At first, there was a mild swelling ache, then it turned into a warm, comforting sensation, like a miniature sun slowly unfolding inside his body.
It felt as if a taut bowstring had finally relaxed, or a dried-up lake had been replenished with fresh water.
When the last trace of the "boon" melted into his body, Robb slowly opened his eyes and tried to construct a spell.
To his surprise, the Radiant Ring floating in his palm was significantly brighter than before.
Even more astonishing, the mana cost was barely noticeable.
[Mana: 1.6 → 2.0 (+0.4)]
"This boost... it's unbelievable."
Robb stared in awe at the stats on his panel.
A 0.4-point increase in mana, something that would have taken him months or even half a year of intense training, had been achieved simply by mentoring Layla for just over two weeks and receiving a boon.
He immediately tested the Radiant Ring spell on a custom target dummy, and the difference was exhilarating.
Previously, casting the spell consumed nearly 20% of his total mana reserve. Now it took less than 10% for a perfect cast.
More importantly, the spell's duration and power had both improved noticeably.
What used to blind and burn for one or two seconds now lasted over 1.5 times longer.
Its brightness and heat had also significantly increased, enhancing both offense and defense.
"Going from 1.6 to 2.0 isn't just a numbers game," Robb muttered. "Just like with mental stats, it's a qualitative leap."
He tested other spells and found every one smoother, stronger, and more efficient.
Immersed in the newfound power, Robb grew increasingly excited about earning future boons through teaching.
"If I maintain this teaching rhythm and gain a steady boon supply, my mana growth will skyrocket."
This was a major breakthrough, a new shortcut to accelerate his growth.
Of course, this depended on Layla's continued progress, but given her talent and dedication, it didn't seem like a problem.
Shifting focus, Robb retrieved the crystal orb containing the Radiant Ring spell model.
He'd been practicing it extensively lately, and with his spellcraft and elemental attunement boosting the learning speed, progress was swift.
[Radiant Ring EXP +1]
[Progress: Radiant Ring (Novice 49/50)]
Just one more point to level up to "Adept."
Robb took a deep breath and began constructing the spell.
With the backing of 2.0 mana, the casting was smoother than ever before.
Gold-red energy gathered in his palm, forming a perfect ring, a brilliant fusion of fire's heat and light's clarity.
[Radiant Ring EXP +1]
[Breakthrough! Radiant Ring (Novice 50/50) → Radiant Ring (Adept 1/100)]
[New Trait Unlocked: Lightflame Infusion
(Light and fire elements enhance each other, increasing malleability)]
"Lightflame Infusion…" Robb immediately sensed a major boost in spell power.
The ring's brightness increased by nearly 30%, and the temperature reached a new tier, hot enough to easily melt common metals.
Even more impressive, the enhancement seemed to synergize with his Crimsonblood Wyvern lineage.
The ring could now morph based on his will, no longer locked into a circular shape.
He transformed it into a shield, then a scatter-shot cone of spikes, and even a perfectly shaped hexagonal barrier.
Each form retained its defensive and offensive traits.
Robb was thrilled. "With this flexibility, the tactical value of Radiant Ring has skyrocketed."
He quickly documented the breakthrough in his notebook, highlighting the interaction between Lightflame Infusion and his bloodline.
These discoveries weren't just personal milestones, they were critical references for designing future Spellblades.
"If I could integrate Radiant Ring into a Spellblade… I might invent a whole new combat style."
Ideas raced through his mind.
"Multiple progression paths feeding into each other, that's the biggest strength of the 'golden finger.'"
He smiled, watching dawn stretch across the horizon.
A new day. A new beginning.
Meanwhile, Layla, just getting out of bed, rubbed her eyes and looked up at the still-lit second floor of the workshop.
She felt a deep respect, and even a hint of awe, for her teacher's tireless dedication.
Robb exhaled slowly. The Fusion Adhesive he'd carefully brewed had finally reached the optimal state.
It was a special alchemical medium used to buffer conflicting elemental forces, greatly increasing the success rate of bloodline fusion.
He cautiously dripped it onto the experimental subject, a self-consuming slime.
This was his eighth test subject; the previous seven had been consumed in various failed trials.
The slime instantly absorbed the adhesive, turning from translucent to pale blue, rippling faintly, a sign it had entered a highly reactive state.
Robb then retrieved two very different bloodline samples: the feather tip of a wind sprite and a water serpent's scale fragment.
Wind and water naturally repel each other in elemental terms.
Without a buffer, fusion was doomed to fail, as proven by his third test subject, which had exploded in a violent rejection.
But with the Fusion Adhesive, the outcome should be very different.
"Begin bloodline modulation process."
Robb calmed his mind and followed the steps outlined in Introduction to Bloodline Modulation.
First, he used precise mental control to break down the wind sprite feather into pure energy and slowly infused it into the slime.
The slime shifted to a light green hue, surface patterns rippling like a breeze, signs of successful absorption.
Then, Robb carefully extracted the essence from the serpent's scale.
This step was critical, too fast or too impure, and it would trigger rejection.
As the water element entered, the slime began shaking violently. Its color flickered, green dominating at times, then blue overtaking it.
"Stabilize. Balance. Fuse…" Robb chanted softly, guiding the energies to merge via the adhesive.
The intense reaction lasted nearly ten minutes before calming.
The slime finally settled into a stable blue-green hue, its surface showing wind-like ripples and watery flows.
[Bloodline Modulation EXP +1]
[Progress: Bloodline Modulation (Novice 48/50)]
"Success!" Robb exhaled, satisfied.
Though just a test subject, this success marked a new milestone in his understanding of bloodline modulation.
More than just skill growth, it yielded a tangible result, a perfectly modulated organism with dual wind and water affinities.
Robb flipped a switch, sending a small current through the lab table to trigger the slime's traits.
Miniature water flows and wind vortices appeared on its surface, not strong, but perfectly fused.
"Using Fusion Adhesive with gradual energy infusion really does boost incompatible bloodline fusion rates."
He documented the experiment in detail.
This method could be applied to higher-level modulation as well, perhaps for Daera's future evolution path, or to enhance his own chimera core.
More importantly, he noticed an interesting phenomenon,
As his bloodline modulation skill improved, so did his bloodline activation ability.
[Bloodline Activation EXP +1]
[Progress: Bloodline Activation (Novice 30/100)]
It wasn't a large increase, but it confirmed his theory: related skills influence each other.
Mastering one improves the other.
With that in mind, he decided to re-examine his Crimsonblood Wyvern to see if he had gained new insight.
He closed his eyes and summoned the red-gold energy within.
As his breath deepened, the dragonblood awakened, a burning sensation spread from spine to limbs, and he felt the faint scales beneath his skin.
Andrei's Crimsonblood Wyvern came from a diluted strain of an ancient Lightlord Dragon.
But through his chimera core's replication, the energy had been partially purified, nudging it closer to the original form.
"That's why my flames are purer and more stable than Andrei's," Robb realized. "The Primal Chimera doesn't just copy, it optimizes."
This revelation gave him new confidence in future bloodline replication.
As his understanding deepened, the chimera's replication would only become more accurate and powerful.
"Next step: improve alchemy to prepare for forging my Spellblade."
He inhaled deeply, enjoying the feeling of mana flowing through him.
With his mana now at 2.0, he had ample energy reserves for alchemy.
"Time to test higher-level energy condensation."
He took a regular stone and began an energy sealing test.
Before, this would cost him about 20% of his mana, but now, he barely felt it.
With refined control, energy flowed smoothly into the stone, forming a stable core.
Its density and structure were far superior to earlier results.
[Alchemy EXP +1]
[Progress: Alchemy (Adept 17/100)]
Robb compared his progress with his profession advancement goals:
[Profession Advancement Unlocked: Alchemist (★2)]
[Requirements:]
Basic Alchemy (Adept)
Alchemy (Mastery)
Extraordinary Perception (Adept) ✓
Independently produce 3+ beginner alchemy items
Successfully improve 1+ existing alchemy blueprint
"Still a long road ahead..." he thought, but didn't feel discouraged.
At this rate, he believed he could reach the next tier before the Bloodline Altar opened in four months.
By then, he'd be ready to forge a Master Sword from rare Soulsteel and officially become a Spellblade.
That's why he invested so heavily in alchemy,
Only a top-tier alchemist could ensure the quality of the sword met his standards.
According to Mana & Steel: The Secrets of Magic Sword Forging, a sword's quality directly impacted its wielder's future growth limit.
A poorly forged Spellblade might bottleneck its user.
But a perfectly forged one could evolve with its master and even protect them in times of crisis.
"The book says a perfect sword requires an alchemist to forge the blank, a strong spirit to form the link, and the user's soul infused into the blade…"
It reminded him of how a wizard bonds with their wand.
But what if he didn't need anyone's help?
What if he was the master alchemist and built a sword optimized for himself?
He'd walk a path no one else had, but one clearly superior.
After all, in this world, the paths of knight and wizard were mutually exclusive.
Maybe a rare few could walk both, but no one invested serious time into the "jack-of-all-trades" approach.
Anyone capable of becoming a wizard wouldn't waste their time walking the knight's path, even as a Magic Swordsman.
And a proper alchemist required at least High Apprentice level mental strength.
Looking at the scattered alchemy materials on his workbench, Robb's mind was already sketching a blueprint.
His Master Sword would combine Sunfire Essence and his own refined blood, both tightly connected to his bloodline and mana traits.
It would wield both fire and light: able to burn with searing heat and radiate cleansing brilliance.
This design matched his bloodline and elemental affinity perfectly.
And in the future, as he added new chimera branches and other classes, the sword could evolve even further.
All of this stemmed from his commitment to multi-path development.
From Potion Master, to Mage Apprentice, to Bloodline Knight, Bloodline Modulationist, and now Alchemist, each role and skill reinforced the others, creating a perfectly synergized growth loop.
With over four months left before the Bloodline Altar opened, he had time to further refine his combat system.
The sound of laughter broke his thoughts, a silver bell-like giggle, with Layla's gentle voice and Valenwood's rustling vines in the mix.
"Well then, let's check on Daera. Locking myself in all day isn't healthy. A bit of fresh air won't hurt."
Robb stepped out of the lab and gently closed the door behind him.
The scene in the courtyard made him smile.
Daera, the once palm-sized Sea Siren, had grown to the size of a six- or seven-year-old human child.
She was no longer confined to her crystal tank. With her innate magic, she could now briefly grow legs and run around.
Wearing a blue dress that Layla had tailored, she chased a butterfly-shaped vine animated by Valenwood.
"Careful, Daera! Don't run too fast!"
Layla called out with a hint of concern.
"I'm fine!"
Daera chirped back, her voice as clear as a mountain spring.
"I'm super strong now! I can stay on land for two whole hours without getting tired!"
Then she spotted Robb at the doorway and lit up. "Master!"
She dashed toward him, her temporary legs a bit unsteady but agile nonetheless.
Robb crouched and scooped her up.
"Looks like my little Daera's made more progress, huh?"
"Yep!" Daera nodded excitedly, her silver hair swaying. "Sis Layla taught me how to control the shape of my legs with magic! And Mama Valenwood played lots of fun games with me too!"
Robb looked toward Layla and Valenwood.
He noticed that in the days since moving into the workshop, Layla had not only made remarkable progress in Potion Brewing but had quietly transformed the atmosphere with her warmth.
She'd become the glue connecting everyone in the workshop:
Helping Valenwood with herbs and plants, playing and teaching Daera, and quietly preparing everything Robb needed while he was deep in research.
The girl who once fled from Kleins had now become indispensable.
"Layla, thank you."
Holding the clingy Sea Siren, Robb smiled gently.
"Looks like Daera's really enjoying your care."
Layla shook her head softly.
"It's nothing, really. Taking care of Daera brings me a lot of joy. She learns so fast and has such a cheerful heart, she brings laughter into this place."
Valenwood's vines swayed gently, and a message appeared on her leaves:
"Don't worry, Master. Layla and I are caring for Daera well. Her growth is very healthy."
After spending these days with Layla, even Valenwood had relaxed from her initial wariness.
Daera wiggled in Robb's arms. "Master, look at my new trick!"
She held out her hand, palm up.
A tiny water sphere formed, began to spin, then blossomed into a delicate flower shape.
Robb felt deeply gratified.
Daera's growth had indeed been extraordinary. Her body was maturing rapidly, and her abilities were developing faster than normal Sea Sirens.
Just a month ago, she could only swim in a tank. Now she could run freely and even control elements.
Robb was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
"Master, can you teach me more spells?"
Daera's eyes sparkled with hope. "Sis Layla said you're the best wizard ever!"
Robb stroked her head. "Of course. Once you grow a little more, I'll teach you all about elemental control."
He gently set her down and watched her gleefully run back to Valenwood to resume their game.
Layla came up beside him and said softly:
"Daera is incredibly smart. She's already asking about the nature of the world. I think her mental development is far ahead of other Sea Sirens her age."
Robb nodded. "That's the trait of high-purity Sea Sirens. With proper nutrition and guidance, their mental growth can keep pace with their physical development, sometimes even surpassing human children."
He glanced at her. "Thank you for teaching and looking after her. I didn't expect you to be so gifted not only in Potion Brewing but also in caring for children."
Layla blushed slightly.
"It's nothing… I used to take care of my younger siblings, so I've had experience. And Daera is just so sweet and clever, it's a joy to teach her."
They fell into a brief, companionable silence, watching Daera and Valenwood play in the yard.
"Oh, right. Teacher," Layla suddenly remembered: "A letter came this morning. It looks like a notice for the quarterly Wizard Reserve Evaluation Meeting. I left it on your desk."
Robb nodded. "Thanks for the reminder. I'll check it soon."