Chương 67: Precious

Today, the Mage Guild had returned to its usual quiet atmosphere. Unlike the beginning of the month, when countless people crowded the place, there were now only a few mages passing by along the shaded paths. Zelier walked through the Silverleaf trees with practiced familiarity, entered the small building, and knocked on Manlin's office door. Her voice quickly came from inside.

"Come in." Zelier pushed open the door. Just like always, Mentor Manlin was sitting there drinking tea while studying ancient texts. However, today she wore a pair of glasses on her elegant nose, making her look even more scholarly and refined.

"What brings you here, Zelier?" Manlin looked up at him.

"Mentor Manlin, I found quite a few interesting plants while completing a quest. I thought I'd bring them to you for identification." Zelier lifted the cloth bag in his hand.

"Really? Let me see." Manlin immediately became interested. Zelier opened the bag and placed the plants he had collected one by one onto the table covered with white cloth. Manlin casually picked up the first one and began examining it.

"Hmm… this is a pansy. No magical properties. At most, its petals can be ground into powder and used as dye."

"This is Catclaw Vine. It has a little toxicity. Hunters occasionally apply it to arrowheads, but that's about it."

"This is Sunwarm Grass. It absorbs heat during the day and slowly releases it at night. Many people collect it during winter to keep warm, but its uses are rather limited…" After identifying several plants with little value, Manlin couldn't help but laugh.

"Zelier, why do you look like a little puppy? You pick up anything you find and bring it back for me to inspect."

"Because I'm worried I'll overlook something valuable…" Zelier scratched his head.

"There aren't that many precious discoveries in the wild. Even professional herbal gatherers need a great deal of luck to find something worthwhile." Manlin continued examining the plants. Most of them were ordinary herbs with little practical value. However— When she pushed aside the plants on top, a vivid crimson color immediately caught her attention. The relaxed smile on her face slowly faded. Replaced by surprise.

Manlin carefully picked up the flower between her fingers and brought it closer, examining every detail. She even held it beneath her nose and took a gentle sniff. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. When she caught the faint metallic scent hidden within, her expression finally confirmed her suspicion.

"This… is actually Bloodroot Rose…" Seeing that his mentor had finally shown genuine interest in one of his discoveries, Zelier's curiosity was immediately piqued.

"Bloodroot Rose? Is it valuable?"

"I need to confirm first…" Manlin carefully studied the flower. She walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a reference tome, and turned to the appropriate page. Then she began comparing every detail described inside. The color of the petals. The intensity of the scent. The condition of its growth. Every single characteristic. After studying it for quite some time, Manlin finally nodded thoughtfully.

"Your luck is quite good."

"This Bloodroot Rose meets the standard required for a primary ingredient in potion-making." Manlin closed the book.

"A Supercharge Elixir refined with Bloodroot Rose as the main ingredient can stimulate the user's hidden potential for a short period of time."

"But this power comes at a cost. Once the effect ends, the user will suffer from weakness caused by exhausting their own reserves."

"The higher the quality of the Bloodroot Rose, the longer the enhanced state lasts, and the weaker the backlash will be."

"On the other hand, if the Bloodroot Rose is poor quality, the resulting potion may fail to stimulate potential at all and instead immediately trigger the exhaustion effect."

"So it has such an incredible effect…" Zelier was amazed. A potion that forcibly awakened one's potential and increased combat power could completely turn the tide during a critical moment. Used properly, it could catch an enemy completely off guard.

"Where did you find it?" Manlin asked.

"The graveyard." Zelier answered honestly.

"The graveyard?"

"Yes. I accepted a quest to eliminate Skeleton Soldiers there late at night. I found it while I was there." Manlin pushed her glasses up slightly.

"Your adventurer life really is full of surprises."

"No wonder."

"Only places with such dense negative energy, like graveyards, have a chance of growing Bloodroot Rose."

"Mentor Manlin, you can have this Bloodroot Rose." Zelier spoke sincerely.

"You've already given me two Potions of Healing before."

"Consider it a small token of appreciation for everything you've done." Although Zelier really wanted to ask Manlin to help him refine a potion that could temporarily increase his strength, he understood something very clearly. Constantly taking without giving anything in return would only create resentment. Manlin was an Upper-tier Mage. And even more importantly, she was a rare Empowering Mage. The fact that she was willing to guide and support him was already an incredible opportunity.

He absolutely couldn't make her regret helping him. Hearing his words, Manlin paused slightly. She looked into Zelier's clear eyes and saw that his sincerity was genuine. A warm, approving smile gradually appeared on her face.

"Ha…"

"You little rascal. Seems you actually understand a bit about how relationships work." Manlin returned her attention to the task. Just like last time, she took several supplementary materials from the depths of her medicine cabinet. Zelier carefully examined them. But with his current knowledge, he couldn't identify what most of them were. He only recognized one that looked like glowing moss. Another resembled a crystal formed from frozen tears. The remaining ingredients were even stranger.

After arranging all the materials neatly, Manlin raised her ancient staff once again. The pale green crystal at the tip began to glow. A soft light enveloped all the ingredients, extracting their essence. But Zelier immediately noticed something different. The Extraction Spell Manlin used last time had been extremely gentle. This time, however, her mana was far more aggressive. The mist-like glow was no longer soft and calm.

Several thin strands of energy extended from the staff tip, connecting directly to every ingredient. The petals of the Bloodroot Rose trembled. The essence hidden inside was forcibly extracted. Then it merged with the essences of the other materials, slowly combining under the effects of the Extraction Spell. Zelier watched in amazement. The exact same spell could display completely different effects depending on how it was controlled.

Manlin's understanding and application of spell structures truly broadened his horizons. Finally, all the extracted essences fused together. A small amount of thick crimson liquid floated in midair. After sealing it inside a crystal vial, Manlin nodded with satisfaction. Her craftsmanship was still as excellent as ever. Then she handed the potion to Zelier. Zelier froze.

"Mentor Manlin, this is…"

"Take it, little one." Manlin placed the crystal vial directly into his hand.

"I'm not a combat-oriented mage who needs to risk my life fighting monsters."

"A Supercharge Elixir would just gather dust sitting with me."

"But in your hands…"

"It might save your life at a critical moment." Seeing Zelier's moved expression, Manlin smiled gently.

"If you truly want to thank me, you'll have plenty of chances in the future."

"For now…"

"Just focus on becoming stronger."