Chapter 565: Nodes in the Magic Net

"Mission complete, reward: Blue Blood Knight Set."

Once the faction made its choice, the Blue Blood Knight Set was naturally obtained, and a lively banquet followed.

Count Jonas left for Blue Dragon Island on the second day of the banquet, April 26th.

It was agreed that in a month and a half, on May 10th, all nobles suitable for trading Abandoned Insect Mushrooms would be called to Black Horse Island for a technical exchange on Flame Mushrooms.

Before leaving, he made another request: "Viscount Liszt, the new dishes prepared by your chef, Mrs. Abi, are truly enticing. I hope to bring a team of chefs during the Abandoned Insect Mushroom trade to learn a few special dishes from Mrs. Abi."

"Earl, since you are handling the Abandoned Insect Mushroom trade for me, a chef exchange is naturally no problem. Feel free to send chefs to learn. I believe Mrs. Abi would be more than willing to share her recipes, except for those that are family secrets."

Gourmet food doesn't bring in much money.

Except for some private dishes listed on the castle's exclusive menu, most of the cuisine has been handed over to restaurants in Flower Town and Port Town for public consumption. Chefs from Tulip Castle, Falcon Town, Gravel Castle, and Beer Castle have all come to learn recipes from Mrs. Abi.

Liszt didn't mind Count Jonas taking these dishes to Blue Dragon Island. In fact, spreading those home-style stir-fries would be quite interesting.

At least with the spread of these dishes, the names of Flower Town and Black Horse Island would also become well-known.

This would increase his fame.

...

"Mission: Under the contract's effect and with the guidance of you and the mermaid Acheronides, the Giant Kelp Grand Sprite Pyke has increasingly shown human-like traits, becoming a Grand Sprite capable of normal communication. Why not expand its vocabulary to over a thousand words? Reward: Migratory Flamingo Flock."

This was the latest task.

After seeing off Count Jonas and his entourage, the territory calmed down. Liszt didn't rush the mission, trusting Acheronides to teach Pyke.

He also didn't pay much attention to the rewards—having completed over a hundred tasks in the past two years, he had become numb to the rewards.

After all, the rewards were guaranteed, so there was no need to worry about them before they were obtained.

As long as it wasn't a chain task, the rewards weren't worth the mental effort.

He arrived early at the Mage Tower and met with Cris Truth, skipping the pleasantries and directly presenting three magic casting plans recently written by Acheronides.

One was an advanced magic—Water Vortex Fusion; another was a basic magic—Water Cannon; and the third was a basic magic—Water Ring.

Water Vortex Fusion was something Liszt had witnessed firsthand, ranking among the top in lethality across all advanced magics; Water Cannon was like a high-pressure water jet, with moderate power; Water Ring was unique, summoning a ring of water around the body that could automatically defend against attacks.

"Viscount, where did you obtain these three water magics? I have never seen or even heard of such magics. Judging from their casting plans, they seem quite innovative," said Cris, who was well-traveled and knowledgeable, having come from the Goat Assembly.

Liszt replied casually, "I acquired them from outside; they might not be held by mages from the Sapphire Duchy."

Cris carefully stored the casting plans: "It seems they were created by mages from the mainland. I will need some time to study and learn them; they are quite fascinating."

"Cris, let's put the magic aside for now. I came today to ask if you have heard of the Magic Net."

"Magic Net?"

"Yes, the Magic Net," Liszt explained in detail about the restrictions of the Abandoned Insect Mushroom and the Magic Net. "I am currently having people research whether the quality of Flame Mushrooms is related to their cultivation scale. If there is indeed a correlation, then the existence of the Magic Net might be confirmed. This concerns the promotion to Archmage, so I think you should pay more attention to it."

Cris shook her head: "I'm sorry, I have never heard of the Magic Net before. But since it concerns the Archmage, even though I may never hope to become one in this lifetime, I still wish to study it... Viscount, I would like to take charge of researching the relationship between Flame Mushrooms and the Magic Net."

"Agreed. You are a mage, sensitive to magic power, so I trust you with this responsibility. Additionally, in a month and a half, I will be trading new Abandoned Insect Mushrooms with other nobles, and you can take charge of researching them as well."

"Thank you, Viscount."

Leaving the mage tower.

Liszt was still pondering matters related to the magic web. He always felt there was more to the magic web than met the eye, and the Abandoned Insect Mushroom was just one manifestation of its functions.

Even spirit bugs and dragons might be related to the magic web.

"In many legends, an Archmage is a powerful magician who can single-handedly challenge a dragon. This implies that advancing from a great magician to an Archmage is a significant leap similar to that between a sky knight and a dragon knight. Perhaps this significant leap is related to the magic web?"

According to the simple information provided by Jonas, the magic web envelops the entire world.

"Then, can the magic web be seen as a manifestation of the rules within the realm of magic power, just as Earth is a planet governed purely by physical rules, and the magic web represents the rules of magic power?" His mind raced with possibilities, "Why can spirit bugs farm, and only spirit bugs can cultivate magical herbs? Could it be that spirit bugs are nodes of the magic web?"

These nodes might channel magic power, thereby cultivating magical herbs.

Similarly, why are dragons so powerful? Could they also be nodes of the magic web, using magic power to influence physical rules—gem dragons producing gems, metal dragons producing metals, elemental dragons creating volcanoes, strong winds, etc., and even sacred dragons affecting fate and opening up other dimensions.

This line of thinking seemed plausible, at least logically.

However, Liszt had no evidence to prove this. He couldn't even "connect" to the magic web, let alone know what it actually looks like.

"Perhaps, to start researching the magic web, we need to wait for Acheronides to advance to an Archmage?" Riding his land bird, Loki, he headed towards the seaside castle, intending to share the news about the magic web with Acheronides. He had strong confidence in her potential to become an Archmage.

The small mermaid's talent in water magic was extraordinary.

Upon arriving at the seaside castle,

Acheronides was teaching Pyke how to speak. She could multitask, simultaneously reading a magic book, since learning filled her with joy.

"Acheronides, I have news about Archmages to share with you. It's said that our world is surrounded by a magic web, and to advance to an Archmage, one must touch this web... The details are unclear, but the Abandoned Insect Mushroom's restrictions are a reflection of the magic web. I suspect that spirit bugs and dragons might be nodes of this web."

"Magic web? Archmage? Nodes?" Acheronides was clearly intrigued.

"Have you seen a spider's web?"

"Yes, I have."

"Every strand of a spider's web intersects at points called nodes. If we consider the spider's web as a network transmitting information, then the nodes are where all nearby information converges. Extending this to the magic web, could the nodes be where magic power interfaces with reality?"

After saying this, Liszt added, "Of course, this is just my personal speculation. Don't take it as fact, or you might be led astray."

He wasn't sure if the magic web was similar to the internet or if his knowledge had any enlightening significance. In any case, he could offer little help in this area; it was up to the magicians to uncover the secrets of the magic web themselves.