#610 - Life Refining (asking for monthly ticket recommendation ticket)

After a brief investigation, Anduin finally understood the truth about the so-called [Snake Shedding Potion].

Strictly speaking, creating an elixir of life isn't as simple as just brewing a potion; it's divided into two parts: an alchemical ritual and potion making.

The most important part of this is a ritual called [Life Alchemy] recorded in the notes. During the ritual, a living creature whose life force needs to be extracted is placed on an alchemical array engraved with Life Alchemy runes.

Then, the array is activated to extract the life force from the creature. This output, containing a large amount of life energy, is referred to as [Unstable Life Essence] in the notes.

After extracting this life essence, it can be used as the main raw material, along with appropriate excipients, to concoct the so-called elixir of life.

At the same time, in addition to clearly recording the method of brewing the potion, the notes specifically mention that the life essence extracted using this relatively crude array contains a certain degree of toxicity.

Although the elixir of life made from this raw material can indeed prolong life, it also causes some significant side effects, such as mutations after long-term use, and weaknesses like the snake shedding period.

This is because the magic and life force within all magical creatures are infected by emotions and will. These wills are not eliminated during the [Life Alchemy] ritual, but are instead transferred to the 'unstable life essence', forming a byproduct called 'thought toxins'.

Moreover, Anduin discovered that, as he had previously suspected, humans can indeed be used as raw materials for Life Alchemy. However, intelligent creatures like humans, due to their rich emotions, produce more 'thought toxins', resulting in very poor quality life essence.

This is probably why Runewen Snake never considered using wizards to make potions.

Therefore, in Anduin's eyes, the so-called Snake Shedding Potion seems like a semi-finished product. Judging from the tone of the original owner's notes, they seemed dissatisfied with the potion's effects, almost disgusted.

But the original owner probably never imagined that the trash in his eyes would become a treasure in the eyes of Runewen Snake and the Silver Spear club leader.

"So, this thing that looks like an altar is the so-called Life Alchemy array? No wonder I can sense a strong bloody aura on it." After some research, Anduin understood the truth about the so-called elixir of life, realizing it was an alchemical product.

Anduin has always avoided potions with obvious side effects and unethical implications, let alone now that he sees so many hidden side effects.

However, the knowledge contained within is something Anduin greatly desires, especially the so-called Life Alchemy array. It would be very useful for enriching his knowledge base or drawing inferences.

But at the same time, Anduin was worried about another matter. After his Dark Annihilation evolved into a Sacred Artifact, it seemed to have the ability to extract magic and life force from enemies and feed it back to him.

Although, proportionally speaking, the amount of feedback isn't much. Even a guy with amazing physique and magic power like Runewen Snake only gave him a little over two hundred points of magic power上限.

But this is indeed directly extracting life force from creatures. Does the energy fed back to him also contain the so-called 'thought toxins'?

If it's really as recorded, wouldn't his improvement from Dark Annihilation also have hidden dangers? Anduin doesn't want to become like Runewen Snake, with a somewhat abnormal mind and body.

But when receiving the magic and life force feedback from Dark Annihilation before, he didn't feel any abnormality at all. The energy gave him the impression of being very pure.

Therefore, although Anduin doesn't plan to make an elixir of life, he probably needs to study this so-called Life Alchemy array in depth. At least, he needs to compare whether the [Unstable Life Essence] is consistent with the energy he obtains from Dark Annihilation.

Anduin could feel that the life energy transformed by Dark Annihilation was probably much more advanced than the life essence created through the Life Alchemy ritual. Maybe he could even upgrade the Life Alchemy array into a higher quality form.

However, these studies will have to wait until later. Right now, he needs to take stock of his gains.

Anduin didn't linger in this room. He had already obtained the array's blueprint, and he would find a way to transport the existing array away later.

After leaving the room on the left, he went straight to the room on the right of the entrance. According to Beaumont in the portrait, this should be Runewen Snake's vault.

After pushing the door open, he saw hundreds of exquisitely carved wooden shelves, but most of them were empty. It seems that, as Beaumont said, many supplies have been transferred to the club's vault.

Anduin carefully checked along the shelves, and then he saw more than a dozen bottles of finished elixir of life, enough for at least several years of use. It seems Runewen Snake also knows how to save something for himself.

Secondly, in more shelves, there were a large number of magical animal by-products, including magical animal fur, bones, teeth, etc., that could be measured in tons. These should have been stripped after completing Life Alchemy.

Because the hair of many animal skins looked dull and lifeless, it was obvious that they had lost their vitality. But after inspection, Anduin found that although these leather materials were not as good as the raw materials directly stripped, the quality was still acceptable, at least there was no big problem in using them to produce alchemy props.

In addition, there were many magical animal resources such as Fizzing Whizbees on the shelves, but that was about it overall.

Galleons? Not a single one.

Alchemy materials? Not a single one.

"There are fewer things in here than I thought. It seems the bulk is still in the headquarters. After clearing out the things here, I'll go and take over the Silver Spear headquarters by the way."

Anduin shook his head helplessly, then turned around and walked out of the room. At this time, Xia Tiya and others also entered the basement and were quietly waiting in the hall.

"Master, the upper level has been quite thoroughly destroyed. I didn't find any Muggle works of art, but there are quite a few magical animals that are still alive and were stunned on the edge of the valley. They probably didn't have time to escape before. I have collected them all into the suitcase." Xia Tiya reported to Anduin with a grin.

"Very good. There are a large number of magical animal products in the room behind me. You transport them all away and place them in warehouse No. 3 of the experimental building. The space inside should still be enough." Anduin pointed to the door behind him and instructed.

Just as Xia Tiya took the order to prepare to act, a cry of surprise suddenly came from beside her.

"How can there be vampires and magical animals? Could it be that you are really not Goodwin?" Beaumont in the portrait stared at Anduin and his party, with an unbelievable expression on his face.

"It's none of your business. You broken painting was left in this ghost place by Runewen Snake, so you must not be a good thing either." After saying that, Xia Tiya tilted her head and asked Anduin, "Master, how about we burn them all with a fire later?"

Anduin shook his head when he heard this, "Let these portraits decide for themselves. Although they are just portraits, they are all celebrities from hundreds of years ago after all. Let's give them some final respect."

"Goodwin is dead! Goodwin is dead!" Beaumont did not pay attention to what Anduin and others said, but shouted loudly, instantly awakening the other portraits in the hall. Then these magical portraits started talking to each other, as if they were sharing the joy in their hearts.

"Master, we seem to be ignored..." Xia Tiya looked at the pile of self-talking portraits and muttered speechlessly.

"Then we can ignore them too." Anduin chuckled, "Go to work first, and then come to the room in the middle to find me after you're done."

After saying that, he was too lazy to pay attention to these noisy portraits and plunged into the room directly opposite the entrance with a clear goal.

This Runewen Snake's private library is much larger than the other two rooms. The interior looks like it has been expanded with Undetectable Extension Charms. There are actually two floors, and the bookshelves are almost endless.

However, after a brief review by Anduin, he found that the information in the library was quite complex. A large part of it was actually various newspapers and periodicals from the last hundred years.

At the same time, a large number of entertainment books from the Muggle world were also collected on the shelves, such as world famous books, etc., and Anduin even saw gossip magazines from various countries.

In addition, books related to wizards are also all-encompassing, including various wizard autobiographies, travel notes, and even recipes.

It seems that Runewen Snake, who has lived for hundreds of years, is really bored enough. He may have relied on these books to help him pass the long time.

Anduin spent several hours in the library, along with Xia Tiya, who came to join him later, to roughly classify these books.

They were divided into 'useless' pure entertainment Muggle and wizard books, 'possibly useful' wizard newspapers and periodicals, 'not very useful' various past academic journals, and 'useful' magic materials.

After being subdivided, Anduin found that these materials were still very rich, and the 'useful' content alone could fill dozens of bookshelves.

At the same time, Anduin also accidentally found Runewen Snake's personal notes, and there were as many as six large boxes of them. Most of them were the other party's diaries, which recorded a lot of content related to the club.

As for the personal magic research that Anduin was most concerned about, Runewen Snake recorded very little content. Unlike wizards with outstanding talents such as Phoenix and Thunderbird, Runewen Snake had almost no original magic research of his own. The magic he was good at was almost all obtained from others and then learned later.

This includes the gravity magic that Anduin is most interested in, and the spells he had seen before.