Magic Flame

Inside the magic creature breeding room.

As Locke resisted the Dryad's passive Human Charm, he used a small knife to cut open its wrist and draw the blood from its body.

"Human, our Dryad tribe will tear you to pieces!"

"I'll use your heart to hatch new Dryads!"

The Dryad struggled violently, trying to break free, but the next moment, an invisible Mandrake Vine seized its throat and squeezed its neck, leaving it unable to move or speak.

A normal Dryad's combat strength was at least equal to that of a First-Class Wizard Apprentice.

However, every iron cage in this breeding room had been enchanted by the Enchantment School with restraining and suppressive spells. Thus, Locke only needed a Vine Hand to suppress this frenzied Dryad.

But if he opened the iron cage, things would be different.

The Dryad would likely open every cage holding magic creatures in the breeding room in the shortest possible time, causing a mass prison break.

The Dryad hung suspended inside the iron cage, staring doubtfully at the space before it. Since the Mandrake Vine remained invisible, it could not even see what had attacked it.

"What... is... this...?"

"Damn... Wizard... Apprentice..."

"When I get out..."

After drawing 500 ml of fresh Dryad blood, Locke put away the knife. The Dryad's rough, old-tree-bark skin quickly healed, leaving only a scar resembling bark.

Locke looked at the Dryad blood in his hand. It was green, yet within that green was a glass-like sheen.

It looked like green glass.

To Wizards, every part of a Dryad is a treasure, Locke thought. But even capturing and imprisoning one is fraught with danger.

Anyone below First-Class Wizard Apprentice probably shouldn't attempt to capture a magic creature of this level.

Locke covered the iron cage with black cloth to prevent the Dryad from using Human Charm to influence the other magic creatures and create unnecessary risks.

He had read in a miscellaneous book that a Wizard Apprentice had once kept a Dryad and a Kobold together. The Dryad charmed the Kobold and used it to escape from the laboratory.

Human Charm could affect any humanoid creature with a certain degree of intelligence.

Locke left the breeding room and arrived at Teacher Sophia's wooden hut for brewing potions—her potion room.

The potion room's shelves were crammed with bottles and jars containing specimens of bizarre creatures. Quite a few even bore danger labels warning others not to touch them carelessly.

Using the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method, Locke combined the Dryad Bloodline with the Bloodline-Targeted Extraction Potion brewed by Sophia, separating out the Dryad Bloodline Essence he needed before handing it to her. "Teacher, this is the Dryad Bloodline Essence. There are two portions in total."

Sophia nodded. "Mm, put them over there first."

"Locke, now that you're a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, you should start learning more useful things."

"From now on, you can be responsible for the Magic Flame I use when brewing potions."

Locke asked in confusion, "Teacher, what is Magic Flame?"

With a wave of Sophia's hand, the entire wooden potion room lit up. Multicolored flames blazed fiercely within one crucible after another.

There were red, blue, green, purple, and even mixed colors.

Sophia raised her right hand, and an azure flame settled in her palm. "Generally speaking, a Formal Wizard's Potions assistant must at least be a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice. Sometimes, a First-Class Wizard Apprentice is required."

"That is because a Potions assistant must help their teacher control the heat and type of Magic Flame."

"Among all the miscellaneous disciplines, Potions, Alchemy, and Enchanting are the most complex."

Sophia said, "An independent Breeder only needs to be a First-Class Wizard Apprentice."

"But an independent Potion Master must possess the magical rank of a First-Ring Wizard."

Sophia continued, "During the process of brewing potions, the requirements for flame are especially demanding. The temperature and properties of the flame are key factors in potion brewing."

"For example, this Azure Elemental Magic Flame in my hand has the gentlest properties, is close to nature, and burns at roughly 1,400 degrees Celsius. It is one of the more commonly used Magic Flames."

"The temperatures and properties of flames differ by color." Sophia suddenly clenched her fist, extinguishing the azure flame. Then she spread her palm, and a red flame rose from its center. "This is Fire Element Flame. Its temperature is 1,000 degrees Celsius, and its nature is explosive. This Magic Flame is used when brewing potions with particularly potent effects."

Sophia explained, "So far, you have already encountered the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method. Now I'll teach you a more advanced Magic Flame technique."

"But these are merely peripheral knowledge in Potions. If you want to become a true Potion Master, the things assistants know are far from enough."

"Locke, the road of magic is immensely vast. You have a long way ahead of you."

"But for now, mastering these things will at least allow you to become a competent assistant."

Locke was utterly enthralled.

This was the advantage of being a Formal Wizard's only student.

If it were another Formal Wizard, he would never have had the chance to learn this knowledge.

Nor would another Formal Wizard allow a Wizard Seedling who had only just become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice to serve as their Potions assistant.

Sophia said to Locke, "I'll give you the Spell Model for Magic Flame. The specific technique is to use this Spell Model to summon flames and inject elemental particles in different proportions."

"That way, you can create flames with different attributes."

"But this is only the beginning. Different potions require different Magic Flames. Sometimes, brewing a single potion requires switching between several, or even dozens, of different Magic Flames."

"All right, begin trying now. Summon a Wood Element Particle Flame inside this crucible of mine."

Locke froze for a moment, then accepted the Spell Model scroll Sophia handed him and began learning from the beginning.

But at that moment, Wesley Durant, who had remained silent all along, finally could not help speaking. "Sophia, I have no objection to letting your student practice Magic Flame."

"But if we wait until he learns it, I'm afraid the Thousand Sores Curse will have already turned me into a puddle of rotten flesh."

"Find someone else for him to practice on."

Sophia glanced at him. "Wesley, now you know fear."

"But it isn't a major problem."

"Your First Ring Permanent Defense Field, [All-Metal Devourer], is an exceptionally powerful permanent defensive spell. At the very least, you won't truly die within a week."

"Locke has great talent when it comes to Mana stability. The Spell Model for Magic Flame is very simple; the key is stable Mana. He is gifted in that regard, so you needn't worry."

Under Wesley Durant's slightly panicked gaze, Sophia found a stool and sat down. She actually began flipping through a book and reading.