The Notes and Kungu's Wish
The String Knight solemnly handed the ink-dried notebook to Lu Yuan, without any airs of a senior or expert, nor any empty, morally manipulative advice. He simply spoke in a very calm and honest tone:
"Although I don't know the specific arrangements Rock Grand Knight Commander has for you this time, once you're outside, you must always prioritize your own safety."
"Your talent in Potion Studies is unparalleled. It's not impossible for you to become the empire's master alchemist in the future. When that time comes, I might even need you to help me concoct certain potions."
Lu Yuan accepted the thick, densely written notebook with both hands, deeply moved. He solemnly tucked it into his robes and earnestly replied to the String Knight:
"Don't worry, I'll keep everything you said in mind."
The String Knight nodded in satisfaction and didn't linger. He only mentioned that he had a large amount of war supplies to oversee and manage in his logistics department before turning and hurriedly leaving.
Frey, who had been tidying up the potion bottles, only realized that Lu Yuan was actually leaving the Academy for a field mission the next day after hearing what the String Knight had just said.
She paused in her actions, stepped closer to Lu Yuan, pouted, and stared at him with a hint of displeasure, saying:
"You're going out on a mission tomorrow, why didn't you tell me anything about it these past few days?"
Looking at her accusing expression, Lu Yuan helplessly shrugged and explained:
"This mission was personally assigned to me by Rock Grand Knight Commander, and there are some things that are indeed inconvenient to discuss outside beforehand."
Frey gave a soft hum, her little temper quickly dissipating, but she sighed with some distress and said:
"Since you're leaving so suddenly, I don't have anything suitable to give you right now. Here, take this."
As Frey spoke, she took out a small, square box, about the size of a palm, from her hidden pocket and handed it over. The box had four delicate little pillars standing at its four corners, and its surface was intricately decorated with gems and runes of various colors, making it both beautiful and extremely luxurious.
Lu Yuan looked down at the exquisite little box handed to him and was slightly taken aback. He wondered if the box, so small and delicate, contained some kind of jewelry for girls.
Frey could tell what Lu Yuan was thinking from his slightly strange look. She pouted helplessly and reached out to gently unfasten the clasp on the small square box for him.
Inside the small box was a soft padding, and in the center lay a delicate oval-shaped bottle of medicine, no bigger than a thumb, with the clear liquid swaying gently in the intricately patterned bottle.
The moment the box was opened, even Oden in Lu Yuan's mind couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm," curiously examining the small box as he looked around:
"Huh, what kind of potion is this? I've never seen it before, and what kind of potion is so precious that it needs to be specially packaged in a box covered with stabilizing runes?"
Frey, unaware of Oden's mutterings, pointed to the oval-shaped potion, about the size of a thumb, in the box and earnestly explained it to Lu Yuan:
"This is a unique medicine in our family. Even I don't have many of them. Its effects are very special. It can bring you different benefits depending on your current physical condition and situation when you drink it."
"As for the specific effects you'll get after drinking it, I'm not entirely sure. This potion sometimes seems rather useless, but it can be incredibly helpful at crucial moments. Plus, its preparation process is extremely complicated and intricate; even I haven't mastered it yet. I hope it can be of assistance to you while you're out there."
At this point, Frey seemed to remember something important, and pointed to the small square box inlaid with colorful runes, solemnly reminding him:
"By the way, you absolutely mustn't lose this little box that holds the medicine, because only this special box can lock in and stabilize the potion's effectiveness. If you use any other ordinary box, the medicine inside will quickly become completely ineffective."
Lu Yuan looked down at the crystal-clear oval-shaped potion in the box, and two lines of Gray-White Text quickly appeared in front of his eyes:
[Ancient Alchemical Product Detected: Kungu's Wish (Ancient Alchemical Arts) (Special Item) (Diluted Version)]
[A special Alchemical Product that seems to achieve some kind of purpose, but why are humans able to create such a thing?]
The moment Lu Yuan saw the last half of the Gray-White Text, he was immediately taken aback. This was the first time he had ever seen Gray-White Text pop up in an item description with such a questioning tone. This alone was enough to show just how rare this potion Kungu's Wish was.
Both the unusual assessment in Gray-White Text and the extremely intricate and sturdy runes on the small box with four corner pillars clearly indicate that this item is an absolute treasure for Frey.
Lu Yuan instinctively wanted to push such a valuable item back, but considering the unpredictable dangers of the upcoming journey to the Northern Territory, and how rare such an ancient alchemical life-saving trump card that could adapt to different situations was, after a brief hesitation, he carefully closed the small box again and casually asked Frey another question:
"Does your family have any other such potions?"
Upon hearing this, Frey first shook her head, then nodded, and honestly replied:
"The production of this potion is extremely limited, and its effects are inconsistent and sometimes less than ideal, so the family's reserves have always been very small. Moreover, the vast majority of what is produced is traded with important figures by the family."
After hearing this, Lu Yuan understood everything. He realized that he owed Frey a real favor this time, so he didn't stand on ceremony anymore and solemnly put the exquisite little box into his pocket.
Frey watched Lu Yuan put the box away, only slightly tugging at the corners of her mouth, without mentioning the potion again. Instead, she suddenly straightened her fair face, looked up at Lu Yuan with a serious expression, and instructed him:
"You must be very careful when you get out there. Don't die out there for no reason!"
Looking at her deliberately mature and serious expression, Lu Yuan smiled and nodded in response:
"Don't worry, I'll definitely be fine. It's you who should stay at the Academy. Be extra careful when you're concocting medicine on your own, and don't be as reckless as you were last time."
Frey gave a soft "hmm" and nodded obediently. Then she turned around and walked back into the depths of the Pharmacy Group to continue working on the data that hadn't been tested yet. Lu Yuan glanced at her from the spot, then turned and left the Hanging Tower with the small box and the String Knight's Notes.