Upon hearing Tartaglia's pragmatic suggestion, the surrounding group cast a brief look of disdain in his direction.
Yet, within moments, several brows twitched with faint consideration.
Handing over standard gems was one thing, but Astral Diamonds were a far rarer story. They existed solely as treasure drop rewards inside scattered chests, making their total count agonizingly low.
If they could simply take those diamonds back by force, wouldn't that be far sweeter?
Besides, the merchant had already served his purpose. The New Continent was vast, and this particular wizard tower was hardly the only one standing.
The logic began to take hold in several eyes.
Ryen watched the collective gear-shift with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. The group before him behaved precisely like players in an open-world crime game, hiring a service only to immediately turn around and strike down the vendor to reclaim their spent cash.
The impulse to get something for nothing was clearly universal.
Unfortunately, such methods were entirely useless against the inhabitants of this realm.
Noticing a few individuals already flexing their wrists, Ryen stepped forward and raised a hand to block them. "Save your energy. Eliminating him will accomplish nothing. Any resources traded to a wizard vanish into thin air the moment the exchange concludes. If you kill him now, all you will get is a couple of basic mana crystals. It is not worth the effort."
A wave of disappointed sighs rippled through the group.
After a short pause, Venti popped up, tilting his head with a hopeful grin. "What about upstairs? Could there be a hidden chest somewhere holding the old fellow's private stash?"
Ryen blinked, considering the thought. "It is not entirely impossible. However, keeping this wizard alive is objectively more beneficial for us. Having a stable daily trading post will prove immensely valuable once we begin large-scale development of the Wizardry mod. Keep in mind that if you deal even a single point of damage to him, he will permanently hostility-lock and refuse all future trades."
Diluc, crossing his arms, studied the ceiling thoughtfully. "So, as long as we do not inflict direct damage or provoke combat, everything remains acceptable?"
"In principle, yes," Ryen conceded.
A quiet, mischievous understanding flashed between Diluc, Venti, and a few others.
"Simple enough," Diluc remarked calmly. "We physically corner him against the wall so he cannot move, then send someone past to sweep through any chests on the upper floors."
Without waiting for further discussion, Diluc grabbed hold of the wooden ladder and began climbing upward. Tartaglia and several others immediately followed close behind, eager to join the plunder.
Ryen shook his head, mildly resigned to their persistence. It seemed that regardless of what he said, they were determined to wring every last copper out of this tower.
Lacking any desire to participate in the raid, he waved a dismissive hand. "Do as you wish. We will head outside and set up camp. Meet us in the courtyard when you finish."
Venti offered a thumbs-up before scrambling up the ladder himself. Within moments, more than a dozen figures had vanished into the upper levels.
Ryen turned around, leading Ganyu, Ningguang, and the remaining ladies out into the open air.
All in all, the haul from the wizard tower had been exceptionally fruitful. Beyond the coveted Master Staff and Master Spell Book, they had acquired a solid Advanced Staff, along with that mysterious artifact purchased for a steep price of one hundred diamonds.
All of it needed a proper inventory and evaluation.
After erecting a brief temporary camp, Ganyu carefully arranged the traded items across a wooden table before Ryen.
Looking down at the array of equipment, Ryen paused, his expression turning serious. "I nearly forgot to mention an important safety rule."
"If any of you obtain a staff whose embedded spells are unverified and you lack an Identification Scroll, bring it straight to me. Blindly testing unknown magic can easily result in severe self-harm."
Ningguang immediately noted the instruction in her mind, asking, "Identification Scrolls are among the standard goods offered by wizards, correct?"
Ryen nodded. "You can also craft Identification Scrolls manually later, so it is not a major issue. For now, I can inspect any staves you acquire directly. Once our mage corps expands in the future, I obviously cannot appraise every weapon individually, so we will need a dedicated crafting line for those scrolls. I will give you the recipe shortly so you can assign personnel to manufacture them."
Ningguang gave a slight nod. Important as logistics were, her focus remained firmly on the glowing artifacts before them.
Ryen picked up the Advanced Staff first, examining its internal structure before placing it back down with mild disinterest. "This one is attuned to the Earth element. Anyone interested is free to take it. The embedded spells are fairly balanced, neither particularly weak nor overwhelmingly strong."
"It carries Venom Shot, Force Arrow, Swiftness, Spell Shield, and Fangs."
"A respectable middle-of-the-road setup," Ryen added. "Though since this staff cost one hundred diamonds to trade, whoever takes it should deposit that amount back into the stockpile."
Before anyone else could speak, Aether's voice called out from behind. "We will take it! The Khaenri'ah corps will take any staff available, regardless of element or power!"
Ryen glanced over his shoulder. Diluc, Tartaglia, and the rest of the search party were trudging back into camp, their gloomy expressions making it abundantly clear that the upper floors had yielded absolutely nothing of value.
Ryen chose not to rub salt in the wound and casually tossed the Earth staff over to Aether. "Just return the diamonds to the estate chest later."
He then reached for the Wizard Hat and the Spell Upgrade Scroll. "These two are straightforward. You are all familiar with their functions. Same rule applies: whoever needs them may take them."
While the upgrade scroll was useful, Ryen maintained a strict personal distance from the bright green Wizard Hat. The vibrant shade of green practically screamed exuberant vitality, making it feel deeply unpropitious to wear.
Who in their right mind would willingly walk around wearing a bright green hat all day?
Noticing the faint twitch of Ryen's eyebrows, Ningguang and the other women exchanged amused glances.
"Now that I think about it," Ningguang remarked with a sly smile, "perhaps we are the ones who ought to wear a hat of that particular color."
Ryen rubbed his nose awkwardly, choosing to stay silent.
Strictly speaking, he had indeed brought a fair share of green into his relationships with Ganyu and the others. However, in his defense, they had actively encouraged him to pursue those connections.
Besides, Teyvat did not adhere to monogamous conventions, and marriage laws varied wildly across the Seven Nations.
In Mondstadt, powerful individuals could easily form multi-partner unions. Sumeru was even more absurd; Tighnari, Cyno, and Alhaitham were literally registered together under a shared academic household permit.
Under such cultural standards, how could this possibly count as infidelity?
It was only improper if he pursued others in secret behind their backs. But Ryen had always been completely open about his actions, and the ladies had accepted it willingly. It was entirely a matter of mutual consent.
"Ehe! This hat looks delightful," Venti chimed in, snatching it up without a single care in the world. "If no one else wants it, I will gladly take it!"
As a Anemo sprite who possessed no fixed gender and cared nothing for romantic entanglements, Venti was entirely immune to mortal color superstitions. Besides, his entire attire was already green; adding one more cap meant nothing to him.
With the minor items settled, only the three most significant rewards remained on the table.
Beside the two Master-tier items sat an unusual glass vessel containing a shimmering, translucent fluid that resembled a high-tier alchemy potion.
Ryen leaned in, inspecting the bottle closely. A moment later, his face fell, and he let out an annoyed sigh. "What an absolute rip-off."
"Ah? Is it a useless item?" Ganyu asked, her tone dipping with soft disappointment. "We spent a whole hundred diamonds on that..."
Ryen gritted his teeth slightly. "It is not useless. It is just... absurdly overpriced for what it is."
He picked up the bottle, shaking it slightly. "This item is called a Large Mana Flask. It contains an immense concentration of pure magic. Pouring just two of these into an Advanced Staff will completely refill its mana reserve from empty."
"More importantly, the stored magic is not limited to wizardry equipment."
"It can directly restore elemental energy as well. In fact, due to the sheer density of the raw magic within, the conversion into elemental power is extraordinarily efficient."
"To put it simply, this is a universal, side-effect-free energy battery. It forcibly restores any spent power."
"As long as your physical stamina holds out, you could theoretically spam Elemental Bursts infinitely with zero cooldown delays."
"Visions, Delusions, and even the divine authority of Archons can be instantly recharged through this liquid."
Ryen paused, scanning the stunned faces around him. "I am sure I do not need to explain the strategic implications of portable magic storage to you."
The moment the words registered, Ningguang's eyes flared with intense light. "With these mana flasks, our frontline troops could unleash pure arcane magic within Teyvat without relying on local Ley Lines!"
"Even Delusions could be used with complete impunity! Soldiers would no longer need to suffer the agonizing recovery periods after exhausting their elemental reserves."
"Our army's baseline combat capability will skyrocket!"
The Tsaritsa was equally moved, her composure breaking into rare excitement. "It goes beyond standard troops. If Archon-level divinity can be recharged on demand, our sustained combat capacity in prolonged engagements reaches a whole new tier!"
Zhongli and the other high-ranking figures stared at the unassuming glass bottle with burning intensity.
Seeing their ecstatic reactions only made Ryen feel more irritated, to the point where he briefly contemplated turning around and blowing up the wizard tower out of spite.
"Ryen, if the item is this powerful, why are you so upset?" Ningguang asked in confusion.
Ryen slumped his shoulders, uttering weakly, "Because it is a wonderful item... that I was already planning to teach you how to make!"
"A single bottle cost us one hundred diamonds!"
"Mana Flasks come in three distinct sizes. A Small Mana Flask restores seventy-five units of magic."
"A Medium Mana Flask restores three hundred and fifty units."
"A Large Mana Flask restores one thousand four hundred units."
"However, even the Large version can be mass-produced on a standard crafting table. The manufacturing process is no more complex than brewing a basic alchemy potion!"
"All it takes is a single Glass Bottle and four Grand Crystals of Magic."
"And while Grand Crystals of Magic are listed as dungeon-exclusive loot, the reality is..."
Ryen went quiet, pulling eight standard Mana Crystals and one extra gem from his inventory. Placing them onto the portable crafting bench, he clicked his fingers, and a pristine Grand Crystal of Magic materialized instantly in his hand.
Ryen spread his palms in frustration. "Between our automated Crystal Flower farms and the endless mine shafts across the continent, we have an unlimited supply of Mana Crystals. We could produce these flasks by the thousands on an assembly line! How dare that old crook charge us one hundred diamonds for a single bottle?!"
Watching Ryen create a Large Mana Flask from scratch in under five seconds, the entire group fell dead silent.
A few moments later, Scaramouche turned on his heel and began marching silently back toward the wizard tower.
"Where are you going?" Tartaglia asked casually.
Scaramouche's voice sounded like grinding iron. "I am going to kill that scammer."
Having found zero loot upstairs, only to discover that their hundred-diamond prize was a cheap craftable item, Scaramouche was ready to tear the wizard limb from limb.
Ryen let out a long sigh and waved his hand to call him back. "Forget it. Even if the trade was an overcharge, it served as a valuable reminder of what the mod offers. Besides, if we wanted to unlock the Master-tier trades, we had to clear that slot anyway."
"It was an overpriced tax, but the overall outcome remains immensely profitable."
Ningguang paid little mind to the spent diamonds. Taking the newly crafted flask from Ryen's hands, she examined the smooth glass with immense satisfaction.
"Send this specimen back to Liyue's alchemy division immediately. Have Albedo and the researchers analyze its structure."
"Even if they cannot replicate the underlying principles, these flasks will serve as top-tier strategic supplies. Their baseline utility is already game-changing."
She turned toward Yelan, her tone sharp and decisive. "Yelan, contact Daishi and the garrison leaders. Instruct them to maximize crystal harvesting. At least one-third of all gathered Mana Crystals must be directed straight into Large Mana Flask production."
"We must stockpile as many as humanly possible. In our eventual full-scale war against the Heavenly Principles, these flasks could single-handedly dictate the outcome of the battlefield."
Yelan nodded briskly, stepping aside to dispatch the orders through her communication channel.
Ryen wrapped an arm around Ningguang's waist, speaking softly, "The applications for stored magic extend far beyond personal combat. Have Albedo investigate whether we can harness these flasks as standardized energy cells."
"We could use them to power elemental and arcane technology, such as the automobiles we tested earlier. Instead of searching for complex fuels, we can run them entirely on pure mana reserves."
"Even the Jade Chamber's propulsion systems could be retrofitted. You wouldn't need Adepti like Xiao to manually recharge its energy cores every few weeks."
"So do not worry. The Mana Flask is a monumental gain. We simply got hit with a classic merchant markup."