"Hm."
Zeno did not insist further; as long as she could save money for her Master, it was fine.
But the Master had said that for talent, one should not simply exploit them, but provide benefits.
Otherwise, she hadn't planned on paying at all, needing to save money for her Master.
However, if any hidden danger arose, she would show no mercy.
This was also what her Master had said.
For now, this alchemist seemed sensible enough; there was no need to eliminate the threat, as he was a rare technical talent in the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
"Lady Zeno, what do you need me to craft?"
Looking at such rare and precious materials, Fete's hands were already itching with anticipation.
But he still carefully asked Lady Zeno for her requirements.
"A large quantity of alchemy potions and some magic items."
These crafted materials were, of course, intended for the Monster Merchant to sell.
However, to prevent recognition, after Fete finished the alchemy, they would definitely undergo a secondary process.
This was to ensure that all adventurers and Fete himself believed that everything the Monster Merchant sold was native to the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
"As you wish, Lady Zeno."
"I will prioritize your order and serve you with all my heart."
Fete quickly lowered his head in submission.
"Hm."
"I will send someone to continue delivering other materials later; perform the alchemy uniformly according to today's requirements."
"This is the advance payment."
Zeno took out 5 magic crystal coins and 200 Lanxi gold coins.
Magic crystal coins had now become the hard currency of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment, exchangeable for gold coins at any time.
After all, they were scarce.
The current exchange rate for gold coins was roughly 1:40.
This value was very unstable, fluctuating wildly.
This was also due to the current lack of a sufficient credit system for the Well of Eternal Imprisonment's currency.
Zeno could have traded entirely in magic crystal coins; as a guardian, she was allocated a fixed 100 magic crystal coins per month.
Of course, if she had needs, she could freely use any available dungeon coin.
"This includes the subsequent alchemy fees."
"If you have any needs or difficulties, you can write a letter to the person I send to deliver goods; I will see it."
Zeno stood up and then vanished.
She clearly had no intention of making small talk with Fete and left directly; Fete couldn't even imagine Zeno being polite.
He didn't even dare to think about it.
Looking at the gold coins and magic crystal coins on the table, Fete's heart burned with excitement.
Was his suffering finally coming to an end?
Was his luck finally turning around?
Dear Goddess of Light, did you hear the prayers of your devout believer?
Though Lady Zeno was powerful, unpredictable, and possessed terrifying strength, for a poor, solitary alchemist like Fete, having such a person as a benefactor and backer only brought peace of mind!
Furthermore, this lady paid promptly, settling accounts clearly and giving him freedom.
This freedom might be an illusion, but he was indeed living quite comfortably.
Not only that, but these precious materials would be supplied continuously.
For an alchemist, this was simply a paradise for research and improving one's alchemy!
What kind of opportunity was this?
Fete couldn't wait to pick up the alchemy materials from the floor; feeling the magic within them, his grin stretched from ear to ear as he hurried back to the alchemy table to begin his research.
While researching, his pen never stopped recording notes, and after a while, he even let out an excited, strange laugh.
"So that's how it is, hee hee hee!"
"What excellent materials, truly rare!"
"I am gradually understanding everything, ga ga ga!"
...
Fete immersed himself in his alchemy days, and the number of commissions he accepted even decreased.
Many merchants' orders were turned away; only for a few core partners did Fete still find time to take on some commissions.
He practiced alchemy day and night; except for eating, drinking, and sleeping, all his remaining time was devoted to alchemy, honing himself with a frantic intensity.
Being like this, he naturally wasn't very aware of the situation in the outside world.
Time passed.
Adventurers retreating from the Desert Stratum to resupply brought back more and more information about the lower floors.
The most important piece of information was...
The Forbidden Fire of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
In the hidden chests of the Desert Stratum, as well as in the intelligence gathered from the Monster Merchant, a special existence was mentioned.
The Forbidden Fire.
The Forbidden Fire possessed a destructive, taboo power capable of altering the environment.
This taboo flame was imprisoned within the Well of Eternal Imprisonment and was being guarded.
The Well of Eternal Imprisonment seemed to be a place similar to a prison or a seal.
Taboo things and entities were imprisoned and sealed within.
The stations on various floors even began purchasing intelligence related to the Forbidden Fire.
The primary buyer was the Grey family, specifically Caiman's knight order.
They, or rather the Grey family, wanted to plot for this imprisoned and sealed Forbidden Fire.
If the destructive power was real, obtaining the Forbidden Fire would significantly increase their chances of seizing that medium-scale dungeon in Gray City.
Caiman Grey wanted to obtain the Forbidden Fire and claim this great merit.
He carried the direct bloodline of the Grey family; in the coming decades, he might even have a chance to become the next family head.
The intelligence purchased from adventurers was a mix of truth and lies.
Caiman finally pieced together information regarding the Forbidden Fire.
The Forbidden Fire contained destructive power and could transform the environment into something like a purgatory.
At the same time, the Forbidden Fire was guarded by some entity; to obtain it, one had to defeat the guardian.
The Forbidden Fire had no fixed form and could transform into any shape.
The Forbidden Fire would burn everything that approached it and could not be extinguished.
The last point was also the most important one.
To obtain the Forbidden Fire, one must acquire a Forbidden Fire Mark; only those who had obtained the Forbidden Fire Mark and were blessed by the Forbidden Fire would have the chance to touch it.
There was no relevant intelligence on how specifically to obtain the Forbidden Fire Mark.
"Do not begrudge the gold coins; continue purchasing dungeon coins."
"Information regarding the Forbidden Fire and the Forbidden Fire Mark is very likely to appear at the Monster Merchant's."
Caiman purchased dungeon coins in large quantities.
This caused the value of dungeon coins within the Well of Eternal Imprisonment to spike significantly in a short period.
This, in turn, allowed the adventurers to make a handsome profit.
In their daily adventures, besides looking for treasure chests, they hoped to encounter the Monster Merchant, spend their entire fortunes to exchange for dungeon coins, and then turn around and sell them for a profit.
The number of magic crystal coins the Monster Merchant could exchange each month was limited to just a few, but the copper coins and wood coins were unlimited.
In the end, the one who earned the most was Dalun Li!
The production of copper coins and wood coins cost almost nothing.
He was even a bit worried that if the exchange volume was too high, the copper and wood coins would devalue once the hype passed, taking the magic crystal coins down with them.
So he quickly set a cap on the number of copper coins and wood coins the Monster Merchant could exchange.
At the same time, he began making preparations to launch items related to alchemy potions and magic items to stabilize the value of dungeon coins and prevent currency devaluation.
Dalun Li understood the difference between making a quick buck and making money for a lifetime.
"The thief vine is still too weak; how much money can it steal in a day?"
"To truly steal money, one must be a capitalist—no, this is practically robbery."
Dalun Li couldn't help but sigh as he watched the currency rolling in.
His small treasure pile had finally become a glittering, medium-sized treasure pile.
Dalun Li did not forget to reflect.
The main reason for this windfall was seizing the opportunity to release intelligence about the Forbidden Fire.
Combined with the Caiman knight order entering the dungeon, it triggered a chain reaction, resulting in the large-scale purchase of dungeon coins in exchange for information on the Forbidden Fire, which, in turn, allowed him to make a massive profit.
"Is this the joy of being the platform?"
He only needed to set the stage in advance and release information to make a fortune.
Seizing this opportunity wasn't just about making money.
With the Well of Eternal Imprisonment's currency system stabilized, he could take this chance to take another big step forward.
The prerequisite was that the goods must be supplied to ensure adventurers anchored the value of dungeon coins.
Once successful, he would have a money-printing machine within the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
He kept the plan brewing in his heart.
Now, he needed to hurry and develop; this massive profit, combined with the effectiveness of the Life Casket, had increased Dalun Li's Earth Vein Power absorption speed once again.
[Earth Vein Power Absorption Speed] 2398.124 Earth Vein Power/day
The accumulated Earth Vein Power was already enough to create the 14th floor.
Rate on N.U.
