The Cornflower Witch Chapter 226

Lantern Town, alchemy laboratory.

Under the watchful eyes of all the students, Dorothy leisurely walked among various alchemy instruments. She deftly adjusted and activated various glass apparatuses, where numerous materials reacted and then smoothly flowed into the next step of the reaction process.

In the seemingly busy laboratory, every process was meticulously monitored in Dorothy’s mind, proceeding in an orderly manner.

Unlike her usual lazy demeanor, the golden-haired genius alchemist, once in work mode, was exceptionally focused. Many symbols flowed in her pupils as she continuously manipulated potions and applied various runic imprints to orchestrate the reactions.

After about forty minutes, a small test tube of pale purple powder appeared in her hand. When Dorothy gently shook it, the powder inside floated lightly, like a fine mist.

Seeing her finish the preparation, the long-waiting students watched with curious eyes.

“Is this the finished product?” They wanted to know if it was successful.

“Exactly, but we still need to test its effect.” Dorothy turned and walked over to the students. Here, glass cages for restraining ‘gray mud’ were placed, some containing ‘gray mud’ and others empty.

The students cautiously opened the glass lids, while Dorothy put on special identification glasses. Then, she opened the stopper of the test tube and carefully sprinkled a small amount of powder.

The misty, smoky powder drifted into the glass boxes. Some showed no reaction, while others displayed flickering light spots on the inner glass walls, indicating the presence of minuscule ‘gray mud’ living organisms.

“The effect is good, but it still needs improvement.” Dorothy, holding a pen, continuously wrote down the thoughts that crossed her mind.

“The color of the reaction is too faint, not eye-catching enough. If it’s not a sealed environment, it can easily be blown away by the wind. A certain concentration is needed, otherwise, it won’t produce any effect…” She noted these shortcomings.

Over the next two days, Dorothy continued to improve until the appropriate sample was finally created.

“Lia, you try this one.” She called Hylial and had her test the effect of the newly made medicinal powder.

Because Hylial was the only one in the outpost capable of detecting all ‘gray mud’ traces on her own, only she could truly compare the effectiveness of the ‘revealing powder’.

“Okay,” Hylial replied.

After receiving the powder, she first mentally noted the ‘gray mud’ traces scattered on the large piece of glass in front of her. Then, she opened the bottle stopper and sprinkled the powder, allowing it to disperse and float.

Soon, these hidden ‘gray mud’ traces on the glass revealed subtle silver-blue gradients, a color rare in nature, making them exceptionally conspicuous.

Guided by these silver-blue gradients, other students used special alchemical powder to burn and eliminate the ‘gray mud’ on the glass. After several repetitions, when the powder was sprinkled again, no more silver-blue traces appeared.

“This will do,” Hylial nodded in satisfaction.

“Can we expand production?” Hylial looked at Dorothy.

“Yes, but there aren’t many raw materials to waste, and I’m too slow working alone. I need a capable assistant.” As she said this, Dorothy’s eyes were fixed on the young girl before her.

“Alright, I understand. You need my help, right?” Hylial could clearly see what was on her mind.

“Hehe, as long as Little Tia knows.”

…

The strong winds continued in the wilderness. The team dispatched from the town to contact the association’s headquarters returned with difficulty six days later.

“How are things?” Hylial asked, seeing the weary students.

“The message was sent, but according to the response, the association will need another one to two weeks to mobilize personnel and find a solution.”

“About what I expected,” Hylial said.

Hylial already knew the speed of the Woodland Association. Although they would act, it was difficult for them to move quickly, as notifying, coordinating, and communicating with various branches and organizations took time.

For the past two days, she and Dorothy had been working in the alchemy lab, producing the newly developed revealing powder. They needed two more days to complete the estimated quantity.

Three days later, the storm subsided. Hylial and Dorothy led a group of elite students from the town to Ironwall Cliff. By then, it had been 12 days since they sent out the message.

Riding their well-trained warhorses, the group galloped forward through the harsh weather, traversing the complex mountains and gorges within the Dark Mist Mountains, finally reaching their destination.

“Is this Ironwall Cliff?”

Hylial brought her warhorse to a stop and looked into the distance. On the iron-gray mountain walls in the distance, gray buildings, the same color as the walls, were dotted here and there. Some flickered with faint lights at night, appearing and disappearing.

“Yes, the tall buildings on both sides of that gorge are the outpost here. It’s said that nearly 1600 people were originally stationed there, spread out along the long cliffs,” a student replied.

“Let’s go.”

The group continued to ride, ascending the steep plank road along the side of the gorge, then reaching the mountain ridge on the cliff. They traversed the winding road, like a long wall, until a day later, they finally arrived at the high cliff outpost they had seen from afar yesterday.

“Who are you?” the soldier guarding the outpost’s plank road asked, raising his torch. His voice was weak.

Hylial stepped forward, pulling back her hood to reveal her beautiful features and silver hair. Then, she took out the badge confirming her identity.

“I am a representative from Lantern Town Outpost. I came to assist after receiving your plea for help.”

“Assistance?” He probably understood what was going on, but he shook his head.

“The situation at Ironwall Cliff Outpost is dire. Over half of our members are gravely ill and unable to move. The remaining few are barely holding on. If you come in, you’ll likely get infected quickly and only add to the burden inside.”

“Don’t let our current state fool you. In reality, we few are the only soldiers left in the outpost who are still clear-headed and energetic enough to guard this place,” he replied from the tower, where a few other people, all looking exhausted, had also appeared.

“Every night, before sleeping, we burn down the inner and outer buildings, and since we all are ‘Blazing Sun’ extraordinary beings, we can use special breathing techniques to raise our body temperature and resist this unique plague.”

“If you come in, without our conditions, you will only cause trouble.”

“I know. After saving that knight, I realized the peculiar nature of this ‘gray mud’,” Hylial explained, then, remembering something, she took out a letter.

“This is Knight Zalia’s letter, and the ‘revealing powder’ we brought. He outlined the situation in his letter. Please give it to the outpost commander; they will understand.”

Hylial tossed the items, and the soldiers on the tower caught them. They looked at the letter and the powder, then tested them a few times. Apparently satisfied with the results, they informed Hylial below.

“We will report this to the commander as soon as possible, but we still cannot let you in. This is actually for your own good. Please go to the bend on the east side of the mountain path. There’s an abandoned small camp there where you can take shelter. If there’s any news, I will inform you immediately.”

“Alright, please hurry.”

Hylial led her team away for the time being, while the soldiers guarding the plank road dispatched a few men to rush to the nearby outpost fortress.

They advanced through the harsh environment, holding their torches high. The flames, amidst the swirling snow, were like tiny dots, giving the illusion that they could be extinguished at any moment.