Chapter 364: Vale's Replacement

Heinz Becker, a brilliant and enigmatic Dark Alchemist, was immersed in his daily life within the chambers of the Becker Family Manor.

This estate, now under the ownership of the Chambers Family, served as his sanctuary and laboratory for his ambitious research into the Malefic Branch of the Dark Arts.

Within the Manor's dimly lit halls and shadowy chambers, Heinz conducted his groundbreaking experiments, pushing the boundaries of Magic and Dark Alchemy.

His ultimate goal was to create a new generation of powerful practitioners who would embrace the Malefic Branch and revolutionize the understanding of Dark Arts.

As he toiled away in his private laboratory, surrounded by ancient tomes and arcane artifacts, Heinz reveled in the endless possibilities that lay before him. He had so many ideas and hypotheses, each waiting to be tested and refined...

However, he was getting too old now. He had to hurry and show his results. Without results, no one would even bother completing his research.

"I wonder what he's doing now..." Heinz muttered as he recalled his first experiment.

After a couple of years, he had remarkable successes and created other experimental subjects with extraordinary abilities.

Vale Chambers, his very first successful human trial experiment, had become his most promising pupil. Under his careful guidance, Vale had mastered the intricate techniques of Spell Dispersion and attained an Incorruptible Body—an achievement that fascinated and intrigued him even now...

After all, he had difficulty replicating this success with other subjects.

Nevertheless, he didn't give up since Vale's progress served as a testament to his own prowess as a Dark Alchemist...

Flip... Flip... Flip...

Heinz then shifted his attention to the letters he received from Headmaster Jane. They were letters regarding the Vale's situation and also requests to send more "Vale Chambers" to the academy.

'Vale's doing really well... However, the potions I made for him were still incomplete. If he didn't increase the mastery of his Spell Dispersion and Incorruptible Body to Advanced Realm before he turned 16, then his Spell Models would collapse.'

Heinz thought as he believed that Vale was still incomplete... It was a pity that he didn't have the best potion at that time when he guided Vale.

Anyway, thanks to the Headmaster's advice, he formulated a daring plan for the upcoming academic year. At the same time that Vale reached his fourth year in the Academy, he intended to send several other carefully selected subjects, each possessing unique talents and abilities, to the Vermont Academy.

He envisioned them as emissaries of the Malefic Branch, poised to showcase the power and potential of this unexplored realm of Dark Arts. Their presence would challenge the traditional understanding of the Dark Arts and pave the way for a new era of magical exploration.

"Kukuku..."

Heinz chuckled as he imagined the faces of those prominent families of the Dark Arts Faction when they realized the powers of his Malefic Branch.

Knock. Knock...

The knocking sound of the door suddenly interrupted his thought as he felt the presence of one of his apprentices on the other side.

"Evelyn? Come in." Heinz said with a gentle tone.

Evelyn was one of his best apprentices. He had no doubt that Evelyn was better than Vale Chambers, so he was treating her differently. Evelyn wasn't just Vale's replacement but also his perfect experimental subject.

He had no doubt that if she faced Vale in combat, Vale would easily be defeated because he lacked the necessary talent to master Dark Spells faster.

Currently, her Incorruptible Body had already reached the peak stage of the Elementary Realm through his help. He spent ten times more potions than he spent on Vale.

Because of that, she was already scheduled to drink her second Darkness Possession potion so she could achieve even more in the Darkness Path.

"Master Heinz, the new batch of people seeking your guidance has arrived..." Evelyn said as she looked at her Master with reverence.

"Hmm? Where's Denise? She's supposed to filter them out before sending them to me..." Heinz asked.

Denise White, a previous errand girl working for him, had now become his secretary, doing miscellaneous things for him, including managing the Manor.

She also had access to most of his Alchemical Items and Books that not even his apprentices could get close to.

"Miss Denise informed us a few hours ago that she can't be disturbed right now. I think she was preparing to do a ritual."

As Evelyn said this, Heinz's eyes lit up as he recalled Denise's plan to summon a Dark Spirit.

"Right... I forgot about that. I'm really getting old. Fine... I'll take care of them." Heinz said with a sigh as he stood up from his seat to meet his visitors.

Denise White was indeed talented, similar to her older sister. Unfortunately, her weak physique limited her growth in the Darkness Path. It was a good thing that she was also interested in Alchemy, so she had different methods of getting stronger.

Clank...

As the gate of the Manor opened, Heinz saw the new batch of people and realized that there were more of them than he expected.

These people were primarily young boys and girls.

However, in some cases, there were those who were already in their twenties, but he would still accept them as long as they passed his tests.

Of course, he wouldn't just feed them some Darkness Possession Potion to test them. He wasn't that brutal to his people.

Furthermore, the main ingredient for this potion could only be purchased from the Vermont Family. Although he could still make them with his current inventory, he doesn't have unlimited resources, so he had to be prudent.

Instead, Heinz exposed them to rituals, spells, and enchantments, pushing their limits and unlocking their hidden potential.

In this way, he would be able to find new apprentices who could potentially be the next Malefic Arcanist.

***

In the meantime, Denise White, a young and ambitious Apprentice Alchemist, found herself engrossed in her personal laboratory within the Becker Family Manor. While she had faithfully served as Heinz's secretary, her true passion lay in the realm of Dark Magic...

As she meticulously prepared her laboratory for the ritual, she surrounded herself with carefully arranged ritual materials, mystical items, and dimly lit candles.

The laboratory had soon become solemn as she focused on the intricate steps of the ritual.