The following day.
In the morning's second class, Alchemy General Knowledge, Professor Kurov taught the fundamentals of poison crafting.
Before the formal lesson began, Kurov instructed Xia Zuo, Mason, and Brandon to distribute "Encyclopedia of Poisons: Fundamentals of Poison Alchemy" and "Isolation of Toxins" to the students in the classroom.
[Book Title] Encyclopedia of Poisons
[Book Grade] Hall-level work
[Memory Reward] 25 experience points, 0.3 mental attribute value
[Book Combination 1]
Fundamentals of Poison Alchemy textbook, 2/5 (Alchemy language and "Isolation of Toxins" memorized)
Reward: 17 experience points
[Book Combination 2]
Alchemy General Knowledge textbook, 2/25 (Alchemy language and "Isolation of Toxins" memorized)
Reward: 80 experience points
(Continued)
The "Encyclopedia of Poisons" detailed thousands of poison effects and the five tiers of poison alchemists: Novice, Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Master.
These tiers corresponded to crafting weak, lesser, moderate, strong, and ultimate poisons.
Poisons were categorized as having or lacking antidotes.
Antidote-less poisons weren't necessarily fatal but might persist like a lifelong scent.
Antidote-bearing poisons didn't guarantee safety upon antidote consumption; many had severe effects, with a very brief window for remedy. Consuming the antidote seconds too late could result in severe injury or death.
Hence, the number of poisons suitable for leveling up was limited. Among them, novice poison alchemists could produce only a handful.
As Xia Zuo listened to the lesson, he mentally sorted through the five poisons he could concoct.
There were a total of 5.
The White Mucosal Poison was one among them. It was a lethal poison encountered only at the Novice level.
These five Novice-level poisons estimated a gain of 1.5 willpower and 150 experience points.
1.5 willpower roughly equated to a level up. Considering the current leveling requirements, that meant 1000 experience points.
Calculating this way, the rewards for Novice poison alchemists exceeded those of performers at the same level by a considerable margin. Experience, resistance, and attribute values were all abundant.
This seemed to stem from the hierarchy of professions.
The higher the tier, the greater the entry threshold and the better the rewards.
Xia Zuo nodded thoughtfully.
He seemed to have found an answer, catching the eye of his mentor.
Kurov tapped the lectern. "No one to answer this question? Xia Zuo, care to tell us what this vial holds?"
Caught off guard, Xia Zuo instantly composed himself.
Under Anju's watchful gaze, he stood and used Detecting Arts on the vial atop the lectern, weaving his words in his mind.
"Professor, charcoal hue, honeycomb appearance, mmm... matte surface texture; it seems to be a basic poison in the mineral domain. To be more precise..."
Glancing at the serene view outside the window, illuminating the classroom with gentle sunlight, he continued:
"Stored in a transparent glass vial, indicating it won't undergo changes from sunlight exposure. The minimal powdered residue inside the vial suggests a stable structure.
"It should be Manganese Bromide."
Kurov chuckled. "Excellent, have a seat. Indeed, it's Manganese Bromide."
As Xia Zuo sat back down, he silently praised his knack for information retrieval.
He first used Detecting Arts to determine the poison's name, then found corresponding information in the book, citing evidence from his 'Knowledge Reserves.'
With Anju's approving glance and silent praise, Xia Zuo, quite uncharacteristically, blushed, graciously accepting the compliment.
From that moment, he refrained from drifting off, especially during his mentor's classes. It was an opportune time to memorize all necessary content to avoid flipping through books later.
Five days into the Academy, life fell into a rhythm.
From 7 in the morning till 8 at night, students shuttled between classrooms, dorms, and the cafeteria. Every waking moment was dedicated to studying, the words still churning in their minds even as they lay in bed at night.
While Xia Zuo had the added incentive from his 'knack,' other students were reaching their limits.
Friday evening.
Anju looked fatigued, inviting Xia Zuo for a stroll outside the castle.
The Academy was enclosed by a low wall. The primary structure was the Starlit Castle, surrounded by lush slopes and artificial lakes.
Tonight, Xia Zuo didn't need to work in the Poison Alchemy area. Kurov feared five days of testing poisons in a row might harm him, thus freeing him up to accompany Anju for a leisurely stroll.
With her hands behind her back, Anju glanced at the ground, a hint of shyness in her words:
"Xia Zuo, after tomorrow morning's Alchemy Language class, do you have any plans? Would you like to explore Starlit City?"
"I'm planning to spend some time in the library. But..."
Xia Zuo winked playfully. "If you want to visit an art exhibition, I can spare half a day."
"Then it's settled. We'll have lunch at the academy's restaurant and head out afterward," Anju giggled.
Before the Alchemy Language class in the morning, Headmistress Beryl distributed a series of albums, one to each new student.
The albums contained a six-month schedule of cultural activities in Starlit City's entire range.
Three theaters, two stadiums, a colosseum, a racetrack, two hunting grounds, along with numerous private dance halls, were open to the Academy students free of charge.
Additionally, the city's central exhibition hall regularly hosted showcases, including the much-anticipated art exhibition Anju had been looking forward to.
This enticing offer motivated the students to focus on their studies. During today's Alchemy Language class, many students volunteered to speak up.
They gradually discovered that Professor Beryl, mature and beautiful, was not only willing to engage with them but also shared intriguing anecdotes from the alchemical world in class, fostering a more congenial atmosphere.
Occasional leisure activities combined with work were indeed more conducive to learning.
Observing Anju's joy, Xia Zuo continued:
"I plan to allocate half a day every week for relaxation. Let's say Saturday afternoon. The rest of the time, I'll be in the dormitory studying."
"Great!" Anju blushed, lightly embracing his arm.
Castle Administrator Dim hadn't expressly prohibited relationships within the Academy, so there was no need to worry about any sudden interruptions.
Feeling the warmth on his arm, Xia Zuo, drawing from past experiences, knew that holding her waist would be a natural progression...
But he wore a gentle smile, withholding any further action, contemplating whether to accept this budding relationship...
Youth comes with inevitable misunderstandings. If this wasn't meant to be, he wished to leave fewer scars.
Anyway.
This weekend's free activities might just spark a few romances.
However, Xia Zuo's original intent wasn't merely to enjoy the freebies; his goal was to bolster his Wind Resistance.
Based on this
week's class experiences, elixirs, poisons, oils, and oddities might correspond to Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire resistances, respectively.
He had unlocked Earth and Fire resistances; only Wind and Water remained elusive.
Alchemy of Elixirs, Oils, and Oddities could only be formally studied upon reaching the Proficient level as a poison alchemist, which would take several years.
According to the Academy's promotion pathway, Xia Zuo needed 5 or even 10 more years to become a Proficient alchemist in all four branches.
This was unacceptable... the time investment was too long.
Xia Zuo wanted it faster.
He reviewed his character template.
[Promotion Conditions]
1. Raise all four resistances to 5%.
Alternatively, complete the Academy's four alchemy branch exams to become a Proficient alchemist.
(Continued)
Raising all four resistances to 5% was a shortcut to becoming an apprentice mage.
Now that Earth and Fire resistances were secured, the next step was to find means to obtain Wind and Water resistances.
Accompanying Anju to the art exhibition was an excellent opportunity to search for clues regarding these resistances, as she awakened her Wind and Water resistances through painting.
Under the evening sun, the two wandered by the lakeside.
Seeing Anju still blushing, Xia Zuo didn't suggest going to the library, opting to continue the lakeside stroll with her instead.
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