Alex

Biodata

Appearance

• Clothing: Wears a dark green wizard robe, later described as embroidered with intricate, faintly glowing life runes 24 39.
• Glasses: His sharp, appraising eyes are repeatedly described behind lenses 24 30.
• Voice: Deep and resonant, with a calm but authoritative delivery 24 30.

Personality

Alex is exacting and observant, treating Chen Chuan's early potion-making success as a reason to assess him further rather than immediately offering unconditional support. He supplies valuable guidance but makes employment contingent on passing the elementary assessment. Once Chen Chuan exceeds his expectations, Alex rewards him with a researcher position rather than the research assistant post originally discussed 24 28.

His mentorship combines investment with blunt warnings. He emphasizes practice, setbacks, and experimental danger, and insists that Chen Chuan develop combat strength alongside potion-making skill. Although he recognizes Chen Chuan's talent, he cautions that it is unexceptional by the standards of the Black Tower. Arwen remarks that Alex is rarely so frank with anyone 24 30.

Alex is protective without promising a risk-free career. He equips Chen Chuan for dangerous fieldwork and promises to deal with Aketi's threat to his secrecy, but also regards the planar-ruins expedition as an appropriate opportunity to fulfill an apprentice's mission obligations 39 40.

History

Recruiting Chen Chuan

Alex meets Chen Chuan at his potion shop after Aikte draws attention to the apprentice's good-quality Elementary Life Potions. Learning that Chen Chuan has studied potion-making for only a little over a month, Alex judges his talent worth investing in. He gives him a leather-bound booklet of formulas and practical notes retained from his own apprenticeship, along with a rune-inscribed contact parchment 24.

In return, Alex proposes helping Chen Chuan obtain a research assistant position if he passes the elementary assessment. He explains that his laboratory needs a capable potion-making assistant for a new potion requiring extensive testing. Aikte identifies the position's benefits as an allowance of at least fifty elementary magic stones per month, access to certain materials and equipment, and protection as an academy employee 24.

Alex subsequently serves as one of three examination judges. After confirming that all three of Chen Chuan's submitted potions are excellent quality, he announces his passing result. When Acitake offers Chen Chuan a position and is refused because of the apprentice's prior commitment, Alex laughs and formally appoints Chen Chuan as a researcher in his own project group 26 27 28.

Heart of Light Potion Research

Alex's project occupies a laboratory on the library's third floor. Its focus is the Heart of Light Potion, which can grant the Body of Light, a prerequisite for becoming a paladin. The formula remains unstable, and the team has only three Core of Light samples left 28 29.

Alex suspects that the Flower of Light's inconsistent extraction results relate to lunar phases. Chen Chuan builds on this idea by proposing a full-moon extraction and more precise records linking extraction efficiency to the changing moon. Alex warns that the academy barrier weakens by thirty percent during the full moon, while the blooming flower can attract light-element magic beasts and awaken dark creatures 29 30.

To prepare Chen Chuan, Alex urges him to reach Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and improve his combat abilities. He provides a monthly allowance of two hundred elementary magic stones, access to exchange for spells below the first tier, and the Concentration Potion formula. He also directs Arwen to provide combat reading and researcher-level book access 30 31.

Planar-Ruins Expedition

After Chen Chuan reaches Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, Alex secures him a place on an expedition to an ancient herb plantation in planar ruins on the Osteka Plain. He suspects that a reported sacred-element sunflower may be a Sunflower of Holy Light, whose properties could offer new leads for the Heart of Light Potion 39.

The damaged passage admits only individuals below first rank. Alex assigns Chen Chuan to collect samples and record the herbs' growing environments and properties, with combat as a secondary responsibility. He supplies an Advanced Life Potion and directs him to obtain a collection toolkit from the Potions Association 39 40.

Before departure, Chen Chuan reveals his growth-type Mutated Seed of Life, mushroom summons, and encounter with Aketi. Alex explains the danger posed by forbidden seed-stripping magic and Black Domain Wizards, then promises to handle Aketi so that Chen Chuan's condition will not be exposed. He also introduces Lina, another assistant involved in the mission preparations 40.

The Advanced Life Potion later helps stabilize Vera Madison after the Soul-Devouring Flower injures and poisons her. Its use prompts Alia Madison to acknowledge a debt to Chen Chuan on her family's behalf 47.

Abilities & Skills

Potion-Making

Alex is a Second-Rank Pharmacist and an adviser to the Academy Potions Association 24 38.

• Quality appraisal: Evaluates Chen Chuan's examination potions through their color, sheen, clarity, and other physical characteristics, confirming that all three meet the excellent standard 28.
• Practical instruction: His apprentice-era handbook records precise proportions, crucial steps, common causes of failure, and illustrated movements 25 28.
• Herbal timing: His annotations address heat control and the relationship between Silver Moon Grass activity and lunar phases 26.
• Experimental research: Investigates the unstable Heart of Light Potion and seeks an alternative to scarce natural Cores of Light; artificial cores have proved much less effective 29 30.

Elemental and Plant-Related Magic

Alex is identified as a First-Rank Elemental Wizard 38.

• Vine-associated disappearance: Vines surge from beneath his feet immediately before he vanishes from the laboratory; the technique is not named 30.
• Rune-array interaction: Tapping the laboratory's rune array causes the surrounding fluctuations of magic power to freeze 30.

Spiritual Perception and Seed of Life Knowledge

• Spiritual sensing: Can vaguely detect that Chen Chuan's spiritual power has exceeded thirty despite his efforts to conceal his progress 30.
• Cultivation knowledge: Explains that the Seed of Life evolves alongside the Tree of Life Meditation Method and releases life energy during advancement to Formal Wizard, increasing the chance of success by ten percentage points 40.
• Mutated-seed expertise: Recognizes the rarity and adaptability of Mutated Seeds of Life and explains how forbidden techniques can strip and forcibly fuse them into another practitioner 40.

Influence and Standing

• Extensive connections: His standing as a Second-Rank Pharmacist gives him influence beyond his First-Rank wizard cultivation; even the third-rank academy director treats him as an equal 38.
• Protection through reputation: Aketi abandons his openly covetous behavior after Chen Chuan invokes Alex as his teacher and demonstrates his connection to the research group. Aketi interprets this as evidence that Alex is cultivating a personal disciple 38.
• Credible recommendations: Randy's initial concern over Chen Chuan's recent advancement eases when he learns that Alex recommended him as herbal consultant 42.

Equipment, Documents & Resources

• Apprentice-era formula booklet: Given to Chen Chuan; contains Recovery, Purification, and Protection Potion formulas, special techniques, and practical annotations 24 26.
• Contact parchment: Given to Chen Chuan; bears complex silver-ink runes with detectable magic power 24 25.
• Concentration Potion formula: Awarded to Chen Chuan after his successful elementary potion-maker assessment 30.
• Advanced Life Potion: Supplied for the ruins expedition. Alex states that one bottle should keep Chen Chuan alive after a fatal injury at his current strength, while a mouthful should restore most of his health after a nonfatal injury 39.
• Storage space: Used to retrieve the Advanced Life Potion before handing it to Chen Chuan 39.

Relationships

• Chen Chuan — Recruited researcher and recipient of Alex's instruction, resources, and protection. Alex directs him toward further advancement and identifies the Black Tower as his ultimate destination 24 28 30 40.
• Aikte — Apprentice working at Alex's Potion Cottage; introduces Chen Chuan and brings his potion-making talent to Alex's attention 24.
• Arwen — Chief assistant and researcher on the Heart of Light Potion project; briefs Chen Chuan and carries out Alex's instructions concerning research and training 29 31 40.
• Lina — Another assistant; helps prepare Chen Chuan for the ruins mission with preservation equipment and information 40.
• Acitake — Fellow examination judge who attempts to recruit Chen Chuan. Alex responds with amusement when Chen Chuan honors their earlier agreement 28.
• Aketi — Academy assessor whose interest in Chen Chuan's Mutated Seed of Life prompts Alex to promise intervention; no resulting punishment is shown in the provided chapters 38 40.
• Alia Madison — Alex has spoken to her about Chen Chuan's potion-making talent before the expedition 42.

Notable Quotes

“Remember, Chen Chuan, talent is only the beginning. True growth comes from practice and setbacks.” 24

“The extraction on the night of the full moon will test not only your potion-making skills, but also your ability to survive.” 30

“As for Aketi, I'll handle him. You don't need to worry about him revealing your situation.” 40