Dinora pounced on Solgwylen, and they both tumbled to the ground, entangled in a scuffle. Ge Zheng quickly patted the table, "Alright, stop it. Dinora, I have made up my mind. I will make a new weapon for you after dinner." Just as he mentioned dinner, Solgwylen felt hungry again and shouted, "Dunke, our chef, why isn't dinner ready yet?"
...
In terms of materials, Ge Zheng obtained a lot of materials from the Royal Materials Warehouse during the last alchemy competition; anyway, they were free. Diora doesn't demand much from her weapons, she would like to have a quasi-sacred weapon, but it's clear that the woman warrior also understands that making a quasi-sacred weapon is not easy, and the materials are expensive. She feels guilty for demanding Ge Zheng for a quasi-sacred weapon. However, even though she did not ask for it, Ge Zheng cannot casually forge a weapon for her. Ge Zheng does have some good materials but does not plan to use them. It's not because Ge Zheng is stingy, but because he was deeply moved by the power of the Longdongdao ring he saw the last time. He used to think that his current level had reached the barrier of the quasi-sacred weapon and could not improve any further. But after seeing that supreme quasi-sacred weapon, he changed his mind: he still has a long technical journey to reach the real quasi-sacred weapon. Creating a good work with good materials will not help Ge Zheng improve his skills; creating a good work with ordinary materials will help him further improve his skills, just like a warrior can only progress by continuously challenging stronger opponents. There are dozens of ordinary materials in front of him, all of which he obtained from the last alchemical competition. The quality of these materials is very good, and he wants to use them to create a quasi-sacred weapon for Diora. The design of this weapon has been planned out, but there are still a few unresolved issues. Ge Zheng sits cross-legged on the ground, flipping through one magic book after another in his hand. Recently, he has been using his identity to borrow all kinds of books from the college library, magically copy them, create new magic books, and then return the originals. In a short time, the library's collection has increased by a quarter. Ge Zheng is not facing a small problem, but a famous proposition in the history of alchemy: the theory of the king's seal. On his first day in the alchemy department, he encountered Mars and Emons arguing about this proposition. Usually mild-mannered Mars becomes aggressive and sharp-tongued when it comes to scholarly issues, and so does Emons, who is usually a good person, not arguing or fighting over anything, but once it comes to academic issues in alchemy, he is willing to fight. The maximum number of layers of magic circle seals in alchemy works is nine, and human alchemists cannot exceed this limit. But according to Ge Zheng's plan to complete this work, he needs at least ten layers of seals. At his current level, he really doesn't have the confidence to do that. After reading many books opposing the "king's seal" proposition, no one has actually been able to break it in practice. After learning from the opinions of his predecessors, Ge Zheng decided to implement it in his own way. Anyway, he has plenty of materials, and they were not bought, so he treats it as an experiment, not caring if he fails. The flames in the furnace began to burn, and the fire armor magic spread over them like moss on a stone castle. Ge Zheng used real power to drive the flames, which continued to rise to the second level of the golden realm. Ge Zheng had already calculated the proportions of the raw materials, which was crucial. They were then sent into the furnace, and the slowly melting metal solution began to bubble like magma. Diora did not request any magical attributes; for a violent female warrior, magic is just icing on the cake. Ge Zheng decided to abandon magical attributes and used all the magic in the sword for durability and sharpness by using an ultra-level ten-layer metal magic circle spell, allowing the sword to reach an indestructible state. Metal circle magic is an obscure subject, and even the library in Dongsheng Academy has few records on it. Ge Zheng realized that he couldn't use a nine-layer magic circle design for what he wanted to achieve. He felt that he was facing a similar problem now. It was a renowned problem in the history of alchemy: the king's seal theory. On the first day in the alchemy department, one of the alchemists had raised the proposition. The main problem was that it was impossible to make the tenth layer of magic seal in a skillful manner, especially without enough space. Ge Zheng sat on the ground, exhausted. Without his real power support, the flames slowly extinguished, and the materials in the furnace became waste. After wiping away the sweat and resting for a moment, he prepared a new batch of raw materials and started a new attempt. This time, he was careful from the beginning. The first few layers of the magic circle seal were perfect, taking as little space as possible, leaving more space for the final few layers of the seal. This meticulous attitude yielded results. After three consecutive failures, Ge Zheng finally successfully completed the ten-layer magic circle seal. A cold air emerged, and the solution cooled in an instant, accompanied by a dense white mist. Ge Zheng smiled in satisfaction, not only because he had cracked the "king's seal" proposition, but he also felt that after this alchemy, his mental power control had improved. The stunning blade emerged from the roaring lion's mouth, the hilt was carved into the shape of a lion's body. The blade was broad and firm, exuding authority with its soft curves. The blade tip was unique, resembling an axe and a spear, and a dark scorpion nestled on the blade, its sharp tail hook pointing to the tip. Diora swung it a few times, immediately loving the new weapon, and gleamed talk about her affection for the weapon. Since Gronia wasn’t present, it lessened the awkwardness. Nonetheless, Ge Zheng thought to himself about the significance of this weapon in the history of alchemy on the continent. Solvegwinden approached and expressed dissatisfaction with the lion motif on the hilt. Most weapons on the continent are adorned with dragons, emblematic of strength. However, Ge Zheng did not disclose his true thoughts. He mused that in the future, with someone like Diora, she would undoubtedly be a lion with a title.
Dinola happily hugged her knife, saying, "Come here, my dear, let sister hold you. Let's go to sleep..." She wanted to hold the knife just like she would hold her child, pressing her face against the blade, murmuring in a lovey-dovey manner. Solgwilin furrowed his brow, "Disgusting!" Dinola ignored him, "I've decided to name this knife: Darling! From now on, it's my darling!" Gezheng said, "Hand it over, let me erase my badge from it." Solgwilin sprayed the water he had just drunk out of his mouth and burst into laughter, holding his stomach. Dinola, annoyed, said, "What, is my chosen name not good?" Gezheng said, "Regardless, this is my work, so I should have the right to name it, right?" Dinola pursed her lips, "Well, what do you want to call it then?" Gezheng wasn't good at naming things, but he was confident that whatever name he came up with would be better than Dinola's cutesy name. "Let's call it... Tiger Shark!" Gezheng suggested. "Tiger Shark?" Dinola grinned, "That name is not bad either. My darling will be called Tiger Shark." For some reason, Gezheng saw Dinola's smile just now and felt that perhaps this name suited her better.
"Tiger Shark darling, let's go to bed," said Dinola as she went upstairs with her knife. Comins stood at the door, "Sir, there's an orc and a beautiful elf lady looking for you." Gezheng had already guessed who it was and smiled, "Please let them in." As soon as Baoweil entered, he complained, "Alchemist, you moved and didn't even tell us, making it hard for us to find you." Gezheng slapped his head, forgetting to inform them after moving out of the inn. "If we hadn't occasionally heard about it at the Giant Sword Magic Bar, we still wouldn't have found you by now," Baoweil said. Emma smiled as she looked at him, with a strange look in her eyes.
"Comins, go and have Dunk prepare two drinks," Gezheng welcomed them to sit down, "I'm sorry, I overlooked it. There's been too much going on lately, and it got chaotic when things got busy." Emma sipped the juice made by Dunk and her eyes brightened, "It's delicious!" Baoweil rubbed his hands, "Hehe, Alchemist, we need your help." Gezheng generously said, "What can I help with?" Bringing up business, Emma put down her cup, "I need a batch of magic arrows, preferably with a wand as well. Oh, that's for Duke. However, our mercenary group is tight on funds at the moment, and we hope you will allow us to defer payment. When we complete this mission, we will definitely return the principal and interest to you." They were all old acquaintances, and Emma was straightforward without the pleasantries.
Gezheng's eyes widened, "That's a lot?" Emma candidly said, "This mission is crucial for our mercenary group, and we are going to invest heavily in it." Gezheng said, "This equipment isn't cheap. My current status isn't like it was in the city of Wish Mountain. This equipment alone needs at least three thousand gold coins." Baoweil nodded, "No problem, but... "he scratched his head in a simple manner, "hehe, we can only owe for now. The boss said that when we complete the mission, we will pay you an additional ten percent." Gezheng smiled mysteriously, "I have a better plan." "What plan?" Baoweil was still naive. "I'll provide you with all the equipment your mercenary group needs for free, and I will also provide five thousand gold coins for your mission, but, I want thirty percent of all the gains from this mission," Gezheng said.
There is a type of adventure broker on Earth who raises funds for adventurers and takes a cut from their adventures. Gezheng didn't know of the existence of this profession, but when he saw Baoweil and Emma not batting an eye at thirty thousand gold coins, he immediately understood that the rewards for this mission were substantial. "Additionally, we will have Solgwilin help you," Noroden arrived at just the right time, adding to Gezheng's plan. Gezheng felt somewhat embarrassed, "It seems that's not necessary..." but Noroden looked at him and said, "Business is business." Gezheng shrugged, "Well, when it comes to business matters, you have the final say." Baoweil and Emma exchanged glances, with Emma saying, "We can't decide privately. We have to tell the boss."
Gezheng said, "Okay, I'll wait for your news." ...
Unknowingly, it took four days to craft "Tiger Shark," and he had to teach his students tomorrow, but Gezheng's "perfect work" had not yet been crafted. After dinner, he stayed up all night and crafted a piece of work. Although time was short, crafting a magic weapon was child's play for Gezheng.
Sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, breathing deeply as the eastern sun rose, he transported and manipulated Qi, holding firm to his senses. Despite a night without sleep, when Gezheng leaped up, he was still full of vitality.
At home, watching Dinola and Solgwilin have a breakfast battle, Gezheng stuffed his work into a square-inch money and rushed to the school to teach.
The cold winter had not yet passed, and the morning air seemed to cut like countless tiny ice knives into his nostrils. He kept meeting his students on the way, politely greeting them, and Gezheng nodded in response.
A group of young girls came walking over, and Gezheng, seeing the man in the middle, couldn't help but smile. He waved and called out, "Old man Tomi!"
Old man Tomi was walking with a group of female students, with a mischievous smile on his face, although it was winter, everyone dressed warmly, but each young woman's figure still couldn't escape the gaze of the old pervert's eyes.
"Oh, it's you." Tomi's face looked a bit off, and Gezheng thought he still remembered what happened that night and was about to tease him, but then he realized that Tomi's strange look wasn't aimed at him. It was directed behind him.
"Help me distract him," old man Tomi muttered to Gezheng, then slipped past the two female students' sides, leaving the female students giggling.
Gezheng then heard the sound of military boots behind him. As he turned around, a neatly dressed Victoria walked towards him.
"Hello, Professor Victoria," Gezheng greeted, but she glared at him fiercely and snorted, "You seem very familiar with that old lecher, walking hand in hand. Hmph!"
Gezheng could only sigh as Victoria, the head of the Comprehensive Department, walked away with brisk, crisp boot steps, leaving behind the sound of boots. The ringing of the magic bell signaled the end of Gezheng's ordeal.
Pretending not to notice the expectant eyes of the students, Gezheng walked into the classroom. He opened his lecture notes and began teaching. After a long discussion, he finished the content of the class and asked, "Alright, does anyone have any questions?"
Looking below, it seemed that Gezheng had given a lecture in vain. Everyone was just waiting to see Gezheng's work, and no one had the heart to listen during this class.
Rodi sat in the front row, and next to him was Pelin Murphy. Prince Eldonhos, the Fourth Prince, sat in the left corner of the first row.
"Teacher, we have no more questions, we can't wait to know what the perfect alchemy is!" Rodi said sarcastically.
Gezheng smiled, "Well, Rodi, bring your work up." Rodi's family controlled the empire's largest iron ore field and could afford a storage ring.
He walked up to the podium and took out his proud piece from his storage ring. Although last time he was pointed out by Gezheng with three shortcomings, but after he got back, he had his family's master alchemists appraise it, and they all thought that this piece, within the constraints of the year-end grand exam's material limits, could be called "perfect."
The brilliance was radiant, with vine flower patterns; although not his first time seeing it, the classroom still echoed with a round of admiration. It was indeed a work by the second best alchemist in the alchemy department.
Rodi put down his work and returned to his seat, challengingly looking at Gezheng.
Gezheng was solemn, turning his wrist, a helmet also appeared in his hand.
Completely different from Rodi's helmet, Ge Zheng's work is simple and unadorned, with no fancy decorations, just the simplest style. However, when this work appeared, a fierce and intense killing intent spread through the classroom, causing some timid female students to shake uncontrollably!
Even with its simple appearance, this helmet completely overshadowed the colorful radiance of Rodi's work. Beside this helmet, the helmets on the ground were like stars next to the moon, dim and concealed just like the host by the side, keeping a low profile.
"That's perfection!" Someone exclaimed. In an instant, everyone understood: perfection does not mean how beautiful a work is, but rather the effect achieved matching the work itself.