Another World’s Versatile Crafting Master c1-1074

by Zhuang Bifan

  Originally, William had thought that this matter was not important, and he was even a little thrilled about the fact that he was not to be blamed. He only managed to deduce from the texture of the paper that they perhaps belonged to the same set. He believed that Lin Li wouldn't hold it against him once he explained himself clearly. However, he had never once expected that Lin Li would create a potion that ended up being sold for millions of gold coins, and even be followed by a daunting Legendary battle. Lin Li had even managed to defeat the elven Legendary-mage Vidas.

  Either of the two titles, Master of Pharmacy and Legendary-mage, signified an extremely honorable status, yet the young 20-year-old Lin Li actually possessed both. Even a fool wouldn't believe that the President of the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic had a normal relationship with the Supreme Council. The more noble people were, the more they bothered about their pride. Hence, William was now worried that he might have mistakenly offended Lin Li. Helios is the ancient Greek god who was sun.

  Chapter 567 - Vault

  In reality, when William invited Lin Li to the vault of the Time Consignment Store, he had the intention to atone for his mistakes and get closer to Lin Li. The vault contained treasures that had been acc.u.mulated and collected by more than 10 generations over hundreds of years. It could be said to be the foundation of the Time Consignment Store, and the treasures in the vault were priceless. Lin Li was the first outsider to visit the vault in hundreds of years.

  That alone showed how important the cooperation was to William.

  Along the way, they were all heavily guarded. The guards of the Time Consignment Store protected the Time Consignment Store seamlessly with numerous magic gears and mageweaths, which made Lin Li feel a little daunted. If William did not lead the way, he would probably have to pay a huge price to get into the vault with the current abilities of the Tower of Dusk.

  The passageway of the bas.e.m.e.nt continued to extend all the way down, and when they reached almost 100 meters below ground, they finally saw a huge metal gate which was almost 10 meters high. They had no idea what kind of metal it was made of, but there was an icy cold, metallic l.u.s.ter that showed some magical waves on it. However, they did not know if the waves had come from the metal gate itself, or from the treasures hidden behind.

  William stopped in his tracks when he was in front of the entrance, and whipped out a bunch of keys from his c.h.e.s.t pocket with a solemn expression.

  There were hundreds of keys in the bunch, and William began to insert these keys into the keyhole one by one, and twisted them each time they were inserted. William looked just like an old man whose vision was blurry trying hard to find the key to his own home.

  Are you kidding me… Lin Li was secretly amused, and he even chuckled. However, he could no longer chuckle soon enough, because he discovered that the angle and strength applied by William was different each time he twisted the key.

  Damn it, so it's a Magical Thousand-contraption Lock. How generous of the Time Consignment Store… By the time William stuck the key inside the keyhole, Lin Li could already tell that the lock of the vault was a Magical Thousand-contraption Lock, which was rumored to be unbreakable even for the Legendary-realm Bandits.

  Lin Li didn't research too much about magic gears; he was at most just a Master. There was a definite gap between his knowledge of magic gears and that of magical enchantment and potion-making. However, when Lin Li was in the Endless World, he had heard of such locks. Legend had it that there were countless variants of Magical Thousand-contraption Locks, each of which could generate countless possibilities. Even the omniscient deities could not unlock them by calculation alone.

  The only way to open the Magical Thousand-contraption Lock was to use hundreds to thousands of keys which were to be twisted in different angles. There must not be any errors throughout the process.

  Of course, only a hundred-something keys were used for this lock, and it was not the most complicated one of all. A truly impressive Magical Thousand-contraption Lock would require more than a thousand keys, and some absurd ones would require more than 10,000 ones. Of course, such locks only existed in legends. Lin Li remembered that the Magical Thousand-contraption Locks were also known as Vientiane.

  Although it was only a basic Magical Thousand-contraption Lock, it still took William half an hour to unlock. By the time William stopped, he had already broken out into sweat that stained his forehead. "Alright, Mage Felic, we can go in now."

  William opened the door slowly after speaking apologetically.

  Everyone was instantly greeted with a clear view of what was inside the vault. It was not luxurious or full of gems; most of the items were peculiar and bizarre collectibles instead. There was a plethora of magical equipment, magical gemstones, and other gear used by various professions, such as pharmaceutical tools, and furnaces and hammers used by blacksmiths. There were also inscription brushes for mageweath-inscribing and various tools for the crafting of magic gears.

  The group took a sweeping glance at the items, and soon arrived in the area where formulas were kept. William carefully opened a magic c.h.e.s.t, and retrieved some scrolls. He specially took out six scrolls which he then handed to Lin Li, and conscientiously said, "Master Felic, I'm really sorry. These six scrolls should be a part of the potion formula that I had given you previously. Please check that it's correct." Had he known earlier that the formula was for such an impressive potion, he wouldn't have given it away so willingly.

  Before Lin Li even extended his hand, Wilkinson and the other pharmacists grabbed the scrolls and opened one of them before handing it to Lin Li.

  Lin Li had already studied the formula, and after taking a quick glance at the scrolls, he was certain that it was the formula for the Divine Potion. The scroll contained the design sketches for some equipment to be used for the preparation. Although Lin Li remained calm on the surface, he was actually secretly feeling happy about it. it contained various principles of pharmaceutics, and it was indeed a recipe that could help one be promoted to a Divine Smith.

  Of course, the formula alone was not enough. Lin Li had studied the formula he had thoroughly, and discovered that all of the required herbs were rare and hard to find. However, it was just one of the problems. The materials that were to be used with the specialized equipment and tools were extremely rare, and the crafting process was tedious too. The process of concocting potions required more than just precision in technique. It also required the mastery of the nomological power.

  Lin Li knew that if the tough conditions were met, he would probably get to be promoted to a Divine Smith, which was the pinnacle of the pharmaceutical industry. It was said to be a level that only gods and deities could reach!

  Next, Lin Li proceeded to look at the other formulas. Although none of them impressed him, their effects were still rather attractive.

  For example, one of the formulas that was for a Dragon's Clout potion was actually rather rare, and the potion formulated using it would allow the user to temporarily obtain the power of a Wyrm. There would be huge improvement in physical strength and power, and the herbs required by that potion were not that difficult to obtain. The cost price of one serving of that potion was at most 20,000 gold coins. A weak army of soldiers would experience a massive increase and battle power if combined with a large supply of Dragon's Clout potion.

  The Withering Potion was a natural magical buff that would allow one to be almost immune to magic after consuming it. Although the effects would only last for a short period of time, a mere minute was enough to cause terrible damage to a mage who was an expert in nature magic.

  For example, if Lin Li had had a bottle of Withering Potion during the battle just then, he would have been able to defeat Vidas more decisively.

  As Lin Li browsed through the formulas in his hand one by one, his grin became wider and wider. They were precious gems that could not be bought with money. Besides, he already had a team of capable pharmacists, and the Tower of Dusk would have p
lenty of formidable potions once the batch of herbs from Seven Leaf Grass arrived.

  At this moment, William could tell from the look on Lin Li's face that he was confident of making potions out of these formulas which had been said by pharmaceutical Masters to be impossible to concoct. Hence, he took the opportunity to smilingly say, "Master Felic, do consider cooperating with us."

  Lin Li nodded silently without even looking at William.

  William did not find anything wrong with his attitude, because he knew that a pharmacist would be greatly enticed by a formula that he had never seen before, just like mages who were attracted to new magical spells.

  Hence, William cleared his throat again gently, and then, with a smile on his face, said, "Master Felic, I already have a plan for our cooperation. I shall tell you about it. Formulas are the most important when it comes to pharmaceutics, followed by the herbs required during the concoction. Hence, after I gave it some consideration, I suggest that I supply you with all of the herbs that are required by the formulas, while the Tower of Dusk provides the concoction technique. We shall split the sales proceeds of the potions in a 60:40 ratio, with the Time Consignment Store enjoying a 60% share and 40% for Tower of Dusk. What do you think?"

  Lin Li smiled and waved at Wilkinson, gesturing for him and his peers to put the formulas down. He then turned around and looked at William quietly, after which he turned around and walked towards the vault's exit. Wilkinson and the rest hurriedly cast the formulas aside and chased after Lin Li.

  William panicked, for the formulas would go to waste if there wasn't someone to use them to concoct potions. He frantically chased after Lin Li and begged, "Master Felic, please don't go, please don't go. If there's anything that you're upset about, we can always talk things out. Business is all about discussing."

  Lin Li stopped in his tracks and glanced at William derisively. He then said with a faint smile, "That's right, business deals happen after discussion. However, Mr. William, you seem to have forgotten that I'm not a businessman. I'm just a mage, and discussion doesn't exist in the dictionaries of mages."

  William felt his heart contracting vigorously, and he finally realized what the problem was. The young man in front of him was not his usual business partners. He was a powerful mage who had defeated Master Vidas from the Elven Kingdom in the Harvest Square not too long ago. He was a level-22 Legendary-mage—a terrifying existence.

  Chapter 568 - Forging Design Sketch

  As the winner of the battle in the Harvest Square, there was indeed no need for the young Lin Li to negotiate with anyone. He only decided to come not because of William or the Time Consignment Store, but because he was interested purely in the formulas.

  In fact, Lin Li could easily snatch the formulas from the Time Consignment Store if he really wanted to. There was nothing William could defend himself with, especially since Lin Li had the ability to defeat Vidas.

  William scolded himself for being silly in his head. Why did he even pull his business tactics on the 20-year-old Lin Li? Wasn't he just asking for death!?! He coughed awkwardly, and adjusted his mindset before respectfully saying, "Master Felic, why don't I supply the formulas and herbs, while the Tower of Dusk carries out the formulation? You shall have 60% of the proceeds while I take 40%. Will that do?"

  Lin Li smiled, and said, "Mr. William, I don't think you understood what I meant. I'm not here to discuss a business deal with you. What I'm interested in are these formulas. As for the business deal, there'll be someone else to discuss with you."

  Upon hearing his words, William immediately pointed at the box of recipes without hesitation, and said, "Please, these formulas are only going to go to waste if they're left in my hands. Only you can realize their value."

  Norfeller placed the scrolls in the box and put the lid on as if it belonged to him.

  After receiving the formulas, Lin Li nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Rest assured, Mr. William. I won't take these formulas from you for nothing. From today onwards, the Time Consignment Store shall have the sole, exclusive right to auction these potions. Don't underestimate this right, because a 10% commission will bring you massive wealth. Although it can't be compared to the Glittergold Trade Union, you should have no problem surpassing Castellan Arathor."

  "Hehe, I hope so, I hope so…" William chuckled, though he felt different deep down.

  He believed in the power of the pharmacists and the fact that several precious pharmaceutical formulas would bring any force a massive amount of wealth.

  However, William did not think that the exclusive auction right alone would allow him to surpass Castellan Arathor, for the Arathor Family had already been the castellans for more than 100 years. Who could compare to the experience and wealth that they had acc.u.mulated for hundreds of years? Not to forget, they were in Roland City, the ric.h.e.s.t place in the entire Breezy Plains. The huge grain production of countless farms brought immeasurable wealth to Arathor.

  "Hehe…" Lin Li smiled and shook his head, well aware of what William was thinking. He simply did not want to expose William. Hence, he smiled, and casually said, "By the way, Mr. William, if there's not much for you to do lately, you may start preparing for the publicity and advertis.e.m.e.nt matters. As for the content… you may revolve it around the theme of Dragon's Clout potion…"

  "Alright…" William nodded. Just as he was about to confirm the publicity details, his face stiffened, and he gaped like a cat which had just gotten its tail stepped on. He screeched, "What… What!?! Dragon's Clout Potion!?!"

  "Yes, Dragon's Clout Potion. One of the formulas that you had given me was used by the elves to create the Dragon's Clout Potion for the nurturing of the Ghost Warriors."

  William swallowed his saliva forcefully and stood still as if he had been struck by a spell.

  Dragon's Clout Potion…

  William had never expected one of the formulas which he had casually chucked in the vault to turn out to be that for the Dragon's Clout Potion.

  William had never seen a real Dragon's Clout Potion in the flesh before, but it was a magical potion that was mentioned several times in legends of the Dark Age, together with the formidable Ghost Warriors. The High Elves had always been known for their magic. In fact, they even had a Magic Legion comprised of Archmages.

  However, the High Elves did not rely on their mages to gain dictatorship over the world. The Ghost Warrior Army was their strongest asset.

  Everyone knew that the High Elves ruled Anril, and that the Ghost Warriors were all selected from various races. They needed not have extraordinary magical talent or stunning looks, but they had to have powerful physical strength and great courage. After being selected to join the army, they would enjoy great respect and a high status that was worlds apart from their former identity, which was akin to slaves. If they could make a great contribution to the army, they would even have the opportunity to become low-level aristocrats, which was incredible in Anril at that time.

  The Dragon's Clout Potion was one of the enviable privileges enjoyed by the Ghost Warrior army back then. The large amounts of Dragon's Clout Potion would allow Ghost Warrior Army to enjoy immeasurable strength and power on the battlefield.

  Unfortunately, the Dragon's Clout Potion was lost as the Dark Age passed and the High Elves got buried by time.

  William had never expected to hear a young mage tell him in the vault of the Time Consignment Store that the formula he had just given him was for the Dragon's Clout Potion…

  William absolutely regretted it…

  That was the formula of the Dragon's Clout Potion. In today's world, where most formulas had already gone missing, it could be considered a priceless treasure.

  Wilkinson seemed to have seen through William's thoughts. He coldly said, "Mr. William, are you thinking that you should have sold these formulas to the Pharmacists Guild if you'd known how impressive they were from the start?"

  "H-how could that be?" William denied, turning as red as a tomato.

&nb
sp; "Is that so?" Wilkinson sneered in contempt, and continued, "Actually, Mr. William, if you'd like to back out, you still have time to do so. We've never liked forcing others against their will. If you think that you'd prefer to sell these formulas to the Pharmacists Guild, you may change your mind now. However, I have to remind you that no other pharmacist in Anril, apart from President Felic, can formulate the potion perfectly… By the way, my name is Wilkinson, and I'm the apprentice of Mr. Balbo, the President of the Anril Pharmacists Guild. When I said that no other pharmacist can formulate that potion, I meant that even my teacher Balbo can't do so."

  "No, no, not at all!" William said frantically with an awkward expression upon hearing Wilkinson's harsh sarcastic remark. At the start, he'd indeed been patronizing them, but when he heard Wilkinson's words, he began to feel terrified.

  Even though Lin Li's potion was auctioned off at a sky-high price of more than 10,000,000 gold coins, William still did not pin any hopes on him. William had always thought that there was an independent pharmaceutical team behind the Tower of Dusk because he could not figure out where the senior pharmacists had come from.

  Senior pharmacists were destined to be the brightest shining stars who couldn't be overshadowed by anything else in this world. That was also the reason William had not thought about the Pharmacist Guild. No one would believe that a bunch of low-level and intermediate pharmacists would be able to advance to senior pharmacists after just a few months of training. That was a crazy and absurd idea.

  However, William knew that Wilkinson was a true senior pharmacist who was going to become a Master of pharmaceutics. Hence, he was definitely not insane, and his words ought not be doubted. Actually, William also knew that the formulas would just end up going to waste in his hands. It was not that he had not inquired about them from the Pharmacist Guild before. The Master of pharmaceutics from the guild told him that there might not be a single pharmacist in the entire world of Anril who could formulate the potions.