Corrosion Staff was the highest quality magical equipment that Sain had attempted to create himself after years of studying Alchemy.
From the name alone, one could tell that this Corrosion Staff was a replica of the Acidic Wand of Strength that Sain's mentor, Mosido, had given him.
Unfortunately, Sain did not have Mosido's years of Alchemy experience, mental power strength, or sensitivity to elemental forces, making his own efforts fall far short of his mentor's.
Furthermore, due to the limitations of the materials used, Sain's creation could only reach the intermediate level of magical items.
However, Sain was still excited about his achievement! Even if his mentor Mosido or his senior brother Zoro knew about it, they would surely praise him for his efforts.
But in these extraordinary times, only Sain, Lena, and Merry knew about the Corrosion Staff.
"I made this Corrosion Staff using the saltwater crocodile's crystal and skull as the main materials for intermediate level magic," Sain explained to Merry.
"However, due to the lack of some rare materials and my own Alchemy skills not being as advanced as my mentor's, the cooling time for this Corrosion Staff is forty hours."
" And what it can do is only release intermediate level magic-corrosive slime. So, be careful when you use it."
The source of the power that was triggered by the corrosive slime was not the Magic circle that Sain had drawn, but the elemental powers within the crocodile skull and crystal.
Therefore, the cooling time was so long, and it did not have the dual effects of restoring Mental Power and Magic Spring that Sain's Acidic Wand of Strength possessed.
Merry's expression was complicated and moved after receiving the Corrosion Staff from Sain.
She moved her lips, wanting to say something.
But under Sain's serious and solemn gaze, she ultimately did not refuse.
After more than four years, Merry had grown from a little girl to a graceful young woman.
Two years younger than Sain, she was also eighteen years old, with long green hair that gave people a sense of relaxation and joy.
Moreover, in terms of height, she had surpassed Lena, whose body had remained the same size.
However, her chest was not as impressive as Lena's.
Merry ultimately said nothing under Sain's gaze, but when she returned home, her girlfriend Lena couldn't help but ask, "The Corrosion Staff seemed to work well for you. If you gave it to Merry, what about yourself?"
Lena's tone wasn't accusatory, as Merry had spent the past six months making potions for them.
Especially the Intermediate Restoration Potion and Vitality Potion, which even Lena, an advanced apprentice, could use and even save lives in critical situations.
Lena's inquiry was only out of concern, and Sain gently hugged her petite figure, saying, "Even though my alchemy skills are outstanding, the Corrosion Staff is already my limit. But don't forget, I still have a mentor."
Lena's eyes lit up at this, and she asked, "You mean?"
Sain nodded and said, "Although my mentor hasn't said anything, I know he won't just sit back and watch Senior Sister and me get into danger."
"With my mentor's abilities, even advanced magical tools aren't anything special. I believe he'll leave us with some trump cards and life-saving measures," Sain told Lena.
...
The six-month deadline had arrived.
All the apprentices of Mosobla City's Dark Magic Academy received an official announcement on this day.
The academy's high-level officials were quite sudden in issuing this notice.
Other than instructing all apprentices to depart for Shadow Valley in three days, they did not reveal any further information.
Only rare words such as "Space-Time Rift" and "Alternate Dimension" were spreading among the apprentices, indicating that they probably knew what they were about to face.
But no, these Dark Magic apprentices did not know.
Without actually experiencing an alternate dimension, just hearing a few words was not really being informed.
Only people like Sain, who had received information in advance, researched relevant materials, and had a mentor to support them, were truly prepared.
Other low-level apprentices were really just going to their deaths.
As the apprentice mages of the academy faced confusion and uncertainty over the impending Shadow Valley mission, a secret meeting began among the formal Dark Magicians in the top floor of the central teaching building of the Dark Magic Academy.
The last to enter the meeting room was Mosido, the mentor of Sain.
Although he was the last to arrive, none of the sixteen formal Dark Magicians present, including Dean Dadalon, made any comment.
These Dark Magicians were aware of what Mosido had been busy with lately.
The success of the Shadow Valley mission, particularly the opening of the Space-Time Rift, depended not so much on the three deans, but on Mosido.
When Mosido took his seat, the meeting began.
The first to speak was a Dark Magician who was known for being low-key and seldom appearing in the academy.
He spoke up and asked, "Can we really succeed by advancing the plan seven years ahead of schedule and hurrying it up?"
" And near Shadowy Territory, there is no Holy Tower or Knights' Hall, and even those smaller Magician organizations and knight families have little to no hidden connection with us."
" How do you determine that the Holy Tower is the one watching us?"
His tone was somewhat aggressive.
It was no wonder that this Dark Magician was anxious.
He had just come out of the laboratory and suddenly learned that a plan that had been in preparation for decades would be carried out in the last ten years, without any warning or sign, which would have made anyone angry.
Magicians invested a lot of time and effort in their experiments, especially the more advanced ones whose experiments often took longer periods.
This Dark Magician who spoke had already reached the Advanced Level 1, and was one of the best among the seventeen Dark Magicians in the meeting room.
His experiment had just ended after five years of staying home, so he had indeed missed a lot of news and developments.
"Jetta, it's your turn to explain," said Dean Dadalon, sitting in the middle of the conference room.
As soon as the dean finished speaking, the majority of Dark Magicians in the room turned their gaze towards the heavily bandaged Dark Magician on the right side of the conference room.
It was clear that he had residual fire elemental particles on his body and had sustained severe injuries, including the loss of one eye and burns on half of his body.
It was a miracle that he had survived such catastrophic injuries.
The Dark Magician in question didn't say much and simply raised a silver emblem with his remaining right hand.
At the sight of the emblem, most of the Dark Magicians in attendance visibly changed their expressions.