Chapter 84

However, it's fine now, since I'm already here...

I might as well do what President Meng Qi asked me to do, and take the opportunity to teach these alchemists of the Gilded Rose what true potion alchemy is!

Hawkins shook his head somewhat helplessly, hoping it wouldn't waste too much of his time.

"I came here today because I heard that the Gilded Rose has made very impressive achievements in alchemy potions. The Hope Potion they released not long ago is hailed as the most miraculous alchemy potion in Thousand Sails City in the past decade. Hehe..."

Hawkins paused here, but that "hehe" was filled with disdain and mockery.

"Great Alchemist Hawkins, what brings you to the Gilded Rose today?" Farrow knew he had to step forward at this moment.

To be honest, if it were in the past, seeing someone like Hawkins, Farrow would have turned around and left without a second thought. What a joke, to oppose a Great Mage and a Great Alchemist with his identity as a 9th-level mage and an alchemist? That would just be asking for trouble...

In fact, at the Black Horn Auction House, Farrow always did this.

When it came to reading the room and adjusting his behavior accordingly, no one in the entire Black Horn Auction House was more skilled than Farrow.

After working at the Black Horn Auction House for so many years, Farrow had only made one mistake, and that was when he encountered Lin Yun...

But today, Farrow didn't leave...

"Who are you?"

"My name is Farrow, an alchemist at the Gilded Rose. Back when I was at Okland Academy, I attended several of your lectures."

"Oh, Farrow, I'm sorry, I'm getting old and my memory isn't as good as it used to be." Hawkins smiled, but his smile carried a hint of disdain.

Hawkins was only in his forties, far from being old. He said this just because he didn't want to talk much to an alchemist. As a Great Alchemist, it would be embarrassing to meet an old acquaintance in a foreign place and talk to an alchemist...

Saying his memory wasn't good was just a polite way of saying, "I don't know you, so don't act like we're familiar!"

Unfortunately, Farrow was far from as perceptive as Hawkins imagined...

After Hawkins mockingly said his memory wasn't good, Farrow still acted as if he hadn't heard the implication, remaining abnormally enthusiastic.

"I never thought I'd meet Great Alchemist Hawkins in Thousand Sails City. By the way, you mentioned coming to the Gilded Rose for technical exchange? That's great, Great Alchemist Hawkins. After attending your lectures at Okland Academy, I've always admired your vast knowledge. If you have some free time, could you give me some guidance?"

"That, Farrow, I'm very busy right now." Hawkins' expression was already a bit sour. Damn it, didn't you hear me say my memory isn't good? Can't you tell I don't know you?

"That's not right, Great Alchemist Hawkins, didn't you say you came to the Gilded Rose for technical exchange?"

"Yes, so what?"

"I introduced myself just now, I'm an alchemist at the Gilded Rose..."

"I..." Hawkins almost choked, really wanting to pull Farrow's ear and ask if he understood what technical exchange meant. He was here to ruin their reputation and embarrass them, not to travel all the way from the Black Tower, receive a pile of precious magical materials from President Meng Qi, and then come to the Gilded Rose to guide him.

Calm down, calm down...

Hawkins took a deep breath, constantly telling himself to stay calm.

He was a Great Alchemist, and losing his composure in front of an alchemist and a crowd of onlookers would be a loss of face for the Black Tower.

Forget it, it's just a bit of guidance.

A twenty-something alchemist, how much advanced alchemy knowledge could he have? He could guide ten of them easily.

Fine, a bit of guidance, and he could use this opportunity to show everyone just how poor the alchemists of the Gilded Rose were. They dared to boast about creating the most miraculous alchemy potion in Thousand Sails City in the past decade. Pfft...

"Alright, Farrow, ask your questions quickly, I'm really busy."

"Thank you, Great Alchemist Hawkins." Farrow eagerly pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket: "Look, Great Alchemist Hawkins, this formula is missing a key piece of data. I've been calculating for months, but I haven't gotten any results. Could you help me solve it?"

"Sure, let me see..." Hawkins took the paper indifferently and started looking at the incomplete formula.

After a minute, Hawkins frowned slightly.

After ten minutes, Hawkins' expression became serious.

After thirty minutes, Hawkins pushed through the crowd, found a table, and started calculating with a quill pen.

After an hour, sweat started to appear on Hawkins' forehead.

After two hours...

Well, after two hours, it was Farrow's turn to become impatient!

"Great Alchemist Hawkins, have you calculated the result?"

"Just a moment..." Hawkins wiped the sweat from his forehead, his quill pen moving rapidly across the paper. One sheet of paper wasn't enough; in front of him were dozens of sheets filled with various symbols.

But the more he calculated, the more powerless Hawkins felt. This damn Farrow, where did he get this incomplete formula? It was like a maze, no matter how hard he tried, he just kept going around in circles. He couldn't even get a single peripheral data point, let alone the final result...

"Great Alchemist Hawkins, it's getting late. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

With a "snap," Hawkins' quill pen broke...

"Someone, go get Great Alchemist Hawkins a new quill pen, and bring him a blanket. He might have to stay overnight."

"Sure, Alchemist Farrow." Haus knew he was being called without even asking, and quickly replaced Hawkins' quill pen. But when he brought the blanket, he noticed the Great Alchemist's gaze was filled with anger, making him hesitate about whether to hand it over.

"Don't worry, Great Alchemist Hawkins, there's still plenty of time. Take your time with the calculations."

Farrow's face was sincere, but inside, he was already laughing. What a joke, a Great Alchemist, thinking he could do anything. He dared to come to the Gilded Rose for a technical exchange, not realizing whose territory this was. Now he knows, a formula casually given to me by Great Mage Merlin for practice can exhaust him to death.

Hawkins' quill pen "scribbled" across the paper, and the hall was silent except for Farrow's occasional concerned questions. All the onlookers were filled with curiosity, wanting to know what kind of formula could make a Great Alchemist like Hawkins spend the entire morning calculating.

Only Farrow truly knew why...

This formula was given to him a few days ago by Great Mage Merlin for daily practice. Farrow remembered that Great Mage Merlin had said, "When you complete the calculation of this formula, you can consider how to advance to the Master level."