Wizard: The exploration panel keeps me pure.

On his way back, Ron pondered the meditation lesson Robert had taught in class, because he had discovered a very important point:

Isn't this just what's in the book?

After thinking for a long time, he still couldn't figure out what he had learned from the class, so he had no choice but to give up.

"Never mind, I'll stop thinking about it for now and go find what I need."

Ron looked up at the sun overhead, as if he had thought of something.

Their pace quickened as they walked along the cobblestone path in one direction.

People come and go in the academy, some with their heads down, others with unfocused eyes, and no one knows what they are thinking.

The boy had the same expression and the same gait, and he didn't notice anyone passing by for a moment.

About half an hour later, a road that was noticeably brighter appeared in his eyes.

On both sides were crowded and chaotic stalls, where lively crowds were shouting:

"Come and see, everyone! This is the finest amethyst; it's perfect for making a staff!"

"Oh, ladies and gentlemen, what vibrant life! Look, look, it's still beating! Don't you want to possess the heart of such an ogre?"

"Goblins, elves, cat-eared orcs... all kinds of slaves, you can find them all here."

Ron scanned the various items on the surrounding stalls with his panel, truly broadening his horizons.

White crystal used as amethyst, the heart of a black forest wolf combined with organs from various animals to create an ogre's heart, and elves and orcs cultivated through human grafting.

"Don't they have any genuine products here?" he couldn't help but think.

The reason I came here to buy things, instead of going to the college's official trading office.

It's because this place was recommended by a senior student.

Of course, that's not the only reason. The main reason is that Fiona told me a few days ago that the prices here are at least one-third cheaper than at the academy's trading post.

That's why Ron is on this trip today.

Actually, he had expected this, after all, you get what you pay for, and it's normal to find fakes.

He was originally quite confident, thinking that with his detection panel, he wouldn't suffer any losses.

To his surprise, he had almost walked the entire street and still hadn't seen many genuine items, which was simply outrageous.

"Ninety percent fake, ten percent genuine. Even murder and arson aren't as corrupt as you guys."

The boy walked along the road, sometimes stopping to look at a stall, sometimes getting up and wandering around aimlessly.

But nobody seems to notice that there are plenty of strange customers on this street.

He was just a two-legged person, nothing special. The only thing that caught everyone's attention was the boy's face.

Exquisite, young, and full of vitality, especially her pale green eyes, which shimmered with an unusual light in the sunlight, like two cat's-eye gems.

Newbie?

Whether it was passersby or stall owners, everyone had this thought involuntarily popping into their minds at that moment.

After all, uncorrupted souls are a rare find in the academy.

"Sir, how much is this map?"

Ron stopped in front of a young man's stall, pointed to half a map on the stall, and asked the price.

The young man was overjoyed to see the boy pausing in front of the stall, and a "sincere" smile appeared on his face.

"You're a junior, right? My name is Olga, you can just call me senior. You've come to the right place to buy things from me."

"I value integrity above all else in business. Everything on this street is fake, so it's impossible for anything here to be fake."

Ron listened to the young man's words and nodded seriously in agreement.

What this guy said actually makes a lot of sense.

He looked around the street for a long time and found that this place had the fewest counterfeit goods, about half and half.

"Senior Olga, I just want to know the price of this half of the map."

Seeing that Olga seemed intent on continuing, Ron quickly interrupted her.

He now finally understood why Wade and others were so quiet and decisive.

"The Wizard's Forty-Five Truths (Twenty-Three): Time is wisdom, time is life, and every minute and second should not be wasted."

"Oh, right, right, junior, look at my memory."

"If you really want this map, just give me five standard units of magic stones."

Through the basic wizarding knowledge that Fiona had chosen for him, Ron learned a lot of common knowledge among wizards, including the introduction to magic stones as a form of currency. Five standard units are actually five magic stones issued by the academy.

The so-called standard unit was jointly established by all the wizarding forces in Valantia, referring to magic stones whose volume, mass, energy, etc., all exceeded the standard line.

"Senior, I remember a bottle of intermediate-level magic potion at the trading post only costs about this much, right?"

Olga glanced at Ron in surprise, unsure of his background.

The academy stipulates that new students whose mental strength has not reached the standard for drawing runes, that is, those who have been promoted to junior wizard apprentices, are not allowed to purchase extraordinary items containing magic.

How did he know about intermediate-level magic potions, and even their price?

Olga couldn't help but speculate about Ron's identity, suspecting he might be a member of some small family.

"Hahaha, junior, you're very knowledgeable. Well then, I won't joke with you anymore. One unit of standard magic stone, this thing is yours."

"One-half a unit".

Ron knew this guy was still playing games with him, so he remained calm and composed, uttering those few words as he waited for the other's reaction.

"make a deal!"

"...plus these glowing grasses."

"Can!"

"..."

Holding the things that the other party had already packed in his hand, and seeing the young man's bright smile and waving gesture, Ron smiled too, turned around and left this place of trouble.

"It was an unexpected bonus."

"Freshmen are easier to get along with!"

If both people feel they've gained something, then it's a win-win situation.

[The Hidden Map]

[Rank: Unknown]

[Contamination Level: None (For ordinary people, mental contamination occurs, gradually increasing with strength; cannot cause contamination when the item is of the same level)]

[Comment: This map seems to be guiding you to a hidden place, where some unknown secrets are concealed.]

The following solutions are recommended for repair.

Option 1: Head to the Dark Forest, where you might find information about the other half of the map; Option 2: Become a messenger of fate (a formal wizard who guides you through the path of destiny), and it will show you the way.

On his way back, Ron looked at the half of the map he had just bought in his hand, and the information on the panel made him curious.

"Unknown rank, a hidden place?"

Thinking about these things, I couldn't help but shake my head.

Thinking about the pervasive pollution in this world and the information about this map, he estimated that with his current pitiful mental strength, he would mutate on the spot if he went there, with no chance of survival.

"Let's talk about that later. Right now, our main goal is to advance to the level of a junior wizard apprentice and reduce the level of contamination."

Having made his decision, he tucked the map into his pocket and quickened his pace.

After returning to his cabin, Ron first put down the notes he had taken in class that day and the things he had bought on the street.

Then they started rummaging through that small pile of glowing grass.

"One, two... six? Only six plants meet the standard?"

The main purpose of going there today was to buy glowing grass to improve my meditation efficiency, but I only managed to buy six fresh glowing grasses that were over three centimeters long with half a magic stone.

"Never mind, I'll try it tonight."

When the red moon rises as usual and hangs high in the sky.

Following the instructions on the panel, Ron first took a glowing grass, chewed it, and sucked out its juice.

After doing all this, he sat cross-legged on the bed, opened the window, let the moonlight shine on him, and began to meditate.

This time, he clearly felt something was different. Unlike before, countless energy particles were not flowing into his body from all around, but rather flowing back into his body from the direction of the moon.

A series of stimulating sensations spread through my body, and my mind became increasingly excited.

Ron turned as red as a boiled shrimp, his skin turning bright red, and a maniacal laugh appeared on his face.

But he himself didn't see any of this.

The next day, the sun rose as usual, and he finally recovered from his state of clarity after sitting cross-legged all night.

He stretched his aching back and limbs, and as usual looked at his control panel.

It wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't looked, but once I did, I immediately noticed the difference.