Chapter 957 Cassini <TOC> Chapter 959 Division of Labor
Translator: SumTLMan
The effect of fame seems beneficial, yet countless are the instances where reputation proves burdensome.
Take Angel, for example. After turning down a few wizards’ requests for alchemical assistance, he palpably perceived the increased scrutiny cast his way.
What’s more, witnessing more individuals eager to approach, he felt the encroachment of mental exhaustion.
Fortunately, on this occasion, he was not alone. Madeline adroitly conjured a magical cottage, providing them some sanctuary. Once inside, Angel felt a moment of relief.
Observing Angel’s chest heaving with relief, Madeline chuckled, “The current state of affairs isn’t too bad. At least within Frost Moon’s territory, they dare not cross the line. Besides, many traditional wizards are rather haughty and won’t approach you for a chat. If you were alone, that would be a different story.”
While some might be deterred from causing harm to Angel due to his fame and the threat of retaliation from the Savage Grottoes, there’s nothing stopping them from coercing him into alchemy as long as they do not injure him.
This was exemplified when Angel met Nielson a few days ago.
Fortunately, Nielson was an alchemist himself and did not force Angel to perform alchemy. However, he did compel Angel to engage in alchemical discussions. Of course, Angel gained many insights during these exchanges, so it was not entirely a loss.
Others, however, are unlikely to be as considerate as Nielson. They are interested only in the results of alchemy. The principles and processes behind it matter not to them.
“What should I do then?” Angel lamented. He was beginning to miss the days when he and Madeline were ostracized.
“Your mindset is correct. At present, it’s crucial for you to solidify your foundation and overcome your limitations. Once you become an official wizard, you’ll be able to handle most situations. Additionally, with your mastery of gravity lines, even the average true knowledge wizard will have no recourse against you, excluding those at the top of the pyramid.”
“However, should you catch the attention of those at the top, it might not necessarily be a bad thing for you. At least, fulfilling their requests could be extremely beneficial to you.”
Angel sighed, “Fame is a double-edged sword indeed.”
“The so-called double-edged sword is entirely due to the disparity between your skills and your power,” Madeline mused. “If an apprentice can craft items beneficial to official wizards, even true knowledge wizards, how could others not have their eyes on you?”
Even though they were now in the magical cottage, there were still occasional visitors.
Particularly, a male wizard from the Torch Institute proved to be a persistent pest. Even when others had trickled away, he remained, his tone modulating rhythmically as he tirelessly urged Angel to abandon the Savage Grottoes and embrace the arms of Torch, his nagging becoming an increasingly tiresome drone.
As the end drew near, the spectacle put on by the wizard from Torch Institute continued in his dramatic fashion. Madeline treated it as a theatrical performance, while to Angel, it was merely background noise.
This peculiar atmosphere was only shattered when a man donned in a white wizard robe arrived.
The man was a fully-fledged wizard, his white robe contrasted with a light blue cloak; the icy crescent moon emblazoned on the cloak was frozen by a chilly frost. This symbol indicated his affiliation with the Frost Moon Alliance.
“My name is Maher, the leader of the Frost Moon escort. Apologies for the intrusion.” The man had a stern look about him. Upon entering the cottage, he quickly introduced himself and stated his purpose.
“I heard that the ‘Music Box Magician’ is also among us. I was wondering if I could ask for your help?” Maher set his gaze firmly on Angel.
“Lord Maher, what assistance do you require?” Angel was aware of Maher’s importance within the Wings of Cold Frost, second only to Sineva, and treated him with due deference.
“The right bone strut of the Wings of Cold Frost has suffered a severe fracture. Currently, our Frost Moon alchemist is working frantically to mend it. However, his pace is slow, and to avoid delaying our journey to the Abyss, could I trouble you to assist in the repairs?” Maher explained.
Angel frowned, “My specialty lies in enchantment, and I haven’t spotted any magical rune traces on the Wings of Cold Frost.”
Maher replied, “That’s not a problem. The Wings of Cold Frost is a product of unique biological alchemy, it doesn’t really relate to harmonization or enchantment. All you need to do is help with the melting and shaping of some materials.”
Biological alchemy? Angel arched his eyebrows.
He had little exposure to biological alchemy, but he was aware that the vast majority of it involved the transformation of life. The grand masters of this branch of alchemy were primarily the Karabians. For example, the Basket Witch of Summer Dew Ridge was exceptionally adept at biological alchemy.
Angel cast a glance at Madeleine, curious about her thoughts on the matter.
However, Madeleine simply shrugged, suggesting that Angel was free to make his own choice.
After some contemplation, Angel nodded at Maher, “Alright, I’ll accompany you.”
Firstly, Angel was inherently interested in biological alchemy and perhaps this could be an opportunity to glean something new. Secondly, he hoped that this could help him steer clear of some nuisances, such as the wizards from Torch Institute, or the many lurking onlookers outside.
Thus, Angel followed Maher’s lead and left the area.
Maher led Angel to an isolated room within the middle-lower level. Inside were a variety of materials, and corresponding alchemical tools. Before Angel had even understood what to do, Maher had swiftly departed.
The room was divided into two sections. The left was cluttered with strange limbs from various creatures, specimens, and surgical tools. The right was filled with alchemical materials Angel was more familiar with.
Having given no instructions before he left, Maher left Angel unsure of what to do. He thus decided to wander about the laboratory. The lab not only housed the embodiment of biological alchemy—alchemical homunculi, but also an array of peculiar things.
A gigantic eyeball, adorned with countless tentacles, curled and unfolded in a petri dish.
Two distinctly human severed hands danced an embrace in an observation box.
A crawling creature bearing crystal mineral deposits flitted about in a glass-cut anthill.
A woman, her lower half that of a snake and eyes flickering with bloodlust, stuck out her tongue at Angel from within a vat of fluid.
Beyond these, there were countless other bizarre creations that broadened Angel’s horizons. However, all these biological alchemical creations bore a distinct malevolent nature, showing intense aggressiveness whenever Angel approached.
Yet, to Angel, these were but paper tigers. The biological alchemy here all involved low-level energy reactions, posing no threat to him.
After exploring the lab and finding no one to greet him, Angel prepared to leave.
As he approached the door, however, he heard a bout of coughing from behind him in the lab, accompanied by billowing black smoke.
Caught off guard, Angel choked on the smoke. Turning around, he saw a door in the lab suddenly being pushed open. A chubby figure, face blackened and oily, crawled out while hacking a cough.
Indeed, it was inching forward.
The corpulent body wriggled onward, laboriously crossing the threshold of the door.
The prior black smoke had billowed forth from within the door.
Examining the space beyond the door, Angel found it unexpectedly to be a fully equipped laboratory. As he was about to observe further, the rotund individual, lying on the ground, thrust out his stumpy leg with a forceful kick, and the door was closed.
Upon closing, the door vanished of its own accord.
“Ruined, all ruined… I have to craft again! I don’t want to!”
Initially, the stout man was gasping on the floor. Suddenly, his nose twitched, as if catching a scent: “Eh, a smell of a newcomer?”
With a vigorous flip, the portly figure stood upright, and then through a thin layer of black smoke, he met Angel’s gaze.
“Are you… the assistant Maher sent for me?” He queried, his eyebrows furrowing.
Assistant? Angel contemplated before nodding, “You could say that. I was asked to assist in the crafting and formation of some materials.”
Upon hearing this, the man’s face instantly lit up, “Great, finally someone who understands alchemy! I was nearly worked to death alone!”
After finishing his sentence, he murmured to himself, “The suspensory bone has a wound, the right wing also has a bone injury, with such heavy damage, Lady Sineva expects me to complete the crafting by tomorrow morning, how is that even possible! Don’t you agree?”
As the man looked towards Angel, all Angel could do was to give an awkward twitch of his mouth. As an outsider, he couldn’t possibly badmouth Sineva in Wings of Cold Frost, could he?
“I studied non-biological alchemy, so I don’t really understand.” Angel glossed over the subject by changing the topic swiftly, “What do I need to craft?”
The man didn’t hold it against him, sitting aside and taking a brief break before standing up, “Wait for a moment. I’ll go inside to fetch the materials and blueprints. All you have to do is follow them. It’s not too difficult… By the way, have you studied Fire Fusion and Solidification spell?”
Angel nodded, “I have.”
“That’s good. It might just take some time to craft.” As the man spoke, he extended his hand, casting a spell in an instant, and a door appeared before him.
However, this door was black, different from the previous white one.
After opening the door, he stepped inside.
Standing outside, Angel peered in, finding it similar to the previous white door. The equipment and furnishings within suggested that it too was a laboratory.
It wasn’t long before the plump man emerged, an array of materials in hand along with a few thin sheets of paper. “Start with these. I reckon you’ll be crafting these until dawn,” he declared.
Upon finishing, he noticed Angel was somewhat absent-minded, his gaze frequently sneaking towards the door.
“What’s up? Curious about The Alchemy Workshop?” The rotund man’s voice slipped into Angel’s ears.
“This is an alchemy workshop?” Angel questioned.
“Correct. The previous one was my biological alchemy workshop, and this is the geoalchemy workshop,” the chubby man retorted with a hint of pride.
Understanding dawned on Angel; naturally, he knew about the alchemy workshops. This was a first level wizard spell, a concept akin to a Wizard Garden that allowed one to carry a separate alchemical laboratory on one’s person.
At a glance, the spatial capabilities of Angel’s bracelet seemed to accomplish the same effect. It could even hold living creatures, magical plants, and so on… But, in reality, it wasn’t so.
The space within the bracelet wasn’t as stable as one might imagine. If a violent explosion occurred during an experiment, it could easily trigger a spatial collapse. But, in the case of an alchemy workshop, this problem didn’t exist.
The chubby man’s pride stemmed from the fact that even though an alchemy workshop was a spell, the initial setting up of the fixed space required a massive amount of materials. Its value was innumerable times that of a regular storage space.
Many wizards didn’t even have a storage space, so his possession of two at once was certainly something to be proud of.
“Being an alchemy apprentice at your tender age, you can further consolidate your knowledge for a few decades. By the time you become a wizard, you might be able to afford to learn about the alchemy workshop spell,” the stout man, brimming with self-satisfaction, said before disappearing back through the black door. “Don’t waste time. Start crafting, and you won’t be short of benefits…”