Chapter 12 Half-Written Formula <TOC> Chapter 14 Deliberately Insidious Poison
Translator: SumTLMan
“Ah… Is that the real magic potion formula?”
Rayne deliberately played dumb and said with a bitter expression again: “The other half of it… Teacher, because there are too many symbols I don’t recognize, my memory is a bit fuzzy…”
If it had been a few days prior, he really wouldn’t have been able to understand such a complicated formula.
But now, with the time he spent in the dream world, he had the theoretical basis of a apprentice doctor from two or three months worth of learning. Although he couldn’t understand the practical procedure of making magic potions, he was still familiar with the equations’ symbols and material abbreviations.
Pythius was a little excited, but he couldn’t show it, so his expression looked forced as he asked: “What follows… You don’t remember the rest?”
The magic potion formula is the lifeblood of a magic potion master!
It’s like owning several properties in his previous life, this belongs to the absolute “hard currency” of the world, the kind that can generate passive income just by sitting there.
Whether it’s for an advancement assessment or refining magic potions for money. The number of formulas a magic potion master possesses is the “core competitiveness” belonging exclusively to that magic potion master.
A black iron magic potion formula can fetch a sky-high price, let alone a yellow gold grade formula which can be directly exchanged for a noble title.
……
With an innocent expression on his face, Rayne replied: “Ah… sorry, Teacher. The symbols are just so strange, many of which I’ve never seen before… I don’t even know how to accurately go about properly writing them down.”
“…”
Pythius’s face twitched a couple of times with that response.
I’ve pulled my trousers down for the uncut Hi-Def AV entertainment, and you’re telling me it’s the Harmonics of the Old Testament?
But when he thought about it, there were only some introductory books in the lab, and it’s only been a few days. His disciple isn’t even a real apprentice doctor. How much magic potions knowledge could he have acquired?
Besides, something important like magic potion formulas were stored in his personal storage ring. It was unrealistic to expect him to write out all of the reaction equations without seeing another formula for reference.
With the treasure right in front of him, it was apparent that he wouldn’t give up so easily.
“Huu~…”
Upon reflection, Pythius sighed a little and then pulled out a densely written parchment scroll from his storage ring.
Spreading the parchment out, it was clearly a detailed formula for the first-order gene magic potion, [Divine Thief].
On it, there was also a complete reaction equation recorded.
He wanted to use this complete formula as the reference for Rayne.
Pythius pointed to the formula and explained: “The standard formula for magic potions generally looks like this. This symbol is ‘purification’, followed by ‘extraction’ and ‘heating’… And finally, ‘fusion’… There should be some more symbols like this on your formula… Of course, yours should be much more complicated…”
With that, he began teaching Rayne how to parse the equation on the spot, trying to help him “remember” the complete formula.
Sure enough, Rayne suddenly had a look of clarity on his face as he said: “Oh, Teacher, I think I remembered part of it again!”
He then successfully wrote down about 70% to 80% of the complete formula.
And, of course, his system prompt was sounding.
[Ding! A brand-new magic potion formula has been found, and the system has automatically recorded it…]
I’m so close!
Seeing the complete formula right before his eyes, even the wily Pythius couldn’t even pretend to stay calm as he asked: “What else… Can you remember the rest?”
The sexy girl was finally stripped down to the last piece of cloth covering her private areas.
Rayne, however, was still in high spirits and put on a face filled with difficulty: “Teacher, the formula in my head is too complicated, it’s not quite the same as the one you have, many places are different from your formula…”
“…”
Pythius’s old face twitched again upon hearing this response.
After a moment of hesitation, he simply pulled out three formulas from his storage ring.
When Rayne looked at them closely, he saw that they were for the first-order [Trickster] and [Elemental Apprentice], and there was even a second-order white silver formula for [Torturer Apprentice].
There were three formulas in all. One for the assassin sequence, caster sequence and fighter sequence, respectively, all considered priceless treasures!
The special symbols on the three formulas matched almost 90% or more of the symbols in the magic potion formula he was writing down.
Pythius wasn’t sure what kind of grade the formula Rayne was writing down, so he simply took out his collection altogether.
Anyway, there was no way to plagiarise such a complex formula without transcribing it word for word.
Besides, even if he can copy these formulas, what can a dying man do with the time he has left?
As soon as the formulas were taken out, three system prompts consecutively rang out in Rayne’s mind.
[Ding! Unknown magic potion formula found, recorded…]
[Ding! Unknown magic potion formula found, recorded…]
[Ding! Unknown magic potion formula found, recorded…]
“Oh… I just remembered some more…”
Rayne didn’t move but stayed quiet, as if he was really remembering something, and added another part.
As he wrote, Pythius’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he stepped aside.
The old man kept silently praying in his mind: Almost there, almost there… It has to be entirely written out!
Since it had come to this point, Rayne knew that it was time.
……
After seeing the three new formulas, Rayne really “remembered” a lot.
He buried his head down, writing the formula, but suddenly, as if on a whim, he stopped writing.
“? ? ?”
Pythius stared at him and thought he looked like a monkey scratching his head.
Had he forgotten again?
At that moment, he heard Rayne ask a question in a deep voice: “So… Teacher Pythius, do you think that the formula for [Zombie Potion] is just as complex as this magic potion formula?”
Finally, he spoke his true purpose.
If he wanted to quickly acquire the cure and leave the “Demon Weasel Bandits”, he had to make a risky move.
Moreover, even if he had torn his face, he was sure that Pythius wouldn’t kill him right away and would feed into his request…
After all, given this old man’s greedy nature, he wouldn’t be satisfied until he got the high-grade formula.
“…”
The finished cure could be excused as being unavailable, but he couldn’t say that the formula for it wasn’t even allowed to be seen, could he?
As if being beaten in a chess match, Pythius’s pupils shrank with a jerk, but he subtly played it off.
So, it turns out the boy did everything for this purpose.
This little fox had finally revealed his tail, and he instantly understood Rayne’s intention today in writing out this formula.
He was truly a young man who was a bit too clever.
However, this was only a bit surprising, not enough to make him feel that things were out of his control.
Besides, the situation before him was quite obvious. With the exchange of a yellow gold grade formula for an antidote formula, he would still profit.
“Hehe…”
After a flash of anger, Pythius, as Rayne had expected, didn’t become enraged but instead took out a formula with a smile as he said: “The formula for the antidote magic potion is far less complex. Look here… This is the formula for the cure to [Zombie Potion]…”
Heh, fool!
Do you really think that pharmacology was such a simple field that you can refine the medicine just by getting the formula?
So, what if I showed it off to you?
Pythius was overconfident that without a year and a half of introductory and experimental training, even with the ingredients and formula in front of him, no genius would capable of concocting that potion.
As far as he was concerned, Rayne’s “small action” just now did nothing but show his stupidity and short-sightedness!
……
The formula for the cure was presented to him, just as he had hoped.
Rayne faintly smiled while his mind inexplicably became at ease.
It was a pleasure to have an enemy who was upset with you but couldn’t show it.
But in the next moment, to Pythius’s surprise, Rayne only glanced at the formula and didn’t look much longer, as if he was completely uninterested in it.
This made Pythius doubt his own judgement. Had he guessed wrong?
Did the boy really just want to see it?
“Oh, Teacher, I remember it! I remember the complete formula!”
The system recorded the antidote formula for [Zombie Potion], and Rayne didn’t want to stay around this old man any longer. So, he simply wrote down the complete formula.
This kind of yellow gold grade formula, which was considered a treasure to other magic potion masters, was a piece of scrap paper in his present situation.
“This… Is this really a yellow gold grade formula?!”
Pythius looked at the complete formula, and the doubts that had arisen in his mind were instantly dispelled. What replaced them was a rapturous feeling of having found a treasure.
Hadn’t he ventured and risked his life going undercover in this filthy bandit lair for the sake of exchanging his merits for a chance of getting three-star advanced magic potion knowledge?
Now with this yellow gold grade formula in front of him, it was enough for him to exchange for more resources from a higher-ranking magic potion master.
He’s struck it rich!
At the same time, his gaze towards Rayne again became a little odd.
Obviously… This boy was hiding another formula in his head, or something even more valuable!
Although this boy always gave off the impression of having ulterior motives, but naturally, he couldn’t be killed off right now.
Hehe, two more days…
That’ll be the time to settle the score!
……
Just then, Rayne seemed to remember something else and spoke up again: “Oh, Teacher, there’s another piece of good news.”
Pythius raised his brow: “What is it?”
Was there another formula?
The old man held this expectation when he heard Rayne say: “When the boss came by to ask me how my life was going, I asked for what you needed… I told him that you needed some [Skull Powder from a Thousand-Year-Old Mummy] to refine your medicine…”
A backstab!
At those words, Pythius’s face instantly grew cold.
He had imprisoned Rayne in his laboratory while giving him whatever he needed, forcing him to not have any contact with outsiders. But Boss Quinn, of all people, had come…
Oh, fantastic. What had he come for?
As if oblivious to the old man’s scowl, Rayne spoke up again: “The boss says he seems to have some of it in stock and will send someone to bring it over to us when he finds it…”
“Oh?”
Pythius’s eyes twitched. Since he had told him what he was missing before, he could no longer make any excuses.
He said with his usual expression: “That’s… That’s very good. I will refine the antidote magic potion for you when the boss delivers the ingredients…”
Although he knew he was being double-crossed, Pythius still wasn’t very angry since he got his prized yellow gold grade formula.
After all, there were only a few days left before the “Demon Weasel Bandit” were completely wiped out.
Even if he got the cure, the boy couldn’t escape from here alive.
Hmph! Wait for another two days, when the big secret is revealed to me, I will skin you alive!
Chapter 12 Half-Written Formula <TOC> Chapter 14 Deliberately Insidious Poison