After instructing Mayor Buck to expedite the selection of apprentices and the expansion of the blacksmith's shop, Rello, accompanied by Ed, headed straight upstream along the river valley.
As they moved further upstream, the terrain grew increasingly rugged. The mountain walls on both sides were steep, and the forest grew denser, becoming a place seldom visited by humans.
"My lord, it should be just ahead," Ed said, parting the shrubs blocking their path and pointing towards the distant, thunderous sound of rushing water.
They walked a bit farther, rounded a cluster of boulders, and suddenly, the vista opened up before them.
A broad waterfall cascaded down like a reversed Milky Way from a cliff dozens of meters high, crashing into the deep pool below and sending a misty spray soaring into the air.
The deafening roar echoed through the valley, and the moist air carried with it the crispness of mountain streams and the dampness of vegetation.
"What a magnificent waterfall!" Rello couldn't help but marvel.
Ed remained silent, carefully observing the surroundings of the waterfall.
After a moment, he pointed to a spot near the side and back of the waterfall, close to the cliff wall. "My lord, look over there."
Following Ed's gesture, Rello saw that behind the massive curtain of water, some uneven rocks were faintly visible, as if a crevice was hidden within.
Unless one had sharp eyes like Ed and some prior suspicion, an ordinary person would never have noticed this corner shielded by the waterfall.
"Let's go take a look," Rello said.
Approaching the waterfall, the thunderous impact of the water made their chests feel constricted, and the pervasive mist almost soaked their clothes.
They cautiously stepped on the slippery rocks, making their way around to the side and back of the waterfall.
Parting the thick curtain of water and the dangling vines, they indeed discovered a narrow crevice just wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways.
Inside, it was pitch-black, exuding a damp and chilly aura.
Ed took a torch from his pack and lit it with flint. The dim glow dispelled some of the darkness.
"My lord, I'll go in first to check it out," Ed said, holding the torch and leading the way.
Rello followed closely behind.
The crevice passage wasn't long. After taking a dozen or so steps, the vista suddenly opened up again.
It was a massive natural cave, with stalactites of various shapes hanging from the ceiling, glinting with strange hues under the torchlight.
The air was filled with a long-sealed musty smell, mixed with a faint, peculiar aroma of herbs and minerals.
Deep within the cave, there were clear signs of artificial modification.
The inner part of the stone wall was relatively smooth, carved with some blurry symbols and patterns.
In the center of the cave stood a large stone table, scattered with all kinds of oddly shaped glassware, crucibles, mortars, and some unknown metal tools, mostly covered in dust, with some even broken or shattered.
In a corner were piled some withered specimens of strange plants, minerals of bizarre colors, and several half-person-high wooden shelves.
On one shelf, several dried lizards, toads, and bat wings were hanging by thin strings, casting grotesque shadows under the flickering torchlight, adding to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere.
"It looks like this was a wizard's laboratory," Rello said, looking around in a low voice.
Judging from the traces at the scene, the wizard must have left here a long time ago.
"My lord, look over here!" Ed exclaimed, having made a discovery under a pile of scattered debris.
Rello walked over and saw Ed pulling out something tightly wrapped in thick oilcloth from beneath a decaying wooden chest.
The oilcloth had become stiff and brittle, with some tears at the edges, but it still provided good protection.
Carefully unwrapping the oilcloth, a rather thick handwritten notebook with a cover made of some unknown animal hide was revealed.
The cover was dark brown, with no words or markings, only a twisted and complex mysterious rune burned into the center with a branding iron.
Rello's heart skipped a beat as he took the notebook.
It felt quite heavy in his hands. Although the leather cover was ancient, it was well-preserved, with a supple feel. He took a deep breath and carefully opened the first page.
The paper inside was yellowed and rough in texture, but the handwriting was clear and legible.
It was a strange script, a mix of the common tongue and a large number of unknown symbols and graphics.
Patiently, with the help of the torchlight, Rello carefully deciphered the parts of the common tongue that he could understand.
The contents recorded in the notebook were extremely diverse, covering fields such as herb identification, mineral purification, elemental transmutation, rune drawing, and many more. Many of the records were vague or even contradictory, appearing to be the wizard's casual notes on experimental experiences and flashes of inspiration.
However, when Rello flipped to the latter half of the notebook, his breath caught slightly.
The content of the following dozens of pages suddenly became clear and focused, all revolving around a special field - magical beasts!
From how to identify potential young beasts, analyze the habits of different types of magical beasts, and techniques for taming them, to deeper aspects such as bloodline activation, potential induction, and even... targeted cultivation under human intervention!
Several pages, written in bright red ink, detailed the recipes, brewing steps, and corresponding magical incantations for several kinds of potions.
The names and descriptions of the effects of these potions made Rello's heart race.
"Young Beast Growth Accelerant: Made primarily with earth dragon grass and the spinal fluid of magical beasts, supplemented with moonstone powder... can significantly shorten the skeletal development cycle of young beasts..."
"Potential Activation Potion (Prototype No. 3): Requires the heart's blood of a third-order magical beast, deep-sea luminous pearls... extremely unstable, with a high risk of failure, but upon success, it can forcibly activate a certain hidden talent or bloodline power of the target magical beast..."
"Attribute Solidification Liquid: The recipe is incomplete, with only partial records.
It seems to be able to permanently solidify a certain elemental power within a magical beast, enhancing its corresponding attribute resistance and attack power..."
Rello's eyes grew brighter, and his fingers gripping the notebook tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.
This was simply priceless!
What did he lack the most right now?
It was time, and a way to quickly enhance the strength of his territory!
Blackstone Town was in a state of disrepair, and the talents and forces at his disposal were stretched thin.
If he could master the brewing methods of these potions, even if it was just the simplest "Young Beast Growth Accelerant," it would be enough for him to quickly cultivate a batch of usable magical beast mounts, or even form a small-scale magical beast cavalry!
This would play a crucial role in the defense, exploration, and future expansion of his territory!
"Ed, search this place thoroughly again. See if there are any other similar notebooks or valuable items," Rello said, his voice tinged with a hint of uncontainable excitement. He carefully closed the wizard's notebook, rewrapped it in the oilcloth, and solemnly placed it against his chest.
Ed nodded, holding the torch, and began a more meticulous search of every corner of the laboratory.
Unfortunately, apart from finding some失效的 (expired) alchemical materials, a few fragments of low-quality magical crystals, and some torn parchment records of scattered magical knowledge, they didn't discover anything as important as the notebook.
"My lord, there are no other discoveries," Ed reported.
"That's enough," Rello said, patting his chest and feeling the thickness of the notebook. A satisfied smile spread across his face. "Today's gains have far exceeded my expectations."