Chapter 319: Alchemy

Chapter 319: Alchemy

The screams within the room did not weaken with time; instead, they became increasingly agonizing.

But what was eerie was that despite being separated by a thin wooden board, not a sound could be heard from the adjacent room.

The Greenhound brothers were curled up on the ground, their bodies riddled with two venomous snakes slithering nearby and dozens of large, fire-red ants crawling into their clothes, viciously gnawing at their flesh.

Fire ants!

These magical creatures had a particular taste for the blood and flesh of living beings, and their bites were extremely painful due to the toxins in their mouths.

The brothers were tortured, their bodies convulsing, but they dared not lift a hand to swat them away, fearing they might anger Jeff.

Their endurance caused Jeff's anger to slightly subside.

"I'll give you one more chance," he said, standing up and casually tossing a 'Healing Potion' their way. With an expressionless face, he pushed the door open and walked out.

"Don't disappoint me. If Lin En is still alive..."

"Then you'll die!"

"Yes, sir!" The elder Greenhound trembled, nodding eagerly. "Master, rest assured. This time, we will definitely witness his last breath before we leave."

"Mhm." Jeff hummed. "That's best."

At some point, the venomous snakes and fire ants disappeared, and the two brothers, covered in pustules, helped each other to their feet.

"Damn it!"

The younger brother cursed under his breath.

"How could that guy still be alive?"

"Maybe his heart is located elsewhere, or perhaps he's using some kind of disguise," the elder brother said, his face darkening.

"Regardless, this time we need to be thorough!"

"Big brother," the younger brother's expression twisted as he gasped. "You're just a novice apprentice fresh out of the academy. Why is Jeff so determined to deal with you?"

"And he wants us to do it?"

"After all, he's from the academy, and it's always inconvenient for him to take action personally," the elder brother shook his head and led the way out.

"As for why he wants him dead..."

"I guess Lin En must have offended someone at the academy, which is why he's brought this trouble upon himself."

Jeff had long left the academy and established his own ventures outside, so it was unlikely he had any disputes with Lin En.

"Forget it," the younger brother said, not wanting to think further. "Let's heal our wounds first. We'll find an opportunity to finish him off later. It seems Jeff is genuinely furious this time."

The elder brother nodded in agreement.

They were just wild wizards begging for scraps in town, and they dared not offend Jeff, who had a powerful backer.

Even Jeff was merely a tool for some influential figure.

...

Lin En exhaled a turbid breath, stretched his limbs, and silently felt the changes in his body.

"I've finally reached the level of an intermediate wizard apprentice," he thought.

After adjusting his meditation technique, his mental power would surge for a period, and Lin En, who had already studied at the academy for many years, naturally advanced to the intermediate level.

Of course, he had only achieved this level of mental power and had yet to master the third zero-level spell.

"Increased mental power not only enhances the strength of spells but also allows for more precise control over the body," he mused.

His ten fingers danced lightly, moving so swiftly that even a minstrel would be impressed.

But this was just the beginning.

Lin En approached the alchemy furnace and ignited the magic fire with a flick of his finger, causing the spells imbued within to activate.

This furnace was the most valuable legacy left by his original body.

It was worth seventeen magic stones!

And that was after getting a discount from a familiar influential figure.

A complete version would likely cost thirty to forty magic stones.

'The original body had planned to leave the academy and make a living through alchemy, but he wasn't particularly skilled in it,' Lin En thought.

'He refused to give up his cultivation, leaving him in a difficult situation.'

Shaking his head, Lin En cut a piece of henbane, a moonflower petal, and added a few drops of belladonna juice into the furnace.

He carefully watched the fire, timing it perfectly.

From time to time, he added more ingredients until a faint, pleasant fragrance filled the air.

This was the critical moment—the Tranquil Potion was supposed to be colorless and odorless. Any scent indicated lower quality.

He needed to suppress the aroma to consider the potion complete.

The original body had always made mistakes at this stage, wasting ingredients and producing nothing. But Lin En was different.

With a swift motion, Lin En added several magical materials with weak magical power into the furnace, controlling the magic fire to melt them.

After a moment, a colorless and odorless liquid flowed from the side of the furnace into a prepared bottle.

Tranquil Potion,

Complete!

Lin En wiped the sweat from his forehead and his eyes sparkled.

"It seems that refining potions is more exhausting than constructing spell models. Fortunately, I succeeded."

He turned to see several more bottles of potion nearby.

Tranquil Potion was the most commonly used auxiliary potion among Viper Academy apprentices, helping to stabilize mental power.

It sold for one magic stone fragment per bottle.

Lin En had previously purchased enough materials for five magic stone fragments, and a qualified potion master could produce at least one magic stone's worth of potions.

The actual process of crafting potions required not only materials but also mental energy, magical flames, and various consumables. Even if he doubled his efforts, the profits would still be average.

But for Lin En...

"Twenty of them!"

After counting the delivery, a smile appeared on his face:

"This kind of profit rate is considered excellent among potion masters, but I guess these potion masters wouldn't be interested in Tranquil Potions."

"Anyway..."

"I won't have to worry about repaying the academy's loan anymore."

...

The marketplace.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Boss Lady Mandy checked the eight potions in front of her, her eyebrows slightly raised:

"Not bad!"

"You're making good progress." She put away the potions and handed over eight Magic Stone Fragments, taking the opportunity to pat Lin En's hand. "With this rate of balancing expenses and making extra profits, you'll have a stable income next month."

"Do you want money or materials?"

"Materials, I guess." Lin En sighed, a hint of fatigue showing on his face. "I have no choice but to do this for survival, but it seems my talent in potion crafting is much stronger than my cultivation."

"That's right." Mandy nodded:

"But don't look down on potion masters. Excellent potion masters are even more sought-after than official wizards."

"Hmm..."

"Once you have enough experience, you can try crafting Silence Potions."

A Silence Potion for one Magic Stone?

Lin En slowly nodded.

Stepping out of the shop, he put the materials on his back and felt the Magic Stone Fragments in his pocket, a smile on his face.

He hadn't sold all the potions to Mandy; he had distributed them to ensure stability.

So, he currently had more than one extra Magic Stone.

"Lin En."

A cheerful voice came from across the street.

Lin En looked up and saw a man and a woman walking towards him, one after the other.

The man had a robust build, and his face had toad-like bumps, a clear side effect of bloodline witchcraft modification.

"Darren," Lin En nodded, turning to the woman:

"Aesia, too."

Darren and Aesia were wizard apprentices from the same batch as Lin En, and they had also failed the academy's assessment.

However, there were differences between them.

Darren had failed outright, while Aesia was a mid-level wizard apprentice. The reason for her failure was unclear, but rumors suggested that she had offended a senior wizard apprentice, who had secretly sabotaged her.

"It's been a while."

Darren enthusiastically put his arm around Lin En's shoulder and laughed:

"What have you been up to lately?"

"Recovering from injuries," Lin En smiled faintly:

"I went to the black market and was ambushed by black wizards. I almost died, and I've been recovering ever since."

"What?" Aesia's expression changed:

"Why did you go to such a dangerous place?"

"Well..." Darren scratched his head, looking embarrassed:

"I told him about it, but I didn't know it would be dangerous. It's my fault. Let me buy you a drink."

"Never mind." Lin En patted his chest:

"My injuries haven't fully healed yet, so I can't drink."

"Are you okay?" Aesia looked concerned:

"Have you had your injuries checked by a physician? If you need some Magic Stones, I can lend you some."

Aesia was one of the female apprentices who had a crush on Lin En, despite her introverted nature.

Darren, standing beside her, subconsciously clenched his fist.

He had always pursued Aesia, and this time, he had arranged this 'chance encounter,' but she remained indifferent to him.

Oddly, she was unusually warm towards Lin En.

"No need." Lin En shook his head:

"I've been learning to craft potions while recovering, and now I can support myself through potion crafting."

"And Susan lent me some Magic Stones."

"Susan..." Aesia pursed her lips:

"She doesn't have many Magic Stones either. If you need any, you can ask me. I've been doing hunting missions."

"Hunting missions?" Lin En frowned:

"The kind that requires leaving town seems dangerous."

"It's fine." Aesia smiled:

"I've been studying this in the academy, so I can handle it. The key is that the rewards are generous."

...

After chatting for a while, they bid each other farewell.

'Darren?'

Lin En stroked his chin. He hadn't thought that much about it before, but now he realized that his previous self could have managed without going to the black market.

Even if he had to borrow money, he could have survived for a year or two.

But Darren's words had sparked his competitive spirit, and he had gone to the black market in search of opportunities, only to be ambushed by black wizards.

A coincidence?

Turning around, Lin En's eyes flickered as he approached a stall filled with martial weapons and picked up a knight's sword.

"How much for this sword?"

"Two Magic Stone Fragments."

"Sold!"

Lin En took out the Magic Stone Fragments and bought the knight's sword.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end