Too Excellent, Too Early

Nicolas Flamel laughed and said, "You know the drawback of the Elixir of Life: it can only grant immortality, not prevent aging."

"If I relied on my own physical abilities, I probably would have collapsed after walking only ten meters or so."

"How much did you modify?" Tom asked curiously.

"About thirty percent," Nicolas Flamel said slowly after a moment's thought.

"Bone, joint, muscle—everything that could be replaced has been replaced. We have to use the remaining resources sparingly."

"This is enough. If I change it any further, I'm afraid I'll lose my basic human instincts."

"Perhaps by then I will be able to create a truly perfect Philosopher's Stone, but I don't like that kind of life."

Tom nodded and didn't ask any further questions; he had no interest in human alchemy.

In his view, the human body is the most perfect, with infinite possibilities.

Nicolas Flamel did this out of desperation and has little reference value.

The two left the bustling beach and walked up the mountain, eventually stopping halfway up a mountain peak where there was a small house.

It was one of Nicolas Flamel's holiday homes; as soon as you entered, all sorts of alchemical tools flew over.

Some helped Nicolas Flamel change out of his beach shoes and into comfortable slippers; others helped him take off his beach shirt.

There was also a robotic arm that reached straight into Tom's pocket, clearly trying to retrieve the X-ray glasses.

Tom expressionlessly raised his hand and slapped the mechanical arm away with lightning-fast movements.

Nicolas Flamel winked at him with a wicked grin, but unfortunately, Tom had been struck by lightning.

Her skin was thicker than a city wall; she wouldn't fall for his tricks at all.

The house wasn't large, and no Undetectable Extension Charm was used; each room remained the original size, and there were three floors in total.

But almost everything Tom saw was an alchemical creation, which was what made the house so special.

Even the wall clock on the TV wall, like the Weasley family's magical wall clock, doesn't display the time, but rather the status of the family members.

The clock has only two pointers: one points to "Villa de la Ville," corresponding to Nicolas Flamel; the other points to "Opera House," referring to his wife, Perenelle Flamel.

"Child, just pick any room you like. We'll stay one night and head back to Paris tomorrow. The conditions there are better, and they have all the alchemical materials."

Nicolas Flamel sat down in a single rocking chair in the living room and asked slowly.

"How was your trip in United States? The magical world there is closer to Muggle society, quite different from Europe."

"I didn't have much contact with the Wizarding World; I went to the Thunderbird Sanctuary in Arizona with Uncle Newt Scamander."

Tom briefly recounted his experiences in United States, omitting the Twelve Trials, only mentioning his visit to see the Thunderbird and incidentally his encounter with the Acolyte' ambush.

Nicolas Flamel exclaimed repeatedly, "Even in my centuries of life, Gellert Grindelwald is still one of the most brilliant and talented wizards."

"And then there's Albus. He's even better than Gellert Grindelwald, but he's too generous and always wants to leave room for maneuver."

Tom's eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity to press, "Mr. Flamel, how many wizards as powerful as Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald have you seen in the past few hundred years? A lot?"

Nicolas Flamel chuckled, finding the boy a bit naive. "How many? Sometimes you might not see one in a hundred years."

"For example, when I was young, even the most powerful wizards weren't worthy of carrying their shoes."

"Several others followed later, but in the same era, there were at most one or two."

He paused, then added, "These wizards have such powerful magic that their bodies can't withstand it first, and most of them don't live past 150."

Tom nodded silently, fully aware that he had known this secret for a long time.

Take Andros for example, why does he always appear as a young man? Because he died at the age of sixty-two!

For a wizard, sixty-two years old is at most middle age, and the cause of death is the same as Nicolas Flamel said:

Andros was too powerful; his body couldn't withstand his own magic and began to fester. To avoid further torment, he simply ended his own life.

Every time this matter is brought up, Andros beats his chest and laments his miserable life.

Having explored so many ruins and fought so many battles, I've gotten stronger with each encounter.

As a result, those who developed normally could have lived to be over a hundred, but those who were too outstanding died young.

Every time he said that Versailles-like thing, Tom and Gellert Grindelwald agreed: this guy was just asking for a beating.

The conversation gradually turned to alchemy. Nicolas Flamel had promised to guide him in his letter, but he needed to test his true abilities first.

Before the holiday, Tom could only memorize theoretical knowledge by rote.

After a few days of intensive training at the Greengrass Family, he has already grasped quite a lot of things.

He handled Nicolas Flamel Flamel's test with ease.

Before long, Nicolas Flamel's questions became increasingly profound, and Tom's responses slowed down.

He can answer some questions after thinking about them for a while.

But more often than not, it was a field he had never been exposed to before. Tom didn't pretend to know, and decisively shook his head, saying he didn't know.

Even so, it was enough to surprise Nicolas Flamel.

Why hasn't alchemy been widely adopted? Because it's too demanding, requiring financial resources, talent, and a reliable lineage.

Without a good teacher to guide you, no matter how much money and effort you put in, you'll just be wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly.

But Tom was clearly self-taught; when he answered questions, you could see the influence of several alchemical masters, and even his own line of thinking.

However, Tom incorporated his own understanding, which was also a summary based on practice. While it may not be absolutely correct, it is at least mostly on the right track.

Having only been in the Wizarding World for a year, and relying entirely on self-study, all in his spare time, to achieve this level of skill, he is undoubtedly a genius who satisfies even himself.

Moreover, Tom's ability to concoct Elixir of Life using the Philosopher's Stone demonstrates his talent in Potions.

Alchemy and Potions complement each other; this child's potential is limitless.

"Your skill has truly exceeded my expectations." Nicolas Flamel clapped lightly, his admiration impossible to hide.

"However, you inevitably made some stereotypical mistakes. This isn't your fault; it's mainly because you didn't have a teacher to guide you."

He looked at Tom and said earnestly, "Son, you'll stay with me for the rest of this holiday. I'll do my best to help you build a solid foundation in alchemy."

"Thank you, teacher!" Tom immediately seized the opportunity, his words dripping with sweetness.

Nicolas Flamel jokingly called him slippery, but did not deny the title of "teacher".

Tom breathed a sigh of relief after finally passing the test. Seeing that Nicolas Flamel was in a good mood, he cautiously probed again.

"Teacher, do you have any clues about the Greengrass family's Blood Curse?"