Chapter Twenty-Nine: Resentment!
Legendary "Resentment"
Length: Fifteen inches
Materials: Fractured Bonewood, Mithril, Pigeon Blood Ruby, Black Blood Jade, the Resentment of a Soul Drinker
Core: Nerve of a Hydra
Magical Capacity: 30
Effects:
1. Mana Absorption +0.75
Note: Any target struck by Resentment will lose additional mana, which is then transferred to the caster.
2. Spell Damage Amplification +20%, Black Curse Pain +200%
Note: Victims suffer increased pain and damage.
3. Spell Mastery –15
4. Spell Slot
Note: You may need to inscribe a spell onto it.
5. Mana Gem (180/180)
Description: No one truly knows why anyone would craft such a wand; even the Fawkes who deal in stolen goods are likely unaware. Yet the maker was clearly of no small skill. However, it is extremely difficult to wield—only a true master of the arcane can hope to control it.
Though for you, the greatest use of a wand may be to hit someone over the head, it's still recommended you choose this one—it is sturdy enough.
Louis ignored the last line entirely.
He recalled that Granny Stia had once mentioned (in fae lore) that the principal effect of hydra nerve is its capacity for multi-casting. If he were to inscribe Foxfire onto it, not only would the cooldown be even lower, but it would strike a whole group at once.
Louis's eyes lit up.
If this Foxfire reached Level 5, it would surely be like a blizzard of flames.
In his hands, this wand would become a true "Chicago Typewriter."
"First, I'll empty my own mana into a volley, then use the wand's resentment for another, and then my own mana again for a third volley," Louis mused, his eyebrows lifting in delight. "Triple the fun!"
He hooked his finger, drawing the wand to himself, and then picked out another cheap, unimpressive wand to deal with the "dealer."
Afterward, the dealer performed the unsealing and unboxing rituals and assisted with authentication. Soon, a beautiful little fox arrived, dressed in a high-grade wizard’s robe with a side slit that accentuated her tall figure.
She appeared to be the manager here, likely summoned because the dealer couldn’t identify "Resentment."
"Miss Lilith," the little foxes greeted her with a respectful nod.
"It's been some time since anyone’s drawn such a fine wand!" Lilith exclaimed as she picked up Phoenix Song, a hint of regret flickering in her eyes. She had originally intended to keep this wand for herself.
Alas, luck was not on her side.
"Sir, you are truly fortunate! Phoenix Song is an exceptional wand—at Sacred Oak, only the department heads can hope to afford one," Lilith said.
But when she turned her gaze to "Resentment," her expression grew peculiar. She offered no comment.
It seemed even she could not fully discern the wand’s true power. And since this piece had come through the Voodoo Gang’s channels—goods fenced by them—its complete materials and core remained a mystery.
She could only identify fractured bonewood, and she mistakenly assumed the core to be a common serpent nerve.
"This one appears to be made of rare fractured bonewood, giving it an exceptionally high magical capacity, though also making it extremely hard to control. But just for the material and this gem alone, it’s worth at least two hundred and eighty gold galleons!"
"And look at its inscriptions and magical circuitry," Miss Lilith continued, lifting the wand and channeling magic into it. Silver veins of light, like glowing blood vessels, shimmered along its length. "Its structure is flawless—you could inscribe a high-level spell upon it. Truly a rare, premium wand."
"Of all the wands we've sold this week, it’s easily in the top ten—no worse than Phoenix Song," she boasted, then smiled and handed the wand to the dealer for packaging.
To her, it was little more than a white elephant—the gemstone was the most valuable part.
As for that so-called spell slot—how many people actually know how to inscribe a magical array?
Just inscribing a spell would cost a small fortune!
Meanwhile, the little fox beside Louis wrapped up the three wands. As she wrapped Phoenix Song, she couldn’t help but stick out her tongue in embarrassment.
She was finished—she’d be getting a spanking from the manager tonight for sure.
When Louis was about to leave, Miss Lilith suddenly became much more enthusiastic toward him, hoping he would become a regular and eventually recoup the money lost.
While most proper wizards might buy only one wand in their lifetime, most of those in Blackhorn Alley were not such people. The dark wizards especially—they never cherished their wands. To them, a wand was just a tool.
Business here was thriving—far better than at the Academy.
Besides, the Red Fox Den offered not only wands but all manner of oddities and services.
As Louis was about to leave, Miss Lilith left her crystal orb’s imprint with him, saying he could contact her at any time.
"A crystal orb’s imprint... That’s right, I don’t even have a ‘phone’ yet," he realized.
Afterwards, he left for the shops in Blackhorn Alley that specialized in crystal orbs. After looking around, he found that all orbs under five gold galleons were rather subpar.
They had the necessary divination and communication functions, but their error rates, distortion, and lag were all dreadful. They were also bulky—each requiring both hands to carry.
The shop did have a small orb similar to the one Helen wore on her wrist, but it was quite a bit larger than hers. Even so, the price was well over seven hundred gold galleons—and it had none of the embellishments like mana gems, phoenix feathers, or fireball fangs. The strap was nothing but a plain string.
Marveling at how wealthy Helen must be, Louis settled for a second-hand orb for three gold galleons and slipped it into his bag.
Afterwards, Louis strolled through several taverns in Blackhorn Alley. In the mirrors of each, he cast spells that would allow Stuart to come and go for fresh air, and would also let Louis secretly practice spells via "magic mirrors" in the future.
The moment he’d heard Stuart mention Blackhorn Alley, Louis had fallen in love with the place.
This lawless corner was home to all sorts of mysterious wizards, and even some bloodkin and lupines had managed to slip in.
They were all perfect test subjects for spell experiments—not to be wasted.
Before leaving, Louis spent over ten gold galleons on a copy of “Ihamur’s Detailed Guide to Transfiguration.” This book was a classic recommended by professors at Sacred Oak—any wizard seeking mastery in transfiguration would buy a copy.
It covered fourth- and fifth-tier magic, but nothing beyond that.
Louis remembered that he had read plenty about transfiguration, but had yet to truly study its spells. This book would keep him busy for some time.
It was available at the Academy, but cost over twenty gold galleons there. Annotated editions by senior professors went for even more.
The Academy never charged tuition, but students’ annual expenses on books were considerable—sometimes exceeding even what was spent on alchemy.
Paper was also expensive. Though the "Muggle world" had all sorts of cheap paper, wizards preferred parchment or special paper tanned by enchantment. So at the Academy, things were either exorbitantly priced or simply unavailable.
In Blackhorn Alley, though, these things were not only available—they were cheap.
Because they were all pirated or smuggled goods.