Chapter 37: Strange Wands and a Freak
Gauss didn’t have to wait long.
Andri returned to the hall with a bunch of long staffs in her arms.
"Luckily, I have a habit of keeping old items, haven’t lost them for so long."
Putting the staffs on the table, Andri crossed her arms defiantly.
Gauss looked down at her.
Although he knew she was probably old enough to be his mom, maybe even his grandma, considering her petite figure, he still thought she looked more like a mature child.
"Why are you staring at me? Hurry up and try them out."
Andri pushed Gauss’s waist, signaling him to start quickly.
Gauss looked at the staff-shaped items on the table and found that they were indeed different from the previous wooden staffs, with a richer variety of base materials this time.
White Bone, Stone Staff, Green Vine, and several other Wooden Staffs.
"The types of wood I tested for you earlier are the most common and also the most suitable materials for making Magic Wands; now these are relatively obscure base materials."
"The reason they’re called obscure is that most Casters find it very difficult to match their Magic Power with these materials."
"Yet, they can indeed respond to Magic Power, so theoretically, albeit with low probability, they still have compatible owners."
"Choosing a Magic Wand is mutual: the person chooses the wand, and the wand chooses the person; it cannot be forced."
"Your Magic Power seems very special, maybe these odd ones are just right for you; just pick one and try it out."
Andri didn’t bother to introduce the specific types of base materials for the Magic Wands on the table.
Anyway, you don’t need to know those for testing; if there’s a suitable one afterward, she could introduce them later.
Gauss picked up the Green Vine staff closest to his hand first.
This slender Green Vine staff, less than thirty centimeters long, looked like the small pointer teachers used in class in his past life; however, unlike the impression of vines being easily bendable and soft, this Green Vine staff was clearly specially hardened, feeling more like a tree branch.
Magic Power seeped in.
It was still the familiar feeling of rejection, but compared to the most common Magic Wand materials earlier, the sense of resistance seemed slightly weakened.
Controlling the Magic Power to revolve around it, Gauss put down the Green Vine staff.
"How was it?"
"Better, but still a bit uncomfortable," Gauss reported truthfully.
Next, he tried out the Stone Staffs and Wooden Staffs, with mixed results.
One light yellow Wooden Staff had relatively good Magic Power operation, serving as a backup.
So he showed a relaxed expression on his face.
If the last White Bone Staff wasn’t particularly compatible, the result was already determined.
He picked up the White Bone Magic Wand.
Actually, although called White Bone, which sounds eerie, the base material of this wand was extremely exquisite and smooth.
It was about forty centimeters long and two fingers wide.
There was a section of bone in the middle; the relatively short part below was carved into a grip with indents for further processing at the bottom, while the upper part was relatively slender and straight, tapering to a thin shaft.
Though it was called White Bone, it looked more like a white jade artwork and even exuded a faint sense of sacred purity.
Gauss hesitated in his heart.
Is this base material something I can afford?
Since Andri had taken it out, he decided to give it a try.
He controlled his Magic Power to flow gently towards the staff body.
At the moment the Magic Power came into contact with the staff body, he felt a warm current surging through it.
Gauss shivered all over.
Suddenly, a feeling of extreme comfort arose in his heart.
It was as if this piece of White Bone was originally an extension of his body, feeling completely natural in his hand.
Simultaneously, Magic Power flowed exceptionally smoothly within, without the slightest hindrance; every particle within the staff seemed to aid his Magic Power operation.
I want it!
Gauss’s heart pounded.
Even though he knew little about Magic Wands, he knew he had encountered a base material extremely suitable for him.
"What creature’s bone is this?" Gauss swallowed, restrained his inner excitement, and asked Andri.
But Andri just shook her head.
"I don’t know."
"I found it many years ago during an adventure in a cave; it’s just this one piece. I saw it responded to Magic Power, so I collected it then."
"Haven’t you used an Identification Technique on it?" Gauss guessed, considering the spell Andri seemed to cast when she briefly touched his Life Magic Stone could have been for identification.
It’s not surprising for Andri to know identification spells in a shop dealing in Magic Items.
"I’ve used the Identification Technique, but only got very superficial results; I can’t determine what creature it comes from."
"Over the years, I haven’t met a single Caster whose Magic Power has even the slightest compatibility with it. At first, I thought it was a big treasure, but it turned out to be completely unsellable."
"Can you sell this to me?" Gauss, holding the White Bone base, was unwilling to let go.
"Uh?" Andri suddenly widened her eyes, as if hearing something unbelievable, her mouth agape like a goldfish’s.
"Are you saying your Magic Power is compatible with this base?"
"Don’t just look at this lovely wand and trick me."
Andri took out the White Bone staff merely because it was among the ones placed together; she hadn’t expected much from it.
After so many years of testing, she had long lost hope; for all tested Casters, it hadn’t shown a hint of compliance.
"What spell do you know?"
"Mage’s Hand."
"Why don’t you try casting with this White Bone staff?"
Andri was also somewhat curious now.
Over these years, this White Bone staff’s price had decreased continuously and now she didn’t even care how much money it could sell for.
If this magical base material could really find a compatible Caster, it would be the end of a long-standing concern of hers.
Gauss nodded.
This White Bone staff was very compatible with him, even at first use; he felt confident casting smoothly.
"Mage’s Hand!"
As the Magic Power surged into the White Bone staff, the silky smooth sensation returned.
So comfortable! Gauss couldn’t help but express his awe subconsciously.
No going back.
Really, there’s no going back!
After experiencing the exquisite sensation brought by this White Bone staff, Gauss realized he could probably never endure the rough casting experience of casting barehanded again.
A wave of Magic Energy emanated from the tip of the staff.
The surrounding magical energy instantly received the directive and began to gather.
The invisible Mage’s Hand in the air in front quickly formed.
The Mage’s Hand formed extremely fast!
The time consumed was only about 1/2 of the original.
Moreover, Gauss twirled the wand, controlling the movement speed of the Mage’s Hand was about 20% faster than before.
"It’s... it’s true!"
More excited than Gauss was Andri, who confirmed that he successfully cast the spell with the staff.
She excitedly took a few quick steps forward, punching him energetically twice in the waist.
"Gauss, you freak!"