The following morning, Sylutia returned to the Mission Hall, where many students were coming and going. Some were asking questions at the windows, while others were chatting with their contacts.
Sylutia glanced at the bulletin board and found that the quest related to "Gemstone Bearing" was still there, so she noted down the number and went to the window to inquire.
"Are you interested in taking this mission?" The other party glanced at Sylutia, somewhat surprised, after all, this girl was only at the second tier, probably a freshman.
"Yes."
"Are you sure you have enough knowledge of rune and gem processing techniques? This quest requires a high level of skill," she reminded her again.
Sylutia thought for a moment, then took out three small, finished gem bearings from her waist pocket and placed them on the table.
"This is something I made; it should showcase my skills, right?"
"Please wait a moment." The other person nodded, took out a special monocle from under the counter, and then picked up one of the monocles to examine it carefully.
Under the light, the delicate and exquisite runes within the gemstone are revealed, their patterns forming admirable circular loops without any superfluous traces, the lines smooth and clear.
"If you made this yourself, then it certainly meets the mission requirements." The other party nodded and then notified the back-end team.
Please fill out this form and register your student ID here first.
Soon, another uniformed person came out and led Sylutia to the second floor of the hall, where there were several Alchemy laboratories. He opened one of them, took out a delicate little box, and then opened the box inside. Inside were six neatly arranged Ruby, all of "Tier 3; Excellent" quality.
"Because the gemstones that need processing are quite precious, I will wait here until you complete this part of the processing."
"I understand," Sylutia, indicating her understanding.
Afterwards, she sat down at the table, picked up the tools, adjusted them, and then picked up one of the gemstones to carefully observe its structure and texture.
After finalizing her design, she began cutting the gemstone with tools, then grinding and processing it bit by bit, and finally using a special technique to engrave lines and veins inside the gemstone.
About an hour later, the first gem was finished, and Sylutia breathed a sigh of relief.
[ Thrust Ruby Bearing) ] (Tier 3; Excellent); A watch bearing made from First Order Ruby, engraved with four runes: ( Mercury; Sturdiness; Wear-resistant; Fine-grained).
The Aspect Power of a third-tier gemstone far surpasses that of First Order gemstone. When inscribing its patterns and veins, one must be extremely careful, otherwise it may affect the power within the entire gemstone, causing it to explode or shatter.
Because she was unfamiliar with the craft and also worried about damaging the gem, Sylutia was extra careful during the processing, which took her a lot of time.
Although she thought an hour was a long time, the staff next to her thought that this girl was already exceptionally talented. After all, with second-level mental strength, it was sometimes difficult to stabilize the lines of the inscribed runes. The slightest relaxation or fluctuation would cause the gem to shatter.
After inspecting the finished bearing, the other party nodded approvingly.
"Good quality, keep going." He estimated that the girl could only complete three today, as manipulating tools to inscribe runes was very mentally taxing, and a second-tier apprentice couldn't work for too long.
But what happened next was beyond his expectations.
Forty minutes later, the second jewel bearing was completed, with a quality rating of "Tier 3; Excellent".
Thirty minutes later, the third jewel bearing was completed, with a quality rating of "Tier 3; Excellent".
Twenty-five minutes later, the fourth jewel bearing was completed, with a quality rating of "Tier 3; Excellent".
Twenty-one minutes later, the fifth jewel bearing was completed, with a quality rating of "Tier 3; Excellent".
Twenty minutes later, the sixth jewel bearing was completed, with a quality rating of "Tier 3; Rare".
When processing the sixth piece, Sylutia successfully upgraded the quality by one level, reaching the level of rarity.
The other person picked up the machined bearing, looked at it again and again, and seemed incredulous.
The so-called "excellence" requires that after processing, the entire rune line is clear and smooth, without any superfluous lines, and can operate and cycle for a long time under standard conditions without generating power dissipation.
As for "rare" quality, it requires processing to ensure that the entire rune network is flawless and can withstand power circulation under high-intensity operation without internal cracks or damage.
Although it's only a one-level difference, it's like the gap between 90 and 100 points on an exam—seemingly small, but extremely difficult to achieve. Even highly skilled Mage specializing in enchanting can only occasionally, when in good form, create one or two "rare" quality pieces, with a probability of less than 5%.
"You're in luck this time." The other person nodded and carefully put the bearing away.
"Although there are no explicit rules, it's customary that if your work is of higher quality than required, the party that posted the task will often offer more compensation later."
"We processed six today, you must be very tired. That's enough for today, you can come back tomorrow morning." He stood up and packed up his things.
"This... okay." Actually Sylutia wanted to say that she wasn't that tired, and had only just started to get into the swing of things.
But continuing like this would be too conspicuous, because second-tier apprentices usually don't have that much mental strength, and processing three roots would be a bit of a stretch.
After going downstairs, Sylutia didn't leave immediately, but continued to wander around looking at various mission notices and requests.
After slowly reading through all the notices here, the girl began to summarize and reflect.
Although processing parts can earn a considerable income, it's still not as good as selling complete creations. Besides, who exactly are they selling these large quantities of creations to? The Mage members in the Academy shouldn't have such a large demand.
With some questions in mind, Sylutia approached an empty counter to inquire.
"Oh, is that what you want to know?" The woman behind the counter looked at the young-looking Sylutia and replied with a slight smile.
"The large orders posted here are often outsourced by some of the more powerful Alchemy workshops."
"After graduating from the Academy, many Mage will join or establish their own workshops to solicit business and orders, thereby obtaining funds and resources."
"Some workshops, due to their great reputation, often receive many good orders. However, the number of members in the workshop is fixed, and sometimes they are too busy to handle everything, or they simply do not want to continue to expand their staff. So they outsource some of the required parts and creations, and post them in the Mission Hall of various Academy."
" The Academy will take a cut of the profits, and these tasks also provide many students with practical experience, so all parties are very willing to participate."
"As for your question about whether guests will mind if they find out, they generally won't."
"Since it's a product made by this workshop, even if it's outsourced, they'll guarantee the quality. Compared to unknown workshops, they have a higher level of credibility."
"However, some distinguished guests will specifically request a particular expert or master craftsman in the workshop to create their pieces. This is a matter for their internal discussions and has nothing to do with us."
"You want to know which creations are in high demand recently? Let me think."
" The Mage Alliance is currently waging war in the west against barbarian tribes in the mountains, and war supplies are selling very well."
"Furthermore, the World of Shadows is currently exploring new mineral deposits. If you can craft the corresponding Insight Lens, you can quickly find buyers for the various consumables needed for the expedition."
After listening to the other party's answer and explanation, Sylutia bowed gratefully.
"Thanks."
"Hehe, it's alright, little sister. You're probably only in first grade, no need to be in such a hurry to make money." The other person saw the badge on the girl's chest and kindly comforted her.
"Once you reach Tier 3, you should be able to access missions related to the World of Shadows. The Academy will also organize activities for you to gradually become familiar with it."
"Although exploring the Secret Realm is somewhat dangerous, the rewards are quite good. Even if you're not strong enough, you can still do it under the protection of a team."
"I see."
The World of Shadows? She hasn't been there in a long time. It seems the development situation on the Mage Alliance's side is different; members are only allowed to go there once they reach the third-tier Academy.
Indeed, Mage are really weak in combat at lower levels, and without the conversion of Core Secret Art, the spells they can cast are very limited, making them far less powerful and capable than the second-tier students of the Woodland Alliance.
Afterwards Sylutia said goodbye to the receptionist and returned to her lodgings to rest. Just before going to sleep, she suddenly remembered something.
It seems she has class tomorrow, so she won't be able to go to the Mission Hall.
Sorry, I'll have to stand that staff member up.
Thank you everyone for your donations! I will compile a thank-you list later. Thanks(ω)