Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2125: Chapter 2126: Hoopa Coefficient

"Plan for Disassembly of Sickle Series Configurations," "Magic Power Conduit Design Blueprints," "Application of Rhombic Dysfunction Equation in Alchemical Structures"...

As Angel flipped through book after book of alchemy, he generally noticed that most of the alchemy books left here by Culori were design blueprints he had refined.

To most alchemists, these design blueprints certainly aren’t as important as a complete system of alchemical knowledge.

But to Angel, these blueprints are just to his liking.

Firstly, he already has a complete system for alchemical practice, and Culori’s alchemy knowledge may not necessarily suit him; secondly, blueprints reveal an alchemist’s thought process, his thinking style, and solutions, which is what Angel values most.

He does not lack alchemical knowledge; what he lacks is thought in alchemy.

These blueprints just happen to address some of Angel’s deficiencies.

Besides complete blueprints, Angel also discovered a hand-drawn album by Culori, containing drawings of mysterious objects. After confirming it was purely an album, Angel put it aside to look at later.

As time went on, Angel read more and more books, but so far, apart from the album, he hadn’t seen anything regarding the Hoopa Coefficient.

"I noticed you were quite focused just now; why, when Rhein came, did you start flipping so quickly without really looking at the content?" It was Tree Spirit speaking; he had just finished a new intricate story, which was so delightful that he stopped to take a deep breath, and saw Angel’s actions at that moment, asking curiously.

"There were some doubts about Hoopa Coefficient in that album just now..." Angel briefly explained his search target.

Tree Spirit actually wasn’t really concerned about Angel; his mind was still on the chronicles, so he just nodded casually and continued to read the journals.

It was Rhein, instead, who looked up and said, "Hoopa Coefficient? I might have seen it just now."

Angel immediately looked up, eyes bright and full of anticipation towards Rhein.

Rhein was currently flipping backward through the "Culori Chronicles." He had finished six volumes and was now on "Culori Chronicles Volume Seven."

Although he had finished six volumes of chronicles, he actually used the reading art to aid his reading, thus only capturing the keywords without delving into the specific "Belos Observation Diary."

Upon hearing Angel was looking for the Hoopa Coefficient, he recalled for a while and then said: "It should be recorded in ’Culori Chronicles Volume Twelve,’ New Calendar year 5532, Month of Cold Arrival, Third Entry. You might want to look there."

Angel’s eyes lit up, nodding thanks to Rhein.

Rhein waved it off nonchalantly: "I also found many important clues in the twelfth volume; we can discuss them in detail later."

With that, Rhein lowered his head and refocused on the journal in his hands.

Angel then took "Culori Chronicles Volume Twelve" and flipped to the year and month specified by Rhein.

Unlike other pages full of text, this entry’s most striking feature was a highly complex mathematical formula at the center, with several weighted schematic diagrams below. This mathematical formula differed from mortal mathematics; it included transcendent variables affecting the display of different weights.

Angel still did not know what this mathematical formula was, so he decided to start from the beginning.

Still the familiar elegant script of Culori—

"Today, the Orderly Guild conveyed a message that in an underground pharmaceutical factory in a city on the main island of the Wail Domain, a semi-out-of-control mysterious potion was found. I recently wanted to study the mysterious potion, so I sent Belos and Moon to recover it."

"Belos has left, it’s rather lonely."

"The information given by the guild is that this mysterious potion’s trigger is sound. Everyone making noises near it eventually causes it to impart different effects based on the sound variation."

"Few people receive beneficial effects; most effects are negative, and the death toll has exceeded two thousand, with the majority being ordinary people."

"It is still unknown how it judges sound and potion effect release rules, though it is said that beautiful music can impart better beneficial effects."

"Assuming beautiful music truly can affect the mysterious potion, maybe I can calculate its coefficient."

"Anyway, with Belos gone and nothing else to do, let’s calculate from scratch."

Next was the densely recorded formula. At this point, Angel naturally understood that this formula was the deductive formula for the Hoopa Coefficient!

Culori seemed to have a penchant for marking, just as he marked every room’s purpose on a holographic map with text. This marking habit carried over to formula derivation as well.

He meticulously marked each step, every detail, and every condition of the formula, even providing short explanations for some markings.

This made it much more intuitive and convenient for Angel to see the complete deduction process of the Hoopa Coefficient.

As he gradually comprehended the entire formula, a part of the mysterious veil over the Hoopa Coefficient was finally lifted.

Angel’s previous conjecture regarding the Hoopa Coefficient was, in fact, already very close to the truth, though not yet perfected.

The Hoopa Coefficient is actually a composite coefficient, incorporating disorder level, influence range, whether it is phenomenological, material, or fantastical, obtained from multiple calculations within a weight-based system to derive a relatively accurate coefficient.

Its coefficient range is calculated by one-hundred percentage weights, meaning the range is from 1-100.

However, Angel speculated from some strange blanks in the formula that 100 might not be the real upper limit, suggesting that there could be mysterious objects surpassing 100, otherwise why there are small yet significant blanks beyond 100 in the weight proportions.

The lower the Hoopa Coefficient, the safer and more stable it is. The higher the coefficient, the more dangerous and unsolvable it becomes. Generally, anything with a Hoopa Coefficient exceeding 70 is already considered a disorderly object.

However, the Hoopa Coefficient is not merely a measure of energy strength. That is, a lower coefficient doesn’t mean the mysterious object is weaker, only that it is steadier.

Like the "Dream Conch of the Moonlit Coast," if Angel deduces using this set of formulas without precise records from the Orderly Guild and only makes crude estimates, the Dream Conch’s coefficient wouldn’t exceed 10, maybe not even 5.

But in terms of actual effect, the Dream Conch is certainly not weak.

Thus, a low coefficient doesn’t indicate a mysterious object is not strong.

However, what can be foreseen is that the higher the coefficient, the more disorderly and definitely more dangerous, implying substantial strength.

After studying the Hoopa Coefficient formula, Angel could quickly accept it from his perspective.

After all, the standardized use of the Hoopa Coefficient by the Orderly Guild in judging mysterious objects represents its authority in the Origin World.

Angel continued reading the following content on the page.

"This mysterious potion’s Hoopa Coefficient is around 40. It just reached the standard of being semi-out-of-control, so Belos and Moon should be able to recover it."

"Finally, one cannot help but admire that Hoopa is indeed the closest person to truth on the path of alchemy, and using the Hoopa formula every time is utterly mesmerizing."

The above constitutes the entire content of this page.

The last sentence, while not explicit, seemingly hints that Hoopa’s identity should be a Miracle Wizard and, moreover, highly respected by Alchemists.

However, such a figure remains distant from him.

Angel committed Hoopa’s name to memory and then turned to the next page.

He wanted to see if there was any introduction of the Hoopa Coefficient or Mysterious Objects in the following text.

However, there was none.

On the next page, Belos had returned from the task of retrieving the Mysterious Potion, and a now occupied Culori once again entered a state of covert observation.

Angel casually flipped through it and was about to set the chronicles aside.

Yet, perhaps due to fate or some kind of inner intention, Angel inadvertently caught a glimpse of a familiar term as he turned to a particular page.

This was a term that Angel found both familiar and unfamiliar.

—— Darkening Technique.

...

The Darkening Technique was an alchemical spell technique documented in the "Alchemy Fundamentals" book Angel obtained in Naraku City of the Nightmare Realm.

It was a unique alchemy technique created and practiced by the Death Faction, led by Odoros, during the ancient times when the factions of the Alchemy World were many.

The alchemists of the Death Faction greatly revered the color black, believing it to represent withering, eternal silence, and death. Darkening signified making all matter die, and upon death, to radiate new life, transforming into another form of existence.

Because the Darkening Technique is remarkably unique, being the only alchemy technique without spell technique level restrictions, Angel intended to learn it from the start, even going so far as to spend a hefty sum to acquire a Black Gold Nightmare’s Magic Soul Horn specifically for refining a Death Faction magic power conductor.

However, though the magic power conductor was eventually completed, he still failed to master the Darkening Technique.

Angel did not know why he could not master the Darkening Technique. After numerous experiments showed no improvement, Angel temporarily set it aside.

He never expected to stumble upon the Darkening Technique again in Culori’s chronicles in such a manner.

Angel did not understand why Culori mentioned the Darkening Technique, so he read the page from beginning to end.

Upon finishing the entry, Angel’s expression turned slightly peculiar.

The entry continued to focus on Belos. It described a witch, whose name Culori disdainfully did not record, secretly inquiring Belos during a mission about whether Culori had obtained the Death Faction’s inheritance, having learned the legendary Darkening Technique.

This was the first mention of the Darkening Technique, spoken of by the unknown witch.

And in this page’s content, the Darkening Technique was mentioned once more, as part of Culori’s inner monologue.

"I merely visited The Land of the Undead, and rumors spread that I discovered a Death Faction alchemical relic and received the Darkening Technique inheritance? Damn, if it truly was a Death Faction relic, wouldn’t you all go to The Land of the Undead yourselves?"

Following that was Culori’s rampant ranting, containing no substantial content.

Yet, just these two mentions of the Darkening Technique left Angel stunned.

From the account of the Darkening Technique, Angel gained two insights:

Firstly, the Darkening Technique had been lost; secondly, it seemed to be connected with refining mysterious objects?—this was inferred from the unknown witch’s tone.

Angel had earlier speculated about the loss of the Darkening Technique. Since the book "Alchemy Fundamentals," which records it, was widespread in the Southern Domain, but the Southern Domain version of "Alchemy Fundamentals" had everything except the Darkening Technique.

Thus, Angel speculated back then that the Darkening Technique might have fallen out of vogue or even been lost.

But Angel never imagined that a seemingly inconspicuous Darkening Technique recorded in "Alchemy Fundamentals" could be associated with refining mysterious objects?

Initially, Angel even doubted if the Darkening Technique they mentioned was the same one he had learned. However, Culori’s chronicles clearly referenced the Death Faction, so it was undoubtedly the same.

The Darkening Technique that the unknown witch was seeking, and which Culori referred to with regret, should indeed be the Darkening Technique he had acquired.

Upon realizing this, Angel’s heart began to beat rapidly.

He, too, deeply desired to delve into the mysterious domain, but it was incredibly difficult to even approach it. Little did he know that today’s casual glance would open a new door for him!

Yet, Angel’s excitement was short-lived, soon replaced by dejection.

Whether the Darkening Technique is truly related to refining mysterious objects has yet to be proven; even if confirmed, inability to master the Darkening Technique still renders it useless...

"No matter what, having records of the Darkening Technique is ultimately a good thing," Angel mused silently, "Perhaps one day it will just click."

Though thinking this way eased his heart somewhat, Angel still couldn’t help but sigh.

"You’re both excited and shaking your head, then sighing... What’s the matter with you?" At this moment, Tree Spirit’s voice suddenly called out.

Angel shook his head: "Nothing, just didn’t expect Culori to note even such trivial matters of Belos’s life in such detail, feeling a bit sentimental."

Angel did not plan to tell others about the Darkening Technique. Although it’s likely that Rhein has already seen the content in these chronicles, it matters not as long as others are unaware that he knows the Darkening Technique.

Tree Spirit: "You think so too? I’m also very curious why Culori has been secretly observing Belos. You wouldn’t know, in ’Culori Chronicles III,’ Culori actually..."

Tree Spirit was interrupted halfway by Rhein.

"Have you finished ’Culori Chronicles III’? Was there any important information mentioned earlier?"

Tree Spirit glanced back and saw a stack of completed books beside Rhein’s left hand, with "Culori Chronicles IV" at the top. Judging by the sequence, Rhein was obviously supposed to read the "Culori Chronicles III" in Tree Spirit’s hand next.

"Finished reading, no useful information was found. The only known fact is that the mysterious object Culori refined seems to be a sort of stamp, mentioned during a conversation between Belos and Yue... Yue, the follower assigned by the Orderly Guild to Culori, whose strength also reached legendary rank." Tree Spirit replied.

Rhein nodded, softly murmuring: "It seems that the first three volumes aren’t worth another look."

After a pause, Rhein said, "Then let me share what I found; I discovered a lot of useful information."