Chapter 103: The Dream Fisherman

Qi Xiao first retrieved several pieces of Luminous Netherwood from the storeroom, along with a few bundles of Dreamsilk he had long kept in reserve. Though his teacher had prepared a great variety of materials for him, their assortment was broad rather than ample in quantity—no doubt to encourage a wide range of study. Three months had passed, and Qi Xiao had already used up forty percent of his supplies. While sixty percent remained, most of the commonly used materials had been exhausted; for the rest, he would need to develop his own blueprints to make use of them.

This was not a significant problem. These materials had brought Qi Xiao considerable wealth—his savings in magic crystals now approached one hundred thousand, a substantial sum even among full-fledged sorcerers, let alone apprentices. He planned to find a stable supplier who could provide mid- to high-grade materials for the long term.

The Dreamsilk Moth was a wondrous creature capable of traversing both reality and dreams, feeding on dreams as its sustenance. Though the moth itself was remarkable and its silk rare, its applications were limited; aside from being tougher than ordinary silk and possessing a faint property of linking to the dreamworld, it was unremarkable—mainly of interest to dreamweaving sorcerers.

Still, since Qi Xiao was crafting a fishing rod for Eve, Dreamsilk immediately came to mind—perfect for the fishing line. After all, whatever “fish” Eve intended to catch was unlikely to be anything ordinary; using such abstract materials in both nature and symbolism might well bring unexpected results.

Additionally, Qi Xiao took out a few Origin Magic Crystals and some Ravenwood Resin, preparing to begin his work.

On his design sketches, Qi Xiao marked out every part of the fishing rod: the grip, rod body, guides, hook, and the line’s anchoring point, ensuring each component was meticulously planned.

Luminous Netherwood is a rare timber found deep within shadowy forests, named for its faint phosphorescent glow in the darkness. Highly durable, it absorbs and stores magical energy, making it an ideal material for crafting wands and alchemical instruments.

This wood’s gentle radiance not only illuminates the surrounding gloom but also soothes the spirit and banishes fear. Its hardness is exceptional, resistant to physical harm and stable even amidst violent magical surges, frequently used as reinforcement in alchemy. The wood’s fibrous structure contains subtle energy channels capable of capturing and storing magical fluctuations, lending alchemical creations greater endurance. Thus, Qi Xiao left the wood largely unworked, fashioning it into the basic shape of a fishing rod with only simple runic engravings.

The rod body, being the core, required both strength and flexibility—qualities Luminous Netherwood possessed without need for modification. Its faint glow could even attract fish in an ordinary lake.

For the rod guides, which reduce friction along the line, Qi Xiao likely chose refined tungsten-silver: lightweight, wear-resistant, aesthetically pleasing, and boasting excellent conductivity, ensuring the line moved smoothly.

The hook demanded a balance of catching power and subtlety. Here, Qi Xiao used a special alloy known as Dreamcatcher Gold, renowned in alchemy for its unique allure upon contact with dream-creatures—a perfect match for Dreamsilk.

For the line’s anchoring point, stability and reliability were essential. Qi Xiao etched an array of micro-runes around this area; these automatically adjusted the tension when the line was pulled, ensuring steadiness.

The grip required comfort and control. Qi Xiao chose softened Blue Iron Mithril, a material he’d previously used as the main component for his first finely crafted bracelet.

At key points along the rod, Qi Xiao embedded Origin Magic Crystals to provide ongoing magical support and strengthen the rod’s enchantments, particularly at the crucial joints.

Finally, after preparing the Dreamsilk, Qi Xiao wound it tightly around the Luminous Netherwood rod, ensuring a seamless, secure connection.

The process of crafting a fishing rod is relatively straightforward, and the materials all possessed gentle properties. The most challenging aspect lay in the precise micro-runes, but Qi Xiao was already adept at inscribing and utilizing such basic runes, so he wasted little time.

He even carved runes of “fortune” into the grip. How effective these would be was uncertain, but metaphysics was perhaps Eve’s only real hope—she certainly didn’t lack for sturdy rods. Thus, Qi Xiao’s approach to this rod leaned heavily toward the arcane and the superstitious.

After a series of refinements and tests, Qi Xiao named the alchemical rod “Dream Angler,” hoping it would reach into hidden waters and snare precious “fish of dreams.”

The “Dream Angler” was deep blue overall, its line transparent with a silvery sheen, magic crystals glimmering along the shaft, lending it an air both mysterious and beautiful.

Qi Xiao brought the rod to the island’s shore, where he immediately spotted Eve sitting atop a great rock, humming as she fished and admired the eastern sunset. Though it was already afternoon, the evening glow showed no sign of fading—if anything, it seemed to have spread further.

Qi Xiao handed the “Dream Angler” to Eve. She blinked in surprise, then smiled, “I thought you’d forgotten. Truly, you are the absent-minded type, little junior.”

Qi Xiao replied apologetically, “Sorry, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed recently. This rod’s line and hook are both dream-related—I had a sudden inspiration to extend into the illusory realms. After all, fishing need not be limited to the real fish of the lake. Give it a try.

The shaft, made of Luminous Netherwood, absorbs and stores magical energy, letting it emit a gentle glow during use. This not only attracts fish, but also provides illumination in dark waters, making fishing more convenient. The glow soothes the soul and dispels fear, helping you stay calm and focused—though I imagine you won’t need that particular effect.

There are a few other little features you can investigate yourself. I only just finished crafting it, so I’m not certain of all its effects yet. And… I did inscribe a rune of luck. How much it’ll help, who can say, but at least it’s reassuring.”

Eve accepted the rod with satisfaction, drew a small box from her bracelet, and tossed it to Qi Xiao. “See if this is enough, and let me know if you need more. If it’s too much, don’t bother finding change.”

Qi Xiao’s mental sweep confirmed the box held fifteen Origin Magic Crystals—about 1,500 magic crystals’ worth. His real cost was only 700, mostly from the crystals embedded in the rod, so this was more than sufficient.

“Thank you, senior. Good luck,” Qi Xiao said.

A mechanical female voice rang in his mind as he greeted Eve and returned to the bubble space.

“Congratulations! You have successfully completed an alchemical supply: reward—Cantrip, Branch of Choice, Level 1.”

Qi Xiao was pleasantly surprised—he’d received a prophecy spell. This cantrip required the user to silently consider a question while spinning a branch, interpreting the answer by the branch’s direction. While less reliable for anything but navigation, it could still serve as a reference—a common spell among diviners.

The instant he acquired the cantrip, Qi Xiao sensed a hazy glimmer of understanding regarding fate, which vanished almost as soon as it appeared. He sat with eyes closed for a moment, feeling little regret—after all, he’d never had much insight into the river of destiny, and it was only natural that he could not grasp it now.

He did have a faint direction for the crystal ball Carl had requested. Of the others he’d sent letters to, Raymond had clearly stated he had no need for now, and would ask again after advancing to full wizard. Feng had not replied, likely waiting for a cure to the blood plague before making further requests; Avril’s silence was unsurprising, given their distant acquaintance and the fact that Qi Xiao had injured her several times; Yara was busy making up for missed lessons and had no pressing needs either.

Qi Xiao had also sent a letter to Enoch, the shy youth who’d emerged from the trials with him, but received no reply. He didn’t mind—it had only occurred to him on a whim.

Carl’s custom crystal ball required, if possible, a constant Prophecy enchantment, but as a Starry Path sorcerer, he cared more for the ball’s amplification of star magic. On this subject, Qi Xiao was well versed. The Starry Path, thanks to the recent ascension of the Legendary Star King, was still thriving; Qi Xiao had handled countless star-related alchemical materials, and previously crafted both the Azure Journey and Nebula Rift Sword—creations with “star” at their core. Even the stardust on his left arm belonged to this category.

Prophecy magic could be broadly divided into “River of Time,” “Pendulum of Fate,” and “Constellations.” Carl’s request for stargazing prophecy fell under the last. Ironically, both the River of Time and Pendulum of Fate had modern Legendary sorcerers as anchors, but Constellations, the oldest branch, had become awkwardly obscure. Only with the recent rise of “Vestalia” had practitioners of prophecy and star magic grown numerous enough to return to prominence.

In Qi Xiao’s view, the stargazing branch had a high entry threshold—the results it offered required personal interpretation. Unlike the River of Time or Pendulum of Fate, which had legendary figures as anchors and provided clearer answers, the constellation method’s imagery was cryptic and its results less precise—naturally less appealing to the average sorcerer.

Qi Xiao selected a large piece of Starshine Crystal as the core. This crystal absorbed and stored starlight, releasing it in darkness—ideal for stargazing and prophetic crystal balls. The piece he chose was of exceptional purity, filled with potent star energy.

Stardust Sand, another of his staple materials, was collected from the edges of meteorite falls and would serve as the crystal ball’s base, ensuring stable transmission and amplification of star energy.

As for Fate Stone—a rare mineral rumored to let one sense destiny simply by holding it—Qi Xiao had once thought this merely a jest. Yet after mastering a prophecy cantrip, he truly did feel a faint trace of “future” from within the stone, however slight.

He also had an alchemical material resembling a lens, rarely used but capable of reflection and recording—often incorporated into intelligence-gathering tools, with crystal ball mirrors being its most common form.

Qi Xiao meticulously ground and polished the Starshine Crystal to a mirror-smooth surface, enhancing its ability to reflect and refract starlight. After gently heating it, he carved a hidden constellation rune inside, amplifying the crystal’s capacity to absorb and store star energy, and subtly boosting stargazing.

He placed the Stardust Sand in a specially designed crucible, heating it gradually into a liquid. This required utmost care—the star energy must not be disrupted, so he used only indirect heat.

He then ground the Fate Stone into fine powder to blend into the Starshine Crystal, boosting the crystal ball’s prophetic power. The powder was evenly mixed with the Stardust Sand, so that threads of destiny seemed woven into the very texture of the stars.

Qi Xiao heated the Starshine Crystal to a semi-liquid state, then spun it slowly to form a perfect sphere through centrifugal force. During this process, he evenly mixed in the Fate Stone powder. As the crystal ball began to set, he sprinkled star dust within, allowing it to disperse naturally and form a miniature nebula—transparent when dormant, but revealed when activated, without hindering normal use.

He reluctantly used mithril to craft the crystal ball’s frame—not only for support, but also to channel starlight and enhance the ball’s ability to display celestial phenomena.

He cut the lens material to size, embedding it into the crystal ball’s surface. This improved transparency and enabled the recording and display of star patterns, making it a true stargazing instrument.

Qi Xiao poured the molten Stardust Sand into a carefully crafted mold, creating the crystal ball’s base—both its support and a conduit for magical energy.

Before the base cooled, he quickly integrated the prepared Starshine Crystal, fusing it seamlessly with the Stardust Sand. Within its embrace, the crystal rotated slowly, mimicking the stars drifting through a galaxy.

Drawing on his prior-life understanding of the cosmos, Qi Xiao shaped the ball in a way that might baffle Carl, but undoubtedly enhanced its star-related properties.

He placed the finished crystal ball under the starlight and observed its reflection and refraction. It clearly displayed the night sky, even revealing the dynamic changes of the star systems—precisely as Qi Xiao had hoped.

By focusing on a question, Qi Xiao could observe the star charts and responses within the crystal ball. Guided by the Fate Stone powder, the ball would reveal prophetic answers—sometimes indistinct, but sufficient for reference. Truthfully, Qi Xiao only half-understood the charts; interpretation would be up to Carl.

Qi Xiao was very satisfied with the final product—further improvements would likely be marginal, even with greater skill. He packed it carefully and arranged for delivery. The cost was modest—thirty magic crystals for such a long journey, or fifty for insured shipping. Qi Xiao saw no reason to skimp; Carl would reimburse him anyway.

Having completed even such a “colorful black” commission, Qi Xiao’s confidence soared—until, stepping outside, he saw a tall witch tousling Raymond’s hair. With his wild red hair and look of utter despair, Raymond cut a pitiful figure. Qi Xiao’s alarm bells rang—he silently recited the incantation for spatial transfer, hoping to return to his room, but the space around him was locked before he could escape; it was already too late.

He could only gather himself, force a smile, and say in a gentle tone, “What brings you here, Lady of Earthly Echoes? Should I notify my teacher?”

Eleanor snorted, patting Raymond’s head before shoving her hands into her coat pockets. “Your dear teacher has been hiding from me for two days now—like a dreary old turtle, so dreadfully dull. His students are far more amusing.”

Unnoticed, another figure appeared before Qi Xiao—Midiel, who sighed and said with some resignation, “We’ve already investigated. There’s little we can do; we might only distract Deimos and force him to split his focus for protection. Remember, that’s the domain of the arcane—a realm not even legends dare treat lightly.”

Eleanor’s displeasure was clear. “How ridiculous! Is there a path to true knowledge where one shrinks from death? Miss this chance, and who knows when we’ll find another. How many magic crystals do we have to squander? All we can do is probe the surface, and that only with the more stable oddities. No…”

Even as Eleanor and Midiel continued their conversation, Midiel had clearly sealed off their voices. Qi Xiao, who had been listening with interest, could only shake his head now and, taking the outwardly despairing but inwardly curious Raymond, descend gently to the ground.

Qi Xiao had yet to master the flying cantrip—only Slow Fall allowed him to linger in the air. Every flight was powered by his own magic, which was costly, so he never stayed aloft long, especially since he had a flying vehicle.

Raymond, noticing Eve’s new fishing rod by the lake and sensing its aura, instantly understood. He turned and asked, “You made this?”

Qi Xiao nodded. “Yes. It’s made primarily of dream-related materials. We can ask Senior Rupert for suggestions when he returns, and I’ll make whatever improvements are needed. Unfortunately, he’s not on the island these days.”