Magic Materials! The Bluff of Grandmaster-Level Potions

Chen Rui left the council chamber and, instead of returning to the laboratory, headed straight for Joseph's magic shop. Given the example of the Vine Stone, magic materials should be able to provide a significant amount of Aura. He wanted to determine exactly which materials could be utilized.

Shea had already announced his appointment as a scribe yesterday, so many of the Devil Race cast strange looks his way along the path. Chen Rui, however, had long since learned to remain calm and composed, eventually arriving at the magic shop.

After the defeat in the aerial arena, Joseph had left Dark Moon for the Chiyou territory. The person in charge of the magic shop was none other than Royce, one of the Greater Devils Chen Rui had seen trailing behind Joseph last time.

Chen Rui had learned from Sli that Royce, the female Greater Devil Vasasha, and another Greater Devil named Alaux were the three sharpest scythes in Joseph's hand. Joseph never acted personally; whenever there was trouble, these three would step in to resolve it. Yet, Chen Rui knew that Joseph's own power was even more terrifying.

Royce was not only powerful but also exceptionally intelligent, serving as Joseph's most capable assistant. In contrast, Vasasha's primary role was that of a personal bodyguard, and she had returned to the Chiyou territory with Joseph this time, while Alaux was a militant type in charge of arena affairs.

Chen Rui's arrival surprised Royce. Royce had been present at the aerial arena yesterday; logically, the little princess's side should have been clear that Joseph wanted this human dead. Why, then, was he allowed to come here alone today?

"Lord Royce." Chen Rui offered a greeting, but Royce, clearly disdainful of this powerless human, wore an arrogant expression and did not respond.

Chen Rui was not bothered by the Greater Devil's attitude and continued, "Master Aldas is currently refining a type of magic potion, so he sent me today to take a look at the magic materials."

He knew that the status of a scribe could only intimidate ordinary members of the Devil Race; in front of a powerhouse like Royce, it was not worth mentioning. It was better to use Aldas's name.

Sure enough, Royce's expression shifted to one of understanding, and he finally spoke, "Alchemy materials and magic substances are on this floor; the second floor is for magic equipment. See for yourself."

Joseph's shop was much more formal than Alice's eccentric store. Every item was categorized and placed on shelves. The "manager" was a Servant Demon, while several Dark Goblins acted as the "shop assistants."

Before long, Royce heard a report from a Dark Goblin and walked in. Seeing Chen Rui taking a piece of every material, he grew suspicious and asked, "What are you doing?"

Chen Rui touched the materials while recording notes with a pen, replying, "I need to determine the purity and specific gravity of these materials. The Master said that pharmacology is a rigorous discipline that tolerates no sloppiness."

Royce was a layman when it came to pharmacology. Seeing him speak so seriously, he didn't ask further. After Chen Rui finished testing them one by one, he thought for a moment, walked up to Royce with a hesitant expression, and finally said, "The Master has a small request. I intended to ask Lord Joseph, but unfortunately, Lord Joseph has already left Dark Moon. I wonder if Lord Royce can make the decision?"

Royce dared not be negligent toward Aldas, who had poisoned a genius of the Imperial Capital. "Tell me first, what is the request?"

"The Master's intention is to ask if he could be gifted a small fragment of each of these selected materials as samples for testing. Once confirmed, he will purchase them in bulk next time." Chen Rui saw Royce frown and immediately added, "The Master said that if this request is granted, once the magic potion experiment is successful, it will be sold to Lord Joseph's magic shop at the lowest possible price."

"May I ask, what kind of magic potion is the Master testing?" The Servant Demon's attention was piqued by Chen Rui's words, and he walked over. Servant Demons were a race proficient in magic, so they were particularly concerned about such matters.

Chen Rui put on a cautious look, glanced around to ensure the Dark Goblins were far enough away, and then whispered mysteriously, "This involves a secret experiment, so please keep it confidential. The Master seems to be testing a potion that can significantly enhance mental power within a certain period without any side effects. It is currently only in the trial stage, and he has encountered some difficulties in improving the purity and reducing side effects, so he urgently needs various materials for testing."

In reality, this was just a high-level, lost potion Chen Rui had read about in a pharmacology book, which he had blurted out to bluff them.

"A Potion of Mental Fortitude... without side effects?" The Servant Demon was suddenly shocked, his voice trembling. "Could it be a True Potion of Mental Fortitude? That is something only a Grandmaster could concoct according to legends! Has Master Aldas already reached such a realm?"

Chen Rui didn't want to over-inflate the lie, so he explained, "It is still only in the experimental stage. The Master has already failed several times and wants to adjust some materials, which is why he sent me here. However, some materials here are too expensive, so I made this request to Lord Joseph."

In any case, there must have been many masters attempting to reach the Grandmaster level over the past few thousand years; he could just claim it was a final failure later.

The Servant Demon's expression was extremely excited. "True" series potions could only be concocted by Grandmaster alchemists. The Demon Realm hadn't produced a Grandmaster in thousands of years, and such potions had been lost, appearing only in ancient texts. Aldas had previously been obscure, only revealing his prowess after easily poisoning the Empire's top genius, Sandru, in the recent Master's Challenge. Now, he was actually challenging the pinnacle of pharmacology!

Even if Aldas had failed many times, the mere fact that he was attempting a Grandmaster-level potion spoke volumes about his strength. Besides, what if this hidden Dark Elf master actually succeeded one day?

Although Royce didn't understand pharmacology, he knew exactly what a Grandmaster alchemist represented. If Aldas could truly break through the bottleneck and become the first Grandmaster in the Demon Realm in thousands of years, then even Prince Heiyao's attitude toward Aldas would undergo a earth-shattering change. As for the materials the human had selected, while some were valuable, they were insignificant compared to that.

"I will take it upon myself to agree to this on behalf of Lord Joseph! Geluqi, immediately give this human one of every magic material the Master needs. Don't give him fragments—give him complete ones!" Royce was calculating; he immediately weighed the pros and cons. Furthermore, Joseph had previously expressed an intention to keep Aldas stable, so he agreed without hesitation.

"My Lord is wise!" The Servant Demon Geluqi, also eager to witness a potential Grandmaster's debut work, acknowledged the order and immediately went to the shelves to select the items. Sure enough, the Servant Demon chose high-quality, complete materials, not the "fragments" Chen Rui had requested.

Although Royce's address of "this human" was not very polite, Chen Rui was too excited to care. "Many thanks, my Lord! I will convey your generosity and goodwill to the Master!"

The original idea of "experimental samples" had been a spur-of-the-moment thought, but he hadn't expected to hit the jackpot. He could go back and use Aura Conversion to test which materials provided the most Aura. Although he still coveted many materials on the shop's shelves, Chen Rui knew the importance of knowing when to stop. If he were too greedy, it would be counterproductive. Most importantly, the True Potion of Mental Fortitude was a complete bluff.

There were over thirty types of magic materials, forming a heavy, large bundle. Chen Rui thanked the Servant Demon again, then pretended to struggle as he hoisted the large pack onto his back and walked out the door.

After Chen Rui left, Royce said to Geluqi, "Go upstairs immediately and use the magic stone to contact Lord Joseph. Report to him that Aldas is experimenting with a Grandmaster-level potion! This matter must be kept secret; it must not leak out! All actions must wait until Lord Joseph makes a decision."

"As you command." Geluqi dared not delay and immediately went upstairs to carry out the order.

Chen Rui carried the large bundle, suppressing his excitement as he walked toward the laboratory. However, halfway there, he felt as if he were being watched from behind. Chen Rui mused that, given the attitude Royce and Geluqi had shown toward the Grandmaster potion, they wouldn't have sent anyone to follow him; it must be some petty thief. With a thought, he turned toward a secluded area.

The person behind him indeed followed. When they reached a deserted, quiet alley, the human in front suddenly disappeared. The pursuer was startled and cautiously stepped forward. It was a Dark Goblin wearing a small cloak, looking around, when a voice sounded from behind: "What are you looking for?"

The Dark Goblin jumped in fright. Turning around, he saw the target he had been tracking looking right at him, with the large bundle placed on the ground.

"S-Scribe Lord!" The goblin actually bowed, his face full of fawning smiles.

This was the first time Chen Rui had been addressed as "Lord" in his human identity, and it felt a bit strange. Although a scribe was only a minor clerk, in the eyes of bottom-tier figures like Dark Goblins and Lesser Devils, it was still a government official of sorts.

It seemed this goblin was well-informed. Although he didn't know what the goblin's intentions were, Chen Rui naturally didn't take such a character to heart. He asked, "You've been following me all this way; what do you want?"

Seeing that his tracks had been discovered early on, the Dark Goblin was startled and hurriedly defended himself, "Lord, you've misunderstood! I saw you carrying so many things and just wanted to help. For the price of five White Crystal coins, Nunu can help you carry these to the laboratory."

A porter? Chen Rui sized up the goblin's small frame and shook his head. "No need, I can carry them myself."

"Lord, if five is too expensive, four will do..." The Dark Goblin hurriedly stepped forward, continuously lowering the price. "Two White Crystal coins, I can't go any lower."

As he spoke, the goblin suddenly waved his hand, and a cloud of powder enveloped Chen Rui. Chen Rui had learned quite a bit in the laboratory and recognized the scent of Rosemary Flower, which could cause a person to lose their strength in a short time. He immediately pretended to be affected, swaying as he sat down on the ground.

"What kind of scribe? Just a stupid human!" The Dark Goblin was overjoyed and was about to snatch the bundle when his throat was suddenly constricted. He was grabbed tightly and lifted into the air, his entire thin body dangling as he gasped for air, his limbs flailing in the void.