Potionology Knowledge Tree

The definition of potionology was the use of materials with extraordinary properties, in specific proportions, continuously fused and made to collide through special techniques, ultimately forming the desired extraordinary potion.

As a unique and already mature auxiliary profession of the wizard occupation, potionology involved an enormous body of knowledge.

After long ages of research and evolution, modern wizards had divided potionology into five branches: material science, pharmacology, compatibility science, alchemy, and toxicology.

Among them, material science mainly studied the properties, classifications, formation methods, gathering methods, and storage methods of various extraordinary materials.

Pharmacology was the study of understanding the effects different potions had on users, as well as aftereffects and the like. It was somewhat similar to conducting clinical trial research.

Compatibility science was relatively more complex. It mainly studied the interactions between different potions, as well as reasonable formula combinations when making potions.

Alchemy, meanwhile, explored how to extract and prepare pure extraordinary properties, removing the parts that were prone to causing pollution and mutation.

At first, Wei En was very puzzled as to why alchemy would be placed under a branch of potionology.

But after reading the contents of Introduction to Potions—Basic Theory of Potionology, he finally understood that this alchemy was only an extremely small branch of alchemy studies.

Alchemy studies in the usual sense had even higher requirements, and the knowledge one needed to learn and master was far broader than potionology.

As for the final one, toxicology... it happened to be the opposite of pharmacology in its research direction, mainly focusing on how to use the polluting properties of extraordinary materials to create poisons that accelerated pollution or mutation.

At this point, Wei En had a basic understanding of potionology.

The categories were divided very meticulously, and the corresponding study and research would also consume even more time.

Still, these were things he could accept. When he saw the equipment and apparatus that might be involved in making potions later on, however, he became depressed.

Precision scales, crucibles, isolation arrays, protective suits...

Each and every item cost more than 1 gold pound to purchase. In particular, an isolation array required 5 gold pounds to buy.

Refusing to believe it, Wei En opened Potion Formulas, and looked at the three potions listed there: Enlightenment Potion, Healing Potion, and Mental Defense Potion.

Leaving aside the extraordinary materials required, the essential apparatus for making these potions included crucibles, precision scales, protective gloves, and material stirrers...

All these things added together would cost around 7 gold pounds.

Immediately afterward, he opened Material Science, compared it against the formula contents, and found those extraordinary materials.

The result was very delightful—

For example, an Enlightenment Potion required the essence of a Wraith, the brain matter of a black toad, and a kind of octopus tentacle produced in the Kordo Sea. One set of materials alone cost 15 shillings.

The selling price of the finished product was divided into low, medium, and high grades based on the potion's quality. A low-grade Enlightenment Potion sold for 18 shillings, and with labor costs added in, that meant neither losing nor earning money.

Wei En could not help swearing. "Are they robbing people?"

Forget 5 gold pounds. All the money he had on hand put together was only enough to buy the base of an isolation array...

However, He was equally clear in his heart that not buying these things would not do either.

Putting everything else aside, take the most expensive isolation array, for example.

When handling those extraordinary materials, some polluting properties would diffuse out. Without the protection of an isolation array, one could only rely on one's own strength to resist it head-on.

If he encountered something like the Gonzalez Language parchment, that was still fine. His spiritual power was enough to suppress it.

But if he encountered pollution similar to the Source of Despair, most apprentices would die thoroughly.

"Looks like there's no chance of trying to make potions today..."

Wei En sighed helplessly, then finished reading the rest of the potionology-related knowledge.

With his current spiritual level, remembering this content was not difficult.

However, if he could choose, he would rather not remember it.

Especially when he saw the knowledge related to compatibility science and alchemy. The research equipment required for those experimental environments—all of them had astronomical prices...

"No wonder potions sell for so much. Not counting the losses during production, the initial investment alone isn't something ordinary people can afford."

Wei En now envied those wizard apprentices who entered schools to study through selection with all his heart. He envied that they could use the potion laboratories within the schools.

[You have successfully completed the study of basic potionology knowledge and unlocked the Potionology Knowledge Tree. Evaluation: Poverty has limited your development, pitiful foreigner. Special reward: Survival Points +3, Tenacity Level +1.]

[Note: Potionology is an epoch-making invention. Its emergence changed the course of the river of fate to a certain extent, but it also brought misfortune in certain respects.]

At this moment, the panel notification said that the Potionology Knowledge Tree had already been unlocked.

Wei En gave it a glance, then was too lazy to keep looking and put away the rolls of parchment.

A knowledge tree without a single formula—he could not even add points to it. What was the point of looking?

After tidying up the things on the desk, Wei En next activated the "Typewriter" and began today's intelligence upload work.

He believed that with the intelligence from the slum disappearance case he had finished investigating today, he could exchange it for a bit more money.

Now he felt like he was becoming obsessed. After survival point anxiety, he had also developed gold pound anxiety syndrome.

Especially after seeing the costs for potionology knowledge, his thirst for money became even stronger.

"August 10, 1578 of the New Calendar. Weather: clear."

"Today, I took an enormous risk and went deep into the Laos District of Kaster City-State to investigate the cause of the population disappearances. I was extremely unlucky and witnessed a battle between the city-state's Secret Investigation Bureau and Claire, Thousand-Face of the Eternal Life Society..."

Out of caution, Wei En did not mention that he had joined the Secret Investigation Bureau. Instead, he reported the entire intelligence-gathering work from a third-person perspective.

Just as he had never explicitly told Lacy and the others that he was a wizard apprentice, he always kept something in reserve.

"...After overcoming all difficulties, the 326 missing personnel were found in the depths of La Aus. It can be confirmed that all of them were sacrificed by the Despair Cult and have already become mummified corpses."

"In addition,"

When he wrote to this point, Wain thought for a moment, then chose not to report the information regarding Forbidden Item 0-34, the Resurrection Coffin.

For one thing, news of a Forbidden Item was far too significant. For another, the encounter progress for the Resurrection Coffin had already reached twenty percent, and after it spread through the school, the progress would probably shoot straight up to forty percent.

Besides, he was very worried that after he reported it, the liaison officer would directly assign him a mission to investigate the Forbidden Item.

He could not avoid it fast enough, yet he was supposed to take the initiative and lean in? Wouldn't that make him an idiot?

"As for the Saint-Favored of the Church of Dawn, there are temporarily still no leads. I will do everything within my power to investigate clearly, but given the Church of Dawn's influence in Kaster City-State, I'm afraid..."

"On the path of pursuing knowledge, death is not the end—Respectfully submitted by Kaster City-State Intelligence Officer Wain Loft."

Wain described the Church of Dawn's tyranny in detail, making clear how difficult the mission to investigate the Saint-Favored was.

He tried to move the liaison officer with such wording, hoping she could grant him a few more days.

It should be fine...