Alchemy Experiment

When Saine returned to Mentor Moxidu's laboratory, Mentor Moxidu's pale yellow eyes studied him several times with keen interest.

"Heh heh heh, you little fellow, you certainly know how to stir up trouble."

"For a mere compulsory academy mission, you actually came back covered in wounds again." Mentor Moxidu clicked his tongue in wonder at Saine.

Facing his mentor's mockery and barbs, Saine lowered his head awkwardly.

Before coming here, he had already been scolded by Lina.

Fortunately, this time it had been danger without disaster. After a thorough examination, no aftereffects had been left behind.

Only his superficial wounds needed some time to heal.

Even the scratch on his neck merely looked frightening. Other than the troublesome paralytic toxin caused by Blue Moss, it was not a serious injury.

Seeing Saine remain silent, Moxidu said nothing more.

Only before entering the laboratory did he add, "Hmph, I won't use Flesh Regeneration magic on you this time. Feel these aches and pains properly, and see whether you'll still be so reckless in the future."

Mentor Moxidu entered the laboratory directly and paid Saine no further attention. Instead, Saine's Senior Brother and Senior Sister stepped forward to check on him.

Taking the opportunity, Saine told his Senior Sister Fei'er that he hoped to learn how to make Nutrient Potions from her.

At the same time, he asked Senior Brother Zorro whether he could spare some time to instruct him in alchemy.

Of course, asking his two senior apprentices for help meant Saine would have to pay a certain price.

Mages had always followed the Principle of Equivalent Exchange. As long as Baus could successfully sell that batch of goods, Saine would have enough money to pay his two senior apprentices.

Even if that failed, Saine still had some good things in his possession.

Whether it was the Magic Beast Core of the Saltwater Crocodile or the low-grade core of the Blue Jaw Feather King, he could take them out as payment to thank his two senior apprentices.

Saine had long understood one thing: wealth was ultimately something outside oneself. Only real, tangible power truly belonged to him.

And to mages, knowledge was power.

Senior Sister Fei'er agreed to Saine's request at once.

The process of making Nutrient Potions was not complicated. In fact, Saine's desire to learn their preparation from her gave Fei'er, who had never been much of a cook, a peculiar sense of excitement and satisfaction.

Senior Brother Zorro, however, did not agree so readily.

After pondering for a moment, he replied, "Recently, I've been helping our mentor complete an Alchemy Experiment. I probably won't have much time during the day. I'll only be free to teach you at night."

The Underground World had no distinction between day and night, but its basic sense of time still followed that of the Surface World.

Every time period at the Black Wizard Academy had its corresponding bell signal. The rest and class schedules of Magic Apprentices also followed this principle of time.

Both senior apprentices had agreed to Saine's requests, and neither had mentioned what compensation they wanted. This moved Saine deeply.

In truth, Mentor Moxidu had long instructed the two of them to give Saine more guidance.

Since the mentor himself had no time to teach Saine, naturally these two disciples who had entered earlier had to help share some of the burden.

In a rather excited mood, the still-injured Saine returned to the side room that belonged solely to him.

Today, he would mainly meditate on Mental Strength here at his mentor's place. Before he had fully recovered, he probably would not be able to assist his mentor with any experimental research.

Senior Sister Fei'er also left soon afterward. Only after watching Saine enter the side room did Senior Brother Zorro quietly turn over his thoughts before leaving.

"Just as I thought, did Mentor take Saine in because he saw a few traces of Second Junior Brother in him?"

"Other than that head of golden hair, what resembles him more is his temperament and way of doing things..."

Thinking of that junior apprentice who had tragically fallen thirty years ago, Zorro let out a soft sigh.

Among Mentor Moxidu's disciples, the one with the greatest potential should have been Second Junior Brother.

Like Zorro, Second Junior Brother had followed Moxidu all the way from the Western Islands to the Underdark.

As for Third Junior Sister Fei'er, Fourth Junior Brother, and Fifth Junior Brother Saine, whom Mentor Moxidu accepted later, they had all become his disciples only after arriving in the Underdark.

In terms of the effort and affection invested, that fallen Second Junior Brother had been Mentor Moxidu's true, designated inheritor of his will.

With another sigh, Zorro turned and entered the laboratory.

Recently, the alchemy work he and his mentor had been undertaking was rather heavy, because the two Vice Deans over at Shadow Valley had already begun pressing them.

Before a small Laboratory Table, Saine stared intently at a Blue Jaw Feather Claw that had been secured in front of him.

He held a Triangular Cone Magic Fine Cone, a gift Senior Brother Zorro had given him a few days earlier.

Fine, complex lines multiplied across the surface of the Blue Jaw Feather Claw as Saine carefully drew them with the fine cone in his hand.

When these tiny lines had gradually covered two-thirds of the Blue Jaw Feather Claw, the moment Saine's mind relaxed slightly, elemental turbulence suddenly appeared.

The once unremarkable Blue Jaw Feather Claw abruptly gave off intense heat. Not only did it melt part of the steel support frame on the Laboratory Table, but the lines Saine had painstakingly carved over several hours were also completely destroyed.

Feeling that the faint Element Power within the Blue Jaw Feather Claw had been entirely depleted, Saine dejectedly slapped the bird claw onto the Laboratory Table and said gloomily, "Failed again!"

This was the third Blue Jaw Feather Claw Saine had ruined. Considering that the material of one Blue Jaw Feather Claw was enough for him to attempt carving a Magic Rune Array three or four times—

That meant Saine had already failed more than ten times before this!

Sure enough, there were no born geniuses in this world.

Even though his mentor and Senior Brother had praised him for having some talent in alchemy—

He still could not immediately create any magical item, not even by adding a simple Sharpness Spell to a Blue Jaw Feather Claw.

That was only because, as a magic beast material, the Blue Jaw Feather Claw itself possessed a certain elemental nature.

If it were some other magical steel or ordinary metal, then without abundant innate Element Power, alchemists would have to infuse it with Element Power themselves.

The risks and energy instability involved would be even greater, and the failure rate even higher.

Who knew how many failures those genuine alchemists had gone through before becoming true alchemists?

No wonder Senior Sister Fei'er, with her lively and restless nature, had no interest in alchemy.

Repeated blows truly made it easy for people to lose confidence.

The discouragement in his heart did not affect Saine for long. Shaking his head to cast away those negative emotions, Saine reflected on what mistakes he had made during his previous attempts and what could be improved.

It was not only Saine's own problems. The Laboratory Table before him, as well as the Blue Jaw Feather Claw that had already failed twice before, were all within Saine's consideration.

After a long while, Saine picked up another Blue Jaw Feather Claw. Instead of immediately beginning, he said to Lina, who was quietly reading Magic Books beside him, "This Laboratory Table really is too small. It's time to put our moving plans back on the agenda."