Chapter 137
The necromancer, without saying a word, dragged Garrett Nordmark away, complaining incessantly along the way. The complaints only ceased when they entered the necromancer's tent. He pulled out a leather chest from beside the bed and dumped its contents onto the table.
"These are all my spoils of war! Come on, take a look and see if there's anything you can use. Just take it!"
In the candlelight, various rings, necklaces, and amulets sparkled, making one wonder if he had raided a jewelry store.
Garrett opened his mouth in astonishment. He glanced at Linde Ferrell, then at the pile of items on the table, and back at Linde. How many people have you killed? It's been less than a month since the war started, and you seem to have been on a killing spree instead of being a scout!
"Can't decide? Or don't recognize them?" Seeing Garrett's surprised expression, Linde took the initiative to introduce:
"This ring should have a 'Cold Resistance' enchantment, quite useful. I already have one; you can take this one.
I'm not sure about this amulet, but judging by the magic circuits on it, it seems to be an offensive divine spell. You can give it a try.
This necklace carries the power of light, which I can't use, but you probably can..."
Garrett couldn't refuse fast enough. He was about to randomly pick something, even if just to be courteous. However, when his gaze swept over the pile of items, his heart skipped a beat.
"Wait! What's this?"
Linde followed his pointing finger and saw a bottle of inconspicuous dark purple powder, faintly shimmering in the candlelight, revealing a scaly metallic sheen. Linde nonchalantly explained:
"Purple Scale Stone, an alchemical material. I don't know how it ended up herethis thing is not very useful, and if left unattended, it turns into a lump of black ash. Interested? Take it if you want."
"I'll take half." Garrett cradled it like a treasure, examining it from all angles. The color, shape, and sheenall were familiar to him, from middle school to college. When he saw this thing, his intuition shouted four words:
"Potassium Permanganate! Potassium Permanganate!"
This substance is not stable in nature; it easily decomposes, and no one knows which deity synthesized it. If it really is potassium permanganate, it would solve a significant problem for him.
Garrett asked Linde for a brown bottle, carefully poured half of it in, sealed the bottle, and handed it back. Linde didn't take it, so Garrett insisted, shoving it into his hands:
"This stuff is useful! If it's what I think it is, it will be incredibly valuable! Hey, come with me. Once I confirm it, I'll tell you how to use it!"
Linde followed him outside, weaving through winding paths, back to Garrett's residence. After clearing the table, Garrett dragged out an alchemy box. When he turned around, he saw Linde sitting there bored, so he handed him a stack of papers:
"These are my recent research findings. You can read these first. Oh, and this is a microscope; play with it while I conduct experiments. I'll call you when I have results!"
Linde was caught off guard, receiving a pile of articles with titles he had never seen before. Without delving into them, he shouted:
"Did you publish these?"
"Some are published, some aren't! Just read them first!"
Busy setting up stands, alcohol lamps, and various beakers, Garrett didn't look back. Linde couldn't get his attention and had to start reading from the first article, "Observation of Cork, Onion, Meat, and Blood Using a Homemade Microscope." As he read, it felt like he had fallen into a rice jar, unable to hear Garrett's humming anymore.
Indeed, Garrett was humming. The experiment of heating potassium permanganate to produce oxygen he had done it in high school. But now, to recall the details, he needed to sing along rather than just recollect:
"Fifty-six ethnic groups, rising valence~~~" No, that's not right, wrong lyrics, let's try again;
"Fifty-six elements, rising valence," put down the stand;
"Fifty-six brothers and sisters oxidized," put down the alcohol lamp, find something to elevate it;
"Fifty-six acids and bases, summed up in a sentence," put the water basin on the other side of the stand;
"Potassium Permanganate, Potassium Permanganate, Potassium Permanganate!" Fill the gas collection bottle with water and invert it into the basin.
Hmm, now it's time to heat it. Garrett sang more joyfully, with a slightly higher pitch:
"Potassium Permanganate, method for producing oxygen," scoop a bit of potassium permanganate powder, put it into the test tube, cork it with a rubber stopper and glass tube;
"Potassium Permanganate, heat with cotton wool," remembered, remembered, first stuff the cotton wool inside;
"Potassium Permanganate, tilt the test tube slightly," no problem, adjust the angle, secure it on the test tube stand;
"Potassium Permanganate, during the experiment, do not touch the test tube with your hands, or your skin will be oxidized!"
Oh no, remembered this line just now! He used his hands to hold the test tube just now... on his hands... his skin... touched a bit of potassium permanganate powder! Quick, rinse with water!!
Garrett frantically washed his fingers. Fortunately, the subsequent experiments went smoothly, and gas bubbled out of the tube, filling the bottle in no time. Garrett lit a small piece of wood, shook it until only a spark remained, held his breath, and stabbed it into the mouth of the gas collection bottle:
A bright flame!
Pure oxygen!
"Yeah!" Garrett cheered. The necromancer lifted his head in confusion, and Garrett waved at him with a smile, then took a small handful of potassium permanganate powder and put it into another test tube. Holding the tube, he focused his mind, outlining the spell model through meditation.
In every fire-based magic, there are two basic configurations: one to gather "ignition essence," and the other to filter the "good air" that attracts the ignition essence.
After his modifications, the filtering configuration pointed to the test tube, while simultaneously adding a spell configuration to heat the test tube to a certain temperature. Well, he had previously improved this magic using mercuric oxide for heating, which consumed a lot and took a long time. Luckily, he found potassium permanganate!
Three!
Two!
One!
Fire Spark Spell!
Ignite!
A crackling sound of ignition. The faint, originally capable of igniting only paper and dry leaves, Fire Spark Spell burst out much brighter on the muddy ground in the center of the tent!
Even the necromancer was startled by this. Linde lifted his head from the paper, looked at Garrett, and used his gaze to inquire what had happened. Garrett came over with a happy smile:
"I improved a spell! Let me tell you about it!
Oh, and read the article 'Demonstration of the Essence of Combustion through Heated Mercury.' Quickly, read it! After you finish, I'll tell you how the magic works!"
Reading articles, observing experiments, and then studying Garrett's drawn spell model chart, Linde tried hard to remember and meditate. The spell model wasn't difficult for Linde the mage, but understanding the article, grasping the principle of combustion, and then reaching the train of thought for a new spellthis was quite challenging. Garrett conducted experiments and explanations tirelessly, almost drying up his saliva, and Linde finally started to understand a bit.
Over an hour later, two mages were carried away by barbarians, one in each hand, sneaking out of the military camp like the wind, heading far outside the camp to test their magic.
Fire Spark Spell!
Incredibly bright sparks.
Burning Hand!
A bright white, intensely powerful cone-shaped flame.
Flame Sphere Spell!
The burning fireball flew far away, exploding in the sky with the power equal to a higher-level Fireball Spell!
Linde, the mage, stared at the fireball, dumbfounded. When he could finally speak, every syllable of his speech trembled:
"Garrett, do you... do you know what you've given me?!"
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