Mutual Aid Society Members, Talent Breakthrough 200!

"Logan!"

Ian called out as he looked at the departing figure.

The blond figure turned around as well, looking over with delight written across his face.

"Ian!"

Logan strode over and clapped Ian hard on the shoulder, a smile on his face.

Compared to a few months ago, he gave off a noticeably more mature air, and there was now a scar on his face.

"Logan, you've changed quite a bit!"

After they let go, Ian smiled at Logan.

"Haha, compared to three months ago, so have you!" Logan grinned, showing his teeth.

Ian smiled.

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. It was time for the members of the Mutual Aid Society to meet as they had agreed.

"Let's go in and wait. They should be here soon too."

Ian pulled Logan inside.

Sitting at the table, the two shared what had happened over the past three months.

"Coro and I were assigned to a White Crystal mine within the School. Every day, we were responsible for patrolling it and driving away wandering witches and Magic Beasts from the forest," Logan said.

"A White Crystal mine? Magic Beasts?"

Curiosity flashed through Ian's eyes.

Most of the Magic Beasts he had seen were the pet beasts of those witches in the School, along with Mickey.

"What's it like outside?" Ian asked curiously.

Logan said, "Veridian Forest is a forest where magical power truly gathers, so there are many powerful Magic Beasts within it. A lot of them even move in packs."

"The scar on my face came from when a pack of wind wolves attacked the mine. Their leader had even reached Zero-ring Middle Grade.

"This scar was left by a Zero-ring Lower Grade wind wolf. I was lucky to survive, but two of the people who went with me died."

He touched the scar on his face, as though the memory still chilled him.

Ian, meanwhile, sighed inwardly.

The so-called Zero-ring Lower Grade and Middle Grade corresponded to first-class and Second-class Apprentice Witches, respectively.

If he faced a Zero-ring Middle Grade Magic Beast, he probably would not be a match for it either.

Choosing the Potions Department had indeed been the right choice.

"But compared to the Combat Department, this is nothing!" Logan said with a laugh.

"The Combat Department is even more dangerous?" Ian was somewhat surprised.

"You'll know once you see William!" Logan shrugged.

Just then, another knock sounded at the door.

Ian went to open it.

"Boss, long time no see!"

Coro was as flamboyant as ever.

"Come in."

Ian smiled, but then suddenly noticed that Coro was not alone.

"William, Emily, Alfie."

Ian looked at the three emerging figures in delight.

William, clad in full plate armor; Emily, who smelled of sulfur and alchemical products; and Alfie, whose eyes were hidden beneath his hood.

Soon, everyone gathered around the table in a circle.

At that moment, Ian felt as though his entire body had relaxed considerably.

Ever since entering the School, the group had formed the Mutual Aid Society and spent nearly eight or nine months together.

There was no need to say more about the bond between them.

"It's still more comfortable being with everyone. Nothing like the front lines." William sat in his chair and let out a breath.

"Yeah. Every day in the Alchemy Department, I'm helping those junior alchemists process materials. I'm practically steeped in the smell now."

Emily stuck out her tongue and complained.

Alfie beside her nodded as well.

At that moment, Ian turned his gaze to William and asked curiously, "William, what's the situation at the front line?"

William took a deep breath, his voice muffled.

"The combat squad I joined is stationed at the edge of the battlefield, but of the teammates who entered alongside me, I'm the only one still alive. Even my captain—a Second-class Apprentice Witch who had just advanced—has already been replaced once."

William was a man of few words, yet he laid bare the battlefield's brutality completely.

"But according to Witch Vivian, this is only the beginning!"

Ian felt somewhat dazed.

He realized he had still underestimated war.

It was nothing but a meat grinder.

If one wanted to stay safe, the best way was not to get involved at all.

"So I have to enter the Cultivation Sequence!"

Ian thought to himself. Perhaps only the Cultivation Sequence could offer relatively safe protection.

Just as Mickey had said.

Those who did not enter the Cultivation Sequence were nothing but cannon fodder.

"Still, where there's danger, there are opportunities as well. Although I'm only in an ordinary combat squad, between killing enemies and completing missions, I can probably earn five or six Magic Stones a month."

William spoke as he said this.

"Indeed, that's not bad." Ian nodded.

The compensation really was quite good!

It had even surpassed that of the core departments and was nearly on par with his earnings as a Junior Potion Master.

The core Combat Department likely offered even better treatment.

But Ian was not tempted in the slightest. This was simply trading one's life for money.

He had the panel and the talent system. As long as he proceeded step by step, he could keep improving. Why take such a risk?

Seeing Ian's uninterested gaze, William's mouth twitched.

Their boss really had not changed one bit in three months.

"What about you, Emily?" Ian turned to Emily.

"I'm just an alchemy assistant right now. I haven't even had a chance to get hands-on experience yet. I probably won't have a chance to become a Junior Alchemist for years!"

Emily sounded helpless.

Much like the Potions Department, alchemy was also something that required time, especially since she had only just begun learning.

"Ian, how have you been?"

Emily turned to look at Ian, and only then did everyone else's gazes gather on him as well.

"Everything's normal. I just advanced to Junior Potion Master!"

Ian did not hide it and stated it frankly.

"Junior Potion Master?"

Emily's eyes widened. Only then did she notice the single star on Ian's badge.

She sharply sucked in a breath.

She did not know how difficult becoming a Junior Potion Master was, but she knew exactly how hard it was to become a Junior Alchemist.

Potion studies were no easier than alchemy.

"Hiss!"

Coro and Logan were equally shocked.

Back at the mine, there had only been one Junior Potion Master, who acted like an uncle every day.

They had even needed to beg him to prepare potions for them.

"Ian... you really went and pulled off something huge without making a sound. Potion Masters are scarce as hen's teeth at the front line!"

William felt his teeth go numb as well!

The fighting at the front line was intense, and people were injured every day. Many of them had to rely on Potion Masters, yet there were far too few Potion Masters at the front line.

They had originally thought that they would improve more at the front line, while Ian remained safely in the rear, in the Potions Department.

His development might have been slower, but reality was completely the opposite.

It was simply outrageous!

In an instant, the way everyone looked at Ian changed once more.

It was as if they had returned to several months ago.

Ian was still Ian. He still steadily stood a head above them, still the head of the Mutual Aid Society!

The Mutual Aid Society gathering lasted through the night.

Only then did everyone disperse.

Before parting, Ian had also agreed to prepare some potions for each of them, charging only the cost.

Thus, over the next three days, he prepared one vial each of the four potions he knew for them.

Ian did not feel that it wasted his time.

In this cruel world of wizards, having a few friends who got along with him was more important than the time it took.

However, after the others left, Ian's schedule grew even tighter.

Through their conversations, the brutality of war had been laid bare before him, bloody and merciless.

If he did not want to live at the mercy of fate on the battlefield in the future, then the Cultivation Sequence was a necessity.

Whether Intermediate Potion Master or Second-class Wizard, he had to attain both.

In the blink of an eye, another week passed.

"Lesser Sedative Potion has broken through to Master Level. Talent +5."

"Talent: 195→200."

His Talent had broken through two hundred!