Side Effects

Locke used ordinary water to practice the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method for an entire afternoon.

The reason he did not continue was not because he had mastered it. After all, this was a skill that required proficiency.

What mattered was not only talent, but also practice time.

The longer he practiced, the more proficient he would become, and the better he would get.

However, Alder had already opened his wooden chest, and the frost runes on it had failed. There was no longer enough time for Locke to practice the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method.

Inside a secluded classroom at Aurelian Academy, the two mixed blood samples in Locke's hands spun rapidly. Then, a trace of gray suddenly appeared within the originally bluish mixture.

As time passed, more and more gray blood appeared inside the vial while the blue liquid dwindled. Yet in the end, the blue blood did not completely disappear; some still remained.

Professor Alder became excited. His body trembled as his eyes locked onto the potion vial in Locke's hand.

That gray blood was the pure magical Stone Crab Bloodline Essence.

Locke also breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. This was his third attempt, and his final chance.

Fortunately, luck was on his side. He had barely succeeded on his last attempt.

I can't really say I've learned it. I just got lucky this time, and the extracted bloodline contains plenty of impurities. Locke thought. I still need to practice the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method every day.

But in the end, I did succeed.

This was a rare experience.

Unfortunately, opportunities on Corfu Island were limited. From now on, he could at most use river water for daily practice.

But that would make progress very slow.

Locke glanced at the ring on his right hand. The Deep Blue Jade he wore had probably already failed.

Deep Blue Jade was like an external filter, forcibly filtering his Mana fluctuations.

But now that he had become a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice, this Mana Fluctuation Filter no longer seemed sufficient. It was no longer possible for a thumb-sized piece of Deep Blue Jade to last him half a month.

Earlier, when he had focused all his attention on driving his Mana, he had actually destroyed the Deep Blue Jade on his hand. Once its special structure had been ruined, it was, in principle, nothing more than an ordinary sapphire, with no further special value.

At most, its color and luster were a little unique.

But if I stack several pieces of Deep Blue Jade together, I can increase the Mana Fluctuation Filter's strength through sheer quantity. It can still keep pace with my magical level, Locke thought.

Locke turned his attention to Alder. He had never let down his guard.

At that moment, Alder could no longer suppress his excitement. He lunged forward and snatched the Stone Crab Bloodline Essence away.

"Yes, yes, there's no problem. Locke, thank you..."

"Although there are many impurities, it wasn't easy for you to achieve this. It isn't your fault."

Alder took out a stand, firewood, and a small crucible from the chest. He placed a piece of Greisen Stone and a Rainbow Rose into the crucible, then poured in a bottle of alcohol.

Locke had previously read the formula for the Stone Crab Bloodline Modification Potion. He knew that once he used the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method to extract the Stone Crab Bloodline Essence, he had essentially completed the main part of the potion.

After all, this potion was merely a simplified product.

The most difficult part had actually been the three Stone Crab Bloodline Separation Potions in Alder's possession, given to him by his Formal Wizard mentor. The moment they used those potions in conjunction with the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method to successfully extract the Stone Crab Bloodline, the main body of the Stone Crab Bloodline Modification Potion had already been completed.

The remaining materials and refining merely adjusted the potion's properties, making it safer to consume.

Even so, Locke had seen a warning note in the refining notes Alder gave him—this was still a life-modification technique that had only been used on test subjects. The technique was not mature, and Wizard Apprentices were not advised to use it on themselves.

Very soon, Alder obtained a small tube of gray potion from the crucible. He drew it into a syringe, then, without caring that Locke was standing beside him, directly inserted the needle into a vein in his arm.

Alder grinned as though he had received immense satisfaction.

Locke saw that the thin, withered arm Alder exposed by lifting his clothes was almost completely bloodless, with barely any flesh left on it. It resembled a dried stone slab from inside a coffin.

There were even signs of decay near the base of Alder's arm.

But after he injected the Stone Crab Bloodline Modification Potion, his arm rapidly swelled like a balloon. His skin turned gray and murky, like a layer of stone hide. Muscles seemed to grow beneath his arm, while the decayed areas were concealed by petrification.

Alder let out a breath, like someone who had nearly suffocated and could finally breathe normally again.

Alder's eyes were filled with amusement, and he seemed a little more relaxed. "I think this should let me hold on for a few more years."

"The Stone Crab Bloodline has given me a powerful physique. And Stone Crabs are creatures that can still eat and move normally even when ninety percent of their bodies have died and decayed."

"With its life characteristics, I can do far more things."

Alder looked at Locke gratefully. "Congratulations, Locke. This counts as your first successful potion refinement. Although you did not operate independently, it still proves you have considerable talent in this area."

"I didn't have much hope that you would succeed."

"I'll tell Tungus about the record of this refinement, so he can enter it into the records."

"This is a major bonus. Very few Wizard Seedlings from native backgrounds have successfully refined a potion before boarding a Wizard Ship. This was roughly a 0.3-circle bloodline modification."

Locke looked at Alder in confusion. "0.3-circle?"

Alder was observing the changes in his body and was in a fairly good mood. "Yes. It's a method of calculating spell power."

"In the Wizarding World, the classic First-Ring Magic Fireball Spell is counted as one circle. The classic cantrip Fingertip Flame is counted as 0.1 circles, while the standard strength of your Vine Hand is around 0.2 circles."

"That's why I said I didn't expect you to succeed."

"Bloodline modification at this level normally requires at least a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice to accomplish."

"I just stumbled into it," Locke said.

Alder nodded, since Locke had not refined it independently this time.

Moreover, the crucial part had actually been completed by his Formal Wizard mentor. The two of them had merely followed the example, carrying out the bloodline modification according to someone else's designed experimental steps and using someone else's pre-packaged potions.

Alder said tiredly, "All right. I don't know why, but I suddenly feel very tired. This may be one of the side effects of the Stone Crab Bloodline Modification."

"Starting tomorrow, come to this classroom every noon. I will teach you Skull Explosion until the day our transaction is complete."

Alder rubbed his forehead. Locke noticed that two heavy dark circles had suddenly appeared around his eyes, and his pupils had begun changing with the Stone Crab Bloodline Modification, becoming narrow and elongated.

That bloodline modification is far too immature, Locke thought warily.

I wonder exactly what side effects have appeared in Alder.

Can he really hold on long enough to teach me Skull Explosion?

Forget it. In three months, I'll be leaving Corfu Island anyway. I'll take things one step at a time. It would be great if I can learn Skull Explosion. If not, then so be it.

Learning the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method and successfully refining a Bloodline Modification Potion once were already unexpected gains, Locke thought.

Locke did not want to stay with the potentially unstable Alder for too long. He gave a slight nod, then turned and quickly left.

After Locke departed, Alder narrowed his eyes and looked toward his office.

Now that his body had been strengthened, it could contain more lifespan.

It didn't matter. This Academy had no shortage of mortal noble families willing to curry favor with him by throwing their useless descendants to him as disposable pawns.