Leilin swept the leftovers from his failed attempt into the trash can and took a deep breath.
"Again!"
The same process repeated over and over, until at last he reached the moment of pouring the Blood Vitality Fruit essence into the beaker.
This time, Leilin focused all his attention on the beaker in his hands, constantly adjusting the temperature of the flame beneath it.
The red essence and the green ice flakes merged together, gradually turning a pale yellow.
"Green life, red blood vitality — by the interference of the great will at the abyss's depths, converge! Fuleikesa Keleiasang…"
Leilin chanted the final syllables.
The various colors inside the beaker coalesced under the spell's command, until they completely turned a light blue, giving off a sweet, alluring fragrance.
"Done! One standard dose of Stamina Potion!"
Leilin smiled as he poured the blue liquid into a small test tube.
"A test tube of Stamina Potion no longer than a finger can satisfy a person's nutritional needs for seven days while keeping the body full of energy — it's a favorite among long-term experimenters and adventurers alike! One standard dose is worth five Magic Stones!"
Leilin shook the test tube. Under the light, the potion inside radiated a captivating glow.
…
An entire night passed. Leilin stared at the three light-blue test tubes in his hands, seemingly lost in thought.
"Ten sets of materials, three successes, three doses of potion! A success rate of nearly thirty percent! I recall that even Merlin, hailed as a once-in-a-century genius in Potionology, didn't succeed until a month after he actually started refining, did he?"
"I absolutely cannot tell anyone about this — I'd never be able to explain it!" Leilin made up his mind and destroyed all the potion in the three test tubes.
"What a waste!" Leilin felt a pang of distress.
"Those three doses were worth fifteen Magic Stones! The cost was only one! The potion trade rakes in over a dozen times the cost in pure profit!!!"
"And I can't sell any of it right now! Aaargh!" Leilin nearly tore his hair out.
"Not only can I not sell potions — I'll have to keep spending money to buy materials and keep experimenting, creating the illusion of failure. It'll be at least half a year before I can start selling even the most basic potions!"
This was the timeline Leilin had worked out by modeling himself after Merlin. He didn't want to stand out and attract too much attention, so he needed to appear a bit less talented than Merlin had been. Merlin had enjoyed abundant materials and practiced constantly, succeeding only after a full month. Leilin didn't have that many Magic Stones, so he would need to wait half a year before showing any talent for potion-making.
He was already a disciple of the Potionology instructor. After another half year of failures, finally producing a potion would make him at most a moderately talented apprentice — perfectly within the range of normal expectations.
"I absolutely cannot sell large quantities of potions at the Academy right now. Unless… I could find a black market? But leaving the Academy would be far too dangerous!"
Leilin shook his head, packed up his experimental equipment, and walked out of the room.
"This also proves that the Chip has an enormous advantage in high-precision, tedious work! Next, I need to keep consolidating my foundation and advance to Second-rank Apprentice!"
"Once I have the strength, I can sell potions, earn Magic Stones, acquire knowledge, and form a sustainable cycle!"
To advance to Second-rank Apprentice, according to the Chip's calculations, Leilin still needed close to a year.
After all, the twenty-four Will Runes became increasingly difficult the further one progressed, and there were also knowledge accumulation requirements.
"During this time, I can keep collecting data and completing the Spiritual Power digitization project — it'll be incredibly useful for me going forward!"
…
Before he knew it, another half year had passed.
On a small path paved with black stone slabs, a brown-haired youth walked with his head down, seemingly deep in thought.
The boy looked only thirteen or fourteen, with brown hair and an abnormally pale complexion, as though he hadn't seen sunlight in a very long time.
The boy was, of course, Leilin. At this moment, his right hand was hidden inside his sleeve, holding a test tube, as if he were wrestling with some difficult decision.
"It's been half a year since I first successfully refined Stamina Potion!" Leilin glanced at the grey-robed apprentices passing by and thought to himself.
Over the past half year, quite a few things had happened at the Academy. Feile had made some stunning new breakthroughs, Merlin had produced yet another potion, and his reputation as a genius had only deepened.
As for something more directly relevant to Leilin — Jiamen had already successfully advanced to Second-rank Apprentice.
Leilin remembered how Kreweir had relayed that news. Despite his best efforts to conceal it, the shock and jealousy in his eyes had been unmistakable.
Fifth-tier talent — the very highest grade. His advancement speed was truly astonishing.
As for this classmate who had come from the same place, Leilin didn't feel particularly strongly about it. He just kept his head down, doing his own work. To outsiders, he was simply an ordinary First-rank Apprentice.