Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Alchemy Test

Upon entering the testing chamber, Qi Xiao marveled as he ran his hand over the gelatinous substance coating the walls. Initially, he had only intended to reinforce the room enough to test the power of alchemical artifacts, but Midier had waved his hand grandly and had Merck invite a runeworking sorcerer, adding a host of new equipment as well.

Qi Xiao could vaguely deduce from his knowledge of basic runes that the wall likely bore “soundproofing” and “restoration” glyphs, though he couldn’t discern the purpose of the remaining three. The room was not only equipped with posts that could withstand and measure the force of attacks, but also boasted devices for testing support-type alchemical items—without which Qi Xiao would never have bothered coming here.

He seated himself on a circular cushion and initiated the calming function of his carved bracelet before settling into meditation. Both functions of this bracelet could trigger automatically in battle or be activated at will. This versatility was what elevated the otherwise unremarkable bracelet to the “excellent” grade.

As the cushion’s glow shifted from red to green, indicating the test’s completion, Qi Xiao rose and slipped the bracelet onto a nearby straw dummy. He then funneled magic into a device that resembled a fan.

The machine unleashed a barrage of attacks—fireballs, poisonous gas, psychic waves—each increasing in intensity. The shield beside the straw dummy gradually dimmed until the device ceased its assault and began to tabulate the data.

Before long, Qi Xiao received the diagnostic report for the filigreed bracelet.

[Quality]: Excellent
[Functions]: Calm Mind, Magic Shield
[Effectiveness]: B-
[Advantages]: Automatic activation, highly sensitive detection, useful in illusions or sudden ambushes.
[Drawbacks]: The shield’s defense is weak; it can only counter sneak attacks or harassment, far less effective than normal excellent-grade gear in direct confrontation.

With the tests complete, Qi Xiao slung his load of weapons and bracelets over his back and flew to the alchemy shop, determined to buy a storage artifact usable within the organization as soon as he received his magic crystals that night—otherwise, transporting alchemical products would remain a hassle.

The device’s assessment of the bracelet was accurate: at the advanced apprentice stage, excellent-grade gear could decisively tip the scales of victory. Yet, the filigreed bracelet could not deliver a finishing blow against bloodline or elemental sorcerers; at best, it would block a few third-tier spells before its shield shattered.

Though this was enough to secure many advantages in battle, it was only average among excellent-grade artifacts. Still, Qi Xiao was not worried about the bracelet fetching a good price—sorcerers were all wary of death, and who wouldn’t want a life-saving item that required no effort to use, especially among the wealthy?

This was also why Qi Xiao had chosen this bracelet for his first auction: its effects would entice patrons, and even if they missed this round, news of its properties would surely draw them to future sales.

As he mused, the griffin had already landed at the shop’s entrance. He patted its head, searching for a place to tuck the overdue magic crystal fee, and finally nestled it among the reddish-brown feathers on its chest. The griffin let out a cry, flapped its wings, and flew back on its own toward the mount rental.

Watching it go, Qi Xiao smiled and entered the shop.

Three days had passed, and customer flow had stabilized. Yara and Dimott were enjoying more free time. When Qi Xiao entered with his large pack, Yara waved and greeted him with a smile, while Dimott came over to take his bag.

He heard that Rocco had already arrived and was waiting in the lounge. After handing his backpack to Dimott, Qi Xiao made his way there, greeting Rocco with a smile: “Senior Rocco, you’re early. How did your task go?”

Rocco had changed his headband again, and even the mushroom on it had shifted from brown to red. Rising from his seat, he replied, “I had nothing else to do, so I came by. The recruits you wanted are here—they’re staying in a house just outside the commercial street. I’ll take you to see them later. Oh, I promised them eight silver coins a month—is that all right?”

Silver coins meant little to sorcerers, so Qi Xiao didn’t mind. He smiled. “Of course, no problem. Thank you for your help, senior.”

Rocco tossed him a key. “This is for the house—not far from the commercial district. I had an earth-specialized elementalist friend build it; it’s rock solid, just lacking furniture.”

The All-Spirits Vault covered an area as vast as a major province in his previous world—not counting its subsidiary planes and underground chambers. Yet, counting even the mortals, the population was only a few million, making it exceedingly spacious and sparsely populated.

Dormitory rents were high only because there were mana-gathering arrays beneath them; otherwise, building a house on vacant land after some paperwork within the organization was a trivial matter.

So Qi Xiao accepted the key without fuss and thanked him earnestly. “I really appreciate it, senior. If you ever need help in the future, just say the word—I’ll do my best.”

Rocco looked a little embarrassed and replied softly, “It’s nothing, really.”

Seeing that it was nearly time, Qi Xiao smiled. “The auction’s about to start. Since we're free, why don’t you come with me to see today’s lots?”

Rocco nodded and accompanied Qi Xiao to the storeroom.

Admiring the six exquisitely crafted and stylistically diverse weapons, Rocco exclaimed, “Impressive. These are much better than the basic weapons you had in your shop before, and their designs are unique—they’ll sell well, no doubt. But you should make more swords and blades; they sell better and fetch higher prices. Halberds and spears aren’t exactly unpopular, but they’re not as marketable as swords.”

Qi Xiao couldn’t explain the reason and could only smile, changing the subject as he removed the bracelet from his wrist and placed it on the table. “Thank you for the advice, senior. Please take a look at this.”

Qi Xiao wore long sleeves, concealing his wrist, so Rocco hadn’t noticed the bracelet before. Now, seeing it, his eyes lit up, but as he took it in his hand, surprise overtook him.

He glanced at Qi Xiao, then infused the bracelet with magic. As the energy seeped in, Rocco’s astonishment only deepened. His hands trembled as he set the bracelet down. “You… made this? In three days?”

Qi Xiao’s smile never wavered. “Of course.”

Rocco drew in a sharp breath. Half a month ago, this youth had been an ordinary mortal before his eyes, and now, in just a fortnight, he was already capable of crafting excellent-grade alchemical items. For a moment, Rocco felt almost dazed.

“Let’s go, senior. It’s time—the auction is about to begin.”

Qi Xiao’s smile remained as pure as ever, his voice brimming with youthful energy. Rocco, at a loss for words to describe such a staggering talent, could only follow in silence as Qi Xiao led the way into the hall.