Ask About Refining Weapons

Chapter 45

Throughout the day, Ray engaged more actively in gossip than before. He had devised an efficient method, and it was impossible for him not to capitalize on it and delve further. Ray listened intently, carefully memorizing influential names within the school. He didn't discriminate in his memorization, whether the person was an academic expert, practitioner, martial artist, or even unrelated experts such as writers and singers. He diligently recorded everything in his mental notes.

After hearing many names, Ray finally recalled something he wanted to ask.

"Hey guys, do you know anyone skilled in weapon refinement? Or do you have any useful information for someone interested in learning about the subject?"

The four individuals who had been engrossed in their conversation suddenly fell silent. They exchanged peculiar glances as if something was amiss.

Observing their reactions, Ray became flustered. "What's wrong? Is there something strange about my face?" Ray asked curiously.

"No, try repeating what you said earlier," Lucas hesitantly requested.

"Do any of you know about refining artifacts?"

"Huh? What's the matter with you? Are you so impatient? Is the field of alchemy proving to be so challenging that you're seeking to learn something new?" Hamar straightforwardly inquired.

"Yeah, didn't the instructional videos and tutors help you at all? Don't give up so quickly. Even if you can't become a full-fledged alchemist, you'll still acquire knowledge about various aspects of alchemy. Maybe you could become an apothecary," Lucas enthusiastically suggested.

Ray was taken aback by their responses. Hold on, is there a misunderstanding here?

"What misunderstanding? Are you interested in learning about weapon refining or artifact refinement?" Agni asked curiously.

"Yes, that's right. I want to learn about weapon refining," Ray casually replied.

The group once again displayed perplexed expressions.

Ray felt a slight sense of displeasure at their reactions. "What's wrong with you guys? Why are you acting so strangely?" Ray asked, his impatience showing.

"Ray, it's better for you to focus on your alchemy training. Don't squander your money on useless things. The expenses you've incurred purchasing materials, equipment, and video tutors are already quite significant. Don't waste your resources," Lucas sensibly advised, hoping not to offend Ray.

Upon hearing that, Ray finally grasped why his friends had been acting peculiarly. He recalled their previous discussions about alchemy. Perhaps they had information suggesting that Ray had been investing heavily in alchemy recently.

Ray had purchased his alchemy equipment from Lucas's cousin, so they should have known.

"Guys, I haven't stopped practicing alchemy at all. I simply want to broaden my horizons," Ray explained.

"Tch, what else is there to study? You're just throwing away your money!" Hamar interjected.

"Yes, Ray, it's best to concentrate on one thing. People who can't withstand adversity like you won't be able to master anything in life. We only have two hands and two legs; it's impossible to be omnipotent and capable of doing everything," Lucas firmly asserted.

Ray was somewhat taken aback by their words. If he didn't possess the Tesseract and the ability to copy passive talents, perhaps what Lucas said would hold, and his friends' concerns would be justified. However, with all his abilities, Ray knew he could go further.

Ray didn't know what to say. He was somewhat grateful for his friend's concern, but he still wanted to inquire further. Yet, he knew they would worry that Ray was getting carried away. Ray wanted to clarify this misunderstanding, but he couldn't divulge the highly important matters to his friends.

Thus, he could only boast and spew more nonsense.

"Well, who do you guys think you're underestimating? Lately, I've made a breakthrough in my research! And as for money, guess how much I have? I've been hunting lately and earning a significant amount! Maybe I'll become the first high school student millionaire!"

Hamar heard about it and was disgusted.

"What nonsense is this? I can't believe you succeeded in alchemy!"

"Don't you guys believe me? Alright, let me show you my newest concoction, an aphrodisiac!"

Ray then took out a bamboo stick from his storage ring.

When the group of people saw the slightly cloudy, viscous liquid, they couldn't help but give Ray a disapproving look.

Needless to say, Agni and Clara's hands were already clenched into fists, and they couldn't wait to smack Ray on the back of the head. After all, it was their lunch break, and it wouldn't be appropriate to bring out something ambiguous like that during their break.

Upon seeing their reaction, Ray quickly removed the offending object.

As the object disappeared, the atmosphere returned to its previous state, although it remained somewhat awkward.

Ray didn't care at all and continued to dig for information from his friends. Finally, the four reluctantly shared relevant details with Ray.

Just like alchemy, weapon refining can also be researched on the internet, but the learning efficiency is much lower compared to having a teacher. Weapon refining tools also seem to be more expensive as they require a large number of minerals and special ores.

Ray heard this but wasn't too flustered. At least he gained an overview from the perspective of his friends, who were laypeople. Nevertheless, he realized that there was a significant difference between simply reading on the internet and directly asking people around him.

Ray thought to himself, "I'm not interested in these things before. The old me only cared about strength and looked down on other fields."

Now, the old youth had died, replaced by the new Ray who craved a wealth of information.

...

On Thursday night, Ray once again experimented with solvents. This time, the liquid changed and took on a thick, blood-red color.

A few days prior, Ray had been experimenting with core crystals. He wondered if the function of a strand of hair could be replaced with an essence core. And it turns out, the answer was positive.

This discovery made Ray's day even more enjoyable. This time, he was experimenting with creating talent-infused bamboo sticks. Ray thought it was impractical to carry liquid around as it was troublesome to open the bottle and the process of using it was also strange.

Ray preferred to activate his talent by pulling out a strand of hair, as he usually did. Moreover, he had grown accustomed to doing it subconsciously. Changing that habit would be quite awkward for him.

Therefore, Ray planned to make bamboo sticks that could store talent. He also remembered that the bamboo he had picked up could nurture aura.

Unfortunately, dreams are often better than reality.

While it was true that the sticks could store talent aura, their shelf life was halved after the talent liquid was converted into sticks.

Currently, Ray was trying to see if the liquid that had been stored for four days could still be used with the talent sticks.

If successful, Ray would only need a few bottles of liquid and sticks to carry with him wherever he went. When the time came, he could soak the bamboo to activate the talent once again.

Looking at the red liquid in front of him, Ray felt a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

After a while, the red liquid in the test tube finally shrank, leaving behind ten red bamboo sticks.

Ray turned off the fire and carefully removed the bamboo sticks.

It didn't take long for the flat sticks, no taller than toothpicks, to dry and cool.

With great anticipation, Ray took one of the bamboo sticks and immediately activated his talent.

"Ahhh!" Ray shouted happily.

A familiar red pattern floated in his sea of consciousness, confirming the success of his research.

Ray's success was further affirmed by the red smoke that began to condense around him.

Relieved, Ray sighed and no longer worried about the camp the next day.

This time, Ray was prepared to fight!