Chapter 385: Terrifying Speed of Progress, The Two Dumbfounded People
Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Terrifying Speed of Progress, The Two Dumbfounded People
After getting an affirmative answer, Charloie took a deep breath, mustering the greatest courage of her life.
Her sister’s advice surfaced in her mind once more:
’Teaching is a special situation. You have to cast aside your shame and use the ambiguity of close-quarters instruction to capture a man’s heart!’
Charloie bit her lip and pressed down the hem of her pleated skirt to keep from exposing herself.
Then, under Lance’s shocked gaze, she plopped down right onto his lap.
Not only that, but her fluffy fox tail also coiled around his lower back like a scarf, following the motion.
This sudden, bold move left Lance utterly stunned.
’I should check the pact we just signed again. I’m sure I didn’t sign the wrong one!’
He didn’t dare move much.
’One wrong move, and I might push her right off my lap. That would be disastrous.’
Even though she had made such a bold move, Charloie didn’t dare turn to look at Lance. Her entire face was so red it looked like it could bleed, and her body was even trembling from extreme nervousness.
Clutching the book *Basic Analysis of Ether Material* in both hands, she pretended to be calm and continued her explanation.
"Th-the microscopic structure of Ether... its arrangement patterns within matter..."
The scent of a young woman at the tip of his nose, a fluffy tail around his waist, the soft, yielding sensation on his lap.
’So this is how the Fox Species teaches...’
And at this moment, in addition to the bonus from the Legend trait [Ingenious Creation], [Hundred Crafts Convergence] also unleashed its powerful effect.
Under the powerful buff of a Mechanical Witch with 98 loyalty and SSS+ research talent!
All sorts of knowledge about Ether composition flashed through Lance’s mind, and the Skill Experience on his panel began to jump wildly.
["Ether Material Analysis" Experience +20!]
["Ether Material Analysis" Experience +20!]
...
After Charloie, blushing, finished explaining the first skill, she immediately moved on to another basic required course, [Alchemy Form Transformation].
This continued until the theoretical lessons for both foundational Alchemy skills were complete.
"D-did you understand all that?"
Charloie ended the close-quarters tutoring, leaping off Lance’s lap as if she had been shocked. She straightened her skirt and asked, a little uncertainly.
At that moment, Lance glanced at his system panel.
[Skill: Ether Material Analysis Level 1 (Current Progress: 187/1000)]
[Skill: Alchemy Form Transformation Level 1 (Current Progress: 160/1000)]
’So fast! The difficulty of these theory-heavy Manufacturing Skills is completely different from Combat Skills.’
A normal person would need months of study just to grasp the basics, but in less than an hour, he had pushed both skills to this level.
If other Alchemists found out, they would surely find it inconceivable.
It could only be said that the Mechanical Witch’s buff was terrifying. [Hundred Crafts Convergence], which was supposed to rely on the advantage of having many people to show a significant effect, had been pushed to this level solely through Charloie’s personal Talent.
"I get it. I completely get it."
Lance nodded, the excitement unconcealed in his voice.
"You get it?"
Hearing his answer, Charloie was a little disbelieving.
’Even she, a Mechanical Witch, had taken over two hours to barely grasp the basics of the skills when she first started learning.’
’How could he possibly understand after hearing it just once?’
Lance didn’t explain the miracle of his panel. Instead, he suddenly remembered another one of his goals for the day. "Oh, right, Charloie, do you know about a potion called the Concealing Potion?"
Charloie, still blushing, hadn’t fully recovered from her earlier embarrassment.
But hearing Lance’s question, she still thought about it carefully. "Although Teacher’s work here is mainly Magical Forging and Material Alchemy, there’s also Knowledge about Life Alchemy on that wall of books. Wait a moment, I’ll go find it for you."
With that, she ran out of the manufacturing room, her face still red, to search the wall of books in the living room outside.
While Charloie was looking for the book, Lance’s gaze fell on the workbench, where there were two discarded metal ornaments used for testing.
He had already secretly taken on the Alchemist class while listening to Charloie’s lecture.
And on Cecilia’s Magic Tree, an illusory fruit had formed, bearing the penalty of soul-wear for him.
He now decided to try out his newly acquired Specialty, [Ether Compensation].
He silently recited the skill he had just learned, and an Alchemy Array shimmering with a faint blue light appeared in his palm.
[Alchemy Form Transformation]
As the skill activated, the two metal ornaments on the table melted as if under high heat and then began to meld together.
During the process, Lance didn’t add any catalysts or other auxiliary materials.
During the fusion, the Specialty [Ether Compensation] automatically took effect. It forcefully drew Ether Energy from Lance’s body and began to compensate for the missing material components, sustaining the fusion process of the two ornaments.
But because Lance’s current skill level was still too low, after a few seconds, the fused area became a pockmarked mess, and the two metal ornaments turned into a lump of scrap metal.
Seeing this, Lance had no choice but to withdraw the Technique Array in his hand.
’Becoming an Alchemist after just an hour of study—he was already very satisfied with that.’
He immediately used another skill on this lump of scrap.
[Ether Material Analysis]
This time, the traces of the technique’s activation manifested directly in Lance’s left eye as a tiny, faintly glowing hexagram.
Under this skill, information about the internal material composition of that lump of scrap metal began to be analyzed in Lance’s mind, layer by layer, like peeling an onion.
Although the process was very slow and consumed a great deal of Spirit, it was ultimately successful.
Just then, Charloie, holding a book, climbed down from the ladder outside. "I found it! This has the recipe and crafting steps for the Concealing Potion."
She walked to the desk and handed the book to Lance.
And just as Lance turned his head and his gaze fell upon the Fox Girl, a notification popped up on his panel without any warning.
[Sub-human Species·Fox Species Research Progress +1]
At that moment, Lance finally understood why the Lantern Carrier had specifically made him learn Alchemy.
’So, by using Alchemy to research and analyze a species, it could also be recognized by the system and increase my Research Progress!’
With this, the key to rapidly raising his Attributes to their limits was now firmly in his grasp.
’No, I have to find an Underground City and test this theory at once!’
Lance couldn’t sit still any longer. He took the book and said to Charloie, "Um, Charloie, I just remembered something very important I need to take care of right away. Could you please apologize to Teacher Baldwin for me later?"
"Oh, oh, okay."
Charloie was as docile as a little housewife at that moment.
But Lance stopped after taking just one step. He remembered he had just solemnly signed a sponsorship pact with Charloie. As the sponsor, he had to show some sincerity.
He turned back to the workbench, reached into his Imaginary Number Dark Grid, and with a CLATTER, scattered a large pile of Iris Gold Coins on the table. A rough estimate put the count at over twenty.
"I don’t have much cash on me right now."
Lance looked at the stunned Charloie and quickly instructed, "Take this money and use it for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll give you more next time."
Without waiting for Charloie to respond, he left in a hurry, like a gust of wind.
Left alone in the manufacturing room, Charloie stared at the pile of Gold Coins, her fox-like eyes wide.
After a long moment, she snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream. She reached out, gathered the Gold Coins one by one, and carefully placed them into the zippered pocket of her school uniform skirt.
The heavy, sagging weight in her hand left her feeling a little dazed.
This was enough money for her to live on for several months.
It had all come so suddenly that someone like her, who was so used to poverty, was a little afraid to spend it.
’Am I really worthy of him sponsoring me with so many Gold Coins?’
Charloie thought with a sense of inferiority.
She also made a small decision: ’I’ll just take a small portion of it to buy enough Demon-Guiding Liquid to finish and deliver that Combat Boots order.’
’I have to save the rest of the money properly. If he ever regrets it and wants the money back, at least I’ll be able to repay him.’
After stashing the Gold Coins, Charloie prepared to clean up the workbench.
Just then, she inadvertently discovered an ugly lump of scrap metal on the table, right where Lance had been standing. She froze completely.
「Some ten minutes later...」
Baldwin, who had hit a wall with his deductions on the second floor and found himself at a dead end, came down the stairs with a look of annoyance.
"Something’s not right. It feels like something is still missing."
The old man muttered as he walked downstairs, scratching his hair in frustration.
At that moment, he saw Charloie in front of the workbench, staring blankly at the tabletop.
"What are you so engrossed in, Charloie? Has Lance left already?" Baldwin walked over, a little curious.
When he followed Charloie’s gaze and it landed on the lump of iron on the table...
He said in disbelief, "Ether Compensation?!"
At that moment, he, too, froze.