Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 101: Buying Slaves

In the workshop, dozens of papers were scattered on the table, and the densely packed notes were full of traces of lines and revisions.

Rows of test tubes are neatly placed on the workbench, and the liquids inside are of various strange colors. Some are even constantly changing colors, as if they have life.

It was late at night, but Ron still insisted on continuing the experiment.

His black hair was disheveled from studying for so long, and beads of sweat on his forehead gleamed faintly under the dim magic crystal lamp.

"No...it's still not right..."

Ron irritably dropped the notebook on the table, a few drops of ink splashing onto his sleeve, but he didn't seem to notice at all.

He rubbed his brows hard, trying to relieve the stinging there.

This is already the third sleepless night.

He tried more than a dozen new recipes, adjusted the proportions of medicinal materials countless times, and even took the risk of using some rare and dangerous materials, but discovered fatal flaws in the theoretical deduction stage.

Every seemingly promising combination will eventually collapse at some point, just like a carefully constructed tower of cards that always collapses before the last step.

“Why can’t I find the right balance?”

Ron stood up and paced back and forth in the small laboratory, scowling.

The improved bloodline activation potion needs to meet three conditions at the same time:
Sufficient activity to maintain the directionality of bloodline mutation and inhibit the stability of distortion.

These three conditions constrain each other, like an impossible "choose two out of three" problem. Improving any one of them will often lead to the deterioration of the other two.

"When activity increases, directionality becomes uncontrollable; when stability increases, activity becomes insufficient..."

With a low sigh, he walked to the corner of the laboratory and took down the violin leaning against the wall - it was the gift from Tracy to celebrate his passing the professional potion master certification.

Although music cannot be included in the system's skill column like other extraordinary skills, he found that playing the violin can indeed effectively relieve his anxiety.

The increased understanding brought by the [Dual Soul] talent also allows him to learn music theory and etudes at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

He gently placed the piano on his shoulder, closed his eyes, and began to play a soft tune.

The sound of the bow rubbing against the strings is particularly clear in the night. Although the melody is simple, it is full of emotion.

The melodious melody seemed to have a magical power that could soothe his inner restlessness.

"Well, the song itself is indeed good, but my mediocre skills need to be improved..."

Ron smiled to himself and put down his violin.

The music did work; his emotions calmed down a lot and his thinking became clearer.

He looked at the failed samples on the workbench. Each bottle represented an attempt and a setback.

Some are too mild and don’t provide enough activity, like trying to light wet wood with a candle;
Some are too radical, with an aberration risk so high that using them would be tantamount to suicide;

Others, although relatively stable, could not provide sufficient directionality and could hardly point to a more ancient and pure bloodline. They could only amplify the existing weak characteristics, which was far from meeting his expectations.

Taking a deep breath, Ron forced himself to calm down: "Maybe I need to think from a different perspective..."

He closed his eyes, feeling his heartbeat gradually steady and his muscles relax a little bit.

After taking a few deep breaths, he decided to put this issue aside for the time being and concentrate on other matters in the workshop.

"Staying here will only increase my anxiety. It's better to divert my attention. Maybe I can get some new inspiration."

He said to himself, trying to use reason to overcome emotion.

Business at the workshop has been good lately, but Tracy has yet to come and visit in person.

It seems that her words about visiting when she is free were just a courtesy. She has been sending Li Yue to pick up orders regularly recently and has been introducing new customers to him.

Several middle and high-level apprentices came here because of her introduction. Although they knew that Ron was a famous potion genius recently, they were skeptical about whether he had enough experience in potion making because of his age.

But under Tracy's credibility, they were still willing to buy some potions on a trial basis to try.

If the effectiveness of these potions is recognized, the reputation of the workshop will surely rise to a higher level.

But as a result, the number of orders will increase significantly, and it will be difficult for him to handle it alone.

Previously, he mainly relied on Andre's help, but the other party had no talent for potions and could only help him with odd jobs. He was now in urgent need of a professional assistant, and this was a matter of urgency.

Ron picked up an order from the floor and frowned at the deadline—only three days left.

With a professional assistant, he could save himself a lot of unnecessary material processing steps, or at least avoid exhaustion every time. "The tree spirit... that tree spirit with a special sense of plants should be perfect for the potion workshop."

Ron recalled the creature he had seen at the Blake Alien Exchange, and a flicker of determination flashed in his eyes:
"It shouldn't be a problem to buy it with the current funds."

He cleaned up the lab bench and carefully labeled the failed samples and put them away - perhaps they would provide some inspiration someday.

He changed into a proper robe and put a leather bag containing the magic stone fragments on his waist.

The silver pocket watch rested gently on his chest pocket, making a subtle ticking sound, as if reminding him of the preciousness of time.

As he left the workshop, Ron checked the order book.

There are currently three urgent orders that need to be completed within three days, especially the batch of potions prepared for Tracy. Some materials need to be processed in advance, otherwise it will be difficult to deliver on time.

"We do need some help." He locked the door of the workshop and walked quickly towards the market area, having made up his mind.

The weather in the Black Fog Jungle was as gloomy as ever, with a faint mist lingering on the ground, like countless transparent snakes crawling on the ground.

When passing by the school cafeteria, Ron saw several novice apprentices queuing up to receive food, their expressions numb and tired.

They bent over with empty eyes, like bodies whose souls had been taken away, with only instinct driving their bodies to continue moving.

Although they finally made it through the waiting period, they still had to face the next round of elimination. Their eyes were filled with uncertainty and fear about the future.

Ron sighed silently in his heart. A few months ago, he was standing in the same position, just as nervous as them, not knowing where to go.

"Life is so unpredictable..."

He quickened his pace, unwilling to be dragged down by these thoughts any longer.

Time is precious. If you don’t seize the hard-won opportunities, it would be the greatest disrespect to fate.

………………

The Blake Alien Exchange is located in the shadow on the east side of the market. The rickety wooden sign is still hanging at an angle at the door, and the words on it are even more blurred, as if they may disappear in the wind at any time.

The two orc guards at the door were more vigilant than the last time they saw them, with a cold gleam in their eyes and muscles tense, ready to subdue any troublemakers at any time.

But when they saw Ron, they immediately suppressed their hostility, bowed their heads respectfully, and made way for him.

"Your Excellency, Lord Ron, I heard that you recently achieved the brilliant achievement of passing the Professional Potions Master certification!"

When the short and fat slave trader saw Ron, he immediately stood up from behind the counter and greeted him with a flattering smile at the top of his voice:
"Ever since you came here last time, I have been looking forward to your next visit."

The businessman's eyes narrowed into slits, and his smile was extremely greasy, reminding Ron of some second-hand dealers he had met in his previous life.

Ron nodded slightly, not caring about the other party's flattery, and got straight to the point:
"Is the tree spirit I saw last time still there?"

"Yes! Of course!" The businessman rubbed his hands, a cunning glint in his eyes.

"It's reserved for you. Every day people offer to buy it, but I keep telling them it's already reserved."

Ron sneered in his heart and didn't believe this at all.

The last time he came, the merchant must have already noticed his interest in the tree spirit and deliberately kept this "rare commodity" in reserve, waiting for him to come back and buy it with a large sum of money.

The merchant led Ron through rows of cages. On both sides, the growls, sobs, and whispers of various extraordinary creatures intertwined like a tragic chorus.

Finally, they came to a separate stall in the backyard.

Compared to the last time, this compartment seemed to be cleaned more thoroughly, and there were even a few pots of green plants in the corner.

It looks like it is to create an environment more suitable for the survival of tree spirits, or more precisely, to demonstrate the value of this "commodity".

The tree spirit curled up in the corner, raised its calm eyes and stared at Ron quietly.

Its skin was still pale green, covered with tiny scales, and its hair-like vines swayed slightly, revealing a strange vitality.

Unlike last time, the tree spirit seemed to have some subtle reaction to Ron's arrival.

Although its posture remained quiet, there was a flicker of emotion in its eyes that Ron couldn't quite place, as if it recognized him.

"Look how well it's kept!"

The businessman patted his chest proudly, his voice full of pride:

"I specifically ordered people to water it with nutrient solution every day to ensure that its activity does not decrease."

(End of this chapter)