Exploring Technology in a Wizard World

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

In the blink of an eye, another five minutes had passed.

The glass bottle was scorching hot, and the water inside had already come to a boil, but the black powder remained stubbornly unchanged.

Joseph's face continued to be tense, his brows furrowed, and without explaining to Shamman, he waved his hand to magically levitate the glass bottle mid-air, then he unleashed flames to heat it more fiercely.

The water inside the bottle churned violently, billowing large clouds of white steam, and the black powder undulated up and down, until after a long while, it seemed to have diminished slightly.

Joseph's eyebrows lifted, just about to say something, when suddenly Shamman's cautionary voice sounded from the side, "Be careful, Mr. Joseph."

"Hm?"

Joseph was slightly stunned when there was a loud "pop" as the glass bottle, unable to withstand the high temperature, suddenly exploded.

With a "whoosh", glass shards flew in all directions.

"Hmph!"

Joseph snorted coldly, waved his hand, and the air violently surged, compressing sharply. The shards of the glass bottle, boiling water, and undissolved black powder were rapidly compressed into a mass and then hurled into a corner—Joseph used his formidable power to forcefully prevent a laboratory accident.

However, after doing all this, Joseph had no sign of triumph, instead, he turned his head with a somewhat displeased expression and sized up Shamman.

Shamman felt uncomfortable under Joseph's gaze and belatedly thought that he should not have shouted that "Be careful" earlier.

So, should he leave now? Or should he leave immediately?

As Shamman pondered, Joseph suddenly spoke out to Shamman, "Wizard Shamman, I should thank you for your warning just now, otherwise it could have been troublesome."

"Not at all, not at all, I just happened to—" Shamman began rapidly.

"No, it wasn't just happenstance, you are truly skilled," Joseph seriously corrected, "My appraisal skills may exceed yours, but you also have your strengths in experience. Going forward, please assist me well, and point out anything incorrect immediately."

"Uh, yes," Shamman nodded stiffly under Joseph's gaze, certain in his mind that he truly couldn't leave now.

Afterward, Joseph stopped speaking and resumed handling the experimental materials in the Crystal Box.

It seemed as if trying to regain the face he lost earlier, Joseph performed a series of complex operations, making Shamman's head spin watching them.

However, Shamman also noticed that, with the continuous operations, Joseph's expression became increasingly troubled, as if he had encountered a vexing problem.

This...

…

After several hours,

Joseph added the powder from the Crystal Box into a bottle of golden liquid, and watched as the liquid first turned blue, then slowly shifted to red, and finally settled into green, maintaining that color.

Joseph suppressed the urge to violently throw the bottle against the wall and shatter it, he instead placed the bottle back on the desk, turned his head to glance at Shamman, took a deep breath, and returned to his usual demeanor, "Wizard Shamman, I need to tell you something. Although I'm reluctant to admit it, the substance in the Crystal Box indeed exceeds my ability to identify, and I do not know what it is."

"Really? Not even a slight clue?" Shamman expressed in astonishment without any pretense, "Mr. Joseph, your identification skill is top-notch within the organization. If... even you cannot ascertain what it is, then who can?"

Joseph shook his head and exhaled, "But I truly have no clues; I cannot identify the substance at all. It's not because its components are complex—if it were merely a mix of unrelated materials, I would have figured it out an hour ago. The problem is, it's components are very simple, yet they are like nothing known, possessing properties never before seen, making it hard to determine what it does."

"So..."

Joseph pursed his lips, speaking seriously, "It seems that those two Wizards from Jialan City were right; this indeed is a more advanced Casting Material than 'Devil's Horn Powder.' It is highly likely that this was researched by someone mysterious in Jialan City. If we cannot ascertain its use, and the opponents use it against us, the consequences could be unimaginable."

"Does that mean we really need to invite those two Wizards from Jialan City into our organization?" Shamman asked.

"That would be the most sensible approach," Joseph said, pausing, "If that's the case, I must go and meet with Canon Steward and report this situation."

Having said that, Joseph stepped forward without hesitation and walked towards the exit.

However, after taking a few steps, he noticed Shamman hadn't moved, turned his head to look at him, and asked with a slight frown, "What is it, Wizard Shamman? Do you have other matters? Or, do you doubt my conclusion and want to personally verify the materials in the Crystal Box yourself?"

"No, no, I didn't mean that, Mr. Joseph," Shamman nervously waved his hands.

"So what is the matter?"

"Well..." Shamman swallowed, speaking hesitantly in a low voice, "I was just wondering—since you plan to invite those two Wizards from Jialan City to join the organization, and I was the first to make contact. According to the organization's rules, do I... do I get a reward?"

This was his true motivation for pursuing this matter.

The reward, an organization's reward, was his motivation.

Otherwise, he really didn't want to meet Joseph or nod and bow.

The organization's reward was of utmost concern to him. He had to ensure he could secure it because it meant he wouldn't have to worry about money for the rest of his life and could enjoy himself thoroughly.

As for whether Richard or Bobbobovic could truly join the organization, whether they could truly benefit the organization, or truly prevent losses within the organization, he didn't care at all. After all, he was just a peripheral member of the organization, lacking detailed knowledge about it, hardly loyal—thinking only of his own interests.

Hearing Shamman's words, Joseph was clearly taken aback briefly before responding. He first gave Shamman a cold glance, then said, "Rest assured, Wizard Shamman, the rules set by the organization are always enforced. You have contributed this time, and the organization will reward you. But do not be anxious, be patient, your reward will eventually reach your hands."

"Well then, I'll head back now."

"Hmm."

Shamman quickly exited the basement.

Joseph squinted as he watched Shamman leave, letting out a cold snort, showing disdain but also some helplessness.

In his heart, he had little respect for people like Shamman, yet he couldn't help allowing him to become part of the organization—not everyone can possess a spirit of selfless dedication.

Joseph hoped the two individuals he was about to invite, even if they lacked a spirit of selfless dedication, would at least not be as profit-driven as Shamman.

Thinking this, Joseph also stepped out of the basement and left the mansion.