Chapter 35: A Shortcut to Promotion

Chapter 35: A Shortcut to Advancement

The following day.

The second class of the morning was General Alchemy, taught by Professor Kurov, focusing on the basics of toxicology. Before the lecture officially began, Kurov instructed Xazo, Mason, and Brandon to distribute "Fundamentals of Poison Alchemy: An Encyclopedia of Toxins" and "The Separation of Toxins" to the students in the classroom.

[Tome Name] Encyclopedia of Toxins
[Tome Grade] Hall-level Work
[Memory Reward] 25 Experience Points, 0.3 Spirit Attribute
[Tome Set 1]
Basic Poison Alchemy Course Textbook, 2/5 (Alchemy Language and "The Separation of Toxins" already memorized)
Reward: 17 Experience Points.
[Tome Set 2]
General Alchemy Course Textbook, 2/25 (Alchemy Language and "The Separation of Toxins" already memorized)
Reward: 80 Experience Points.
(Remainder omitted)

The "Encyclopedia of Toxins" detailed thousands of poisons with varying effects, as well as the five ranks of poison alchemists: Apprentice, Novice, Proficient, Expert, and Master. These five ranks corresponded to the ability to concoct weak, minor, intermediate, potent, and ultimate poisons, respectively.

Poisons were categorized by whether or not a specific antidote existed. Non-antidotal poisons were not necessarily lethal; their effects could persist for a lifetime, much like a permanent body odor. Even with antidotal poisons, consuming the cure did not guarantee a full recovery. Many such poisons had exceptionally fierce effects, leaving a very narrow window for emergency treatment; being even a second late with the antidote could result in severe injury or death.

Consequently, there were few poisons truly suitable for grinding experience. Among them, the number of poisons a novice poison alchemist could brew was limited.

As Xazo listened to the lecture, he mentally cataloged the poisons he was capable of producing. There were five in total. White-Jaw Toxin was one of them, and it was the only lethal poison he would encounter at the novice stage. These five novice-level poisons were estimated to yield 1.5 points of Willpower and 150 experience points.

1.5 points of Willpower was roughly equivalent to one level up. Based on his current requirements, that was 1000 experience points. In terms of conversion, the rewards for a novice poison alchemist were far superior to those of a fire-breather of the same level. Experience, resistance, and attribute points—all were abundant.

This was likely due to the hierarchy of the professions themselves. The higher the tier of a profession, the more difficult the requirements for entry, and the more generous the rewards.

Xazo nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed he had found the answer, and his expression caught the attention of his mentor.

Kurov tapped on the podium. "Is no one going to answer this question? Xazo, you answer: what is this bottle of toxin?"

Having been lost in thought, Xazo was called out, but he remained calm within a second. Under Anju’er's gaze, he stood up, cast an investigation spell on the toxin bottle on the podium, and silently wove his response in his mind.

"Professor, the charcoal-black color, the honeycomb-like appearance, and the matte surface texture suggest this is a basic toxin from the mineral field. To be more specific..."

Xazo glanced at the scene outside the window; the sunlight was gentle and unobtrusive, illuminating the classroom, and he continued:

"It is stored in a clear, colorless glass bottle, which indicates it does not react to sunlight. There is very little powdery residue inside the bottle, suggesting a stable structure. It should be Manganese Bromide."

Kurov smiled. "Very good, sit down. It is indeed Manganese Bromide."

As Xazo sat down, he inwardly praised his "golden finger" for its reliability. He had simply investigated the name of the toxin first, then found the corresponding information in the book, and recited the reasoning based on the records in his [Knowledge Base].

Anju’er looked at him with a gaze of approval, clapping her hands softly and mouthing the words: "So amazing~"

For once, Xazo felt his cheeks flush, and he accepted the compliment on behalf of his golden finger.

For the rest of the time, he dared not let his mind wander again; after all, it was his mentor's lecture. He took the opportunity during class to memorize everything he needed to, so he wouldn't have to flip through the books later.

Five days after entering the academy, life had become routine. From 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, students shuttled between classrooms, dormitories, and the cafeteria. Every day began with reading and attending lectures, and when he lay in bed at night, words still swirled through his mind. Xazo was still stimulated by the rewards of his golden finger, but the other students were nearly at their breaking point.

Friday evening.

Anju’er looked weary as she pulled Xazo out of the castle for a walk.

The Starry Night Academy was enclosed by a low wall. The heart of the academy was Starry Night Castle, surrounded by green, rolling hills and several artificial lakes. Tonight, Xazo did not need to go to the poison alchemy area to brew toxins; Kurov was concerned that five consecutive days of testing poisons would damage his body, which gave him the time to accompany Anju’er for a stroll.

Anju’er walked with her hands behind her back, her eyes fixed on the ground, speaking with a touch of shyness:

"Xazo~ Do you have any plans after the Alchemy Language class tomorrow morning? Would you like to go into Starry Night City for a look around?"

"I was planning to read in the library. However..." Xazo winked and smiled, "If you want to go to the art exhibition, I can spare half a day."

"Then it's a deal. We'll head out after lunch at the academy cafeteria tomorrow~" Anju’er giggled.

Before the Alchemy Language class that morning, the Dean, Beatrice, had distributed a stack of brochures, one for every freshman. The brochures contained the schedule for all cultural and entertainment activities throughout Starry Night City for the next six months. Three theaters, two stadiums, an arena, a racetrack, two hunting grounds, and various other private music and dance halls were all open to the academy's students free of charge.

Beyond that, the exhibition hall in the city center held regular events, and the art exhibition Anju’er was looking forward to was one of them. Such free benefits successfully motivated the freshmen. During the Alchemy Language class today, many students had actively raised their hands to speak.

They gradually discovered that Dean Beatrice was not only mature and beautiful, but also happy to interact with the students, frequently sharing curiosities and anecdotes from the world of alchemy during class. The atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly harmonious.

Occasional recreation and a balance between work and rest were indeed more conducive to reading.

Xazo looked at Anju’er's happy expression and continued:

"I intend to set aside half a day each week to relax. Let's make it Saturday afternoon. The rest of the time will be spent reading in the dormitory."

"Okay~" Anju’er's cheeks flushed, and she gently hugged his arm.

The castle administrator, Deem, had not forbidden students from dating within the academy, so there was no need to worry about him popping up from some corner.

Xazo quietly felt the warmth and softness on his arm. Based on his past experience, reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist would be the natural next step... But he kept a gentle smile on his lips and made no further moves, still hesitating in his heart whether to accept this relationship...

In the ignorance of youth, setbacks were inevitable. If the two of them were destined to have no future, he only wanted to leave behind fewer scars.

That said, he wondered how many couples would be formed by this weekend's free outing.

However, Xazo's intention was not to enjoy the free entertainment; his goal was wind-element resistance. Based on his experiences this week, potions, poisons, oils, and artifacts likely corresponded to water, earth, wind, and fire resistance, respectively. He had already unlocked earth and fire resistance, leaving only water and wind.

Potion Alchemy, Oil Alchemy, and Artifact Alchemy could only be formally studied after becoming a Proficient Poison Alchemist, which would take at least several years. If he followed the promotion path provided by the academy, it would take Xazo five or even ten years to become a proficient alchemist in all four branches.

That wouldn't do... it took too long.

Xazo wanted to be faster. He flipped through his character profile in his mind.

[[Promotion Conditions]
1. Raise all four elemental resistances to 5%.
Or, complete the academy's four alchemy branch examinations and become a Proficient Alchemist.
(Remainder omitted)]

Raising all four resistances to 5% was a shortcut to becoming a Mage Apprentice. Now that the sources for earth and fire resistance were secured, the next step was to find a way to obtain wind and water resistance. Having Anju’er accompany him to the art exhibition was the perfect opportunity to look for clues, as she had awakened her wind and water resistances through painting.

Under the sunset, the two of them walked around the lake. Seeing that Anju’er was still blushing, Xazo didn't suggest going to the library, choosing instead to continue walking with her by the lake.

(End of chapter)