This enhancement was far easier than before.
Since Roy had already injected Blood Mercury, he had a certain foundation to build upon.
The Neanderthal Bloodline's developmental potential far surpassed that of ordinary humans.
In just one night, he felt the restlessness within his cells subside, and the results of the enhancement transformed into Life Energy, becoming active within his body.
"Excellent, I now possess the physique of a true advanced knight…"
The next morning, Roy took advantage of his Meditation session to quietly sense the surging Life Energy within his body.
He then circulated his Combat Aura, and a crimson radiance flowed like flames.
Boom!
With a sudden punch, the air exploded as if a small Alchemy Bomb had been detonated!
The Flower Snake shrank back in fear.
Roy nodded in satisfaction.
This ordinary punch was comparable to some "focused strikes" that condensed Elements, boasting a power of 3 to 5 degrees.
It was indeed an immediate transformation!
…
Over the next few days, Roy spent his time in the tower, adapting to his new advanced knight physique while continuing to train and accumulate wealth.
With his increased strength, he could now take on more tasks.
For instance, he began recycling miscellaneous items, refining Magic Stones, and concocting Meditation Potions.
As Milina had said, Roy was "skilled and efficient," quickly earning a good reputation in a short time.
No one as blind as Botning dared to threaten him anymore.
Winter, in return, introduced him to several intermediate apprentices.
At the same time, Winter informed Roy of another matter: "Pimier still hasn't returned!"
"Is that so? Where has that guy been hiding?" Roy wondered silently.
However, he didn't fully trust Winter and quietly instructed Niya and Celine to keep an eye out.
This wasn't necessarily to deal with Pimier but to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
As for Renien and the others…
Roy specifically sought them out to warn them: "You all should avoid going to Gale Hills recently, lest you encounter dangerous individuals."
He then informed them about the existence of the stone pit to prevent them from stumbling into it and ending up taking a dip in the pool.
"To think such a terrifying thing happened!"
"We really need to be careful!"
After hearing this, they were filled with apprehension.
Roy didn't fear Pimier, but for these intermediate apprentices, he was a figure of terror.
However, staying cooped up in the tower meant limited resources, and sometimes mandatory tasks forced them to venture out.
Roy said, "From now on, if I receive any mandatory tasks, I'll assign them to you.
As for the apple orchard, you can use Mind-Calming Calamus Water Perfume to resist illusions. It's safer to go there and pick Nightmare Serpent Fruits!
This is the secret that allowed me to move freely there without being harmed."
Renien and the others were pleasantly surprised.
"Mind-Calming Calamus Water Perfume…"
"Such a useful item exists!"
"Thank you so much, Roy!"
…
After returning, Roy entered the Alchemy Room to inspect something he had recently concocted.
It was the result of numerous attempts—a self-developed formula with the right properties: the Blackening Potion.
Derived from the Wizardry Energy of [Blackening], it could store a portion of the power of the 「Blackening Art」, facilitating various Alchemy operations.
Using his telekinetic ability, Roy transferred a sphere of clear, transparent liquid into a test tube.
Then, he chanted the incantation for the 「Blackening Art」: "…"
A mysterious force began to manifest between his palms.
The spiritual light condensed and dripped into the liquid within the glass test tube.
Instantly, the clear liquid, made from Aqua Alberti and a special solvent, emitted a faint glow, as if fluorescent agents had been added.
Around the glass test tube, strange phenomena of Wizardry Energy radiation appeared, with phantom-like smoke surging endlessly.
"The Blackening Potion... it's finally complete!"
After a brief inspection, Roy retrieved something from the nearby preservation Wizard Array.
It was a piece of lamb prepared in advance.
"Sizzle..."
With just a single drop.
The Blackening Potion dripped onto it, and the palm-sized piece of meat rapidly transformed before his eyes.
Amidst the continuous bubbling and sizzling sounds, it melted away like snow, quickly turning into a pool of black liquid.
"Such potent corrosive power!"
Roy couldn't help but marvel.
In fact, substances like aqua regia and hydrofluoric acid could achieve similar effects, but they were far from being this rapid and intense.
Moreover, those mundane substances lacked the additional effects of the Blackening Potion.
Corroding meat was merely the most insignificant of its many properties.
Roy retrieved another item, a pre-prepared Demonized Organ.
This was mutated wolf meat purchased from the market, imbued with a trace of magical energy.
He poured the Blackening Potion into it as well. The corrosion slowed slightly, but it still couldn't be completely resisted.
"This surpasses both 'Strong Acid Refinement' and 'Deadly Poison Crafting'!
Paired with the 'Acid Splash' Spell Model, it immediately becomes a powerful offensive tool!"
Seeing the results of this experiment, Roy took notes while silently praising the outcome.
Additionally, this was also an excellent tool for handling miscellaneous items.
This meant that the efficiency and speed of recycling waste would be significantly improved.
The input-output ratio for refining Magic Stones would also see an immediate boost!
Thinking this, Roy immediately set about refining a new batch of Magic Stones to test and verify.
As an advanced apprentice, his Alchemy Room was always stocked with various miscellaneous items sent by different people, so the amount accumulated over the past few days was more than enough to refine another batch of Magic Stones.
The entire process was already familiar to him, with the only difference being the use of the newly created Blackening Potion in place of the previous universal solvent and ordinary acid.
After some time of busy work, Roy turned his attention to the final results of the experiment.
"255 pieces!"
Each Magic Stone, the size of a fingertip, emitted a dazzling brilliance, exuding an enchanting aura that was utterly captivating.
"Considering the time, effort, and various costs involved in refining the Blackening Potion, let's account for 200 Magic Stones as the cost...
So the approximate input-output ratio is 127.5%!
Moreover, the scale of refinement has increased!"
Of course, this level of harvest couldn't compare to the windfall of 4000 Magic Stones from last time.
But that was a rare stroke of luck, while this recycling of waste was a truly stable source of income!
Roy was filled with anticipation for this.
...
Several more days passed, and it was now February 16th.
"Ansuz!"
The Willpower Rune appeared in mid-air, emitting a silver glow on his palm.
"The fourth one..."
Roy clenched his fist, extinguishing the spiritual light fueled by Wizardry Energy, then got out of bed as usual to feed his pets, wash up, and head out.
Not long after, he arrived at the library and immediately delved into the section that interested him, searching for certain materials.
Although this [Blackening] was only a Black Iron-level talent, it could be utilized in many situations.
For example, in the fields of Wizard Beasts refinement and various Wizard Body Modifications.
Even in the creation of Artificial Lifeforms!
(End of Chapter)