Nyx Shadowbrook couldn't believe his eyes. He stared at the stack of books on his desk, all finished. It had only taken five days! He felt proud but also shocked. His new way of learning with his clone was strong, but it was working better than he ever imagined.

Nyx sat back in his chair, shaking his head in wonder. This was so different from his school days. Back then, he was always struggling to keep up. He remembered sitting in the back of the classroom, hoping the teacher wouldn't call on him. Most of his classmates seemed to get magic so easily, but for Nyx, every class was a battle.

He thought about all the times he nearly ended up on academic probation. The late nights studying, trying to understand basic concepts that everyone else seemed to grasp instantly. He remembered begging teachers for extra credit assignments just to scrape by with passing grades.

But now, looking at these fifteen basic alchemy books, Nyx felt a surge of confidence he'd never experienced before. He had not only finished them but understood them. Really understood them.

"If only my old teachers could see me now," Nyx muttered, a small smile playing on his lips. He picked up one of the books, flipping through its pages. The complex diagrams and formulas that would have made his head spin before now made perfect sense.

As he set the book down, Nyx's eyes widened. He realized something important. These basic Alchemy books referenced eight other texts that were crucial for a complete basic understanding of the subject. Without hesitation, Nyx grabbed his coin purse and headed for the door. It was time for another trip to the bookshop.

Nyx felt a mix of excitement and determination as he stepped out into the streets of Arcanum City. He was no longer that struggling student barely scraping by. With his newfound abilities and this incredible learning method, he was ready to prove himself to Aria Nightwhisper.

Before heading to the bookshop, Nyx decided to stop by the Adventurers Guild for his usual morning routine. The familiar smell of leather and weapon polish greeted him as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors.

The guild hall buzzed with activity. Adventurers of all types gathered around the quest board, trading stories and boasting about their latest exploits. Nyx made his way to the counter, nodding at a few familiar faces.

As he waited in line to check for any new herb-gathering quests, Nyx overheard a conversation that made him pause.

"Did you hear?" a gruff voice whispered. "There's talk of trouble in Fortress City."

Nyx's ears perked up. Fortress City was far to the east, built around an ancient magical portal. He'd learned about it in history class, one of the few lessons that had actually held his interest.

"Ah, not that old story again," another voice replied. "They say that every few years."

Nyx turned slightly, trying to catch more of the conversation without being too obvious. He saw two older adventurers, their armor scratched and worn from countless battles.

"This time it's different," the first adventurer insisted. "My cousin's there. She says the portal's been acting strange. Flickering and such."

Nyx frowned, remembering what he knew about Fortress City. Long ago, a magical portal had opened, letting in all sorts of nasty creatures from another realm. People had fought hard to push the invaders back, building Fortress City around the portal to guard it. They'd even sent expeditions through, setting up outposts on the other side.

"Next!" the guild worker called, snapping Nyx out of his thoughts.

As Nyx stepped up to check the quest board, his mind whirled. Could there really be trouble at Fortress City? He shook his head, Nyx had herbs to gather and alchemy to learn. Fortress City and its problems were far away and far beyond his current abilities.

Back in his small apartment, Nyx came up with a new way to study. He called his clone and started a kind of practice test. The clone asked questions from the different books, and Nyx answered them. To his amazement, he remembered almost everything perfectly.

"Alright, me," Nyx said to his clone, grinning. "Hit me with your best shot!"

The clone cleared its throat dramatically. "What's the primary ingredient in a Potion of Invisibility?"

Nyx tapped his chin. "Hmm... is it... invisible ink?"

The clone snorted. "Very funny. Try again, wise guy."

"Fine, fine," Nyx chuckled. "It's powdered chameleon scales."

Shaking its head, the clone continued, "Okay, smarty-pants. What's the proper stirring technique for a Potion of mana recovery?"

Nyx stood up, mimicking the motion. "Counter-clockwise three times, every twelve seconds, while humming your favorite tune."

The clone raised an eyebrow. "Humming your favorite tune?"

"Okay, I made that last part up," Nyx admitted. "But wouldn't it be more fun that way?"

"Focus, you goof," the clone scolded, trying not to smile. "Last question: What's the most dangerous thing to add to any potion?"

Nyx thought for a moment. "Um... sneezes?"

The clone facepalmed. "No, you dummy. It's overconfidence! Always double-check your ingredients."

"Oh, right," Nyx nodded sheepishly. "I knew that. I was just testing you."

"Sure you were," the clone replied, rolling its eyes. "Well, despite your terrible jokes, it seems like we're actually learning something. Who would've thought?"

Nyx grinned, feeling proud of how much he'd absorbed. "Yeah, who would've thought indeed. We make a pretty good team, don't we?"

The clone smiled back. "That we do. Now, let's get back to studying before your head gets too big to fit through the door."

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After seven days of studying hard, Nyx went back to Aria Nightwhisper's shop. He felt ready and excited. When he walked in, Aria's eyes got big with surprise.

"You're back already?" Aria said, sounding like she didn't believe it. "That's impossible. You couldn't have finished all those books so quickly."

She started asking lots of questions about the books. With each correct answer, Aria looked more and more shocked.

Finally, with a smile, "Well, you'll have to get these extra books before we can start." She quickly listed the eight books.

Nyx couldn't help but smile a little.

Aria's eyebrow arched slightly, a hint of amusement playing at the corner of her mouth. "My, my," she said, her tone measured and calm. "Aren't you the eager student? I suppose you've already read all these books too, haven't you?"

Nyx felt his cheeks grow warm. "Well, yes, I have," he admitted, trying not to sound too proud.

Aria's lips curved into a knowing smile, her silver eyes twinkling with amusement. "Ah, I see," she said, her tone light but knowing. "Playing the pig to eat the tiger, are we?"

Nyx blinked, confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

"It's an old saying," Aria explained, leaning back in her chair. "Pretending to be less knowledgeable than you are, hoping to impress me with your 'quick learning.'" She shook her head, still smiling. "You're not the first to try this approach, young man, and I doubt you'll be the last."

Nyx felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. "I... I didn't mean to..."

Aria waved her hand dismissively. "No need to explain. This happens every so often. Some young mage, eager to become my apprentice, acts as if they've barely heard of magic before." She chuckled softly. "Tsk. Tsk. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

She stood up, walking to a high shelf. "Well, since you're so well-prepared, let's skip the basics, shall we?" She pulled down three thick, green-bound books. "These contain some of the most complex alchemical theories known to magic. The room next door is for studying. You have three hours to read as much as you can. Consider it your real test."

She handed the books to Nyx, her expression neutral but her eyes sharp. "Knowledge isn't just about how much you can cram into your head, young man. It's about understanding, applying, and innovating. Show me you can do that, and then we'll talk about lessons."

Nyx nodded, feeling both challenged and excited. "Thank you for the opportunity, Master Nightwhisper. I won't let you down."

As Nyx headed to the study room, he heard Aria chuckle softly. "We'll see about that," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "We'll see."

Nyx realized that impressing Aria Nightwhisper would take more than just quick reading. With determination, he entered the study room, ready to face this odd and unexpected challenge.

Nyx nodded, feeling excited. In the small, plain study room, he quickly called his clone, giving it his outer robe. They each took a book and started reading as fast as they could. At the same time, Nyx's mental clones worked hard to understand and remember everything they were reading.

The hours flew by as they read page after page. Just as Nyx finished going over the second book, and his clone finished the last page of the third book, they heard a sharp knock on the door.

"Time's up, hands up!" Aria called, her voice carrying a hint of challenge.

Nyx took a deep breath, his heart racing. He dismissed his clone, bracing himself for the rush of memories. In his mind's eye, he saw the familiar prisms of light, but this time, the orbs of knowledge pulsing within were enormous – larger than any he'd encountered before.

As the information flooded into him, Nyx's body reacted intensely. His muscles tightened and flexed involuntarily, a powerful shiver running down his spine. The sheer volume of complex alchemical knowledge made his head spin.

Nyx blinked rapidly, trying to process the overwhelming influx of information. He realized he was drenched in sweat, his clothes sticking to his skin. With a shaky hand, he wiped his forehead, feeling both exhilarated and drained.

He glanced around, noticing his outer robe draped over the other chair where his clone had left it. Nyx quickly grabbed it, using it to dry his face as he stumbled towards the door on unsteady legs.

Taking one last deep breath to compose himself, Nyx reached for the doorknob. He knew that beyond this door, Aria Nightwhisper was waiting to test his understanding. Despite his exhaustion, a spark of excitement flickered in his violet eyes. He had absorbed more knowledge in these three hours than he ever thought possible.

With a mix of nervousness and determination, Nyx opened the door, ready to face Aria's scrutiny and prove his worth as a potential apprentice.

Aria stood there with her arms crossed, looking like she thought she had won. "Well? How far did you get?"

Nyx looked right at her, his purple eyes bright. "All of them," he said simply.

Aria's smug look disappeared, replaced by a mix of not believing and... was that a bit of excitement?

"That's... that's not possible," she stammered. "These books have some of the hardest alchemical theories known to magic. Even I needed weeks to fully read them."

Nyx shrugged, trying to act calm even though his heart was racing. "I told you, Master Nightwhisper. I'm a fast reader."

Aria's silver eyes studied Nyx intently, taking in his pale, sweaty appearance. After a long moment, she spoke, her voice carrying a new note of respect. "Well then, shall we begin?"

She started with simple questions, which Nyx answered easily. Encouraged by his responses, Aria picked up the pace. Soon, their exchange became a rapid-fire duel of words, each question and answer flowing like colorful spells in a magical battle.

"What's the primary catalyst in a Transmutation Elixir?" Aria asked.

"Powdered moonstone," Nyx replied without hesitation.

Their verbal sparring continued, covering complex theories and obscure alchemical facts. Nyx matched Aria's intensity, his earlier exhaustion forgotten in the thrill of the intellectual challenge.

"And the correct stirring pattern for Gildenmere's Solution?" she asked, her eyes glinting.

Nyx paused, brow furrowed. "I... I'm not sure. I don’t think it was in the books you gave me. Maybe I missed it though?"

Occasionally, Aria would slip in a question about something not covered in the books a carefully laid trap to expose any fraudulent claims of knowledge.

Aria nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Honesty about what you don't know is just as important as what you do know."

As their exchange continued, Aria's expression shifted from skepticism to growing interest.

"One last question," Aria said, leaning forward. "If you were to improve the standard recipe for a Potion of Clarity, what would you add?"

Nyx thought for a moment, then grinned. "Well, I'd consider adding a pinch of powdered griffin feather. It might enhance the potion's duration without affecting its potency while adding extra stability to coarse bone powder."

Aria's eyebrows shot up, her silver eyes widening in genuine surprise. For a moment, she was speechless, staring at Nyx as if seeing him for the first time.

"Powdered griffin feather," she murmured, more to herself than to Nyx. "Of course. How could I have overlooked something so elementary?"

Nyx watched, confused, as Aria jumped up from her chair and rushed to a nearby bookshelf. She pulled out a worn journal, flipping through its pages with trembling fingers.

"This... this could be the breakthrough I've been searching for," Aria said, her voice filled with excitement. "I've been working on improving the Potion of Clarity for years, trying every exotic ingredient I could think of. And all along, the answer was something so basic, so simple..."

She turned back to Nyx, her eyes shining with a mix of emotions surprise, respect, and a hint of embarrassment. "Young man, do you realize what you've just done? You've potentially solved a problem that has been plaguing alchemists for decades."

Nyx blinked, taken aback by Aria's reaction. "I... I just thought it made sense, given what I read about griffin feathers' properties..."

Aria shook her head, a rueful smile on her face. "Sometimes, it takes a fresh perspective to see what's right in front of us. We get so caught up in complex solutions that we forgot about the most basics of basics."

Nyx nodded, feeling a mix of pride and relief. He had not only absorbed the knowledge from the books but had already started to apply it creatively.

Aria leaned back in her chair, regarding Nyx with newfound respect. "Well, Mr. Shadowbrook, it seems I may have underestimated you. Perhaps... perhaps you are worthy of my tutelage after all."

A big smile spread across Nyx's face. He felt hopeful and excited. He had done it. He had proved himself to one of the most famous alchemists in Arcanum City.