Chapter 233 - Cheering (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

But after looking, the audience felt something was wrong. It was especially so for people like Hoffman. He had a fat body, but he was somebody that specialized in researching all sorts of details of techniques. He could immediately see that this kid was not somebody that was easy to deal with. There was nothing to fault, be it the details or techniques.

Hoffman had always thought that out of all the emerging young pharmacists in these few years, Elin was the most talented; he was also Balbo’s disciple. Hoffman always perceived Elin as the most promising one, but he did not think that two youngsters would appear together at today’s gathering. Forget that Milo failed. Even though that weird recipe reached the final point, there was nothing much to commend about his skill. It was only average at best.

But this one was really impressive. This kid’s origin was unknown. He looked like he was in his twenties on the outside, but he looked like he was seventy or eighty when concocting potions. Be it skills or methods, they could all be described as perfect. From the time when he stood at the potion table, Hoffman had already noticed a certain detail. This youngster’s speed was not fast, but he was terrifyingly steady. From start to finish, his hands had never shaken once. It was as if those were not a pair of hands, but a precision machine.

Hoffman was a master pharmacist and pursued pharmaceutical techniques in a bigoted fas.h.i.+on. From sixteen years old to fifty, he had made contact with all sorts of potions. With perseverance and consistency, he finally tempered his pharmaceutical techniques to the point where it was full of praise from Balbo.

But when this youngster walked over to the potion table, Hoffman suddenly realized that the techniques he was so proud of could not be compared to those of this youngster in his twenties.

Hoffman was in a daze immediately…

“This, this, this… This can’t be real, right?” Hoffman stood there stupefied, watching him extract the peacebloom’s sap and then separating the Dragon Tongue Orchid from the Silverleaf. Even though his actions seemed slow, there was not a single shred of delay or mistake.

The thing that Hoffman found hardest to believe was that this youngster’s mastery of temperature was similar to a magic trick. While processing multiple herbs, he had maintained his spell-casting state. Flaming Hands and Chilling Touch were used interchangeably to constantly adjust the temperature of the crucible so as to allow the liquid within the crucible to be maintained at state near boiling.

“Is this still human?” Hoffman almost went mad on the spot.

Mages and Conjurers were similar professions. How could Hoffman not know what status a mage required to cast spell. Be it mental strength control or mana manipulation, they both required full concentration. During this process, even a small sneeze could be lethal, not to mention doing other things.

It was even harder to be like this kid, concocting a potion that had baffled all the pharmacists in Felan while executing two spells interchangeably. Furthermore, look at his expression. It was as though he was walking in a park—he was so relaxed that it made people feel like smas.h.i.+ng their heads into the wall.

Hoffman did not dare to imagine how immense his mana reserve had to be to constantly execute these two spells.

“Andoine, where did you hire this person? Why is he so good?”

“F*ck, what hired? Would I be so despicable? Let me tell you, this is my new disciple. If you don’t believe, you can ask the a.s.sa.s.sin. I just introduced Felic to him.”

“For real?”

“Absolutely!”

Ever since he became a mage, Andoine had always been bullied by the pharmacists. He usually talked like a saint, finally adding some precious magical materials before he could exchange for a row of pathetic potions from those high and mighty pharmacists. Although he joined the Supreme Council at the end and made friends with Balbo, those pharmacists had never said anything good about him even though they did not show it on the surface.

Andoine had tolerated it for tens years before he finally held his head up high today. Why would he be so courteous towards Hoffman this time?

The old man’s neck was the same, and he looked very c.o.c.ky. “Forget it. With your intelligence, it would be hard to understand.”

“You really aren’t lying?” Hoffman blinked his small eyes and he still somewhat did not believe it. “He really isn’t someone you hired to humiliate the Pharmacists Guild?”

“F*ck, am I that free…?”

“That’s true…” Hoffman thought about it carefully, and indeed, the logic was there. He immediately squinted his eyes and had a smile full of flattery. “This, Master Andoine, could you tell me whom did this youngster learn Pharmaceutics from? Why is he so good when he’s so young?”

“Nonsense. Of course my disciple learnt it from me. Otherwise, could it be that he learnt it from you?”

“…” Hoffman rolled his eyes, and thought to himself, Yeah, right, as if I will believe you.

Of course, he did not dare to say that.

“Yes, yes, yes, of course you taught him.” Hoffman was currying favor continuously, and his smile became even more flattering. “I mean, other than you, did anyone else teach him?”

“Nope,” Andoine replied in a proud way.

“…”

Thankfully, Hoffman’s skin was thick enough. He did not even get the least bit angry after being taunted by Andoine. Instead, he was eagerly soliciting the old man’s answer. He used “master” the whole time, just that he did not use “sir”.

“Master Andoine, could you allow your disciple to speak with me after this gathering has ended?”

“I can’t make the decision…”

This time, Andoine was not spouting nonsense. He couldn’t make this decision. This kid, Felic, was too secretive. Even Andoine, who was the closest to him, frequently did not know what he was thinking. Hoffman said he wanted to speak to Lin Li, but who knew what he wanted to talk about. Andoine did not dare to casually make promises about such things.

“If that’s the case…” Hoffman thought about it, and asked in flattering manner, “How about this, Master Andoine. Help me tell him that Hoffman has a few questions for him. If he could help me solve these questions, I would be willing to give him the Book of Ten Thousand Incantations.”

“Book of Ten Thousand Incantations!” Andoine’s voice was raised by a few decibels, but he quickly realized he was losing his composure. The old man quickly stopped his slavering and looked gentlemanly again. “Ok, I’ll try my best…”

“Thank you very much, Master Andoine.”

“This d.a.m.ned fatty really does not pay any mind to expenses. He even used the Book of Ten Thousand Incantations…” After watching Hoffman leave, Andoine started mumbling to himself repeatedly. The Book of Ten Thousand Incantations was something really good. Although Andoine was already a legendary powerhouse, even he could not help but slaver when he first heard it. It was not exaggerating to say that of the achievements that Hoffman had now, at least half of it was due to the Book of Ten Thousand Incantations. It was by relying on this thing that Hoffman was able to stand tall in Breezy Plains, where powerhouses ran amok, without ever falling with a mere level-16 power.

Seems like there’s a need to tell this to that kid, Felic…

At this point, Lin Li’s Void Power Potion was almost completed.