Veylin tapped his fingers lightly against the ancient parchment.
His expression was slightly irritated, with the absurd feeling of having found a treasure only to discover that its chest had a fingerprint lock.
Valerius leaned closer. Seeing Veylin's furrowed brow, he misunderstood what was troubling him.
"This is dangerous, Veylin. I'm not joking. The creator of this [Mind Torrent] formula was an utter madman."
The master Alchemist kept his voice low, his tone carrying both condemnation and regret.
"He pursued absolute power, believing that gentle advancement was a waste of an Alchemist's talent. But he overlooked the most important thing-balance. His theory is a runaway carriage. It will either carry you into the clouds or throw you into the abyss."
Veylin raised his head, looking past Valerius toward a row of identical glass vessels in the corner of the room.
"Master, I think I'm beginning to understand how this madman thought," Veylin said thoughtfully.
"What?"
"These deliberately cryptic descriptions aren't some sort of mystical ritual."
Veylin pointed at the line [The Moonlight Dragon Lizard's third hiss].
"This is just a... an imprecise timer. Essentially, while the potion is being prepared, the dragon lizard nearby will hiss for some reason. And its third hiss might mark the best moment to add a new ingredient."
He paused, then pointed to another sentence.
[When the Mana Barnacle's tendrils curl into spirals]
"Likewise, this is just a visual signal, marking the best moment to add the next ingredient."
The worry on Valerius's face gradually turned to confusion, then finally to astonishment.
He had never considered these ancient precepts, revered by Alchemists as immutable standards, from this perspective.
"You mean... these steps can all be... measured precisely?"
"Exactly."
Veylin picked up a fresh sheet of parchment.
"What we need to do isn't wait for a