December 19th, late evening.
Roy stepped into the Wizard Tower, walking past the crowd at the entrance who looked at him with a mix of awe and envy, and headed straight for the third floor.
Those were the clever ones trying to figure out who had gained something valuable inside, so they could scheme to take it for themselves in the future.
Roy regarded them as nothing more than a flock of scavenging vultures, paying them no mind.
He soon returned to his room, sat down in his chair, and closed his eyes slightly.
After nine long days and nights, he finally had the chance to truly rest and contemplate his future path.
The next day arrived quickly.
Roy opened his eyes, still somewhat alert, and glanced around.
Realizing he was back in the Wizard Tower, a place under the special attention and protection of the World's Will, he let out a long sigh of relief.
The tension that had been gripping his heart finally eased completely.
Then, a genuine sense of joy washed over him: "This time, I really hit the jackpot!"
He grabbed the Flower Snake coiled by the bed, playing with it while pondering.
This time, his gains were immense. Not only did he have enough foundation to advance to a full-fledged Wizard, but he would also benefit greatly even after the promotion!
He needed to think carefully about how to make the most of it.
"Let me see.
Melina's Spatial Ring can't be cracked for now, so I'll take my time with that. Maybe I'll figure it out after becoming a full-fledged Wizard...
The Mana Mud can be refined into Magic Stones to cover daily expenses...
The Life Energy Crystals need to be recharged and restored for upgrades...
The Aegis Stone could be crafted into a decent protective accessory, making full use of it...
And then there's the alchemy tools..."
After running through all these items in his mind, Roy's attention returned to the most significant and valuable treasure from this journey.
The Advanced Magic Automaton—a Humanoid Angel—that had been appraised by the Eye of Hermes as a fourth-tier quality item!
He silently communicated with it using his Mental Strength, envisioning it lying peacefully in the Aether Space.
However, Roy remained cautious. Since he couldn't do anything with it for now, he decided not to take it out just yet.
Although the Wizard Tower was relatively safe, and there had been no scandals about secret surveillance over the years, it still wasn't his territory.
If some full-fledged Wizard responsible for monitoring happened to see or hear about such a high-level treasure in his possession, it would be trouble!
He resolved not to bring it out until he became a full-fledged Wizard and had sufficient self-protection abilities.
After all, he had already checked that its structure was highly intricate, making it impossible to utilize in the short term.
Yet, precisely because of this, he boldly took out the Life Energy Crystals, Aegis Stone, and alchemy tools to admire them.
Especially the alchemy tools he had obtained from Balu in exchange for the Ebony Staff.
Roy wiped his hands and sat up.
"Blue Aura, second-tier quality, a rare set of alchemy tools!
I'm curious to see how they differ from ordinary ones!"
Not long after, he went to the Alchemy Room and took out the portable alchemy toolkit in the form of a display cabinet, carefully inventorying its contents.
Inside were:
A small Alchemy Table, Alchemy Furnace, Distiller, crucible, measuring cylinder, beaker, conical flask, funnel, dropper, pipette, and balance.
There were medicine cabinets, reagent bottles, goggles, lab coats, gloves, magic crystals, portable assembly array platforms, brushes...
A variety of items, everything one could need.
Only then did he realize that the space inside was actually a natural spatial pouch, capable of further compression within the Aether Space, similar to a Dimensional Pouch!
This entire set of alchemy tools was even more complete and comprehensive than he had anticipated!
But the surprises didn't end there.
When he carefully inspected the display cabinet itself, he was astonished to find that it could transform and unfold like a folding umbrella.
It came with a constant protective barrier, providing a mobile Alchemy Room akin to a large tent, with the formidable ability to withstand multiple attacks from second-level Wizardry!
"So this thing is called a 'Portable Small Alchemy Laboratory,' capable of setting up an entire temporary Alchemy Room!"
After carefully reading the information provided by the Arcane Imprint and combining it with the appraisal results from the Eye of Hermes, he finally understood the core value of this set.
It turned out that it wasn't the items inside that were valuable, but the display cabinet itself!
However, this didn't mean that the tools were of low quality.
On the contrary, they were all high-grade, second-level Quality items, truly exquisite and rare Magical Treasures!
"The Wizard Array hidden within seems similar to a certain formation I've studied before, related to the energy hub of the Animation Art?"
Roy cautiously attempted to cast a spell.
"..."
Animation Art!
With a flick of his finger, the various tools in front of him awakened like animals from slumber.
One of the beakers suddenly twisted its body, leaping up with an astonishing flexibility and agility that defied logic, becoming the first to come alive.
"Ah, that was a long sleep!
Huh, who are you?"
It seemed to possess a kind of artificial intelligence, hopping over with curiosity.
"I thought it was still the old apprentice here, but it turns out it's a new face.
I've long decreed that those who recklessly lick alchemy vessels will inevitably meet misfortune!
Time and again, I've warned that items in the laboratory must not be licked casually, whether it's this beaker or a glass rod—keep your distance!"
It hopped a few steps closer, as if trying to "see" Roy's face clearly, but after a moment, it let out a scream and issued a warning.
"Young one! You're not on the list of apprentices, how dare you enter this laboratory?
Do you know you've violated the laws set by Ms. Gumos?
Guards! Where are the guards?
Come quickly and apprehend this intruder!
Ah, he must be trying to get close to me, such behavior is intolerable!"
Roy: "..."
Why does this beaker seem a bit too lively, as if it's not quite right in the head?
He grabbed it, attempting to forcefully analyze it with his mental energy.
But he found that, given his current level of alchemy expertise, not only could he not analyze it, but even looking at it for too long made him feel dizzy.
"What are you doing? Put me down at once!
Ah, no, you mustn't lick the beaker..."
The beaker shouted, resisting the probing.
Roy's forehead veins bulged in frustration, regretting his impulsive use of the Animation Art to awaken it.
"But no matter what, this has to be the creation of a high-level Wizard!"
"This level of intelligence... it's practically a weak artificial intellig
ence capable of simulating humans!"
He was shocked, suddenly realizing that this was an animated entity on par with the guardian of the apple orchard.
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