The lecture had just begun, and it had already cost Allen 5 Mary's, a four-hour course load. Moreover, the content wasn't even related to alchemy. Was it because it involved sacrifices and ritual implements? Allen wondered.
"Allen? What's wrong?" The sorceress was genuinely worried now. Allen had never been distracted during her lectures before. His current state of distraction was alarmingly similar to those who had been bewitched by evil gods.
Allen quickly came back to his senses, thinking the sorceress was angry. He was about to apologize when he saw the deep concern etched on Vera's delicate, fair face, her eyebrows knitted together. Feeling a warmth in his heart, Allen thought for a moment and said, "Ms. Vera, I'm fine. The ritual implements granted by the evil god are bone artifacts, right?"
Seeing the hesitation on the sorceress's face, Allen paused and then reassured her, "I understand your concern, Ms. Vera. Don't worry, the drowner whistle isn't from an evil god."
"Are you sure?" Vera was still skeptical. She knew Allen's level in alchemy very well.
The sorceress tapped her full, moist red lips with her forefinger, pondered for a few seconds, and said, "Then make one for me right here. An evil god's artifact can't be made without divine power. What materials do you need?"
"Right now?" Allen was taken aback and instinctively listed the materials for the drowner whistle. "I just need three drowner throat bones."
"Snap!" A snap of fingers. An orange-yellow portal unfolded in the alchemy room. Before Allen could react, Vera had already disappeared into the portal.
"Are we making a drowner whistle right now?" Allen muttered to himself. Damn it! I don't even know alchemy yet!
After being dumbfounded by the sorceress's swift actions for a few seconds, Allen quickly opened the Witcher's Notebook with his thoughts. He had to learn how to make a drowner whistle before the sorceress returned.
[Ding! Spend 7,001 small experience orbs to unlock the alchemy skill?]
Spend!
In an instant, a massive amount of knowledge flooded Allen's brain: beakers, crucibles, distillation pots… The use of countless alchemy instruments, the processing methods for countless ordinary herbs, magical materials, monster organs, their properties, magical substrates, etc., all poured into Allen's mind, causing his head to throb with pain.
Ms. Vera was conservative in her estimate. To get started with alchemy, it would take more than half a year. If truly learning it, three or four years might only scratch the surface. Just recognizing all the instruments and common materials would take half a year.
After about five minutes, Allen gradually absorbed all the newly acquired knowledge. Fortunately, the alchemy room didn't have any stored drowner throat bones. The apprentice Witcher was relieved as he wiped the blood from his nose.
In this state, if the sorceress saw him, Allen figured he couldn't clear his name of being an evil god's follower, even if he jumped into Killer Lake. After carefully wiping the blood off his face, Allen opened the blueprint for the drowner whistle hidden in the corner of his inventory.
[Name: Drowner Whistle]
[Type: Blueprint]
[Alchemy Requirement: Alchemy LV1]
[Formula: Drowner Throat Bone * 3]
[Function: Blowing the drowner whistle emits a sound that attracts drowners.]
[Note: Witcher + Drowner Whistle = ?]
"Yesterday I thought this was a useless item that could only be stashed away, but it turns out it's the first formula I'll be using."
Sighing, Allen activated the blueprint with his thoughts, and the process of making the drowner whistle appeared in his mind. Just then…
"Clang!" An orange portal opened in front of Allen. Vera had returned. No, it wasn't Vera who appeared first.
"Clatter—clatter—" Before Allen could see clearly, a torrent of pale bones poured out of the portal.
The apprentice Witcher stared in surprise. This wasn't a waterfall but a cascade of bones, all the drowner throat bones needed to make the drowner whistle.
A single throat bone was about half the size of a fist. To create such a spectacle, there must have been nearly a thousand bones. Even more astonishing, despite the sheer volume, there was no foul odor—only the familiar orange and cardamom scent filled the alchemy room.
Where did Vera find so many processed throat bones? Did she have a special storage for drowner throat bones? But only the brains and tongues of drowners were valuable in alchemy.
Allen had a suspicion but wasn't sure. "Thunk, thunk, thunk—" With all the bones settled, Vera's graceful figure emerged from the portal.
"Allen, is this enough throat bones?"
"More than enough!" Allen nodded repeatedly, his voice lowering subconsciously as he looked at the small mountain of bones, imagining the sorceress emotionlessly slaughtering drowners.
"Ms. Vera, did you get all these from a material storage?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Vera gave Allen a strange look. "Didn't Vesemir teach you that only the brains and tongues of drowners are useful?"
"Then where are these throat bones from?"
"I just got them now. Since you need them, I thought I'd prepare a bunch at once." Vera explained and then gestured for Allen to get ready to make the whistle.
Allen's mind went blank in shock. She really did kill nearly a thousand drowners in these few minutes? Where did she kill them? The nearest place was Killer Lake…
A multitude of questions flitted through Allen's mind before vanishing. After a moment, he snapped back to reality.
"Vesemir and Letho's reverence for Ms. Vera is justified. Killing nearly a thousand drowners just for materials..."
"Allen, what's wrong? Are you missing anything?" Allen quickly shook his head, avoiding the sorceress's gaze, and began making the drowner whistle.
Although the blueprint only required Alchemy LV1, the process was quite challenging. The cylindrical body had a ring-shaped hollow in the center, with an irregular bone sphere rotating inside, creating the sound that attracted drowners. Thus, the irregular bone sphere was a challenge. The shape and space of the hollow were also a challenge. Both appeared random but were meticulously crafted.
Therefore, it was difficult, requiring steady hands and extreme focus. It took Allen nearly three hours to complete one whistle. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Allen assembled the bone sphere and two halves of the cylinder, then turned to the long-silent Vera. He found the sorceress gazing at him intently, her clear dark-red eyes reflecting his image as if the calm surface of Killer Lake mirrored the green grass and trees on its banks.
"Is it done?" The sorceress asked, noticing his gaze. Allen nodded.
"Snap!" A snap of fingers. An orange portal opened. The sorceress stood up and looked at the stunned Allen.
"Let's go, Allen. We need to test it out."
"Where to?" Allen was confused.
"Of course, to the nearest place filled with drowners..."
...…
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
46. The Drowner Transfiguration Spell.
47. Brewing Killer Whale.
48. Does This Potion Have a Name?
49. Verdant Sigh.
50. Ugh~