Nutrient Potion

Di'ersi was unimpressed by Moxidu's lament before her.

As a spellcaster, Di'ersi maintained the pride inherent to magicians, along with her contempt for the knightly class.

They were a group that only knew how to wield brute force. How could they possibly understand the profundity of magic and the grandeur of Elemental Power?

Although there were no knights in the Underdark, Di'ersi also knew that on the Surface World—or rather, throughout the entire Wizard World—the number of knights had always far exceeded that of magicians of the same rank.

The reason for this was, on one hand, that the threshold for becoming a knight was indeed lower than that for becoming a magician. On the other hand, it was also related to the broader recruitment range for Knight Attendants that Moxidu had just mentioned.

After all, there were fewer nobles in this world; commoners made up the majority of the population.

Although knights who mastered powerful battle qi and physical strength would ultimately embark upon the path of nobility,

at the very least, this provided the countless human commoners of the Wizard World with a path to nobility, rather than condemning them to remain commoners for generation after generation.

Of course, the large number of knights and their lower threshold also led to another fact.

Among knights and magicians of the same rank, magicians often held somewhat higher status than knights.

Moreover, given sufficient Magic Shields prepared in advance for defense, magicians also performed far better than knights.

Whether in striking distance or area of effect, the power of magical elements surpassed the battle qi wielded by knights.

Furthermore, knights, who produced nothing and knew only how to fight with brute force, had to rely heavily on magicians in both alchemical equipment and Magic Potion.

Even for the simplest Energy Gathering Magic Array that could accelerate cultivation, those burly knights would be left scratching their heads when they saw it, able only to seek help from magicians who possessed vast knowledge and Elemental Power.

It was precisely for all these reasons that, although the major Holy Towers and Knights' Halls had repeatedly declared on the surface that knights and magicians held equal status,

in practice, magicians remained more sought-after and were the very people knights of the same rank needed to curry favor with.

Their hostility toward the Surface Holy Towers and Knights' Halls, along with their complaints about the environment in which Black Magicians generally lived,

made Moxidu and Di'ersi, the two Formal Black Wizards, rather more talkative today.

Inside the laboratory, Saine knew nothing of this.

With the help of his Senior Brother Zorro, he once again began attempting to enchant the Blue Jaw Feather Claws.

Half a month later, three Blue Jaw Feather Claws imbued with the "Sharpness Spell" were Saine's greatest gains during this period.

Of course, besides that, Saine had also learned from his Senior Sister Fei'er how to make the "dark cuisine" known as Nutrient Potion.

He called it "dark cuisine" because, during the learning process, Saine had finally discovered exactly what Senior Sister Fei'er put into it.

The black Little Zerg whose names Saine could not yet identify were one thing, but he had even seen Senior Sister Fei'er take out a portion of thick yellow liquid.

When Saine asked what it was, Senior Sister Fei'er calmly replied, "Underground Multi-Legged Packhorse saliva."

Saine's ugly expression at the time revealed the rich turmoil in his heart.

Senior Sister Fei'er naturally guessed what Saine was thinking. Usually lively and cheerful around Saine, she put on a stern face and scolded him for the first time.

"What do you know? The inner side of a Black Scabies Insect's shell is rich in energy. It is one of the most important ingredients in my Nutrient Potion."

"Underground Multi-Legged Packhorse saliva has excellent dissolving properties. Adding it can speed up the fusion of the various ingredients in the potion and extend its shelf life," Senior Sister Fei'er lectured.

Senior Sister Fei'er's reprimand immediately made Saine straighten up.

Indeed, whether the pitch-black, unsettling Little Zerg or the disgusting Packhorse saliva, they were merely outward appearances.

As a magician, Saine should not be deceived by appearances. He should see through them and strike directly at the very essence of things.

Just as when handling specimens, what appeared before Saine was no longer a corpse, but a treasure trove containing knowledge related to life and bloodlines.

Only with such a mindset could Saine truly be called a Truth Explorer and travel farther in the future.

Senior Sister Fei'er's lesson influenced Saine for a very long time thereafter.

Even many years later, whenever Saine recalled those words, he still felt that they were indeed a supreme truth belonging to the spellcaster community of the Wizard World.

"I think the shell of the Black Scabies Insect can be replaced with the roots and stems of Cane Thistle Grass. Their properties are similar, and both contain relatively high energy."

"As for the saliva of the Underground Multi-Legged Packhorse, I think Green Plum juice, or the Ailan Water I prepared, could replace it."

"Of course, these are only my initial thoughts. Whether or not it will work still needs to be tested in practice."

"My mentor said that even a tiny alteration in formula ingredients—or changes in dosage and adjustments to the heat—could cause obvious deviations in the final reagent." Inside Fatty Baus's shop, Meili spoke timidly to Saine.

Saine's deadline for his next compulsory academy mission was drawing closer and closer. He had come to Fatty Baus's today to purchase some low-level materials, and happened to run into Meili, who had also come here.

After chatting with Meili for a few moments about their recent circumstances, Saine casually brought up the matter of Nutrient Potion.

After all, Meili was the genuine potion apprentice. His senior sister Fei'er had only taken it up halfway through, and in terms of professional expertise, she might even be inferior to Meili, who was merely a low-level apprentice.

Sure enough, after only a few exchanges, Saine received this answer that left him stunned.

Saine's slightly stunned, blank stare made Meili's cheeks flush faintly.

Before Saine could say anything, Meili proactively said, "Once I finish assisting my mentor with those potion experiments, I'll help you see how the formula can be improved."

Meili's answer finally brought Saine back to his senses.

Saine waved his hand and said, "No, no. As long as this Nutrient Potion works, that's enough. Its taste and exact formula are secondary."

"On the other hand, Meili, you should also spend some time and effort on cultivation. If I remember correctly, your Mental Strength is only at 17 points now, right?" Saine asked.

Meili had helped Saine greatly. Those two potions last time had practically saved his life.

For that reason, Saine had also repaid her quite a bit during this period.

Besides tutoring Meili on Fire Element-related knowledge in his spare time between experiments and study, Saine had also lent her his Crystal Ball several times.

Meili's initial Mental Strength had been as high as 13 points, yet after several years, it had increased by only four points.

This cultivation speed was relatively slow at the Black Wizard Academy.

Fortunately, Meili's foundation was extremely high. Some apprentices were already in their twenties, yet their Mental Strength remained in the teens, leaving them with almost no possibility of advancing to Intermediate Apprentice.

At Meili's current age of fifteen, however, 17 points of Mental Strength gave her a seventy percent chance of advancing to Intermediate Apprentice.

Fatty Baus, on the other hand, lacked talent and was not particularly diligent. Whether or not he could advance to Intermediate Apprentice before the age of thirty was a serious question.