Chapter 1125: Success

Amidst the billowing smoke, Sein, dressed in his black robe, and a dust-covered Leena flew out from the ruins of the magic tower.

Confidence did not always guarantee success.

After all, seventy percent certainty still meant a thirty percent chance of failure.

The main reason for this particular mishap was that Sein had miscalculated the elemental ratios during the final phase of the magic rod upgrade.

When it came to high-precision alchemy, even the smallest miscalculation could lead to a massive difference in outcome.

Considering the rod had two divine relics as its core energy source, it was no wonder the explosion had been so violent.

As Sein and Leena emerged from the damaged tower, Eugene and the others flew over to check on them.

Although the smoke and blast had stirred up quite a scene, the actual explosion had been well-contained, limited to a small area.

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Failure was the mother of success—and now that this round was over, Sein estimated his chances of success next time had increased to eighty or even ninety percent.

“Sorry for causing trouble,” Leena said apologetically, flying ahead to greet Eugene and the others.

Meanwhile, Sein was still mumbling to himself as he hovered over the remains of his tower.

He was reciting formulas and calculations—everything from the alchemy experiment that had just gone up in smoke.

The explosion might have interrupted the procedure, but the storm of thoughts in Sein’s mind had not slowed one bit.

“It’s fine. We just came to check in, it’s good to see you two are safe. If there’s anything you need, just say the word. We’ll do our best to help our friends,” Eugene offered warmly.

Even though the half-beastmen were known across Beastmen World for being poor, Eugene’s generosity in that moment made a strong impression on Leena, who nodded appreciatively.

Finally snapping out of his trance, Sein looked up and noticed Eugene and the others nearby.

To his surprise, there were several other Rank Four half-beastmen present besides Eugene.

Among them, the one who really caught Sein’s attention was the imposing figure wearing a wolf mask—Reksha.

That guy radiated power. Sein even suspected he might have reached Rank Five.

His weapon was unique too—it was a pair of jet-black broadaxes.

Even with Sein’s analytical eye, he failed to immediately recognize this man as a shaman priest.

Shaman priests in Beastmen World typically had weak constitutions and often needed to be protected by other powerful beastman warriors or bonded pets.

In a way, Reksha was the Beastmen World’s version of a “dual cultivator”.

Tourmaline, who had been startled awake by the earlier explosion, paddled her way over from the lake.

Once she reached the shore, her massive form quickly transformed into a young girl.

With wide, curious eyes, Tourmaline was focused entirely on one person—the Drunken Panda Immortal standing behind Eugene.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Wearing a conical bamboo hat and carrying a bamboo pole, the panda looked like a rather interesting individual.

He also had a wine barrel tucked under one arm and a small red gourd tied to his belt for some reason.

Eugene, who played the host role, kindly introduced everyone.

When Sein heard that Senarius was an elven god, he studied the half-human, half-deer figure for a while.

Senarius reminded him of Luna, the centaur he had once befriended during his younger years.

He wondered how she had been doing all this time.

Sein ultimately turned down Eugene’s generous offer.

He was not someone strapped for money, and he had never planned on squeezing resources from a struggling group like the half-beastmen.

If they had been as wealthy as the Purgatory demons of Faeloria, that would have been a different story.

But as things stood... there were some small favors Sein would rather not owe right now.

The fact that Eugene had brought along several Rank Four beastmen just to meet him already said plenty about their sincerity.

After Sein politely declined the offer, Eugene simply chuckled, nodded, and took his leave without pressing the issue.

Sein gently patted Tourmaline on the head and looked down at the smoking remains of his magic tower.

He let out a quiet sigh.

There was still work to be done—giving up had never been his style.

***

Two months later, the magic tower on the shore of the oasis lake had been rebuilt—this time taller and sturdier than before.

The experiment to upgrade and remodel the magic rod was back on the agenda.

Even though Sein’s magic rod was originally crafted from the branch of the Rank Four Verdant Wilderness God, the previous explosion had slightly damaged it.

Combined with the wear and tear from years of use, it was starting to show its age.

It could still be used just fine, but Sein figured it might be time to start thinking about replacing it.

Maybe he would find a chance to return to the Verdant Wilderness World again.

Aside from the two divine relics, Sein did not let the materials used in his previous magic rods go to waste.

Even though the Verdant Flame Heart and the Inextinguishable Meteorite Essence were not as valuable as divine relics, they were still rare and potent materials in their own right.

So, he worked them into the new rod as bonding and reinforcement agents.

This time, the experiment went smoothly from start to finish.

Half a year later, when Sein finally stepped out of his laboratory, Tourmaline jumped straight into his arms with a peal of melodious laughter.

Aside from her usual arm ribbons, she now wore a bamboo conical hat.

It matched the one worn by the Drunken Panda Immortal, who was lounging near the lake.

That paunchy Rank Four panda seemed to get along great with Tourmaline. He offered Sein a smile when he saw him come out of the laboratory.

Sein was honestly glad to see Tourmaline making new friends.

He did not know this panda very well, but from his vibe alone, Sein had a feeling he was an easygoing individual.

Besides, anyone who could win Tourmaline’s friendship was likely not a bad person.

Even Faye had never managed to get on Tourmaline’s good side.

Maybe it was all the killing she did back in Blackhaven—or just her intense personality. Whatever it was, Tourmaline had always instinctively kept her distance.

“Sein, are you done with your experiment?” Tourmaline asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Yeah,” Sein nodded. A magic rod appeared in his hand, glowing with gold and red brilliance.

From its appearance alone, it was clear this rod was no ordinary weapon.

Tourmaline’s big, round eyes sparkled with the same glow as the artifact itself.