"So it's just as I thought." Lucian gazed at the now-vibrant silver vine, revived under Carrie's use of Nature's Touch, his eyes alight with undisguised delight.
Yet, he remained calm, meticulously working alongside Carrie to process the resurrected vine according to the Moonlight Praise formula.
"Carrie, how are you holding up?" Lucian asked. He wasn't entirely certain what might happen if the vine lost its Nature's Touch energy mid-process, so he needed to ensure Carrie's condition remained stable.
"No problem, Lucian, sir." Carrie maintained the energy link with the vine effortlessly, her expression serene. "It's strange, though. I can feel the vine... thanking me. It's such a curious, wonderful feeling..."
Lucian nodded and focused intently, handling the vine with even greater care.
Soon, under their combined efforts, the tip of the vine sprouted a delicate blue bud.
"It's almost there!" Lucian's energy surged with excitement. He quickly retrieved a mermaid shell from the nearby tank.
Drip—
The mermaid shell's tear fell onto the vine's roots, triggering the final transformation.
"It's done." Lucian beamed as a radiant blue flower bloomed atop the vine. He carefully collected the crystalline nectar, which drifted upward in shimmering drops, into a test tube.
Beside him, Carrie glowed with pride. This was her first time meaningfully aiding her mentor, and the sense of fulfilment in giving back even a small part of her ability overwhelmed her.
"Lucian, sir, shall we keep going?" Carrie's gaze darted eagerly to the pile of failed attempts in the lab's corner, her enthusiasm unmistakable.
"Of course," Lucian replied with a smile, noting her eagerness. "While we're at it, I'll teach you the fundamentals of potion-making. Fae like you are natural-born experts at nurturing magical plants. With this foundation, mastering alchemy will come easily to you."
Lucian's gaze softened. To him, Carrie was a treasure trove of potential.
Let's see how far you can go, Carrie.
With that thought, Lucian retrieved another failed sample and resumed their collaboration.
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After several rounds, they completed the process.
"Seventeen samples total: six were too decayed for Nature's Touch to revive, and five failed during preparation, causing the vine to collapse entirely. But we succeeded with six."
Lucian surveyed the six vials of Moonlight Praise neatly arranged on the workbench, amazement flickering in his eyes.
The reason for their success was clear:
Under Nature's Touch, the once-fragile silver vine had gained incredible resilience. What were previously fatal errors during refinement now barely fazed the vine. It was as if the vine had gone from a "porcelain doll" to a hardy "wild child."
With this added resilience, the difficulty of crafting Moonlight Praise had plummeted dramatically. And with enough raw materials...
Lucian realized they had effectively achieved Moonlight Praise production freedom.
Now, the plan was simple: refine more potions and use them to forcefully push both his and Carrie's power to their short-term peak.
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For the next few months, Lucian immersed himself in alchemy, digesting and refining Moonlight Praise while incrementally growing his mental strength. Any spare time was spent fine-tuning the design for his personal magical tool or negotiating with Bennet and Lillia to delay direct conflict with the fae.
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Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
"The fae are becoming bolder by the day." Lillia glared at Lucian and Bennet, her tone sharp.
"When are we going to make a move? You both know that every day we cower here in the city gives those damned fae more time to break into the island's ruins. If we wait too long, we'll end up with nothing and be stuck on this backwater island for another five years!"
Lucian remained unfazed, his calm demeanour making it seem as if her tirade wasn't directed at him. Beside him, Bennet maintained his trademark placid smile, as though Lillia's outburst was a source of amusement.
"Don't be hasty, Lillia." Bennet spread his hands in a soothing gesture. "We should take action, yes, but we both know the mist severely limits our visibility. Meanwhile, the fae thrive in it. If we aren't cautious—"
"You know exactly what I mean," Lillia interrupted coldly, locking eyes with Bennet. "We brought those second-tier wizard apprentices for this very purpose. It's time they proved their worth."
She leaned forward, her voice dropping into a venomous whisper. "And besides, the fae aren't numerous. Attrition works in our favour. If we can eliminate even one of their third-tier apprentices before the final confrontation, it'll be a massive advantage."
Bennet hesitated, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he nodded slowly, though his gaze turned sly as it shifted to Lucian. "I have no objections. However, Lucian, you only brought one student with you this time, didn't you?"
"That's correct," Lucian replied flatly. "The rest were... spent."
Bennet and Lillia didn't press further. For them, the reasons didn't matter—only the results.
Seeing their expectant looks, Lucian wordlessly produced a vial containing a shimmering drop of Moonlight Praise and slid it across the table.
"This should suffice as compensation," he said.
"If this were any other time, I'd commend your generosity, Lucian," Lillia said, her tone tinged with disdain. "But here on Cossay Island, a potion like this doesn't compare to a live student who can act as bait. If you're serious about compensation, you'll need to provide three vials—or equivalent resources."
Her words were accompanied by a sudden burst of spiritual pressure as she sought to cow Lucian into submission.
"Hmph."
Lucian's eyes flashed coldly as his own spiritual power erupted, shattering Lillia's pressure in an instant and surging toward her like a tidal wave.
In the world of wizards, negotiations could be bold, bizarre, or even ruthless—but they could never be weak.
Lillia paled, a thin trickle of blood seeping from her nose as she clutched the doll on her hip. Her gaze at Lucian wavered between fear and seething fury.