Monako sighed, shifting a crystal glass filled with a sparkling orange cocktail. "But I clearly remember you only liked milk every time you came here."
Lance shrugged, the corners of his mouth curling lazily. "I used to prefer milk. Alcohol tasted terrible."
"What about now?" Monaco raised a bushy eyebrow as he lit a wooden pipe. A thin smoke drifted between the dusty bottles.
"Now…" Lance reached for the glass, downing its contents without a trace. "Now wine can drown out your worries. Over time, your tongue gets used to it."
Lance used to be averse to even a drop of alcohol. But the practice of magic wore away at his bones. Sometimes, the pain felt like a thousand hot needles stabbing him. Wine became a cheap escape, soothing an invisible wound. Ever since the Golden Light Incantation succeeded, Lance's body had become more resilient—the ritual's backlash no longer caused him to vomit blood. But the habit of downing a glass or two had already stuck on the tip of Lance's tongue.
"Everything we do always pays off." Lance twirled the empty glass in his fingers, his gaze piercing the thin smoke. "If your debt is too great, the universe itself will collect."
Monaco replied with a curt nod. Monaco lit her pipe deeper, blowing white smoke that curled lazily into the dim bar light. "Back in my day, every time I used a spell to burn a horde of black witches, or save those damn blondes in the Balkans, I'd go home that night and… drown one of my rabbits. Rather than watch babies in Timbuktu suddenly die from misguided karma, I'd rather have thousands of rabbits die in the bathtub." Monaco chuckled. "One life for another—the way the universe maintains balance. Every time we whisper 'Abracadabra,' we better be ready to pay."
"Don't mention rabbits again, Monaco!" Chondu interrupted, annoyed. The liquid in Chondu's jar rippled gently. Chondu stared at Lance, his yellow teeth lined up as he smiled slyly. "Little wizard, I hear you're busy these days. I heard you wrestled with the Dark Young, and then slapped an angel?"
Lance replied with a lopsided smile. "Dr. Druid loves to gossip, doesn't he?"
Chondu clicked his tongue, his expression amused. "This is the Bar With No Doors! When it comes to magic, there's no gap in the walls of this world that escapes our ears. Who do you think taught Dr. Druid to talk so much?"
Lance leaned in, his tone dropping a half-tone. "Then, do you know where I can get something… to prolong life?"
Chondu's eyes widened. His pupils swirled slightly in the liquid. "You… are you twenty? Already afraid of dying early?"
"This isn't for me, it's for my friend." Lance hurriedly told them about Maxie, his voice trembling slightly with nervousness, then looked at them expectantly. The candlelight on the table reflected in Lance's eyes, making his gaze even more pleading.
"An item that prolongs life, this is truly rare." Monaco took a deep breath, her voice hoarse, as if pipe ash clung to her throat. "Even if it comes up occasionally, it'll soon be used by people, and there are only a few left. If it uses magic, the cost is too high..." Monaco stroked his silvering beard, her fingers moving slowly, removing the ash.
Chondu thought for a moment. The corners of his lips curled downward, as if holding back a curse, then turned to look at Count Kaoz's table in the corner of the dim bar. In a loud voice that cut through the buzz of conversation, Chondu asked, "Hey, does any of you have news of a treasure that can extend human life?"
Count Kaoz, who had been sipping a strong dark beer, looked up. His companions—a tattooed dwarf, an old vampire in a velvet suit, a male troll Wenlu, and a female troll Grimlek—looked at each other, as if deciding whether to speak or continue to play deaf.
Finally, Grimlek, who was leaning back in his old chair until the wood creaked, raised his hand. Grimlek's nails were black, his eyes moving restlessly. "I did hear the rumors," Grimlek muttered hesitantly, his voice hoarse like dragged gravel. "Which may not be accurate... Someone found the Wand of Xyggondo, supposedly used by Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, in the Well of the Rising Plague in Estonia. It's reportedly being sold on the black market for witchcraft in Barbados—the House of the Infernal Glories. The auction is tonight. There are several other items being auctioned alongside the Wand, including three Golden Apples of Idunn."
The bar fell silent. Cigarette smoke drifted gently, and the smell of alcohol and old paper mingled in the air. The name Grigory Efimovich Rasputin was like a curse to the magicians' ears.
Grigory Efimovich Rasputin—the destroyer of the Tsar's court. A sorcerer who mastered the enchantment of human souls through mental magic and divination. It's said that Grigory cured the crown prince's hemophilia with just a touch and a whisper, nearly bringing Tsar Nicholas II and his queen to their knees. With a single word, Rasputin controlled the fate of the Russian Empire like a puppet whose strings were held under the royal dining table.
And his magic wand—the object dripping with the blood of history—would surely be highly sought after.
(PS: Many magicians in the Marvel Universe are indeed phantoms of real people. Grigory Efimovich Rasputin is one such person. The madman was once the "national teacher" of the Russian Empire, sowing scandal for nearly ten years. His specialty: super-hypnosis, especially on noblewomen. It's said that after his murder, his lower body was cut off and preserved—now displayed in a Russian museum as a source of shameful gossip.)
And the Golden Apples of Idunn...
Idunn—the Norse goddess of spring—was the guardian of the golden apple tree. The golden apples could envelop a human age in a cloak of eternal youth. It is said that the Asgardians lived for thousands of years not only because the world tree gave its blessing, but also because of the first bite of the Golden Apple of Idunn.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
[Note: 370+ latest chapters have been added! For Just 3$ You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel And Scribblehub by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Patreon.com/Alex_Fabianoki]