Advancing to Master Alchemist

A month later, Drew emerged from the Alchemy Laboratory looking exhausted.

For the past month, he had been holed up in the Alchemy Laboratory, studying how to make Attribute Concoctions.

It had taken him the entire month just to get the hang of processing the ingredients.

Compared to how naturally he had advanced to the senior level, this was a completely different matter. No wonder becoming an alchemist was considered the ultimate challenge.

Compared to making Attribute Concoctions, there was something else he could get ready to deal with: moving the academy.

The students were now in the final stretch, and graduation was just around the corner.

Drew was also planning to find a place and a time to move everything from Lincoln Town.

He would leave this matter to Nelson Eddie.

He had promised to take Nelson as his apprentice. It was time to make good on that promise.

Nelson no longer needed to study alongside the others. He had learned everything he needed to, and he could just as easily continue learning at Drew's side.

So Drew sent word to Joseph, asking him to have Nelson Eddie come see him.

On the third day, Drew met with Nelson Eddie. Nelson stood respectfully before him. He already knew that Drew had become the vice president of the Alchemist Association.

He had no idea why Drew had called him over.

"Do you remember what I said before the experiment?"

"I do." Nelson Eddie was thrilled. At last, his hope was about to come true.

"I'll fulfill my promise to you today.

"Now, let's see what kind of talent you have." With that, Drew took out a set of written test questions.

He had also prepared a set of experimental equipment, specifically designed for beginning alchemist apprentices. It required no control over magic.

It was a non-magical alchemy recipe, and the potion it produced had no actual effect. It was simply meant to test an apprentice's practical skills.

"I assume you've done some preparation. Do you know how to use this?

"You can begin. If you tell me you weren't prepared, then all I can say is that you didn't value the opportunity I gave you."

"No problem. I've prepared." Nelson Eddie was a businessman, after all. He had been thinking about this for a long time, just waiting for Drew to remember.

"Then let's begin."

The written exam and practical test took the entire morning.

Nelson Eddie received an excellent score. It seemed he had a fair amount of talent.

"Good. You've passed the test. I'll officially take you as my apprentice.

"For the next couple of days, help me take care of something.

"Once this group of students finishes their studies, I plan to move the academy here to Stormwind City.

"You'll handle the arrangements. Also, move your family's business to Stormwind City. From now on, leave it to your son. I have high hopes for him.

"Once you've taken care of everything, come to me. You'll learn magic first, then alchemy.

"If you run into any difficulties along the way, go to Peter Nowell. He handles external affairs for the Alchemist Association.

"That's all."

In just three days, Nelson Eddie had taken care of everything.

He returned to report to Drew. Drew first used the Scanning System to examine Nelson's body in detail, then drew up a training plan based on his condition.

He told Nelson to follow the plan, sense the magic around him, and then meditate.

Having previously taken the True Perfect Healing Potion, Nelson Eddie already had some sense of magic.

He quickly sensed it and began training intently.

Drew thought, I never knew my True Perfect Healing Potion had this hidden effect: it helps people sense magic. While Nelson was focused on training and didn't need any guidance, Drew began experimenting with the Concoction's formula.

Another month passed. Explosions often rang out from the Alchemy Laboratory, and everyone had grown used to them.

One day, Drew studied a potion in his hand.

So that was how it worked. The Concoction's magic was stored deep within the body.

Only a special technique could activate its effects. When dormant, the magic remained stored in a stable state. Once activated, it seeped into every part of the body, creating its attribute effects.

When they had said it lasted a month, they meant it could remain in the body for a month without being activated. Once activated, the magic would be constantly consumed, greatly shortening its duration.

I knew it. If it stayed active for a whole month, just how much magic would that take? It would be an astronomical amount.

If that much magic caused an explosion during a failed experiment, what good would these protective measures have done? I'd have been blown to pieces already.

Drew thought, I had the Scanning System to cheat with during the testing phase, and it still took a whole month to make the Concoction. This stuff really isn't easy to produce.

Now that Drew had successfully advanced to master alchemist, he was in a good mood. He decided to test Nelson Eddie's progress again.

Drew checked Nelson Eddie's mana level and found it had reached the standard for a first-level human mage apprentice.

It seemed Nelson had worked very hard during this time. But at this rate, he could forget about ever becoming an advanced mage. He was simply too old, and he didn't have enough time left to reach that level.

Still, Drew only planned to teach him alchemy. Being a mage apprentice would be enough.

Becoming a first-tier mage apprentice gave Nelson the foundation he needed to begin studying alchemy.

Drew planned to teach Nelson some basic alchemy first and have him focus on that. After all, Nelson had little future as a mage.

However, Drew didn't teach him alchemy directly. Instead, he had him start with the most basic task: extracting herbs.

Nelson had only just become a first-tier mage apprentice—the lowest of the low—and he wasn't skilled at controlling magic. As a result, he failed at extracting the ingredients right away.

Nelson had failed at such a simple step and began to wonder whether there was something wrong with his alchemical talent.

Fortunately, Drew knew the problem was that Nelson hadn't yet mastered control over his magic.

So Drew put his alchemy lessons on hold again and taught him a few tricks for practicing magic control, telling him to work on them diligently.

Using a few zero-level spells would normally help a great deal with controlling magic. But a first-tier mage apprentice couldn't even cast a simple spell. So Drew told Nelson not to rush and to work on both magic control and advancing his mage rank.

He needed to build a solid foundation before learning alchemy.

One day, Drew was guiding Nelson's training when President Pierre came to see him. "I heard you succeeded in making the Concoction?"

"Yes." Drew hadn't made the news public, but for President Pierre, who had access to the Alchemy Laboratory, checking the related experiment records was perfectly normal.

Drew had assumed President Pierre would come see him the day after he succeeded.

He hadn't expected Pierre to find out several days later. It seemed President Pierre had been busy with the materials Drew had given him.

Drew handed the finished Concoction to President Pierre.

President Pierre took the Concoction and inspected it. The magic was stable. Whatever its effects, the Concoction itself was a success, which meant another master alchemist had emerged.

He then examined the total amount of magic in it more closely and estimated that it would last ten days.

That astonished President Pierre. To achieve a ten-day duration on the first successful attempt—Drew really did deserve to be called a master. Most people would be lucky to manage three days.

"As expected of Master Drew. You've mastered the art of making Concoctions so quickly and advanced to master level.

"I always believed you'd become a master soon, but I didn't expect it to happen this quickly.

"Since you've confirmed your advancement to master level, we'll hold a press conference to announce the important news.

"Our association will start making preparations in the next few days," President Pierre said happily.

"What? You're holding a press conference? There's no need for that."

"How could we not? Every master is precious. How could we not let people know when a new one appears?

"Don't worry, we won't announce it to everyone—just the upper circles. After all, only people in those circles have any use for Concoctions.

"It's settled. I'll check the date when I get back, and once it's confirmed, I'll let you know." With that, President Pierre left without looking back, afraid Drew might object.