"An alchemist is a general term that refers to both magic blacksmiths and potion masters. Simply put, a magic blacksmith uses the power of magic to forge tools and engrave formations, endowing the tools with magical effects. This includes embedding magic cores or even directly using the bones of magical beasts to create items. Potion masters, on the other hand, refine magical potions to enhance specific abilities, dispel curses, neutralize toxins, or treat diseases. Regardless of the field, mastery over raw materials is essential for both professions. The following introduces various materials and their collection, processing, preservation, purification, and unique properties. Good heavens, several materials? There are over ten thousand! It'll take me forever to get through them!"
Ryan read aloud from the book in frustration. This task was assigned by his new boss, NiuNiu, who had mysteriously disappeared somewhere, leaving Ryan no choice but to comply. He couldn't win in a fight against her, nor did he dare to even try. After all, if he killed her, he'd probably be doomed. Though he was skeptical about the soul-binding contract, no one in their right mind would gamble with their life—better safe than sorry, right?
"Iron ore, the most basic and common mineral... Mithril, an incredibly precious magical metal with excellent conductivity for magic, can accelerate the casting of spells. The exact time depends on the percentage of mithril in the tool; it's generally used for engraving magic formations."
"Erosion-Hearted Ghostly Epiphyllum Flower, highly toxic. It's typically applied to weapons or hidden tools, and anyone struck will die within 60 breaths. However, combining this flower with the venom sac of a Level 5 magical beast like the Three-Eyed Coil Serpent and the blood of a drake results in the best potion to lift dark curses. If the drake's blood is substituted with the venom of a Tri-Legged Frog, the potion becomes a universal antidote. But the Erosion-Hearted Ghostly Epiphyllum Flower is suspected to be extinct! Damn it, seriously? Extinct, yet you're still writing about it to mess with people? The ones who wrote this—Raelian and Cyril—ugh, don't let me run into them, or else… Ah! Archmage Raelian and Cyril! Never mind."
Ryan was utterly exasperated. The overwhelming list of peculiar names made him feel helpless. This wasn't like chemistry, where the periodic table gave you a clear structure to follow. No, this was more akin to traditional medicine: as long as you know the recipe, you just gather the ingredients and follow the instructions. The rest? Forget it!
Ryan endured this grueling routine for two months. Over that time, he had only managed to memorize about half the material. Fortunately, the long winter nights gave him more time to study, though he still had to meditate, cook, and occasionally care for the horses. To make matters worse, NiuNiu, his boss, didn't eat meat, forcing Ryan to travel to Harry City to buy cassava and similar items. Luckily, he had already made three trips there, each time taking a day to go and a day to return. When the heavy snow set in, Ryan finally told NiuNiu to fly there herself—after all, why should someone with wings force someone earthbound to travel for them? Besides, Ryan had realized that NiuNiu was the type no one would dare to bully—her mischief was trouble enough for others.
As dusk settled, Ryan began his usual meditation. The so-called "sensing the elements," which the books and NiuNiu described as the greatest hurdle for becoming a mage, seemed to be no issue for him. As soon as Ryan closed his eyes and focused, he could immediately sense fire elements. This was largely thanks to NiuNiu, who had "picked up" a beginner magic skill book in the city. The book detailed a specific meditation method similar to the instructions in Alchemy Fundamentals: just meditate, chant the spell, and cast the magic—no explanation of the principles. Honestly, Ryan could understand the omission; if everything required an explanation, buying a laptop would come with years of lectures. For less adept learners, they might forget the beginning by the time they finished the explanation.
"I'll grab! Grab! Grab!" Ryan muttered as he used his mental energy to capture the glowing red magical fire elements. He ignored the others. Once, in his impatience, he grabbed a water element that ended up canceling out two fire elements. The process involved compressing the magic elements into his brow and merging them with his magical power, which would then become his own mana.
Ryan found it odd that the elements he sensed came in a variety of colors. Red for fire, blue for water, cyan for wind, green for wood, gold for metal, black for darkness, and white for light. But what about gray, the rare sparkling kind, or purple, or the dark blue-black ones? Currently, the blue-black elements were the most abundant in the air, forcing Ryan to spend a lot of time filtering them. He initially wanted to ask NiuNiu about this, but then remembered she likely learned everything from books too.
"Only 30%! Just 30%!" Ryan grumbled. Only a third of the elements he absorbed converted into his mana; another portion dissipated, and the remaining 60% seemed to be absorbed by his body. He consoled himself, "Maybe this means I'm training as both a mage and a warrior!" What Ryan overlooked was the season. It was winter—the time when fire elements were at their scarcest. Many mages in similar conditions could barely achieve a 10% conversion rate, let alone 30%. Though self-study had its drawbacks, adapting to such an environment meant there would be no place in the world where Ryan couldn't absorb fire elements.
"Knock, knock!" The sound of knocking at the door interrupted Ryan. He knew NiuNiu was back.
"Coming, coming! Don't rush!" Ryan hurried to open the door. NiuNiu never returned alone, and he had learned from experience. Once, a delay on his part led to a wild bull crashing through the door. The wild bulls in this world were twice the size of elephants, forcing Ryan to relocate to a cave at the base of a hillside. This time, Ryan wasted no time opening the door.
"Hurry up!" Ryan pulled open the wooden plank serving as the door to reveal a wolf the size of a calf, its fur a pale cyan. NiuNiu popped out from the wolf's ear, carrying a bundle on its back. As soon as she entered, the wolf dashed away, leaving Ryan staring after it. Those who recognized it would know it as the elusive Wind Wolf, a Level 4 magical beast capable of taking on Level 5 beasts in one-on-one battles.
"I just finished meditating, so I'm late," Ryan explained, swallowing his frustration. He had once asked NiuNiu how to tame wild bulls, and her enthusiastic response—"Beat them!"—had nearly left him collapsed in despair. From then on, Ryan didn't dare disobey NiuNiu, despite her small stature. Power clearly had no correlation with size.
"Can you cast magic yet?" NiuNiu asked, perching on Ryan's shoulder and nibbling on a fruit bigger than herself.
"I haven't tried yet," Ryan replied hastily, tearing open the bundle to find, as expected, food but no books. Without hesitation, he grabbed a round, fist-sized fruit glowing with a purple sheen, its appearance making his mouth water. He was about to take a bite when NiuNiu gave an instruction.
"The fruit's mine. The jerky's yours. Start with the simplest spell: 'Detect Poison,' and see if it works," NiuNiu said between bites.
"Uh… I don't know how to cast it?" Ryan admitted after a long pause, nearly causing NiuNiu to tumble off his shoulder in disbelief.
"Then try 'Fireball'!" NiuNiu shouted, clearly exasperated.
"Heed my call, fire elements of the world! Fireball!" Ryan chanted, concentrating as a surge of energy flowed out of his mind, only to be replenished in an instant. A red, egg-sized fireball materialized in his hand. Startled, he threw it instinctively, watching as it left a red trail and struck the pile of firewood, igniting it instantly.
"Quick, put it out, you idiot!" NiuNiu scolded, snapping Ryan out of his daze. He hastily extinguished the flames, feeling both elated and overwhelmed. Magic was real, and he could wield it!
"Fireball!" Ryan tried again, now focused on testing its effects. Each casting created the same surge of energy flow.
"Boom!" The spell left a small crater on the stone wall. Ryan estimated its power to be akin to a primitive firearm.
After repeated trials, Ryan found he could accurately target within 30 paces. Beyond that, the precision dropped. Satisfied, he turned to NiuNiu. "How many fireballs can a Level 1 mage cast?"
"About 20," she replied casually, still eating.
"I think I've cast more than 20," Ryan muttered to himself, amazed at his endurance.
"Practice the spell until you can cast it instantly," NiuNiu advised, then promptly went to sleep.
Taking her advice, Ryan sneaked outside and continued his training. After countless attempts, he finally mastered silent casting, reducing the casting time from 2 seconds to half a second. This allowed him to cast four times in the time it previously took to cast once—a game-changer.
Ryan also discovered something extraordinary: his body could store mana. Whenever his mental reserves depleted, mana surged from his body to replenish them. Examining the densely pockmarked stone wall before him, Ryan realized he had cast over 100 fireballs—five times the standard capacity of his level. Even Ryan, a novice, knew this ability was incredible.
"This… this is amazing!" Ryan exclaimed, overjoyed at his newfound power.