<h4>Chapter 180: Working Together</h4>


    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion


    “Creak...”


    Merlin opened the door and entered. Wizard di had already stood up and said with a smile, “Wizard Merlin, you’vee atst. Come in,e in, let’s share our potion-making experiences.”


    Wizard di was obsessed with potions, just like Wizard Howl whom Merlin had met in the Dark Magic Region. These two wizards were so passionate about potions that they were almost crazy about it.


    Wizard di insisted that Merlin delved into his experiences, but Merlin shook his head reluctantly. He was not very educated in potions and only knew themon basics. His high sess rate in preparing potions was mainly due to the precise control of the Matrix.


    “Wizard di, we’ll discuss potions some other day. I’vee today because I’ve something to ask you!”


    “Oh? Whatever the matter is, Wizard Merlin, speak your mind!”


    Wizard di saw that Merlin was unwilling to share his potion-making experiences and did not press on any further. Instead, he squinted slightly and fixed his gaze on Merlin.


    Merlin nodded, and briefly exined his n to sell potions. Wizard di caught on quickly and gave a slight nod. “So, Wizard Merlin is nning to prepare potions for sale. It’s actually very simple. The best-selling potion now is Alkaline Earth Potion, which was prepared previously under your guidance. In Floating City, there are many roaming Wizards, and most of these Wizards have be alchemists. Thus, the supply of Alkaline Earth Potion is unable to keep up with demand. If you could make that potion, it would surely sell out quickly.”


    “Alkaline Earth Potion?”


    Merlin mumbled irresolutely to himself. Even though he did not consider himself a saint and had never spared anyone bold enough to threaten him, certain ideals of his past life still influenced him. Alchemists went all out to transfigure human beings into Alchemy Creatures through ruthless methods, which made Merlin ufortable.


    “What’s wrong? Do you have any reservations?”


    Wizard di was a keen observer, and his bright eyes fixed on Merlin.


    After a long moment, Merlin took a deep breath and shoved these tumultuous thoughts to the back of his mind. He was no longer Lin Fei of his previous life, but the Spell Caster, Wilson Merlin!


    “Right, I’ll prepare Alkaline Earth Potion. I’ll have to trouble Wizard di to help me sell the potion. Thirty percent of the profits shall belong to you!”


    Merlin spoke in a low voice. He knew that the Alkaline Earth Potion he prepared would surely be in arge amount. If he wished for Wizard di to help him sell the potion wholeheartedly without stirring up trouble, the best n, naturally, was to rope Wizard di in as well so that the both of them were running the business together. Only the sharing of amon interest would bind them together.


    A smile appeared on Wizard di’s face. Although he was fanatical about potion research, he was not ignorant about the ways of the world. Conversely, as a roaming Wizard, which ploy had he not witness himself? Merlin’s intentions could not be clearer – he wanted to bind them together. However, this was a hugely profitable matter, so of course, Wizard di would not object.


    “Okay, this is what we’ll do! I presume that currently, Wizard Merlin doesn’t have the materials for Alkaline Earth Potion? I have some materials here, which I’ll gift to you with no exchange for a single elemental crystal stone. However, you’ll have to purchase the potion materials with elemental crystal stones in the future.”


    With that, Wizard di immediately took out more than ten batches of potion materials of Alkaline Earth Potion from his ring and handed them to Merlin. It was a show of good faith.


    Merlin did not decline the offer and epted the materials. After that, he said to Wizard di, “In a few days, I’ll deliver a few batches of Alkaline Earth Potion.”


    “Very well. As long as Alkaline Earth Potion is sessfully made, I’ll certainly sell them in the shortest time possible.”


    Merlin nodded and was about to turn and leave when he seemed to have thought of something. He said to Wizard di, “Oh, right, Wizard di, please don’t mention to anyone else that this Alkaline Earth Potion was prepared by me.”


    Merlin did not want to attract attention due to potion-making. He only wanted to earn a few elemental crystal stones so that he could purchase materials for Phantasmal Magic Potion and Blueberry Potion. He would not like to stir up any trouble if he could help it.


    Wizard di gave a nod of affirmation with a smile at the corner of his mouth. “This is a simple request. For the sake of appearances, I shall say that this Alkaline Earth Potion was prepared by me. I believe that, with my reputation, no one would doubt that.”


    “That’s good!”


    Merlin nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.


    ...


    Upon returning to Wizard Burton’s residence, Merlin did not see Wizard Burton. Perhaps he had gone off to conduct an experiment or transfigure his Alchemy Creature. The door of the ck-robed old man’s room was still shut tight; it seemed like he would not being out for a while.


    Merlin returned to his room and set out the materials for Alkaline Earth Potion that Wizard di had given to him on the table. Then, he retrieved aplete set of ssware for potion preparation from his ring.


    Merlin had exchanged his contribution points for the ssware in the Resource Tower. He did not need to worry about their precision – they were more superior than the ssware which Wizard di used.


    With this precise equipment, Merlin would prevent unnecessary mistakes while preparing Alkaline Earth Potion, thus effectively increasing his sess rate. Wizard di had previously prepared Alkaline Earth Potion for quite some time – controlling the process well, whether it was in terms of fire handling or the measurement of potion materials. Even so, he was unsessful in making the potion, simply because the ssware that he had used for potion preparation was not precise.


    Therefore, the ssware was a crucial factor in ensuring the sess of the potion.


    “The Matrix, begin Alkaline Earth Potion preparation!”


    Merlin started up the Matrix right away. Thest time he was in Wizard di’s room, he hadmanded the Matrix to record the steps and measurements of materials for preparing Alkaline Earth Potion. Thus, he just had to follow the Matrix’s steps urately and control the fire well, and he would surely be able to prepare Alkaline Earth Potion sessfully.


    As it was his first time preparing Alkaline Earth Potion on his own, it was unavoidable that he failed. It was probably due to Merlin’s failure in fire handling as he already had the Matrix’s help in giving urate steps and measurements.


    Nevertheless, Merlin was already used to situations like this, so he did not dawdle but proceeded with his second attempt. This time he was fortunate – in a spurt of energy, Merlin seeded in preparing the first batch of Alkaline Earth Potion.


    Following that, he continued preparing the potion without rest. It was only a full dayter that Merlin had used up all the potion materials given by Wizard di and had made six batches of potions. His sess rate could not be considered very high but it was still satisfactory. Out of eighteen sets of materials for Alkaline Earth Potion, he had made six batches in total.


    This was equivalent to a thirty percent sess rate, which was considered rather high. Even Wizard di, who had mastered fire handling to the point of perfection, could not boast of achieving a simr sess rate.


    Merlin rested for a while before heading toward Wizard di’s residence with the six batches of Alkaline Earth Potion which he had prepared.


    ...


    “Wizard di!”


    Merlin walked into Wizard di’s room and saw that he was resting with his eyes closed.


    Hearing Merlin’s voice, Wizard di instantly opened both eyes. He rocked his head slightly with a tired face. “I was studying potions the whole ofst night, so I was resting for a moment. Oh right, Wizard Merlin, are you here for something? Was there a problem in preparing Alkaline Earth Potion?”


    Merlin shook his head and took out six batches of Alkaline Earth Potion that he had prepared from his ring. He said to Wizard di, “Wizard di, these are the six batches of Alkaline Earth Potion I had just prepared. I’ve brought them for you to verify them.”


    “Alkaline Earth Potion? You’ve managed to prepare six batches of the potion so soon?”


    Wizard di’s expressed his disbelief, and hastily epted the potions from Merlin’s hand. He ced them gently on the table and sniffed it lightly before putting it into a transparent ssware for closer observation.


    After several observations, Wizard di could not help but eximed in admiration, “It’s Alkaline Earth Potion indeed, alright, it really is Alkaline Earth Potion! I think that Wizard Merlin’s aplishments in potion-making are more impressive than I had initially thought. You’ve sessfully prepared six batches of potion in just a day’s time!”


    The most time-consuming part of preparing potions was theplicated steps that must be carried out wlessly. An average Spell Caster would have to perform each procedure carefully with vigor and vitality, even if they were full of energy.


    However, Merlin did not have to concern about these matters. With the assistance of the Matrix, he was able to maintain rigorous control over the potion-making steps and only needed to worry about handling the fire.


    The mastery of fire handling could be obtained over a long period of preparing potions. Once he practiced well, he would naturally be able to control the fire well and subsequently increased the sess rate of his potion preparation.


    “Good, very good, I shall deal with these six batches of Alkaline Earth Potion as soon as I can. I’ll let Wizard Merlin know the exact price when the timees. Oh right, do you still have any potion materials for Alkaline Earth Potion?”


    Wizard di suddenly posed this question.


    Merlin shook his head and answered, “The eighteen batches of materials have all been used up.”


    Wizard di mumbled to himself for a moment, then took out arge heap of potion materials from his ring. He said with a smile, “From the start, Wizard Merlin was able to achieve a thirty percent sess rate in preparing Alkaline Earth Potion. It’s too amazing! There are enough materials for thirty batches of Alkaline Earth Potion here. I’ll charge each batch of potion materials for fifty elemental crystal stones, so thirty batches would cost a thousand and five hundred stones. When the Alkaline Earth Potion has been sold, I’ll deduct what you owe me bit by bit from the elemental crystal stones we earned. What do you think?”


    Of course, Merlin nodded assent. This was an obvious gesture of goodwill on Wizard di’s part. Merlin’s thirty percent sess rate during his first time preparing Alkaline Earth Potion had astounded Wizard di.


    Even Wizard di was secretly guessing if Merlin was some Potion Master who hade to Floating City for some special reason.


    Nheless, no matter what Merlin’s identity was, such a high sess rate in preparing Alkaline Earth Potion had already deserved Wizard di’splete goodwill and interest.


    Merlin and Wizard di exchanged a few simple words, after which Merlin left Wizard di’s residence and returned to Wizard Burton’s residence. Once more, he began focusing all his energy into preparing Alkaline Earth Potion.