[ You used [Goethe's Alchemy Handbook], and your Alchemy skill has reached Expert level. ]
[ Your sub-profession Alchemist Apprentice has met the advancement requirements. Please choose one of the following three paths: Transmutation Master, Applied Alchemy Master, Potion Master. ]
The Alchemist sub-profession has three paths. Once a choice is made, changing it requires forgetting skills and retraining, which is a very heavy price.
A Transmutation Master excels at using the Philosopher's Stone for elemental conversion. After advancing to a Transmutation Master, he can conduct more refined research in elemental conversion, discover many exclusive formulas, and convert more efficiently. In the mid-to-late game, learning the formula for converting silver to mithril would make him incredibly rich.
As for the Applied Alchemy Master, he focuses more on the application of Alchemy arrays. After advancing to an Applied Alchemy Master, he can use Alchemy arrays to create many strange little gadgets. In this regard, it is somewhat similar to Zhou Ning's Puppet Alchemy, but it leans more towards daily leisure. However, there is a rare blueprint for Alchemy Armor hidden in the Church of the God of War, which is exclusive to Applied Alchemy Masters. In his previous life, a player once created it, and it was very cool.
A Potion Master, as the name suggests, excels at making various potions. After advancing to a Potion Master, he can research more useful formulas through potion trials, and most formulas are exclusive to Potion Masters. At the same time, he has a higher success rate when brewing potions and has a chance to create potions with even more outstanding effects.
In Zhou Ning's opinion, originally both 2 and 3 were viable options, but considering he already had Puppet Alchemy, 3 was the only choice.
[ Advancement successful. You have gained a new sub-profession [Alchemist/Potion Master]. Will +1 (Extraordinary Physique +0.35), Spirit +1 (Extraordinary Physique +0.35) ]
[ You have learned a new skill: [Potion Trial] ]
[ You have learned new formulas: [Starlight Potion], [felix felicis potion], [Super Health Potion], [Super Mana Potion]. ]
Not bad, Zhou Ning exhaled. Alchemy only truly begins once it reaches Expert level. To advance further, he would have to deal with the Alchemist Association and various major forces, because the condition for advancing to Alchemist Master is to obtain certification from the Alchemist Association, and the prerequisite is to learn 12 or more Expert-level Alchemy formulas.
The problem was that these high-level formulas were almost exclusively owned by internal forces and rarely spread, so advancing to Alchemist Master was a long and arduous journey.
Zhou Ning turned his attention to Potion Trial and chose to use it.
This was the only way for a Potion Master to acquire Expert-level or higher formulas. By consuming random herbs and experience, he could randomly deduce a formula. The formula's level was random, of course, the higher the level, the lower the chance of obtaining it. He could only deduce once a day.
Therefore, Zhou Ning had already purchased a small amount of various herbs two days ago and stored them in the Alchemy Laboratory. Now, they finally came in handy.
[ You consumed 4000 experience, Fish Scale X1, Fish Gill Grass X1, Castor Oil X1. You deduced a new formula: Underwater Breathing Potion. ]
[ Underwater Breathing Potion: Intermediate Alchemy formula. Requires Fish Scale, Fish Gill Grass, Castor Oil to brew. After consumption, allows you to breathe underwater for 15 minutes. ]
At the same time, the Potion Trial skill also entered a 24-hour cooldown.
It was very ordinary, but Zhou Ning was not disappointed. Alchemy was inherently a long-term endeavor that required patience.
Compared to the lackluster Potion Trial, the new formulas he learned after advancing were all quite good. [Super Health Potion] and [Super Mana Potion] were common adventure potions with excellent sales. [Starlight Potion] was not only a catalyst for making super-potions but also an ingredient for making Devil Fruit. As for [felix felicis potion], it was a very mystical potion with high consumption among players, said to bring a period of good luck after consumption.
The 150 bottles of [sagacity potion] requested by Professor Wesley had been completed. Zhou Ning's next goal would temporarily focus on making [Starlight Potion] and [felix felicis potion].
For the next period, his daily schedule was very full. School was starting the day after tomorrow. Although he was a senior, he still had two professional classes every week, and combat skills classes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoons. Just thinking about it felt painful.
Making [Starlight Potion] required a large amount of moonstone and dragon scale grass, while [felix felicis potion] required black root grass and ice cap flower. These were all relatively expensive herbs. The herbs needed to make Devil Fruit were also costly. Conservatively estimated, it would cost no less than 800 vikta... Then he looked at the lunch he was currently eating.
Together, they were less than 1 currency!
Zhou Ning immediately felt that the food in his mouth lost its flavor.
No wonder Professor Wesley was so stingy; he was most likely forced by the expensive Alchemy materials.
After a simple lunch, Zhou Ning stood up and stretched his body, pulling open the curtains. The sun, hidden in the clouds, met his eyes. According to the weather forecast, there should be a strong wind this afternoon.
He looked back at Jin Se, who was still helping him organize the Alchemy table, and asked, "When are you leaving?"
"In half an hour."
Jin Se looked at the half-hour countdown on the panel, feeling a bit regretful. She wished the time could be longer so she could earn more experience.
Although she hadn't ventured out much, the experience gained from helping Wayne with Alchemy was truly immense, and she often triggered various small quests. In the past two days, she had successively learned 2 new skills, and her combat power had soared.
It could be said that her starting line was already ahead of most professional players, not to mention she could also feast her eyes on a handsome guy.
Zhou Ning also felt a bit regretful at losing such a good helper. He nodded, "Then go early and come back early. Before you leave, remember to clean my room again and lock the door for me."
Jin Se:...Although she was reluctant, what was with this strong 'tool-person' vibe?
...After giving Jin Se some instructions, Zhou Ning left the Alchemy Laboratory, hailed a public carriage, and headed to the Golden Oak Herb Shop.
Upon entering the Golden Oak Herb Shop, Richard was not there. In the shop was a middle-aged man with graying hair, very familiar, who was the NPC later responsible for teaching herbalism in the Apocalypse Game.
"Good afternoon, sir. I am Wayne Strowell. Is Richard in?" Zhou Ning asked politely.
"I am Richard's father, welcome. Richard... something happened to him," the middle-aged man said with a bitter smile.
"Last night, on his way home, he suddenly went mad and stabbed a passing vagrant. Fortunately, the person was fine, only slightly injured. But he will have to stay at the police station for a few days."
Zhou Ning's expression immediately became serious. He recalled what Keen had said earlier: among the twenty-seven survivors of the sacrifice, only 9 were spared; the others either mutated or committed suicide.
Now it seemed Richard was clearly not as lucky as he was and was most likely on the verge of mutation.
"Mr. Pesa, Richard's situation might be very serious." Zhou Ning repeated Keen's words to old Pesa, adding, "According to my understanding, there are currently two methods you can choose from: one is to immediately go to the church to find a clergyman, and the other is to find the Sun Keepers. They might have a solution. My relationship with the Sun Keepers is quite good, and if needed, I can help you contact them."
Old Pesa's expression also grew solemn, and he nodded almost imperceptibly, "I understand, thank you. I need to leave for a while. If you have any needs, just tell the steward, and I'll have him give you a corresponding discount."
After old Pesa left, Zhou Ning purchased a large quantity of herbs at the Golden Oak Herb Shop in one go. For this, he spent another 800-plus vikta, and his immense wealth of 1000 vikta instantly dropped below the 200 mark, leaving only 185 vikta.
At 1:30 PM, the Golden Oak Herb Shop sent someone to deliver the herbs to his Alchemy Laboratory. After a brief rest, Zhou Ning began to grind moonstone and dragon scale grass.
He had an idea: perhaps the Sun Keepers would be interested in animal-type Devil Fruit?