Above the mage!

Chapter 590 The Last Piece of the Puzzle

【Green Vine Dew】is a second-tier magic potion, a top-tier upgrade magic potion that Gao De obtained from the Sea Sentinels using military merits before advancing to the second ring.

Even in a resource-rich land like the Plantagenet Dynasty, it was enough to attract countless people, and its preciousness needs no further explanation.

After discovering that Lady Flora was a natural potion master, Godard tried to get Flora to deduce the potion formula for Green Vine Dew.

However, since the Northern Plant Vault is still in its initial stage, it is still a long way from being fully formed.

Therefore, Flora has never been able to find the corresponding magical plants for some of the medicinal properties.

This led to a stalemate in the deduction of the magic potion formula for [Green Vine Dew], causing it to be delayed again and again.

Unexpectedly, Leni came from behind and deduced the magic element reaction formula of [Weak Green Vine Dew] first.

Gao De put down the parchment and picked up another parchment that Leni had attached, examining it carefully for a long time.

It was covered with formulas and deduction steps for the flow of magic essence.
After reading it, he was lost in thought for a long time, I don't know what he was thinking.

Five or six minutes later, Gao De slowly put down the parchment scroll in his hand, which recorded the detailed derivation process of the magic element reaction formula. He let out a long breath and exclaimed out of the blue, "Genius! Genius!"

In Gao De's view, quantitative potion science is a great new system in the field of potion science.

Therefore, when he noticed the signs, he specially took Sunefa to Vallar Bay overnight to meet Leni Thornton.

After confirming the existence, practical significance, and feasibility of quantitative potion science, he did not hesitate to treat Leni Thornvine as a top talent.

But after that, Gao De didn't really pay much attention to Leni's movements.

The reason is simple: he knows that building and perfecting a new knowledge system framework is a long-term and often unsung project.

Countless days and nights of tedious deduction and hundreds or thousands of failed experiments are all necessary steps on the path.

Not to mention that Leni was all alone.

Therefore, Gaode had long been prepared for Leni to produce nothing for at least one or two years.

But the truth is that he was still somewhat empiricist, habitually using the intensity of scientific research in his previous life as a basis for judging the "research progress" in this world.

In a world where extraordinary powers exist, Leni, as a formal mage, possesses energy and physical strength that are unmatched by ordinary people.

In addition, they also have some superior abilities in terms of memory and comprehension, not to mention that they have potions and spells to help maintain and restore their energy.

Coupled with Leni's almost obsessive passion for quantitative potion science and Flora's superhuman assistance, a lot of trial and error time was saved.

Therefore, the progress in completing the quantitative potion system has far exceeded Gaode's predictions:
In just over three months, the core framework of quantitative potion science has been completed and entered the stage of organization and archiving.

What's even more "outrageous" is that, in addition to this, Leni also managed to complete a small "project".

Of course, this "small" is only relative to the quantitative potion system; it is not small in itself.

Because Green Vine Dew is not only a second-tier potion, but also a highly regarded potion for upgrading the potion, the secrecy and complexity of its formula are enough to deter any experienced potion master.

Phoenix's development is progressing at an astonishing pace.

Every day, new stone houses rise from the ground, and new roads extend into the distance.

Those dilapidated, drafty houses that were once messy were demolished one by one during the reconstruction project, and replaced by spacious, bright, and neatly arranged stone bungalows, lined up along the wide streets.

But Leni's residence was not one of these stone houses in the city, but an old house in a remote suburb.

This is definitely not because of a housing shortage in Phoenix.

Even though Phoenix continues to attract a large influx of new residents, it shouldn't be so desperate that it can't even afford a single vacant house.

The main reason is that Leni needs to conduct a lot of experiments, and accidents are bound to happen during the experiments, which may affect the surrounding residents.

In addition, the experimental environment must be relatively independent and not easily disturbed by outsiders.

Given that the technology is not yet fully mature, a laboratory certainly cannot be located in the city center.

This is basic common sense for those in power, and it also provides dual protection for researchers and residents.

In fact, Leni actually prefers this somewhat "isolated" life, where she doesn't have to deal with complicated interpersonal relationships or worry about trivial matters.

Her daily thoughts and actions revolved around her beloved potions research; for her, the North was nothing short of paradise.

Aside from being a bit cold, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Although it's called an old house, it actually underwent many expansions to make it as convenient as possible for Leni's daily life and experiments, and the interior is quite a hidden gem:
The walls were reinforced and thickened, the floor was paved with non-slip obsidian slabs, and dozens of metal shelves were placed around the perimeter, with glass bottles containing various magical plants, ores, and potions neatly arranged on them.
In the center of the room was a huge white stone experimental table, with three flow channels embedded in its surface and precise markings engraved along the edges.

Specialized instruments such as precision measuring cups and constant-temperature crucibles are placed nearby.

All of this was designed according to Leni's requirements, in order to provide her with the best possible research conditions.

When Gao De entered this old house that was not what it seemed, he immediately saw Leni sitting next to the lab bench, head down, intently taking notes.

She wore a slightly oversized grey wolfskin robe with the cuffs rolled up, and held a quill pen with its tip suspended on a blank sheet of parchment, swaying slightly as she pondered.

On the lab bench, a medicine bottle was emitting a light red glow, and the liquid in the test tube was the same color, with occasional tiny bubbles floating upwards.

The laboratory was quiet, with only the soft scratching of a quill pen across parchment.

The environment here gave Leni a great sense of security, and coupled with her extremely focused state, she was completely unaware that someone had broken in.

Gaode didn't bother her, but just watched silently.

Only after she finished taking notes did she slowly raise her head, stretch lazily, and turn her slender neck slightly, making a soft sound.

"Your Highness?!" Just then, her gaze inadvertently fell upon Gao De, who was standing at the laboratory door.

Leni froze instantly, her eyes widening as if she were about to jump up, like a startled rabbit.

"Why are you here? No, that's not what I meant," she hurriedly waved her hands, her cheeks instantly turning bright red. She stood there, flustered and anxious to explain.

"What I mean is, how long have you been here? I was busy with something and didn't notice you. How rude of me!"

"It's alright, I just arrived." Gao De waved his hand, trying to keep his tone even as he reassured the frightened rabbit in front of him.

However, he also knew that this wouldn't work on Leni. For some reason, even though Sunefa had a cold face and never smiled at anyone, Leni could communicate with her relatively freely.

He was always kind, but Leni always seemed unusually fearful in his presence, as if she was afraid of doing something wrong.

So, Gao De decisively got to the point, "I came here today because I saw the news you reported. I heard that you deduced the magic element reaction formula for [Weak Green Vine Dew]?"

Once her research findings were mentioned, Leni immediately got into the zone, and most of her nervousness dissipated.

She quickly crouched down, took out a bottle of pale green, clear potion from a box under the lab table, and carefully handed it to Gao De with both hands.
"Your Highness, this is the [Weak Green Vine Dew] that I created based on the magic element reaction formula. Lady Flora has already tested it and confirmed that it has 30% of the medicinal effects of the [Green Vine Dew]."

"Thirty percent of the drug's effectiveness," Gao De repeated softly.

The Green Vine Dew can increase the success rate of upgrading the ring by 40% and the efficacy by 30%, which is 1.2%.

This ratio is not high.

But the key point is that even if the weak-effect Green Vine Dew has no outstanding medicinal effects, it is still a potion for upgrading magic!
"Looking at the detailed records you attached, all the magical plants used to prepare this weak Green Vine Dew are Tier 1 magical plants?" Gao De further confirmed.

"Yes, the Green Vine Dew is the most complex potion I have ever encountered. It requires a total of ten kinds of magic elements, and the amount required for each kind of magic element is not small."

"At first, I also considered zero-tier and second-tier magical plants, but after considering the cost-effectiveness and feasibility, I found that only first-tier magical plants were the most suitable."

Leni explained earnestly, "Although some zero-tier and second-tier magical plants also possess these magical elements, such as the toughness magical element, the second-tier magical plant, the Serpent Blood Vine, can indeed provide it. However, the Serpent Blood Vine also possesses twelve units of burning magical element, which is even its main magical element, while the toughness magical element is only four units."

"Fuel is a commonly used element for making fire-elemental potions, and using it to make a weaker version of Green Vine Dew would be too wasteful, so I won't consider it. Instead, I'll choose the first-tier potion, Iron Vine."

"The zero-tier magical plant Silverleaf Grass also contains magic-guiding element, but only one unit. Green Vine Dew, on the other hand, requires twelve units of magic-guiding element. If we were to use Silverleaf Grass, it would mean adding twelve parts of Silverleaf Grass, which would introduce too many impurities and affect the potion's formation. Also..."

“You did a great job.” God interrupted Leni’s explanation and praised her generously. “You considered both whether the potion could be formed and how to make good use of resources. You are an excellent potion master.”

Upon being praised so directly by Gaode, Xiao Lani immediately became nervous again, her face slightly flushed, unsure of what to say.

"Do you know what kind of magic potion the Green Vine Dew is?" He looked at little Leni, who was bowing her head and fiddling with the hem of her clothes, and felt a surge of emotion. He tried to soften his tone as much as possible.

"Huh? What kind of potion is it?" As soon as she was asked a technical question, Leni forgot her nervousness and looked up at God with a blank expression.

She truly didn't know what the Green Vine Dew was.

All she knew was that this was a potion that God highly valued and that had troubled Lady Flora for some time. Out of a desire to help, she tried to deduce it.

Prior to this, Leni had only derived two magic element reaction formulas, both of which were for zero-level potions.

Of course, this was because the magic element diagrams she possessed were far too incomplete.

However, it is necessary to deduce the magic element reaction formula for a second-order potion, especially since it is the most complex ascending-ring potion among potions.

Even with Flora's help, Leni had already completed much of the magic element diagram, but it was still extremely difficult.

But Leni did it in the end.

Gao De looked at Leni, who had a blank expression, for a long time.

Perhaps the silence had lasted too long, causing Leni to start to tense up again.

“A potion for upgrading,” Gao De finally answered, “Green Vine Dew is a second-tier potion for upgrading.”

“It’s a Ring-Ascending Potion,” Leni instinctively agreed, then her senses returned, “A Ring-Ascending Potion?!”

“Yes, it’s the Ring-Up potion.” God said quietly, “Your achievement is remarkable and very important to the North.”

"No, no, no," Leni waved her hands repeatedly, ignoring her shock at such high praise. "I... I was just lucky."

"Moreover," Leni hesitated for a moment, then said, "According to Lady Flora, the weak Green Vine Dew made based on the magic element reaction formula only has 30% of the original potency as an upgrade potion. Isn't that a bit too weak?"

For a mage, upgrading their ring is of paramount importance, and every effort should be made to maximize the success rate.

A potion that only has 30% of the potency of a Ring-Up potion is questionable even for mages, so why would God say it's so important to the North?

Leni was a little confused.

"It's true that it doesn't significantly improve the success rate, but you've overlooked the most important point."

Gao De stared intently at Leni, "Even if its effects are insignificant, it's still a Ring-Up potion!"

Leni was still a little confused and didn't quite understand.

However, Gao De didn't explain further, because as long as they stayed in the North, Leni would naturally understand.

This is because it is closely related to the strategic policy he has been preparing to implement in the North: universal law.

This means providing almost free magic education to all people in the North, giving everyone the opportunity to become a magician.

This is not just a simple education program, but a strategic foundation for the future rise of the North.

Yes, most people don't possess outstanding talent as mages, and even if they receive mage training, it's difficult for them to become powerful mages.

But that wasn't what Gaode expected of them.

What he needs are basic mages who can support the operation of the country.

Imagine if the blacksmiths of the North could all master the [Repair] skill, their efficiency in repairing tools would increase several times over, and if farmers could master the [Purify Food] skill.
It doesn't take much; as long as the people of the North can learn two or three simple spells related to their professions through education and apply these spells to all aspects of production and life, the development speed of the North will skyrocket.

Moreover, quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes.

Just like compulsory education in the previous life, it seemed to simply enable as many children as possible to write and calculate.

However, as more and more people receive education, more and more scholars, engineers, and scientists emerge from among them.

The same applies to the education of mages in the North.

As long as the number of people receiving education is large enough, even if only one in ten thousand can become a high-level mage, when the number reaches hundreds of thousands or millions, the number of high-level mages will experience explosive growth.

Only then will the North truly have the confidence to contend with any power on this continent.

However, following his idea will lead to an unavoidable problem.

(End of this chapter)