Chapter 27: Alchemy
Chapter 27: Alchemy
"There are various ways to classify poisons, but the most common method is to categorize them by their source and purpose."
Sebel held a branch of an unknown tree, using scissors to snip off a piece and squeeze out its juice as she continued, "Natural toxins can be plant-based, such as poisonous mushrooms, Jatropha Curcas, bitter apricot kernels, ginkgo nuts, and more..."
"Animal toxins include pufferfish, venomous snakes, and spiders."
"There are also man-made toxins, the most common being farmers' pesticides for weed and insect control."
They were in a laboratory within the Adolph Manor, currently serving as a classroom for alchemy lessons.
Karl, holding a calligraphy brush, nodded and took notes while occasionally assisting with the preparation of herbal ingredients.
"Your note-taking habit is excellent," Sebel praised as she picked up a glass vial, gently shaking the liquid inside.
"My master once said, 'Never put down your pen and ink; they are more reliable than your memory.'"
Indeed, there was a similar saying in this world: 'Good memory can't replace diligent writing.'
"Apart from the classifications we discussed, I prefer another approach," Sebel continued.
"Categorizing poisons by their toxic effects."
"Broadly, we can divide them into hemotoxins, neurotoxins, corrosive toxins, enzymatic toxins... This way, creating antidotes becomes more targeted."
She handed over a test tube containing a half-filled potion.
"Try it."
"This is a paralyzing toxin I prepared. It can cause a knight's attendant to become rigid and lose their ability to resist for a short time."
Karl's face paled.
"You want me to taste it?"
"Of course," Sebel said matter-of-factly.
"To truly understand the principles and combinations of potions, there's nothing more effective than experiencing them firsthand. Moreover, repeated exposure to toxins can enhance your body's tolerance."
"It'll also make learning the 'Toxicity Immunity' spell easier in the future."
"Alright," Karl sighed, suppressing his apprehension as he took the poison and drank it.
Over the past few days, he had already sampled several potions.
According to Sebel, this immersive learning style yielded the best results, a teaching method she had learned from her master, Adolph.
Within just a few breaths, Karl felt his breathing quicken, and his body began to stiffen.
"How does it feel?" Sebel asked with a smile.
Karl's face turned red, and he nodded with difficulty, staggering towards the experiment table to start mixing an antidote.
Soon, he drank the antidote he had prepared, and his body relaxed, collapsing into a chair as he gasped for breath.
"Well done!" Sebel clapped her hands.
"It seems you've fully grasped the knowledge from yesterday's lesson. Even in a paralyzed state, you managed to prepare the antidote without errors. I was ready to help you neutralize the poison."
Karl, feeling drained, couldn't muster a response.
After spending some time with Sebel, he had gained a better understanding of her personality.
Fundamentally, Sebel was a curious young girl, but due to her upbringing, she was also cautious about the outside world.
As a result, she often seemed naive.
Initially, one might perceive her as cold and distant, but as you got to know her, she became quite approachable.
After all, she was just a girl of around ten; how deep could her thoughts be?
"Ding-a-ling..."
The class bell rang.
Sebel paused and smiled, extending her hand.
"Today, we had three lessons, and I taught you two potion recipes, all for a total of twelve gold coins."
"Twelve coins?" Karl's face paled.
Whether it was due to the lingering toxins in his system or the shock of the price, he remained silent for a long moment.
Knowledge came with a price.
Stepping into the world of wizardry had given him a profound understanding of this fact.
Even for classroom needs, potions had to be paid for, and the prices varied.
Moreover,
The cost of materials used during lessons also fell on the students.
Everything seemed to require money.
Despite bringing back a considerable amount of items from another world, his gold coins were being depleted at an alarming rate.
All he could do was sigh softly.
"I'll bring the payment in a couple of days."
(End of Chapter 27)
"Sure."
Thanks to his previous good reputation, Sebel wasn't concerned about his debt.
"Sebel."
A beautiful lady entered the classroom, pushing the door open. "Your master has sent a letter, mentioning something important. Come and take a look."
Karl stood up and bowed:
"Lady."
Catherine was Adolph's wife, and in the language of the Gando Kingdom, her name symbolized purity.
Unlike the elderly Adolph.
Catherine was not yet thirty, the prime age for a woman's beauty, and her appearance was exquisite.
Among the many women Karl had seen, only Lady Anne, who had captivated countless men, could compare in terms of eyebrows.
"Karl."
Catherine nodded:
"Are you staying for dinner today?"
"No," Karl shook his head.
"It's too late to go back, and the road won't be safe."
"You can stay here," Catherine smiled.
"There are many empty houses in the manor."
"No need for the trouble," Karl still refused.
"Alright then."
Catherine shrugged.
She was quite satisfied with Adolph's new disciple, who had always been respectful towards her.
Unlike Tim.
He appeared gentlemanly on the surface, but his eyes held an evil glint, often sneaking glances at her, making her feel uncomfortable.
Back at his residence, Jenny had already prepared the meal.
Her cooking skills were improving day by day.
Karl didn't hold back, as his rent included meals and laundry, which was normal in the Gando Kingdom.
In his bedroom, Karl packed up all the supplies he had gathered and then headed to the Fragment of the Divine Domain with ease.
"Finally..."
"I've got the potion formula!"
These days, he had been learning alchemy from Sebel, both to gain knowledge and to acquire the formula.
The formula for a potion that used Necrotic Dust as the main ingredient to increase the spirit power of a wizard apprentice.
Wisdom's Light!
That was the name of the formula.
Creating potions required extreme precision in the order, timing, and quantity of materials.
Even the slightest error could render the potion ineffective or, in more severe cases, cause an explosion, turning the elixir into poison.
Precision was Karl's specialty.
Within the Fragment of the Divine Domain, he could control his powers with utmost accuracy, ensuring no mistakes during the potion-making process.
Moreover, creating the potion within the Fragment helped minimize the impact of external factors.
"Dilute 20% honey, crushed purple lotus, and add seven grams of high-purity crystal shards..."
Glassware, test tubes, oil lamps...
Various laboratory equipment was neatly arranged.
"Pfft!"
A puff of black smoke emerged, signaling the experiment's failure.
Karl's expression remained unchanged.
Even though he had precise control over his powers, he was still unfamiliar with the proportions required for potion-making.
The chances of success on the first try were slim.
Failure was inevitable.
He picked up the calligraphy brush and jotted down the experimental data on the side.
"Attempt two, increase crystal shard weight, delay adding Necrotic Dust, record data."
"Pfft!"
"Attempt three, process purple lotus root..."
"Bang!"
A burst of flame caused some of the glassware to shatter, but fortunately, Karl had prepared backup equipment in advance.
"Attempt thirty-seven, honey consistency level two, Necrotic Dust quantity seven..."
"Drip!"
As a few drops of liquid flowed into the test tube, Karl also understood why this potion was named Wisdom Light.
The finely ground crystals, once dissolved, emitted a faint glow.
Gently shaking the test tube, the liquid seemed to shimmer with a captivating, exquisite radiance, drawing one into its mesmerizing beauty.
"Hmm..."
"It's probably the effect of the Necrotic Dust, which gives the potion's light a certain enchanting property."
Karl set down the test tube and continued his work.
Soon...
"One portion of Necrotic Dust can create two portions of Wisdom Light, with other materials costing six gold pounds."
"Next..."
"Test the effects!"
Chapter end
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