12. Collecting the Corpse

There was a good news and a bad news.

Good news: The skill could be unlocked.

Bad news: No money!!!

Allen almost couldn't keep his expression in check. He counted several times to make sure it was indeed four zeros. 10,000 small experience pearls!

Based on the main quest's rewards, he would have to kill at least 1,000 drowners.

"System, you might as well just tell me I can't learn it and let me give up!" Allen cursed in his heart.

"What's wrong? Do you not understand something?"

A gentle voice came from beside him.

Vera seemed to have noticed Allen's unusual behavior.

"Nothing."

Allen quickly cleared his mind and refocused his attention on the text.

"Then let's continue, rare magical materials, complex potion rituals, advanced magic control skills..."

"...chaotic magic running through the entire potion-making process..."

Due to the limitations of papermaking technology and the monopoly of knowledge by various classes. Books in this world could hold very limited information. The textbook Vesemir used for the morning lecture, "Drowners and Swamp Witches," though it looked thick, actually only covered two monsters.

The same was true for the book Vera was teaching from, "Alchemy and Potions." The black leather cover and back took up half the book's thickness, with the precious knowledge occupying the other half.

Among the already limited pages, many were filled with decorative floral patterns that took up space. It was the kind of book with little content, but you could tell at a glance that it was very expensive. This made Allen afraid to touch it. There was very little content in the book.

Vera only spent less than two hours to finish the entire book, even with a lot of additional knowledge and experience she shared.

"Snap."

A snap of the fingers.The black leather book closed and floated back slowly to its original place on the bookshelf.

Vera looked into Allen's eyes and said: "Alchemy is a discipline that requires a lifetime of study. Even just the potion-making part takes at least half a year to get started."

Allen was taken aback. Of course, he knew the value of alchemy. Just obtaining the skill was worth 1,000 drowners, he understood that deeply. Not knowing what the sorceress meant, Allen could only nod.

Vera paused for a few seconds, seemingly organizing her thoughts.

"What I mean is... if you want to make potions for the Mountain Trial, starting to learn now is too late."

"If you don't mind, you can give me the formula, and I'll make a few potions for you."

"If it's a formula I've never seen before, not only will I waive the making fee, but I can also compensate you with Orens or magical items depending on the value."

Allen was silent. The cost to unlock the skill had been decreasing during Vera's lecture. It only stopped decreasing when the lecture ended. Allen glanced at the corner of his vision.

[Would you like to spend 9,950 small experience pearls to unlock the skill?]

But the sorceress was right, even if he could unlock it with small experience pearls, he didn't have enough time.

A two-hour lecture reduced 50 small experience pearls, so Allen would need to attend nearly 400 hours. If every lesson was like this, it would be almost impossible for him to learn before the Mountain Trial.But Vera's solution was also not feasible.

It wasn't that Allen was unwilling to provide the formula, but he couldn't. The Killer Whale formula was quietly lying in his inventory, but without Alchemy LV2 skill, Allen couldn't view the detailed making process. The sorceress was still waiting for a reply.

After considering his words, Allen realized he couldn't think of a tactful way to say it in a short time. So he could only apologize, "Sorry, I want to make it myself."

"Alright, then you can leave."

Allen silently stood up, paused for a moment, sincerely thanked the sorceress, and walked towards the door.

Vera's proposed exchange conditions were very fair. So it was only natural for her to not give him lessons after being rejected.

Allen himself felt a bit offensive.

"It looks like I need to find another way to unlock the skill."

At that moment, a clear and sweet female voice came from behind.

"Tomorrow afternoon, same time."

Allen turned abruptly. He saw Mary glaring at him with dissatisfaction. The sorceress sat upright in her seat, looking at him, waiting for his response.

After a moment of silence, Allen said seriously: "Thank you, I'll be there on time tomorrow."

Seeing the sorceress nod, Allen opened the door and left the alchemy room, then headed towards the apprentice dormitory.

"Chief."

At the corner of the floor where the alchemy room was located, Allen met the chief of the Wolf School. The chief seemed surprised to see him, but didn't say anything, nodded in acknowledgment, and left. The direction happened to be where Allen had just left the alchemy room.

...

Alchemy room.

"Teacher, why do you help such an ungrateful apprentice?" Mary began to complain to the sorceress as soon as Allen left.

"It's none of your concern. Focus on grinding, don't get distracted," the sorceress replied without looking at Mary, her gaze still on the wooden door of the alchemy room.

Mary felt a bit aggrieved and wanted to say something, but under the authority of the teacher, she didn't even dare to complain in her mind, lowering her head to grind medicinal charcoal in the mortar.

In front of that Witcher apprentice, the teacher didn't know why she behaved so kindly, but Mary didn't dare to act recklessly because of it. Vera of Toussaint had a renowned reputation across the continent, relying not only on her profound knowledge of alchemy.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The door of the alchemy room was knocked. Mary was about to open the door when she heard a snap, and then the door opened.

Outside the door was the chief of the Wolf School. The chief walked in and was about to speak.

"Snap."

Another snap.

Immediately followed by the sound of a head hitting the table, "thud, thud." The reason it was two "thuds" was because the head was very elastic. After the first impact, it bounced back a bit.

"What's wrong, Vera?"

The chief was surprised to see Mary knocked down by a snap from the sorceress, and then Vera walked over with her head down. Her slender and smooth arm wrapped around the chief's waist clad in cotton armor. The sorceress buried her face deeply in the chief's broad chest.

The Witcher hesitated for a moment, awkwardly hugged the sorceress, and remained silent. The sensitive Witcher senses detected the scent of tears. The two embraced like this, not knowing how long had passed.

"You met him."

This was a statement, not a question.

After a moment of silence, the man said: "Yeah, I met him."

"Just at the corner outside the door."

"He... he has grown up, I almost didn't recognize him at first glance." The woman's voice trembled, reaching the man's heart through the cotton armor and shirt.

Even the hardened heart of a Witcher seemed to have some inexplicable noise.

After a moment of silence, the man comforted: "After all, it's been almost ten years since we last met, it's normal."

"I'm also surprised that you came at this time."

Hearing the term "ten years," the Witcher felt the soft body in his arms tremble slightly. Then there was a long silence. Long enough that the sunlight coming in through the window turned red and then dimmed, replaced by a long sigh.

"Of course I had to come..."

"After all."

"I want to see him free."

"Or..."

"I want to collect his corpse myself."

....

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