"Forget it, the dead are gone. Let's turn our grief into strength and live well on their behalf!" Roy said sternly, speaking as their senior.
"Definitely!" everyone responded solemnly.
But Renien, that kid, was barely able to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling up.
He had already grasped the essence of elementary division!
Roy felt a vein bulge on his forehead.
Can't you wait until after the meeting to laugh?
At least consider Tigro's feelings; he just lost his closest friends and classmates!
Roy knocked on the table to draw everyone's attention and said gravely, "Besides that, there's something I want to say."
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"I want revenge!" Roy declared resolutely, without a hint of hesitation. "Revenge on that Fishman Lord!
Think about it, this time it drove us out like stray dogs! And it killed our companions!
How can we not avenge this?"
The truth wasn't as noble as it sounded; the team needed a common enemy.
Moreover, it was a Lord-level Magical creature. If they could take it down, the rewards would surely be substantial.
Everyone had been somewhat traumatized by that monster. Roy, being a senior apprentice, still had the ambition to challenge it, but the others didn't.
Yet, it was an undeniable fact that the monster had killed their companions.
Not to mention, the Fish Pearl it possessed must be valuable.
Having already tasted the benefits, they felt they couldn't stop now.
So, they all agreed.
"Don't rush to spend your gains. Think carefully about how to enhance and modify yourselves, as well as how to deal with that monster," Roy said, nodding in satisfaction.
"Alright, everyone, go back and rest well. We'll meet again at lunch tomorrow."
After everyone left, Niya seemed to have something to say. She lingered for a while, staying behind.
"Is there something else?" Roy asked, puzzled.
Niya said, "Thank you for what happened earlier. I was so slow; if you hadn't pulled me..."
Roy waved his hand, "No need to mention it. Lending a hand is nothing."
"I..." Niya seemed to have more to say but opened her mouth only to sigh in defeat. "Never mind, I'll think it over...
I'll tell you after I've figured it out."
"Huh?" Roy was utterly confused.
But seeing Niya turn and leave, he didn't dwell on it.
After everyone had left, Roy went to the bathroom and lay down in the tub, chanting a spell.
"..."
The towel, which had been enchanted and still bore the Arcane Imprint, jumped down from the shelf above.
Following that, a small hand seemed to reach out from the faucet, twisting the valve above its head open.
Above Roy's head, strands of hair extended into several tentacles, flexibly picking up the soap and bath ball to scrub himself.
He took a good bath, ate and drank his fill, and prepared to rest.
After days of continuous travel, even with his current physique, he felt somewhat exhausted.
But before that, he first fed the Flower Snake.
Roy gently stroked the snake's head, with a hint of guilt, "Since you've been with me, you've been starving nine times in three days...
Luckily, you're a snake; you can handle hunger."
The Flower Snake raised its head, gazing at him with its tongue flickering.
...
The next day, Roy began to handle his finances and various other matters.
"These Fish Pearls from the Fishman Warlock contain a magical force similar to Wizardry Energy, seemingly meeting the conditions for crafting several Alchemical Creations?
During the period of manifesting the Willpower Rune, I had already learned and mastered many Alchemy formulas, but I was always hindered by a lack of funds to try them out. Now, I can finally give it a shot!"
In the year and a half since advancing to an intermediate apprentice, he had spent most of his time and energy on earning money and manifesting the Willpower Rune.
However, his studies hadn't fallen behind; he had a solid grasp of the foundational aspects of Alchemy knowledge.
He felt that his biggest confusion now lay in the lack of a mentor to guide him and in choosing a main focus.
Brewing various small potions, crafting minor equipment, and making Magic Stones for money were all just the rudimentary forms of the Art of Alchemy.
That alone wasn't enough to pave the way to becoming a top-tier transcendent.
What truly mattered were those Attribute Enhancement Potions and Bloodline Potions, which could drastically boost one's power or trigger transcendent evolution upon consumption.
Then there were the Philosopher's Stone and the Panacea, capable of extending life and preserving youth.
Alternatively, there were Homunculi like Sophia, who could change bodies as easily as changing clothes.
"Forget it, those are still too distant. Right now, I need more Healing Potions and Stamina Recovery Potions!
And, Resistance Potions.
They can be used to enhance resistance to various Wizardry Energies or magical elements!
They can imbue the user with a surge of Wizardry Energy that fills the body, mitigating damage.
Enchanted Gunpowder and the Alchemy Bombs derived from it should also be stockpiled..."
Learn from the past to guide the future.
Recent events provided ample basis for his current Alchemy choices.
"Beyond that, it's about fully utilizing the resources at hand for enhancement.
Perhaps I should consider Bloodline Potions for intermediate knight enhancement!"
The Wizard Tower offered Bloodline Potions like the Great Bear Bloodline, Cheetah Bloodline, and others derived from various magical creatures and aberrations.
Each started at the intermediate knight level, granting the apprentices within the tower basic melee combat abilities.
However, these had a downside: they were too expensive and difficult to craft.
Apart from the associated knowledge being obscure and hard to grasp, apprentices also had limited resources and fewer opportunities to practice.
Failure is the mother of success; most people grow through failure, learning through experience.
But failure often comes at a cost.
Most people can't afford that cost, so they never succeed.
"Thousands of materials, half a year, a year or two of hard-earned savings, gone in an instant—who can bear that?
A few more times like that, and a lifetime passes in poverty and mediocrity.
But I'm different!
I have the 'Proficient' Alchemy Talent, making me a natural from the start.
Buying the main ingredients and mixing them myself not only saves money but might even yield better results!"
Roy quickly made up his mind.
...
Soon after, Roy went out to the commercial street to sell some materials and purchased Aqua Alberti, Blood Clotting Herb, Saponin Powder, and other items.
These were used to craft various consumables like recovery potions.
He decided to handle these trivial matters first before considering the Bloodline Potions.
In the suite of a senior apprentice, there was already a dedicated Meditation Room and Alchemy Room.
All the necessary facilities were fully equipped, so the setup was quickly completed.
By noon, everyone arrived as scheduled to discuss the next steps of utilizing their gains for enhancement and transformation.
(End of Chapter)