211 MANDRAGORA

After their Mystozoology with Teacher Wei, the subject that followed after it the next day is the Phytomysticology.

The class was expecting that Teacher Zhuo will introduce them to the Banian Tree. Which they have already encountered yesterday in the underground chamber during their Mystozoology class.

But apparently, Teacher Zhuo was planning to discuss an entirely different thing. Their lesson for today will be all about the MANDRAGORA.

"This is how a Mandragora plant looks like."

As she said that, Teacher Zhuo wave her wand and conjure something like a hologram. After the shimmering golden dust subsided, a weird looking plant appeared before them.

Rather than calling it a plant, it looks more like a root crop. What makes it look weirder is its structure.

Its leaves look like long hair standing up on its end. While the root itself has the shape of a human.

"Mandragora belongs to the same family of nightshade plants. Like many members of the Solanaceae species, Mandragora contain highly biologically active alkaloids that make the plants poisonous if administered in the wrong dosage"

Teacher Zhuo began her lecture and the class listened to her attentively. Some were even busy jotting down notes.

It was not because they were studious or what so ever. It is just that they have come in terms of Teacher Zhuo's teaching strategy.

It won't come as a surprise to them anymore if she will give them a short quiz after their discussion. So to ensure that they could gather information as much as they could, the class preferred to take down important notes.

The mandragora plant that Teacher Zhuo was discussing to them has a distinctive feature so it is not hard for them to memorize it.

If Mu Lingxi will going to think of Mandragora's counterpart in her previous life, it has the same effects as narcotics and hallucinogens.

"The first-ever Mandragora plant was believed to grow under the nourishment of the blood and fats spilled from a man hanged in a tree."

Teacher Zhuo voice's resounded inside the classroom as she continued her lecture.

"MEOW"

[Eww.. that was gross...]

Since Janus was inside Mu Lingxi's storage ring, he can clearly hear the discussion outside.

"Tss... There were lots of mystical plants that are far more gross than that. There was even a certain plant that use to grow straight from the decaying body of a man."

Guinevere commented and from the was she say it, it was like she was looking down on Janus naivety.

Just like Janus, Guinevere, the baby snow dragon was also staying inside Mu Lingxi's storage ring.

Mu Lingxi even wondered before about how long could her storage ring could last with the two of the most troublesome creatures sharing the same space inside of it.

The Phytomysticology class went on without a delay. Teacher Zhuo went on a thorough description of Mandragora's physical appearance first before getting deeper into it.

According to Teacher Zhuo's lecture, the Mandragora plant has large taproots and leaves in the form of a rosette when it was still underdeveloped. But once the plant matures and was ready for harvest, its leaves will grow and will look like human hair.

Aside from that it also has individual flowers that are shaped like a bell. Its color ranges from whitish to violet and is followed by yellow or orange berries.

Likewise, this mystical plants also comes with different sexes and human shape roots. It was said that the root that resembled certain body parts could be used to treat ailments of those specific body parts.

As a plant with the shape of a human body, the Mandragora was believed to exercise control over the body. It could either induce love or conception, or it could even bring good fortune, wealth and power.

For example, a Mandragora root, shaped like a baby and slipped underneath one's pillow every night, could help a woman conceive.

On the other hand, one that is shaped like a woman and carried in one's pocket could help a man secure his desired lover.

Across the continent, men and women desperately sought out Mandragora's root to resolve their woes and satisfy the growing demand of their heart's desire.

But of course, Mandragora was not just only a plant with an anthropomorphic root. It also had many other uses aside from that.

Such as for elixirs, ointments, oils and other concoctions to secure the children, love, wealth, or power that the warlock or the sorceress and even of what their friends' desired the most.

If ingested or transmitted through the skin, the alkaloids or the sap extracted from the Mandragora will work their chemical magic, inducing excitation and hallucinations, as well as sleepiness—and sometimes, comas or worst, even death.

In fact, there was actually an Elixir that becomes popular before, and it is made from a Mandragora plant.

It is called WINECUPFUL. It is a concoction made from the taproots of the mandragora plant boiled in wine.

This works as an anesthetics. Though one should be warned beforehand that taking too much of this Winecupful might lead to one's death.

It was for this reason that warlocks and sorceresses propagated a false rumor about this certain mystical plant. Over time, it becomes an old but popular legend about Mandragora plants.

It was out of precaution that the mage community attempted to protect the plant from the greedy hands of illicit abusers and common folk.

Over the centuries, legends surrounding the Mandragora plants were passed through generation to generation.

The ages-old legend, says that if these Mandragora plants were by any chance become pulled out from the earth, it will let out a monstrous scream, bestowing agony and death to all those within earshot.

According to the stories, the only way to uproot the Mandragora safely is to plug one's ears with wax or to use soundproof earmuffs. Then next is to tie a rope between a mandragora plant and a dog's tail.

Back away from the plant and throw the dog a treat, and the dog will lunge for it. The mandragora plant will be uprooted by the dog's sudden leap, and its shrieks will kill the hungry dog in that instant.

The mandragora hunter can then remove their soundproof earmuffs and continue the hunt in peace. As long as they don't care too much about their dead dog.

But that is not entirely the truth of the story. Although it was indeed a fact that the Mandragora plant will release an ear-piercing scream once uprooted.

But that was not enough to cause someone to fall to his or her death bed all of a sudden. That is nothing but a piece of fake news.

"When you concoct a brew for healing, you have to know at what level it becomes toxic. Any warlock or sorceress has to have the same knowledge as to know how the elixir that they concocted has to be effective enough to heal but not potent enough to harm."

Teacher Zhuo explained to her class. She adjusted her eyeglasses as she roams inside the classroom.

"That is why it is truly important for you to study Phytomysticology. You should know your ingredients very well. Somehow, I must say that Phytomysticology and Elixir making, were deeply related to one another."

Of course, Teacher Zhuo did not forget to remind her class and say in a roundabout manner that they should always take the study of mystical plants and their Phytomysticology class seriously.

Just like what they expected, Teacher Zhuo prepared a short quiz regarding today's lesson.

Mu Lingxi was, of course, able to score full marks in their test just like what she usually does.

Well, that was to be expected. After all, aside from having a knack for Elixir making, Mu Lingxi also held a certain degree of interest in the study of mystical plants.

Just like what Teacher Zhuo said just a while ago, the two subjects were interconnected to one another in some way. As such, she used to study Phytomysticology with diligence.

Aside from that, Mu Lingxi also had the national cheat code, called Janus. Her books were just lying next to her cat inside her storage ring. This cat of hers was just one mental link away from her.

Whenever she was having a hard time to answer the question written in the test paper, Janus will help her look for the answer to it.

Teacher Zhuo also no longer views Mu Lingxi/ Su Yan's action with despise, unlike before. Now, no matter how fast he was able to finish the exam, Teacher Zhuo will just attribute it to her intelligence and capability.

After all, she personally checked Mu Lingxi/ Su Yan's test paper before during the diagnostic test and the result amazed even her.

Aside from that, Mu Lingxi/ Su Yan's performance and records so far spoke volumes of her capability as a sorceress. She was learning how to be a successful sorceress way to fast compared to her peers.