Where To?

This had only just begun.

Yet it had already cut five Lady Marys—four hours' worth of lessons.

And the content was not even related to alchemy.

Was it because she had mentioned sacrifices and ritual implements?

Ailin wondered.

"Ailin? What's wrong?"

The Sorceress was genuinely worried now.

In the past, the Witcher Apprentice had never lost focus while listening to her lectures.

This dazed, absent-minded state was exactly like those people who had been beguiled by an Evil God.

Hearing this, Ailin quickly came back to his senses. Thinking the Sorceress was angry, he looked up, about to apologize.

But to his surprise, Lady Vesemir's delicate, fair face was tightly furrowed with concern, as though it were about to spill over.

Ailin felt a warmth in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he said,

"Lady Vesemir, I'm fine. The ritual implements bestowed by the God of Ill Omen are made of bone, right?"

Seeing the Sorceress hesitate, Ailin paused before reassuring her,

"I understand what you mean, Lady Vesemir. Don't worry, that Drowner Whistle did not come from an Evil God."

"Are you sure?" Lady Vesemir was still doubtful.

She had taught Ailin so many classes. How could she not know his level in alchemy?

The Sorceress raised her index finger and tapped her full, moist red lips. After thinking for a few seconds, she said,

"Then make one here and show me. An Evil God's ritual implement cannot be made without Divine Power."

"What materials do you need?"

Make it now?

Ailin froze for a moment, then instinctively listed the materials needed for the Drowner Whistle.

"Only drowner throat bones are needed."

Snap!

An orange-yellow portal unfolded inside the Alchemy Room.

Before Ailin could react, Lady Vesemir had already vanished into the portal.

"What... we're making a Drowner Whistle already?"

The Witcher Apprentice muttered to himself.

Damn!

I don't even know alchemy!

After being stunned for a few seconds by the Sorceress's decisiveness, Ailin quickly opened the Witcher's Handbook with a thought.

Before the Sorceress returned, he had to learn how to make a Drowner Whistle.

Ding! Spend 7,001 Lesser Experience Orbs to unlock the Alchemy skill?

Spend them!

In an instant, an enormous amount of knowledge flooded Ailin's mind: beakers, crucibles, Distillation Kettles...

The use of countless alchemical tools, the methods for processing countless ordinary herbs, magical materials, and monster organs, their medicinal properties, magical substrates, and more all poured into Ailin's mind, leaving his head splitting with pain.

Lady Vesemir had been conservative in her estimate. Learning beginner alchemy would take far more than half a year.

If one truly studied it, even three or four years might only be enough to grasp the basics.

Just recognizing all the equipment and commonly used materials would take half a year.

About five minutes later, Ailin finally finished absorbing all the knowledge gained from leveling up.

"Fortunately, there aren't any drowner throat bones stocked in the Alchemy Room."

The Witcher Apprentice wiped the blood flowing from his nose in relief.

If the Sorceress had caught him in that state while unlocking a skill, Ailin probably would not have been able to clear himself of suspicion as an Evil God's follower even if he jumped into Killer Lake.

After carefully wiping the blood from his face, Ailin opened the Drowner Whistle blueprint tucked away in the corner of his inventory.

Name: Drowner Whistle

Type: Crafting Blueprint

Crafting Requirement: Alchemy LV1

Recipe: Drowner Throat Bone ×3

Function: Blow the Drowner Whistle to produce a whistle that attracts drowners.

Note: Witcher + Drowner Whistle = ?

"Yesterday, I thought this was some useless thing that could only gather dust at the bottom of a chest. I never expected it to become the first recipe I'd use."

Ailin sighed. After activating it with a thought, the process of crafting a Drowner Whistle appeared in his mind.

At that moment.

Bang~

An orange portal opened before Ailin.

Lady Vesemir had returned.

No, the first thing to emerge from the portal was not Lady Vesemir.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Before Ailin could get a clear look, a pale-white waterfall poured out of the portal.

The Witcher Apprentice stared at it in astonishment.

How was that a waterfall?

Every single object sliding down in a dense stream was a bone.

They were all drowner throat bones—the materials Ailin needed to make a Drowner Whistle.

A single throat bone was only half the size of a fist.

To create such a spectacular sight, there had to be nearly a thousand of them, right?

Even more remarkably, despite so many drowner bones being piled together, there was not the slightest foul smell.

The Alchemy Room still carried its faint fragrance of oranges mixed with cardamom.

Where had Lady Vesemir found so many processed throat bones?

Could it be that the Sorceress had a materials warehouse specifically for drowner throat bones?

But weren't only drowner brains and tongues valuable for alchemy?

Ailin had vaguely guessed something, but he did not dare be certain.

"Thud, thud, thud~"

Once all the throat bones had fallen, the Sorceress's graceful figure stepped out of the portal as well.

"Ailin, are this many throat bones enough?"

"Enough! More than enough!" Ailin nodded repeatedly, unconsciously lowering his voice.

Looking at the throat bones that had almost formed a small mountain, he could practically see the Sorceress expressionlessly slaughtering drowner after drowner...

"Lady Vesemir, did you get so many throat bones from some materials warehouse?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lady Vesemir gave the Witcher Apprentice a strange look. "Didn't Vesemir teach you that only drowner brains and tongues are useful?"

"Then these throat bones...?"

"I got them just now. Since you need them, I simply prepared more at once."

After explaining, Lady Vesemir waved her hand, signaling Ailin to hurry up and prepare to make the Drowner Whistle.

Hearing this, Ailin's mind went blank in shock.

These throat bones had really been taken from drowners Lady Vesemir had killed in the past few minutes?

Where had she killed them?

Wouldn't the nearest place be Killer Lake?

A flood of questions surfaced in Ailin's mind, only to disappear again.

It took him a moment to come back to his senses.

He could not help marveling inwardly,

Vesemir and Leto have good reason to revere Lady Vesemir. She killed nearly a thousand drowners just to gather materials once...

"Ailin, what's wrong? Are you still missing something?"

Ailin hurriedly shook his head, avoiding the Sorceress's gaze as he began crafting the Drowner Whistle.

Although the Drowner Whistle blueprint only required Alchemy LV1, it was not actually easy to make.

Inside the cylindrical body was a ring-shaped hollow chamber. An irregular bone ball would rotate within that chamber, striking the inner walls and producing a sound that attracted drowner packs.

Thus, the irregular bone ball was one difficult part.

The space and shape of the hollow chamber were another.

Both appeared to have irregular shapes, as though they had been made at random.

But in truth, both had been deliberately carved.

That was why it was difficult. It required steady hands and intense concentration.

In the end, Ailin spent nearly three hours completing a finished product.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ailin fitted the bone bead together with the two halves of the cylindrical body, then turned to look at Lady Vesemir, who had been silent for a long time.

He discovered that the Sorceress's beautiful eyes were fixed on him in a daze, her clear, bright dark-red pupils distinctly reflecting his figure.

Like the calm surface of Killer Lake reflecting the green grass and trees along its shore.

"Is it finished?"

The Sorceress asked after noticing his gaze.

Ailin nodded.

Snap!

An orange portal opened.

The Sorceress rose and looked at the stunned Ailin.

"Come on, Ailin. Let's find a place to test it."

"Where to?"

Ailin froze.

"Of course, the nearest place..."

New author, new book. Please keep reading, leave comments, bookmark, and vote with monthly tickets!

Thanks to readers "Luoyu" and "20240104221229892" for the monthly tickets.