A few days later, in the residence.
"Diluent, purifier, neutralizer... everything is almost ready. Let's begin!"
Earlier, Roy had placed the entire Aquinas magic gold claw blade into a specially purchased solvent.
After a few days, it had visibly corroded, with most of it disintegrating and settling at the bottom.
Roy gently stirred it with a glass rod, and the rust quickly turned the clear solution turbid, completely dissolving the remaining parts of the claw blade.
After a while, he placed it into the Wizard Array, and the liquid visibly vibrated as if boiling.
Roy seized the opportunity to add his homemade alkaline solution, and soon obtained a turbid liquid.
The bright yellow liquid, with its faint streaks of crimson, contained the essence of the Aquinas magic gold he desired!
"Success!
However, the cost-effectiveness seems a bit low. It's still not done well enough, and it took quite a bit of time!"
Roy carefully inspected it with his spiritual power, confirming the presence of slight Law Remnants, and his expression became somewhat uncertain.
After all, this was a weapon of the formal Wizard level. Apprentice-level acid or smelting methods weren't so easily effective against it. He would need to buy some high-grade materials from the market to concoct a solution.
And high-grade materials often meant expensive.
This would require much more, even several times, or dozens to hundreds of times more Magic Stones to purchase.
"It seems the Art of Alchemy is a bottomless pit, requiring money everywhere!
Fortunately, I have the success rate bonus of being a Proficient, which has saved me a lot in intangible ways!
But that's not all. Each subsequent step in the process has similar troubles!"
Roy couldn't help but worry that if he spent all his money, he might end up with nothing.
But then he thought, the Hair Demon Physique was chosen to gamble on the power of a Demon God.
This was a long-term investment.
The necessary expenses had to be made, and if he ran out of money, he would just have to work harder to earn more.
After firming his resolve, Roy got up, tidied the Alchemy Table, and fetched the second claw blade to continue his attempts.
"This time, let's try a more efficient method.
At the same time, learn and practice."
To become an excellent alchemist, one must master a vast amount of esoteric knowledge and be familiar with various formulas.
...
Late November.
The twenty-third Willpower Rune, Dakaz, manifested as scheduled.
"Good, the progress in Meditation training is also smooth. I'm just one step away from becoming a senior apprentice!"
Roy smiled with satisfaction.
Thanks to the projects of refining Magic Stones and the Dark Orchard, he had a steady stream of stable income.
Although it wasn't a lot, it was enough to maintain his current Meditation training progress.
Ordinary apprentices didn't have such conditions.
The next step should be advancing to a senior apprentice.
Roy thought about it. For apprentices in the Wizard Tower, advancing to senior level was a big deal.
It meant being able to manifest all 24 Willpower Runes, and one's spiritual power would enter a materialized stage.
At this moment, Renien came rushing in excitedly: "Roy, good news!"
"What good news?" Roy asked curiously.
"The Wizard Tower has increased the rewards again to encourage us to take on tasks... look!"
Roy took the notice Renien handed him and read: "Clearing the West Coast...
Task requirement: Slay the Fishman Warlock and retrieve the Fish Pearl from its body as evidence."
Mission Reward: A quota of primary materials for Apprentice-level Wizard Body Modification (standard modification, not part of the inheritance sequence)..."
Renien exclaimed excitedly, "Primary materials for Wizard Body Modification! With something like this, even if you haven't mastered a Spell Model, you can ask a senior apprentice to help with Wizard Body Modification or other enhancements! I plan to get some Star Soul Dust and have someone craft a Star Soul Beast Arm for me. Do you want to join me?"
Roy didn't respond immediately, instead pondering the situation. "Things seem to be getting more serious. The impact of that previous Forbidden Experiment is far-reaching, isn't it?"
Renien shrugged, "Why worry about that? This is good news for us, isn't it? All the materials will be yours. I haven't spent my Magic Stones yet, so I'll give them to you as payment for hiring you!"
"That's true," Roy nodded. "Alright, I'll go."
With his imminent promotion to a senior apprentice, such a lucrative mission was worth undertaking.
However, when they went to the mission center to inquire about the details from the apprentice in charge, several other groups arrived. They were also there for the mission to clear out the western coast.
"Several Fishman tribes have suddenly appeared there, likely due to Wizardry Energy radiation leaking into the outside world..."
"Rumors say that last year's explosion in Chalkland caused some materials to pass through the Astral Void and land somewhere on the western coast... That's the cause of the monster chaos!"
"Really? If we could find a few, wouldn't that be a huge windfall?"
"Dream on! The Astral Void blocks most of it. But even the remnants and fragments that slip through are unimaginably valuable."
"Of course! What is Chalkland? It's where the great Wizards attempted to create life! There are plenty of precious materials there! And I heard that the Forbidden Experiment wasn't just about creating life, but creating souls—human souls!"
"What?"
The term "Alchemy" originates from a mystical philosophy rooted in chemistry. Among the so-called four ultimate goals, creating life, or more specifically, "creating humans," is the core of Genesis Studies. That is a forbidden art, one that challenges the authority of the gods. And creating souls? That is the most forbidden of all, especially human souls!
Now, someone is saying that the Forbidden Experiment was related to that?
"No wonder everyone is so eager! It's not just about hunting Fishmen!" Renien suddenly realized.
"Honestly, I wouldn't mind a little extra..."
"It would be great to strike it rich!"
Niya and Andov shared their hopeful dreams.
Even Roy couldn't help but feel tempted.
Immediately, they all accepted the mission and set out with high hopes. Their goal was similar to everyone else's: to complete the mandatory mission while trying their luck.
However, they ended up coming up empty-handed. Although it was far from "more people than monsters," the rush of adventurers still meant that the mission site had been cleaned out before they arrived.
Without Storage Wizardry Artifacts, their journey was limited. They only managed to hunt a few Fishman scout teams before hastily heading back.
...
On the way, another group returned, riding Undead Warhorses.
That was Botning's team.
Similar to Roy and his group, they had also taken on the mission to hunt down the Fishman Warlock, aiming to fulfill the Wizard Tower's assignment while trying their luck outside.
In the small valley near the Wizard Tower, neither side noticed the other as they approached each other at the fork in the road.
(End of Chapter)