The two girls, both wearing magic robes from the Orland Magic Academy, walked through the library, their youthful beauty enhanced by the elegant, flowing robes. While the wide mage robes obscured the curves of their newly matured bodies, they still radiated an intellectual beauty, their youth shining through in every step. One girl had chestnut-colored long hair, and the other had burgundy locks, both of them carrying books in their arms. The former had a quiet expression, tinged with a subtle pride, while the latter's lake-blue eyes sparkled with curiosity and a gentle glow.
As the two girls passed a large bookshelf, the chestnut-haired girl suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on a handsome young man not far away. Her eyes lingered on him, a look of complex emotions crossing her face, though it was unclear what she was thinking.
The girl with the lake-blue eyes, noticing the sudden pause, followed her gaze and then burst into a quiet giggle. "Unexpectedly, the third-year chief student Belis, known as the cold witch, would secretly stop for a boy. If those suitors you've turned down ever found out, they'd certainly be in for a surprise."
Belis whispered back, "Helen, he's my brother."
Helen's eyes widened in surprise, "He's your… brother?!"
Belis nodded, her voice cold and indifferent, "Yes, he is... a worthless brother. He's been a first-level apprentice knight for three years. Even I'm ashamed of him."
Helen stared at Luciel, curiosity lighting her expression. "That's pretty mediocre... He seems to be reading about magic materials. But isn't he a knight? What would he have to do with magic?" She paused, before teasing, "By the way, Belis, aren't you going to go over and say hi to him?"
Belis, already turning away, answered indifferently, "No need. As his sister, I would have been the best care for him, without having to appear in front of him."
Helen nodded knowingly, "Indeed, your shining genius can easily hurt Brother Scrap's pride."
Helen gave Luciel one last look, her curiosity piqued, before she followed Belis out of the library.
Luciel, oblivious to their conversation, simply raised his head, catching a glimpse of their distant figures. One of them seemed somewhat familiar, but he didn't think much of it.
[The storage is complete§]the biochip informed him, as a progress bar filled up, signaling that Luciel had absorbed the knowledge from the book on basic magic materials. Afterward, Luciel read several other books about middle and low-level warcraft materials, as well as potions. By the time he left the library, his mind was filled with a wealth of magical knowledge.
Back in his dormitory, Luciel opened the bottle of strength potion he had purchased earlier and drank it. The potion had a fishy, sour taste, but as it flowed through his body, he felt a warm current spreading within him. The increase in his strength was minimal, however. He checked his power attribute, which remained at a mere 0.05.
"I suppose only when I drink a lot of water will I see a real effect from this potion," Luciel thought, shaking his head in mild frustration. "Analyze the ingredients of the potion."
[Analyzing pharmaceutical ingredients...]
The biochip quickly processed the potion's ingredients. [Analysis successful. The formula for a low-level strength potion has been obtained.]
Luciel's mind filled with the list of ingredients: "Blood of a first-order high-level demon bear, bitter silver leaf, demon vine flower..." There were a total of thirteen materials, most of which Luciel had never seen before.
Determined, Luciel decided to track down these materials. He grabbed the last of his gold coins and left the dormitory, returning two hours later with a small collection of the ingredients, having spent three gold coins in total.
"Start analyzing the materials," Luciel ordered the chip, placing the materials one by one into his mouth to test their properties.
[Analyzing composition of material...]the chip began.
[No enhancing ingredients were found.]
Luciel continued, chewing through the materials. Each time the chip ran its analysis, the results were the same. Until, at last...
[Analyzing composition of material... Found strength-enhancing ingredient: Blue Tangerine. Taken 50 times in a row, 300 grams each time, can complete a cycle of strengthening. The maximum strengthening effect is 2 points.]
Luciel's eyes lit up with excitement. "This is it!"
The Blue Tangerine, a humble fruit, was an inexpensive ingredient that could be bought for just a few copper coins. Luciel hadn't expected it to be so useful. He continued analyzing the rest of the ingredients but found that the Blue Tangerine and the first-order advanced demon bear blood were the only materials with strength-enhancing properties. Even the demon bear blood was less effective than the Blue Tangerine.
"Very well, then. I'll focus on using the Blue Tangerine for my training," Luciel thought, his resolve hardening.
Just then, the chip beeped again. [Low-level strength potions can be optimized. Would you like to optimize it]
Luciel's heart leaped with joy. "Can it be optimized?" he asked excitedly. "Yes, optimize it!"
The optimization process began immediately, and Luciel eagerly awaited the results. This new opportunity could make a significant difference in his training, and he was ready to push his limits even further.