Special Supplement

Xia Lin leaned closer to the special supplement of "Arcana of the Mage," his gaze fixed on the paper Emily was pointing to.

"Abstract: This study aims to explore the physiological and mental Aegis faced by adult individuals during the development stage of Arcane Potential. Based on the decipherment of ancient fragments of 'Affinity Amplification' Alchemy from the era of the ancient magic empire, we attempt to reproduce an Alchemical Potion that may improve the communication efficiency of the magic net in adult individuals—provisionally named 'Mind-Expanding Potion.'"

Seeing Xia Lin engrossed, Emily puffed up with pride and, imitating the tone of the old scholars in the Mage Tower when reciting papers, began to read with dramatic inflection: "1. Introduction: The difficulty of developing Arcane Potential in adult individuals has long been considered a major problem in arcane research. Traditional views hold that after the age of 14, an individual's mental power shaping period ends, and the difficulty of perceiving the magic net increases geometrically..."

Xia Lin had little patience for these convoluted arguments. His fingers slid directly over the dense small print, skipping chapters like "Magical Power Diffraction Spectrum Analysis of Material Purification" and "Mental Power Fluctuation Spectrum Comparison Model," his eyes eagerly searching for the most crucial part—the formula.

Found it! In the middle of the paper, "3.2 'Mind-Expanding Potion' Alchemical Formula and Preparation Process (Fragment Restoration)":

"Core solvent base: Dawn Dewgrass Juice (three ounces), Bellflower Powder (one qian), Moonlight Moss Extract (one-fifth pint)..."

Xia Lin quickly scanned these lines, muttering to himself, "Dawn Dewgrass, Bellflower, Moonlight Moss... these things don't seem like rare treasures, do they? They should all be available in Orlando's herb garden?"

He flipped directly to the conclusion section of the paper:

"...In summary, the 'Mind-Expanding Potion' has significant auxiliary enhancement effects on Arcane Energy perception and mental power concentration for low-level apprentices who have successfully communicated with the magic net. However, for adult individuals who have not yet communicated with the magic net, the efficacy of this potion remains uncertain. Preliminary experiments indicate that it seems to be able to 'soften' the solidified mental Aegis of adult individuals to some extent, slightly improving their affinity for magic net energy, and in extremely rare cases, even observing a slight enhancement of the individual's innate 'talent'..."

"Hey! There's hope!" Xia Lin's eyes lit up when he read this, almost crushing the thin booklet.

"Brother, don't get too excited yet." Emily poured a bucket of cold water on him, pointing to a line of supplementary notes in extremely small font after the conclusion, "See this?" "However, the final formation of this potion is subject to a very difficult external condition."

Xia Lin's heart tightened again, and he quickly read on.

"...According to the deciphered fragments of ancient texts, after all alchemy steps are completed, the 'Mind-Expanding Potion' must be placed under 'continuous Divine Grace Radiation' and undergo at least two standard shichen of 'Divine Baking' to fully activate its medicinal effects and neutralize potential violent energy conflicts within the ingredients..."

"Divine Baking?" Xia Lin frowned, "What the hell is that?"

"Simply put, you need to find a big shot who can continuously and stably radiate divine power for two hours onto your potion." Emily made an exaggerated casting gesture, explaining it crudely, "Clergy members who can achieve this level are all treasures kept in major Temples! A Cardinal? A Grand Knight Commander of the Holy Temple? Do you think you can get someone of that caliber to 'bake' a magic potion of unknown effect for you?"

At the end of the paper, the author, who signed as "Seven-Ring Mage, Member of the Arcane Truth Council, Sri Lanka Monske," wrote in a tone tinged with awe for the unknown, yet also with the unique obsession and regret of a researcher:

"...Therefore, although the 'Mind-Expanding Potion' theoretically reveals some possibilities for mortals to intervene with talent, its absolute reliance on 'divine grace' for implementation undoubtedly casts a seemingly insurmountable shadow over this path of exploration. Perhaps, this is the boundary of mortal wisdom. After all, the authority over the mysteries of life and talent has always been firmly held by those Deities residing high in the Astral Plane."

"So, brother," Emily closed the copy of "Arcana of the Mage" and patted Xia Lin's shoulder earnestly, "just give up on this idea. Just be an Adventurer honestly, chop up some Goblins, and loot some kobold Treasure Chests. Isn't that good enough? You insist on messing with magic, that's just asking for trouble with your wallet and your brain."

"Ha," Sera's slightly hoarse voice rang out again, her dark red eyes flickering with an inexplicable light in the dim attic, "This Goddess of Magic's kinks are more colorful than I imagined. Not only does she like young, tender apprentices, but she also has a fondness for adults who need to take medicine to change themselves."

After hearing this, Emily burst into unrestrained laughter again, tears almost streaming from her eyes: "Sera, you've hit the nail on the head! That's so accurate! No, no, I must introduce you to some of my equally unreliable friends. You guys will definitely hit it off!"

Xia Lin, however, did not laugh.

In his mind, a thought was swirling, a thought related to the mysterious little candle he found on the kobold Altar.

Divine... Baking?

Didn't that candle emit a similar holy, pure energy? Although weak, but...

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and said solemnly to Emily, "Emily, thank you. This formula... can I copy it?"

"Hey, it's no big deal." Emily waved her hand dismissively, "Just an expired old magazine. Brother, if you really manage to make something out of this, remember to tell me first! Maybe I can ride your coattails and get a 'relative of a great mage' title, then I can walk sideways in the Mage Tower!"

Xia Lin carefully copied the potion formula onto the parchment he carried with him, writing every word with extreme seriousness.

After copying, it was already past noon.

"Alright, brother, it's getting late, and I have to go back to watch over my pile of never-ending trash documents." Emily stretched and yawned, "Let's get together again next time. Next time... I'll treat you to juice at 'Elf's Kiss'! The waiters there are real Elves!" She winked at Xia Lin, revealing a sly smile.

Xia Lin and Sera bid farewell to Emily and left the dilapidated attic.

Walking on the streets of Orlando in the afternoon, Sera looked at Xia Lin's thoughtful expression and suddenly said, "Your sister... she doesn't seem to care at all about what you're going to do next, or how you're doing."

Xia Lin's steps paused slightly, then returned to normal, his tone flat, "What else? Did you see her mention anything about our parents from beginning to end? When the family went bankrupt, she wasn't even in Changhe City. Did you see her show even the slightest bit of concern about it?"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "The Toremo family is probably all the same, with 'selfishness' etched into their bones. She doesn't care about me, and I don't really care about her. Being able to occasionally have a meal together and chat like this is already... doing my utmost."

Sera was silent for a moment, then changed the subject, "About the magic net, I saw your expression just now... you seem confident? Do you have any special ideas?"

Xia Lin rubbed his chin, a profound smile appearing on his face. He deliberately drew out his words, creating suspense, "Well... let's just say, it's highly likely to be true, and there's a good chance it will work."

"A uniquely human contradictory expression." Sera shook her head, her dark red eyes looking particularly deep in the afternoon sun, "Always wavering between affirmation and negation."