Passing through the long, dark corridor, his field of vision suddenly opened up, and the lighting turned bright and clear. The scent of medicinal herbs wafted over. A lush, vibrant greenery filled his sight, making Gaode feel as though the stench of decay clinging to his body had largely dissipated.
This herbal planting area didn't occupy a particularly large space, yet it was divided into several plots, each with different types of Earth. Herbs, by their very nature, were delicate plants that required meticulous care. Different herbs had varying requirements for their growing environments, and some were even highly extreme. Setting aside external factors like temperature and water quality, the specific soil demands alone were incredibly complex. Most herbs could thrive in loose, fertile soil with good drainage. However, some preferred forest humus rich in decaying organic matter, with ginseng-type medicinal ingredients being a prime example. Others favored acidic or slightly acidic soil, or even sandy riverbanks. Therefore, one had to select the appropriate soil based on the unique growth habits and characteristics of the herbs, adapting the planting method to local conditions.
Herb cultivation was a profound discipline. It required not only identifying the medicinal ingredients and knowing their habits like the back of one's hand but also understanding how to construct suitable environments based on those habits. Only then could one ensure survival rates, increase yields, and enhance medicinal potency. This work included—but was not limited to—preparing nutrient-rich Earth, thinning and setting seedlings, deep plowing combined with fertilization to improve the physical properties of the soil, intertillage and banking up Earth, weeding, watering, pest and disease control, and adjusting plant shapes.
The bulk of Gaode's morning work consisted of intertillage, banking up Earth, fertilizing, watering, and checking for pests and diseases. Under normal circumstances, once mastered, these tasks became simple and repetitive, especially since the varieties of herbs planted by Mage Seda were fixed. Thus, even though this was Gaode's first time doing the job, relying on the memories left by his predecessor, he completed the herb cultivation work swiftly, cleanly, and without a single error.
With that done, only one task remained for his morning shift.
Gaode hurried over to a small room. Many iron cages were arranged inside, each holding five to ten mice with grayish-brown fur. These were little gray mice specially bred and raised by Mage Seda for live Potion experiments. Although human testing yielded the most accurate results, and human life in this world wasn't particularly precious, it still wasn't so cheap that Mage Seda could recklessly use live humans. In most cases, animal testing remained the primary method. The little gray mice reproduced rapidly, had low breeding costs, and were relatively non-aggressive. Furthermore, they bore a high degree of genetic similarity to humans. Consequently, they naturally became the optimal live test subjects.
Gaode poured some feed into the bowls in each cage, filled their water dispensers, and checked on the condition of all the mice. He noticed that one of them looked sickly, lacking even the energy to fight for food. Observing it more closely, he discovered a "bald spot" on its back. A small patch of fur had completely fallen out, exposing slightly reddened skin beneath.
"Looks like some kind of skin disease," Gaode concluded, nodding. "You'll do."
He pulled the diseased mouse out of the iron cage. Of course, Gaode wasn't going to treat it. First, he didn't know how; second, there was no need. Because the little gray mice were far less valuable than the medicinal herbs, the apprentices in the Medicinal Garden didn't care for them as attentively. As a result, mice falling ill was a regular occurrence. These sick mice had only one ultimate fate: "early detection, humane execution," to prevent them from infecting the healthy ones.
Gaode didn't hesitate. He grabbed the little gray mouse by its head and gave its neck a forceful twist. With a crisp SNAP, the mouse went limp without even a struggle. Tossing the dead mouse aside, Gaode turned his attention inward.
Deep within his consciousness, an exquisite and intricate Crescent gemstone was now radiating Spiritual Light. Changes had occurred: inside the gemstone, two points of light and twelve dotted lines had appeared, forming two dipper-shaped patterns resembling the Big Dipper. Each Seven-Star pattern had seven points and six dotted lines. However, at this moment, only the starting points were flashing, while the remaining six in each pattern were dim. It wasn't hard to deduce that all seven points needed to be lit for it to reach Perfection.
The next instant, the familiar information interface floated before Gaode's "eyes."
Origin:
0th Ring — [Human] (1/7), [Gray-eyed Mouse] (1/7)
Magic:
0th Ring — [Mage's Hand], [Repair Skill]
...
Compared to before, a new entry had appeared in the Origin information column: [Gray-eyed Mouse]. This was precisely the "scientific name" for the little gray mice.
"Just as I thought..." Gaode muttered to himself. When he first saw this interface, he had been certain that Origin couldn't only be obtained from humans. It had to be like the Magic column, capable of expanding into multiple entries—he had simply only unlocked the human entry at the time. While heading to the back mountain to bury Elan's corpse, Gaode had casually squashed a few unknown insects to test his hypothesis, but no new entries had appeared under Origin.