A few days later, in the Tower, within the carving room.
Several apprentices attending the carving class were intently working on their respective projects. Roy was also seated at a workbench in a corner of the classroom, surrounded by wood shavings.
But he paid no mind to the messy environment. The carving knife in his hand occasionally flickered with a cold gleam under the light.
His eyes were focused, his hands steady and precise. Under the enhancement of his [Artisan Skill], his exquisite knife techniques were on full display.
Before long, a lifelike wooden horse gradually took shape.
"Not bad.
This doesn't seem too difficult. As long as you have hands, you can do it."
Roy held up the wooden sculpture and examined it carefully. Its contours were clear, the muscles well-defined, and the mane and tail were vividly rendered.
He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
"Amazing, Senior Roy!
In just a few days, you've already matched what I've learned over many years!"
Stedson, an intermediate apprentice whom Roy had hired as his private tutor, was genuinely astonished. His gaze at Roy was filled with undisguised admiration and respect.
"No wonder you became the top apprentice in such a short time. You're truly a genius!"
Roy smiled faintly, not letting the flattery go to his head.
The reason he could carve so well was entirely due to his sweat and hard work… or so he thought!
Roy secretly mused, "I didn't expect the [Artisan Skill], a Black Iron Grade talent, to be far more useful than I anticipated!"
Carving was one aspect of "Artisan Skill," and "Artisan Skill"…
He had previously acquired the Black Iron Grade talent of [Artisan Skill]!
Only now did Roy realize how extraordinary this foundational ability truly was.
He had never been exposed to this field before, but once he started, it felt as if he had been doing it all along.
The success rate boost provided by [Proficient] complemented it perfectly, producing unexpectedly exceptional results.
Roy even felt that the combination of the two could be called "Skilled Artisan" without any issue.
"However, what the talent gives me is only an entry-level proficiency. To advance further…
Either I need to practice diligently, or I need to acquire a stronger talent!
Neither of which can be achieved in a short time."
With this in mind, he turned to Stedson, "Next, I'd like to learn stone carving…"
"Of course, I have some experience in that as well…"
Stedson snapped out of his thoughts and quickly explained.
"We'll start with material selection."
"Material selection?" Roy asked, "What materials are there?"
Stedson replied, "Jade is hard in texture and has a soft luster, making it perfect for intricate carving and for storing energy.
However, since jade resources are relatively precious, it's generally only used for higher-grade Golems."
Roy pondered for a moment. This seemed to fall within the realm of Wizard-level Golems and above.
Energy storage was a necessity.
Stedson continued, "Cloudstone has a fine texture and moderate hardness, making it easy to carve details. It's suitable for creating beautiful and lifelike large sculptures.
Granite is harder and weather-resistant, making it ideal for outdoor placement. It's also a common material for Golems.
Sandstone has moderate hardness but poor durability. However, due to its low cost, it's suitable for practice and mass production…
These are the mainstream materials for stone carving. Let's start practicing with sandstone."
"Alright."
Roy had a clear understanding of his own "genius," so he didn't try to be unconventional in this regard. Instead, he diligently followed the guidance of the private tutor he had hired.
No matter what, he needed to master these foundational knowledge first.
...
After several days of continuous study, Roy gained a deeper understanding of sculpting-related knowledge.
This sense of fulfillment was truly wonderful; even after class, he still felt eager for more.
He was now completely certain that mastering this was the foundation for refining golems.
And if he could master the methods of creating and controlling golems, he would be able to craft his own combat forces.
Moreover, this was also a significant application of the "Animation Art," distinct from the use of the Hair Demon Physique.
Therefore, Roy put his heart into learning, without cutting any corners.
"Roy, why have I been seeing you in the sculpting room every day lately? What, are you giving up being a 'mud craftsman' to become a 'stone craftsman'?"
On the way, he ran into Milina, who couldn't help but tease him. She was an advanced apprentice who had been promoted around the same time as him.
Roy snapped out of his thoughts and laughed, "Mud craftsman, stone craftsman, they're pretty much the same."
Milina shook her head; she had no interest in these cold, lifeless things.
Roy chatted with her briefly, inquiring about the situation among their fellow advanced apprentices.
He learned that after returning from Chalkland, many had entered a state of deep cultivation. It was believed that after digesting the treasures they had acquired, there would be quite a few new advanced apprentices.
Perhaps even a few more elite apprentices could emerge.
"No wonder the Wizard Tower isn't worried; the 'leeks' in the field grow so fast!"
Thinking of it this way, the gains from Chalkland were indeed excellent fertilizer.
...
Not long after, Roy arrived at the cafeteria to enjoy his lunch.
But before he could take more than a few bites, Niya came looking for him.
"Roy, several people in the Wizard Tower have been promoted to advanced apprentices recently. Andov was just promoted yesterday and is probably moving now.
He asked me to come and tell you, to see if you have time to go over and celebrate or something."
"He actually got promoted to advanced apprentice too?"
This was somewhat unexpected, but it also made sense.
So he nodded and said to Niya, "You go find Celine first, then come back here and wait for me. I should be done eating by then, and we can go visit him together."
"Alright," Niya immediately headed off to where Celine lived.
Not long after, the three of them arrived at Andov's residence.
Andov was indeed already waiting inside.
"You're here, that's great."
Roy said with a smile, "Andov, you sly dog, you've been quietly learning spells. I thought even if your mental strength met the requirements, it would take you at least half a year more."
Andov replied somewhat sheepishly, "Actually, I've been privately studying 'Strong Acid Refinement' for a while now, but I've always been held back by insufficient mental strength.
Now that I've filled that gap, everything just clicked."
...
After leaving Andov's place, Roy returned to his own residence.
Not long after, there was a knock on his door.
A steward apprentice came to deliver a message: "Lord Roy, there's a package for you! It's an interplanetary delivery of otherworldly goods. Please sign for it personally."
It was something from his teacher!
Roy had no choice but to personally go to the upper level and retrieve the items.
There were a full 24 tubes of essence blood from the magical creature "Centaur."
These thick, fluorescent-like blood samples had been specially processed through Wizardry, containing a high concentration of Wizardry Energy.
Roy quietly admired them for a while, suddenly gaining a slight understanding of the so-called "equivalent exchange."
(End of Chapter)