"Great! It's done!"
Roy reflected on the costs he had invested in Magic Stones, miscellaneous items, minerals, and other primary materials, totaling nearly 100 Magic Stones.
He also spent time and energy, risking failure.
When calculated this way, the profit wasn't actually high.
But just from this batch, he could net a profit of 15 Magic Stones.
As a form of mystic craftsmanship, it essentially involved using various miscellaneous items and Wizardry Energy, combined with labor, to exchange for value crystallization, which could broadly be considered "turning stone into gold."
This adhered to the principle of "equivalent exchange."
"With this, I can also consider it a stable source of income...
As my skills improve, the value of my labor will increase, and so will my profit margins!"
Roy thought for a moment and decided to spread the news within a small circle.
"What? You've learned to refine Magic Stones!"
Renien, Niya, Andov, and others expressed shock and envy upon hearing the news.
Simply being able to "do it" held no real significance.
Because Magic Stones are different from ordinary alchemical products; the energy they contain needs to be just right.
Too little is subpar, too much is a loss for oneself, and it can easily lead to energy exceeding limits, which is also subpar.
Only when the output exceeds the input can one truly claim to have mastered it.
Some have calculated that to earn a living from this and form a long-term stable income, the input-output ratio must be at least 108.5% to cover the risks of failure and the opportunity costs of refining other mainstream products.
Beyond that, there's the quality control of large-scale refining.
The larger the scale of refining, the harder it is to maintain quality control, and the pass rate will significantly decrease.
Without the "Skilled Worker" black iron-level talent to assist him, Roy wouldn't dare to easily venture into this kind of refining.
Renien took the initiative to be friendly, saying, "From now on, any unwanted discarded Magic Stones I have will go to you, at market price. If I'm tight on cash, I can pay in gold coins."
"We're in too."
"By the way, I currently have a batch of miscellaneous items infused with magic power; you can take them for now and keep a tab on it..."
Others chimed in as well.
An apprentice capable of refining Magic Stones was akin to opening a "miscellaneous item recycling" shop, making it worthwhile to befriend him.
Thus, just from this news, Roy exchanged for a batch of various miscellaneous items worth several dozen Magic Stones.
Estimating his capabilities, Roy decided to save these materials for now while also attending to other matters.
For instance, learning and mastering a set of low-tier apprentice-level formulas.
Accomplishing this would be highly beneficial; first, it would significantly reduce dependence on various market items, ensuring genuine materials and saving on labor costs.
Secondly, it would be a means of progress.
As an alchemist in the wizarding world, one must enhance oneself through such methods.
...
Before he knew it, the end of the month had arrived.
Exam day came.
"Roy... failed!"
Without a doubt, he had hardly meditated throughout July to improve his progress.
He received a failing grade.
Roy returned to his seat expressionless, watching as Renien, Niya, Andov, and others took turns being tested.
"Failed!"
The supervising apprentice announced loudly.
"Indeed, there has been no progress at all..."
"Our qualifications are simply too poor; even if we meditate diligently every day, there's hardly any increase in mental energy."
Renien and the others also failed, discussing their worries.
"Three consecutive failures will result in punishment...
Typically, this means being assigned low-reward, menial tasks, managing chores, tending to the nursery, patrolling resource points, etc., consuming a lot of time and energy.
For apprentices like us with poor qualifications, it leads to a vicious cycle, and we can never escape this trap!"
Although Roy believed he could gradually earn money and avoid permanent decline, he also didn't want to deal with such trouble.
"It seems I need to make progress quickly...
Passing from the start and avoiding punishment would be much more cost-effective!"
...
A few days later, it was early August.
Roy sat at his desk, reviewing materials.
"I've successfully learned the formula during this time and prepared the necessary materials; I can try refining the Meditation Potion now."
The genuine Meditation Potion is actually a daily consumable for wizards.
Its price is slightly lower than that of enhanced potions, but still above 100 Magic Stones.
Previously, he had seen many products under 10 Magic Stones, which were imitations diluted and concocted by apprentices.
They used diluted Meditation Potion, alcohol, and unknown additives to create some concoctions of Meditation Potion, with varying quality.
Buying and consuming them directly would be quite a loss.
Thanks to the "Skilled Worker" black iron-level talent, his success rate in refining was far higher than that of ordinary beginners.
Roy planned to refine it himself.
He spent over 40 Magic Stones in one go, purchasing several diluted Meditation Potions, and then attempted to separate the alcohol from the potion using distillation.
During this process, the "Skilled Worker" talent proved to be as useful as ever; after a brief inspection, he confidently continued processing.
Next, Roy chose a simple activated carbon adsorption method.
This method has a strong adsorption capacity, which can be used to remove pigments and some additives from the potion, achieving a certain degree of purification and refinement.
Other apprentices were reckless with their additives, affecting efficiency, and they had no idea what side effects might arise from overconsumption.
"According to what I've learned from the books, there are many good purification and formulation methods.
However, the conditions here are rudimentary, and the focus is on cost-effectiveness, so I can't afford to be too picky for now."
Roy knew that he was still relying more on the "Skilled Worker" black iron-level talent rather than anything else.
Unfortunately, since he first acquired the talent, the progress in "Alchemy Talent Acquisition" had been steadily slow, and two months had passed with only about 16% completion.
He had tried various methods but couldn't find a way to speed up the process, so he had to put it aside for the time being.
After processing for most of the day, Roy felt a jolt of excitement, and a joyful expression appeared on his face.
He raised the beaker in his hand, which contained a translucent light blue liquid, faintly shimmering with fluorescence.
A hint of magical energy radiated from it, carrying a mysterious aura.
"Success!
This homemade potion had material costs kept under 50 Magic Stones, but its effects should be comparable to those sold for over 100!"
This time, Roy didn't gulp it down all at once.
Since the Meditation Potion was relatively precious, and he had produced a considerable amount at once, he couldn't just drink it all.
He divided the finished product into 12 small bottles, each the size of a thumb, for temporary storage, and then mixed the remaining residue with water to drink it all down.
A slightly bitter, strange taste reminiscent of bitter melon juice washed over him, with a hint of minty spiciness.
Moments later, his mind felt clear.
Roy quickly seized the opportunity to meditate.