Chapter Forty-Three: The Crimson Sky Cloud Vessel

Raymont was thoroughly satisfied with every aspect of the flying vessel’s design. He was especially fond of the way its red hues shifted under varying light, and the exquisite ornamental details. For nearly an hour, he caressed the craft as tenderly as one would a beloved.

Qi Xiao, unable to watch any longer, cleared his throat to interrupt. “Senior, perhaps you should give your new vessel a name.”

Raymont seemed to awaken from a dream, muttering in a daze, “A name… ah, yes, a name…”

He fell into deep thought, and seeing that he was on the verge of another hour’s contemplation, Qi Xiao promptly interjected with a suggestion. “Why not call it Crimson Cloud? It may not seem obvious now, but when it soars through the sky, delicate, gauzy clouds will naturally gather around it, tinted by the Scarlet Flame Crystals to resemble the dawn—a truly beautiful sight.”

Raymont’s eyes held nothing but the flying vessel, and he smiled foolishly. “A fine name. Let’s call it that.”

Qi Xiao truly couldn’t bear the scene any longer. He hurried Raymont and his flying vessel away, not even bothering to collect the alchemy fee, deciding to deliver the bill once Raymont regained his senses. He planned to rest in his quarters before returning to his work—there were debts to be paid.

He already had ideas for Senior Rocco’s headband, but there was still no progress on Feng’s potion; his research into potions was yet too shallow.

Yara was about to return to Blossom Isle, and Qi Xiao intended to craft her a small parting gift. To be fair, he decided to prepare something for Demote as well.

Afterward, it would be time to forge a new, high-quality alchemical artifact. It had been a long while since the last, and the excitement had faded—just as well, since next time he would also be interviewing the wizards who had applied for the position.

Though there was much to do, Qi Xiao proceeded methodically, handling each matter in turn.

Senior Rocco had helped him greatly, and Qi Xiao was determined to repay him sincerely, without the slightest perfunctory attitude.

He first retrieved the fluorescent mushroom specimen he had prepared long ago, ever since agreeing to forge the headband for Senior Rocco. Now, it would serve its purpose.

Qi Xiao began by weaving the base of the headband from mithril wire, ensuring it fit snugly to the head with suitable flexibility. He then inlaid the fluorescent mushrooms within the mithril framework, filling the skeleton with a thick mushroom material often used in construction, shaping it into the form of a finished hairband.

He sprinkled mushroom powder over it, using a special adhesive to secure the materials and preserve their form and position.

Finally, he inscribed magical patterns onto the surface of the headband. Though the mithril wire made the process easier, the small surface area made it a challenge to fit the magic patterns. Fortunately, he succeeded in the end.

He tested the effect. As he’d originally intended, the primary purpose of the headband was to enhance mental strength, grant natural healing, or improve communication with nature.

The results were close to his expectations: the headband heightened the wearer’s perception, allowing them to sense their surroundings with greater clarity. At crucial moments, it could also release medicinal powder, granting ongoing healing—though the wearer would need to replenish the supply themselves.

Satisfied, Qi Xiao then crafted two custom alchemical devices for Yara and Demote. They might not be particularly rare, but each was well-suited to its recipient.

He set aside Feng’s matter for now, as he truly had no solution. He had a vague sense that Feng would eventually become a free wizard and leave the organization—likely due to his brother’s illness.

Qi Xiao pored over blueprints and manuscripts. At the level of fine-quality alchemical devices, whether potion formulas or artifact schematics, each one was immensely valuable. Even Midiel, an avid collector of books, possessed just over a hundred such alchemical blueprints—now, all in Qi Xiao’s hands.

That number was already remarkable, considering Midiel was no alchemist and had acquired them only by collecting broadly, without specific intent.

Hesitating among three blueprints, Qi Xiao eventually selected the one depicting a helmet and set the other two aside.

Unlike the engraved bracelet from before, which had barely qualified as a fine-grade artifact through clever tricks, this helmet was a true piece of craftsmanship, able to provide excellent protection and detection in a direct wizard’s duel.

Helm-type alchemical devices always revolved around augmenting mental power and providing protection—the same applied to the headband he had made for Senior Rocco.

For this very reason, Qi Xiao’s first two attempts had ended in failure. In the midst of these efforts, Raymont had returned once to pay the remaining balance, and Qi Xiao had received a reward from the system.

[Congratulations on successfully completing an alchemical commission. You have received a reward—Level 2 Cantrip: Shaping Hand.]

Qi Xiao was pleasantly surprised. It was his first time receiving a level 2 cantrip, and Shaping Hand was especially useful for alchemy. Compared to Molding, Shaping Hand allowed greater freedom in crafting details.

He tried it out, finding it much like gaining an extra hand made of magic—complete with tactile sense, though immune to heat and cold—perfect for shaping semi-finished products.

With the aid of Shaping Hand and his growing experience, Qi Xiao’s subsequent efforts went far more smoothly.

The first failure had been due to an improper proportion of alchemical materials, leaving the helmet’s structure too fragile to withstand strong magical currents.

In the second attempt, though the materials merged successfully, an error in inscribing the runes had misdirected the magical flow, leading to a near explosion.

This time, Qi Xiao selected high-quality black iron ore, mithril powder, and some rare, high-purity crystals, ensuring both material purity and magical affinity.

He carefully calculated the fusion ratios, guaranteeing both structural strength and optimal magical conductivity.

Qi Xiao redesigned the runic patterns for the helmet, combining many scattered inscriptions into a single comprehensive sigil, carved directly into the helmet’s forehead. Though more complex, this ensured proper energy guidance.

He first used Smelting to liquefy the black iron, dragon-forged stone, and mithril, then slowly combined the molten metals with various crystal powders, maintaining precise proportions for even fusion.

With Shaping Hand, he formed the fused metal into a helmet, leaving room inside for the runes.

The helmet’s material didn’t permit too many magical patterns. The sigil on the forehead already took up most of the space, so Qi Xiao had to inscribe the rest of the runes delicately within the helmet, using special ink to ensure every line was exact.

Qi Xiao couldn’t help but marvel at how indispensable mithril was. Whatever the project, it could always be put to use—sometimes it was practically required. Just a bit would greatly enhance stability.

Though said to be expensive, mithril’s price was reasonable compared to truly rare materials, and its effectiveness was worth every coin. To a wizard specializing in runes and alchemy, it was a lifeline. Qi Xiao still had a fair supply, but he was already planning to stockpile more—he could no longer imagine working without it.