Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 8: The Path of Mystery Begins Here!

Zhang Yuan, lying flat on his back, began to reminisce about his first day in this alternate dimension.

Although he couldn't sell the coins, the banknotes, which he thought were worthless, brought him an unexpected surprise. Five gold coins didn't seem like much, but he, who had some knowledge of prices, didn't think so.

A hearty hamburger costs only two copper coins, as does a large glass of regular beer. Comparing this to prices around the world, one copper coin is roughly equivalent to ten Chinese yuan or the equivalent in euros.

So now I at least have five thousand yuan in savings? Zhang Yuan finally felt a little more secure. After all, money gives a hero courage.

He suddenly remembered what the steward had said when he handed him the gold coins, and Wiles's question about why the Silverscale Breastplate cost five gold pieces.

Interesting. So one dollar in the game is equivalent to one copper coin in this world. I thought gold coins in Faerûn were worthless.

Recalling the "huge transactions" of several thousand gold coins in the game, I couldn't help but chuckle.

He smiled, but then frowned. He thought of his system, which had been unresponsive since he arrived in Faerûn, and wondered when it would be activated.

DLTCEP? System? Zhang Yuan had no choice but to give up after calling out a few times without receiving any response. Fortunately, the benefits brought by the system were real. Not to mention the amazing language proficiency, the seven spell models existing in his mind were also an undeniable fact.

Magic that once only existed in fantasy is now within reach. Heaven knows how much willpower Zhang Yuan used to overcome his curiosity.

However, to be fair, even if I wanted to cast a spell, I'd have to memorize it and then take a nap. "I'll be a dignified mage when I wake up!" Zhang Yuan thought to himself, and then happily drifted off to sleep.

The sun was high in the sky, and Zhang Yuan was awakened by his phone ringing. He groggily turned off the alarm and struggled to open his eyes, feeling sore all over.

"Damn, why is this bed so hard? Where's my mattress?" Zhang Yuan propped himself up with his hands and felt the bed board was too hard. Only then did he realize that he was no longer in his simple but warm little nest.

Everything that was once familiar has left me, and even the world I once knew is now just the concept of my hometown.

Zhang Yuan, who had been sitting blankly on the edge of the bed for a while, was startled awake by a loud sneeze.

"Ha~ha~choo," Wiles, who had also woken up, rubbed his nose and asked in a muffled voice, "What was that sound like someone playing the piano just now? Was it the bard downstairs? Why is he here so early?"

"Probably. Are you going to continue selling paintings today?" Knowing that the painter was probably woken up by his alarm clock, Zhang Yuan didn't want to steer the conversation toward the source of the alarm, so he casually asked.

Wiles retorted, "What do you mean by selling paintings? I went to gather inspiration; it was artistic creation!"

"Hehe." Zhang Yuan was too lazy to argue with him and turned to leave the room.

A chill ran down Wiles' spine as he felt a wave of malice wash over him. He hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"

"Wash your face and brush your teeth. By the way, do you know where I can buy toiletries?" The person, who had not yet adapted to life in this strange world, had no choice but to ask the "native" next to him for help.

Zhang Yuan, who had bought a bunch of daily necessities and a backpack after leaving a grocery store, painfully counted his meager savings.

Yesterday's food, drink and lodging cost twenty copper coins, and with the 25 copper coins spent on shopping just now, I only have four gold, five silver and five copper coins left.

Although he didn't actually spend too much, the constant outflow of money and no inflow still put him under considerable pressure.

Zhang Yuan, who was now eyeing his own coin, remembered that the guy next to him was, after all, in the art industry and might know quite a few collectors.

“Are there any well-known collectors here? Could you introduce me to a generous one?” Zhang Yuan asked. “Are you planning to sell the remaining painting?” Wiles said with a hint of regret, “Actually, many nobles have a habit of collecting art, and they are also our main financial backers. However, these guys don’t have very good taste, and they have a lot of demands.”

After complaining for a while, Wildton paused and then said, "Apart from the Grand Duke of Silver Shield and that Duke of the Belt, the only other person in this city who is really into collecting is Ferreno of the Kist family. Speaking of which, he even held an exhibition a while ago to show off his treasures."

Upon hearing the name Ferreno, Zhang Yuan felt a sense of familiarity and quickly asked, "Does Sir Kist live near the market in the city center?"

"Oh, you've heard of him too? His house is on the west side of the market, but we can't meet him without an introduction or invitation."

This is troublesome... Having roughly determined who this Sir Kester was, Zhang Yuan recalled the scenes of breaking down doors every time he was in the game, and couldn't help but start considering the feasibility of recruiting a rogue teammate.

Unfortunately, this trip was for business negotiations, not for making a profit without any investment, so I had to give up on the idea.

Zhang Yuan, who had neither a noble title nor any reputation, naturally did not expect the NPC Florenno Kist to send him an invitation.

Left with no other option, they could only hope that Wiles would have some connections to get in touch with this person.

Unexpectedly, he actually gave Zhang Yuan a surprise, but it wasn't the cliché of a down-on-his-luck painter suddenly meeting a kindred spirit who turned out to be a connoisseur of antiques.

"Sir Kester has always been happy to showcase his collection, and there's supposed to be a small gathering at the end of this month, where I think you'll be able to meet him."

"An exhibition? Is it open to everyone? Can I go in?" Zhang Yuan was somewhat surprised.

“Of course, not just anyone can get in. Those barbarians wouldn’t understand it anyway, and they might even damage the Jazz’s collection. But as an artist, I’ve had the privilege of attending exhibitions organized by the Jazz.” Wiles proudly raised his chin and showed off.

"That's really not easy. I suppose only a true artist could gain that knight's approval." Since this guy was still somewhat useful, Zhang Yuan didn't hesitate to praise him.

Wiles, whose curiosity had been piqued, immediately declared, "Don't worry, you'll meet Sir Kester in six days. Don't forget my contribution then."

"If it really works out, I'll treat you to a hearty drink of jade wine!"

"A word is settled!"

After returning to the hotel and washing up, Zhang Yuan stayed in his room, finally having time to think about his professional abilities and power system.

After much deliberation before going to sleep last night, I finally chose the spells Mage Armor and Lalok's Drain Energy.

The former provides the protection of a chainmail, which is a great help to swordsmen and mages who cannot wear armor, not to mention that it lasts for up to eight hours.

Although the latter is less lethal, it can provide the caster with an equal amount of healing, making it a poor man's version of Vampire's Touch.

The two completed spells were clearly present in his mental sea, but Zhang Yuan had no idea how they were constructed, or even the existence of the mental sea itself.

Thanks entirely to the system, having never been exposed to real magical knowledge and concepts, he could only stare blankly at the structure of the two spells in his sea of ​​consciousness like a primary school student looking at advanced mathematics.

The spell model, woven from a multitude of intertwined arcane runes, emitted a faint glow. The runes, like stars in the night sky, were illuminated, echoing, linking, and interlocking with each other.

Immersed in the beauty of arcane magic, Zhang Yuan could no longer suppress his eager curiosity. So, in a simple room of an inn, chanting began, and spellcasting gestures flowed from the hands of a stranger.

(End of this chapter)