Chapter 33 Experiment (1)

Constructing the spell framework, the first step involved fixing the nodes.

It was akin to building a house by laying the foundation.

The second step was to connect these nodes, and with the experience from the first step, the second step was relatively much simpler.

Following the methods in the magic book, Lynn used his mental strength to draw lines and connect different nodes in the specified order.

With a total of forty-seven nodes and countless possible connections between them, this was just for a basic spell. Lynn couldn’t fathom how much time and effort the wizard who invented this magic had put into it.

Connecting the nodes turned out to be simpler than fixing them. Lynn found that it took only about ten minutes to connect two nodes. Perhaps it was a matter of practice, and Lynn’s efficiency increased rapidly.

Estimating, he figured that he could complete the connections between all the nodes in just one more day.

Stretched out, in the room, the metallic Rubik’s Cube at the foot of the bed rotated, casting a beam of light through the cracks in the Rubik’s Cube.

Lynn appeared in the bedroom.

The room Lynn occupied was a small one on the third floor, near the attic, well-ventilated.

On the desk by the window were two books and a mechanical alarm clock.

These two books were the Kingdom Chronicles and Heidinger’s Botany, that were asked to purchase by Lynn from a bookstore when his brother Borg went out.

Bangor Port truly lived up to its status as a city at the forefront of the kingdom. A bookstore had already appeared here, although it sold very few books.

The Kingdom Chronicles recorded the history of the Erdolu Kingdom. Understanding a country was best initiated by delving into its history.

However, after flipping through the book, Lynn tossed it aside. The entire book was filled with embellished language, even the history of the initial invasion of the southern kingdoms had been altered to a mere reclaiming of lost territories.

The entire book sang praises and flattery to the royal family and nobility, with almost no useful content.

It did, however, provide Lynn with a better understanding of the nobility in the kingdom.

Apart from the royal family, the Erdolu Kingdom had two princes, three dukes, six marquises, ten earls, and hundreds of viscounts and barons.

However, one of the princes, after attempting to incite rebellion and seize the throne following the establishment of the kingdom, was defeated by the king of that generation. The rebellious army was wiped out, and their bloodline was exterminated. Now, the kingdom only had the bloodline of one prince remaining.

The three dukes were respectively the Duke of Luan Tailbloom¹, the Duke of Cuckoo Flower, and the Duke of Golden Lion.

In the book, the most valiant and skilled in combat was not the seemingly mighty Duke of Golden Lion but the Duke of Cuckoo Flower. It was said that his territory lay in the northernmost part of the kingdom, defending the kingdom against enemies from the north.

Hence, the Duke of Cuckoo Flower was also known as Blood Cuckoo Flower, and it was said that the red color of their family emblem, the cuckoo flower, was crafted using the blood of their enemies.

The Duke of Luan Tailbloom’s family had a long-standing friendship with the royal family, and a lush forest within the kingdom was their family’s territory.

The territory of the Duke of Golden Lion was on the western side of the kingdom, with not much detailed information recorded in the book.

Compared to this book, the other book brought more surprises to Lynn.

Heidinger’s Botany documented the shapes and uses of many plants, some of which were precisely the materials Lynn needed to create physical vitality potions.

Although the names and designations were different, it was mainly due to regional differences, primarily based on the characteristics of the plants themselves.

The main ingredient required for this potion was a material known as the Radiant Glow Mushroom.

This Radiant Glow Mushroom thrived in cool and damp environments, containing rich vitality.

The plant guide also recorded this mushroom, known in the Erdolu Kingdom as the Cavern Lifeblood Mushroom.

Locals typically used it as a medicinal herb to treat external injuries. However, due to the tendency of the Cavern Lifeblood Mushroom to grow flesh buds on the surface of wounds when applied externally in the long-term, this was considered its most significant side effect.

As a result, locals gradually stopped using it.

Only the impoverished and destitute, with less-than-ideal conditions, continued to use it to treat external injuries. After all, not many wealthy people were willing to accept the growth of flesh buds or tumors on their bodies… and the poor either didn’t mind or had no choice since they were not visible under clothing.

But in recent years, with the opening of Bangor Port, knowledge from other kingdoms flowed in.

Better alternatives for treating external injuries emerged, and this Cavern Lifeblood Mushroom was slowly phased out.

Lynn had Borg go to the market to purchase some Cavern Lifeblood Mushroom and to the pharmacy to buy other medicinal ingredients.

In the evening, Lynn went down to the dining room to eat, and Hamilton hesitated to speak several times at the dinner table.

After finishing dinner, Lynn wiped the corners of his mouth and asked, “Father, is there something on your mind?”

“In the last few days, I’ve been in discussion with your mother. Although we’ve come into a bit of coin, it’s inevitable that one day it will be spent. I’ve decided to open a tailor shop with your mother. What do you think?” Hamilton spoke hesitantly.

“Sounds good,” Lynn replied eagerly.

If his parents could find some meaningful work, that would be excellent.

Though Lynn didn’t know how much longer he could linger in this place, he had a faint premonition that Bangor Port wasn’t the culmination of his life’s journey.

Giving a man a fish is not as beneficial as teaching him to fish. Finding stable employment might be a good path for them.

“The money is earned by you. From the income of the tailor shop, after covering daily expenses, half will be saved for you. The remaining half, your mother and I plan to set aside for Borg and Eva. What do you think?” Hamilton proposed.

Lynn shook his head.

Quickly noticing, Hamilton added, “Alright, I’ll save it all for you.”

“No need to save it for me. Use the money from the tailor shop for yourselves,” Lynn replied.

Hamilton suddenly froze, gazing at Lynn’s face. He seemed to have guessed something.

His lips moved slightly, and he lowered his head.

Since returning, Hamilton had never asked how Lynn came back, how he acquired his abilities, or how he brought Eva back. Until now, he had a somewhat surreal feeling, fearing it might be just a dream.

Every day, Anika cooked Lynn’s favorite fish stew with fennel. Lynn liked it spicy, so she would add a bit of chopped red pepper to the stew.

“Brother, these are the medicinal ingredients I bought at the pharmacy— all the ones you asked for. Also, the glassware you wanted me to inquire about— I heard there’s a foreign merchant who might have them, but I didn’t see him today.” Borg handed the bag to Lynn, his eyes filled with admiration.

Since childhood, he had always thought his brother was smarter than him. Returning this time, he felt like his brother was enveloped in a mist.

This feeling held a deadly allure for a child his age.

In the evening, Lynn sat at the desk perusing books.

One hand appeared on the balcony railing, and then Lauren turned over, leaping onto the balcony.

Lynn heard the familiar voice behind him, but he kept his head down, continuing to sketch on the slightly yellowed paper.

On the weathered sheets, he used a pencil to outline the shapes of vessels needed for crafting potions.

“Haven’t found them yet?” Lynn asked out of habit.

Lauren shook his head. “No sign of them.”

When Lynn bought the house, he also acquired the adjacent small building, and Lauren moved in.

At Lynn’s request, every day, Borg would obediently go to the market and leave some food at the doorstep of the neighboring building.

Lynn nodded. In reality, his purchase of the experimental equipment served another purpose.

That purpose was experimentation.

Through a period of observation, Lynn discovered that triggering daily tasks required a specific environment.

He deliberately disorganized the equipment in the Alchemy Laboratory, then rearranged it, but this method failed to trigger an acquisition of any experience points.

He also tried cooking in his current residence, but it didn’t trigger a daily task either.

This forced Lynn to ponder the reason.

He believed that the ability to trigger daily tasks in the lodge before might not be solely due to cooking food.

It probably had something to do with the creature being nurtured and the conditions at that time.

Was it because his role was a wizard’s apprentice following a task assigned by his teacher who was a full-fledged wizard at that time? Or was it related to the magical creatures included in the feeding?

Lynn couldn’t help but make a bold speculation. Perhaps, only after conducting a complete experiment and then tidying up the laboratory, could he gain experience points.

Moreover, since cleaning the laboratory could yield experience points, it made no sense for completing an experiment to have no rewards.

If he personally conducted a full experiment, perhaps the benefits would be even greater than merely tidying up the laboratory.

——

TL/N:

1. —Regarding Duke of Luanweihua, 鸾尾花 [ luán wěihuā ]. 
   —According to wiki, luan is a mythological bird in East Asian mythology. The luan is sometimes referred as simurgh by western sinologists when they translate the Chinese term luan; however, they do not refer to the same bird creature and is therefore an inappropriate translation of the term. It is also sometimes inappropriately translated as roc and phoenix. 
   —Wěi means tail whilst huā means flower/ blossom. 
   —In order to make it a bit more consistent and fit with the other dukes, Duke of Luanweihua will now be called Duke of Luan Tailbloom.
   —The duke was mentioned in chapter 7, 12, 16. ↩︎