A year
A year passed in a flash.
The tribe of 15 000 Northern Barbarians had developped immensely. Be it the knowledge of farming, or construction, the living standards of the [Black Skull Tribe] increased by leaps and bounds. Every tribe of the mountain range had been assimilated under the Queen's fervent conquest, and with bigger territory, came an unprecendented flow of resources.
The laboratory of Shaman Drake's alchemical lab would be an enchanting and awe-inspiring space, brimming with mystical equipment and tools. Entering the lab would be like stepping into a whole new world, filled with all sorts of mysterious and arcane objects that seem to hold secrets beyond comprehension. The lighting within would be subdued, with candles providing flickering illumination that casts intricate shadows across the walls, making the space feel both inviting and ominous at the same time.
The lab would be divided into various sections, each dedicated to a different aspect of alchemy. In one corner, there would be a set of shelves filled with jars of rare herbs and plants, many of which would be unknown to anyone except for the most skilled alchemists. In another corner, there would be a collection of complex machinery and tools, designed to manipulate the physical world in ways that are beyond the capabilities of normal science.
At the heart of the laboratory would be a substantial table made of either stone or metal, which would be adorned with elaborate diagrams and symbols. This would be the central workstation of the lab, where Mage Drake would spend countless hours conducting experiments and mixing potions. The table would be surrounded by a variety of apparatuses, such as alembics, retorts, and crucibles, which would be used to distill and purify various substances.
Despite the cluttered appearance of the laboratory, everything would be arranged in a precise and organized manner. Shaman Drake would know the exact location of every tool, potion, and ingredient, and would be able to retrieve them with lightning speed. This level of organization would be crucial, as alchemy is a delicate and complex practice that requires extreme attention to detail.
Overall, the laboratory of Shaman Drake's alchemical lab would be a place of wonder and mystery, where the boundaries of science and magic blur and blend together. Anyone who entered would feel a sense of awe and respect for the incredible knowledge and skill that went into creating such a space.
Sensing that the potion was ready, Drake quickly extinguished the flame with his magic power.
[Beep! You have successfully brewed a [Minor Body Strengthening Elixir]. Purity - 65%]
Seeing this, Drake smiled with satisfaction. The best alchemist in the Moonfall Family was not even able to brew the most basic potions without wasting dozens of sets of ingredients. Not only his biochip allowed him to brew potions with a consistant success rate of nearly 15%, the purity of the potions he made far exceeded the standards of beginner alchemist.
With a nearly endless flux of resources, Drake could invest the entirety of his time in alchemical research. Every day, he would experiment on new recipes, new simulations to better optimize recipes he had gotten from Moundir's inheritance of a higher-ranked necromancer.
[Name - Drake Moonfall | Age - 18 Years Old
Race - Human / Wereraven
Demonic Raven Bloodline (Stage I) - 31% Purity
Attributes:
Strength - 6.3 (+4.5) | Agility - 4.2 (+3.5) | Vitality - 8.5 (+4.5) | Magic Power - 13.9
Perks: Demonic Raven Bloodline (Stage II: +1.5 Strength, +1.5 Agility, +1.5 Vitality), Grand Knight Physique (+3.0 Strength, +3.0 Vitality, +2.0 Agility), Sword Aura (Sword-related attacks deal 60% more damage)
Skills: Moonfall Knight Swordsmanship (118), Alchemy (38), Magical Knowledge (68), Etiquette (45), Archery (65), Architecture (60), Horsemanship (40), Cartography (26)...
Spell: Demonic Raven Vision (85), Shadow Touch (42), Demonic Raven Forcefield (33), Shadow Claws (12), Shadow Wolf Spirit (8)
Artefact: Sharpness Ring (Low-grade)]
Besides physical training and daily meditation which raised his physical stats, Drake earned the respect of the whole tribe by concocting potions that could cure the ill, and strengthen the warriors. He was elevated from his status of 'slave' to the status of 'revered and mysterious honorary shaman'. Even the Queen started to treat him with respect, and allowed him to inherit part of the shaman knowledge.
Daily meditation was faster than before, and it seemed that with higher bloodline purity, he had gained higher talent. From what he could see, Drake was rivalling the growth of upper grade 3 talents!
As a result, he learned two spells: [Shadow Claws], an offensive spell that allowed to turn his fingers into powerful shadow-elemental claws. While his offensive power was inferior with claws than it was with a proper sword, it was a convenient trump card to possess in case he lost his weapon.
As for [Shadow Wolf Spirit], it was a powerful summoning spell that allowed him to invoke a shadow wolf spirit which possessed an elemental body, strong tracking skills and beginner-rank magical beast strength, with above-average agility and elite stealth. It was a very convenient skill.
He also had access to dozens of other spells, but he could only learn so much in one year.
Of course, this growth of power could not compare to his growth in alchemy, which was nothing short of extraordinary. In a single year, he had achieved a realm of expertise that even the most talented genius would have reached in a decade.
It was time to return.
Taking a chest filled with more than a hundred vials, Drake called forth Arthur, his most loyal subject, someone who readily put his life on the line to save him from the pink snow battle.
If Drake grew stronger from this time in the Black Skull Tribe, then Arthur had an awakening of his own. The newly advanced knight had turned into a peak-rank knight who was nearing the Grand Knight Realm, having access to Drake's body strengthening elixirs and body tempering methods.
Naturally, there was no way that the Queen would let go of him after he showed so much promise to the tribe, but it is not like a peak Grand Knight could seal her movements. With his shadow wolf spirit leading the way, Drake effortlessly escaped from the Mountain Range, leaving behind a year's worth of memory, his precious laboratory and a tribe he helped developping and strengthening, his actions unknowingly giving it centuries' worth of research.
After leaving the mountain range, he felt a strange sense of nostalgy...
He had left the Ivory Tower three years ago, yet so much happened in between. He had killed a necromancer, offended his uncle, built a fortress out of a small city, founded a knight order, hunted an intermediate-rank adult Giant Python that could have single handedly destroyed cities, nearly annihilated the army of a Count, lost his comrades, recovered from this ordeal, helped to unite the northern barbarian tribes, solidified their technology, established himself as an alchemist and learned two shaman spells.
Most people would not live so many intense experiences in a lifetime, yet all of them were condensed in three years. Drake could no longer be called a teenager. He was an intermediate rank acolyte who was nearing the advanced rank.