Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, falling upon Lu Yuan's face.
He opened his eyes and stared blankly for a few seconds before realizing he was awake.
It had been a rare good night's sleep.
At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text quietly emerged.
【Sanity: 60/120】
He had recovered 12 points compared to last night.
Lu Yuan sat up and stretched his somewhat stiff neck.
The room on the second floor was small and simply furnished with a bed, a table, and a chair.
From outside the window, the distant sounds of bustle could be heard.
Lu Yuan got out of bed, washed up briefly, and pushed open the door to head down the stairs.
In the workspace on the first floor, the faint scent of medicinal herbs was slightly stronger than it had been the night before.
Laurina was already there.
She stood before the workbench, organizing various bottles and jars.
Her movements were light and careful, as if she were handling precious treasures.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
"Awake?"
"Mm."
Lu Yuan walked over and noticed that the equipment on the workbench had been categorized and rearranged.
Mortars, crucibles, distillers, measuring cups... everything was back in its place, neat and orderly.
It was a stark contrast to the chaotic scene he had witnessed last night.
"You're up early," Lu Yuan said.
"I couldn't sleep." Laurina's tone was flat. "I was idle anyway, so I decided to tidy up first."
Her complexion looked better than it had last night; although she was still a bit pale, her eyes had regained some spirit.
"I've looked over the orders." She picked up the sheet of paper and glanced at it. "The demand for Sanity potions is the highest. Let's start with those."
Lu Yuan nodded.
Laurina put the paper down and suddenly looked at him.
"You go first."
"What?"
"I want to see how you usually brew potions."
There was a hint of curiosity in her tone.
"Since we'll be working together, I need to understand your level of skill first."
Lu Yuan fell silent for a moment.
His "level of skill"... how should he put it?
It was functional, but only just.
"Fine."
Lu Yuan walked to the workbench and began preparing the materials.
Laurina pulled up a stool and sat nearby, resting her chin on her hands, looking ready to observe seriously.
Lu Yuan didn't mind her gaze and focused on the task at hand.
He had made the Sanity potion formula many times before, and the process was already etched into his memory.
Of course, his version of "etched into memory" was quite different from what a normal person would understand.
He lit the furnace and placed the crucible on top.
As the flames licked the bottom of the crucible, the temperature began to rise.
Lu Yuan stared at the bottom right corner of his vision, waiting for the greyish-white text to appear.
A few seconds later.
【Pharmacology: +0.1...】
The experience gain indicated that the temperature was correct.
He began adding the first material.
He poured the ground powder into the crucible and stirred it with a wooden rod.
At the edge of his vision, the experience bar flickered slightly.
【Pharmacology: +0.1...】
Correct. He continued.
Lu Yuan's movements were fast, and every step was executed without hesitation.
Add materials, stir, and observe the experience bar.
If the experience increased, he continued; if not, he adjusted.
This was his method of potion making.
Simple, crude, but effective.
As for temperature control, material ratios, or reaction principles...
He understood none of it, nor did he need to.
The experience bar would provide the answers.
Sitting to the side, Laurina had started by observing seriously.
But soon, her expression began to change.
First, she frowned slightly.
Then her eyes widened.
Finally, her mouth twitched.
"Wait."
She finally couldn't help but speak up.
Lu Yuan's hands paused. "What is it?"
"Why did you suddenly lower the heat just now?"
"I felt like the temperature was a bit high."
"Felt?" Laurina's voice rose slightly.
"Yeah, I felt it."
Laurina took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress some emotion.
"Fine, continue."
Lu Yuan resumed his operations.
He picked up the mortar and began grinding the next material.
His movements were casual, showing no regard for the fineness of the grind; he simply stopped once it looked close enough.
The experience bar flickered.
【Pharmacology: +0.1...】
Good, that passed.
Laurina's eyelid twitched.
Lu Yuan proceeded to the next step, pouring the material into the crucible.
The order? There was no specific order; he added whatever came to mind.
In any case, the experience bar would tell him if he was right.
【Pharmacology: +0.1...】
No problem.
Laurina's breathing became noticeably rapid.
The distillation phase began.
Lu Yuan watched the liquid in the crucible and waited for a moment.
That should be enough.
He extinguished the fire and began collecting the liquid.
"How do you know it's 'enough'?" Laurina's voice sounded strained.
"Experience." Lu Yuan didn't look back.
"Experience?"
"You'll know once you've done it enough."
Laurina fell silent.
Her hands were clenching the hem of her clothes tightly.
Lu Yuan poured the medicinal liquid into a glass bottle and plugged it with a stopper.
The color was a bit cloudy, not very transparent.
But it indeed looked like a Sanity potion.
At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text appeared.
【Detected Target: Sanity potion (Common)】
It was usable.
Lu Yuan set the glass bottle aside.
"It's done."
Laurina stood up, took the potion, and held it against the light coming through the window.
Her expression was complex.
It was as if she were looking at something impossible.
"This... can be used?"
"It can be used."
"How much does it restore?"
"Six to eight points."
Laurina remained silent for a long time.
Then she set the glass bottle down and turned toward Lu Yuan.
"How did you make this?"
"Just... the normal way."
"You call this the normal way?"
Laurina's voice carried a hint of disbelief.
"Grinding without distinguishing fineness, adding materials in no specific order, controlling the heat based entirely on 'feeling', and deciding distillation time based on 'close enough'..."
She paused and stared at Lu Yuan for a few seconds.
"Are you an idiot?"
Lu Yuan didn't speak.
Because what she said... didn't seem wrong.
Laurina sighed and walked to the workbench.
"Let me show you what normal potion making is supposed to look like."
She tapped the iron crucible.
"First, the crucible."
"Iron crucibles conduct heat unevenly, making precise temperature control difficult. A silver crucible is the standard configuration; it provides even heat conduction and can even filter out some impurities."
"But since we only have iron here, you must pay even more attention to the heat instead of relying on 'feeling'."
Lu Yuan nodded.
"Then there's the grinding."
Laurina picked up the mortar, her tone becoming serious.
"Grinding should be divided into three stages: coarse, medium, and fine. Different materials require different particle sizes."
"You just ground everything all at once. The uneven particle sizes will affect the dissolution speed and reaction efficiency."
She put down the mortar and continued, counting on her fingers.
"The order of adding materials is also crucial. Certain materials react with each other; if the sequence is wrong, the results can be worlds apart."
"The way you added them randomly just now... it's pure luck that nothing went wrong."
Lu Yuan thought to himself:
I've never studied this; it's already quite good that I can produce anything at all.
"And then there's temperature control."
Laurina's tone grew heavier.
"Temperature is one of the most critical factors in alchemy. Different stages require different temperatures; the margin of error should ideally not exceed ten degrees."
"You said you 'felt like the temperature was high'?"
She looked at Lu Yuan as if she were looking at an alien.
"Feeling? You use your feelings to control the temperature?"
Lu Yuan: "..."
"Finally, the distillation time."
Laurina sighed.
"Distillation time determines the purity and concentration of the potion. If it's too short, the impurities aren't filtered out. If it's too long, the active ingredients evaporate."
"And you just stopped when it was 'close enough'?"
There was a trace of helplessness in her voice.
"Your way of making potions is simply..."
She searched for a while but couldn't find a suitable word.
"...absurd."
Lu Yuan didn't argue.
Because from a professional perspective, she was absolutely right.
He had never understood these principles.
He only managed to produce finished products by relying on the experience bar.
"Never mind." Laurina waved her hand. "I'll do it once for you to see."
She rolled up her sleeves and stood at the workbench.
Then she began preparing the materials.
Her movements were entirely different from Lu Yuan's.
Every step was precise, fluid, and methodical.
When grinding materials, she would pinch the powder with her fingers to feel its fineness before deciding whether to continue.
When controlling the heat, she would observe the subtle changes at the edge of the crucible, judging the temperature by its color.
When adding materials, she would measure them precisely with a small spoon, ensuring each portion was exact.
When stirring, her movements were steady—neither too fast nor too slow.
She was immersed in the process of potion making, her eyes focused and bright.
This was her familiar domain.
Here, she wasn't a victim who had almost been turned into an experiment by her mentor.
She was the genius student of the Alchemy Department at the Polymath Tower.
Lu Yuan stood to the side, watching quietly.
Sunlight shone through the window, falling upon the side of Laurina's face.
Dust motes danced slowly in the light.
It was a rare moment of peace.
About twenty minutes later.
Laurina's potion was complete.
She poured the liquid into a glass bottle and held it up.
The color was clear and transparent, forming a sharp contrast with Lu Yuan's cloudy product.
Lu Yuan looked at the bottle, and greyish-white text emerged at the edge of his vision.
【Detected Target: Sanity potion (Excellent)】
【You observed a detailed, systematic tutorial on Sanity potion preparation. Pharmacology +0.5】
The same materials, the same equipment.
The effectiveness was nearly double his.
"This is the normal standard." Laurina put the glass bottle down.
She looked at Lu Yuan's cloudy potion and shook her head.
"Yours... is barely usable."
Lu Yuan did not argue.
"A professional is indeed different," he said.
Laurina was startled for a moment.
Then she smiled softly.
It was the first time she had smiled since arriving here.
Though faint, it was a genuine smile.
"Of course it's different."
There was a hint of pride in her voice.
"I was number one in the Alchemy Department of the Polymath Tower."
Lu Yuan looked at her.
At this moment, Laurina was a world away from the pale, trembling girl from last night.
Perhaps this was her way of healing herself.
Using familiar things, using the field she excelled in.
Bit by bit, she was finding herself again.
"How should we divide the work?" Lu Yuan asked.
Laurina thought for a moment.
"You be responsible for preparing the materials, and I'll handle the brewing."
She paused and glanced at Lu Yuan.
"With your level of skill, you'd better stay away from the crucible for now."
Lu Yuan fell silent for a moment, but since observing her also provided experience points, he didn't mind and nodded.
"...Fine."
Outside the window, the sun was bright.
A new day had just begun.
Rate on N.U.
