Chapter 30
In the monotonous refining room, beads of sweat the size of rice fell on the forehead of a young man as he focused on concocting alchemy herbs. The concocting process was reaching its end. The young man then carefully poured a drop of the solution into a test tube containing a red liquid.
As the drop settled in, the previously stable liquid in the test tube began showing signs of chaos, ready to erupt. Witnessing this, the ordinary youth took a few steps back, fearing an accident.
After giving himself enough distance, the ordinary youth observed as the turmoil within the test tube intensified. However, despite its alarming appearance, the test tube remained intact. The reaction caused by the potion was not explosive but instead calmed down, turning the liquid inside black. A burnt and toxic smell accompanied the billowing white smoke emanating from the test tube.
It was clear that the purification attempt by the young man had failed miserably. Frustrated, the ordinary youth sighed in disappointment. "Ahhhhh, it seems I was overconfident!" he muttered, grinding his teeth.
The young man in question was Ray, who had been brooding in the inner refining lab for quite some time. Unbeknownst to him, the sky outside had turned dark. Whether it was due to exhaustion or skipping dinner, the young man's face appeared pale, devoid of color. Chapped lips and beads of sweat further raised concerns about his well-being.
With nothing more to be done, the young man left the lab and approached the counter girl to settle the bill. He had spent five hundred unit values, renting the C package refining room for a straight five hours.
Observing the young man's appearance, the counter girl couldn't help but shake her head. She knew that Ray's purification attempt had failed. Not wanting to worsen his mood, the counter girl kept silent and swiftly processed the payment.
However, after a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind, something that might lift the young man's spirits and entice him to visit the purification site she was overseeing.
"Hmmm, sir, would you be interested in trying our special packages?" the counter girl cautiously suggested.
Upon hearing the question, Ray's natural inclination was to refuse. The word "No!" was written on his face. Sensing his reluctance, the counter girl quickly clarified her offer.
"Um, sir... our special package allows you to observe professional alchemists in the process of concocting elixirs and basic pill-making."
Ray, initially irritated by the counter girl's persuasion, suddenly adjusted his mood. It was evident that she recognized his predicament and genuinely wanted to help him. Regardless of whether she intended to trick him into spending more or had sincere intentions, Ray felt a touch of appreciation.
Ray became intrigued by what the counter girl was proposing. After all, he had only learned alchemy from videos purchased online. After some contemplation, Ray agreed. He had nothing to lose, after all.
Ray paid an additional two hundred unit values and patiently waited for the designated time. After seventeen minutes, he was led to a dark room with large glass windows.
This scene reminded Ray of a movie theater on Earth, except instead of showing a film, the large window provided a direct view into the refining lab where alchemy concoctions took place. The dark room was soundproof, preventing any distractions. Several people, including Ray, had purchased the same package and were present.
Observing the surroundings, Ray realized that the glass window was only visible from one side. Although it was called "observing," the viewers were positioned far away and couldn't interact. No one enjoyed being stared at for extended periods, especially when the process of concocting alchemy required intense concentration and focus. It would be detrimental if the refining failed due to the presence of onlookers. Wasting materials for the sake of a few hundred unit values was not worth it, considering how expensive the materials were.
Soon enough, the figure in the white refining room began the concocting process. The individual appeared younger than Ray had anticipated, and their clothing was neat but not extravagant. It was clear that the person didn't favor eccentricities. At first glance, the individual seemed ordinary, and Ray would never have guessed they were an alchemist if he had encountered them outside.
However, their skill in concocting was remarkably refined. The table was neatly arranged with numerous ingredients, indicating that the person was working on more than one type of elixir. Ray grew excited at this thought and activated his tesseract to record the entire process, from pre-concoction to post-concoction. The meticulous steps and absence of wasted movements brought joy to Ray.
Almost all the base stage elixirs were recorded by Ray using the Tesseract. He felt confident that he could succeed in creating elixirs after witnessing this process, although he understood that it might just be an illusion. Nevertheless, he felt a slight unease in his soul and spirit, as if uncertainty surrounded him. The feeling was so overwhelming that he even felt nauseated.
Returning home late at night, Ray appeared miserable, clearly anticipating another lecture from his concerned mother. To replenish his body, he was given warm honey water and a full dinner. Despite his illusion of being able to successfully concoct elixirs, Ray didn't attempt alchemy directly. Apart from the unfinished attic, he was mentally exhausted.
Though he wanted to go to sleep immediately, he hadn't practiced at all that night. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to engage in simple exercises for no more than thirty minutes. Exhausted, Ray fell into a deep sleep, almost causing him to be late for school the next day.
Ray's activities continued steadily over the next week...
Now that it was Friday, Ray found himself in the usual routine of persuading his younger siblings. The process was more or less the same as the previous week, nothing out of the ordinary. However, persuading his mother proved to be more challenging this time. With each camping trip, Ray returned home with more injuries than before. Countless scars adorned his body, serving as reminders of his adventures. As a result, Ray was naturally delayed for a considerable amount of time.
Arriving at the camping area during dinner time, Ray complained about the difficulty of convincing women as he looked around. Sensing the predicament, he could only hope that he wouldn't sustain too many injuries this time. Otherwise, it would become increasingly challenging for him to continue his outings in the future. Despite his concerns, Ray engaged in light activities, thinking that he would be fine this week. He believed he had experienced enough ups and downs in this forest and had developed good instincts when it came to fighting wild animals.
However, he remained cautious, keeping in mind the encounter with the two mysterious individuals from before.
On Saturday afternoon, Ray came across a stroke of luck. He stumbled upon a relatively large beehive lying on the ground. This unexpected find left him slightly bewildered. In the past, he had hunted a pack of wolves and a herd of deer, each consisting of no more than eight creatures. Although he didn't encounter any accidents, his injuries were not insignificant. Nevertheless, his injuries this time paled in comparison to those from the previous week, which brought Ray great joy. It seemed that this week was the safest of all the weeks he had experienced so far.
Looking around cautiously, Ray finally decided to store the massive beehive in his storage ring after ensuring the area was secure. He then made his way home without encountering any accidents. Upon arriving at the tent, Ray spent half an hour processing the meat he had acquired earlier. His skill in processing monster materials had significantly improved, allowing him to work swiftly. However, he was so engrossed in his task that he failed to notice a large creature "watching" him and his skilled work.