Chapter 115: Dakli Death Omen

Chapter 115: Dakli Death Omen

Luo En returned to the Workshop in high spirits, the successful trial still buoying his mood. Skipping directly to the third-phase curriculum meant he could access advanced knowledge far sooner—something he’d long desired.

“Ai Lan, I’m back!” he called cheerfully, pushing open the Workshop door.

The tree spirit stood quietly in the corner. At his voice, she turned slightly, her leaves tracing characters in the air:

“Congratulations, Master. The trial seems to have gone smoothly.”

Luo En nodded, hanging his outer robe on the rack. “Better than expected. They’re letting me skip straight to phase three.”

As he approached Ai Lan, he studied her unique form—the once purely plant-like being now clearly taking on a gentle, feminine figure. Woven branches draped into an elegant, almost mystical gown. Yet he noticed her transformation had stalled. Her face remained softly defined, features like eyes, nose, and mouth vaguely discernible but lacking human clarity.

“How have you been feeling lately, Ai Lan?” he asked gently, concern in his voice.

Her vines trembled slightly. “Calm, Master. The dreams… have stopped.”

Luo En nodded thoughtfully. As he’d suspected, her evolution had hit a plateau. The residual mana from potion dregs was no longer enough to fuel her next metamorphosis.

“This is normal,” he reassured her, picking up a small vial from the workbench. Inside lay spent Yang Flame Essence residue from his latest potion-making—a faint source of vitality, worthless to ordinary users but potentially nourishing for her. “Try this. It’s fresh Yang Flame Essence residue. Its mana might resonate better with you than ordinary dregs.”

Ai Lan accepted the vial, her vines carefully emptying the residue around her roots. Almost instantly, her root system absorbed it, triggering a ripple of tremors through her vines and leaves as if savoring the mana’s warmth.

“It feels… comforting,” her vines inscribed, followed by, “Thank you, Master.”

Luo En smiled, turning to his workbench. Though her condition was stable, advancing her evolution would require a stronger mana source and precise bloodline activation techniques.

“When I master bloodline formulation and activation methods, I’ll help you awaken further,” he said while organizing his equipment. “I believe a far older, mightier bloodline sleeps within you.”

Ai Lan paused, then her vines moved again: “Master believes… I could become like those beings in my dreams?”

“I’m certain of it,” Luo En replied firmly. “Every being holds infinite potential. You’ve already shown extraordinary promise, Ai Lan.”

Her branches swayed gently, expressing silent gratitude and anticipation.

Turning back to his workbench, Luo En began preparing for the crucial ritual tonight.

Meanwhile, in the Enforcement Team’s temporary duty room, Andie mechanically sorted wood samples collected from the Black Mist Jungle’s edge. His hands worked proficiently, but his mind wandered.

“Seventy-eight… seventy-nine… wait, this one belongs in the hardwood pile…”

He muttered, correcting a misplacement. The dimly lit room was illuminated only by Mana Crystal Lamps, its walls adorned with Black Mist Jungle maps marking danger ranks and patrol routes. Nearby, Nuo Li Si reviewed patrol reports.

“This is the third time today you’ve messed up,” Nuo Li Si remarked, frowning. “Focus. Last week, an apprentice named Jacob nearly got sprayed by a three-eyed toad’s venom because he wasn’t paying attention.”

“Sorry,” Andie forced a smile. “Just… a lot on my mind.”

Nuo Li Si’s tone softened slightly, recalling Andie’s background. “Everyone’s got problems, but here, distraction can be fatal.”

Andie nodded, yet his thoughts drifted to the upcoming bloodline activation ritual. Ever since finalizing details with Luo En, he’d been trapped in a paradoxical mix of anticipation and dread. Power and peril walked hand-in-hand.

His hand slipped, a sharp splinter drawing blood.

“Damn it!” he hissed, pressing a cloth to the wound.

Nuo Li Si sighed, handing him a vial of healing potion. “Not just for the cut. For your state of mind. Keep this up, and next time, it won’t be just a finger.”

Andie accepted the potion with a weak smile. The wound sealed instantly, but the unease in his chest lingered.

The door slammed open. A squad leader burst in, face tense. “Emergency! Boundary patrol found a corpse near the north perimeter—we need to move now!”

Nuo Li Si and Andie stood immediately.

“Details?” Nuo Li Si asked, already packing gear.

“Karl—the Elementary Apprentice who handled perimeter missions,” the leader reported. “Looks like mutation attack. Body’s covered in mutation and corruption marks.”

Andie’s stomach dropped. Karl was familiar—a fellow townsman from Falu Ke Kingdom.

“Mutation this close to the School’s border?” Nuo Li Si frowned.

“Exactly. Karl nearly made it to safety,” the leader added grimly. “We must contain the body before more corruption spreads.”

Andie grabbed his emergency kit. Mutation-killed corpses exuded corruption, risking environmental decay and attracting more mutations.

“Let’s move,” Nuo Li Si ordered.

As they rushed out, Andie realized he might miss his bloodline activation ritual with Luo En.

…

As the sun set, Luo En added the final reagent to his flask. The deep red solution shifted to a golden-amber hue, glowing faintly and exuding a mesmerizing fragrance.

“Perfect,” he murmured, carefully transferring it to a specialized crystal bottle. “The ultimate bloodline activation potion is ready.”

Ai Lan stood quietly at the side, watching the entire process unfold.

Her leaf-like appendages fluttered gently as she murmured, “Master’s craftsmanship grows ever more refined.”

Luo En smiled as he carefully tucked the Crystal Bottle away.

“This is my most satisfying creation yet. Theoretically, it should precisely guide the activation of a bloodline while significantly reducing mutation risks.”

He glanced out the window. The sunlight had shifted to a warm crimson hue, casting golden-red veils over the Black Mist Jungle.

“That’s strange. Andie should have arrived by now.”

He checked the wall clock, his brow furrowing. “He’s always punctual.”

Deciding to relax slightly, Luo En turned toward his bookshelf and pulled down Foundational Alchemy.

The last time he’d gained knowledge from this book had significantly improved his alchemy skills. Perhaps reading further would offer more Inspiration.

“The core of alchemy lies in understanding the essence of substances and reorganizing their constituent elements…”

He murmured the words, his finger tracing the page. “Through specific procedures and mediums, one can transform the form of substances, even altering their fundamental attributes…”

As he read, a familiar sensation settled over him: knowledge slowly sedimenting in his mind, forming new connections like puzzle pieces gradually assembling into a complete image.

【Foundational Alchemy (Entry-Level) Experience Points +1】

Alchemy and alchemy shared many similarities—both focused on material transformation and mana flow, though their applications and methods differed.

As a Potion Master who had already mastered alchemy, and with the [Broad Knowledge] trait, Luo En demonstrated extraordinary learning efficiency when studying alchemy.

Unknowingly, he had already read for over half an hour, and his Foundational Alchemy experience had steadily climbed to (Entry-Level 12/50).

He closed the book, rubbing his tired eyes, and looked outside again.

The sky had fully darkened, and the Mana Crystal Lamp in the workshop automatically illuminated, dispelling the indoor shadows. Yet Andie had still not appeared.

“That’s not right,” Luo En muttered. “Andie isn’t someone prone to being late or breaking appointments.”

Just as he was about to rise and head to the Enforcement Team for information, Ai Lan’s voice suddenly manifested in the air:

“Master, someone’s approaching. It’s Andie, sir.”

Moments later, hurried knocking confirmed Ai Lan’s warning.

Luo En quickly strode to the door and pulled it open.

Andie stood outside, his face etched with fatigue and worry.

Stains marked his clothes, suggesting he’d recently endured some unpleasant ordeal.

“I’m truly sorry, Luo En,” he began as he stepped inside. “An emergency came up, and I had to handle it first.”

“What happened?” Luo En asked, concern evident in his voice as he poured Andie a cup of hot tea. “You look exhausted.”

Andie accepted the teacup, inhaling its warmth. “Karl is dead.”

“Karl?” Luo En searched his memories, recalling intelligence Mi La had once exchanged with him.

“Didn’t I hear he went missing with his companions in the Edge Forest? So it was…”

Andie nodded, sorrow flickering in his eyes.

“Yes. He returned from the Edge Forest today, almost reaching the School’s safety zone, but was still ambushed by a mutation. Our Enforcement Team responded immediately upon receiving the report, but it was too late.”

He took a sip of tea, continuing,

“The body already showed signs of mutation and contamination. We had to dispose of it immediately to prevent wider pollution, which could spawn even more mutations.”

Luo En listened in silence, his mind flashing back to Darwood’s twisted, grotesque form and the battle that nearly cost him his life.

Back then, he’d been incredibly fortunate—his contamination-free survival owed much to luck. He hadn’t possessed a pocket watch or other pollution-purifying means at the time.

“Lately, mutations around the School have indeed become more frequent.”

Andie continued, “Patrols by the Enforcement Team grow increasingly dangerous. Some speculate it’s due to leaked secret experiments; others say pollution is simply spreading…”

He shook his head, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the grim topic.

“At any rate, after the team handled the body and performed basic purification, I could finally return. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“This isn’t your fault. Such emergencies are beyond control.”

Luo En patted Andie’s shoulder in understanding. “The ritual isn’t urgent—we can delay and let you rest first.”

Andie nodded gratefully, though the exhaustion in his eyes didn’t fade. “Thank you for understanding. I’ll take a quick nap.”

Originally, Andie had asked if they should commence at noon tomorrow. But after brief consideration, Luo En realized the mana produced during bloodline awakening was already excessively powerful.

Adding noon’s amplification could turn the activation ritual into a suicide attempt…

As night deepened and the sky turned pitch-black, the workshop’s atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Luo En and Andie stood at the center of the specially prepared ritual site, surrounded by seven specially crafted candles. Their flickering flames cast a mysterious glow across the space.

On the floor lay a complex array—a Sun-shaped design with seven primary lines radiating from the center. Each line bore special runes symbolizing life, power, balance, purification, stability, guidance, and awakening.

Luo En had painstakingly designed this formation by combining records from Bloodline Activation Compendium with details provided by Andie about royal-secret rituals.

“Ready?” Luo En asked softly, holding the bloodline activation potion glowing with golden light.

Andie stood at the array’s center, bare-chested, his skin gleaming healthily under candlelight.

He took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m ready. This is the moment I’ve long awaited.”

Luo En sensed his companion’s tension but chose not to acknowledge it.

Instead, he began executing the ritual according to the predetermined procedure.

“Following the process you previously provided, the first step is activating the array.”

As he spoke, he retrieved seven specially crafted small mana crystals from his pouch. These stones, soaked in Solara Grass essence, could guide positive mana flow.

He placed the mana crystals one by one at the array’s seven key nodes. With the final crystal set, the formation began emitting a faint golden glow—the mark of activated positive mana.

“Now the second step.”

Luo En cast a concerned glance at Andie. The other’s teeth had begun clacking from tension.

“These runes aren’t only on the array—they must also be temporarily drawn on your body to direct the potion’s mana through the correct meridians and bloodline nodes.”

He retrieved a vial of specially prepared silver ink, beginning to inscribe runes on Andie’s body.

The ink felt cool, producing a slight stinging as it touched skin—a result of its diluted Vitality essence.

Luo En’s technique was proficient and precise, each rune landing perfectly on key acupoints.

Andie felt a strange sensation, as though the runes weren’t merely surface markings but had penetrated into his flesh and bones.

“Finally, the most critical step.”

After finishing the rune inscription, Luo En retrieved the bloodline activation potion. “Drink this, keep your will clear-headed, and guide it—don’t let it guide you.”

Andie nodded, accepting the potion vial.

The light through the Crystal Bottle’s walls illuminated his face, reflecting golden oceans in his eyes.

“Luo En… if… if the ritual fails, would you… after returning to the Kingdom, could you take care of…”

He suddenly asked, his voice trembling with anxiety, the light in his eyes dimming.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end