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Chapter 101: Prosperous Growth - Buying a Slave
Chapter 101: Prosperous Growth - Buying a Slave
Inside the workshop, dozens of pages were strewn across the desk, dense with underlined and revised notes.
Rows of test tubes stood neatly aligned on the workbench, their liquids shimmering in bizarre hues—some even shifting colors like living entities.
Night had deepened, but Luo En persisted with his experiments.
His jet-black hair was disheveled from hours hunched over his research, sweat glistening faintly on his brow under the dim glow of the Mana Crystal Lamp.
"No... still not right..."
Frustrated, he flung his notebook onto the table. Ink splattered his sleeve, but he barely noticed.
He massaged his temples, trying to soothe the throbbing pain there.
This was his third sleepless night.
He'd tested over a dozen new formulas, adjusted ingredient ratios endlessly, even risked using rare, dangerous materials. Yet fatal flaws emerged during theoretical analysis every time.
Each promising combination collapsed at some stage, like a meticulously built house of cards toppling at the final touch.
"Why can't I find the right balance?"
Luo En stood, pacing the cramped lab, his brow furrowed.
The improved bloodline activation potion needed three conditions simultaneously:
Sufficient Vitality, directional control over bloodline mutation, and stability to suppress unwanted mutations.
These three factors counteracted each other, forming an impossible "three-way balancing act"—improving one inevitably weakened the others.
"Boost Vitality, and directionality spirals out of control. Strengthen stability, and Vitality plummets..."
He sighed, walking to the lab's corner to retrieve the violin Cui Xi gifted him to celebrate passing his Potion Master Certification.
Though music couldn't be cataloged into skill slots like other supernatural arts, he'd discovered playing soothed his anxiety.
His Dual Soul innate talent accelerated comprehension, letting him learn music theory and practice pieces at superhuman speed.
He positioned the violin on his shoulder, closed his eyes, and began a gentle melody.
The bow's friction against the harp strings rang clearly through the night. Simple as the tune was, it carried deep emotion.
The haunting melody seemed to possess a strange power, calming his restless mind.
"Alright, the melody itself isn't bad... but my amateurish technique still needs work."
Luo En chuckled self-deprecatingly, lowering the violin.
The music had worked—his agitation eased, his thoughts clearer.
He stared at the failed samples on the workbench. Each vial represented an attempt, a failure.
Some were too mild, lacking Vitality to ignite change—like trying to light damp wood with a candle.
Others were too aggressive, their mutation risks horrifyingly high. Using them would be suicide.
A few maintained stability but failed to direct mutations toward ancient, pure bloodlines, merely amplifying existing faint traits—far short of his ambitions.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. "Maybe I need a different angle..."
He closed his eyes, steadying his heartbeat, relaxing his muscles.
After several deep breaths, he decided to shelve the problem temporarily and focus on other workshop matters.
"Staying here will only breed more frustration. I should shift focus—maybe inspiration will strike when I least expect it."
He told himself, using logic to suppress emotion.
Lately, the workshop's business had thrived, though Cui Xi hadn't visited personally.
That "I'll visit when I have time" remark must've been mere politeness. She'd kept sending Li Yue to collect orders and introduce new clients.
Several mid-tier apprentices came through her referrals. Though they'd heard of Luo En's meteoric rise as a potion prodigy, his youth made them doubt his brewing experience.
But under Cui Xi's reputation, they'd tentatively purchased potions to test.
If effects proved satisfactory, the workshop's prestige would soar.
Yet order volumes would surge accordingly, and he could barely manage alone now.
Andie had helped previously, but lacking alchemy innate talent, she could only handle menial tasks. He desperately needed a professional assistant—a pressing necessity.
Luo En picked up an order on the floor, frowning at the deadline—only three days left.
With a professional assistant, he could skip redundant material preparations, avoiding near-heart attacks from exhaustion.
"The tree spirit... that tree spirit with special Perception for plants. It should suit potion brewing perfectly."
Recalling the creature at Blake's Exotic Race Exchange, determination flashed in his eyes.
"With current funds, buying it shouldn't be an issue."
He tidied the workbench, carefully labeling and storing failed samples—perhaps they'd inspire future breakthroughs.
Changing into a neat robe, he fastened a leather pouch of Mana Shard Fragments at his waist.
The Silver Pocket Watch nestled in his inner chest pocket ticked softly, reminding him of time's value.
Leaving, Luo En checked the order book.
Three urgent orders needed completion within three days, especially Cui Xi's batch requiring preemptive material processing.
"I really do need help." He locked the workshop, striding toward the Market District, his decision made.
Black Mist Jungle's weather remained perpetually gloomy, faint mist coiling like transparent serpents across the ground.
Passing the School's Dining Hall, Luo En saw several Elementary Apprentices queuing for food, their expressions numb and exhausted.
Bent over, eyes hollow, they resembled soulless husks driven only by instinct.
Though they'd survived probationary periods, another round of eliminations loomed. Their gazes brimmed with uncertainty and fear for the future.
Luo En reflected silently. Months ago, he'd stood there too, uncertain and anxious, unsure of his path.
"Life's twists and turns are truly unpredictable..."
He quickened his pace, unwilling to linger on these thoughts.
Time was precious. Squandering hard-earned opportunities would be the greatest disrespect to fate.
...
Blake's Exotic Race Exchange lurked in the Market's eastern shadows. The creaking wooden sign hung askew as always, its characters fading as if ready to vanish into the wind.
The two Half-Beast guards at the entrance were more vigilant than last time, their eyes cold, muscles taut, ready to subdue troublemakers.
But upon seeing Luo En, they immediately softened, bowing respectfully to clear his path.
"Noble Master Luo En! I've heard of your glorious achievement passing the Potion Master Certification!"
The short, stout slave merchant sprang from behind the counter, his voice booming with sycophantic glee as he approached.
"Ever since your last visit, I've been eagerly awaiting your return!"
His beady eyes narrowed into slits, his grin oily and repulsive, reminding Luo En of certain secondhand dealers from his past life.
Luo En nodded curtly, ignoring the flattery, cutting straight to the point.
"The tree spirit I viewed last time—is it still available?"
"Available? Of course!" The merchant rubbed his hands, a cunning glint in his eyes.
"I've been holding it especially for you! Many have offered to buy it, but I told them all it was reserved."
Luo En inwardly scoffed, disbelieving.
Last visit, the merchant had surely sensed his interest, deliberately keeping this "rare commodity" for a future high-paying return.
The merchant led Luo En past rows of cages, the air thick with low growls, sobs, and whispers from the caged supernatural beings—a chorus of misery.
They stopped at a secluded back room.
Compared to last time, the room appeared cleaner, even adorned with potted plants in corners—perhaps to create a more suitable environment for the tree spirit, or more accurately, to showcase the "commodity's" value.
Curled in the corner, the tree spirit lifted its calm eyes, silently regarding Luo En.
Its pale green skin was covered in tiny scales, vine-like hair swaying slightly, exuding a strange vitality.
Unlike before, the tree spirit seemed to react subtly to his presence.
Though its posture remained still, its eyes flickered with an emotion Luo En couldn't quite place—recognition, perhaps.
"See how well-maintained it is!" The merchant proudly thumped his chest, voice brimming with smugness.
"I've had them administer nutrient solutions daily to preserve its Vitality!"
(End of Chapter)
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