Chapter 176: The Alchemist Vladir

The elder mage's expression softened a bit, and he spoke coldly, "Brunton, we're here to buy some potion materials this time."

"Potion materials?" Brunton's face lit up with a faint smile. He continued, "Hill, what materials do you need? Let me check if I have them; over the years, I've gathered quite a few supplies."

Hill paused for a moment before replying, "I need some purple stone powder."

Merlin added, "The materials I need are a bit complex—like blueberries and silverleaf grass…"

Brunton looked at Merlin with a hint of surprise. His expression became more serious as he turned to Hill. "Hill, who is this mage?"

"Brunton, Mage Merlin is trustworthy; you don't need to worry," Hill said, recognizing Brunton's concerns.

"So, this is Mage Merlin," Brunton said, nodding. "As for the purple stone powder Hill needs, I do have some. But for the blueberries and other rare potion ingredients Merlin requires, I'm afraid I don't have those. I can, however, take you to a few places where they might be available—but they come at a high price, so be prepared, Mage Merlin."

Merlin nodded. Hill had already briefed him on how transactions worked in the Floating City, explaining that trades usually involved elemental stones, though rare items often required barter.

Although Merlin had plenty of elemental stones, he preferred bartering, so he decided to assess what materials were available first.

Seeing Merlin's agreement, Brunton stood up and gestured, "Follow me, then."

Brunton led them out of the courtyard, his alchemical creature following closely. It stayed near Brunton, ever-alert to potential threats and ready to defend him at a moment's notice.

After winding through a maze of alleys, where the crowd thinned and the surroundings grew quieter, Merlin grew cautious and moved closer to Hill. He whispered, "Mage Hill, is this Brunton truly trustworthy?"

New to the Floating City, Merlin didn't know his way around or fully trust Brunton.

Hill studied Brunton's figure ahead of them, then replied in a low tone, "Brunton and I may differ in our philosophies, but we have decades of friendship. I once saved his life, and he has helped me out of many dangerous situations. Yes, you can trust him."

Merlin nodded, sensing that despite Hill's occasional disagreements with Brunton, their long-standing friendship remained intact.

Before long, Brunton led Merlin and Hill to a quiet courtyard.

The main gate was shut, and Brunton called out loudly, "Mage Vladir!"

After a pause, an aged voice replied from inside, "Mage Brunton, I'm in the middle of mixing a potion. Just come in."

Brunton wore a slight look of exasperation and said to Hill and Merlin, "Come on, let's go in. That's Vladir for you—always absorbed in his potions. His mage rank isn't particularly high—just a first-level mage—but he's remarkably talented in alchemy. He's a potioneer by trade, skilled at creating potions to meet all kinds of needs. He likely has many rare materials, so Mage Merlin, if you need something, you might try negotiating with him."

As Brunton led them inside, Merlin caught the strong, pungent scent wafting through the dimly lit room, accompanied by a faint, flickering firelight and a sizzling sound.

In the far corner sat a disheveled mage with tangled hair and an unkempt beard, carefully handling various glassware on the floor.

Merlin immediately recognized the alchemical equipment, though the glassware seemed crude compared to the refined instruments he'd seen in the Omnifarious Tower of the Dark Spirit Domain.

The alchemist was none other than the man Brunton had addressed—Mage Vladir.

Vladir, utterly absorbed in his work, didn't seem to notice Merlin and the others, his intense focus locked on the bubbling green liquid in his flask, which emitted a faint wisp of steam as it heated.

On the table, Merlin noticed a piece of white paper covered in hastily scrawled notes. Examining it, he realized it outlined a precise potion formula—likely for the concoction Vladir was preparing.

The potion was called the "Alkaline Earth Elixir." Merlin wasn't certain of its effects, but from Vladir's meticulous notes, he could tell it was highly detailed and had a fair chance of success if the steps were followed precisely.

Suddenly, a soft "pop" sounded. A puff of smoke rose from the green liquid, and the flask shattered, spraying green droplets that stained Vladir's black robes, making him look comically disheveled.

"Damn it! Another failure! What went wrong this time? I've tried five times, and each one failed!" Vladir, clutching his hair in frustration, seemed oblivious to Merlin and the others.

Seeing Vladir's state, Brunton sighed and whispered, "Let's go. Mage Vladir won't listen to anyone until he successfully completes his potion."

Brunton appeared quite familiar with Vladir's eccentric personality. Obsessed with his craft, Vladir was wholly indifferent to everything but his potions.

Merlin was reminded of the alchemist Mage Hall in the Dark Spirit Domain; it seemed that alchemists everywhere shared this same intense fervor for their work, refusing to rest until their potions succeeded.

At that moment, Merlin activated his Matrix and began recording the Alkaline Earth Elixir's formula and instructions, running analyses of the ingredients and steps.

With the Matrix guiding him, potion-making became far easier, as he needed only to control the heating precisely. Once the Matrix had recorded the entire process and ingredient ratios, Merlin walked up to Vladir and began closely observing him, ignoring Brunton's suggestion to leave.

Vladir worked swiftly and skillfully; each ingredient and step seemed second nature to him, allowing him to mix the potion quickly.

"Wait, Mage Vladir! If you continue like this, the result will surely fail again," Merlin suddenly interjected from behind.

"Oh? You think you know something about potion-making?" Vladir turned slowly, his expression sour and his tone icy.

Brunton was about to interject, but Hill stopped him, aware that Merlin had learned potion-making during his time in the Dark Spirit Domain. He'd even demonstrated his skills when he prepared purple stone powder right before Hill's eyes, showing an impressive success rate.

It seemed Merlin had indeed noticed something amiss in Vladir's preparation.

With Vladir glaring at him, Merlin smiled calmly and replied, "I know a bit about making potions."

Vladir scoffed, gesturing wildly in frustration. "Do you have any idea how long I've spent working on this potion? How much effort I've put into it? Every step, every ratio has been painstakingly refined. And you think you can spot my mistake just by glancing at a few scribbles?"

Despite Vladir's agitation, Merlin only smiled, speaking gently, "Each step you've taken is indeed correct, and your ingredient ratios are precise. However, the repeated failure isn't due to your technique—it's because of the glassware itself. The tools you're using aren't precise enough!"

"You're saying my precious instruments aren't accurate enough?" Vladir raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

Merlin nodded. "Exactly. The tools lack precision, leading to the repeated failures. If you don't believe me, try using my instruments for one attempt."

With a slight wave of his hand, Merlin produced a sleek glass vial from his ring. He had obtained it from the Omnifarious Tower, where the vials were crafted with extreme precision and verified by the Matrix, far surpassing the crude glassware Vladir was using.

Hesitating, Vladir took the vial Merlin offered and began preparing the potion once more.