Chapter 288: Attempting Alchemy

“But, is it really okay for the nightmare to affect so many people this time?”

“What are you worried about? Those lazy people who are still sleeping at this time of day? The nightmare will only teach them a lesson in their dreams, letting them know that in the Witch Academy, just eating, drinking, and sleeping may lead to retribution.”

The Academy Head’s words directly dispelled my sympathy for those innocent people.

If they were sleeping at this time… it was indeed a bit unreasonable.

However… although what the Academy Head said sounded very reasonable, it also proved what a clueless cannon fodder who was drawn into the script might face.

This was a tool that could be manipulated by others without any right to choose.

It was precisely because of this that Big Sis Bai had hoped so much that I wouldn’t get involved…

“Mm… there's one last thing. I've also finished watching the battle just now. Perhaps you can try practicing physical arts. Physical arts are not just about strengthening your body and learning fighting skills. Maybe there are other uses. Of course, if you feel you're too busy, I'm not forcing you to practice physical arts.”

In the end, I exited the dream with the help of the Academy Head, and my consciousness returned to my body.

I lay in the dream pod, feeling weak all over, and it was a spiritual weakness.

However, this experience also solved a problem, which was that the large mass of destiny had left me.

In that case, I probably wouldn’t have people inexplicably looking for trouble with me anymore.

Recalling the various inexplicable discussions about me on the academy network before, although it seemed to have a cause, the interference of destiny could not be ruled out.

I closed my eyes and pondered for a while, then picked up my phone to check the situation on the academy network.

I don’t know if it was a psychological effect, but I felt that I couldn’t find one or two topics related to me on the academy network for a long time.

Of course, it could also be because I have been too low-key recently.

The Witch Academy never lacks other entertainment.

Do you really think those press clubs are just for show?

However, the Academy Head’s words still echoed in my mind.

“Physical arts… I’ll find a chance to ask Big Sis Bai and see what magical effects physical arts have…”

I shook my head and gave up the idea of trying physical arts immediately.

Learning too many things at once will only result in half the work with twice the effort.

It’s good to have a general understanding of some things, and just have a rough plan in mind.

Just like the two main things I am learning now, one is alchemy, and the other is runology.

Needless to say, runes are the most fundamental thing in transcendent rituals.

Whether you understand it or not, when you use transcendent power, you must have used some kind of ritual.

Any ritual can be broken down into runes or is a rune itself.

Even for a lesser spellbook without a rune ritual, guess what the inside of its spellbook is made of?

It’s also runes.

What about a simple lesser spell?

Such a lesser spell has another name, which is a trick.

It’s not even enough to be called a spell, so it was given the name of a lesser spell to make it sound better.

As for alchemy, my learning of alchemy is also a consolidation and practice of runology, and there is a type of alchemy called “energy transmutation” in alchemy.

The way this type of alchemist uses energy is no less inferior to that of an evocation mage.

I have already hit a threshold on the spellbook side.

That is not something I can touch at my current stage.

Relying on my Spirit Vision, I barely touched the skill of modding, which is already a shortcut.

To use a word to describe it, it’s probably equivalent to a side path?

Working too hard on a shortcut is not the right way.

It’s not that it can’t be taken, but it can’t be taken as the main path.

The so-called trial-and-error exhaustive method of modding that I am painstakingly working on now, after mastering True Editing, is completely like playing around.

This is the truth I realized after the Academy Head let me experience the perspective of True Editing.

Many things, if you haven’t reached the corresponding stage, will require more effort to achieve.

Instead of coveting the fleeting beauty of the high sky, it is better to spend time now on laying a more solid foundation.

And the essence of transcendent power is the same, just expressed differently.

Energy transmutation and evocation spells are probably like this.

There is interoperability between skills.

Only by seeing more things can one have more inspiration.

And isn’t the ultimate goal of the biological alchemy branch of alchemy also to create life?

This coincides with my desire to bestow life upon the Fool’s Dream.

Looking at it this way, ten years in the academy seems to be far from enough.

Even a true genius cannot fulfill my current ambitions.

I want too many things.

Just saying this idea might cause others to laugh at me for overestimating my abilities.

Even I feel this way.

But even so, will I not work hard?

I won't.

I will only redouble my efforts.

The period of rest I have had should also be over.

The storm on the academy network also seems to have passed.

It's time to get competitive.

I remembered the group of senior students I met in the library who were studying runes, and the one who wanted to enter the field of alchemy.

This seemed to be the only alchemy circle I had come into contact with so far.

It’s not good to work in isolation on anything.

Communicating with others can promote growth and progress, and a good learning atmosphere is also very important.

It just so happens that when the time comes, I will study runology with Big Sis Bai, and when I study alchemy, I will be with those senior students.

I can see that Big Sis Bai is not interested in alchemy.

I naturally can’t keep shamelessly letting Big Sis Bai spend so much just to accompany me.

After all, no one’s money is a windfall.

The same goes for Big Sis Bai.

Even if she is willing to spend this money for me, I am not willing to let her spend it.

So I tentatively sent her a message.

After a while, she replied to me.

I didn’t expect that after so long, she was still studying in the library.

Alright… not everyone has a rule-breaking spellbook like the Memory Bookshelf.

The accumulation of theory is also very important.

After the chat ended, I also prepared to go to the library to find her.

As for why I was looking for her, it was naturally to try to actively make a friend.

We were both in the beginning stage of alchemy, and we had common topics in alchemy.

We could communicate with each other… even if in the end we really couldn’t become friends, I could still…

Thinking of this, I directly slapped my forehead.

“Yang Yuehan, oh Yang Yuehan, you haven't even started making this friend yet, and you're already thinking about not being friends. It serves you right that you have no other friends besides Big Sis Bai.”

After scolding myself in a self-deprecating manner, I also put away my previous thoughts.

I came to the library.

I found the girl in a familiar spot.

“Eh? Senior, you’re here. It’s been a long time.”

After seeing me arrive, the girl whispered to me.

After all, this was the library, and it was best not to be loud.

This girl was good in every way, except for this habit of calling everyone she met senior… it’s hard to put into words.

“I’ve already told you not to call me senior.”

I corrected her a little, and still sat opposite her.

“It's fine. I usually call anyone who is better than me senior. But senior, what have you been doing during this time? You really haven't come to the library at all… you haven't even spoken in that group.”

“Oh, I went to a Witch’s Secret Realm. There was no cell phone signal there.”

I simply explained, and then looked at the book in her hand.

“By the way, didn’t you say you were going to try alchemy? Why are you still in the theoretical stage after all this time?”

“Eh? The cost of learning alchemy is too high. I’m still saving money. And aren’t I reading an alchemy book now? Theoretical practice is also practice…”

“Alright…”

She was delayed because she had no money, what a realistic reason.

“Then you should also be able to buy some alchemy tools to practice with. Just reading books is useless. I bought a set of tools. Although I haven’t used them much, that set is not expensive.”

“I’ve seen it, of course. The tools are indeed not expensive, and I have a set too. But the big cost is the materials. This is burning money. I watched my failed attempts last time burn through my living expenses from several days of part-time work. I realized then that I might have embarked on a path of no return.”

“Ah? What exactly did you do?”

I asked curiously.

“Well… I got a potion formula and wanted to try it out.”

“Ah? You’re concocting potions right from the start?”

“Yes, I’m planning to go in the direction of potion alchemy, so I wanted to try concocting potions first. This formula is for a general-purpose potion, and there’s no licensing fee for using it. If it really doesn’t work out and I don’t have a talent for alchemy, I’ll just switch to specializing as an apothecary. I heard that apothecaries don’t have as high a talent threshold as alchemists.”

“Potion alchemy again. It seems like a lot of people are going for potion alchemy,” I sighed.

“Of course. Potion alchemists are a lucrative profession. If you develop a potion formula, you can earn a lot just from contract licensing. And the earliest alchemy also developed from concocting alchemy potions. Later, as alchemy developed more and more widely, alchemy potions were also standardized and listed as a branch of potion alchemy.”

“You know so much.”

“Eh… what’s this? I just like to read these things in the library. After all, I’ve already planned my life in the direction of alchemy, so I naturally have to understand some of the development history of alchemy.”

After chatting with her for a while, I also roughly understood her current situation.

She was already a student with a Transcendent mentor.

The reason she was constantly studying in the library was also to cram these knowledge.

The mentor she chose also focused on alchemy, so that’s why she said she had embarked on a path of no return.

After all, it was quite troublesome to change mentors in the Witch Academy, especially for ordinary students.

From this, you can see that the difference in how different mentors treat their students is quite large.

For example, this one, it feels very normal to guide a student.

Then think about the master who owns a whole plantation… isn’t this difference visible to the naked eye?

“By the way, I’ve been talking to you for so long, and I still don’t know your name.”

“Huh? Oh, that’s right. My name is Betty Emily. Um… just call me Betty. And… Yang Yuehan, please take care of me.”

“Uh… mm… please take care of me too.”

I said a little awkwardly.

I didn’t expect her to recognize me.

Although I was in disguise, the phone information wouldn’t be modified.

You could see the name by clicking on the personal information.

“We really have to work hard together. If I don’t work hard, I’ll have to keep calling you senior in the future.”

“Alright, alright! Stop calling me senior!”

Sure enough, this person was calling me senior just to make fun of me… sigh…

“Alright then. By the way, do you usually not attend classes?”

“I have course exemptions.”

“Aiya… is this the treatment of a genius? But I’m still curious about the secret realm you went to. Everyone is saying that you blew up that secret realm. Is it true? Hasn’t the academy given you any punishment or anything yet?”

“It wasn’t me. It was the Academy Head. I was also one of the affected. Rumors can kill people. Let’s not talk about this. I’ve recently become interested in alchemy too, and I want to give it a try.”

I don’t know if it’s because my identity has been revealed, but I feel that even talking to her has become a lot easier now.

“That’s great. Why don’t… why don’t you come to my mentor’s research lab? My mentor is usually not there, and you can freeload on the equipment there.”

“Eh? You’re inviting others like this. Aren’t you afraid of your mentor scolding you?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? The mentor I’m following is quite encouraging of us to have academic exchanges with others. She won’t mind.”

“Alright.”

I nodded and agreed.

It was a good opportunity to see what other laboratories had.

Even though the laboratory Teacher Ji Niang prepared for me had a lot of equipment, I don’t know why, but it still felt like it lacked some professional sense.

However, I declined her invitation to go and concoct alchemy potions today.

Because of the Academy Head’s arrangements today, I was already so exhausted that I had no energy to do anything else, so I would go back and rest for a while.

But I could accompany her tomorrow.

She wanted to try to replicate that potion again.

After I asked a little, Betty directly told me the name of the potion she had gotten.

It was a wound healing potion, a very popular potion in the Witch Academy.

After all, the learning threshold for healing spells was high.

If the threshold was low, then the entry threshold was high.

For example, the Flesh and Blood Healing spellbook I owned would consume a three-digit amount of magic power for a single use.

If the injury was serious, the consumption could be even more.

So this kind of common and relatively easy-to-obtain wound healing potion was really popular.

Or rather, this type of potion was very popular as long as it wasn't too expensive.

There were also a large number of shops that accepted cooperation with apothecaries, so there was no need to worry about selling them.

Having realized the importance of money, I was also eager to try.

After all, who could refuse to master a skill that could provide a stable income?

I remember that when I first entered the Witch’s Secret Realm, didn’t I also get a potion formula?

Although the raw materials were a bit difficult to obtain, as one of the obtainers of this potion formula, Sofili definitely wouldn’t lack the raw materials.

What’s more, she also had a plantation.

It wouldn’t be a problem to plant the raw materials from that secret realm in her plantation.

“Then I’ll be heading back first. See you tomorrow.”

After saying goodbye to Betty, I also prepared to leave immediately.

Of course, if it was just to chat with this senior Betty, I really didn't need to make a special trip over.

I came here mainly to find some theoretical books on alchemy to expand my knowledge base.

Even if the knowledge in the Memory Bookshelf didn't belong to me at the moment, it was still a very convenient tool, even more convenient than a search engine.

Another reason was to tell Big Sis Bai about my decision now.

Sigh… I was also afraid that Big Sis Bai would get jealous.

She clearly told me to have more contact with the outside world.

I wonder if Big Sis Bai would feel uncomfortable if I talked about academic knowledge with other girls?