As Victor and Lizbeth entered the Alchemical Hall, they were immediately drawn to a mysterious obelisk-like structure standing majestically at the heart of the building’s towering central atrium. It was a structure crafted from an unknown dark crystal that pulsed with a gentle, rhythmic glow, making anyone who saw it shudder in awe and trepidation.
“This must be the core of this building.” Victor approached the obelisk and observed the structure up close. He had anticipated that someone or something would have greeted him by now, similar to what they had encountered at the Magic Botanical Garden, but the hall was eerily silent, devoid of any apparent overseer.
Curiosity got the better of him, and Victor reached out and placed his hand on the cool surface of the crystal. Instantly, a holographic screen popped up before his face.
[Alchemical Hall has been activated.]
[You can assign someone as an overseer.]
“Ah, so that’s the reason.” It appeared that this building really didn’t have an overseer, and the task of appointing someone suitable for the role now fell to him.
“It seems you have figured it out,” Lizbeth quipped, fluttering her wings beside him. “Some System buildings don’t come with preset overseers. You’ll need to appoint someone yourself, although not every building necessarily requires one. Besides, there’s no immediate rush to do so…”
Victor was about to utter “Why is that?” but Lizbeth continued to explain before he got the chance. Apparently, Victor couldn’t easily change the individual once he had set the role since he would have to pay some AP for it. Furthermore, there were some small perks of becoming an overseer, but she didn’t give many details about them.
“I see. I understand now,” Victor responded as his fingers danced across the holographic screen to learn about the building’s functions. To his surprise, it listed an array of rare potions and elixirs, along with their recipes, which were not available in the normal System shop. Victor scrolled through the extensive catalog and found some unique and powerful concoctions.
Liquid Shadows Potion
This potion grants the consumer the ability to blend into shadows, becoming invisible to the naked eye. Ideal for espionage or avoiding confrontations, it temporarily enhances stealth capabilities by allowing the user to move silently and unseen in dimly lit areas.
Cost: 15 AP
Obsidian Skin Potion
This potion contains the spell {Obsidian Skin} — a Geo element Aleph-tier spell. It is not for consumption and should be used by shattering it around or at the user. The spell grants powerful skin that can protect the user from harm.
Cost: 10 AP
Starlight Tonic
Made from magical plants infused with the essence of the star, this elixir permanently enhances mental acuity and awareness. Consumers find their ability to concentrate and react heightened, making it invaluable for magicians wanting to learn more complex and profound knowledge.
Cost: 15 AP
Mana Aptitude Enhancement Elixir
An invaluable elixir made from rare materials. It is used to enhance the user’s mana aptitude until a certain level and can only be used once per individual. It is useless for those who are above the superior glimmering grade.
Cost: 25 AP
…
Victor also discovered that the price for the recipes was ten times that of the potions themselves, which was quite steep. Perhaps he should carefully consider which potions were essential and perhaps seek them elsewhere rather than purchasing directly from here, unless they were incredibly useful or rare. One such example was the Mana Aptitude Enhancement Elixir — that one was impossible to find—
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Gender-Changing Potion
A potion to change gender. There’s literally no other explanation.
Cost: 20 AP
Um, what? Victor twitched his eyebrows. Wasn’t this the type of cosmetic potion that the players had been dying to get their hands on? In fact, a lot of spam emails had accumulated in his inbox of people wanting the “character customization” option.
However, it required spending academy points, and Victor was not one to squander such valuable resources on what he considered frivolous items. On top of that, if he was in the mind to make it available to the players, purchasing the recipe and having it produced by a qualified Alchemist seemed like a more efficient approach. The problem was that there was only one person who immediately came to mind for the task.
“In the end, it all comes back to her,” Victor said with an ironic smile, shaking his head.
Elara was indeed the only Alchemist in the academy with the necessary skills. Although her abilities and mind were restricted by the spell, concocting low-level potions and elixirs was well within her capabilities. This realization only solidified her as the prime candidate for the overseer role, much to Victor’s chagrin.
“Welp, it is what it is.” Victor sighed, resigning himself to the situation. Well, if he ever found a better candidate later on, he could just change the personnel with no problem.
Other than this, Victor noticed that the Alchemical Hall could be upgraded, much like the Magic Botanical Garden. For one thing, only Aleph-tier potions and elixirs were available for purchase; this was probably something that would be unlocked when further upgrades were made. Although the price for the next level stood at 1,000 AP, a price that escalated tenfold with each subsequent upgrade.
“Look, Master,” Lizbeth uttered, pointing to the other side of the obelisk, “there’s some writing over here.”
“Another day, another word from the previous headmaster.” Victor snorted nonchalantly and walked around to the indicated side of the structure and, sure enough, found another inscription in golden handwriting etched into the stone.
Bracing himself for the usual intense headache that accompanied such magic transmissions, Victor began to read. To his relief, the experience was far more bearable this time. Perhaps it was due to his advancement to Elemental Adept Magus, or perhaps the message was less invasive than previous ones. Regardless, Victor felt completely fine.
“Wow, wow! I must say that your rate of progress has exceeded my expectations! Clap, clap!
“I bet you have discovered a great many secrets of this academy by now. You may even have stumbled upon fragments of my past from various sources… Rest assured, for I mean you no harm.
“It’s understandable if you have a lot of doubts and accumulated a wealth of questions to ask me, but I won’t be able to answer everything here, so I’ll summarize a bit.
“You see, I installed an extremely large spatial formation that encompassed the entire solar system where Earth is located, to ensure that my old adversaries wouldn’t discover this place. Moreover, this spatial formation is designed to manipulate the flow of time — slowing it down or speeding it up within its bounds. That’s why the System has the capability to adjust the flow of time difference between the two worlds.
“However, maintaining such a formation demands a significant toll on both resources and the formation’s durability. If my calculations were right, then by the time you’re reading this, the formation will have approximately a decade to a century before it degrades completely and loses all functionality.
“I hope you will advance nearly to my level or be capable enough to restore the formation before that occurs. Good luck with that! I believe in you (even though it took me millennia to reach this level).
“Guess my time to impart this message is up. Toodle-oo!”
And with that, the message concluded abruptly, leaving Victor to be struck speechless like an idiot.
The fuck… What in the world did I just read? Victor creased his eyebrows. Were they expecting that he, a mere mortal, would be able to become a powerful, legendary Magus that was only described in legends in mere decades?
That would be insanity!
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Victor was reminded of the silver lining. “Oh well, I have a few unnatural advantages, such as the System and the loyal, immortal players at my disposal.” Determined to rise to the challenge, he clenched his fists. Maybe I can make history in a way no one ever has done before…
“Mumbling to yourself again, I see,” Lizbeth remarked with a knowing smile, raising both her arms in a playful gesture as she shook her head.
“Well, it’s nothing,” Victor replied, masking his deep contemplation. “There’s just a lot to process… Moreover, it’s about time to roll out the next update for the players; we have much to prepare. Let’s head back to the office.”
“Aye, sir,” Lizbeth saluted and giggled, fluttering her wings as she followed Victor out from the Alchemical Hall.
Whatever the case, the gravity of his responsibility had now been fully realized and pressed upon him. The implications of the potential failure of the spatial formation were unknown, so he would better make haste with what little time he possessed.
But rather than immediately returning to his office, Victor made a detour to Eleanor’s workshop out of curiosity. The workshop, though not large, was meticulously organized. Curiously enough, he noted that there was a signboard in front of the door that read, “Eleanor’s Blacksmithing Workshop,” accompanied by a chibi-style drawing of her, complete with a wide, toothy grin. As he got closer, the rhythmic clang of metal striking metal became audible to his ears.
“She seems busy,” Victor commented.
“Without a doubt!” Lizbeth nodded, eyeing the workshop. “Being the sole blacksmith and Artificer in the academy means that she has to fulfill requests from all two hundred or so players, especially you.”
“Hmm, let’s better find some qualified personnel among the players who could assist her in that regard.”
Deciding not to disturb Eleanor, as there was no urgency, Victor returned to the Headmaster’s Office.