My Magic Has No Upper Limit

Chapter 257: Chapter 256: Reserves

"By the way, did your compensation money come in?"

Gray asked enthusiastically.

"The Adventurer’s Association over in Falling Leaves Town is surprisingly efficient. Someone came this morning and gave each of us Fifty Gold Coins!"

Back when Gray was a Junior Warrior, he could never have earned this much money.

"Look at how excited you are." Marcus and the others, however, didn’t seem too thrilled about the amount.

Fifty Gold Coins was one of the highest single payouts of their careers, to be sure.

But the problem was...

On the previous Middle-Level quests with Zelir, they hadn’t suffered such severe equipment damage.

Marcus’s Shield and Armor were completely destroyed, and Maki’s Armor was ruined as well. They both had to go to the Blacksmith Shop to order new sets.

This was no small expense; a set of Armor made from quality materials wasn’t cheap.

They had been lucky on their previous jobs with Zelir. With a powerful ranged attacker on the team, the Warriors didn’t have to engage in close-quarters combat.

Otherwise, Marcus and the others’ gear probably would have been destroyed many times over.

"Fifty Gold Coins?" Zelir was a bit surprised by the number.

’Right...’

’It seems they pay on a sliding scale. My compensation was definitely higher.’

"Did you not get yours? You should go ask at the Association later."

Seeing Zelir’s expression, Gray assumed he’d missed it while he was out for a walk.

"No, I got it."

Zelir shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just One Hundred Gold Coins."

"PFFT—"

The hot soup Gray had just sipped went spraying all over Maki, who jumped up and started frantically patting down his clothes.

"How... how much?" Gray’s eyes went wide.

"One Hundred Gold Coins," Zelir repeated.

An envious look spread across Gray’s face. After a long moment, he finally squeezed out two words.

"Fair enough... The Association is really generous..."

"Zelir, let me pay you for that Healing Potion."

After wiping his clothes, Maki pulled a stack of Gold Coins from his pocket. "What’s the market price again... I think it’s Five Gold Coins, right?"

"Forget it."

Zelir didn’t even reach for them, simply waving a hand to dismiss the offer.

"Don’t worry about it this time. On future missions, just remember to bring more of this stuff. It can save your life."

Perhaps because the squad members’ abilities had improved so quickly, their mindset hadn’t yet caught up.

They were all still stuck in their old, penny-pinching mindset.

With the squad’s current income, they should at the very least be stocking up on lifesaving Healing Potions and other Magic Potions.

They couldn’t rely on Zelir for everything, after all.

"Alright!"

Maki wasn’t one to be coy, so he took the Gold Coins back.

He was clearly moved, but not being good with words, he didn’t know what to say. He could only clap Zelir firmly on the shoulder.

"You’ve really made me see Mages in a new light."

"He’s not hurting for cash."

Gray nudged Maki with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows. "The bounty he pulls in is double ours. See? Now that’s a Mage."

"I’ll have to charge you twenty Gold Coins for your potion," Zelir said, shooting Gray a sideways glance.

"And what if I just tough it out and wait for you to heal me instead of drinking a potion?"

"The healing fee is forty Gold Coins."

"My apologies, Master Mage..." Gray immediately became meek and subservient.

"You and your smart mouth," Maki said, thumping Gray on the chest. They both burst out laughing.

...

「The next morning.」

A thin mist still hung over Falling Leaves Town as a carriage pulled up to the entrance of the inn.

The group boarded the carriage, starting their journey back to Black Stone Town.

The rest of the journey was peaceful and uneventful.

Lifting the curtain, Zelir saw the familiar walls of Black Stone Town appear at the edge of his vision and took a deep breath.

’Ah...’

’Finally here.’

’It really feels like coming home.’

’This town in the northernmost territory of the Sel Kingdom is where I feel most at ease.’

After bidding farewell to the others, Zelir walked alone toward the Night Flower Inn, pondering his next steps.

A cold wind swept a few dead leaves past his feet, and the puddles by the roadside were covered in a thin crust of ice.

It was already the beginning of the month.

Zelir thought for a moment.

’This month... I think it’s called the Frost Moon, right?’

This mission had made him miss his obligatory commission at the Mage’s Association on the first of the month. It didn’t matter, though; he could make it up a couple of days late.

’I’ll go find Instructor Manlin in a day or two, after she gets back.’

What concerned Zelir more, however, was his current set of life-saving equipment.

Zelir had learned his lesson from the last battle.

The outcome of a battle wasn’t determined by personal strength alone; external items were also incredibly important.

’At the very least, I need to carry a bottle of Overclocking Potion at all times. Twenty Gold Coins... I can afford that.’

’And I should see if there’s anything else that can temporarily boost my combat power.’

’As for Healing Potions... I should get a few bottles to keep on me too.’

’I’m also running low on Source Energy Crystal Stones. I’ll have to buy more of those; they’re useful for when I run out of mana.’

And as his total Magic Power reserves increased, a single Source Energy Crystal Stone was no longer enough to completely refill his Blue Bar.

’I need to stock up, and I should try to buy high-quality ones.’

’And then there’s the most critical item: the Magic Robe...’

’If I’d had a Magic Robe to reduce Mana Consumption during the battle in the Underground Tomb, I might not have needed to overdraft my mental reserves to draw Magic Power from the Source Energy Crystal Stone a second time.’

’Before I left, I asked Barrett, and he said the Magic Robe would take about another week to finish.’

Four or five days had passed since then.

’In another two or three days, it should be about ready. I can go ask then.’

Lost in thought, Zelir arrived in front of the Night Flower Inn.

He pushed open the main door, and a wave of warmth washed over him, carrying the familiar aroma of delicious food.

It was breakfast time, but the main hall was mostly empty.

The wooden tables and chairs were polished to a shine, and sunlight streamed through the paned windows, illuminating the tiny dust motes floating in the air.

"Welcome! Are you checking in, or... Zelir!"

A cheerful voice called out from ahead, its tone shifting from a formulaic greeting to one of delight.

Aurora’s eyes widened in surprise, and she hurried out from behind the counter to greet him.

"You’re finally back! I haven’t seen you in days."

"Yeah... I was on a mission in another town." Zelir rubbed his neck and shoulders.

His mood lifted just from hearing Aurora’s voice.

"You must be exhausted."

Aurora noticed the weariness in Zelir’s eyes. "Adventurers always have it so tough," she said with concern. "Did the mission go well?"

’Of course it didn’t. In fact, I nearly died,’ Zelir thought to himself.

Outwardly, however, he remained cool and composed, offering a faint smile.

"It was simple. I took care of it without any trouble."

"I knew you were amazing, Zelir!" Aurora said, her eyes sparkling.

After ordering his favorite meat porridge and bread, Zelir sat down in his usual seat.

Gazing out the window at the streets of Black Stone Town, a sense of peace settled over him.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!