So Even You Were In The Dark!

"Who?" Yvonne asked curiously.

"Nicole Flamel!" Burke said slowly.

Ivan was struck by the name!

Other than this legendary alchemist who had lived for over six hundred years, there was no one else.

At the time of Nicolas Flamel's birth, the method of making a time-changer was still in existence, and it is likely that he had studied it.

Ivan, however, was immediately discouraged. Burke might as well not have said anything, as he knew that a master alchemist of Nicolas Flamel's calibre was out of his league.

Not to mention, Niko had recently destroyed the stone that made the Elixir of Life, and Ivan wasn't even sure if Niko was still alive.

With that in mind, Ivan pushed his probing thoughts aside and took out a protective ring from the pocket of his wizarding robes.

Due to Burke's recent good behaviour, Ivan would often loosen the ropes binding his wrists when discussing alchemy with Burke, otherwise it would be difficult to draw while teaching.

Ivan wasn't worried about Burke's sudden outburst, as he didn't have a wand or any of his original magical tools.

"You're done? Already?" Burke asked as he picked up the protective ring Ivan had left lying on the floor. He looked at it for a moment, then realised that Ivan had turned the plan they had discussed into a reality and produced a finished product.

"Of course!" Yvonne said, nodding confidently.

After studying it for a while, Burke figured out that Ivan had set up a sensing mechanism in his protective ring that would knock the wearer out if it received a magical fluctuation.

Why not kill?

Burke understood. If they killed all the Aurors at once, who would uphold the rule? Therefore, they only needed to get rid of the diehards and the rest would naturally surrender…

"Well?" Yvonne asked.

"Exquisite," Burke said. "If I hadn't known you were tampering with this ring, I'm afraid even I wouldn't have been able to tell." He was impressed with Ivan's ability to learn, or perhaps his talent for alchemy.

In just a little over a week, the other party had absorbed and understood the knowledge he had taught and was able to put it into practice.

Burke had never met anyone so well-rounded, and generally one's energy was limited, especially in one's youth, when one usually achieved something and was bound to share it with others.

However, Ivan seemed to be an all-rounder. Burke remembered that this young wizard in front of him was the inventor of the Wolf Venom Potion, and that he must have been extremely accomplished in potion-making.

Combined with his exceptional skill and skill in alchemy, Burke would not have believed such a person existed had he not seen him with his own eyes.

After sighing to himself, Burke turned his attention back to his research, reminding Ivan that the location of the secret door could be more discreet.

It would be best to hollow out the inside of the ring and engrave the magic words inside. This way, unless the other party deliberately destroyed the ring, it would be difficult to find any clues…

They discussed the matter for the rest of the afternoon, and it was not until dinner that Ivan used his wand to reinstate Burke.

Burke knew he had not yet earned Ivan's trust, so he was patient…

…

"Have you been looking for Burke again?" Alicia asked Ivan as he left the room where Burke was being held.

"Yes! Mr Borgin gave me a lot to think about…" Yvonne mumbled as she grabbed a cream pastry from the table.

"What if he's lying to you?" Alicia asked worriedly, rubbing Ivan's hair.

"Alchemy is always true, anyway. I showed you my notes, didn't I?" Ivan shrugged, not really caring.

He only had to use the system's proficiency prompts to determine if Burke had intentionally misled him during their exchange.

Not to mention the fact that Burke seemed to have imagined something so extraordinary that his attitude took a 180-degree turn.

Ivan was still confused and didn't dare to ask any questions, afraid that Burke would ignore him if he found out…

As she looked at Ivan's confident face, Alicia didn't know what to say.

As for the notes Ivan had mentioned, Alicia had naturally read them. They contained information on alchemy that Ivan had carefully compiled, and she had learned a lot from them.

Even so, Alicia still wondered if there was a plot.

Burke shouldn't have been so kind as to teach Ivan so much about secret alchemy… but then again, Alicia didn't say it out loud. She was going to get it out of Burke herself!

Unaware of Isiah's thoughts, Ivan ate his lunch and was dragged off to the training grounds by Walker.

Ever since his near-death experience at Borgin's and Burkes, Walker has been desperate to improve his skills, and has been begging Ivan for help.

Ivan, considering that he had promised Walker he would take the time to teach him the spell, readily agreed, taking Hermione with him.

It was all teaching anyway, and Ivan didn't care how many people studied…

Before leaving, Yvonne made sure to remind him.

"Mom… remember to bring Burke something to eat later. Don't let him starve!"

Ethia nodded and cleared the table with a wave of her wand. She then took a bowl of porridge and some shortbread to the room where Burke was being held.

Crack …

The sound of the door opening caused Burke, who was napping in the corner, to open his eyes. He expected to see Ivan, but instead, he saw a hostile-looking Alicia.

"What are you trying to do, Burke?" Alicia asked sternly, setting aside her plate and gripping her wand.

Burke's face showed his confusion, not quite understanding what Alicia was saying.

"That knowledge of alchemy is supposed to be valuable, and you're just going to impart it to my children unconditionally? Don't tell me you're looking for an heir because you know you're going to die soon…" Alicia said sarcastically to Burke.

Alicia was well aware of the depth of her ten-year-long feud with Burke, which was why she didn't believe he would be so kind.

"You're asking me what I'm trying to do?" Burke's expression turned quizzical.

A moment later, Burke grinned, a grin that sent a chill down Alicia's spine.

As Isia frowned and was about to explode, Burke stopped laughing. He stared at her for a moment, then spoke with absolute certainty.

"So even you were kept in the dark…"