[Oil of Immolation (Hidden Formula): When applied to weapons or projectiles, it imbues the object with a fiery visual effect and adds fire damage. ]

  Fire damage was one of the most effective damage types against creatures of darkness, a fact that spoke for itself. But the real kicker was the visual effect.

  Weapons coated in Oil of Immolation erupted in flames, looking ridiculously cool.

  In his past life, this formula was hidden within a meteorology book in the Vickers University library, tucked away in a chapter describing frost monsters. It took years before a Player finally discovered it.

  And who was that Player? None other than the game's chosen one, Leandro de Pesa – alchemy prodigy, meteorology dummy, and the owner of that badass flaming greatsword featured in the promotional videos. No wonder he was so popular.

  But, as Leandro hadn't even enrolled yet, the formula was still up for grabs. This was one of the main reasons Julian Thorne had been grinding alchemy so hard these past few days.

  If he could snag this formula, all the hard work would be worth it!

  After tidying up the alchemy lab, Rosie arrived for her shift. This girl was a workhorse. Not only did she work as an Assistant Instructor like Julian, earning 5 Victors a month, but she also had a part-time job at the university's alchemy shop. Talk about a grinder.

  Julian greeted her with a grin. "Afternoon. Got any snacks?"

  Rosie gave him a wary look and clutched her pockets protectively.

  But in the end, Julian managed to snag a red bean pastry from her. In return, he treated her to a cup of black tea, courtesy of Mrs. Turín, who sent him a delivery every day at noon.

  After a relatively pleasant afternoon tea, Julian bid farewell and headed back to his dorm to grab the books he'd finished. It was time for a library run.

  He returned the borrowed books as usual and made his way to the meteorology section.

  As one of the top three libraries in all of the Kingdom of Bryston, Vickers University's collection on meteorology was comprehensive, to say the least. The forum in his past life had been vague, only mentioning that the formula was in a book by Roger Moore. The problem? Roger Moore was a prolific author from a century ago with four books on meteorology.

  Staring at the four thick tomes, Julian wished he had a forum or live chat to consult.

  He lugged the stack of books to a table and started reading.

  In "Apocalypse," there were three ways to learn formulas: from another Player, from a formula sheet, or through self-discovery while reading. If you were lucky, a passage in some ancient text might just be a hidden formula.

  He finished three books without any results, though his meteorology skill kept climbing.

  It wasn't until he was near the end of the fourth book that he finally got a hit:

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  [You have learned Meteorology (Basic). You have gained the skill [Weather Observation]!]

  [You have learned the formula [Oil of Immolation]!]

  [You have learned the formula [Sleepless Draught]!]

  [Oil of Immolation (Hidden Formula): Requires Flame Flower, Fire Scale Fish Oil, Crystal Vial, and Sun Orchid Root to craft. When applied to weapons or projectiles, it imbues the object with a fiery visual effect and adds fire damage. ]

  [Sleepless Draught (Hidden Formula): Requires Nightshade, Nettle, and Gillsweed to craft. When consumed, it grants heightened energy and removes the need for sleep. ]

  "Finally!" Julian pumped his fist, a surge of excitement coursing through him. This was a jackpot. The [Oil of Immolation] was self-explanatory, but the [Sleepless Draught] would be a hot commodity among factory owners, no doubt.

  Flame Flowers and Sun Orchid Roots were common and cheap herbs. Fire Scale Fish Oil was a bit rarer but still under 5 Rosens. Julian had enough cash on hand.

  Checking the time, he saw it was almost evening.

  Julian rushed to the university's alchemy shop and bought two sets of ingredients for 20 Rosens, then rented an alchemy lab for another 4 Rosens. He couldn't wait to get started.

  Unlike the basic potions he'd made before, the Oil of Immolation was a high-difficulty intermediate-level concoction. Plus, he was spending his own money this time, so extra caution was warranted.

  "Huu…"

  Exhaling a breath, Julian deftly lit the alcohol burner. Maybe it was his 13 Dexterity, but his movements felt more agile than ever, his hands perfectly in sync. He methodically ground the herbs, added them to the beaker along with a buffering agent, and began heating the mixture.

  The process was intricate and, frankly, luck-based.

  [You have attempted to create an alchemical product. Quality: 7. Crafting failed. You gain 26 EXP and 1 point in proficiency.]

  Five minutes later, a burnt smell wafted from the beaker. Julian frowned. Failure!

  He only had one set of ingredients left. He forced himself to calm down.

  Methodically, he heated the beaker, brought the potion to a boil, added lead salts and other stabilizers, and continued heating. The process flowed seamlessly, without a single misstep. A few minutes later, the panel lit up.

  [You have attempted to create an alchemical product. Quality: 72. You gain 46 EXP and 2 points in proficiency.]

  Success! Julian finally let out a sigh of relief.

  A crimson liquid filled the test tube. After it cooled completely, he carefully poured it into a crystal vial.

  Focusing his attention on the vial, he saw the description:

  [Oil of Immolation (Common Quality): When applied to weapons or projectiles, it imbues the object with a fiery visual effect and adds fire damage. ]

  Not bad, quality-wise.

  After a moment's hesitation, Julian poured the oil into a small bowl and fished out a bullet from his inventory. Carefully, he dipped the bullet into the Oil of Immolation.

  As if by magic, the bullet burst into flames the moment it touched the oil.

  With a flick of his wrist, Julian retrieved the bullet. It was now wreathed in flames, though the fire was just a visual effect from the oil and didn't actually give off any heat.

  [Special Item: .45 ACP Round]

  [Attribute: Burning]

  [Description: A bullet coated in Oil of Immolation, dealing an additional 13-25 fire damage.]

  "It worked!"

  Julian stared at the burning bullet in his hand, a thrill of excitement running through him. It had just been a theory before, but now he knew it was possible.

  He proceeded to dip another 8 or 9 bullets into the oil, retrieving them after a few moments.

  All ten bullets were now special rounds.

  When he tried to dip the eleventh, he found that the half-bowl of Oil of Immolation was empty.

  20 Rosens for two sets of ingredients, 4 Rosens for the lab rental, and a 50% success rate meant 24 Rosens for 10 special bullets. A bit pricey.

  But the cost would go down as his proficiency increased.

  Julian pulled out his ivory-handled Colt M1873 revolver, popped out the cylinder, and loaded the ten flaming bullets one by one.

  One thing was for sure: if he ran into another creature like Marien, he could take it down with ease.

  …

  After returning the rented lab equipment, Julian realized it had started to rain. Thanks to the unpredictable weather, umbrellas were available for loan at any university facility. Julian borrowed one from the alchemy shop, bought a few pounds of bread from a roadside store, and headed back to his dorm.