While Black Spider had gained a new crew member, Ringo's clone had arrived at his destination.
To be honest, getting close to so many mages was like a nightmare, making him a little paranoid, to the point that his original body went straight to the Floating Dragon, ready to stay by Ames' side in case Austin tracked him down and wanted to do something to him.
You never know.
As for how he got there, he had branded Wilsander with a nightmare mark.
At first he wanted to mark Ames, but he felt it would be a bit too bold to ask that, if he teleported to her while she was taking a shower, it would be quite a scene.
So, he marked Wilsander, of course, the guy didn't even know that, marking Ames could make the woman feel it immediately, after all, the control over their own bodies by a Grade S is very great, unfortunately Wilsander wasn't so lucky.
Ringo simply teleported away, without actually seeing what Wilsander was doing. He hid on the Floating Dragon, without actually notifying Ames, just staying close. Through Jenny, he knew the woman was home, that was enough.
The third clone then cautiously advanced through the Hidden Red Robe Abbey, having arrived directly via a teleportation circle. As a place surrounded by mages, magic was very common here.
The location itself wasn't in Austin's mage tower, but on a planet he used as a base, his tower floated high above the planet, like a satellite.
The place itself exuded a rhythm somewhere between modern and medieval, like an advanced version of a magical society. All sorts of races passed through, but most wore robes and cloaks, along with staves, grimoires and all sorts of standard items.
The buildings and houses were incredibly disjointed, some exuded a futuristic metallic sheen, while others looked like simple, solid wooden houses, it was truly a cultural melting pot.
As soon as he arrived there, he began to see the future, he wanted to find the best alchemist/blacksmith in that place. He spent a good amount of time wandering around, using his powers to find a piece of gold among the stones. Finally, his eyes shone slightly.
His previously aimless steps now moved swiftly in one direction.
He needed to retrieve a planetary teleportation array, it would take him several hours to get there otherwise.
Sure, he could use his powers, but here, he preferred not to draw any attention, keep his head down, and not attract any attention.
He even went to a clothing store to buy a robe and cloak, as well as a mage's hat, trying to "fit in".
After teleporting to another city, he found himself in a city that looked more like a magical fairytale village, with all that futurism giving way to the kind of place that seemed to come straight out of a medieval tale.
There were no buildings, only wooden houses and uneven stone streets.
He walked through the alleys in search of a small shop east of town, a wooden sign hung above the door. - Bradd's Alchemy and Enchantments.
Glancing briefly at the sign, he entered, the door creaking with an old-fashioned sound, a bell ringing to alert the owner that guests had arrived.
His first impression was of an antique shop, with all sorts of dusty items scattered around, it didn't look like the shop of a Grade A Mage, but appearances can be deceiving.
Behind the counter, an old man in a blue cloak snored in a rocking chair, clearly not having heard the doorbell.
Ringo didn't care, he came specifically for that old man. Even if he was sleeping, Ringo didn't underestimate him. He had seen a future where he attacked the old man and before he even knew what was happening, he had been teleported away.
The old man clearly had a teleportation spell ready or some kind of alchemical item to teleport attackers.
The teleportation target was actually a demonic dimension, he was directly attacked by a flame elemental as soon as he arrived.
In any case, Ringo knew he shouldn't argue with the old man easily.
As a Grade A mage of such age, he clearly knew enough spells to give anyone a headache, even more so as a mage focused on alchemy and enchantments, you never knew what he would pull out of his pocket.
The reason Ringo had come so far was simple, he knew that this old man had valuable things that could help him create the perfect weapon for himself.
Having seen the future, he knew exactly how to get the old man's attention, if he woke him up directly, the old man would be unhappy and not only wouldn't help him, but would throw him out of the shop.
As an old mage, there weren't many things that interested him, he was even invited by Austin, but he refused, opting instead to open a shop and enter a state of semi-retirement.
Not only that, but the old man himself is not weak, in fact, in terms of strength, he's on the verge of being Grade S.
If it weren't so old, it would probably be on the Grade S Seeds list.
Ringo had no doubt that this old man was an extreme danger to him, as a magician, he could not only prevent Ringo from escaping, but he was also much stronger than him. If he got into a fight with Bradd, the chance of losing and being captured or killed was 99.9%.
Thus, Ringo's original body was even closer to Ames and even though he had seen the future possibilities and knew that the old man would hardly attack him, he still couldn't calm down.
Ringo went straight to keep Ames company, which meant he had to explain every step of his fight with Carroll several times, but it was worth it for the safety.
The clone stopped stalling and pulled a piece of Maktru from his pocket. As soon as he did, the old man's eyes snapped open, his thick eyebrows and wrinkled face fixed directly on the piece of metal.
-Maktru, something truly rare to see.- He stood up easily, walking behind the counter and approaching Ringo.
He took the metal directly from Ringo's hand, Ringo didn't stop him, letting the old man examine the metal slowly. Soon he set the metal aside and looked at Ringo. -Very pure, clearly refined. Tell me, what do you want for it?
Bradd wasn't very well-known, but those who knew him were aware that he bought rare items. Few people came to him to forge them, because Bradd only forged items that excited him, asking him to forge equipment below Grade A was practically impossible.
-I want a weapon.- Ringo went straight to the point, making the old man raise an eyebrow.