Preparing to Head to Dalaran

After returning from the embassy, Karen began getting used to his body.

Magic fluctuations occasionally came from Karen's room. Most of the time, he practiced in the training room to consolidate his skills and worked on his spells at the practice targets on the training grounds.

President Pierre felt a little regretful. Another master had turned away from focusing on alchemy.

Still, he was happy for Karen. After all, strength was the foundation of everything in this world.

Karen had found a better path, and Pierre should be happy for him.

"Master Drew, there's news about what I mentioned to you last time.

The Association has approved your request to lead the team to this year's Alchemist Tournament. You can leave the arrangements to your assistant when the time comes.

You'll be free to do as you please.

Would you like me to introduce you to a few master-level mages?"

"Thank you for your help.

I have my own plans, so there's no need to trouble yourself on my account. Since we're going to Dalaran, is there anything you'd like me to do for you, President?" Karen had a very good impression of President Pierre. Drew had told him that Pierre was a wonderful person who had treated him wholeheartedly.

Pierre always did his best to meet Karen's needs. So far, aside from creating the True Perfect Potion and bringing fame to the Alchemist Association, Karen hadn't done anything for him.

And even that had benefited the Alchemist Association; Pierre himself hadn't gained anything from it.

Karen genuinely wanted to repay President Pierre.

"No, no." President Pierre quickly waved his hands and refused.

Then, not wanting to disturb Karen's practice, President Pierre left.

Karen really had no idea what to do with him. He could only bring glory to the Alchemist Association and make Pierre happy that way.

With that in mind, Karen ended his magic practice and picked up the list of participants for the Alchemist Association's headquarters tournament.

The competitors would be divided into three age groups: under thirty, thirty-one to forty, and over forty.

All contestants had to have an intermediate or advanced level in their secondary profession.

Each branch of the Association would send ten contestants from each age group.

Flipping through the list, Karen spotted Nelson's name. After thinking it over, he decided to give all the contestants an intensive training session and see if he could help them improve. That way, the Stormwind City branch could earn some recognition and make the president happy.

Karen found Nelson and asked him to notify all the contestants that the training would begin the next day.

The next day, all the contestants showed up. Even those who lived elsewhere had made the trip.

They'd heard that a master alchemist would be teaching them, so they'd all rushed over eagerly.

The training began, and Karen went up to address them.

"The headquarters' Alchemist Tournament is just around the corner.

You were all selected to compete, which proves that you're excellent.

But there's still a gap between you and the contestants from headquarters. I don't need to tell you that; you know it yourselves. After all, headquarters has better resources than we do.

But why are you still at a branch instead of working at headquarters?

It shows that you haven't yet impressed the people at headquarters enough to make them take notice of you." Karen glanced at them as he finished.

At first, when he'd told them they were excellent, they'd all stood tall and proud. But as soon as he mentioned headquarters, their spirits sank.

"Our results haven't been very good in the past.

This time, I'm leading the team, and I don't want to come back with a poor result. That's why I'm going to put you through an intensive training session.

I'll test what you've learned. Those who pass will get some valuable tips from me.

This training period is too short for you to raise your levels, so the main goal is to improve the quality of the potions you make." All the contestants were well-informed. They knew Master Drew was best at controlling potion quality.

If they could learn that skill from him, it would be well worth it.

They all rubbed their hands together and promised to study hard and pass the test.

"All right. Nelson, you can take over from here.

Teach them the method for sorting and measuring ingredients that I taught you.

Bring anyone who has mastered it to me in three days." After leaving the training to Nelson, Karen returned to the training grounds to continue his own practice.

He had only just advanced to the advanced level, and there were still plenty of things he wasn't familiar with.

He needed to review his material first and write down anything he didn't understand or had questions about. Once he reached Dalaran, he could find his brother and ask him everything at once. For now, it was time for everyone to challenge him.

Three days later, Nelson brought the five people who had successfully mastered the method to Karen. Karen handed them improved recipes suited to their different levels and told them to practice diligently, then left them to it.

The five had been full of anticipation, so they were very disappointed. They'd thought Master Drew would teach them in person.

Instead, he'd just given them a few recipes to practice.

If all they had to do was practice, what had they learned that technique for over the past few days?

But when they got a look at the improved recipes, they understood why they had needed to learn the method for measuring ingredients.

The ingredient ratios in each recipe were extremely precise. Without learning how to measure the ingredients, they couldn't prepare them according to the recipes at all.

Still half-convinced and half-doubtful, the alchemists went home and tried them out.

At first, the process was extremely tedious. Preparing the ingredients took almost as long as brewing the potions.

But after practicing a few more times, they realized that not only was their success rate improving,

the quality of their potions had improved considerably as well.

They were thrilled. This was clearly the valuable knowledge Master Drew had promised them.

They could become alchemists who made high-quality potions too. At last, they had a chance of achieving good results in the tournament.

When the appointed day arrived, the group gathered and headed to the Stormwind City teleportation station.

The atmosphere in the group was somewhat tense. Most of them had failed Karen's training assessment. They felt they really weren't good enough, and, with the tournament fast approaching, they were anxious and unsure of themselves.

The five who had mastered the improved recipes, on the other hand, were confident and full of energy. They looked forward to exceeding expectations and making a name for themselves in the tournament.

With a trump card in hand, they were all optimistic about their chances.

Karen took the warrant issued by the Kingdom of Stormwind to the teleportation station and handed it to the Stormwind City guards on duty for inspection.

This was a vital location in Stormwind City. The guards were all high-level professionals, and the person in charge was a master-level figure.

The few who had been swaggering around just moments ago now looked timid and nervous.

After the warrant was checked, Karen noticed someone else waiting beside the station.

"Vereesa, what are you doing here?"

"Good day, Master Drew. I'm going to report to our Prince Kael'thas."

As if I believe that. Your job is to keep an eye on me, isn't it? You're deliberately waiting to go to Dalaran with me in case I have another teleportation accident? Karen rolled his eyes and thought to himself.

"Then that works out nicely. Let's go together." It wasn't as if he was going to run away. She could watch him all she liked; having a beautiful woman around was easy on the eyes, anyway.