Chapter 53: The Professional Qualification Examination

“It’s me.”
Seeing the elderly man descending the stairs, Dodo took the initiative to answer. She paid no mind to the murderous glare from the woman beside her.

“Oh?”
The old man seemed momentarily stunned when he saw Dodo. An unusual gleam flickered in his eyes, a hint of delight flashed across his face—though it disappeared almost at once. His steps faltered for a second as he came down the stairs.

Seeing this, Luo Yong knew immediately that he was once again the object of someone’s interest. In such a small place as the Ruiba Camp, where the standard of alchemy was mediocre and most people lacked the discernment to recognize Dodo’s true identity, it should have been safe. Yet, judging from the old man’s expression and reaction, Luo Yong was nearly certain he had recognized Dodo as a rare Alchemical Sprite.

Which meant, the old man was no ordinary character.

This could very well be another headache.

His gaze slid sideways to Sally—it was she who had started all this in the first place!

“Well, well, well, it’s been quite some time since I’ve conducted an assessment for a new applicant!” The old man, having reached the bottom of the stairs, strode over and moved unobtrusively to Dodo’s side. “Is this young lady the one here to be assessed in alchemy?” he asked.

Dodo nodded vigorously, her earnestness making her almost unbearably adorable. Not just the old man, even Luo Yong—

He found himself wondering: if a Celestial Angel, life-sized and standing before him, would create a similar scene.

Ahem.

“Then you’ve come to the right person!” The old man, regarding Dodo with satisfaction, nodded and smiled warmly. “My expertise in alchemy is second to none! Hahahaha…”

“And you are?” Luo Yong seized the moment to inquire.

“Hmph, you must be blind not to recognize the great Master Alchemist, Bill Radov!” snapped the woman beside him. She spoke to Luo Yong with icy disdain, yet turned to the old man with a fawning smile, as if he were her own father.

There was something unsavory in all this. Still, in terms of professional competence, few could rival her.

“Never heard of him,” Luo Yong replied flatly.

“You—!” The woman’s finger trembled with rage as she pointed at him, her entire body shaking.

The old man, too, betrayed a flicker of surprise, though his smile never wavered as he continued to scrutinize Dodo. An outsider might have mistaken him for a lecherous old fool.

“Frog in a well!” the woman snorted. She seemed to restrain herself on account of the old man’s presence, otherwise a scene might have erupted.

“If it weren’t for Master Bill, today I’d—both you and you!” She stabbed her finger at each of the three in turn. “I’d see all of you expelled from Ruiba Camp!”

Luo Yong found himself thinking that wasn’t such a bad idea. He intended to leave with Sally anyway, and this would give him a legitimate reason. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have wasted time registering an alchemy workshop—squandering gold, diamonds, and precious hours. He might as well have stood outside and hurled insults; the result would have been the same.

As Luo Yong mused, the old man waved a dismissive hand. “No blame to the ignorant. I rarely make public appearances; it’s only natural they wouldn’t have heard of me.” He appeared magnanimous.

But to Luo Yong, the implication was clear—he was being called a bumpkin who hadn’t seen the world.

“You’re quite right, sir. There are simply too many famous individuals in this world. Take, for instance, the legendary mage in Borengai—though we haven’t heard news of him in ages, I still hope to visit and broaden my horizons.” Luo Yong smiled slyly. He caught a twitch in the old man’s features before they smoothed over again.

“Haha, it’s getting late. Let’s get to business and begin the alchemy assessment.” The old man shot a glance at the woman, then turned and led the way to a side room.

Normally, the mercenary guild’s hall had no alchemy chamber, but since the old man’s arrival, a spacious room had recently been set aside for alchemical use—now, it would serve as their examination hall.

“I’ll do my best!”
Without waiting for anyone else, Dodo cheered herself on, pumped her fist, and marched into the alchemy chamber.

Luo Yong and Sally tried to follow, but the woman blocked their way. “No unauthorized personnel allowed!”

Luo Yong squinted at her for a moment, but chose, for now, to swallow his irritation. Clearly, this woman had never received proper workplace training.

Inside, the old man laid out some ingredients on the table, while Dodo stood opposite, two beakers in hand, pouring liquid back and forth in a manner quite unlike ordinary alchemists.

The woman looked on, completely baffled.

The old man’s eyes, however, shone ever brighter. He kept changing the materials on the table, eager to gauge just how advanced Dodo’s skills truly were.

“She’s already reached a professional standard…”
After some observation, the old man nodded and shook his head intermittently, though the smile never left his face.

Though separated by a pane of glass, Luo Yong caught a naked glint of possessiveness in the old man’s eyes.

Damn it!
What kind of world was this, where everyone seemed eager to take advantage of him? Some coveted his equipment, others his wealth, and still others—

Ahem.

With that thought, Luo Yong quietly activated the Celestial Angel, hidden beneath his cloak. He dared not let anyone notice. Who knew if the old man would play dirty? If Luo Yong was caught off guard, he could suffer grave consequences.

As the saying goes: “Do not harbor ill intent, but never let down your guard.” The old man might not be a combat specialist, but that didn’t mean he was defenseless; the two were not the same.

And if it came to a fight, Luo Yong wasn’t sure he’d win, unless—

Unless he risked everything, using a tactical scroll to raze the guild hall to the ground. But there might be an anti-magic array here, restricting spell use, which would be a disaster.

As Luo Yong kept a calm façade, his thoughts spun in a thousand anxious directions. Time ticked on, minute by minute.

The old man, facing the alchemical sprite Dodo, seemed almost intoxicated, endlessly varying the tests, drawing out the assessment far longer than necessary.

But he deliberately ignored this, consuming batch after batch of alchemical materials, as if tireless.

It wasn’t until—

Sally gently tugged at Luo Yong’s sleeve, signaling her fatigue, that Luo Yong realized his patience was wearing thin.

“Master Bill, has the assessment concluded?”
Ignoring the woman’s impatient attempts to stop him, Luo Yong called out several times.

He knew the old man could hear, but was pretending otherwise. Did he really dare forcibly keep Dodo here?

After Luo Yong’s repeated shouts, the old man finally seemed to hear him. He halted the endless experiments and looked at Luo Yong with poorly concealed anger. Though he controlled himself well, Luo Yong was quick to notice.

This old man was likely to cause trouble in the future.

“The assessment went smoothly. Dodo is very skilled—she’s reached a professional level and can work as an alchemist.”
His voice was cool as he said this, then he turned to Luo Yong. “I hear you registered an alchemy workshop?”

“Yes, but it’s a minor affair, not worth mentioning,” said Luo Yong.

“Indeed, not worth mentioning,” the woman echoed flatly. She simply couldn’t understand why such an eminent figure would take any interest in a little girl’s alchemy test.

Could it be—

Ahem.

“Well, young people should have dreams. It’s good, and should be encouraged.” The old man chuckled.

Yet Luo Yong, who saw through it all, heard only empty platitudes in those words.

“When can Dodo register as an alchemist?” Dodo asked.

“Right now! Go, quickly—get it done!” The old man’s attitude toward Dodo was clearly different from his manner with others.

Soon, Dodo completed her registration and became a junior alchemist.

“It’s getting late, and the child is tired. We’ll be heading back now.” Luo Yong thanked the old man and led Dodo and Sally away, heading for an inn within the camp.

“An alchemical sprite—the perfect assistant for an alchemist. Every practitioner dreams of such a tool, with unmatched potential for growth…”
“To think, in such a small place, I would encounter one…”
“How can I make her mine…”

As Luo Yong and his companions walked away, the old man followed them to the doorway. When no one else was around, he muttered softly to himself.

Although Luo Yong hadn’t been in this world long, he was well aware of its dangers.

Alchemical sprites were, after all, a kind of item—once bound, they couldn’t be stolen. But one could never guard against “death drops.”

The odds weren’t certain, but even a chance was too much to risk.

At the inn, Luo Yong paid a deposit to secure comfortable lodgings for a while. Yet once inside, he didn’t rest. Instead, he stowed away the alchemical sprite, hoisted the weary Sally onto his back, and activated a teleportation scroll, leaving the place at once.

He simply dared not linger.

He hadn’t expected so much trouble—the very thing he’d hoped to avoid by following proper procedures. In the end, it had all come to nothing.

Luo Yong realized he was now in someone’s sights. If he didn’t run, he might not live to regret it.