Chapter 1054: Chapter 23: Two Worlds
The morning light streamed through the stained-glass windows, spilling into the hall.
When the dreamless Lu Li arrived, many curious students were peering out the windows.
Sitting down, the Class Leader across the long table bathed in sunlight asked him, “Is the Land of Light more beautiful than this?”
Recalling the golden beams breaking through the clouds to shine on the sea and mountains, Lu Li nodded.
“I’ll definitely visit if I get the chance…” said with a tone of yearning.
Every student who came to the hall was delighted by the change, and according to Dogmeat, he ate two more bowls than usual.
On the way to the Mysticism Course, students frequently saw the Gatekeeper’s figure. They hung shimmering, colorful alchemical slabs everywhere to create an atmosphere.
The Mysticism Course classroom was no exception.
For once, the decorative windows had curtains drawn, with dim light filtering through and casting a blur in the classroom.
“Don’t pull the curtains aside; you’d be disappointed by the truth,” Professor Hagrid reminded the students leaning towards the windows, nodding and smiling at Lu Li.
The Mysticism Course passed as Lu Li flipped through books borrowed from the library. After class, Lu Li asked Professor Hagrid about the format of the Level 2 trial in Mysticology.
“The Gatekeeper will take the participating students to one of three forbidden zones, and then have them complete a task. The task might be to find something hidden or to trace the source of some eerie occurrence. Don’t worry about danger; it’s conducted in a safe zone.”
As an Exorcist who walks the earth, Lu Li had an advantage over other students in the Level 2 trial of Mysticology.
Lu Li then found Professor Rubacher of Alchemy, hoping to use the Alchemy Stand to practice potion brewing.
Even though he had already mastered the knowledge for the Level 1 trial in Alchemy, hands-on practice would solidify this knowledge and prepare for the Level 2 trial. However, Professor Rubacher refused Lu Li.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Luli, but in the lower years, students can only touch the experimentation desk and cauldron during class.”
Because of the risk of contamination. Both the alchemical materials themselves and the brewing process can bring danger.
Despite Professor Rubacher’s refusal, fortunately, Lu Li had another higher-year Alchemy professor.
After Divination class ended, Lu Li donned a cloak as he left the canopy layer for Alchemy class.
From the mixed zone downward, neither the middle nor the upper years’ preparations for the upcoming New Year were visible; it remained dark and oppressive.
Perhaps their turn hadn’t come, or perhaps…
Lu Li knocked on the door of the Alchemy Office.
“The door’s not locked, dear.”
Professor Chris’s lazy, cat-like voice sounded from within the office.
Lu Li entered the office, where Professor Chris was sitting on a large sofa, a hanging pot bubbling before the fireplace again.
“What’s the matter? Did you miss me?” Her eyes curved as the fireplace’s glow lit her beautiful cheeks.
“I want to brew a potion.”
“What a pity; I thought the Exorcist came for me.” Professor Chris said seemingly regrettably, stretching her tall and graceful form, retrieving an unknown leather paper shimmering with a strange glow under the firelight and explaining its use to Lu Li: write down what alchemical materials and quantities he needed, then throw it into the bonfire.
Lu Li wrote down the five materials needed and threw the paper into the fireplace.
The burning paper suddenly burst into a pale blue glow, merging with the charcoal.
Lu Li looked up at Professor Chris.
“Wait,” she said.
Knock knock knock—
A few minutes later, the door was knocked on roughly.
“Your materials have arrived,” Professor Chris said.
Lu Li opened the door to see five neatly wrapped portions of alchemical materials lying on the floor.
Mud prints were scattered around, and a faint earthy smell lingered in the air.
“From the Earth Dwellers’ Guild?”
“Yes.” Professor Chris’s long eyes swept over the alchemical materials: “Dream Elixir, it seems you’re prepared to pass the Level 1 and 2 trials in one go.”
Lu Li carried them to the Alchemy Stand, first setting up the cauldron with clear water, then crushing the wormwood.
This herb, influenced by a weird power, had an even more intense bitterness, with a scent as bitter as unsweetened coffee. Then, following the steps of ‘Basic Potion Brewing,’ he added the alchemical materials to the heated cauldron.
With each step and measurement remembered, Lu Li was hard to fault, and Professor Chris watched. Lu Li’s alchemical process was not about being pleasant to the eye; it was more like a formulaic scientific method, possessing a different kind of beauty.
Twenty minutes later, a slightly murky liquid was poured from the cauldron into an empty vial.
“A 60% pass rate? For a first-time brewer, that’s incredibly talented. Are you sure you don’t want to try joining Alchemy? I might teach you some interesting things…” Professor Chris’s voice was enticing, easily identifying the pass rate.
“Are Curse Title Masters powerful?” Lu Li asked.
“Without the terrifying loss of humanity, every Curse Title Master can solve an entire tribe of anomalies independently.”
Lu Li cleaned the cauldron and continued brewing the second Dream Elixir. His answer lay within Professor Chris’s words.
The second Dream Elixir was also successful, with a stable 60% pass rate. But when the third Dream Elixir also resulted in a 60% pass rate, Lu Li stopped brewing.
“Because you’re too rational, dear. Fixed quantities, fixed timing, no surprises,” Professor Chris said lazily. “Things made by molds are always identical. You need to add a bit of emotion, dear.”
That is, intuition and inspiration.
Perhaps in the upcoming Divination class, Lu Li should pay closer attention.
For the remaining two elixirs, Lu Li tried to use “intuition” and “inspiration,” but obviously, this technique was still too deep for a novice with only three brews under his belt; one potion ended with a 50% pass rate and another nearly failing with a 30% rate.
“Leave your first-time memento, and I’ll help sell the rest. You should earn back some money.”
If not for the three vials with a 60% pass rate, this brewing session wouldn’t even cover the cost of the alchemical materials.
Bidding farewell to Professor Chris, Lu Li returned to the canopy layer.
Passing through the mixed zone of the middle years, a figure suddenly rushed at Lu Li, shouting incoherently, “Take me back to the canopy… take me back…”
The Gatekeeper appeared from the shadows, dragging the shouting figure away.
“I don’t want to be here! Let me go back up!”
“What happened to him?”
Lu Li’s inquiry received no reply, and the shouting faded into the distance as the surrounding figures scrutinized him.
…
Returning to the canopy layer was like coming back to a warmly lit log cabin on a snowy night with a biting cold wind.
Lu Li returned to his dorm room, finding today’s newspaper and information from Vena Ice-Free Port already quietly lying on the desk, brought back by Merchant Anthony.
News from Vena Ice-Free Port: Mayor Matteus has acquired a large amount of food, ensuring that each citizen will receive a ration on New Year’s Day.
News from Andrea: The Andrea, carrying the first batch of survivor residents, is sailing towards the Ailen Peninsula. They are expected to land at the Land of Light before the New Year arrives.