My inventory is full of monster materials.

Chapter 131 Recruitment

The dormitory area of ​​the Mage's Guild.

The neat rows of detached villas, with their front and back yards filled with colorful flowers and plants, and the chirping of birds, exude a sense of comfort and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle.

A withered old man lay on a wooden rattan chair, his eyes closed, letting the warm sunlight shine on him, enjoying this rare sunbathing.

At that moment, three figures walking side by side appeared on the street.

Osborne, carrying the enormous bull's head on one shoulder, beamed with undisguised joy as he chattered on and on to Mark and Dylan.

"My father is the most skilled magic book craftsman. Countless people in the association are scrambling to have his magic books custom-made."

Then, Osborne paused, becoming cautious.

"But you two have to be careful. My father is a bit aloof and doesn't like interacting with strangers, especially those guys from the association. Don't make him angry later."

Mark and Dylan walked alongside, listening to Osborne's instructions and nodding repeatedly.

"Don't worry, we understand."

"Master Olshilett has always been someone I greatly admire."

Osborne was delighted to receive their promises and considered them his friends, especially after receiving gifts.

Osborne was now itching to introduce his new friend to his father immediately.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the entrance of a courtyard. Osborne immediately spotted Albright lying on a wicker chair sunbathing and called out to him from afar.

"Dad! I brought two friends to visit you!"

Upon hearing the sound, Albright slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still somewhat drowsy.

But when his gaze fell on Mark and Dylan and he saw that they were wearing the standard robes of the Mage Guild, he was instantly wide awake, stood up abruptly, and scolded them.

"Why are people from your association so persistent? They keep bothering me, do they really think I'm easy to bully?"

This sudden outburst of anger was like a bucket of cold water poured over the three of them. Mark and Dylan instinctively stopped in their tracks, their smiles instantly freezing.

Albright was furious. A magnificent golden book appeared beside him. After casually flipping through a few pages, he warned her.

"Get out of here, all of you! Or I'll get rough!"

Fortunately, Osborne reacted quickly, stepping forward to shield Mark and Dylan, and hurriedly began to explain.

"Dad, you've got it wrong! They weren't sent by the association. They're my new friends, Mark and Dylan! Look, this big bull's head is a gift from Mark to me. He didn't lie to me!"

Albright, blocked by Osborne, was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at Osborne, his voice growing increasingly harsh.

"Silly boy! How many lessons have you learned from this!"

"These people just try to make you happy with little gifts, then they'll sell you out the next minute. I have to clean up their messes for you, and they still don't learn their lesson?"

Upon hearing his adoptive father's words, Osborne's joy vanished instantly, as if he were recalling some unpleasant memories.

At this moment, Dylan stepped forward, bowed slightly, raised his hand to his chest, and performed a standard monk's greeting, his tone sincere and respectful.

"Hello, Master Albright, I am Dylan Harrington."

"My brother, Parker Harrington, commissioned a magic book from you five years ago. Over the years, he has always praised your skills and often tells me about your prowess."

"A member of the Harrington family?"

Upon hearing this, Albright's voice became somewhat hesitant.

Albright was eccentric and rarely commissioned magic books for others, but anyone who received a magic book personally crafted by him must be someone who found him agreeable.

Clearly, Dylan's brother Parker is one of them.

Albright stared at Mark and Dylan for a few seconds, then turned to look at Osborne, who looked embarrassed and helpless. His tense expression finally eased a little.

"Come in, it's rare for you to bring a friend over, and it's lunchtime anyway, so I've prepared your favorite braised pork ribs with soy sauce."

"Yay!"

Osborne beamed with joy, like a child who had received candy, and quickly pulled Mark and Dylan by the arms, urging them to go inside.

Mark breathed a sigh of relief, turned and exchanged a glance with Dylan, both seeing relief in each other's eyes.

In crucial moments, saving face still comes in handy.

The group entered the house, where the furnishings were simple and tidy, with no superfluous decorations, except for a few unknown oil paintings hanging on the walls.

Albright led them to the dining table, slammed his hand heavily on the table with a muffled "thud," and several invisible phantoms appeared around them, silently surging into the kitchen.

Before long, these magical phantoms emerged carrying enormous platters, which they arranged methodically on the long table. The platters were all stewed meat and bones until tender, clearly prepared especially for Osborne.

By this time, Osborne could no longer contain himself. Before everyone could sit down, he grabbed a large bone and started gnawing on it, praising it indistinctly.

"Delicious! So delicious! Dad, have some too!"

Albright sat to the side, watching Osborne eat, his eyes softening as he gently offered some words of advice.

"Eat more, you've gotten so thin lately."

As he spoke, he picked up a spoon and poured a spoonful of rich sauce over Osborne's large piece of meat.

Mark looked at the "mountain of meat" on the table in front of him and was at a loss for what to do, so he picked up the fruit wine next to him and took a small sip to hide his smile.

After a moment, the atmosphere at the table gradually eased, and Mark took the opportunity to probe directly.

"Master Albright, I have a request: I hope you can make a custom-made magic book for me."

"I know your craftsmanship is superb, and I understand that customizing a magic book is not easy. As long as you are willing to do it, I will try my best to meet any request."

Albright didn't respond at all when he heard this, but just nonchalantly put meat on Osborne's plate and urged him on.

"Is that enough? If not, there's more."

Osborne sensed the awkward atmosphere, lifted his greasy face, and quickly spoke up for Mark, his tone dry and sincere.

"Dad, Mark is a very nice person. We just met and he gave me such a big bull's head. I love it so much. Can you make him a magic book?"

Unexpectedly, Albright showed a hint of disdain, glancing at Osborne with a look of disappointment.

"How much is this worth? You silly boy, you've been fooled so many times by being blinded by small favors."

Osborne was speechless after being told off by his adoptive father. He could only lower his head with a wronged expression and frantically eat large mouthfuls of food.

Mark's face grew increasingly embarrassed. Albright was right; he did indeed want to use the gift to curry favor with Osborn and then ask Albright to commission a custom-made magic book.

But Mark wasn't going to take it for free, so he brought it up again.

"Master, I know that a gift is not enough to express my sincerity. How about this, you can name any price you want, and I can pay in full in advance. One thousand gold coins? Or two thousand gold coins?"

"Price is not an issue as long as you're willing to make the purchase."

Upon hearing this, Albright's face darkened further, even showing signs of anger. He abruptly slammed down his spoon, his tone icy.

"Do I look like someone who's short of a few coins? Besides, customizing a magic book is far more complicated than you think!"

"The crafting of a spellbook not only requires the selection of high-quality materials, but also necessitates a long-term nurturing of magical energy to match the user's magical attributes..."

Albright went on and on about the difficulties of customizing a magic book, using many technical terms that Mark couldn't understand, but he could get the underlying meaning.

Albright refused to make a move at all.

Mark's mind raced as he pondered silently.

Albright seems to be without desires, not greedy for money, and not interested in fame, so what is he most concerned about?

His gaze unconsciously fell on Osben, who was engrossed in eating next to him, and a thought instantly popped into his mind.

Mark composed himself and said in a deep voice.

"Master, I know an alchemist friend who specializes in potions. He can get you a bottle of Owl's Intelligence Potion, which might be able to help Osborn."

Upon hearing the words "the intelligence of the owl," Albright's chopsticks stopped instantly, his disdain vanished, and he stared at Mark directly for the first time.

"Owl's Intelligence? You think I haven't tried? I even tried the Draenei Intelligence Potion on this kid, and it still didn't work."

As he spoke, Albright's gaze returned to Osborn, his tone filled with helplessness and sighs.

"This child was born prematurely and has congenital brain malformation. Even with magic potions, it will be difficult to make up for it."

Mark also felt a bit heavier.

He didn't know much about "Draenei Intelligence Potion," but he knew very well that it was a blue rare-grade intelligence attribute potion that was a higher level than "Owl's Intelligence."

If even this level of potion is ineffective, then Osborne's situation is not optimistic.

Just then, Mark had a flash of inspiration and suddenly thought of the "0mega-3" topic he was researching.

This research project focuses on a brain-nourishing factor that helps repair brain damage and promote brain development.

Perhaps this nutrient can compensate for Osborn's congenital defects.

Mark quietly leaned close to Dylan's ear, lowered his voice, and quickly asked about the details of the project.

Dylan looked surprised upon hearing this and quickly responded in a low voice.

The two huddled together and whispered for a moment.

Mark nodded, gradually gaining confidence.

Based on the progress and results of the research project, this brain-nourishing factor does indeed have the potential to promote brain redevelopment.

Mark took a deep breath, looked at Albright again, his eyes firm and his tone sincere.

"Master Albright, if I can help Osborn improve his congenital brain development problem, could you please create a custom-made magic book for me?"

Upon hearing this, Albright was taken aback at first, then revealed a mocking smile, his tone tinged with disbelief.

"If you can really cure this child, I'll risk my life and empty my pockets to create the strongest, personalized magic book for you."

"It's a deal!"

Mark made a quick decision and insisted on it.

"I can assure you that I will do my utmost to help Osborne."

Albright stared at Mark for a long time, noticing the determination in his eyes; he didn't seem to be lying.

He glanced at Osborne, who was still engrossed in his meal, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, before finally nodding.

"Okay, I'll trust you this once. But if you can't keep your word, don't bother me again, and don't try anything with this child again."

"no problem!"

The two extended their hands and gently shook hands above the table, thus finalizing the agreement.

The atmosphere at the dinner table instantly became relaxed. Although Osborne didn't know what the two had agreed on, he saw his adoptive father and Mark smiling and he grinned foolishly along with them.

Albright looked at Osborne with even more tenderness in his eyes, and his attitude toward Mark and Dylan softened considerably.

At this moment, Mark remembered Operation "Anchor Point," and his unease resurfaced. Taking advantage of the pleasant atmosphere, he pressed for an answer.

"Master, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you about. What exactly is the 'anchor point' action?"

Upon hearing the mention of Operation Anchor Point, Albright's smile vanished, his face darkened, and he even swore, shouting loudly.

"Those damn bastards came up with this terrible idea just for those rich kids."

"Each faction should send one person to form an elite team to clear the rescue route in advance, so that the main force can provide assistance later."

"Anyone with eyes can see that this is a mess where there is a slim chance of survival. Going there is almost certainly suicide!"

"And that old bastard Patrick, he was nowhere to be found at the crucial moment!"

"Luckily, I still have some connections. It took a lot of effort to get this fool's name off the call-up list. Otherwise, he would have been conscripted and sent to his death long ago!"

Albright launched into a tirade of insults against the higher-ups of the Mage's Association, from the president to the various deacons, cursing almost everyone from top to bottom.

After hearing this, Mark instantly understood the whole story. He quietly leaned close to Dylan's ear and asked in a low voice.

"I've never heard of this in the association, did you know?"

Dylan lowered his voice and responded softly.

"It seems there is such a thing, but I only heard my mentor mention it casually, and I don't know the specific details."

"After all, we are academic monks with our own research projects, so according to the association's regulations, we can be exempted from the relevant recruitment."

Upon hearing this, Mark felt no joy at his exemption; instead, he felt uneasy, as if a heavy stone was hanging over his heart.

You know, Henry and Brady's fate is currently unknown!

Whether out of friendship or a sense of responsibility, Mark felt it was necessary to understand the situation as much as possible.

So he looked at Albright again and asked seriously.

"Master Albright, are you aware of the current situation on Mount Tabora?"

Albright wore a gloating expression and said coldly.

"Who knows? News has been cut off for a long time. Mount Tabora is blocked by the aura of a large number of abyssal monsters, making it impossible to enter by normal means. The rest is unknown."

Mark became even more preoccupied after hearing this.

But just then, the Mage Guild badge on his chest suddenly began to heat up and glow.

Then, a flapping sound came from outside the window. Everyone instinctively turned their heads to look and saw a snowy white owl perched on the windowsill, its claws tightly gripping a sealed letter.

Urgent communication from the Mage's Guild!

Of everyone present, apart from Osborn, who was still engrossed in eating, Albright and Dylan's eyes were all fixed on Mark.

This snowy owl is the association's exclusive messenger, and this letter is clearly for Mark.

Mark strode to the window, gently stroked the snowy owl's head, took the letter, unfolded it, and quickly scanned the words on the letter.

Mark's initially calm expression gradually turned serious, until finally, only a gloomy look remained.

"Top Secret... Mage's Guild... Zober Manor... Butler Madeline... Operation Anchor Point!!"

This was clearly a call to action from the association for Operation Anchorage, initiated by Mark.