Huge Harvest, Department Assignments

He opened the bag.

First came the Magic Stones.

There really were not many Magic Stones, only twenty in total.

After all, he had invested a full hundred Magic Stones in Halman.

They had clearly all been used to treat his injuries.

"But it was fortunate he was injured. Otherwise, in his uninjured state, he might have noticed the concentration of my mental power."

Ian felt a wave of relief.

Besides that, there were three spells in the bag, all Zero-ring Lower Grade spells.

All three spells were of excellent quality.

Layton Hines had also left a note.

It turned out the bag had originally contained a Zero-ring Middle Grade spell of excellent quality—the Blood Hand from before—which was suitable for a Second-class Apprentice Witch.

However, it was Black Sorcery, and a Second-class Apprentice Witch could not use a middle-grade spell, so it had been replaced with three spells he could use.

"Black Sorcery?"

Ian recalled the scene from that day. The blood-colored hand had carried a distinct stench of blood; it really did resemble Black Sorcery.

So-called Black Sorcery was generally cultivated only by Black Witches. Its processes were usually cruel and violent, which was why White Witches prohibited it.

At least, that was how it was in Veridian Forest. He just did not know where Ross had gotten it.

"Acid Splash, Wind Shield Spell, Vine Entanglement."

Ian's eyes lit up as he looked at the three newly given spells.

Acid Splash was the spell he had seen at the very beginning. It could condense a mass of corrosive liquid and was extremely powerful.

Wind Shield Spell condensed a layer of wind over the body's surface to block an enemy's attacks.

Vine Entanglement required Enchanted Seeds and could bind enemies, making it a control-type spell.

They were all excellent-grade spells. Under normal circumstances, they could sell for a full forty-five Magic Stones at the Academy.

And there were still quota restrictions.

After all, those who normally joined the Potions Department could only purchase three excellent-grade spells.

Layton was quite generous.

It also showed that this truly had not been a minor matter.

Besides that, there were the basic materials for those spells, including Acid Vine Juice for Acid Splash, Wind Feather Grass Leaves for Wind Shield Spell, and several Enchanted Seeds.

They differed from the spells Ian remembered from his previous life.

In this world, apart from certain spells like Mental Power Impact, many spells required materials to be cultivated.

For example, Acid Splash required some Acid Vine Juice as a catalyst when cast.

Wind Shield Spell was the same.

As for Vine Entanglement, there was no need to mention it. How could a low-level Wizard possibly create vines capable of growing out of thin air?

The Wind Blade Spell Ian had learned before appeared not to require casting materials.

That was because the Wind Blade Spell had originally been imprinted upon Mickey's feathers, and those feathers were the casting materials.

Once Ian had imprinted the runes, he no longer needed materials either.

The first two of these three spells might perhaps achieve that as well, but even at the master level, Vine Entanglement could not possibly function without seeds.

"So in the future, I should choose elemental-type spells whenever possible."

Ian considered it. This kind of spell required the fewest materials and relied more heavily on runes.

They suited him better.

After some simple consideration, Ian continued rummaging through the bag.

In the end, he found two useful items.

Lionheart Knight Method—Great Knight Section, and a silver ring.

"The follow-up section of the Knight Method."

Ian's eyes lit up.

This time, although his physical body had not been of much help, it had allowed him to endure better while under control.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to cast any spells at all.

But how did Ross possess the follow-up section of this Knight Method?

"He is Halman's older brother. Naturally, members of the same Lineage would have it." Ian could not help but smile.

"And this ring is quite interesting too."

Ian looked at the final silver-white ring. Perhaps this was his greatest harvest this time.

His mental power touched the ring.

A stream of information arrived at the same time.

[Stealth Ring: Zero-ring Middle Grade Witchcraft Artifact. Imprinted with three Advanced Runes and twenty-six basic runes. Effect: consumes an extremely small amount of mental power to conceal the holder's mental power. Can also actively activate Silence Domain, preventing sound from spreading within a ten-meter radius. Creator: Phil Stuart]

"A Witchcraft Artifact, and a Zero-ring Middle Grade one at that."

Ian drew a deep breath and suppressed his joy.

A Witchcraft Artifact referred to the various alchemical tools used by Wizards, whose grades were divided according to the runes imprinted upon them.

A Zero-ring Middle Grade Witchcraft Artifact was something only a Second-class Apprentice Witch could possess.

It was worth at least several dozen Magic Stones.

Not to mention that its effects perfectly matched his current needs, and it even had a domain.

Needless to say, that domain was the membrane Ian had seen that day, the one that had cut off his voice.

It would be useful in certain situations.

"Ross was a good man!"

Ian sighed.

This harvest was truly enormous.

Everything was something he needed: Magic Stones, spells, materials, and a Witchcraft Artifact. Their total value exceeded one hundred Magic Stones.

He had been at the Academy for nearly a year, and even including rewards, he had never obtained this much.

Sure enough, that saying went like this.

Murder and arson brought golden belts.

It worked just as well in another world.

"Together with the Magic Stones I have saved up, around twenty pieces, I have enough to cultivate properly for quite some time."

Ian put on the ring and stored everything away, then could not help falling into thought about the life ahead.

He was about to enter the Potions Department.

What should he do from now on?

"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile, and keep a low profile."

Ian pressed his lips together.

During the apprentice advancement stage, one often had no choice but to fight for resources. But after entering a department, he absolutely could not continue like that.

When encountering problems, he should keep as low a profile as possible.

He would quietly build himself up, then deal with them after he had developed enough.

Otherwise, if something like this happened again—

He could not possibly be so lucky every time.

Only by staying alive could he grow stronger.

Ian took a deep breath and began studying how to use the Witchcraft Artifact and the three spells.

In the blink of an eye.

Three days passed.

Ian left Victor's room. At this moment, however, the fluctuations of his mental power were completely concealed, as though they did not exist.

"It works so well."

Ian touched the ring on his right index finger.

That was the effect of the Stealth Ring.

Although it consumed a small amount of mental power, it consumed even less than what the Meditation Spell runes restored.

This allowed it to remain activated twenty-four hours a day.

Feeling the changes.

Ian hurried toward the Teaching Area. Today was the day departments would be assigned.

By the time Ian arrived, most people were already there.

"Ian."

"Boss, where have you been these past few days?"

When the people from the Mutual Aid Society saw Ian, they quickly came over. They had not seen him at all these past few days.

"It's nothing. I stayed at Instructor Victor's place for a few days."

Ian said.

Ross's matter involved espionage, so it naturally had to remain completely confidential. This also suited Ian's wishes perfectly.

Only then did the others understand.

"Tell me, where are you all planning to go?"

Ian changed the subject and asked.

"I'm going to the Combat Department," Logan said.

"I chose the Logistics Department. I don't know whether I'll be able to stay," Emily said with a blink and a smile.

The others had basically made the same choice. Apart from Emily, everyone else had chosen the Combat Department.

That was also the current mainstream choice.

Soon, nearly everyone had arrived. Joran entered the classroom as usual, though this time several people followed behind him.

"Now, we will begin assigning departments."