"In each class from now on, I'll concoct a compound toxin for you all to identify."
"This is the groundwork for dealing with unknown composite toxins in your future."
"Whoever consistently identifies them without error for four months and the results are roughly correct, I'll give them 'The Synthesis of Toxins.'"
"Understood?"
Kurov spoke solemnly, sweeping his gaze across the students before him.
"Yes, sir, we understand," they replied.
"Off to dinner now. Manage your time this evening. Finish 'Alchemy Linguistics' early; only then can we proceed with the night's lessons."
Kurov waved them off towards the door and lounged on a red plush sofa with a book.
Xia Zuo and companions bowed in gratitude, departing from the poison alchemy area.
...
Inside the castle's hall, Xia Zuo bid farewell to Mason and Brandon, heading alone towards the dining hall.
"Xia Zuo."
Anju leaped from behind a stone pillar, catching up with him. "Do you have classes tonight?"
"No... Hmm?"
Before Xia Zuo could finish, a letter drifted into his hand.
A simple line on it demanded his presence in the poison alchemy area before 6:10 in the evening, as per Kurov's instructions.
"I have a class tonight. The mentor asked me to come after dinner," Xia Zuo said, shelving his plans to visit the library.
"Alright then, I'll study 'Alchemy Linguistics' alone," Anju replied cheerfully.
"What did you do in your first potion alchemy class?" Xia Zuo asked as they walked towards the dining hall.
"Professor Zholang prepared a wooden box for each of us containing 30 glass vials. We had to use our sense of smell to differentiate the contents."
Anju giggled, "Professor Zholang was quite sly; many vials contained odorless oil, even resembling water, and we were searching in the books for a long time. Turns out, those were indeed just plain water."
Xia Zuo chuckled, "Be more attentive next time. In case Professor Zholang does present something similar to water, don't judge hastily."
"Yeah yeah! I'll be as patient as a hunter. I won't jot down the identification prematurely without certainty," Anju smiled, continuing, "Let's have a seafood hotpot together tonight. A huge pot filled with all sorts of ingredients."
"Alright, sounds good."
The two entered the dining hall, heading for a quieter, less crowded corner.
A few minutes later, a steaming pot was brought to their table. Surrounding the pot were small boxes of side dishes, heated by the pot's residual warmth.
Anju sprinkled spicy seasoning into the pot, eagerly scooping out a bowl of squid tentacles. "I'm starting. Phew~ It's too hot."
Xia Zuo stirred the pot, letting the seafood rise to the surface. He served himself some shellfish, leaving the squid for Anju.
...
6 PM arrived.
Xia Zuo escorted Anju to the library corridor before making his way to the poison alchemy area.
"Good evening, Professor."
Kurov lazily lounged on the soft sofa, gesturing towards the desk, "There's a test paper on the table. Go ahead and solve it. You can use the alchemy tools and poison vials here."
Approaching the desk, Xia Zuo picked up the paper to examine.
There was only one question, written in alchemical language. At a glance, it was an operational question.
[1. Prepare the poison according to the following steps:
STEP 1: (① PT.PN32, ② PT.PA56), (：①+②=③), (□: ③)
STEP 2: (① PT.③, ④ PT.YS028), (：③+④=⑤), (□: ⑤)
PN32 is Artemisia annua, PA56 is Anthocyanidin.
The compound poison required in this question was the White Eelotoxin observed in the afternoon.
Following the instructions from 'Toxin Separation' meticulously, Xia Zuo combined these two basic toxins to create the White Eelotoxin.
YS028 was a somewhat whitish solvent, tasting akin to milk poured into clear water, designed specifically to mask substances like the White Eelotoxin, making it imperceptible to the naked eye.
After successfully preparing the poison labeled as ⑤, Xia Zuo hesitated.
The question demanded an "accurate test of the effect of ⑤," not merely a conjecture as in the afternoon.
Looking at his mentor, Xia Zuo inquired with a hesitant expression, "Professor Kurov, do I need to drink this poison myself? Can I test it on some white mice?"
Kurov, sunk in the soft sofa, set down his book and shook his head, "We, poison alchemists, are the best 'white mice.' You can sip it bit by bit. According to the affinity test earlier today, your willpower is strong; you'll need to drink almost half the vial to feel the poison's effects."
It felt somewhat awkward.
Xia Zuo was surprised that the misunderstanding between himself and the affinity tester, earlier in the day seemed to affect Kurov's initial impression of him.
When using the Identify spell on the poison he personally concocted, the feedback was more detailed than that of others.
[Item Name]?????
[Item Type] Poison
[Item Grade]
Insufficient perception and knowledge reserves; unable to gather more information.
[Item Quality]
Completion: 85%, Good
[Associated Resistance] Earth resistance.
Once the Earth resistance reaches 0.5%, this poison's impact on the host will significantly diminish.
[Item Description]
Crafted by Xia Zuo, using White Eelotoxin as the base material.
[Item Effect]
Drinking one-third of the vial will cause 1 layer of asphyxiation, deducting 20 HP per minute, lasting for 1 minute.
Subsequent consumption of the poison will prolong the duration of the asphyxiation effect, but won't stack the layers.
Kurov had mentioned stopping upon feeling the poison's effects.
Let's drink one-third, then.
Xia Zuo checked his health data.
[Health]
45/45 (Healthy)
[Base Healing Rate]
0.1 HP/minute
One-third of the vial would deduct 20 HP, not even half of his total HP; it wouldn't trigger an 'Emergency Situation.' He should be fine.
Xia Zuo uncorked the vial, poured the corresponding amount into a measuring cup, took a deep breath, held it, and downed it in one gulp.
*Cough*
A searing sensation slid down his throat into his chest.
His body convulsed, air escaped uncontrollably from his nose and mouth, his eardrums throbbed, and his eyeballs swelled.
Amidst overwhelming tremors, Xia Zuo struggled to sit on a wooden stool, feeling as if his head were an inflated balloon—nothing audible except ringing in his ears.
As the last breath left his chest, an
overwhelming suffocating sensation enveloped him.
Thump thump...
The sound of his heartbeat grew fainter...
Xia Zuo's face turned deathly pale as he slowly released his grip on the chair's armrest.
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