By the time Xiao Se entered the examination venue, the hall was already packed with people, and the murmurs of discussion were unceasing.
At the head of the hall sat two elderly men, both wearing Fourth-Rank Alchemist badges on their chests. One was Otto, whom Xiao Se had seen earlier. The other was a rather thin old man. Listening to their conversation, Xiao Se finally recalled the identity of this minor alchemist character—the president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild, Fokland.
Beside Vice President Otto, Lin Fei pointed at Xiao Se from time to time. Otto then gave Xiao Se an apologetic smile, leaving him rather speechless.
In the center of the hall stood more than ten separated stone platforms, each covered with medicinal ingredients and alchemy equipment. At that moment, five young people stood impatiently within the platforms.
"Fokland, I heard you recently took in a disciple as well?" Otto gave Xiao Se a friendly look before turning to Fokland beside him with a smile.
"Hehe, you old fellow took Lin Fei as your disciple, so am I not allowed to take one too? Let me tell you, that girl Xue Mei is quite gifted. Sooner or later, she'll surpass both of us old fellows," Fokland said with a chuckle as he stroked his beard.
"The sooner she surpasses us, the better. The Black Rock City Alchemist Guild is suffering from a lack of new talent. If the two of us old fellows are all that's holding it up, I'm afraid the resources allocated by headquarters will only keep dwindling." Otto sighed softly. His gaze swept over the five people at the stone platforms, carrying a clear air of disappointment. Only when it passed over Xiao Se did his expression ease somewhat. *I hope this little fellow can