Chapter 23: Sun Ragdoll (Seeking Follow-up Reads)
"Apprenticeship might be possible, but learning alchemy probably won''t."
"That primary pharmacist our drugstore provides is so arrogant; he feels like he''s superior to everyone else. Even when my dad wanted me to learn alchemy from him, he refused."
John Hornby spoke indignantly, obviously reminded of his unpleasant experiences by David Jones'' words.
"Never mind, then. I''ll find some other way."
David Jones reluctantly replied, as he just wanted to give it a try. After all, he didn''t want to join the Pharmacist Guild and start as an apprentice worker.
Apprentice workers are not the same as apprentices – at least apprentices can learn something, while apprentice workers are simplyborers, doing basic work. It takes one or two years of being assessed by a pharmacist to be an apprentice, depending entirely on the pharmacist''s preference.
Don''t underestimate apprentices, for even the position of an apprentice requires connections. Ordinary people should not even think about it.
Of course, if you awaken your Innate Talent rted to alchemy, you''ll be a hotmodity.
The doors of the Pharmacist Guild will always be open to you – just step through them, and you can easily be a pharmacist.
Unfortunately, David Jones'' Talent has nothing to do with being a pharmacist.
He once thought about learning to be a pharmacist through online instructional videos, but without a master to guide him, the videos didn''t help much.
Learning online only taught David Jones how to distinguish and confirm the properties of medicinal materials and which derivatives from nt-based pets could be used as ingredients for alchemy.
As of now, David Jones has never heard of a self-taught pharmacist in Flowery Kingdom.
...
After finishing their conversation and running, David Jones returned to the apartment covered in sweat.
After some time, having showered, David Jones sat on his bed practicing Calm Mind while focusing on his Arcane Star.
Today, he didn''t n to go to the Trainer Guild for training, as renting a space for a day is an expensive cost. The practice of Confusion could also be done within his room.
Not far away, Rainbow was sitting on the sofa with her big, watery eyes wide open, the ice crystal on her head emitting blue and white light.
She was using her Psychic power to manipte a dumbbell, constantly moving it through the air. Unfortunately, she could only maintain her Psychic power for a few seconds each time.
"Thud... thud... thud." So every once in a while, David Jones could hear the dull noise of the dumbbell falling onto the sofa.
After several repetitions, Rainbow seemed to feel that the 2.5 kg dumbbell was too light, so she began to intermittently attach more weight tes to it using her Psychic power, but her progress was achingly slow.
Fifteen minutester, she still hadn''t finished adding weight tes to the dumbbell, something she could easily do while watching the Trainer perform the task.
After several attempts, the impatient and spiritually exhausted Rainbow pped the dumbbell with her tail, but she never intended to use her tail to install the tes.
David Jones had told her earlier, "Wherever possible, use Psychic power during today''s training."
Refusing to submit, she squinted her eyes and rested, nning to try againter. She didn''t need her tail to install the extra weight tes on a mere dumbbell.
While David Jones sat on his bed practicing Calm Mind, Rainbow practiced her Psychic power on the sofa.
Each performed their own tasks, but they shared an indescribable tacit understanding. The man and his pet spent the whole day practicing this way.
Several dayster, both had gradually adapted to this monotonous and boring life.
...
In a luxurious vi near the center of Watend City, there was an Alchemy Room dedicated for refining elixirs.
At the center of the Alchemy Room was an ancient-looking, dark brown cauldron.
Above the cauldron were two dragon heads spewing out; below them was an engraved dark golden Divine Dragon roaring as if it was furious.
The Divine Dragon''s huge mouth had many tiny holes, emitting orange-red mes.
At the top of the cauldron was a brownish-red lid with small holes from which steam gushed.
In the center of the front side of the cauldron, there was a circr transparent crystal essence that allowed one to observe the situation inside.
Rosalind Louise was currently opening the hole door of the transparent crystal essence and continuously pouring various medicinal materials into the cauldron.
Not long after the medicinal materials entered the cauldron, they were all refined into a white powder.
...
On the side of Rosalind, there was a King-level pet, the[Sun Ragdoll], continuously spewing mes into the cauldron.
It had a pair of long, pointed ears with tiny titanium crystals scattered around them, and a cluster of orange-red mes burned in its hair.
Above its elegant, yet dignified cheeks were a pair of bright red gemstone eyes, and its body was covered in ming red hair.
Its limbs were slightly thick, and there seemed to be a faint mist rising from where it stood.
"Ruby, increase the temperature of the me by three levels," after closing the small round door on the cauldron, Rosalind used her thoughts to send the order.
Upon hearing this, the mes spewed from the Sun Ragdoll''s mouth changed from orange-red to dark red.
With a solemn expression on her face, Rosalind felt the constant changes in the cauldron. Under the high temperature, the white medicinal powder gradually turned a faint red, as if it was glowing.
A few minutester, she poured the transparent liquid from a white jade bottle into the cauldron. As the liquid and powder fused together, the cauldron slowly emitted a soft green light.
After the light disappeared, the cauldron was left with an unknown pastelike medicine.
"Ruby, stop." Rosalind immediately conveyed themand upon seeing this.
The mes from the Sun Ragdoll''s mouth disappeared instantly.
It shook its head, clearly feeling stiff and ufortable around its neck from the prolonged maintenance of the me output without any movement.
Smelling the fragrance of the medicine, Rosalind observed the luster on the paste and a faint smile appeared on her face.
It seemed that the batch of ss III All-Spirit Ointment was sessfully refined, and the quality was quite good, reaching an excellent level.
"You''ve worked hard today, the temperature control has been very good."
She affectionately stroked Ruby''s head.
Surprisingly, the mes burning on Ruby''s head did not cause any harm to Rosalind''s tender hands.
Rosalind took out the paste medicine from the cauldron and ced it into the white jade bottle before leaving the stuffy Alchemy Chamber.
Looking at Melody Guan waiting outside the door, she smiled and said, "Among the recent interviewees, are there any talents worth noting?"
"Out of the 183 interviewees these days, only two have awakened their Innate Talents."
Melody Guan added, "One is a Primary Pharmacist who has awakened the Fire-Control Talent, while the other is an Identifier who has awakened the Identify Talent."
Rosalind gave a soft yelp, "Not bad, there are even two. Let''s proceed ording to the old rules then. The interviews will bepleted by tomorrow afternoon."
"Alright, CEO Louise."
Melody Guan was used to it, as every talent awakened candidate''s interview at Ragdoll Mall had to be personally assessed by Rosalind.
"By the way, hasn''t David Jones been absent from work these days?" Rosalind''s tone was somewhat in.
"Yes." Melody Guan''s body stiffened slightly.
"I hope to see him at work in thepany tomorrow morning." After ncing at a text message on her phone, Rosalind casually said.
"Understood."
Melody Guan nodded, then silently followed Rosalind''s steps, always maintaining a half-step distance behind her as they walked away.