Chapter 101: Flourishing, Buying Slaves

In the workshop, dozens of sheets of paper were scattered on the desktop, and the dense notes were full of traces of underlining and modification.

Rows of test tubes were neatly placed on the workbench, and the liquid inside presented various strange colors, some even constantly changing colors, as if they had life.

The night was deep, but Luo En insisted on continuing the experiment.

A head of black hair looked messy due to long hours of bowing his head for research, and the fine sweat on his forehead shimmered with a faint light under the dim magic crystal lamp.

"Wrong... still wrong..."

Luo En threw the notebook in his hand onto the table irritably, and a few drops of ink splashed onto his sleeves, but he didn't seem to notice at all.

He rubbed his eyebrows hard, trying to relieve a burst of stinging pain there.

This was already the third sleepless night.

He tried more than a dozen new formulas, adjusted the ratio of medicinal materials countless times, and even risked using some rare and dangerous materials, but found fatal flaws in the theoretical deduction stage.

Every combination that seemed promising would eventually collapse at some point, like a carefully constructed house of cards, always collapsing before the last step.

"Why can't I find the right balance point?"

Luo En stood up and paced back and forth in the small laboratory, frowning.

The improved bloodline activation potion needs to satisfy three conditions simultaneously:

Sufficient activity, maintaining the directionality of bloodline mutation, and stability to suppress deformation.

These three conditions restrict each other, like an impossible "three-choose-two" problem. Improving any one item often leads to the deterioration of the other two.

"Activity increased, directionality lost control; stability enhanced, activity insufficient..."

With a low sigh, he walked to the corner of the laboratory and took down the violin leaning against the wall—this was a gift from Trish to celebrate his passing the professional Potioneer certification last time.

Although music cannot be included in the skill bar like other transcendent arts, he found that playing the violin can effectively soothe his anxious emotions.

The rise in understanding brought by the [Dual Soul] talent also allowed him to learn music theory and practice pieces far faster than ordinary people.

He gently set the violin on his shoulder, closed his eyes, and began to play a gentle minor tune.

The sound of the bow rubbing against the strings was exceptionally clear in the night, and although the tune was simple, it was full of emotion.

The melodious melody seemed to have a magical power, able to smooth out the restlessness in his heart.

"Well, this piece itself is indeed good, but my clumsy technique still needs improvement..."

Luo En smiled self-deprecatingly and put down the violin.

Music did have an effect, his emotions calmed down a lot, and his thinking became clear.

He looked at those failed samples on the workbench, each representing an attempt, a setback.

Some were too gentle to provide enough activity, as if trying to light wet wood with a candle;

Some were too radical, and the risk of deformation was shockingly high. Once used, it was equivalent to suicide;

Others, although the stability was acceptable, could not provide enough directionality and were difficult to point to more ancient and pure bloodlines, only magnifying existing weak characteristics, far from reaching his expectations.

Taking a deep breath, Luo En forced himself to calm down: "Perhaps I need to think from another angle..."

He closed his eyes, feeling his heartbeat gradually stabilize, and his muscles relax little by little.

After a few deep breaths, he decided to put this problem aside for the time being and focus on handling other affairs of the workshop.

"Staying here will only increase anxiety, it's better to divert attention first, maybe there will be new inspiration instead."

He said to himself, trying to use rationality to overcome emotions.

The business of the workshop has been good recently, but Trish has not visited in person.

It seems that saying she would come to visit when she had time was just a polite remark. She has been sending Li Yue to pick up orders regularly, and constantly introducing new customers to him.

A few mid-to-high-level apprentices came to him because of her introduction. Although they knew that Luo En was a famous potion genius recently, they showed suspicion about whether he had enough potion refining experience because of his age.

But under Trish's reputation guarantee, they were still willing to try buying some potions to use.

If the effects of these potions are recognized, the reputation of the workshop will inevitably rise to a higher level.

But with it, the order volume will also increase significantly, and he can no longer cope alone.

Previously, he mainly relied on Andre for help, but the other party had no talent for potionology and could only help him do some chores. He was now in urgent need of a professional assistant, which was already a matter of urgency.

Luo En picked up an order from the ground and looked at the deadline with a frown—only three days left.

If there was a professional assistant to assist, he could save a lot of redundant material processing links, at least he wouldn't have to be almost heart-attacked every time.

"Treant... that Treant with special perception of plants should be very suitable for a potion workshop."

Luo En recalled the creature he saw at the Blake Alien Exchange, a flash of determination in his eyes:

"Buying it down with current funds shouldn't be a problem."

He packed up the experimental bench and carefully marked and stored those failed samples—perhaps they could provide some inspiration in the future.

Changing into a decent robe, he tucked a leather bag containing magic stone fragments at his waist.

The silver pocket watch was gently attached to the inner pocket of his chest, making a faint ticking sound, as if reminding him of the preciousness of time.

When leaving the workshop, Luo En checked the order book by the way.

Currently, there are three urgent orders that need to be completed within three days, especially the batch of potions prepared for Trish, some materials need to be processed in advance, otherwise it will be difficult to deliver on time.

"It really needs manpower." He locked the workshop door and walked quickly toward the market area, with a conclusion in his heart.

The weather in the Black Mist Forest was as gloomy as ever, and faint mist lingered on the ground, like countless transparent snakes wandering on the ground.

Passing by the school cafeteria, Luo En saw a few low-level apprentices queuing for food, their expressions numb and tired.

They bent their waists, their eyes hollow, like shells that had been drained of souls, only instinct drove their bodies to continue to move.

Although they had finally survived the candidate period, they had to face the next round of elimination, and their eyes were full of uncertainty and fear about the future.

Luo En sighed silently in his heart. A few months ago, he had stood in the same position, as uneasy as them, not knowing where to go.

"Life's encounters are really unpredictable..."

He quickened his pace, not wanting to be dragged down by these thoughts again.

Time is precious, if the hard-won opportunity is not grasped well, it is the greatest disrespect to fate.

………………

The Blake Alien Exchange was located in the shadow on the east side of the market. The rickety wooden sign still hung obliquely at the door, and the handwriting on it was more blurred, as if it could dissipate in the wind at any time.

The two half-orc guards at the door were more alert than when they were seen last time, their eyes flashing with cold light, their muscles tense, ready to take down any troublemaker at any time.

But when they saw Luo En, they immediately restrained their hostility, lowered their heads respectfully, and gave way to a path.

"Noble Lord Luo En, I've heard about it, your glorious achievement of passing the professional Potioneer certification recently!"

The short and fat slave merchant stood up abruptly from behind the counter as soon as he saw Luo En, pulled his throat and piled up a flattering smile to greet him:

"Since you came last time, I've been looking forward to your visit again."

The merchant's small eyes narrowed into a slit, and the smile was extremely greasy, making Luo En think of some second-hand dealers he had seen in his previous life.

Luo En nodded slightly, not caring about the other party's flattery, and went straight to the point:

"The Treant I saw last time, is it still there?"

"Yes! Of course it is!" The merchant rubbed his hands, a flash of cunning light in his eyes:

"That was specially reserved for you. People offer to buy it every day, but I have always told them it has been booked."

Luo En sneered in his heart, not believing this statement at all.

When he came last time, this merchant probably had already sized up his interest in the Treant and deliberately kept this "rare commodity", just waiting for him to come back and buy it at a high price.

The merchant led Luo En through rows of cages. The low roars, sobs, and whispers of various transcendent creatures intertwined, like a tragic chorus.

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

Compared with last time, this compartment seemed to be cleaned more cleanly, and even a few green plants were placed in the corner.

It looked like it was to create an environment more suitable for the Treant's survival, or more accurately, to show the value of this "commodity".

The Treant curled up in the corner, and those calm eyes lifted up, quietly watching Luo En.

Its skin still presented a light green color, covered with tiny scales, and the vine-like hair swayed slightly, showing a peculiar vitality.

Unlike last time, the Treant seemed to have some subtle reaction to Luo En's arrival.

Its posture was still quiet, but a trace of emotion that Luo En couldn't determine flashed in those eyes, as if it recognized him.

"Look, how well it maintains its state!"

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

"I specifically ordered people to water it with nutrient solution every day to ensure its activity will not drop."