Chapter 283 – The Controversial "Little Gadget"

Benlajie didn’t respond to Punk’s questioning reaction, merely squinting calmly as he sipped his tea.

Seeing Benlajie like this, Punk didn’t want to embarrass him too much, so he simply picked up the “Wonderful Firelight” black tea and took a sip as well.

Of course, the Master-Level spell—Greater Toxin Detection—was essential before drinking the tea.

The reason “Wonderful Firelight” black tea had “firelight” in its name was because this magically brewed tea would display a layer of red light resembling flickering flames, dancing up and down in the cup, looking as beautiful as a blazing fire.

As for the tea’s flavor… Punk found it quite pleasant.

The nearly two-hundred-degree tea was slightly boiling, though such temperatures couldn’t harm a Master-Level powerhouse. To Punk, the temperature felt just warm enough, with the elegant, mild tea carrying a hint of fresh sweetness that flowed smoothly and deliciously over the tongue.

“Truly excellent tea, isn’t it? Every time I drink this, I reminisce about the good old days,” Benlajie remarked nostalgically.

Just then, the four fox girls Benlajie had summoned arrived. The plump old man spoke with a radiant face, full of sentimental reflections on life. If one ignored the enchanting fox girls, Benlajie might have resembled a weathered old man.

Of course, in his current state, the plump old man looked rather incongruous.

“What? Does it seem mismatched?” Benlajie asked Punk with a smile, then answered his own question:

“Don’t worry about mismatched appearances. That’s for others to judge. Enjoyment is for oneself. Why bother about what matches or not when indulging? I think melancholy reflections pair perfectly with beautiful women and fine tea. Who cares if it’s mismatched?”

After saying this, Benlajie used a “Mage Hand” to push the two timid fox girls standing farther away toward Punk:

“Here, take a look at these fox girls. They’re the finest from the beast-kin fox tribe. The Gray Rain Country’s slave market only auctions one batch like this per year. I had to eliminate a reckless Formal-Level fool to get them… But I’m not a stingy man. If you fancy any, feel free to take them.”

“My experiments have just entered a critical phase. I don’t believe I need any ‘extra’ ‘assistants,'” Punk declined outright, using a burst of psychic energy to disrupt Benlajie’s Mage Hand without hesitation.

By now, Punk was growing impatient. He found this plump old man Benlajie far too fond of beating around the bush and testing boundaries, acting like a goblin peddling “Lianma” (an otherworldly magical drug). For someone like Punk, who preferred directness, this was exceedingly frustrating.

From the moment they met until now, sitting in the Magic Tower discussing leisure, Benlajie Nokani’s probing and hints had never ceased.For instance, he had just sent over two fox girls while repeatedly saying things like “your old bro isn’t a stingy person.” This single statement contained everything: currying favor (by gifting the fox girls), feigning familiarity (“old bro”), and passive-aggressive pressure (“old bro” isn’t stingy, so you’d better not be either).

Punk hated beating around the bush, and he was eager to return to his experimental research. He had little patience left for idle chatter with this so-called Master Benlajie.

The impatient Punk naturally showed no pleasant expression toward the source of this time-wasting. He stood up directly and said:

“Mr. Nokani, it’s getting late. If you need to rest with your fox girls, you should hurry. If you don’t mind, I believe we can settle the Minisen Alloy transaction now.”

Punk coldly stated his straightforward purpose while subtly mocking Benlajie using the fox girl topic.

“Oh, why the rush… Alright, alright. I do have something to discuss with you. I just forgot for a moment, haha… haha…”

Seeing that Punk was no longer hiding his impatience, Benlajie knew this “impatient mage” would truly leave if he kept dawdling. So he finally dropped the meaningless pleasantries and got to the main subject.

After the fat old man became somewhat more serious, Punk still coldly reminded him before sitting back down:

“The path of magic is endless, and our time is equally precious.”

Now he realized this fat old man Benlajie wasn’t necessarily being deliberately roundabout—this speech pattern seemed more like a long-ingrained habit. Of course, the old man clearly had no intention of changing this habit, as a Master-Level Mage could alter any behavior in an instant.

“Alright, alright! I need to discuss matters with my guest. Go feed the horned lizard!”

Benlajie put away his “kindly” smile, then ordered both his apprentice and the fox girls to leave the Magic Tower’s reception hall before continuing in his unhurried tone:

“Mr. Cyan, to be frank, I saw your Magic Tower a few days ago. The alchemical runestones on it are truly exquisite, especially the treatment of the ‘Inner Socks’ rune and the ‘Wigla Triangle Structure.’ I dare say even top-tier alchemy masters couldn’t do better…”

“Stop! Halt!”

Seeing Benlajie’s insincere flattery about to lead into another round of circumlocution, Punk immediately cut off the old man who could twist steel reinforcement bars into verbal knots.

“Mr. Benlajie-Nokani, I must inform you that I’m well aware of my own alchemy proficiency. Moreover, I don’t believe discussing two rather ordinary runestone structures was the main purpose of your invitation, was it?”

Punk ignored Benlajie’s smiling face and asked with serious sincerity.

The interrupted Benlajie grew somewhat embarrassed. He scratched his thinning hair, chuckled awkwardly, and quickly got to the point:

“Haha, old habit, never mind… Ahem, let’s discuss the actual matter.””First, I’d like to ask Mr. Cyan, what are your thoughts on those ‘slightly controversial little things’ on the market?”

“‘Slightly controversial’? And ‘little things’?”

Punk frowned, tossing aside Ben Lajie’s endless beating around the bush. He felt his train of thought growing clearer.

“Alright, I’ll just say it straight!”

Seeing that Punk showed no intention of picking up the thread, Ben Lajie had no choice but to take another large gulp of tea before addressing Punk:

“These ‘slightly controversial’ things… refer to those magic equipment or alchemical potions that aren’t very suitable for public exposure. Being new here, you might not know the market for those ‘little gadgets’ in Gray Rain Country. Honestly, it’s because those hypocrites from the Mage Guild love meddling too much—the maniacs from Zhentarim are offering sky-high prices. Let me share some insider information with you—right now, one dose of ‘Howling Kindness’ potion can sell for thirty grams of adamantine. So, are you interested now?”

Ben Lajie’s voice was deep and slightly hoarse.

“Thirty grams? Adamantine?”

Beside Ben Lajie, Punk, who appeared to be listening casually, narrowed his eyes slightly. Beneath the shadow of his hood, the magical vortex in his pupils began to slowly accelerate its rotation.

Everyone, come to the group chat to see the little kitten! Acting cute and rolling around begging for votes 548859662

(End of Chapter)