tining hurriedly picked up another item.

  "This is the preserved heart of a Golden-backed Ape. It is said to possess properties that temporarily enhance physical strength."

  "And this is the extracted fang of a Bone-eater Beast. It is exceedingly durable."

  "This is..."

  Pierce was now absolutely certain that the Ancient Forest Plane was an ecosystem teeming with high-order magical beasts.

  Without a single exception, every item Tining produced was a harvested monster organ, boasting incredible alchemical and commercial value.

  However, Tining clearly possessed a tragically rudimentary understanding of their worth in a broader market. Her introductions were painfully dry and unappealing, entirely failing to articulate the true magical applications that gave these materials their value.

  Only Pierce, whose mind was a steel trap of encyclopedic bestiary knowledge, recognized their true worth. Had any other apprentice lacking a deep foundation in magical zoology listened to her poor sales pitch, they likely would have walked away from the well without finalizing a single transaction.

  After listing over twenty distinct items in a single, desperate breath, Tining looked at him with palpable anticipation. "Well? Is there anything that catches your eye?"

  Pierce fell silent, feigning deep contemplation for a long while before finally speaking. "What exchange rate are you proposing for the Magic Oak Seeds?"

  Tining answered without a second's hesitation. "One Magic Oak Seed in exchange for one hundred Radiant Moon Orchids, or a volume of Falling Star Flowers of equivalent value. What do you think?"

  After naming her price, she stared at him with wide, eager eyes, visibly terrified that he might reject the offer.

  Pierce had to physically bite the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing out loud.

  One hundred Radiant Moon Orchids would cost, at the absolute maximum, thirty thousand gold coins. Converted into wizarding currency, that amounted to a mere sixty Magic Stones.

  Sixty Magic Stones for a disposable vanguard equivalent to a Tier 2 Legendary Knight—the profit margin was so absurd it bordered on robbery.

  If he were to purchase a living familiar from the slave pens, a heavily modified barbarian thrall operating at the level of a Tier 2 Legendary Knight would command a starting bid of at least two to three thousand Magic Stones.

  Despite the staggering imbalance of the deal, Pierce did not immediately agree. Instead, he smoothly pivoted the negotiation. "And what of the Rage Crystal?"

  Tining hesitated, her brow furrowing slightly before she held up three slender fingers. "Thirty Radiant Moon Orchids."

  The gaze Pierce directed toward the cervine maiden softened considerably. He felt an overwhelming urge to reach through the planar portal and embrace her for her sheer, magnificent ignorance.

  She was not merely a trading partner; she was an unexploited gold mine.

  In the ledgers of Garden Number Eight, the retail price for a stable Rage Crystal soared as high as seven hundred and thirty Magic Stones.

  Yet here, bartering with the naive Matriarch, the cost was a laughable eighteen Magic Stones.

  It was a margin of profit that would make the most ruthless dwarven merchant weep.

  Pierce ruthlessly suppressed his burgeoning delight and proceeded to inquire about the pricing of her remaining inventory.

  Unsurprisingly, her valuations remained consistently, absurdly low across the board.

  A few moments later, Pierce finalized his mental calculations and began the delicate process of haggling with the maiden.

  In the arena of commerce, the innocent Tining was entirely outmatched.

  By the time the verbal contract was cemented, Pierce had successfully manipulated the exchange rates, slashing her already abysmal asking prices by half.

  Pierce couldn't help but inwardly sigh at the ease of his victory, musing darkly that perhaps he had missed his calling as an underworld profiteer.

  "Then we have an accord. The next time we open this channel, I shall bring an adequate supply of Radiant Moon Orchids and Falling Star Flowers, and we will complete the exchange."

  "Agreed!"

  Tining nodded vigorously, the sudden motion causing the antlers upon her brow to sway. A bright, unburdened smile graced her features.

  "I will await your return. You must make haste!"

  Pierce nodded, offering a reassuring smile.

  Immediately following their verbal pact, the two parties exchanged aetheric aura imprints—a planar equivalent to a contact beacon, specifically engineered to anchor their relative positions across the void.

  With this anchor established, the next time he cast a Dark Stone into the well, the rules of the matrix would accurately tether his signal to her, bypassing the random assignment of the World's Eye.

  Pierce waited in absolute silence as Tining's silhouette dissolved into the fading ripples of the water. Only when the well's surface returned to a flawless, black mirror did he finally allow a wide, predatory smile to break across his face.