Translator: AnubisTL
Fifty years passed in the blink of an eye.
Jieming spent these five decades immersed in a nearly ascetic regimen of study.
He voraciously devoured the vast quantities of knowledge he had purchased from the Magic Net Terminal, ranging from the fundamentals of space to advanced elemental applications, and even the most obscure theories on law derivation.
This intense level of study had even encroached upon the time he needed to refine his Incense Divine Path.
As a result, the late-stage construction of the Incense Divine Path progressed slightly slower than expected, but Jieming considered this a necessary investment.
Until one day, a communication request from the Magic Net Terminal, flashing with an uncommon priority, awakened Jieming from a pile of spatial-dimensional calculation formulas.
He rubbed his dry eyes and glanced at the sender—Junior Brother Anker.
"Anker?" Jieming was slightly surprised.
Both students under Mentor Clark, this junior brother who had joined later had little interaction with Jieming. They had met only a handful of times, meaning they were, at most, mere acquaintances.
However, he had previously promised Viola to take care of Anker.
Considering their shared bond as fellow disciples, Jieming didn't hesitate. He replied to the message immediately, granting authorization for teleportation to his Golden Garden Laboratory on Noren Plane No. 147.
The teleportation formation in a corner of the lab glowed, and space itself seemed to warp slightly as Anker's figure materialized.
Compared to the slightly green apprentice Jieming remembered, the Anker before him looked much more mature, his brow bearing a faint, almost imperceptible trace of weariness.
Yet, despite his tired appearance, he exuded a remarkably bold and confident aura. It seemed that after fighting in several planar wars, he had completely transformed.
When Anker saw Jieming, he couldn't help but stare.
His senior, Jieming, had a mess of hair piled on his head. Though his eyes remained sharp, they were bloodshot from a prolonged lack of sleep.
His standard alchemist's robe was stained with traces of some unidentified potion, and he radiated the "do not disturb" aura of a research-crazed recluse.
"S-Senior Jieming," Anker stammered, quickly greeting him.
"Anker. Long time no see."
Jieming noticed his disheveled appearance and gave a nonchalant smile, running a hand through his hair.
A faint glow of alchemy flickered, and his wild hair instantly became neat and tidy, while the stains on his robes quietly vanished.
"Have you eaten? If not, join me," he said casually, as if the unkempt man from a moment ago had never been him.
Almost as he spoke, two exquisitely designed silver mechanical puppets glided silently into the room.
The puppets pushed a food cart laden with steaming, fragrant dishes. Among them were delicacies prepared with high-energy demonic beast meat and rare magical plants, continuously radiating life energy just by sitting there.
Anker's Adam's apple bobbed as he caught the scent, and he quietly swallowed.
He had attended one of the senior's banquets before when he came here with Viola, but back then he was inexperienced and assumed Jieming had only gone to such expense to entertain them.
But seeing him today, he never expected Senior Jieming's daily meals to be so... extravagant.
The two took their seats in the small dining area partitioned off within the laboratory.
Jieming casually picked up a fruit that glowed with a faint green light, rich in life energy, and took a bite. He got straight to the point. "Junior Anker, what brings you to see me this time?"
Hearing this, Anker's face instantly flushed with embarrassment and awkwardness, and his hands clenched unconsciously.
He hesitated for a long while before finally seeming to make up his mind, saying in a low voice, "Senior, I... I heard from Senior Viola that you have the technology to enhance the aptitude of biological wizards... So, I want to take the liberty of asking if you could... help improve someone's aptitude?"
Jieming blinked, genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected Anker to come for this. To be honest, if Anker hadn't mentioned it, he had almost forgotten he even possessed such technology.
"Aptitude enhancement? It's possible, but I would need to know the specific condition of the target—their age, current aptitude level, physical health, and so on." He maintained a rigorous and professional tone.
Anker's face flushed even deeper, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "It's... it's a baby... still in the womb..."
Jieming looked up from his food, his reaction this time instantaneous. A hint of knowing entered his tone. "Your child?"
Anker nodded heavily, his expression a mix of first-time fatherly shyness and a trace of desperation.
Jieming was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected this quiet junior apprentice to have silently surpassed him and Viola—the "senior" apprentices—by already having an heir.
But he wasn't one for gossip. The surprise was fleeting, and his focus immediately returned to the technical problem.
He pondered for a moment, his mind rapidly calculating various parameters and costs, then spoke. "If the fetus is still in the womb, its life form isn't fully fixed yet. Its plasticity is high, which will greatly reduce the technical difficulty and the resources required for an aptitude boost."
Glancing at the tense Anker, he added, "As for the cost, I can give you a discount."
Anker's eyes lit up, and he asked urgently, "How much?"
"Rounding down... ten million low-tier military merit," Jieming named a price. "At this rate, I can guarantee the embryo's elemental affinity aptitude will be raised to the tenth-tier standard. As for other aptitudes, such as mental power growth or soul purity, the improvement won't be as significant due to the embryo's own capacity and the technical limits. It will likely stay around the fourth- or fifth-tier average."
Ten million low-tier military merit was an astronomical sum for an ordinary low-rank wizard.
But for those who could reach Jieming's level—especially for an investment in their child's future—this price was indeed a "friendship discount."
Anker paused visibly after hearing the number, a flash of struggle and deliberation crossing his face.
Ten million low-tier military merit was nearly all the savings he had accumulated over the years.
But when he thought of this being his child's starting point in the future... he gritted his teeth, looked up, and said with firm resolve, "Alright! Senior, I'll take it! I'm counting on you!"
Jieming's face broke into a gentle smile. "No problem. Just contact me once you've finalized the time. The procedure requires a precise time window."
After seeing off the relieved yet hopeful Anker, Jieming found himself in a rather good mood.
Strictly speaking, his fee was extremely low, almost at cost. The primary reason was that the amount of certain inducing factors and energy substrates required to improve the aptitude of an embryo in utero was very small. He estimated that the leftovers from his previous research on aptitude enhancement techniques would be more than enough.
Perfect for clearing out the inventory, earning a favor, and making a bit of pocket money, Jieming thought contentedly.
However, his moment of peace was short-lived. His magic net terminal chimed urgently again, the name "Viola" flashing on the screen.
The moment Jieming tapped to accept the call, Viola's face, practically radiating excitement and gossip, filled the entire screen.
"Jieming! Jieming! Did you see Anker?! Did he come to see you? Do you know already? He actually has a child! Oh my god! Who is it? Do we know them? Tell me all the details!" Viola fired off questions like a machine gun, her curiosity practically overflowing.
Jieming sighed helplessly. Looking at his ever-energetic senior sister, he knew exactly why she was calling.
"Senior Viola, Anker did come to see me, but it was just to ask about some technical questions. As for anything else..." Jieming spread his hands. "I didn't ask for any specific details."
"What?! You didn't ask?!" Viola's eyebrows shot up in indignation, her face a picture of "You're so incompetent!" "Such a huge matter right under your nose, and you actually..."
Before she could finish, Mentor Clark's steady, unquestionable voice boomed from outside the screen: "Viola, is your data model finished running? Do you still have time to stand around chatting?"
The screen shook violently as an invisible hand grabbed Viola by the back of her collar. With a startled cry of "Ah! Mentor, I was wrong! I'm going right now!", she was dragged out of communication range.
The screen went dark.
Jieming stared at the now-silent terminal, blinking in amusement.
He carefully recalled Anker's earlier request and Viola's ever-youthful, boundless curiosity. Comparing them to his own "weariness" after fifty years buried in old archives, he couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Without him even noticing, that junior brother of his had already started a family and was about to welcome the next generation.
And he himself, on this long journey of life and the pursuit of knowledge... had truly become one of the older generation.
(End of the Chapter)
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