Lucien: Burned Out

The free alchemy process has now reached its final judging stage.

With a touch of trepidation, Phoebe arrived at the entrance of the hall, which had been temporarily used as the final venue.

Just then, she saw that familiar figure— Lucien was leaning against a pillar, seemingly resting with his eyes closed.

However, the other party's condition startled Phoebe.

Lucien looked terrible. His once fair skin was now pale and weak, and even his lips had lost their color. He looked extremely tired, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

"Lucien?" Phoebe hurried forward, her blue eyes filled with concern. "You... your complexion... should we go to the Hospital Wing to have you checked out?"

Lucien opened his eyes at the sound, his dark green eyes appearing somewhat dim.

He waved his hand gently, forcing a smile, "I'm fine, Phoebe. It's just that I overdid it last night... I just need a rest."

Lucien sighed, feeling a sense of helplessness. His weak, seemingly burnt-out appearance was entirely due to that Apples of Youth!

Last night, he used a drop of Qilin blood to awaken the "Apples of Youth" seed.

However, when Lucien infused the seed with magic and attempted to complete the initial magic irrigation, he truly understood what the system description meant by "requiring a large amount of pure magic".

That tiny seed was like a bottomless pit.

It frantically absorbed his magic power, at a speed and in a quantity far exceeding expectations.

What's more troublesome is that this irrigation must be continuous without any interruption, and according to the system, the seeds can only recognize and accept the magic of one wizard at the same growth stage.

If someone is replaced midway, the previously accumulated "irrigation progress" will be reset to zero, and you will have to start all over again.

Furthermore, the magic it requires must possess the wizard's distinct personal qualities; the pure, attribute-free magic produced by Sorcerer's Stone is insufficient to meet its growth needs.

On the very first attempt, Lucien nearly had all his magic drained.

Lucien had never experienced this feeling of having his magic completely depleted before. It was even more unbearable than spending a month working on a thesis and then having a thrilling boxing match.

Lucien could still feel the emptiness and weakness brought about by the near depletion of his magic.

He possesses SS-level magical talent, and his magical growth rate and potential already far surpass those of his peers and even adult wizards.

However, this is only the initial stage of planting and cultivation!

Lucien couldn't help but feel a deep sense of "sympathy" for Idunn, the goddess of youth in mythology who was responsible for tending to the Apples of Youth —the job of a gardener must be extremely arduous, far from being easy or romantic.

Furthermore, according to the system's instructions, as the Apples of Youth enters different growth stages, the magical power required for each subsequent irrigation will increase in stages.

The only saving grace is that this "magic irrigation" that drains the wizard dry is not a daily necessity; it only needs to be done about once every two weeks.

Otherwise, if Lucien had to go through this every day, he wouldn't be able to do anything else.

Normally, you can use various magical materials, or specific fusions made from these materials, to water and cultivate the Apples of Youth.

However, the seemingly ordinary request to "water with magical materials" is actually quite troublesome upon closer examination.

Lucien studied the long list of materials and found that it covered almost every type of material known in the Wizarding World.

Many of these materials are already quite rare, and some are on the verge of extinction due to over-harvesting or ecological changes.

The most troublesome issues, however, are the several materials listed on the list that have been officially declared extinct by the Wizarding World.

This is the most difficult part.

If there were truly gods in this magical world in ancient times, and that mythical era truly existed, then the "nutrients" needed for the growth of the Apples of Youth, as a remnant of that era, naturally originated from that long-lost environment.

Over thousands of years, as time has passed and the world has changed, it is not surprising that some materials have completely disappeared.

As for the loan quest to "cure the curses of three different bloodlines," Lucien already had his first clear target in mind— Nagini, whom he had not yet met.

Nagini is burdened with a rare bloodline curse; they are also known as "Maledictus."

Those cursed are born with abilities similar to the Animagus, such as the ability to Transfiguration a specific animal, but this is a process that requires paying a price.

Ultimately, human reason and emotion will be completely devoured by bestiality, and one will be forever lost in the form of a beast.

Lucien rubbed his temples, which were still throbbing slightly; these things couldn't be rushed.

Gather materials, cure the curse...

We can only take it one step at a time.