https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1-Occupation-Wind-Spirit-Moon-Shadow/13535001/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-3-Spiritual-Aptitude-Solar-Corona-Breathing-Technique-/13535003/
Chapter 2: Basic Alchemy (Proficient) - Genius Cui Xi
Chapter 2: Basic Alchemy (Proficient) - Genius Cui Xi
What a shame... If only he could somehow bind a Wind Spirit Moon Shadow modifier from his past life, he'd be able to max out all his attributes and skills, becoming an absolute overlord in this otherworld.
Luo En flipped through the Basic Alchemy Manual in his hands, diligently memorizing its contents and scribbling notes, all while sneaking in some daydreaming.
Still, things weren't so bad now. The stacked bonuses from his multiple transcendent professions would create a snowball effect - the further he progressed, the more explosive his stats and skills would become.
【Basic Alchemy Experience Points +1】
Another notification popped up, and Luo En felt his comprehension of alchemy deepen once more.
It felt like weaving a vast net, with each knowledge point forming a node. As his understanding deepened, these nodes would sprout new connections between them.
This was growth - watching numbers rise steadily, feeling knowledge take root and blossom within.
Not some vague sensation of "sort of understanding", but tangible, quantifiable progress.
If learning back on Earth could be like this... He couldn't help but think. If everyone could see their efforts permanently recorded and quantified into clear numbers, that sense of achievement - the certainty that effort equals reward - would make anyone addicted to knowledge.
To Luo En, this life was more fulfilling than his past one. Every moment he felt himself growing, each effort leaving a clear mark on his character sheet.
Time slipped away quietly in this pursuit of knowledge.
In the cramped room, candlelight flickered day and night, casting wavering shadows across books and notes.
For the entire week, aside from necessary meals and rest, he'd poured nearly every moment into studying alchemy.
"Moonwort's potency decays over time, but harvesting it during a full moon preserves its efficacy for a full month; Spiderleaf must be cross-sectioned to maximize mana retention; Silver Iris requires diagonal cutting to enhance its effects..."
Once obscure medicinal properties now formed vivid connections in his mind. Knowledge had transformed from rigid text into flesh-and-blood understanding.
【Basic Alchemy Experience Points +1】
【Basic Alchemy Experience Points +1】
【Basic Alchemy Experience Points +1】
...
【Basic Alchemy (Novice 5/50) → Basic Alchemy (Proficient 9/100)】
【Additional Trait Acquired: High-Speed Memory (Enhanced Comprehension)】
A week had passed in this near-obsessive study. This numerical growth embodied countless focused moments - roughly ten experience points per day of grueling study. Fortunately, the acquired "High-Speed Memory" trait was a pleasant surprise.
And it would only get slower. He could already foresee needing at least several more months to reach the next stage.
His immediate priority was to become a basic 【Apothecary Apprentice】 - without a profession, experience point gains were crawling at turtle pace.
He wondered what requirements existed for 【Wizard Apprentice】 - the combat-focused class. Currently, he hadn't met the conditions to unlock its advancement information.
As Luo En pondered his next steps, a light knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, Luo En? You still alive?"
A teasing voice came from outside the door. "Haven't seen you in the common areas in a whole week - I thought you'd starved to death in here."
Luo En looked up to see a strikingly handsome face peering through the half-open door. The golden-haired youth wore the standard gray apprentice's robe, yet his every movement exuded elegance that no plain garment could conceal.
Searching his memory, Luo En recalled this overly-familiar figure - Andie, the Thirteenth Prince of the Kingdom, and one of the few fellow countrymen he'd met in Black Mist Jungle.
Back in the Kingdom, unlike other royal family members who flaunted their talents, Andie had always been humble to the point of seeming overly reserved. Rumor said this had relieved his elder brothers, who considered him uninterested in succession struggles.
Now, this Thirteenth Prince stood in the same gray apprentice's robe as Luo En, leaning against his humble doorframe.
"Is Your Highness actually checking up on me?" Luo En teased. "Pity - House Ralph swears allegiance to someone other than you."
"Oh please, drop the 'Highness'." Andie waved his hand lazily, slouching against the doorframe.
"Here, we're all the same. Whether you're a Count's Heir or the Thirteenth Prince, before a mage, these worldly titles are nothing but empty honors."
His gaze swept across the desk, suddenly locking onto the tattered Basic Alchemy Manual. The book bristled with sticky notes, its corners worn from endless flipping.
"Tell me you didn't spend the whole week on this?" Andie's voice carried disbelief.
Seeing Andie's surprise, Luo En realized how extreme his week appeared to outsiders.
After all, most candidate apprentices with dim ascension prospects wasted time in common areas or sought shortcuts - like currying favor with senior apprentices.
Few would lock themselves in a room studying like he had.
"Actually, I did." Luo En nodded, fingers absently brushing the pages. "Alchemy turned out unexpectedly fascinating."
"Fascinating?" Andie's eyebrow arched, expression turning serious.
As a prince raised in court politics and skilled in reading people, he instantly noticed Luo En's transformation. That focused, self-assured gaze could not be feigned.
"You've genuinely gained something from this?"
Before Luo En could answer, he noticed Andie's eyes lingering on the thick stack of notes on the table.
The notes were nearly twice as thick as the manual itself, every page crammed with dense handwriting.
"All from this week's studies?" Andie flipped open the top notebook, revealing neat handwriting and meticulous diagrams. Many sections featured annotations and questions - some already resolved in later ink.
"Actually", Luo En pointed to the thickest notebook, "that was my initial record. Back then, I wasn't clear on many concepts, so I documented everything in detail. As my understanding deepened, the notes gradually became more concise."
Andie's gaze lingered on the Basic Alchemy Manual, expression growing complex.
So many struggled with alchemy - some apprentices spent years without breakthroughs, let alone reaching proficiency within months.
This book had originally been his gift to Luo En. Back then, already certain of his own lack of talent in alchemy, he'd passed on this tome that cost him countless Mana Shard Fragments.
"Do you remember where this book came from?" Andie asked casually.
Luo En recalled quickly. "You gave it to me. Said alchemy didn't suit you back then, and you were switching to enchantment studies."
Andie's eyes swept over the desk's dense notes, a peculiar expression emerging.
"You've definitely outdone me in dedication. In just one week, you've filled this many notebooks?"
"Truthfully", he forced a casual tone, "I never expected you to take the alchemy path. Many experienced apprentices have stumbled in this field. Relying solely on reading and note-taking..."
Andie chuckled, trailing off with obvious skepticism.
Enchantment, alchemy, potion-making... these were playgrounds reserved for the gifted. He'd tried every mainstream magecraft, only to fail repeatedly.
Hadn't he once been like Luo En? Desperately searching for paths under time's relentless pressure?
But reality was cruel - mastery in any magecraft was no easy feat. True talent was at least one in a hundred... and that was among candidate apprentices already considered promising.
Luo En smiled, recognizing Andie's thoughts but choosing not to dwell. He casually steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Speaking of, I haven't seen Cui Xi in a while. How's she been lately?"
Before he could finish, he noticed the usually composed Thirteenth Prince's expression flicker with momentary loss of control. Though swiftly replaced by his characteristic elegance, Luo En had already caught that brief lapse.
"Oh, her?" Andie's smile remained elegant, though his tone turned unnaturally bright. "She's already reached mid-tier apprentice status. Completed her ascension ritual last month - truly the only genius among our fellow countrymen."
(End of Chapter)
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