Chương 109: Study, Study, and Somehow Master It

"A monster hunt led by the Mage Guild?" This unfamiliar activity immediately caught Zelier's interest. It was the first time he had heard of something like this.

"What exactly do you do during it?"

"You can think of it as an opportunity for training." Manlin explained.

"Most mages spend their days meditating or researching magic. They rarely venture outside, which means they lack actual combat experience."

"If this continues, they'll eventually suffer because of it."

"To solve this problem, the Mage Guild organizes a monster hunt every year. We select a number of mage apprentices and Junior Mages to participate, then have them challenge monsters under the guidance of mentors."

"So the guild actually has such a thoughtful activity?" Zelier couldn't help but praise it.

"This monster hunt will have three Upper-Tier Mages leading the team, and the Adventurer Association will also send many experienced adventurers."

"So safety won't be an issue." Manlin said.

"Alright. I've informed you of the details. Once you return, prepare yourself properly."

"Understood, Mentor Manlin." Zelier nodded. However, he didn't leave immediately. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

"However… there's one more thing I'd like to ask you about."

"What is it?"

"Mentor Manlin, how exactly do you turn Extraction Spell into actual potions?" Zelier asked.

"Why are you asking about that?" Manlin looked slightly puzzled.

"You don't even use Enhancement-type magic."

"Actually, I do." Zelier raised his right hand. After a brief charge, mana gathered in his palm, blooming into a faint green glow. Manlin's eyes widened slightly. For a moment, she wondered if she had seen incorrectly. That unique mana fluctuation… That familiar aura of life… It was unmistakably Extraction Spell! Manlin unconsciously leaned forward. Her expression was filled with disbelief.

"You…"

"You know Extraction Spell?"

"Yes." Zelier nodded calmly. He openly admitted it. After all, the fact that he could use Enhancement-type magic couldn't remain hidden forever. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. It would be exposed sooner or later. And if he wanted to truly study potionmaking, he couldn't think of anyone better to guide him than Mentor Manlin.

Rather than hiding it and inviting unnecessary suspicion when someone eventually discovered the truth, it was better to reveal it directly to someone he trusted.

"How did you learn it?" As expected, Manlin asked the question. A mage who had mastered both Elemental magic and Arcane magic had actually learned Enhancement magic as well?

"Hmm…" Zelier put on his signature innocent expression and scratched his head.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure either."

"But ever since I advanced into a Junior Mage, I've felt some strange changes happening inside my body."

"It's like my Sea of Consciousness expanded, and my understanding of different kinds of magic became much clearer."

"At the time, I thought…"

"If I could master Arcane magic and Elemental magic, then maybe Enhancement magic…"

"Maybe I could try that too?"

"Coincidentally, I was also very interested in potionmaking, so I bought an Extraction Spell scroll…" Zelier paused. A hint of disbelief and luck appeared on his face.

"Then I just kept studying it…"

"And somehow, I actually mastered it." Manlin's mouth remained slightly open for several seconds before she slowly closed it. The astonishment in her eyes had not faded.

"The strange mutation effect caused by advancing into a Junior Mage…"

"That is indeed possible."

"But it's still unbelievable…"

"I once met an Elemental Mage with the highest affinity for Enhancement magic."

"Even that person could only barely learn a Tier 3 Enhancement spell after reaching the Upper-Tier Mage stage." Manlin returned to her rocking chair. She picked up her flower tea and took a large sip, calming the emotions inside her.

"Alright…"

"Since you're genuinely interested in potionmaking, I'll give you a brief introduction to this field."

"Potionmaking is, at its core, the art of extracting, analyzing, and recombining essences." Manlin's voice returned to its usual calm and professional tone.

"Certain unusual plants, the cores of powerful monsters, and even special minerals all contain unique essences within them."

"A potionmaker's responsibility is to extract those essences and, through precise spell manipulation, combine them in a stable manner to create potions with various extraordinary effects."

"Precise spell manipulation?" Zelier immediately noticed the key point.

"You mean…"

"After extracting the essence, you still need to guide them through a specific spell structure, just like casting magic, in order to combine them properly?"

"You're very clever." Manlin nodded approvingly.

"Exactly."

"Extracting the essence is only the first step."

"The true difficulty lies in combining those extracted essences together."

"The purity of the essence, the order of fusion, the material ratios, and most importantly…"

"The fusion spell matrix used to guide the combination."

"All of these are fields of knowledge."

"Just like magic has spell scrolls, potionmaking has its own potion formulas."

"Every formula records a unique spell structure."

"If any step goes wrong…"

"An incorrect sequence, a wrong ratio, or even a mistake while operating the spell matrix…"

"The entire process will fail."

"At best, the materials are wasted."

"At worst, it can create deadly poison or even trigger an explosion."

"That really is complicated…" Zelier sighed. He remembered when he had watched Mentor Manlin create healing potions and Overclock Potions. At that time, Talent: Spell Genesis had shown no reaction. It seemed that it couldn't analyze potionmaking spell structures. If only he had something like Talent: Potion Genesis… Zelier couldn't help but think.

"In short, this is an extremely profound field of study." Manlin summarized.

"It requires not only vast knowledge, but also incredibly precise mana control." She walked over to the tall bookshelf and searched for a while. Soon, she took down two thick books. Then she searched through a cabinet and retrieved a parchment scroll similar to a magic scroll. She handed all three items to Zelier.

"These two books are Illustrated Guide to Common Magical Plants and Introductory Overview of Potionmaking."

"Take them back and study them carefully. Build a solid foundation first."

"And this…" Manlin pointed at the parchment.

"This is the formula for a Low-Grade Recovery Potion."

"This potion is considered one of the simplest beginner-level formulas."

"It's perfect for newcomers to practice with."

"Mentor Manlin…"

"Thank you so much." Zelier felt a little embarrassed. Once again, he had received so much help from Manlin.

"Alright, don't be so formal."

"These things aren't anything special." Manlin simply smiled warmly.

"Study hard."

"I'm actually very curious to see how far you can go in the field of Enhancement magic."

"Yes, Mentor Manlin." After leaving the office, Zelier didn't return directly to the inn. Instead, he turned and headed toward the bustling Trade District. According to the potion formula, the Low-Grade Recovery Potion wasn't complicated. It only required three basic materials. Mindbell Flower. A small blue flower that released a calming aura. It served as the potion's primary active ingredient and regenerative component. Earthroot. A short plant with thick roots.

Its roots contained gentle essence, making it the key material for balancing the potion's properties. Morning Dew Grass. A plant whose leaves constantly produced droplets of dew. Its clear and pure liquid contained traces of mana, making it the ideal fusion medium. None of these materials were particularly rare. Zelier quickly found them at a stall specializing in medicinal herbs. However, even basic materials were not cheap. He bought enough for three practice attempts. The total cost was three gold coins.

And there was absolutely no room for bargaining. While paying, Zelier's eyes casually swept across the other herbs carefully protected beneath glass covers on the stall.