Pharmacist Assessment

"Is this a good-quality Elementary Life Potion?" Aikte reached out with a trembling hand and carefully picked up the potion, feeling the cold glass tube against his fingertips.

His gaze remained fixed on the emerald-green liquid inside. His pupils widened involuntarily, and his breath stopped for a moment. There was not a trace of impurity on the potion's surface. In the light filtering into the shop, it shimmered with a soft, emerald glow, as though it held all the vitality of spring.

Aikte's heart skipped a beat, and a tide of memories pulled him back a month. When he had first met Chen Chuan, he had been an apprentice in a gray robe, with a bewildered look in his eyes and almost no knowledge of potioneering.

And now, in just thirty days, the young man could already make good-quality potions that even many experienced apprentices struggled to produce.

His fingers rubbed the edge of the potion bottle unconsciously as a storm raged in his heart.

Those so-called genius pharmacists often needed half a year and a great deal of materials just to reach good quality, yet Chen Chuan's speed was simply inconceivable. The difference between them was like that between a firefly and the bright moon.

"Good... good lad..." Aikte murmured, his Adam's apple bobbing as a fierce flame ignited in his eyes.

Chen Chuan's talent showed him a promising prospect worth investing in for the long term.

"A good-quality Elementary Life Potion sells for seven elementary magic stones a bottle." Aikte took a deep breath, forcing down his excitement. His voice was a little hoarse. "I'll give you six as my purchase price."

Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. The price was far beyond his expectations.

He noticed that Aikte's fingers tapped unconsciously against the edge of the counter as he spoke, and his gaze kept shifting, as though he were hiding something.

"Why so much?" Chen Chuan asked calmly, fixing Aikte with a sharp gaze.

"Ahem. Actually, most potions of good quality or better are purchased directly through internal channels by academy clubs, organizations, or affiliated legions. Demand is very high."

Aikte leaned closer and lowered his voice. "I can make a profit just by reselling them. The time and effort I save are worth far more than haggling with you over every little bit."

He paused, his gaze flickering. "Besides... a genius pharmacist like you will be worth far more than that in the future.

"Connections and room for advancement... if those so-called genius pharmacists can develop new potions, they can make a fortune from licensing fees alone."

"You haven't taken the pharmacist ranking assessment yet, have you?" Aikte's tone grew lighter, with a barely perceptible hint of schadenfreude. "You can give it a try now.

"Although your age isn't an advantage, your talent will definitely give those arrogant fellows a big surprise."

Aikte gave a wry smile, recalling how he had been mocked after failing his own assessment years ago.

He took a leather-bound booklet from beneath the counter and pushed it toward Chen Chuan.

"This is information about the pharmacist ranking assessment. The standards and requirements for each rank are all in here." He tapped the cover with his index finger, anticipation shining in his eyes.

Chen Chuan took the booklet, feeling the texture of the leather beneath his fingertips.

The cover bore the words "Wizard Academy Pharmacist Ranking Assessment Guide" in ornate gold lettering.

He opened it, the pages rustling softly. It listed the various standards and requirements for pharmacists from the elementary to the advanced rank in detail. The elementary assessment required the candidate to make three different elementary potions with a success rate of at least sixty percent.

The intermediate rank required mastery of at least one intermediate potion, with a success rate of no less than forty percent.

As for the advanced rank, a note in small print in the blank space on the page read, "Goal too distant; not listed for now."

"When is the assessment held?" Chen Chuan asked, running his fingers over the words in the booklet.

"On the fifteenth of the first month of every quarter," Aikte answered, excitement flashing in his eyes. "You just need to submit an application to the Academy Potions Association one week in advance."

"By that count, I have a month and a half to prepare." Chen Chuan closed the booklet and tucked it into his robes, glancing at Aikte's eager expression. "Six magic stones a bottle. I accept. But I'd like to know more about the Potions Association. You seem to know a lot about it?"

Aikte's gaze flickered, and his fingers tapped faster on the edge of the counter. "The Potions Association is one of the academy's oldest organizations. It handles all potion appraisals and rankings.

"Passing the assessment and earning the title of pharmacist not only gives you preferential access to academy resources, but also lets you take on special missions..."

He suddenly stopped, as if he had let something slip, and cleared his throat twice. "Ahem. But the main thing is that it can help you get the potion formulas you need. After all, the association's formulas cover basically everything you'll need from now until you become an advanced pharmacist."

"All the formulas? Including the Concentration Potion formula?" Chen Chuan paused.

The Refreshing Potion he had obtained the previous month had left a deep impression on him.

A single bottle had increased his spiritual power by about 0.1 points more than normal overall.

It had greatly accelerated the growth of Chen Chuan's spiritual power.

His spiritual power had now reached 31.1, and his Tree of Life Meditation Method had reached Lv3 (115/300).

The Concentration Potion was an upgraded version of the Refreshing Potion.

He had heard that its effects were very good even for third-class wizards.

"Yes, including the Concentration Potion formula. After passing the assessment and becoming an elementary pharmacist, you can earn potion points through association missions and exchange them for it."

"However, less than thirty percent have passed the elementary potion assessment this year."

"Thirty percent?" Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. "That's a high failure rate."

Aikte curled his fingers, his gaze complicated behind his glasses. "That rate is already considered lenient. Last year, less than twenty percent passed the elementary assessment."

"Why is it so difficult?" Chen Chuan pressed, noticing that Aikte seemed reluctant to say more.

"Because the examiners..." Aikte hesitated, then shook his head. "You'll find out when you go. They're all picky old fellows, and their standards are especially strict with younger apprentices."

He put the six potions away behind the counter, then counted out thirty-six elementary magic stones and pushed them toward Chen Chuan. "Here's your money.

"But I have to remind you, even if you have talent, you still need to prepare seriously for the assessment."

Chen Chuan accepted the magic stones. The cloth bag felt heavy in his hand.

He did not leave immediately.

Over the past month, he had made and sold Elementary Life Potions.

With today's earnings of thirty-six elementary magic stones, Chen Chuan now had about two hundred elementary magic stones on him.

Chen Chuan decided to see whether he could buy two other elementary potion formulas.

The elementary assessment required three, and he currently knew only one.

"Could you recommend a few more elementary potion formulas to me?"

Chen Chuan took ten elementary magic stones from the cloth bag and placed them on the counter. "This is a deposit."

Aikte's eyes flickered, and his fingers brushed over the magic stones. "The association strictly controls elementary potion formulas. Selling them directly is against the rules."

He paused and lowered his voice. "But... if you're interested, I can keep an eye out for you.

"Some apprentices who have been eliminated sell their study notes privately. They usually contain formulas."

"The price?" Chen Chuan asked.

"Anywhere from five to two hundred stones, depending on how rare the formula is." Aikte's gaze roamed over Chen Chuan's face. "A genius like you should be able to collect the formulas needed for the assessment in no time, right?"

Chen Chuan nodded and was about to ask more when the wooden door behind the counter suddenly swung open, and a middle-aged man in a dark green robe walked in.

When Aikte saw the newcomer, he immediately straightened up, his manner becoming much more respectful.