Wizard: I Have a Nightmare World

Lynn did not answer the question about amber.

He carefully put the glass bottle containing the nutrient solution into his spatial ring, then wrapped the transparent keratin membrane in a clean petri dish and stored it away.

These samples are too precious for him to conduct in-depth research under safer conditions.

"Amber, keep an eye on the incubation room for me. I'm going to White Raven Tower."

Lynn washed his hands, changed into a clean robe, and pinned the dark red Inheritor's Badge to his chest.

Amber flew up from the windowsill and landed on his shoulder, asking worriedly:

"Are you going to find your teacher, the Bloodvine Wizard?"

"Well, the impurities in my spiritual fluid pool have been purified almost completely. I'll go report to my teacher and ask about this burrowing lizard rat while I'm at it."

As Lynn spoke, he glanced again at the dissected carcass of the burrowing lizard rat on the workbench, flicked his finger, and a wisp of wind swept up the bloodstains and residue on the workbench, letting them fall into the waste bin in the corner.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Amber hesitated for a moment, then shook her head like a rattle-drum.

"Amber... Amber will wait for you in the nurturing room."

Amber's eyes were noticeably evasive. It was clear that the two had exchanged something when they last met the Bloodvine Wizard, which caused the little guy to refuse despite really wanting to follow.

Lynn didn't force her. After giving her a few instructions, she pushed open the door and left.

……

On the twelfth floor of the White Raven Tower, in the Bloodvine Wizard's study.

The Bloodvine Wizard remained seated behind his large rosewood desk, holding a thick manuscript in his hands. Upon hearing the knock, he looked up and said, "Come in."

Lynn pushed open the door and entered, then respectfully bowed to the desk as an apprentice.

"Teacher, the students' spiritual fluid pool has been basically purified, and I have come to report."

Bloodvine Wizard put down the manuscript and looked at Lynn, his candle-like eyes scanning his body for a few seconds.

Then, with a wave of his hand, a crystal ball the size of a soccer ball appeared on the table.

"Put it up there, let me see."

Upon hearing this, Lynn placed his right hand on it as instructed, and then, as before, infused it with his mental energy.

The crystal ball first emitted a soft halo of light, and then the halo began to change, from its initial misty state to a clear and transparent state, like a mountain spring without a trace of impurity.

In the center of the crystal ball, a bright spot the size of a mung bean condensed, pure, stable, and solid.

The Bloodvine Wizard stared at the bright spot for a long time, and then a very obvious hint of approval finally flashed in his usually calm eyes.

"The purification level is higher than I expected, it's almost 90%."

"This is a whole level higher than the standard I initially set; you've really put your heart into it."

Lynn bowed slightly.

"It's because the teacher's instruction was excellent."

Bloodvine Wizard simply waved his hand.

"Don't flatter me. Although I gave you the [Tidal Contemplation Method], I'm just providing you with a way to remove impurities. It's up to you to actually implement it."

He stood up and walked to the bookshelf behind him. From a hidden compartment on the third shelf, he took out a scroll of animal hide bound with dark red silk thread and returned to place it in front of Lynn.

"Now that you've met the requirements, you can officially begin learning potions."

Lynn's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze fell on the rolled-up animal skin scroll.

The dark red silk threads gleamed in the light like congealed blood, and the surface of the animal hide faintly revealed some fine patterns, like an ancient map eroded by time.

"This is the 'Thorn Code,' which records the rules you, as my successor, must abide by, as well as the permissions and resources you can access in the Potions Department."

"If there are no problems, you can use your mental power to leave your name or mark."

As the Bloodvine Wizard spoke, he extended a withered finger and gently tapped the scroll.

The dark red silk thread untied itself, and the scroll slowly unfolded, revealing lines of text written in dark gold ink.

Lynn's eyes quickly swept over the entries:

I. During their apprenticeship, the inheritor must complete three potion-making tasks each month, the content of which will be specified by the mentor.

Second, the inheritor has the right to use all the books in the twelfth-level library except for the prohibited books area.

Third, each inheritor may withdraw magic potion materials worth no more than one thousand gold coins from the apothecary each month; any amount exceeding this limit shall be borne by the inheritor.

Fourth, the inheritor must not reveal the core techniques of the magic potion recipe to any informal wizard.

……

There are twelve rules in total, each one clear and explicit.

After reading it, Lynn did not hesitate at all. He extended his right index finger, gathered a wisp of spiritual power at the tip of his finger, and signed his name at the end of the scroll.

The name formed from spiritual energy flickered on the scroll, then slowly seeped into the animal hide, merging with the scroll.

From that moment on, he officially became the disciple of the Bloodvine Wizard.

Bloodvine Wizard nodded in satisfaction, put away the scroll, and sat down again, placing his hands crossed on the table.

"Now that you have officially become my disciple, there is something I should tell you."

Lynn was slightly taken aback. Seeing that her teacher's expression had become serious, a sense of curiosity arose in her heart.

"Please go on, teacher."

"You should have realized by now that the materials and processing of potions are far superior to those of ordinary potions."

"But what I want to tell you is that the real barrier to potion making has never been the materials or their processing."

The Bloodvine Wizard's gaze deepened, as if piercing through the walls of the study and seeing into a more distant place.

"The core of potions lies in the resonance of mental power and energy."

"The preparation of ordinary potions only requires skill, but the preparation of magical potions requires your mental power to resonate with the energy in the potion, thereby guiding the energy in the potion to flow, merge, and stabilize in the way you want."

"That's why you have to reach the level of a second-class apprentice and purify your mental energy to a certain degree before you can start learning potion making."

"The purity and mastery of your mental energy directly determine whether you can achieve this resonance during the potion-making process."

Lynn nodded, his understanding of potions deepening once again.

He was about to ask the next question when he suddenly remembered something and changed the subject.

"Teacher, I have another question I'd like to ask you."

"explain."

Lynn took out the nutrient solution containing the dark gray tissue and the keratin membrane from his spatial ring and placed them on the desk.

"This was found on a burrowing lizard rat that the students caught in the breeding room today."

"This burrowing lizard rat had repeatedly sneaked into the breeding area and damaged the grassland. During the dissection of it, the students found this tissue at the bottom of its skull."

"The structure of this organization is very special, exhibiting a natural micro-energy loop structure, similar to a witchcraft model."

"In addition, its forepaws have a special keratinous membrane that can secrete a fluid that shields it from the senses of surrounding creatures when digging."

Lynn described everything he had discovered to the Bloodvine Wizard, and then waited quietly for his teacher's response.

The Bloodvine Wizard picked up the bottle of nutrient solution, brought it close to his eyes to look at the dark gray tissue, then put it down and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"You're lucky."

Lynn was somewhat puzzled.

"luck?"

"That's right, the burrowing lizard rat you caught isn't some kind of naturally occurring creature."

The Bloodvine Wizard placed the nutrient solution bottle back on the table and gently tapped the bottle with his fingers.

"A long time ago, biological modification experiments were popular in the wizarding world."

Lynn listened quietly without saying a word.

"Wizards of that era were keen to combine the genes and organs of different creatures in an attempt to create new species with special abilities."

"Someone succeeded and created famous creatures like the griffin and the two-headed serpent."

"But more often than not, they are failures."

The Bloodvine Wizard's gaze fell on the nutrient solution bottle, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"The burrowing lizard rat was one of the failed attempts."

"According to records, it was a project led by an ancient wizard named Morris about 1,300 years ago."

"That wizard attempted to graft the sensory-shielding properties of an underground creature called the lurking earthworm onto an ordinary lizard, hoping to create a reconnaissance creature that could be completely invisible."

"The experiment lasted for more than ten years and consumed countless materials. The final result is the burrowing lizard rat you see here."

"It did inherit the ability to shield its senses from the burrowing earthworm, but at the cost of its extremely low intelligence and pitifully weak combat ability, and it can only rely on instinct to find food."

"Moreover, it has a fatal flaw."

Lynn's interest was piqued by what the Bloodvine Wizard said, and he quickly pressed for more information.

"What defect?"

"The burrowing earthworm's shielding ability is an active ability that requires a lot of energy to maintain."

"The cave lizard rat inherited this ability, but not the corresponding energy circulation system, which causes it to consume a lot of its own life force when using this ability."

"The normal lifespan of a burrowing lizard rat is about fifteen years, but if it frequently uses its ability to shield its senses, its lifespan will be shortened to three to five years."

The Bloodvine Wizard paused here, looking at Lynn meaningfully.

"After discovering that the project was not achieving the desired results, the wizard Morris abandoned further research and discarded the test subjects as well."

"And those abandoned burrowing lizard rats multiplied deep underground in the White Raven Tower, generation after generation, until today."

Lynn remained silent for a moment after hearing this part of history.

The failed creation of an ancient wizard has multiplied underground in the form of wild animals for 1,300 years. If it hadn't crawled out of the ground out of hunger, it wouldn't even know that such a group of creatures carrying the embers of the ancient wizard lived beneath its feet.

"Then... can this ability to block perception be inherited by others?"

Lynn asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.

Bloodvine Wizard raised his head, glanced at his disciple, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

"Theoretically, yes."

"But that requires very complex mental manipulation techniques and a deep understanding of bio-energy circuits."

"If you're interested, you could consider it your first independent research topic."

"This is also a good opportunity to hone your potion knowledge."

Upon hearing this, Lynn bowed deeply.

"Thank you, teacher."

……

It was already dusk when we came out of the White Raven Tower.

Lynn walked back to the incubation room, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a long shadow over him.

He looked down at the parchment in his hand, which the Bloodvine Wizard had folded neatly. It contained a potion recipe for harmonizing bio-energy circuits, as well as the key points for operating a set of mental energy guidance techniques.

Although the teacher told him to do the research independently, he still gave him a starting point.

Lynn put the roll of parchment into his spatial ring and looked up at the sunset that was dyed golden red on the horizon.

The purification of his spiritual power was almost complete, and the door to potions had officially opened for him. The dark gray tissue taken from the skull of the cave lizard rat might open a brand new window for him.