Two days later, Roy returned to the Wizard Tower with Winter and explained the situation to Olen, presenting a piece of Chalk Soil as his achievement.
Of course, he didn't mention that he had investigated the Corpse Dissolving Pool, but he was straightforward about the conflict between him and Pimier.
As expected, Olen only cared about the accumulated resources and didn't mind who completed the task.
However, he didn't anticipate that Roy would be so bold as to hand in only a small piece while secretly keeping three larger ones.
Through appraisal, Roy discovered that these three pieces were the essence of the Chalk Soil, containing a significant amount of energy.
Good things should naturally be kept for oneself.
After leaving Olen, Winter sighed sadly, "Lord Roy, how do high-level apprentices like you view us?"
Roy asked, "What do you mean?"
Winter sighed again, "I don't understand why Pimier would do such a thing."
Roy inquired, "How did you meet and become adventure companions?"
Winter replied, "We met on the ship bringing apprentices here, and since then, we've adventured, studied, and traded together…
When we were weak, we stuck together for warmth, and even as we reached the intermediate level, we remained as close as brothers.
But with his exceptional talent, he advanced to the high level faster and gradually changed…
Now that I think about it, he's always been progressing, while we've been stuck in place due to our lack of talent and effort.
It's not just about catching up; even keeping up has become increasingly difficult.
Perhaps we've truly become a burden, holding him back…"
You really have no idea, not even willing to call him Senior Pimier!
Roy sighed inwardly but remained composed, handing Winter 300 Magic Stones from Olen: "Take this."
Winter looked at him with slight surprise.
"Take it. It's from the things I kept for myself. If you don't take it, how can I?"
Roy patted his shoulder.
"Winter, perhaps due to some twist of fate, we once stood on opposing sides, but who knows what the future holds?
If there's a chance, work for me.
You can also keep an eye on Pimier and inform me promptly if anything changes."
Winter's expression turned strangely complex.
He could clearly see that Roy was trying to buy him over.
But as he clenched the Magic Stones in his hand, he suddenly felt that it didn't matter anymore.
…
After Winter left, Roy watched his retreating figure and pondered for a while.
He couldn't help but think about his relationship with Renien and the others.
Renien and the others had indeed fallen behind him.
For instance, during this exploration, it was only natural that he didn't bring them along.
While it was partly out of concern for their safety, there was also an element of finding them "useless"!
Roy asked himself honestly; he couldn't be as ruthless as Pimier, willing to kill them for money.
But truly taking them along and caring for them meticulously would also be difficult.
Economic foundation determines the superstructure, and in this Wizard World, it's all about strength.
It seems necessary to reconsider his relationship with them.
"Never mind, let's not dwell on it. There's still work to be done when I get back."
Shortly after, Roy returned to his residence and, without even resting, immediately went into the Alchemy Room to put his ideas into practice.
Roy first placed the Chalk Soil he had kept aside on the table, then found a small basin to contain it.
On his way back, he had already tried to cut the Chalk Soil, but it was incredibly tough, and ordinary tools couldn't even make a dent.
This essentially meant that ordinary apprentices couldn't handle such material.
Only an Elite Apprentice like Olen could attempt to work with it.
But his new talent, [Blackening], had granted him the knowledge to cast the "Blackening Art" and create "Blackening Potions."
This was far more advanced than Olen's methods.
Roy softly chanted an incantation: "..."
This was a Rune derived from the "Wizard's Book", symbolizing "dissolution."
The ancient Rune was originally associated with decomposition, dissolution, and death.
In Alchemy, it represented the deconstruction of matter, a fundamental form of destruction and transformation.
In an instant, a black glow appeared in his palm, and upon contact with the Chalk Soil, it melted away as quickly as white wax touched by a red-hot iron.
Roy's gaze fell on the black liquid in the basin: "The magical energy here is so dense!
It's just like how stomach acid digests food, extracting nutrients and energy for absorption and use!"
He continued the process, and the melted flesh gradually formed a pool of black liquid.
The next step was the familiar operation of refining Magic Stones.
The final result was beyond expectations.
One after another, successfully energized and condensed Magic Stones were produced, with an astonishingly high yield.
By the afternoon, even with the support of his [Alchemy Machine] talent, Roy began to feel exhausted.
He couldn't help but rub his face, forcing himself to stay alert.
But then, a look of excitement appeared.
Because the output of Magic Stones far exceeded his expectations.
The Alchemy Table was piled high with freshly refined Magic Stones, one after another, totaling as many as 4,000!
This was an unprecedented achievement!
"I've really hit the jackpot this time!
The three pieces of Chalk Soil I kept are truly extraordinary; they are the high-energy essence!"
There are differences between Chalk Soil and Chalk Soil, just like between fatty meat and lean meat, calluses and heart muscle...
Their value is primarily determined by the essence of the flesh and the Wizardry Energy they contain.
Roy had never expected that [Blackening] combined with high-energy flesh could produce such astonishing results!
"It seems like a lot was wasted during the refining process.
But this is no longer within the scope of what a [Proficient] can handle; it's a drawback of large-scale production."
Roy felt that there must be some pattern to it, but there was no need to think too much about it at the moment.
He decided to spend this unexpected windfall first, to enhance his strength.
"Where should I spend it? Let me think, how about an advanced knight enhancement!"
Roy actually longed more to buy a Storage Wizardry Artifact, but the money was still far from enough, and the priority of an advanced knight enhancement was also very high, so he had to consider it first.
Injecting Blood Mercury leans more towards enhancing the energy system of 「Combat Aura」 and improving destructive power and other combat-related aspects.
To achieve a comprehensive enhancement, improving attributes like perception, reaction, speed, and recovery ability, one must undergo enhancement or Wizard Body Modification.
So for Roy at this stage, a proper advanced knight enhancement was absolutely necessary.
The price of the corresponding enhancement potion was exactly 5000 Magic Stones. This unexpected windfall, combined with my previous savings, was just enough to cover the
cost.
For something like this, there was no need to consider brewing it myself. I immediately headed to a reputable store, purchased the corresponding comprehensive enhancement potion, and drank it in one go.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!