Chapter 30

The alchemy workshop was thick with the scorching scent of Red Crystal Sand and the faint, fishy tang unique to Water Slime jelly. Limeng's fingertips were stained with red crystal powder as he cautiously poured another spoonful of finely ground Red Crystal Sand into the crucible, mixing it with the viscous jelly. Beside him, Albedo stood with intense focus, a trace of pure Adeptal Energy lingering at his fingertips to precisely control the speed and direction of the stirring. "Seventh proportion adjustment," Albedo said in a steady voice. "The activity of the Red Crystal Sand is too high; an excess will burn through the jelly layer, while too little will result in poor filtration." "Shall we try Transmutation Dust as a catalyst?" Limeng suggested, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. He recalled the harsh demands for pinpoint accuracy when debugging precision circuit boards; the precision control needed here was equally a matter of life and death, for it concerned whether the Serenitea Pot could break its dependence on scarce, traditional purified water filters.