Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe
Chapter 389: Practical Test

Acquiring a membership at the Herbalist's Guild was a rigorous process, to say the least.

The guild held its members to high standards, making it so that only the best of the best Herbalists were given membership.

Firstly, the prospective Herbalist had to submit an application detailing their background, experience, and reasons for seeking membership at the guild.

Then, the guild's council would review the application. They were invited to take the examination only if the candidate met the basic requirements.

However, Adam was able to skip this tedious process by outshining the guild's brightest genius.

For that, he was quite thankful for Barclay actually. If he had gone the normal route, it would have taken him weeks, if not months, to even partake in the examination.

Halbert climbed the stairs to the second floor. Behind him, Adam respectfully followed along with Barclay and a few other Herbalists who happened to be downstairs.

The second floor was dedicated to the concocting of potions and elixirs. Here, there were several rooms and laboratories that the guild members used to practice Herbalism.

Customers who commissioned Herbalists to brew potions for them would sometimes come here and see the Herbalists at work. Other than that, outsiders were not allowed to step on this floor.

"The examination process is divided into three main sections," Halbert began. "Theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and last but not least, a personal interview."

He then turned around to glance at Adam, chuckling, "But I suppose we don't need to make you sit through the theoretical test, do we?"

"I'm afraid that would be a waste of time, my lord," said Adam with a confident smile.

"Hoho," Halbert laughed heartily while stroking his beard. "You're a pompous little fella, aren't you?"

His expression then turned serious and he added, "But remember, Adam, if you don't have the skills to back your words, then you are no different than a fool."

"You're right." Adam nodded. "Then, allow me to show you my skills."

"Good, we'll straight away go for the practical test," Halbert smiled.

Meanwhile, Barclay watched the interaction between Adam and the Guild Leader with a gloomy expression. In his heart, he was hoping that Adam would miserably fail the test.

He still couldn't digest the fact that Adam, a Magus in his early twenties, was actually a Grade 2 Herbalist.

Hmph! After you fail the test, I'll deal with you. So what if you have theoretical knowledge? If you can't brew a potion, you can't be called a Herbalist! He thought to himself.

The group soon arrived at a hallway well-lit by enchanted lanterns that cast a soft yet steady glow. The walls were lined with shelves, holding jars of magical herbs and ingredients, labeled meticulously.

Large, arched windows at either end of the hallway allowed natural light to flood in, creating a calm atmosphere. These windows also offered a view of the lush gardens around the building.

Halbert entered the room closest to him, the small group following after him. It was a laboratory filled with sturdy wooden tables and workstations.

Each workstation was equipped with a variety of tools such as mortars and pestles, vials, beakers, etc.

Adam glanced around at this laboratory with great interest. Shelves along the walls were filled with glass vials, crucibles, and jars containing ingredients that were meticulously labeled.

Meanwhile, wooden cabinets underneath the workstations contained more specialized pieces of equipment.

In the center of the room, a large cauldron sat hovering over a runic formation. When Adam gazed at it, his eyes lit up in wonder.

"Whoa! Is this a Grade 2 Artifact?" He approached the cauldron and scrutinized it. "And is that a flame runic formation? Hmm, it looks like it can be adjusted to various temperatures with a simple hand gesture. Seems like a Grade 2 Formation as well. How fascinating!"

Barclay took this opportunity to viciously mock the youth, "Spoken like a true country bumpkin. Have you never seen a Grade 2 cauldron before?"

Adam's lips twitched as he thought to himself, Grade 2 cauldron? I've seen the Grade 3 cauldron used by the old man. But it's a different matter that he never let me use it.

He had always used a Grade 1 cauldron to practice herbalism. He could never use a higher-ranked cauldron because those required him to have the corresponding mana levels.

It was only a little more than two years ago that the youth advanced to a Mana Liquefaction Magus. After that, he didn't have time to practice herbalism because he was recovering from his grievous injuries.

So this would be the first time that he would be using a Grade 2 cauldron.

Adam then glanced at Barclay and smirked, "I'm from the Southern Federation, so I guess, to you, I am indeed a country bumpkin."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Tell me, Barclay, how does it feel to be outshined by a country bumpkin like me? Must be very embarrassing, no?"

Barclay's face turned red from anger. He was about to viciously retort but noticed that the Guild Leader was looking at him with a disappointed look.

Thus, he immediately swallowed his words. Instead, he flatly stated, "Hmph! We'll see who outshines whom after this test is over."

Halbert then looked at Adam and instructed, "Since this is a test, you will not be allowed an assistant to help you, understood?"

"That goes without saying." Adam nodded.

"Very well then," Halbert began.

"You'll have all the ingredients you need inside this room. Generally, the examinee is allowed to brew the potions they are most skilled at, but that's not how your test will be conducted."

Although Halbert was impressed by the knowledge and skills that Adam had displayed earlier on the first floor, it was undeniable that he had insulted and made fun of a guild member in front of every one.

Even thought he knew that the the whole thing was initiated by Barclay, he still decided to slightly punish—if one could even call it that—Adam for his actions.

As the leader of the Herbalist's Guild, naturally he was a little biased toward its members.

Halbert looked into Adam's eyes and solmenly stated, "Now, for your first potion, I want you to brew a Grade 2 Potion of Healing. You may begin now."