Locke left the Pharmaceutical Room with his experimental data and first went to the first floor of the Grand Library, where he approached the dwarf scholar Ol.
Upon seeing Locke, the dwarf scholar Ol narrowed his eyes with a smile. "We meet again, Potionology Master Locke."
"How may I assist you today?"
"Did the two articles you purchased from the library a month ago prove helpful..."
Locke gave a slight nod. "They were indeed very useful."
The dwarf scholar Ol smiled warmly. "That's good to hear."
Locke addressed Ol, "I came to see you for three matters. First is this Potion Data Report—I'd like to submit it for publication. Could you assess whether it qualifies for the academy's public library and estimate its potential rating?"
Curious, the dwarf scholar Ol took the Potion Recipe from Locke's hands. Initially indifferent, his expression soon turned serious. "Hmm... very interesting effects. If these potion effects are genuine..."
"Then this potion would sell quite well."
The dwarf scholar Ol said gravely, "If all the data is authentic, I estimate this article could be rated between C-class to B-class. Since you used experimental subjects with Low Magic Resistance Constitution, the quality of your experimental data is exceptionally high, making it very valuable for reference and citation. Therefore, I believe it would most likely score around 70 points."
Ol then lowered his voice persuasively, "If you, Potionology Master Locke, were to disclose the potion recipe, I'm confident you could produce an A-class article."
"Publishing such an article at your current stage wouldn't just significantly boost your reputation—it would draw attention from prominent societies, and even your Wizard Mentor would gain considerable prestige."
Locke smiled faintly, unmoved by Ol's persuasion.
For scholars of General Studies, they naturally hoped all Potionology Masters would disclose their recipes, granting them access to more materials. But for a Potionology Master like himself, that wasn't necessarily beneficial.
At least for now, Locke prioritized practical gains over fame.
Locke changed the subject. He had known from the start that this Potion Data Report could likely yield a relatively high-rated article.
After all, it involved a new type of Potion Recipe with high-quality, highly referential data.
This was a common practice among Potionology Assistants—developing a new potion recipe often allowed them to publish multiple articles in succession.
Sometimes, simply changing the experimental subject's race could produce another low-quality article.
Locke said to the dwarf scholar Ol, "Very well, let's submit this article first. The second matter—I'd like to inquire about borrowing B-class or higher articles related to Curse and Magic Resistance, as well as Curse and Magic Plant."
"Is that possible?"
C-class articles held little significance, and D-class articles were mere informational garbage, serving no purpose other than polluting one's mind.
The dwarf scholar Ol sighed regretfully at Locke's firm refusal to disclose the Memory Ointment article. Clearing his throat, he said, "Of course, that's the privilege of all First Class Wizard Apprentices."
"Let me check for you. Both of these are relatively popular fields. Searching now... there are 13,561 B-grade or above articles related to Curse and Magic Resistance, and 3,142 B-grade or above articles related to Curse and Magic Plant."
The dwarven scholar Ol muttered a three-syllable incantation under his breath. His right hand became enveloped in profound deep blue spell radiance as he waved it through the air, projecting two magical displays before them.
Locke immediately recognized this as the 0.5 Ring Projection Technique of the Divination School - something he'd learned about in All Things Class.
Ol continued, "I've sorted the articles in these fields by relevance. Potionology Master Locke, you may select from among them."
"You're researching how to counter those vile, mad curse casters' magic, aren't you?" Ol gave Locke a slight bow. "It's Potionology Masters and Breeders like yourself who form the foundation of Lilith's Cottage's continuous development. We general studies scholars exist to serve your needs."
Ol's eyes grew momentarily distant. "Both my parents were victims of Black Wizards. We used to live in territory controlled by a minor Black Wizard organization. You can't imagine the hellish nightmare of living under Black Wizard rule in mortal lands."
"There was no justice or morality there - all decent people had been killed, leaving only descendants of the Black Wizards' slaves."
"Later we moved here, and I was discovered to have Wizard potential..."
Locke nodded sympathetically. "That's all in the past now, Doctor Ol."
Locke selected six B-grade articles from the projected list - costing him 300 Magic Stones.
Truth be told, purchasing these articles was quite expensive. But to accelerate his research into developing Super Defensive Magic Plants capable of resisting Curse Magic, the expense was necessary and worthwhile.
Besides, if he hadn't first used the Synthetic Magic Cube to create Emerald Iris Lichen, then ingeniously cultivated a variant using Cursed Magic Plants, he'd need far more than just these few articles to realize his vision.
Handing over the 300 Magic Stones to Ol, the scholar said, "Very well, Potionology Master Locke. We'll have transcriptions of these six articles delivered to your residence."
"Now then, Potionology Master Locke, what was the third matter you wished to discuss?"
Locke replied, "I'd like to search for articles about resources that can rapidly enhance mental power."
Knowing Locke was researching countermeasures against Dark Magic, the dwarven scholar Ol's goodwill toward him increased noticeably. With a smile, he said, "For such inquiries, you could just review some C-grade survey articles. But there's no need to go through all that trouble."
Ol tapped his temple. "For simple matters like this, you can just ask me directly."
"I read over five thousand articles daily, storing them all using the Divination School's spell model [Memory Palace]. I may not excel at combat or research, but what I'm truly best at is... memorization!"
Ol declared this last point with evident pride.
Locke looked at him somewhat speechlessly. "Recently, my mental power growth has stalled. The Chimera Market has some Magical Resources that can boost mental power—some genuine, some fake, and some likely with severe side effects. I can't just buy them randomly, so I need to investigate which resources would be most suitable for me to purchase."
The dwarf scholar Ol nodded in agreement. "Then you could just ask me directly. Consider this a small gesture of respect from me toward Potionology Masters like you."
"I'm glad to contribute in my own small way to the academy."
(End of Chapter)