Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Elder Colton

An eighteen-year-old Level 3 Beast Master and a senior blacksmith? No one would believe that!

As the master-level blacksmith and president of the Forging Masters Guild, Xavier had seen many talents, but he was a bit perplexed at this moment. Both blacksmithing and alchemy required substantial time and effort.

He had only seen a talent like Charles's once before! Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Of course, all of this hinged on whether Charles could pass the senior blacksmith certification.

If Charles was merely a mid-level blacksmith, it would be understandable—someone with some talent in blacksmithing.

With this in mind, Xavier suggested, "How about this: tomorrow you take the senior blacksmith certification exam directly! I happen to have enough time to personally evaluate you."

Charles's eyes lit up; this made things much easier, and he was confident about the senior blacksmith exam!

Regardless, the purple-quality [nine netherworld armband] was forged by him personally, which at the very least reflected his status as a senior blacksmith!

"Sounds good! I'll come back tomorrow," Charles replied, then turned to leave the Forging Masters Guild with Catherine.

As they left, the atmosphere inside the guild became lively.

"Eighteen! A senior blacksmith? Let me slap you and see if you're dreaming!"

"Shouldn't you slap yourself instead?"

"I'm afraid it'll hurt."

"Get lost! What was the name of that young man again? I doubt he'll pass the exam; he's too young!"

"I don't think they mentioned his name. What does it matter? You didn't believe he could complete the purification in half an hour!"

Xavier didn't linger, taking the [mystic iron] that Charles had upgraded to the second floor.

A girl with long hair down to her waist, dressed in a short skirt and little shoes, leaned against the railing. She had clearly witnessed the earlier scene.

"Grandpa, do you think he'll pass tomorrow's exam?" the girl eagerly asked as Xavier approached.

"Most likely, just based on his hammering technique, he has a chance," Xavier replied. He actually hoped Charles would pass the exam; this way, Genosha would gain another genius blacksmith!

"Really? What's his name? I want to tell my grandpa about it," the girl asked, curious.

"Let me check. The registration form says his name is Charles," Xavier replied.

...

"Charles?" In the alchemist guild, Owen watched as his granddaughter chattered excitedly about the interesting encounters of the day.

The name sounded familiar; it seemed there was a young man named Charles who participated in the alchemist exam yesterday. Owen had even considered taking him on as a disciple.

"Yes, Grandpa! That person is named Charles. Have you heard of him?"

"I've heard the name, but it's probably not the same person. It could just be a coincidence," Quentin said, looking affectionately at his granddaughter, Camilla.

Camilla blinked her big eyes and said cutely, "Grandpa, if you're free tomorrow, could you come with me to see? I'm really curious if he can pass the exam."

Quentin thought for a moment. He had things to do tomorrow and was about to decline when he saw the eager look in Camilla's eyes. He quickly changed his mind, saying, "No problem, Grandpa will go with you tomorrow. It's also a good chance to meet your other grandfather."

"Yay! You're the best, Grandpa!" Camilla's cheer filled the entire room.

Meanwhile, at Cyber Academy, in the competition arena, Charles swiftly took down an opponent. He now had two points, and tomorrow he would face an opponent with the same score.

Facing opponents who had won two matches in a row, Charles knew they were not to be underestimated. Catherine, on the other hand, had been coasting through the competition, not truly engaging in any real battles.

Although it was easy for her, Catherine wasn't satisfied. She craved the thrill of fighting strong opponents and didn't enjoy the victories over weaker ones at all.

"Don't worry, tomorrow morning's opponents will definitely be stronger. You might even face someone on par with you, allowing for a good fight," Charles reassured her. Having spent enough time with Catherine, he understood her well.

"Alright, Charles. I'm heading to the training room now. You should get some rest since you have the forging exam tomorrow," Catherine replied, her mood lifting from his comfort.

"Okay, I'll head back then," Charles said, turning toward the dorm.

"Wait," Catherine called out, her bright blue eyes filled with sincerity and gratitude. "Thank you for helping me pick out my gear today."

Charles thought she was calling him for something important, but it was just that. "No problem, I'm heading back now."

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

After parting ways with Catherine, Charles returned to his single dorm room. He didn't rest; after a quick rinse, he summoned his alchemy furnace to continue his attempts at refining the Revival Pill.

He had a hunch that he might be able to craft a green-quality [miracle drug] tonight!

First attempt failed, second attempt failed, third attempt... After repeated failures, he gained a list of considerations and attention to detail. By 8 PM, Charles took a deep breath and pulled out a second-tier [Resurrecting Serpent] beast core. After so many trials, he felt confident that he could create a [Revival Pill].

"With a competition tomorrow morning, my opponents won't be weak," Charles thought. He knew that as the competition progressed, the opponents would become increasingly formidable. He estimated he might face the Empire's second princess, the general's son Zachary, or possibly Catherine.

Each of them had rich combat experience, and without being able to use equipment, he would be at a disadvantage with only two mystical beasts.

If he could craft a green-quality [miracle drug] tonight, he might even be able to contract a third mystical beast, boosting his strength!

As [Bone-Achingly Cold] appeared, Charles began the crafting process for the [miracle drug].

Separation, potion, tools, cold fire...

Charles skillfully manipulated various instruments in the alchemy lab, making not a single mistake! Finally, the green-quality [miracle drug], [Revival Pill], was successfully crafted!

[Revival Pill]: A restorative [miracle drug] that can quickly heal injuries in a short period.

Looking at the Miracle Drug in his hand, Charles couldn't wait to call Hale.

"Teacher Hale, I did it!"

"What did you succeed at?" Hale's voice sounded bewildered; he could hardly imagine that in just a few days, Charles had refined a green-quality Miracle Drug.

"I made the green-quality Miracle Drug from the recipe you gave me," Charles replied.

"What? So soon? Are you in your dorm? I'll come over right now!" Hale exclaimed, quickly summoning his mystical beast and activating Beast Mastery to head toward Charles.

A minute later, Hale stood in front of Charles, still shocked as he examined the Revival Pill in his hand. He felt like he was dreaming; Charles's speed was simply unbelievable.

"Could it be that you're a true alchemy genius?" Hale murmured to himself.

Charles didn't catch that and asked curiously, "What? Teacher Hale, what did you say?"

"Nothing. Charles, the elder should still be awake. Come with me; I'll take you to see him." Hale didn't want to waste any more time; he knew Charles needed to hurry.

The delay with the third mystical beast had already cost Charles a lot of time. He needed to obtain that emerald-quality mystical beast cub to enhance his strength.

In the night, Hale led Charles swiftly to a bamboo grove within Cyber Academy.

"Elder Colton, are you resting?" Hale called out from outside the grove.

An aged voice came from within the bamboo grove, "I thought it was someone visiting me at this late hour. Turns out it's you, Hale. Come in."

The dense bamboo seemed to understand human speech, slowly parting to reveal a narrow path before Charles.

"What is this?" Charles had never seen such a scene; walking along the path, he felt as if the bamboo on either side was alive.

As they reached the innermost part of the grove, they found a two-story wooden cabin. An elderly man with a head full of white hair stood there, stooped and waiting for them under the warm light.

"Hale, what brings you here at this hour?" the old man inquired.

Hale replied respectfully, "Elder Colton, I came because there's something important. Someone has fulfilled the bounty you posted."

Upon hearing Hale's words, Colton's murky eyes focused on Charles, and he said, "So, it's this young brother who has refined a green-quality Miracle Drug?"

Hale nodded and began the introduction, "Elder Colton, this is Charles, the disciple of Uncle Ezra."

"Charles, this is Elder Colton, a top-tier alchemy master, just a step away from becoming an alchemy grandmaster."

"Alright, enough introductions. Even if you're Ezra's disciple, if you don't meet the requirements, you won't be getting any mystical beasts from me," Colton said, turning his gaze to Charles. "How old are you?"

Charles answered, "Elder, I'm eighteen years old."

"Eighteen?" Colton took a couple of steps forward, extending his hand and signaling for Charles to place the Miracle Drug in his palm.

Charles placed the Revival Pill he had refined into Colton's hand.

Colton brought it close to his nose and took a sniff. The murkiness in his eyes began to clear, becoming bright with interest. "Not bad, this is indeed a green-quality Miracle Drug, and freshly refined," he nodded. "However, there are still rules to follow. Charles, if you can refine it again in front of me, that Wind Falcon will be yours."

Wind Falcon? Is that the name of the emerald-quality mystical beast?

Charles nodded and followed Colton into the wooden cabin, preparing to refine the Revival Pill once more.