"Master, the Philosopher's Stone is a precious artifact coveted by all magicians in the world. You must take great care not to let others harbor covetous thoughts towards it," Tia cautioned Kenley with a worried expression as they made their way back.

  Kenley nodded."Tia, what else do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

  Kenley was aware of the ways to utilize the Philosopher's Stone in the game, yet he was ignorant of how the inhabitants of the Aude Continent activated it in reality.

  In the game, the official developers had provided players with three methods of use: Firstly, the Philosopher's Stone could be regarded as a pure material, which could be incorporated into equipment to forge it into legendary-grade magical equipment and enhance its properties.

  Secondly, the Philosopher's Stone could be applied to the player's body (not the equipment) much like a rune, increasing the player's mana regeneration rate per second (the Philosopher's Stone is prohibited in PvP battles).

  Thirdly, the Philosopher's Stone could be employed to cast forbidden spells, but each casting would consume one Philosopher's Stone.

  In the game, there was an abundance of Philosopher's Stones, and it was not the case that one would be depleted with each use. Kenley recalled that a Philosopher's Stone could be obtained upon defeating the Demon King Kars.

  However, the drop rate was extremely low, with an average in-game drop rate of merely 1.7%, virtually no different from a lottery draw. In the auction house, a single Philosopher's Stone could fetch a price of 60,000 gold coins, making it an exceedingly rare material.

  But now, in the real world, there were undoubtedly only 27 Philosopher's Stones. Once one was used, it would be lost forever. Unlike in the game, where there were dungeons allowing for repeated farming, it could not be used over and over again.

  Tia shook her head."I'm not entirely certain either, Master. I've merely perused numerous documents related to the Philosopher's Stone. Throughout history, there have been magicians who, upon obtaining it, utilized the Philosopher's Stone to cast magic of the tenth rank, which was extremely formidable."

  "What ranks were those magicians?" Kenley inquired.

  "They ranged from the sixth to the eighth rank."

  "So, does that mean that magicians of the sixth to the eighth rank, upon acquiring the Philosopher's Stone, can cast magic of the tenth rank beyond their own rank?"

  "No, it's not quite like that. Strictly speaking, they can cast magic two ranks higher, but the magician himself must know the magic incantations of the two higher ranks; otherwise, the spell cannot be cast."

  "I see..." Kenley fell into a moment of silence. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through his mind."Tia, do you think that if a Saint Magician of the tenth rank were to use the Philosopher's Stone, could he cast magic of the twelfth rank?"

  Tia was startled. First, she furrowed her brow, and then she shook her head."It's uncertain. In history, no magician has ever accomplished such a feat, not even a Saint Magician. The magic incantations of the twelfth rank are known only to the gods. Even the descendants of the Golden Bloodline, ultimately, are mortal beings, and it is beyond our reach to know the magic incantations of the twelfth rank. However, the King of the Holy-Eyed Elves knew the incantations of the eleventh rank. He once vanquished the Dark Lord Perron with the aid of the Philosopher's Stone."

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The King of the Holy-Eyed Elves...

  Kenley suddenly recollected the glittering golden figure in the prologue,"The End of the Lost Sovereignty." The might of Fuerst, the Ancestor of the Elves, manifested, and he directly sealed Perron.

  As a holy relic left behind by the Mother Goddess, the Philosopher's Stone had presented him with limitless possibilities. Recalling the words spoken by the illusion in the final layer of the Bronze Trial Labyrinth: This is both a game and reality.

  That is to say, he too could cast magic beyond his own rank, much like an "NPC," with the assistance of the Philosopher's Stone. In that case, wouldn't he possess more means at his disposal?

  A surge of joy welled up in Kenley's heart. He still remembered quite a number of high-rank magic spells, which was undoubtedly an advantage for him!

  The Philosopher's Stone... This time, his gain had far exceeded his initial expectations.

  However, there were still two issues. He had not allocated any skill points, so even if he were to cast those magic spells beyond his rank, it was highly probable that he could only achieve the first-stage effect. Moreover, high-rank magic spells consumed an enormous amount of mana. Since he was two ranks lower, although it seemed possible to cast the spells successfully, his mana bar might not be sufficient. There was a risk that casting just one spell could deplete his mana entirely.

  It seemed that there were both advantages and disadvantages.

  However, as a magic pharmacist by profession, he would need to concoct several bottles of purple-quality magic potions to rapidly restore his mana, thus maximizing the benefits derived from the Philosopher's Stone.

  Nevertheless, he should refrain from using the Philosopher's Stone unless absolutely necessary. As Tia had pointed out, it was far too likely to arouse the covetousness of others. Not to mention the existence of cults in this world. If organizations such as the Black Sheep Society and the Blasphemous Dragon Cult were to discover it, they might send people to assassinate him repeatedly.

  Although he was not afraid, no one could tolerate being pestered day in and day out like a swarm of flies, especially when it was a powerful force.

  Kenley already had a rough plan in mind regarding what to do.

  "Very well, let's head home first, Tia. Tomorrow, we shall officially assume our positions in Deshalin Town!" Kenley gently stroked Tia's head.

  "All right!"

  ...

  "Teacher Puffman, was it you who cast the Rain Summoning spell just now?" Guinevere had just finished honing the depth of her magical power through the crystal ball and was on the verge of leaving.

  Puffman was seated at the reception desk, incessantly flipping through the book in his hand. At that moment, he resembled nothing more than a crazy old man. He was so absent-minded that he barely paid attention to Guinevere's question.

  "Teacher?" Guinevere regarded Puffman with a puzzled look, somewhat bewildered by this eccentric old man.

  "It wasn't Puffman who cast the Rain Summoning spell just now," Green interjected to explain.

  "Then was it you, Teacher Green?"

  Green shook her head."I haven't learned the Rain Summoning spell."

  "Could it be the vice president or some other master magician?" Guinevere was even more perplexed.

  Green cast a glance at Puffman, who was still engrossed in flipping through the book, and then said,"You know that person, little princess."

  "I do?" Guinevere was momentarily stunned and immediately voiced her confusion."Teacher Green, I know a great many people... Among them, there are quite a few who are capable of casting the Rain Summoning spell."

  "No, no, you misunderstand me, little princess. What I mean is, that person is a vassal of the Christophon family," Green continued to be evasive.

  Guinevere was truly astonished this time. She couldn't help but exchange a glance with Daina.

  Daina said,"But I can't recall any of the Christophon family's vassals who have practiced the Rain Summoning spell. Moreover, no one could have cast a Rain Summoning spell of that magnitude just now."

  Green let out a series of chuckles."Daina, it seems that you'll have to put the re-evaluation of your vassals back on the agenda."

  "Could you please tell me who it is specifically, Teacher Green?" Guinevere was genuinely curious now.

  Green shook her head."I'm sorry, I can't disclose it, little princess. I believe that discovering it on your own will have a greater impact than if I were to tell you directly."