A Hospital in Another World? C.218

Garrett glanced at Walton.

Walton glanced at Garrett.

One raised an eyebrow, the other blinked. After a count of three, Garrett raised his index finger, pressing it straight against his lips, making a "shh" gesture.

It’s not the right time to reveal the truth. Let the mage finish his speech first, and if there’s anything to add later, he’ll do it then.

Garrett followed the crowd, brushing past the microscope. He took a glance, clicking his tongue. The magnification wasn’t enough, with only about seventy to eighty times when combining the eyepiece and the objective lens. Definitely not a hundred times.

What’s more, there was no oil mirror, which could provide an additional 10x magnification on top of the eyepiece and the objective lens. It was most likely crafted by the jeweler from Hartland City! Hmm, maybe it’s him...

Garrett smirked disdainfully, uninterested, and moved on to other stalls. As the crowd dispersed from the bottleneck, he strolled among the booths, engaging in transactions, bargaining, and chaos. Around nine-fifteen, a mage suddenly leaped onto a table, blowing a whistle vigorously:

"Beep—"

The sound of the whistle sent the whole place into a frenzy. Sellers hastily stuffed their goods into spatial bags, buyers quickly pocketed their money, and those who weren’t buying or selling, like Garrett, were ushered by Walton to the wall.

Everyone pressed against the wall, and the tables at the stalls disappeared into spatial bags. Suddenly, the ground seemed to boil, bubbling up...

Garrett looked around, seeing the mages in the hall remaining calm as if this scene were entirely normal. Then he glanced at the center of the hall, where the rising parts kept changing shapes, lifting, narrowing, stretching, extending... Soon, tables were tables, chairs were chairs, all neatly arranged, and at the forefront, a platform even rose up.

... So, this is Transmutation magic? Your furniture isn’t just moved around; it’s morphed on the spot?

Garrett observed, feeling like he’d wandered into the world of "Harry Potter" by mistake. Once the transformation was complete, the hall’s frontmost part, a large door, opened with a bang, and the big shots began to enter in single file. The hall instantly fell silent, and the mages who came to browse the trade show all quieted down, looking forward.

Garrett also looked ahead. The leading mage was tall, with hair that was half brown, half white, but his complexion was still rosy. He wasn’t wearing the traditional robes of a mage but rather a short coat and trousers similar to workwear, with cuffs, collars, and hems unusually tight. Without badges, his level couldn’t be discerned, but the two mages behind him were level thirteen and fourteen...

The old man in work clothes walked in with a smile, taking a seat in the center of the platform. His entourage followed suit, and only then did the mages who came to browse the trade show hurry forward to find their seats. It wasn’t chaotic; those of higher levels sat toward the front, those of lower levels toward the back, row by row, in a strict hierarchy.

Walton pulled Garrett to a seat. Looking around, the mages nearby were mostly around level five or six. Seeing his badge, they seemed a bit surprised at first, but upon noticing the white ring on the edge, they quickly withdrew their surprise, some even smiled kindly. Below, the noise subsided, and on the platform, the old man in work clothes coughed lightly and began to speak slowly:

"Thank you all for attending the annual meeting hosted by ’Alchemic Stone.’ In the past year, the School of Transmutation has made many new achievements, taking another step forward in exploring the true nature of the world.

For many years, alchemists have been dedicated to exploring the composition of the world, using it as a basis to create tools and change this world. The in-depth understanding of the essence of the world and the complex and diverse tools have made us even stronger..."

Applause erupted from below. The old man blinked, then raised a cunning smile:

"Well, that’s enough routine speeches for now. Next, we invite our colleagues to share their latest discoveries. The presentations at this meeting, along with the articles from ’Alchemic Stone’ over the past year, will select the most innovative and meaningful discoveries.

And the owner of this discovery will receive a magic tool tailored by the editorial department of ’Alchemic Stone’ to their level..."

A slight stir arose from below. The lower-level mages, probably attending this gathering for the first time, became excited, raising their hands eagerly.

The old man in work clothes chuckled and waved his hand casually. A mage sitting in the front row stood up and leisurely walked onto the stage. Walton whispered to Garrett’s ear, "It’s impossible to present spontaneously; the topics have all been pre-approved..."

Oh, of course. For any academic conference, one must obtain qualification to present. Garrett nodded understandingly, listening quietly. Soon, he GETted a series of bizarre knowledge:

How to manipulate worm-shaped puppets, mine and select minerals in the dark underground...

A method of producing **Pure White Stones**...

Three points to note when sealing invisible servants into magic crystals for controlling puppets...

After five or six consecutive presentations, the mage who had bragged about the microscope before finally took the stage with his new discovery. His face was full of excitement as he bowed slightly to the old man in work clothes, then couldn’t wait to speak:

"Esteemed masters, fellow mages, ladies and gentlemen. Please allow me to introduce to you a marvelous alchemical tool I discovered during my travels in the south. It can magnify extremely small, invisible things to the point where we can see them clearly. Without exaggeration, it opens a new door for us..."

"Oh!" The audience was excited. Even the mages sitting on the platform turned their heads one by one, focusing their gaze on the microscope. After personally observing the demonstration, the old man in work clothes even raised a screen of light himself, presenting the shape of the microscope to everyone.

Garrett lightly curled his lips. This screen was somewhat like the effect of the Arcane Eye, but unfortunately, the precision wasn’t there, lacking the ability to observe fine details. The presenting mage continued tirelessly:

"What’s more, it’s an alchemical tool that requires no magic to use. This means that apprentices who have not yet crossed the threshold of magic can also observe this world with it. This has tremendous significance for the Magic Council in training newcomers and allowing them to understand the world as soon as possible..."

He took out various items for observation one by one. Minerals, crystals, cork, insect wings. They were placed on the stage one by one, and the light screen in front of the eyepiece immediately showed the magnified images of these objects.

There was another commotion below. High-level mages took turns gathering around the eyepiece, widening their eyes and exclaiming in amazement. Finally, the old man in work clothes clasped his hands, praising enthusiastically:

"Thank you for bringing this marvelous alchemical tool to the Magic Council. Without a doubt, this is the most meaningful discovery in the past

year for ’Alchemic Stone.’ This year’s annual award rightfully belongs to you.

- Colleagues, feel free to come up and take turns to observe. Let us share the wonders of the micro world together... Oh, sir, do you have any additional comments?"

Aurora Walton raised his hand high. Not only did he raise his own hand, he also grabbed one of Garrett’s hands, holding it high in the air, waving it back and forth incessantly.

---------------