Arthur looked at Cronix with a frown, while the explosion wouldn't do much to a Core Creation expert, he had to admit this was a pretty strong attack from a five star Caster.
This attack could even seriously injure flawless one star Casters. This type of growth... Should I kill him just in case he tries to cause me any future troubles?
The formation that Cronix threw out was the teleportation array that he's been working on for the past two months.
Cronix wasn't even close to completion with this formation. The energy sensing array was child's play compared to the teleportation formation.
Regardless if the incomplete formation had no teleportation use, its explosion could still be used as an attack.
But he knew that the explosion couldn't do anything against Arthur, but he had to try something.
How could he not know what Williams' words meant? Arthur was acting stupid on purpose, in order to steal from him.
Williams looked at Arthur who seemed to be lost in thought, but Mr. Williams could feel murderous intent occasionally coming off his body directed towards Cronix.
He then looked back at the struggling Cronix and sighed, "Arthur, if you continue to act this way, I won't hold back."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, "Williams, are you threatening me?"
Mr. Williams didn't reply, simply staring at Arthur.
Arthur thought it over and finally resigned, he couldn't beat Williams. He was only in the initial stage of Core Creation, while Mr. Williams was in the middle stage.
Arthur withdrew his aura containing its pressure inside his body again. "Fine, but you can't do anything if I buy them." Arthur looked at Cronix and asked, "How much are you selling them for?"
At this point all the other miners were also paying attention to Cronix's reply as well. After seeing Mr. Williams use the formations, they couldn't help but want to buy one themselves.
Finally! The moment I've been waiting for...
"I'm selling them for 10 magic crystals per formation."Cronix answered as he slowly got up from the floor and brushed the dirt off his cloak.
This price was acceptable for everyone, in fact this price for a formation was extremely cheap, the average price for a formation at the market, if there were any even available, were at least 100 mid tier lower magic crystals.
Cronix quickly took out a large supply of energy sensing arrays, hoping to encourage more people to buy them.
When Arthur saw all the formations, he had the urge to take them all away, but when he looked at Williams, he quickly suppressed the feeling.
"What's your name?" Arthur asked while handing Cronix one hundred magic crystals, Williams also listened in, he was too embarrassed to admit it, but he also didn't know the boy's name.
"Cronix." He answered, handing the formations to him quickly, hoping he would leave faster.
"Cronix," Arthur repeated, "I will remember you." After that exchange he left the mine.
Cronix let out a big sigh of relief, soon enough he was surrounded by a group of miners, all wanting to buy the formations.
After Cronix was done with them, he approached Williams, who surprisingly hadn't left the mine yet.
He probably was making sure Arthur kept his word, and didn't rob Cronix when he wasn't looking.
Cronix had a better impression of the man before him compared to before, he helped him when he needed it most, however that was only to repay him after he helped him first, so he didn't feel like he owed him anything.
But Williams did have something that interested Cronix, "Mr. Williams, are you willing to make a deal with me?"
Mr. Williams looked at him for a few seconds before asking, "What sort of deal?" In a suspicious tone.
"I am willing to give you two Energy Sensing Arrays free every week for the next six months, if you teach me your magic method or at least how to create ice.
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But you have to understand these energy sensing arrays are going to be way stronger than those stuff I just sold, and you get fifty percent off your every purchase if you want to buy extra."
Williams considered what Cronix said for a few seconds before saying, "The copy I have of the method is incomplete, so you shouldn't practice it."
"That's fine, I'm still willing to make a deal." Cronix replied, he didn't think much of what Williams just said.
"I'm sorry, but it's going to be a no. Practicing this method is really dangerous so it's best if you don't."
"I'll give you three energy sensing arrays per week."
"Still no."
"Four."
sorry but..."
"Five!"
"Forget it, fine! I'll give you the method, but I'll take the original offer. And I did warn you, so don't complain when things go wrong."
Cronix merely nodded and extended a hand to finalize the deal. Williams still hesitated, but ultimately shook it.
As all the commotion was finally done, Cronix was finally able to go back home. When he arrived home, he sat down at his desk, grabbing a pencil and couple sheets of paper.
He ended up having to create more formations, he unexpectedly sold all his defected ones.
Maybe it was because of the way Williams was able to use the formations, extending not only the time but the range as well.
Either way it didn't matter, he was happy to sell them, but he was still mad about how shameless Arthur was about this whole matter.
The following day Cronix didn't go to the mine, but went to meet up with Williams, who wasn't going to go to the mine for the time being. After winning his bet with Arthur and the crystals harvested during the competition, he had a lot of crystals left over to last for a while.
Williams ended up at a bakery near the shopping district. When Cronix entered he smelled the scent of pastries, but there was also something else in the air that he tried to place.
That's... the fire element!
Cronix looked around the bakery, the bakery wasn't that big with only three sets of tables next to the counter. At one of the tables was a man with blueish-grey hair eating a red muffin.
The fire element is coming off the food as well!
Cronix approached and greeted a man who was eating a red muffin. "Good day Mr. Williams." Williams looked up at the boy, "Sit down." Cronix complied with the command.
"You know what they have that tastes good? The bread here tastes good. This place has this bread called fiery bell bread. You should try it." Williams continued to babble on about the food the bakery sold.
There was something off about Williams. He wasn't acting the way he usually did. This added with the presence of the fire elements in the air created a strange atmosphere.
Williams seemed to notice Cronix's feelings, "Do you know why I asked you to meet me here?" Cronix pondered on that for a while, "Does it have to do with the fire element in the food?"
Williams looked surprised at Cronix, and nodded his head, " If you want to practice the Ice Wraith Method you are going to have to get accustomed with it."
Cronix frowned, "That's... contradicting."
"Like I said before, my copy of the Ice Wraith Method is incomplete and because of that, there are problems. I don't know nor care enough about you to explain it, but I'm just letting you know."
Cronix was silent, his determination to practice the Ice Wraith Method wavered. Williams did mention earlier about the hidden dangers, but he didn't say much about it and even now he was being vague about it.
But the fact that he was being vague was very telling, the dangers were very personal, and very dangerous.
But there was still that weird feeling that the ice gave him.
Maybe it only gave him a weird feeling because water was his element, but in case there was something more, he had to obtain the method.
"I advise you to stay on the first part, there are some parts that won't cause any problems, like how to change water into ice." Williams told him.
Cronix thought over it again and again, before finally making a choice. "I'll practice the first part but I would like a copy of the later parts just in case."
Williams shook his head, but accepted his choice and handed him a book. Cronix took the book, and handed Williams the formations as promised.
After completing the transaction, Cronix made a quick stop at the mine to sell his newly created formations, before going home.
When Cronix made it back to his residence, he immediately went to his room and read through the Ice Wraith Method like he did back then when he first got the book on formations.
The Ice Wraith Method was about gathering water energy and condensing it inside a place located in your mind called the mental expanse.
The water energy would condense into a wraith which would slowly grow as you progress.
Eventually you would later be able to summon it out of your body and command it to help you with whatever you require.
Although there are some dangers in practicing this method, like the risk that the wraith would gain intelligence and try to take over your body.
But that was a general problem that happened with all the Ice Wraith methods, complete or not.
The real problem within this particular copy of the method was that it was missing a lot of important details, such as how to properly create the base of the wraith.
So instead of condensing the magic energy into a wraith, the water element would ravage the mental expanse and corrupted everything it touches.
As time goes on your appearance and personality changes like with Williams, but that's only on the surface. Internally you're being frozen from the inside.
Cronix sucked in breath of air, "So that's the use of the fire element in all of this, it's to keep you alive. This method is just too horrifying."
But have I heard of the mental expanse before? Mental expanse... mental... mental energy! I remember, the mental expanse is where mental energy comes from, and the mental expanse is located inside the brain. It's the mind!
A smile blossomed on Cronix's face, but that smile quickly died.
Neither the book nor the ice wraith method say anything about how to get into the mental expanse.
Cronix sighed and went back to the beginning of the ice wraith method. The only part that was deemed safe by Williams to practice without any repercussions.