Chapter 92: The Alchemist (Bonus Chapter—Please Add to Your Collection)

After observing the alchemical process of the Fate-Spinning Spiderwoman in the alchemy hut, Liu Zhi roughly understood the difference between 0% and 30%. This was not a matter of success rate; in the alchemy hut, as long as the materials were correct, something could always be produced. The 0% and 30% figures referred to the rate of producing superior quality items.

Based on what he saw, new formulas could be crafted immediately, but the resulting potions would all be the most basic, standard versions. If the formula reached a 30% threshold, there would then be a 30% chance to create a superior alchemical potion, whose effects might be one or two times stronger than the basic version.

Beyond that, there might be even finer grades or more variations, but Liu Zhi could only see up to the 30% level for now, so he had little information about what came next.

What Liu Zhi was pondering now was whether, once someone improved the data behind an alchemical formula, everyone using the alchemy hut would benefit from the enhancement, or if only the person who had made the improvement would be strengthened while working there.

If it was the former, things would be much more convenient. Though the alchemy hut currently only allowed one undead servant at a time, that didn’t mean more could not be assigned in the future. If it was the latter, then the situation would be different. Liu Zhi might need a dedicated professional alchemist to specialize in research, greatly limiting his options.

The Fate-Spinning Spiderwoman had no complaints about Liu Zhi throwing himself into the alchemy hut. She cheerfully listed a multitude of materials for him, intending to quickly produce the spider silk needed for constructing the city walls.

But at that moment, Liu Zhi ignored her, his attention caught by a message that had just popped up. He was deep in thought.

[Detected advancement criteria for the alchemist sub-profession: Alchemist – Alchemy Expert – Alchemy Master – Alchemy Grandmaster.]

[Detected job requirements for the alchemist sub-profession: Master 10 alchemical formulas at 100% proficiency (0/100), produce 1,000 superior alchemical potions (0/1000), produce 50 exquisite alchemical potions (0/50), research one new alchemical formula (0/1)]

[Note: The alchemist is a specialized sub-profession, playing a significant role in advancing all magical professions. Please prioritize learning.]

Liu Zhi glanced at the formulas here, and saw the Spiderwoman’s silk recipe was conveniently among ten different kinds.

He thought for a moment and said, “Since I have nothing pressing now, why don’t I gather the formulas and craft these alchemical potions myself?”

The Fate-Spinning Spiderwoman hadn’t noticed Liu Zhi’s attitude. Seeing that he was willing to stay and help her, she was quite happy, her speech growing even faster.

Liu Zhi pulled down the thick leather-bound book and examined the materials required. Fortunately, most were various herbs, with no beast blood or ore involved; those could perhaps be found in Golden City with some effort.

After thinking it over, Liu Zhi left the alchemy hut and called over Vidnina, who had been standing guard at the door.

“Send the skeleton soldiers to Golden City to collect some herbs. Here is the list of required quantities.”

“They…don’t…know…how…”

Liu Zhi was briefly stunned, then realized, “I’d forgotten about that. Let me see… alright, I know what to do now.”

With that, Liu Zhi headed toward the Graveyard Mound.

The Graveyard Mound had received many more corpses, its area obviously expanded.

“It looks like the upgrade requirements will soon be met,” Liu Zhi sighed as he stood before the Graveyard Mound.

After its construction, Liu Zhi had received the upgrade criteria for the Graveyard Mound. Besides needing a reinforced build based on the blueprint, upgrading the mound required his own efforts.

There was a strict requirement: the area of the Graveyard Mound must be doubled. This was mandatory, much like the need for blood and flesh sacrifices when building it; without them, construction was impossible.

Liu Zhi had thrown all the corpses of enemies he killed into the mound precisely for this purpose.

Only, most of the bodies from their previous expedition into the Nether Wilds had been lost in explosions; otherwise, his Graveyard Mound might have grown even larger.

Standing before the mound, Liu Zhi opened its control panel.

Now, the types of undead produced were no longer limited to the initial four. Besides Bone Crawlers, Wandering Skeletons, Zombies, and Skeleton Soldiers, there were now Skeleton Sailors, Skeleton Goldsmiths, and Skeleton Laborers, who had become the main workforce of the Underworld Palace, while Golden Skeletons, Skeleton Archers, and Ritual Skeletons formed the core of the combat units.

It could be said that the Graveyard Mound was now the principal source of manpower for the palace.

Standing there, Liu Zhi transferred his knowledge of herbalism into the mound’s control panel, and a new labor-type undead was designed.

This herb-gathering skeleton, requiring only 30 experience points to create, was the least costly among all labor-type skeletons.

Their purpose was straightforward: Liu Zhi created them to gather the various herbs he needed from Golden City.

To prevent these herb-gathering skeletons from running back to the palace with just a couple of stems, Liu Zhi specially made them vine-woven herb baskets, so they could fill them before returning.

As for herb hoes and the like, there were none; skeletons were all bone, and the wear on their hand bones was of no concern, so they could simply gather by hand.

After assigning ten herb-gathering skeletons and some protective skeleton troops to Vidnina, Liu Zhi said, “I’ll leave the rest to you. I won’t be leaving the palace; I want to use this time to properly study alchemy and see if I can master the alchemist sub-profession before departing. The palace should be relatively safe, so just be careful outside.”

Vidnina said nothing, but she knew well that as a high-level undead like herself, leaving the palace always required Liu Zhi’s magic power; meaning that each day, she could only return to the palace if she brought back herbs.

Still, Vidnina knew what she needed to do now. She nodded to Liu Zhi, and with his assistance, took the undead and departed from the palace.