"I wonder how Kaliweir and the others are doing now?"
When Leylin feebly picked himself up, he felt like his whole body was going to fall apart.
"Even with the A.I. Chip, I have fallen into this state, let alone their situations. I had better find them quickly, it would be really terrible if they were to fall into a trap or encounter other wild beasts.
Leylin drew out a red-coloured potion from his waist pouch and opened the wooden plug. He poured the red liquid onto his wounds.
*Hiss!* White mist continuously rose up from the wound. Leylin gritted his teeth, his face a little twisted.
After the white mist dispersed, a red membrane was covering the wound, and the bleeding had already stopped. It had also closed the wound. Leylin waved his hands around and noticed that his movements were not restricted.
"This hemostatic potion is very good, but it's so painful when it's being used!"
Leylin grumbled, drew out another blue coloured potion, and gulped it down. The blue potion was sweet and carried the fragrance of white bread. Leylin felt his body getting much better and also recovered some strength. He walked out from the shrubbery and leaned against a big tree to rest.
"A.I. Chip! For that hallucinatory gas, are there any remedies against it?"
Since he knew that the only danger over there was the hallucinatory gas particles, Leylin did not mind rescuing his other party members.
If it really wasn't possible, then Leylin would just turn his head and return to the academy to inform the professors while praying for them.
[Suggestion: Freshwater has good protective properties against the infiltration of the gas particles!]
The A.I. Chip replied.
"Freshwater, huh?" Leylin opened his water bottle and soaked a handkerchief, wrapping it over his nose and mouth before heading back to their previous location.
"I thought that I had run very far away, but I haven't even gone a thousand metres!" Leylin retraced his footsteps. Moments later, when he returned back to where the party of five had split up, he was a little speechless.
"A.I. Chip! Scan the area in front and form a map!"
Since he knew that the path in front was filled with hallucinatory gas particles, Leylin still felt very vulnerable despite his safeguard.
[Beep! Scan completed!]
An image appeared in front of Leylin's eyes. Where the five of them were earlier, there was a depression with huge mushrooms growing out from it.
These mushrooms were extremely big and almost as tall as a human being. Each one was a mysterious purple colour, with many black spots faintly forming the image of a human in pain.
"What type of mushrooms are these?"
[Comparing to database! Similarity level: Spider-Faced Mushroom 98.7%, Spear-Lining Mushroom 74.5%, Purple Umbrella Flower 23.3%]
"Spider-Faced Mushroom?" Leylin thought back to an image he had seen in a picture book from the library.
"The Spider-Faced Mushroom is a very mysterious plant. It is able to emit extremely strong hallucinatory gas particles, and people with weak constitutions and other intelligent beings will not be able to resist them. They will often attract flying beasts and live together in harmony with them. It seems like the two Red-Eyed Ravens from earlier were attracted to them."
Leylin noticed a few bones at the stem of the purple mushroom, some seemed to belong to humans, and some were from various creatures.
"However, these kinds of dangerous plants should have been cleaned up around our school area, unless they were moved here only recently!"
Leylin conjectured and suddenly felt chills over his body as if he had discovered a part of a conspiracy.
Shaking his head, "This is not something that I can attend to now. I had better hurry and look for Neela and the others and then leave immediately!"
With the help of the A.I. Chip, finding the others of his party members proved to be extremely easy.
Raynor was lying not far away, with one of his thighs impaled on a branch. It seemed like he had run into it himself.
Not long later, Kaliweir was found too. At this moment, he looked like a lunatic, cleaving at a huge black boulder. He could not even see Leylin walking over, and was knocked out by Leylin in the end.
As for Neela and Lilisse, they were the luckiest. Not long after they left, they had been entangled within some vines. When Leylin found them, they were still clad in the glow of the green hastening potion and were actually not injured at all.
Leylin brought the four of them far away from the Spider-Faced Mushroom. When he found a stream, he tossed all of them into the water.
This was the suggestion given by the A.I. Chip.
With the bone-chilling cold water from the stream invading the noses and throats of Kaliweir and the others, their bodies began to convulse violently.
"Cough Cough!" Kaliweir and the others started to cough violently.
Leylin moved the few of them onto flat ground and laid them on their backs. He then picked up a weapon and got into a defensive stance.
"What happened?" Kaliweir rubbed his aching head and propped himself up.
"Do you still remember what happened earlier?" Leylin came in front of Kaliweir.
"Yes! I remember now, we met with the Violent Hilly Bear and even some Direwolves!" Kaliweir touched the gash on his face.
"Was it you who saved us?"
"Indeed! However, what we encountered were not ferocious beasts. I'll explain it when the others have woken up!" Leylin pointed at the others, who seemed to be regaining consciousness slowly.
When the few of them left the domain of the Spider-Faced Mushrooms and gulped down huge amounts of fresh water, their minds started to clear again.
Leylin explained the matter of the Spider-Faced Mushrooms to them. As for himself, he said that he was lucky to avoid their situations because he had an item that could resist hallucinations.
After listening to Leylin, the expressions of Kaliweir and the others weren't very good at all.
"Leylin! Thank you! I owe you my life!" Kaliweir said solemnly.
"Us too!" Neela and Lilisse spoke at the same time. As for Raynor, he opened his mouth but no words came out from it.
"I suggest that you all better tend to the injuries on your bodies first!" Leylin pointed to the puncture in Raynor's thigh.
"Alright. I have some medicinal powder here. Do you need it, Raynor?"
Kaliweir felt for the item on his body, and then retrieved a bottle of medicinal powder from his waist pouch and gave it to Raynor.
Leylin took a whiff and knew that it was medicine from the regular world. While it had certain effectiveness, it was still incomparable to a hemostasis potion.
The party slowly treated the wounds on their bodies. Raynor was the most injured, and his lips were as pale as snow. His legs were wrapped very thickly with gauze. Kaliweir managed to find a stick for him to use as a crutch, so he could at least manage to walk.
The physiques of Magi already begin to differ from those of regular humans. With the help of potions, wounds that are not too severe will usually finish healing in a few nights.
"What should we do next?" Kaliweir looked at Leylin. Although he was the party leader in name, Leylin's performance made him bow his head.
"Can you still walk?" Leylin asked Raynor.
"I can definitely walk! Don't... don't leave me behind!" Raynor hurriedly propped himself up with the crutch.
"Then we had better hurry and set off!" Leylin thought of the Spider-Faced Mushrooms and of his own predictions. He had an ominous feeling about the recent events.
"That's right!" Neela and Lilisse agreed in unison, it seemed like they were afraid of this place already.
"My Hastening Potion! That was something that I spent 5 magic crystals on!" Along the journey, Neela lamented.
"That is still okay, look at me!" Kaliweir adjusted his sack; the most important things were the 12 Red-Eyed Raven claws in it as they were the proof of completing the mission. He then pointed to his ankle.
On his legs, tufts of black fur already covered his calves and began spreading to his thigh area.
"Although a seed from the Nimble Grass can allow you to run quickly, their reproductive abilities are too great. After using them, you will definitely be contaminated. If you don't hurry back to the academy to take care of it, you might soon become a furry man!"
"Outer appearance is one thing. The most important thing is that if the Nimble Grass live on a human's body for a long time, there will be poisonous properties! At that time, you can only amputate your leg!" Kaliweir said with a resolved expression, "Hurry!"
Although he still wore a deadpanned expression, his footsteps had obviously quickened.
After suffering from the Spider-Faced Mushrooms' attack, the five of them became easily frightened on the way home. Any rustling of leaves or blowing of the wind would make them feel nervous for a while.
When they finally saw the Abyssal Bone Forest Graveyard, Leylin swore that he had never found this graveyard so lovable before now.
"Password!" This time, the two-headed dog asked in a female voice.
"Abyssal Bone is paramount!" Kaliweir said slowly.
The password changes whenever a certain period of time has passed. However, the password will naturally be told in advance to those who go out on a mission, like them.
"Correct!" The two-headed dog allowed them to pass and returned to being a statue on the platform.
Leylin finally heaved a sigh of relief when they entered the academy's gates.
Although there were no deaths on this mission, they still met with several dangers along the way. If not for the A.I. Chip's help, it was very likely that their party would have been wiped out completely.
"Let's go! We'll first hand in our mission!" Kaliweir's expression loosened and he smiled. As for Lilisse and Neela, they both seemed relieved as well.
The five of them walked towards the Mission Area. Kaliweir queued in front of the counter while the other four waited to the side.
"Neela, did the missions cause so many injuries or deaths in the past?"
Leylin felt that the atmosphere was a little off. The number of casualties in the Mission Area had obviously increased, and there were curses and sobbing heard from time to time.
"We don't usually have this many! I can guarantee that!" Neela looked at the many acolytes with darkened expressions on their faces. It seemed like not only did they fail their missions, but they had also paid a heavy price for them.
"Look! The missions have been refreshed!"
Leylin raised his head and saw a notice hanging in the upper corner of the black wall, with striking red words.
"Attention! There has been a significant increase in the dangerous creatures around the academy. We hope that the acolytes who go out in the future will be more cautious. If you aren't a level 3 acolyte, we recommend that you stay inside.
These words were a size bigger than the others and were written in a striking red font.
Behind the warning, there was a new mission written in red.
"Mission: Find out the source of the abnormalities in the academy's vicinity. Reward: 500 magic crystals, high-grade information on 3 topics at will, or an improved spell model. This mission is categorised as extremely dangerous, be prudent when accepting this mission!"
"500 magic crystals, high-grade information on 3 topics, or even an improved spell model!" Leylin exclaimed.
"If only I had that many magic crystals!" Lilisse was also intimidated by the generous reward.
-x-X-x-
"Didn't you read the notice? If you aren't a level 3 acolyte, then going out is practically throwing your life away!"
A voice sounded, and Kaliweir appeared behind Neela.
"You're back?" Leylin asked.
"Yeah! Here is the reward for our mission. 15 magic crystals!" Kaliweir opened the pouch and there, sat 15 magic crystals.
"According to our prior agreement, each of us gets 3 magic crystals!" Kaliweir divided the magic crystals and then opened a large black sack. It was filled with many Red-Eyed Raven claws, as well as feathers, eyeballs and other miscellaneous materials.
"There is also this stuff! Only the Red-Eyed Ravens' two claws have some worth. Each one can be sold for about 1 magic crystal. As for the other materials, they're worth roughly 15 magic crystals in total! Do you guys have any questions? If not, we'll be dividing them accordingly!"
The Red-Eyed Raven claws were only needed to prove that the mission had been completed. After it has been confirmed, the acolytes are allowed to keep them, and they can be considered additional income.
"I have no problem with that!" Leylin smiled. This time, he merely wanted to gain experience and was not too fussed about the number of magic crystals.
This time, earning 30 magic crystals at once could be considered a lot. However, there were also the expenditures of this mission to factor in — Neela and Lilisse used a hastening potion, and Kaliweir used the seed from the Nimble Grass. As for Leylin, he had used an explosive potion, hemostasis potion, and a strength potion. All these expenditures amounted to over 30 magic crystals.
If they were to calculate everything, the mission would be considered a flop and would not even compare to Leylin's brewing of potions to earn money.
Seeing as Leylin had agreed, Neela, Lilisse, and Raynor could only nod their heads.
"In this mission, Leylin, you did the most. If not for you, we would have long been dead, so it's alright if you take a little more!" Kaliweir was extremely sincere, and it seemed as though he had made up his mind about this long ago.
"I don't need it!" Leylin smiled and picked out two of the Red-Eyed Raven claws, as well as some other materials, from the bag. After estimating that the things he had taken out were worth around 6 magic crystals, he stopped.
"These will be enough for me."
"Alright, then we will redistribute the items again..." Kaliweir felt a little forced, but Lilisse and Raynor were obviously happy about it.
All of them, more or less, had wounds on their bodies. Something seemed to have happened recently to the academy, and accepting missions would no longer be a possibility if it turned out to be dangerous. The group quickly exchanged their contact information and left the mission area.
Kaliweir left the fastest. By now, the black fur had already grown to his thighs, making his legs look like those of a gorilla, and it seemed like he could not wait to seek help.
"Goodbye!" Lilisse and Raynor bade farewell too.
"Could you tell me your dorm number?" Neela stuck closely to Leylin's side while whispering into his ear.
Warm air blew into his ear and he felt a little ticklish.
"I'm not in the mood for that! Maybe next time!" Leylin declined. Right now, his body still ached faintly, so how could he be in the mood to do it?
"Alright! I'll be waiting!" Neela laughed coquettishly and gave him a light peck on the cheek, before running away quickly.
Leylin shook his head and turned around, returning to his dorm.
As he opened his door, he saw that everything in the room had remained the same as before his departure and a feeling of security washed over him as he entered.
"The mission did not even last for a month, so why do I feel like a lot of time has passed?"
Leylin shut the door, placing the cross blade, sack, and other items aside before lying on his bed.
He enjoyed the soothing comfort provided as he rested on the soft bed.
"A.I. Chip! Show me my current stats!"
[Beep! Leylin Farlier, level 2 acolyte, Knight. Strength: 2.5, Agility: 2.7, vitality: 3.0, spiritual force: 4.2, Magical Power: 4.0. Status: Healthy]
There was an overall increase in the stats; his Strength, Agility and vitality had all increased by 0.3, while his spiritual force increased by 0.1.
"After advancing to a proper Knight, all my stats have risen. As for my spiritual force, this is the result after one month of continuous meditation!"
Leylin gazed at the 3D image of him, "A.I. Chip, calculate how much more the internal life energy in my body raises my stats."
After a Knight ignites their internal life energy, there will still be a breakout period for their stats to increase. However, Leylin had already increased his stats plenty through meditation, so the effects may be diminished slightly.
[Establishing task, calculation in progress…...]
[Beep! The simulation has ended. Expected increase in Host's stats: Strength: 0.6, Agility: 0.3, vitality: 0.1!] The A.I. Chip's voice sounded.
If my stats were at 1.9 like the average person, this internal life energy would be able to raise all my stats by at least 1. However, now that my foundation is so high, raising it will be even more difficult!"
Leylin reasoned.
"The Farlier Family is only a newly established line of Knights. They have no training methods to pass on for after one turns into a Knight, so I have no inkling of how to advance to a Grand Knight."
Although there should be information regarding this aspect in the academy, the potential of Knights are much inferior to that of Magi, so I can forgo this goal for now!"
Ever since he entered the academy, Leylin had devoted all his time and effort to his Magus studies and delayed his training to become a Knight.
Even a Grand Knight will only end up as a follower or servant of an official Magus. Besides, a Knight's journey will end after becoming a Grand Knight. As for Magi, they can continuously advance, so Leylin naturally chose the path with a better prospect.
"Besides advancing to a Knight, this map is the only benefit of my trip outside this time.
Leylin projected the image of a huge map.
Faint blue lines formed the general outline of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy as well as its surroundings. It was even more detailed than the one Kaliweir had.
On this map, the path that Leylin and his party had taken was the clearest. Furthermore, the vicinity of where the Spider Faced Mushrooms had been found was even marked as a dangerous zone.
This map was formed through his own exploration, the scanning from the A.I. Chip, as well as the map that Kaliweir had.
It could not be said to be completely free of mistakes. But this was definitely the most detailed map amongst the acolytes. He would be able to fetch a price of at least 2 magic crystals if he were to sell it.
In the centre of the map, green words highlighted the location of Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.
"From this map, it can be seen that our Abyssal Bone Forest Academy is only taking up an insubstantial area on the south coast. It could also be said to be in a rural area.
"Furthermore, with Abyssal Bone Forest Academy in the centre, the Death Seas would be to the south. To the north, it would be the Mountain Plains of Despair; to the west, Sage Gotham's Hut; and lastly, the Poolfield Kingdom to the east.
The north and south area are all forbidden regions, with countless dangerous creatures residing within them. Some with differing bloodlines, some of which have been contaminated. They are also haunted by evil spirits that are filled with grievances. Any acolyte stepping foot in those regions would die ten out of ten times.
"As for Sage Gotham's Hut, it is another faction of the Magi. I have heard that there are some conflicts between Sage Gotham's Hut and Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, so I can't go there either."
"The only one left for acolytes to explore would be the Poolfield Kingdom."
Leylin thought indifferently. The factions in this world were similar to those of the Japanese during the world war, where various factions were divided in accordance to their territory and they controlled the various kingdoms from the dark.
In these kingdoms, the Magi bloodlines would be either royalty or nobility. As for the Knights, their bloodlines would commonly be those of wealthy families.
"In regards to their social hierarchies, the Magi would be like the feudal lords of the Warring States and the Knights would be the warriors and soldiers serving under them. Furthermore, they don't have a lone sovereign governing them as a whole; there are as many small kingdoms as there are stars in the sky, fighting solely for their own benefits in a chaotic era.
"There are a few Magi families supporting the Poolfield Kingdom behind the scenes. The kingdom has a total of 19 provinces. Each area is extremely vast, with many small Magi families, wandering Magi, and travellers living there. They would definitely not come to the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy to make any trades, so there should be some kind of small markets over there. I'll try concealing my identity and head there to sell my potions!"
Leylin's Potioneering skills were only average, but with the help of the A.I. Chip, his succession rate for brewing had long surpassed his senior Merlin and could even be comparable to that of his mentor, Kroft. However, all of this had to be kept with the utmost secrecy. As such, Leylin did not dare sell too many of his potions inside the academy.
However, once he advanced to a level 3 acolyte, he would reach a bottleneck. Without a vast amount of resources to use, one could only slowly progress with time.
Even a fifth-grade acolyte, without resources, would require at least 3 years advancing to a level 3 acolyte!
Leylin was only an average, third-grade acolyte, and could only rely on this bit of income on the surface. To satisfy the requirements for advancement, who knows how long he would have to wait.
"A.I. Chip! Simulate the requirements that I need to advance into level 3 acolyte!"
[Prerequisites for level 3 acolyte: spiritual force: 7, mastery of at least 3 spell models, 500 grams of Reactive Elixirs required to aid with breakthrough.]
"Learning the 3 spell models is easy, but the Reactive Elixirs will be troublesome to obtain. I will need at least 500 magic crystals!"
Leylin's expression was extremely solemn. As a Potioneering acolyte, he naturally knew what Reactive Elixirs were. These potions were not the same as elementary potions like the strength potions or hemostasis potions. However, they required someone to have reached the basic level of Potioneering. There are those which increase spiritual force, vitality, or even potions that can reinforce the mind runes at an alarming rate. The demand is always greater than the supply for them.
"500 magic crystals is a little too much. However, after I have finished mastering the elementary Potioneering techniques from Mentor Kroft, I can then start practicing with basic potions. I might only need to purchase 100 magic crystals worth of ingredients to make the potions myself."
"It seems like the most important thing will be to get my spiritual force up to 7!" Leylin appeared to be deep in thought, "A.I. Chip! According to my current status, how long will it take to meet these prerequisites through meditation?"
[Using the Host's spiritual force as a base, simulation in progress!]
[Beep! The simulation has been completed. Estimated time needed: 8 Years 6 Months and 15 Days!]
The A.I. Chip responded without any emotions.
"That long?" Leylin's face turned pale, "What's the problem? It only took me a little over a year to raise my spiritual force to 4.2 from the stats of an ordinary human... "
[The host has gained a resistance towards meditation, changing to a higher tiered meditation technique is recommended. Another option is to find ingredients that are compatible for raising the effects of meditation!] The A.I. Chip projected a screen, with the various data and results on it.
"According to the A.I. Chip's simulations and extrapolations, the elementary meditation technique is most useful when used to construct mind runes. However, after a level 2 acolyte has finished constructing their 24 mind runes, they can only progress slowly with time..."
"No wonder even fifth-grade acolytes get stuck at the bottleneck to advance to a level 3 acolyte!"
Leylin looked at the results of the mathematical formulas and entered into deep thought.
"I have been in the academy for this long, but I haven't heard of any acolytes who own an advanced meditation technique. Furthermore, the apprentices of the other professors all stop progressing for at least a few years after they have reached level 2 acolyte standards. It seems like even the professors can do nothing regarding this matter of meditation techniques, so I can give up on it first!"
"As for the use of ingredients, there was some basic level potion formulas that could help in the raising of spiritual force. However, the price for them is rather high and the ingredients are also very costly. Even the results are rather appalling..."
"However, my succession rate will definitely be higher than other Potioneering Masters because I have the A.I. Chip. Therefore, increasing my spiritual force with this method is highly feasible!"
Leylin made up his mind. "What's next is to collect formulas for potions that can raise my spiritual force. In addition, I should sell my potions outside and obtain more potion ingredients!"
"However, it seems rather dangerous outside the academy right now, so how am I supposed to go find those black markets or small-scale trading groups?"
Leylin's brows furrowed again. "With these problems, the professors inside the academy will definitely not sit around and do nothing. The problems will be resolved after a while; I had better get the potion formulas for increasing my spiritual force before anything else."
If the problems outside could not be solved by even the Magi, then Leylin would definitely be at even more of a loss. Thinking this, he soon entered a dream state very quickly.
The next morning, Leylin sought out Professor Kroft.
"A potion formula that can raise spiritual force?" Kroft was a little surprised.
"The success rate of brewing these potions is too low and the resources required are extremely expensive. Many Potioneering Masters have lost their family fortunes over this, and only those with a strong family background are able to reap the benefits..."
Although Leylin's Potioneering talent was highly outstanding, Kroft still felt that his apprentice had set his goals a little too high.
"Sir, you know it too. My aptitude is only third-grade acolyte. For a third-grade acolyte to progress to a Magus, there is an even greater bottleneck. Breaking through to a Magus is easiest when it's done at a young age, so I want to give it a gamble."
Leylin spoke softly.
"Oh... You!" Kroft sighed and sat down slowly, "I do have a few basic potion formulas for raising the spiritual force, but I signed a contract preventing me from reselling the formulas when I got them from other parties. As for my own formulas, you are definitely not able to afford them..."
"How many magic crystals are they worth?" Leylin's heart sank, but he still asked.
"Haha! I knew you wouldn't give up. 5000 magic crystals, and that's only because you're my apprentice!"
"Siii!" Leylin sucked in cold air, and then laughed bitterly, "It seems like I have no hope!"
"Developing a potion formula for raising spiritual force requires a Potioneering Master to spend a dozen, or even several dozens, of years on continuous experimentation, and the consumption for this is immense. Moreover, possessing an exclusive formula usually boosts a Potioneering Master's family development. Hence, it is within reason for potion formulas to be this costly."
Having a monopoly will yield the greatest profits. Leylin nodded his head slowly.
However, it also depends on who owns the formula. If it was an acolyte instead of a Magus, even Leylin would have harboured some bad notions. However, Kroft was an official Magus, and he had the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was behind him as his patron. Furthermore, his human relations were not bad; hence, he did not have many worries.
"However, if you really have this goal, you might not be completely without answers!"
Just as Leylin was prepared to take his leave disappointingly, Kroft spoke these words.
"It seems like I have a chance!" Leylin was secretly elated and hurriedly bowed.
"Although I am unable to give you my personally-developed formulas, I still have a few formulas from the Magi of old, and they were obtained when I went exploring several times before, so you can use them and give it a try!" Kroft said slowly.
"Formulas from the Magi of old?" Leylin felt a little uncertain.
"Indeed! Magi were the most prosperous back in the ancient times. Not only did they construct the Byron empire which spanned over several continents, they had even set their sights on several other distant worlds, conquering different planes one at a time!" Kroft's face was a little flushed. It seemed as though he held the utmost fascination towards the prowess of the ancient Magi.
"It's a pity that the Byron Empire collapsed one night, due to some unknown reason, and the legacies of these ancient Magi were lost. We, as Magi in more recent times, have only risen to power through a few remnants of the research and documents left behind by the ancient Magi..."
Little by little, Kroft spoke of the story behind the scenes. This information was never mentioned in the historical books in the academy.
"I wonder how mighty these ancient Magi were?" Leylin put on a fascinated expression, and asked:
"Those formulas, are they all defective?"
"Indeed! You're very smart! Although the effects of these formulas are good, many of the ingredients have already ceased to exist. At least, I have never come across them in the 200 years of my life..."
Kroft said unhurriedly, "However, many Potioneering Masters still feel some affection for these ancient formulas because they all wish to find a substitute for them. Even if they have only a fraction of the original models, their effects are extremely useful!"
Leylin was elated. With the help of the A.I. Chip, he would definitely save a lot of time and effort when researching them.
On the surface, he still put on a frowning and worried expression, "So... You want me to find substitute ingredients?"
"Indeed! Potioneering Masters often rely on flashes of inspiration for their successes. Many new types of potions are developed on this basis. If you really want to, you can try your luck! However, the success rate will be extremely low!"
Kroft's face darkened. It seemed as if he was reminded of his past failures.
"Sir! I still want to give it a try. Even if I won't be able to develop a new formula, I can still improve my skills in brewing!" Leylin gritted his teeth.
"I can rest assured if this is your thinking!" Kroft nodded his head. After rummaging through the shelves behind him, he managed to find some dusty scrolls.
"The formulas of the ancient Magi are all here."
When Leylin received the scrolls, his hands dipped. They seemed to be made of some unknown material with an extremely high density.
Casually flipping to a green coloured formula sheet, Leylin was intimidated by the numerous scribbles of the ingredients required.
"Ghost Spirit Flower, Seven Leaves Grass…... The poison sac of a Human-Faced Snake…...The hair of a resentful ghost..."
Leylin had never even heard of over half of the ingredients listed there. As for the remaining one-third, they were precious treasures even to a Magus, and looking at them made Leylin's eyelids flutter wildly.
"How is it? You're shocked, right? I had the same expression as you when I first saw them too! However, if you were to brew a potion in accordance with the ingredients listed, I dare say that it would be useful even for an official Magus!" Kroft smiled a little.
Leylin flipped through several other formulas. He tried to find something that would suit the level of an acolyte and would have the easiest to obtain ingredients. A good half an hour later, he had barely managed to sift through and find two.
"I'll just take these two, the Azure Potion and the Tears of Mary!"
These two potions were better suited to Leylin's current conditions.
"Alright! These two potion formulas suit you well!" Kroft nodded his head, "Each one is 150 magic crystals, so the total would be 300 magic crystals!"
Although this was a dozen times cheaper than a potion formula for raising the spiritual force, Leylin still felt a little heartache. He drew out all of the magic crystals in his pockets, and the magic crystals clattered and piled up into a small mound in front of Kroft.
Within this mound, there were several pieces with greater energy undulations. These were mid-grade magic crystals, and the value of one was equal to ten regular magic crystals.
"There are 250 magic crystals here, and I'll add this blade of Snake-Patterned Grass!" Leylin wore a look of reluctance as he drew out a small cloth pouch from his robes. After opening it, there lay a blade of silver-coloured grass. It even had the pattern of a snake's scales on its surface.
This was something that he commissioned Woox to obtain after a long period of time. However, having extracted a few of its properties, this blade of Snake-Patterned Grass was not very useful to him anymore.
"Oh! Snake-Patterned Grass. Although it is rather damaged, its properties are still intact. I estimate it to be worth about 50 magic crystals." Kroft's eyes shone as he inspected the blade of silver grass.
"The trade has been established! These two formulas are now yours!" Kroft smiled and nodded his head.
Leylin then pocketed the formulas for the Azure Potion and Tears of Mary and bowed to Kroft, bidding farewell before leaving the room.
"300 magic crystals! That was all the income I've earned from selling potions this year! The ingredients needed for these two potions are also very precious. I can only hurry and head outside the academy to sell my accumulated potions before I can exchange them for experiment resources..."
Leylin felt a little heartache. However, his success were way higher than what the others were estimated to have, and apart from selling potions in the academy, he had still managed to amass many other potions. If he were to sell them outside the school, he would definitely earn a huge amount of magic crystals!
Ever since he obtained the two potion formulas, Leylin's mind was filled with ideas on how to earn more magic crystals and brew potions.
"Leylin! Leylin!"
A girl's voice rang and interrupted Leylin from his dazed state.
"It's you, Bicky! I'm sorry, I was thinking about some things!"
Leylin sized up the girl in front of him. After a year of growth, Bicky's figure had even grown to be more provocative. Especially those two perky mounds on her chest, they had already begun to take shape.
"Hmph! Even you are like this! Fayle is the same too!" Bicky pouted.
"Haha!" Leylin glossed over it, "What's the matter, is Fayle ignoring you again?"
"That's not it! Fayle has been treating me well recently, and we even had dinner at the dining hall on the second floor yesterday!" Bicky said cheerfully, "Only, he seemed fixated on the academy's recent mission, the one with blood-red writing, wholeheartedly wanting to claim the reward!"
"500 magic crystals, high-grade information, and even an improved spell model. If I wasn't just a level 2 acolyte, I would most likely be tempted too!" Leylin joked.
"What were you thinking earlier?"
"Nothing much, only that selling potions within the academy are rather disadvantageous for me and I want to try selling them outside!" Leylin spoke with a half-truth.
Regarding the matter of wanting to sell his potions outside the academy, Leylin felt that there was nothing much to hide.
Other Potioneering acolytes were sure to have these thoughts too, but no one would expect Leylin to sell such a surprising amount.
He must conceal his identity when selling the potions, but everything will be fine as long as he is not recognised.
"The acolytes in the academy are indeed clever, keeping the prices down!" Bicky nodded her head. "Why don't you learn from our senior, Merlin. He signed a contract with a Magus family, where they provide potion ingredients to him for free and will buy all of the potions he makes!"
"I like my freedom!" Leylin shook his head. He knew a little about Merlin's decision. Merlin had signed a contract with a Magus family. The family would provide huge amounts of ingredients for him to practice brewing and would also provide him with viable resources to aid him in breaking through to an official Magus. But after he becomes a level 3 acolyte, Merlin will have to provide a certain number of potions for the family every month. Furthermore, he would have to join the family after becoming an official Magus.
This was how Magus families roped in lowly acolytes.
Without the A.I. Chip, Leylin might have embarked on a similar path. Or worse, having no family wanting to take him in because his aptitude was too poor.
"Bicky, your family resides in the Poolfield Kingdom if I recall correctly, do you know if there are any markets or places for people to trade their goods?" Leylin asked.
"Of course! However, the situation there is extremely complicated. There are many wandering Magi and fugitives, so it is very chaotic and dangerous!"
"I know, but I don't have to go there personally. For instance, I could always hire someone to do it for me." Leylin began to spout nonsense.
"In the academy's Mission Area, acolytes can also give out missions as long as they have enough magic crystals and are able to make a deposit."
"That's true! In that case, I will send a copy of the information to your room later!" Bicky nodded after giving it some thought.
"I will be really grateful for that! I'll buy you a meal in the second level dining hall next time!" Leylin was elated.
"Alright!" Bicky smiled and her two eyes curved into a crescent moon shape.
...
As time passed, Leylin continued to analyse the two formulas with the A.I. Chip's help. He also started to search for rank 0 spells that could conceal his aura or change his appearance.
Bicky had sent the information regarding the Magus bazaar long ago. However, Leylin did not dare go out until the strange happenings outside the academy were resolved.
In the third level cafeteria that handed out free food, Leylin was eating a meal with Bill. Today's meal consisted of white bread with fish paste, as well as steak and fruit juice.
"What? Perry is dead? But he was a level 3 acolyte!" Leylin was a little startled. Perry was a fifth-grade acolyte and also had a good mentor. Four years ago, he had risen to a level 3 acolyte and could be said to be an influential figure in the academy.
"That's right! He accepted the mission to investigate the happenings around the academy and even formed a party for it. There was another level 3 acolyte in the party too!" Bill's face darkened."
"With a formation like this, only an official Magus could have killed Perry." Leylin surmised. Perry was sure to be carrying a magic artifact, and he was one of the strongest among the level 3 acolytes, not to mention any powerful, life-saving items his mentor could have given him. And yet he still died, making Leylin even more fearful of the danger surrounding the academy.
"Not necessarily, they might have been overwhelmed by numbers! I heard that when Perry was found, his lower body was missing and his innards were all eaten. At a glance, it's clear that these are the doings of the Beastmen!"
"Beastmen?" Leylin recalled the contents of a book he had read. According to the book, there were two explanations of their origins. One described them as the failed experiments of a Magus, and the other called them a type of human subspecies.
However, a common point in both explanations was that these Beastmen were extremely savage and cunning.
"Weren't they always in the Desolate Lands of Despair? Why would they be roaming here? They're even attacking acolytes; don't they know that this is simply provocation?" Leylin was a little puzzled.
"The brains of Beastmen were always poorly developed, who knows what they could be thinking. But they have never dared to provoke Magi, otherwise, they would have been long extinct." Bill added.
Whenever the academy's official Magi go outside, their paths are not blocked, nor do any strange happenings occur. It seems as if these Beastmen concealed themselves in advance.
However, they would attack with all their might whenever they met with an acolyte. It was a standard case of bullying the weak while fearing the strong.
"They won't be this rampant for much longer! Perry is an apprentice of Professor Harosi. He's known for worrying about losing face and shielding his shortcomings, so he'll definitely take action!" Bill said confidently.
One reason why the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy did not take action against those Beastmen was because the Beastmen were too weak and posed no threat whatsoever to an official Magus. On the other hand, they give acolytes a chance to hone their battle skills and gain experience. However, the situation had changed now that an apprentice was dead.
However, Leylin still felt that it was absurd for these Beastmen to suddenly appear in the academy's vicinity. As with the Spider-Faced Mushroom incident from before, he felt that it was all part of a larger conspiracy.
"However, I'm not the only smart one in this academy. If I can think of it, others are sure to as well. Why are there no rumours as of yet?"
Leylin thought deeply, "This situation is a little odd, I had better make some preparations in advance."
"Leylin!" A voice called from behind him, and it seemed to be wavering a little. Leylin turned around and saw Guricha, one of the acolytes who had come to the academy with him and possessed the aptitude of a second-grade acolyte. The energy waves radiating from his body showed that he was still a level 1 acolyte.
"This is a friend of mine, I'll take my leave first!" Leylin said to Bill.
"Go do your thing!" Bill smiled.
"Is there a problem?" Leylin walked over to Guricha and asked softly. Guricha was usually a rather reserved person and was always being berated by Kaliweir and the rest, so he seldom hung out with them. There had to be a problem if he sought out Leylin this time.
"This… We do indeed have a problem! Could you come with me for a while?" Guricha asked.
"Alright!" Leylin agreed since he wasn't doing anything.
"Let's return to my dorm!" Guricha brought Leylin to his dorm.
Leylin looked at the room number, '1913'. It was quite a distance from his dorm, no wonder they did not see each other much.
"Let's go in! Don't be too shocked!" Guricha said preemptively.
Leylin inhaled deeply and placed his left hand into his waist pouch before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
Once he entered, a disgusting stench infiltrated his nose. It was rather similar to a mix of sewerage and the smell of a rotten corpse, and it almost made Leylin puke.
Enduring the sickening stench, Leylin examined Guricha's room. Its layout was similar to his but there was a girl sitting on the bed now, and beside her was a figure wrapped in a black cloak. The stench was coming out from the cloaked figure's body.
"Hello, Dodoria!" Leylin recognised her. She was also someone who came to the academy with him. Her aptitude was even worse than Guricha's, only a first-grade acolyte, and barely qualified as a level 1 acolyte even now.
As for the black-robed figure, according to the A.I. Chip's scan, their energy waves were a little strange. Sometimes the readings showed that they were not even a level 1 acolyte, at times it showed that they were at the peak of a level 1 acolyte and could almost advance to a level 2 acolyte. Furthermore, the radiation on their body was exceptionally strong.
"Hello, Leylin!" Dodoria forced a smile, but both her eyes were red and puffy as if she had just cried.
"What exactly is happening?" Leylin felt that the problem lay with this black-robed figure.
As expected, Guricha checked that the door was closed and then, forcing out a smile, he said to Leylin, "You have said hello to Dodoria already, but there is one more person, Nyssa. Do you still remember her?"
"Nyssa?" Naturally, Leylin remembered the little girl who had the aptitude of a first-grade acolyte and got along with Dodoria rather well. She had also come from the same place he did.
"This…" The black-robed figure was huge and swollen, like an extremely fat person, and even gave off a disgusting odor. It was very difficult for Leylin to link this figure with the petite and pleasant little girl from the past.
"Nyssa, take off your cloak! Leylin is not an outsider! Besides, you still need his help!" Guricha said.
"That's right!" Dodoria encouraged, sitting by her side.
After listening to the exchange, the black-robed Nyssa hesitated for a while and then slowly took off her cloak.
"Ugh!" Leylin covered his mouth, his eyes wide, looking extremely shocked.
Just how on earth was this a "Person"!"
Scars littered her face, and there were even signs of stitches. She had the snout of a pig, her head was bald, she was missing an ear, and had coarsely spaced teeth. A thick, repulsive, yellow fluid continuously flowed out of her mouth. Her facial features looked like they had been messed up by someone and then put back together.
Looking at her appearance, two words surfaced in Leylin's mind: "Suture Freak". Right now, Nyssa's appearance was like someone casually taking parts of a creature's corpse and sewing them together.
With such a horrendous outer appearance, and compared to Leylin's image of how girls normally look like, Leylin finally understood why Nyssa chose to cloak herself in a black robe.
"This…...What is going on exactly?" Leylin's face darkened.
"Do you still remember the additional conditions that we there when we were choosing our mentors?" Guricha reminded.
"You mean to say…...Aiding in the experiments!" Leylin got a shock. He had originally thought that the conditions offered by the professor were too good, and now it turned out to be a trap!
"That's right! We didn't have any magic crystals, so the choosing of our mentors was at random. Nyssa was allocated to a professor who specialises in Transfiguration!"
"He treated Nyssa well, not only did he impart her with a lot of knowledge, he even promised her 1 magic crystal a month if she participated in his experiments!" Dodoria said, while wiping off the tears in her eyes with a handkerchief from time to time.
"Three days ago, Nyssa was poisoned by the radiation of a spell, and she has been like this ever since then," Guricha explained gloomily.
"Human experiments?" Leylin's heart sank. He knew that there were many Magi in the academy who did human body experiments in secret. However, they seldom operated on their acolytes directly.
"Although there are many Knights and peasants he could have experimented on, acolytes are of good calibre because they have the highest resistance to spells!" Nyssa finally opened her mouth. Her voice was hoarse with old age and even carried a metallic ring to it.
"That's right!" Guricha continued, "Cough cough… I, too, have been aiding my professor in many of his experiments. Although there are no irreversible changes yet, a few residual effects are beginning to appear…"
"A.I. Chip, examine Guricha!"
Leylin ordered. Immediately, an image of Guricha was projected and Leylin noticed some pathological symptoms in some of his organs, the lungs in particular.
Acolytes are already capable of resisting spells, so how strong would the radiation have to be for an acolyte to be unable to withstand it?
Leylin's face changed, "What did the academy say about this?"
"What could they say? Nyssa signed a pact with her mentor before the experiment and even declined any compensation!" Dodoria exclaimed as she sobbed.
Leylin was silent. Many low-grade acolytes, with no magic crystals, could only be assigned to different professors randomly. If their luck was good, they would meet professors like Kroft. If their luck was bad and they were to meet with professors who liked to experiment on humans, then they could only blame themselves for being unlucky.
Additionally, many of the acolytes could not resist the enticements from their mentors and would cooperate with them for experiments, so even outcomes like death were a possibility.
A few acolytes would die from experiments in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy each year. In comparison, Nyssa, who was able to keep her life, was much luckier than those who died.
"So why did you look for me? If it's to help seek revenge or any other justice-related matters, then I'm afraid I won't be of any help."
Leylin did not allow any room for negotiation right at the start. To challenge a Magus with the powers of an acolyte, he would only do that if there was water seeping through his brains.
"We don't have such intentions. We're just here to let you take a look to determine if there is still hope for Nyssa to recover her original appearance." Guricha hurriedly shook his hands.
Leylin nodded his head. After all, he had the Potioneering Master, Kroft, standing behind him. If he couldn't think of anything either, Nyssa could only despair.
"Do you mind if I have a look?" Leylin asked Nyssa.
"I don't" Nyssa's voice was extremely soft, almost inaudible.
Leylin walked forward, and the disgusting stench only grew more revolting. Leylin forced himself to pick up Nyssa's palm.
Every finger was thicker than a carrot, looked purple, and there were disgusting rings of folded skin.
What used to be the dainty white fingers of a lady had turned into this. Leylin believed that if he could not help Nyssa, then she ought to mentally prepare herself.
Leylin pressed the back of Nyssa's hands "Do you feel anything?"
"No!"
"Her defense seems to be pretty good!" Leylin silently appraised, taking out a surgical knife from his waist pouch.
The tip of the gleaming knife was placed on the surface of her palm and pushed into the skin lightly, but it didn't manage to cut through the skin!
Leylin's brows furrowed and he applied more pressure on his hands, using all of his strength as a Knight to push down the tip of the blade. The surgical knife finally pierced Nyssa's skin, and a drop of yellow pus flowed out.
Leylin hurriedly took out a test tube and stored that drop of pus.
After dabbing some hemostasis potion on it, the wound on Nyssa's hand rapidly healed. 10 seconds later, there wasn't a single scar to be seen.
"What monstrous healing abilities!" Leylin gasped inwardly but didn't dare say it aloud.
Seeing Dodoria and Guricha, who were staring at him without moving, Leylin laughed.
"Qiadarmo - Xurado" With the incantation, a gust of wind suddenly swept into the room and formed a small whirlwind.
Black mist rose unceasingly as it consolidated into a vague, humanoid shadow in front of Leylin.
Guricha and Dodoria were startled, and even Nyssa retreated several steps back.
"I never thought that he would already be at this level after only 1 year or so. Could there really be no way to remedy the difference between aptitudes?" Guricha looked at Leylin, who was casting a spell, with a complex expression.
Leylin did not pay attention to Guricha in the slightest. Right now, his thoughts were all on the summon that was right in front of him.
"For you!" Leylin spoke in the Byron language and handed over the test tube containing the yellow fluid from Nyssa over to the shadow.
The shadow's eyes glowed red. As it did not have any hands, it directly bit the test tube with its mouth. *Crunch!*
The test tube broke and the black shadow swallowed the yellow liquid into its stomach.
*Hah Hah!* When the yellow fluid entered its body, the black shadow seemed to destabilise. It roared loudly, and cold sweat formed on Leylin's forehead.
"Krin - Sidamoersi!" As Leylin continued to chant, he took several dark-green rocks from his pouch and tossed them towards the shadow.
After about 3 to 4 minutes, the black shadow stopped rampaging and spoke to Leylin in several obscure words.
Guricha and the others listened closely, but this language was very unfamiliar to them. It was definitely not the Byron language.
Ever since the ancient times, many Magi organisations have invented their own unique language for magic after many years, so to learn them all is just a pipe-dream.
The black shadow continued to howl, and then disappeared after one final roar.
Looking at the disappearing black shadow, Leylin could not help but to heave a sigh of relief.
"How was it?" Nyssa asked. As it was her own problem, she was the most concerned about it.
"It's very difficult! Your constitution has already been completely transformed, and there is a huge amount of polluted energy circulating in your body. If not for the fact that you were an acolyte, you would have died long ago!" Leylin shook his head.
After listening to Leylin's assessment, Nyssa's eyes dimmed and she retreated back several steps.
"However, it's not like there are no solutions at all!" Leylin continued.
"What means are there? No matter what the conditions are, I will definitely do my best for Nyssa!" Dodoria clenched her fist.
"Yes, we should think of a way together. Then we'll be able to solve it eventually!" Guricha cheered on, which made Leylin somewhat speechless.
"The first method is for Nyssa to advance to an official Magus. Magi are able to use the constant radiation to change the way they look. As long as she spends the time, she will definitely be able to change back into her original appearance!"
Leylin said slowly. This kind of remodelling of the physique through radiation required fine tuning from oneself. There was no room for other Magi to help; there would be a huge backlash if they tried.
"An official Magus? I am only a level 1 acolyte right now!" Nyssa's eyes flashed for a brief instant, but it dulled almost immediately.
"That is too difficult, however, it is also an option. What other methods are there?" Dodoria asked.
"There is only one more method I can think of, which is to use the Harmonious Aqua Regia Potion! It can cleanse Nyssa's body of the pollutants, after which it would be much easier to remodel her appearance." Leylin introduced the second method.
"Harmonious Aqua Regia Potion! Heavens! Isn't that a potion used by Magi? One potion is worth at least 1000 magic crystals!" Guricha's eyes almost popped out from his sockets.
"That's right! The pollutant in Nyssa's body is rather severe, only a Magus level potion that can remove radiation will be useful!" Leylin said definitively.
"These are the only two methods that I can think of, but I will also ask my mentor later!"
These two methods were the most optimal of the choices provided by the A.I. Chip, Leylin believed that even Mentor Kroft would not be able to come up with a better idea.
"An official Magus? 1000 magic crystals? I will achieve it!" Nyssa's eyes filled with resolve as she clenched her fists.
"My sincere apologies for not being able to help. Please accept these potions, it will be able to reduce the pain that you feel during midnight!"
Leylin gave a small bow and took out a pink potion from his pouch. He could only do this much.
"How did you know about that?" Nyssa was clearly a little shocked.
"From the reactions given by your body, it seems like the energy particles react the most at midnight, which is also when you will feel the most pain!" Leylin explained calmly.
"Nyssa! Why haven't you told me this!" Dodoria's eyes filled with anger once again.
"You have already done enough!" Nyssa replied.
"Take it!" Leylin handed the potion over to Guricha and turned around, walking out of the dorm.
The three people left in the room were as silent as the dead. "What now?" Guricha spoke first.
"An official Magus? This is simply out of reach for us because of our low aptitudes. The acquiring of magic crystals to buy a Harmonious Aqua Regia Potion is more realistic!" Dodoria said.
"If the three of us were to pool our resources together, after borrowing some more from others, we would have…... " Dodoria did not even believe her own words. Acolytes would definitely spend any magic crystals they had on knowledge or items to increase their power. No one would simply throw them away.
"No! I wish to try breaking through to an official Magus!" Nyssa said slowly, her words filled with resolve.
"With the blessings of my mentor, this radioactive body's defense is much higher than an average person's. My spell resistance isn't too bad either, I should accept more missions and earn the resources I need to advance! I cannot hold the two of you back any longer…"
Nyssa forced a smile, but it looked uglier than crying.
"Why? Why did it turn out like this?" Dodoria cried.
Guricha hurriedly embraced her, it seemed like these two had been a couple since long ago.
"Following the plots of the novels from my previous world, shouldn't I hurry and sell some potions to earn enough money to pay for Nyssa's treatment? And at the same time, I ought to advance to a Magus and seek revenge for Nyssa and the like."
Leylin let his imagination run wild as he walked.
"A pity that this is the reality! Nyssa and I can't even be considered friends, only strangers who have seen each other a few times. Giving her the painkiller potion earlier was already the limit, and that was seeing how we came from the same place!"
"As for magic crystals, I don't even have enough to use for myself, so how could I take them out? One must always pay the price for their own actions!"
Leylin's gaze turned frosty as he left the dorm area.
He would not do anything else for Nyssa, and she would only depend on herself.
After walking past the flower garden located beside the dorms, sniffing the aroma from the flowers, and basking in the sunlight radiating from the roof, Leylin's mood became much better.
Walking to a long bench, Leylin sat down and looked at the acolytes walking past, his mind at peace.
"Coming out to bask in the sunlight occasionally is also a type of enjoyment, isn't it?"
A voice travelled over and a grey robed youth sat beside Leylin.
"Jayden?" Leylin's eyes opened wide.
[Beep! Jayden. Strength: 1.9, Agility: 2.7, Vitality: 3.1, Spiritual force: 5.0. Level 2 acolyte. Energy waves from a low-grade magic artifact have been detected from the Target's body. Target is classified as dangerous!] The A.I. Chip's scan of Jayden appeared in Leylin's mind.
Jayden's spiritual force was the highest among the acolytes, and even his vitality had increased after the constant radiation. Normally, Magus would intentionally increase their vitality to prepare for future transformations of the body.
Right now, Jayden's spiritual force was higher than Leylin's. He also carried a magic artifact, but no one knew of his battle experience.
"Calculate my chances of winning if I were to fight with Jayden!"
[Simulation beginning. Success rate: 57.82%!] The A.I. Chip provided the data.
"Only a little over half, it seems like the might of a magic artifact is not little. Jayden is no pushover too."
After the A.I. Chip's scan, Leylin understood Jayden's strength a little more.
Leylin was considered to have a considerable amount of battle experience amongst the level 2 acolytes. As long as his opponent did not have a magic artifact, he would have a very high chance of winning.
Jayden had a magic artifact but was still slightly inferior to him. This meant that his battle strength was lower than Leylin's. Even though he had some battle experience, it was not much.
Of course, these were only rough estimations from the A.I. Chip. In reality, fighting has to be viewed from many aspects.
"Jayden, I haven't seen you in such a long time!" Leylin greeted.
Jayden naturally did not know that his stats had been found out by Leylin in just a second. He adjusted his robes and sat by Leylin's side.
He revealed his pale, white face as he raised his head to meet the sunlight.
"I haven't basked in the sunlight for so long. Ever since I started following my mentor, my schedule has revolved around…... meditation, experiments and my studies!"
Jayden stretched his body, looking contented.
"I heard that you are doing pretty well under Kroft!" Jayden said suddenly.
"It's alright; I'm basically just brewing potions and exchanging them for resources!" Leylin was extremely modest.
"However, you recently went on a mission with Kaliweir, are you going to join that side?" Jayden suddenly smiled, but a cold glint seemed to flash in his eyes.
Leylin was a little speechless. He never thought that this conflict between groups that these kids had formed before was still ongoing. However, he had forgotten that he himself was only a boy of 14 years at this moment.
"We're all acquaintances, we just did a mission together since we met by coincidence. That's all!" Although Leylin was not afraid of Jayden, he still felt that it was better to avoid any trouble as much as possible.
Jayden looked at Leylin several times and the A.I. Chip even informed Leylin that his brain waves had been scanned several times. It seemed as though Jayden had actually used a spell to determine if he was speaking the truth.
After some time, Jayden gave a radiant smile.
"I think highly of you! Intelligent! Prudent! Being with Kaliweir and the others will only drag you down. Only by joining a higher circle of friends can you obtain more resources, glory, and even life!"
Jayden got up and continued in an indifferent tone, "Let me give you some advice, hurry up and leave the school!"
"What? Could you clarify that?" Leylin's heart tightened as if had grasped something, and he hurriedly asked.
However, Jayden only smiled, walking away without taking a single glance behind him.
After Jayden's figure had completely disappeared, Leylin sat back on the bench, a little lost for words.
"Pretending to be mysterious, as if he was a very powerful person, and even trying to convince me to join under his wing. Is that even fun? Does he really think of himself as the main character of a novel?"
"However! Jayden is a fifth-grade acolyte and is deemed highly likely to advance to a Magus. He would definitely be able to obtain news faster than me. I'm afraid that something has really happened!" Leylin's face darkened.
...
In a dark room, the fire was dimmed, and a promiscuous atmosphere permeated through the room.
The moaning and shrill cries of a woman sounded, blending together with the constant low panting noises of a man.
After climaxing, the girl lay in the arms of the man, as limp as a bag of soil.
"You're awesome, just like a lion!" Neela's expression was hard to make out.
Leylin gently caressed Neela's bare back and did not say a single word.
He had encountered many things today and urgently needed to take it out on someone, so naturally he looked for Neela.
In this period of time, he had long since hooked up with Neela. In this world, everyone was extremely open-minded about the notion of sex. Many people lost their virginity by the age of 11 or 12. Leylin and Neela both had their sexual needs, so they had already done the deed after only a few days.
In any case, Neela was no longer a virgin. As for Leylin, he himself was a no-good person in his previous life. Both of them desired love and sex, and it wasn't bad to have a friend with benefits.
With the regulation of the A.I. Chip, he would definitely not leave his seed behind. Naturally, he could mess around to the fullest.
Thinking of this, Leylin felt life stirring below his pants once again.
"Ah!" Neela let off a cry, and Leylin stopped her as she was about to climb on top of him. The corner of Leylin's lips curved up wickedly, as he pressed Neela's head downwards.
Neela rolled her eyes at Leylin, but her lips smiled coquettishly as she dived under the blankets.
Leylin let out a satisfied groan and leaned onto the wall slightly. Both of his hands grabbed hold of twin peaks, and he felt the sponge-like sensation transmitting to his hands.
Sometime later, Neela got up and walked towards the washroom stark naked.
While he listened to the provocative beauty humming as she showered, Leylin began to ponder the day's event.
"I shouldn't care about Nyssa's affairs anymore. Although Jayden's warning was extremely sudden, it has to be treated seriously. This might have something to do with the phenomenon outside the academy. What's next is to investigate where the other fifth-grade acolytes went."
In any case, the academy would definitely not forsake those acolytes who had the highest potential to succeed and advance to official Magi. If the academy was safe, they would definitely still be here. However, if they all left the academy for various reasons, it meant that the academy itself would be fraught with danger in the near future.
"Harosi has been cleaning up the area outside the academy since Perry's death. After he has finished cleaning, it will be the best opportunity!" Leylin's eyes flashed.
"My dearest, what are you thinking of?"
Neela stuck herself onto Leylin, and two soft mounds pressed against Leylin's right arm.
"Just thinking about a few things!" Leylin smiled, "Recently Sir Harosi seems to be making a huge ruckus outside the academy!"
"You heard about it too? About Perry?" Neela lay on top of Leylin's chest and did not make any other movements.
"Yeah! Losing a fifth-grade acolyte genius and a potential Magus, anyone would turn crazy for a period of time!"
Leylin said blandly, "You have your own cliques too, I need you to help me to find out a few things!"
"Neela's smiled sweetly, "I'll serve you, my lion king!"
"Don't call me that! It feels extremely strange! It will make me think of some lion!" Leylin rolled his eyes.
"Alright! Let's not talk about this, but about something more serious!" Leylin's face was stern.
Seeing him act this way, Neela also stopped smiling.
Getting close to Leylin was so she could elevate her status and obtain more resources, and she clearly understood this.
"Help me check the results of Harosi's battle. Also, find out if the academy's surroundings are completely safe now. Lastly, I want to know where all the fifth-grade acolytes have gone recently!"
Leylin whispered into Neela's ears.
"I got it!" Neela grabbed Leylin's head with both hands, "Could it be that something big is going to happen?"
"I hope that it is only my imagination!"
...
It was the morning of the second day after he had walked out from Neela's room. Leylin felt extremely refreshed and full of vigour. It seemed like his venting had indeed helped in curbing his emotional distress suitably.
After thinking for a while, Leylin went for a shower and then headed towards Professor Kroft.
Kroft happened to be brewing a kind of potion. Red-coloured beetles were climbing around inside a test tube, occupying half of the space inside the test tube. It looked rather disgusting.
"You're here! Is something the matter?"
Kroft watched the test tube closely, as he sprinkled some blue petals into it.
The red-coloured beetles hurriedly gorged on those petals, after which they dissolved and turned into a green-coloured liquid.
A dozen seconds later, the test tube half-filled with the red beetles turned into a green-coloured potion.
"Your skills are really amazing!" Leylin gasped.
"Haha! It's just practicing!" Kroft shook his head, "You always look for me when you have a problem, so tell me what you want!"
"It's like this. I, your apprentice, haven't seen senior Merlin, for some time now. Can I know where he has been?" Leylin inhaled deeply.
"Merlin?" Kroft's face had on a mysterious smile, "He has accepted a mission and left the academy already!"
"How long will it last?"
"About 1 to 1.5 years! It's possible that it may take longer!" Kroft's tone became sterner, but there was a hint of gratification in it.
"One last question, was the mission suggested by the family supporting senior Merlin?"
As a family that was able to rope in a genius Potioneering acolyte from Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, their influence should be at the peak. After all, they had an intricate relationship with Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, so their news network might even be more efficient than Kroft's.
"Yes!" Kroft answered definitively. "You know, there are some things that were agreed on between the academy and me, so I cannot say it directly. But if you are to discover it on your own, then it would be none of my business!"
"However, you don't need to be too worried. Your talent in Potioneering is only secondary to Merlin's, and the academy needs a talent like you too!" Kroft comforted him.
"Yes!" Leylin smiled bitterly. It seemed like the academy still chose to categorise by aptitude grades. Those talented individuals like Jayden and Merlin who were also fifth-grade acolytes had all been given ample time to retreat. But when it came to him, the treatment he received was much inferior. Up until now, he had only received a few obscure hints from his mentor.
As for those whose aptitudes were even worse, they probably wouldn't know what happened even after they were dead.
Although Leylin did not understand too well either, there was one thing that he was certain of! The academy was no longer a safe place to stay!
Once again, Leylin was determined to leave, "So, may I also take up a dispatch mission?"
"You may! Go to the counter of the Mission Area and clarify your intentions. They will be able to understand since your aptitude isn't too bad and your talent in Potioneering is even more outstanding!"
Kroft nodded his head.
"Thank you, Sir!" Leylin hurriedly bowed. Allowing acolytes to leave was an extremely good thing for them, after all, he did not want to stay in a potential battlefield.
Afterwards, Leylin assisted Kroft in a few more research experiments in Potioneering and also took the opportunity to seek answers for Nyssa's problem. Unfortunately, Kroft did not have any good methods either.
After bidding farewell to his mentor, Leylin walked outside, "There is only a small family behind Bicky. As for Kaliweir and the others, they aren't fifth-grade acolytes, so they will most likely not receive the news. I'm afraid I will have to drop a few hints for them. As to whether they will understand the message or not, it all depends on their luck!"
In the lavish second-level dining hall, the gorgeous crystal lights sparkled dazzlingly, as numerous musicians performed. Listening to music while tasting delicacies, it was indeed a very enjoyable thing to do.
Furthermore, the food here was all prepared with the utmost care. Not only could they increase one's stats, they could also speed up the meditation process. As such, they have always been welcomed by acolytes and Magi alike.
However, there were very few customers here today. Most of their faces were gloomy, and the sight was rather unappetising.
Leylin sat on a goose-feathered coach and pushed a steaming mug towards Neela, "This is hot cocoa, with some ground black pearls inside it as well. It has also a certain beneficial effect towards meditation, won't you try it?"
Neela, who was sitting opposite him, smiled bitterly, "If it was before, I would still be extremely excited. But now…"