The formula of the magic knot with gold wordings stated clearly that total of seventy-two kinds of essential ingredients is required. Each kind has its notes in details following. At the end of the formula, the author ended with a statement which it somehow alerts Salin.

“Magic knots Elixir is able to transform the physique of an apprentice and formed into special magic knots. However, this method is not natural, it will cost unforeseen circumstances towards the apprentice. I, at this moment, remind the one who is now reading my writings, what you pay for is more than what you will gain.”

What you pay for is more than what you will gain!

Unforeseen circumstances…

Salin hesitated. He is respectful towards the author. Therefore, he cannot ignore the warnings from the author.

What kind of circumstances will he face?

Death? It is impossible.

If any magic potions that cause danger, the inventor of that formula will state otherwise. For example, elders are not advice to take, lower-level wizard are not advice to take, or person who has heart disease are not advice to take, etc. If magic potion causes any side effects, there’ll be warnings as well.

If this is not a death threat, then what will it be? The author seemed serious in his writings, Salin cannot figure it out, despite death, what other circumstances that are equally dangerous than forming a magic knot.

He just can’t figure it out, what is the author trying to convey. Salin closes the book and silently recite the name of the seventy-two kinds ingredients while calculating the costs.

The cheapest ingredient cost about one silver coin; whereas the most expensive costs around two hundred gold coins, a total of one thousand gold coins is enough for a single set of potion. Currently, Salin’s available funds are just enough for not more than three sets of potions. In fact, the author did not mention the success rate of producing the potion, according to a regular pattern, this kind of potion’s success rate is very low, the highest success rate is not more than 10%. The success rate has no link with luck, most importantly are the experiences and spirituality.

Salin has enough spirituality, but not experiences. He studied magic potion’s theory for only three months, his successful rate on produced magic potion was only fifty-fifty. However, those experiments ingredients cost only a gold coin, Salin could not care less if it fails or success. Magic knots elixir is a different story, once he failed, it will cost him a thousand gold coins.

Ever since Salin found the formula, he has not thought of giving up. He cannot forget those poverty times, even that event which almost cost his life, if Jason has not always reached out to him in time, he will die in that dungeon. Jason cannot always reach out to him, if he needed to stay alive, it is necessary to have his own strength.

To become a real wizard is Salin’s only belief. He does understand that he cannot waste the money inconsiderably. Hence, Jason does not give any pocket money to him, to get what he wants, he needs to earn money. Where can he earn such money?

The gang of thieves, Deeka!

Salin’s eyes brighten up when he thought of Deeka. Once a thief is in business, they need several kinds of potions. The formal shop won’t sell danger potions, therefore, if they need the specific potions, they have to look for a wizard that they familiar with. Salin laughed in to relieve, seems like having a thief as a friend isn’t bad at all.

A week pass by, while Salin is in the city, he left a note in the armor shop to look for Deeka. Half a month passed, he finally gets in touch with Deeka.

Deeka didn’t ask any question but waited for Salin to reveal his intention. One cannot simply mess around with the wizard, Salin’s message make it clear last time to the leader, they immediately cease the idea of recruiting Salin.

“I have some magic potion to sell.” Salin cut it straight.

“Alright, I’ll take it.” Deeka joyfully accepted his offer.

“But I don’t trust your leader, do you have any ways to kill him?” Salin’s inquires startled Deeka.

“Absolutely not! Salin, our leader, has twenty extra people with him.” Deeka answered anxiously.

“The secret chamber you’ve mentioned last time, I’ve made some researched back home, every last day of the week, all of you will gather in the room, this is a tradition for your kind of business. I have this poison, once you touch it, you will definitely die. I’ll let you consider my options in a week, if you make up your mind to work this out with me, you will become the leader of your gang in Ceylon.”

Salin walked away with his leather bag and a roguish grin.

Will Deeka decline his suggestion? If Deeka turns him down, Deeka has to report their meeting to the leader. In this case, Deeka will face the wrath of a wizard.

Certainly, Deeka has no guts to decline Salin. A month later, the city guards found the corpses of the entire gang in the chamber. A total of twenty-four persons, all killed by poison.

Salin first murders, although it was not done by him, the poison was provided by him.

The fictitious formula of the magic knot was very useful, immediate death in just one touch. Even Salin was scared about the formula, he reminds himself to take precautions to this kind of tactics. Otherwise, the ripper will knock on his door because of negligence.

After eliminated the adventive gang, Deeka formed a juvenile troop of thieves in a short period. Salin’s magic potion has steady sales which his fortune grew larger in a year time, Salin earned a total of three thousand gold coins.

In Ceylon, the market is limited. However, with Deeka’s wise decision, Salin to produce magic potions according to thieves needs, Deeka retain the amount they needed then export the rest to another city. With this strategy, they successfully stabilize the sales and earned some profits, also, gangs from other city knows Ceylon has a special potion to sell.

When Salin’s savings reached five thousand gold coins, he is also progressing in producing potions. Salin currently achieved as level three apprentice, which he can activate five level zero spells in a row and mastered seven level zero spells – Decipher Spells, Venom-detection Spells, Acidic spells, flaming spells, Elements-integration spells, alarming spells, and Detection Spell.

Through nurturing, Salin’s physique apparently strengthen up, although he still looks thin in appearance, in fact, he can carry hundred pounds of the leather bag without gasping for breath. Salin still have to make purchases every week in the city, Jason always lets him stuff many goods in the leather bag.

Salin’s plans are near to the final stage, he already has three sets of ingredients for the magic knot elixir. Maybe because Salin had inherited businessman’s astute visions, Salin didn’t spend all of his gold coins, what if he successfully produces the potion in first few try?

In the first week of June, the weather was hot, and the skins were always sweaty. Salin just passes his fifteenth birthday, he then decided to start the making of the magic knot elixir. Salin was quite worried, even intend to kneel down and pray sincerely. Unfortunately, he has no beliefs of any religion.

Although the priest from the Holy See always mentioned – Temporary grace from God will not choose sides, he still finds hard to believe it. Perhaps is easier to ask the Quinn’s to give up on their dignity than to have the Scotchian to believe in God.

Salin pulled out a case under the bed and took out the family badge. Everything left by his father was sold except for this family badge.

The badge which formed like a shield with the black gold material, it was about a palm size, and it is quite thick. The dark-green magic symbols represent the uniqueness of their clan which was once designed by a great wizard. Anyone who tries to replicate the badge means one is provoking the great wizard’s dignity. Salin realizes this just after he became Jason’s apprentice.

The badge has a thickness of the thumb, at the center of it, there’s a deep mark like thunder which causes the incompleteness of the magic symbol that makes Salin has no idea who designed the badge.

There was once a great wizard which served under the Metatrine’s clan, how glory it was!

“Father, bless me to become a powerful wizard.” Salin prayed while stroking the badge to feel its covert symbol on the uneven surface, it was another magic symbol which as well destroyed by the thunder mark.

Eh?

Salin suddenly saw a dark blue light flashed over from the Thunder mark. He rubbed his eyes to get a better look, but that dark blue light disappeared.

What is this? A magic imprint? But the family was ruined, even if they have the magic mark, it will be long gone by now.

Salin is a bit worried, after all, the books he has studied, he understands how deep and wide of the magic world, besides, it is the world full of danger, a careless move will face serious consequences.

Salin subconsciously cast a detection spell on the badge. A hazy light covers the badge on Salin’s hand with a sudden pause of time, in the meanwhile, Salin horridly realizes that the detection spells was discontinued instantly, the situation was like his downfall moment has suddenly stopped after falling off from the cliff.

The sudden pause of time was perhaps not more than a second, as Salin began to mastered the theory of time control, he did realize the break of time.

At that instant, the mystical light that covers the badge was absorbed instantly into the badge, then the thunder mark on the center of the badge wildly absorbing all surrounded elements and energies. A low-level apprentice like him cannot afford to lose all magical elements to it, Salin felt his hand that holds the badge is cold as ice, the magical elements in him, spirituality, blood, and breath were all drawn out in splits seconds.

With a body like an empty shell, Salin has lost all of his vital signs.

It is like falling into darkness and emptiness, there is no color, nor sounds, nor odor, nothing, his memory since birth were all disappeared.

Is this death? The only conscious left within Salin is the reaction towards facing death.

Salin’s body falls back and hit on the floor. The badge which he is still holding once again shine with the same dusky blue light from the thunder mark, a faint of light merged into Salin’s body and shot straight up to his heart.

A once stopped heartbeat was stimulated by the soft light and regain its beating, the blood is squeezed to the body by strong compression.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Salin’s body came back to life as well as his sensory, the emptiness surrounded him has disappeared. His body bounced off the floor and almost hit the ceiling then fell heavily to the ground. Some of his blood pouring out from his mouth and nose, it was purple in color, also with lumps.

Salin’s pain is indescribable, the moment his sensory back to normal, all negative stats fall into his body. Weak, pain, cold, burnt… These feelings are repetitively hurting Salin. He has no energy to fight off the pain since the bounce, not even strong enough to lift his fingers, his eyes shut tightly, and his spirituality almost collapse.