Enchanter

With Ryan's help, Gagnor moved into the craftsmen's quarters at Gray Eagle Camp that very day.

As an apothecary, he had a room to himself. It was hardly spacious, but it was still much better than what the soldiers had.

"There's something I need to remind you about," Ryan said. "You'd better get the apothecary badge issued by the Apothecary Guild as soon as possible, and the higher your rank, the better. A second-level apothecary earns twenty silver coins a month."

"I understand." Gagnor nodded.

Ryan suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. There's an investigation mission next month. We're going to investigate traces of Forest Trolls in the Stoneclaw Mountains east of South Sea Town. I'm the deputy leader of the mission team. Do you want to come along and take a look?"

"Are Forest Trolls very dangerous?"

Ryan thought for a moment. "A little, but based on my judgment, the chances of encountering trolls this time are extremely low. Most likely, it'll just be a sightseeing trip."

After some thought, Gagnor ultimately declined. "I think I should get familiar with my new surroundings first."

"That's fine, too."

Before leaving, Ryan said, "Come find me anytime if you need anything. When I don't have a mission, I'm usually in the barracks or the Thieves' Guild."

"The Thieves' Guild?" Gagnor was stunned. He had no idea where the Thieves' Guild was, and had even once thought that South Sea Town didn't have one at all.

"The Raven Inn."

After Ryan left, Gagnor tidied up the room again and tried on the clothes the mercenary group had issued him.

Unlike combat professions, he had no shoulder insignia as an apothecary. After all, its primary purpose was to distinguish friend from foe and make it easier to collect the dead, while apothecaries didn't need to go onto the battlefield—at least, under normal circumstances.

Instead, he had a white apothecary's robe embroidered with the Gray Eagle insignia on the chest. It looked very similar to one of the standard robes produced by the Apothecary Guild.

After putting on the apothecary's robe, Gagnor stood before the mirror and looked himself over, admiring his looks in the process.

It had to be said that the body he had been born with in this life was quite good-looking. Calling him handsome and dashing might have been an exaggeration, but he was definitely well above average.

Because of this, more than one girl his age in Driftwood Town had openly or subtly expressed her affection for Gagnor.

Unfortunately, Gagnor simply couldn't bring himself to be interested in those village girls.

A sudden moan came from the room next door. "Mmm, hmm, ahhh—"

It was immediately followed by a complaint. "Why are you shouting so loudly?"

"It hurts! It hurts!"

"That's how this kind of ink is. Bear with it."

"Okay, mmm... ah, hmm..."

The moans came intermittently and didn't stop for an entire hour.

Gagnor couldn't help feeling annoyed and curious, so he went next door.

The door to the neighboring room was wide open. Inside, a man with a small braid was tattooing a soldier. The soldier's arm was bare, and blue ink slowly pierced his skin, outlining a series of patterns.

The braided man looked up at him. "Are you the new apothecary next door? Sorry for disturbing you, but I assure you this is an unusual occurrence."

Gagnor watched for a while. "What are you tattooing?"

"A Sword Rune," the man explained. "It looks like this is your first time seeing a Sword Rune pattern, but that's normal. Most people choose transparent Magic Rune Ink."

Gagnor nodded in realization.

A Sword Rune was a type of magic rune. Magic runes could grant people various enhancements and even spells. As the name suggested, a "Sword Rune" was a magic rune that enhanced swordsmanship and sword techniques.

Because Sword Runes were relatively simple to draw, the system supporting them was also the most complete and developed. As a result, they were the most common type of magic rune. However, as the braided man had said, most people chose to use transparent Magic Rune Ink, so they weren't easy to see.

Before long, the Sword Rune was complete.

"Thank you, Marcus." The soldier finally let out a long breath of relief as the pain at last came to an end.

He put on his clothes and prepared to leave, but Marcus stopped him and held out his hand.

"What?"

"Money. Transparent ink is a benefit provided by the mercenary group. Colored ink costs extra. Didn't you know?"

The soldier's eyes widened. "Colored ink hurts more than transparent ink, so why do I have to pay extra?"

Marcus said, "That's precisely why the vast majority of people choose transparent ink."

"..." The soldier fell silent for a long while. "I want to know, does colored ink have any advantages?"

Marcus thought about it, then gave his answer. "It looks cooler!"

The soldier looked like he was about to cry, but he could only pay and leave.

After collecting the money, Marcus was in a good mood. He smiled as he introduced himself. "I'm Marcus, a first-level enchanter specializing in magic runes—so you can also call me a runesmith. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Gagnor, a first-level apothecary. It's nice to meet you, too."

After a few brief pleasantries, Marcus asked, "Can you make magic rune potions?"

"I've only learned a little about them from books."

"That's fine. Ordinary magic rune potions aren't any more complicated to make than Pain Relief Potions. I have a recipe here. You can take a look." Marcus pulled out a small booklet. "Once you learn it, you'll be able to apply to the quartermaster to use ink to offset part of your potion-making duties. I guarantee it'll save you some time."

"Of course, I benefit too. Since you live next door, this will save me time as well." He added this last remark.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Gagnor took the booklet. "Thank you. I'll learn it as soon as possible."

The two of them sat down and chatted for a while.

Gagnor asked, "Are there magic runes for bows and arrows?"

"There are, but only a few enchanters are willing to study them," Marcus said. "After all, arrows are shot away, which means they can't remain connected to a person's magic rune the way a sword can."

"You use a bow and arrows?" he asked.

Gagnor nodded.

Marcus smiled. "I use a bow and arrows too. For non-combat professionals like us and low-level combat professionals, bows and arrows are actually a pretty good choice. But for high-level combat professionals, things are different."

"Indeed. Historically, the Saints and heroes renowned for their martial prowess rarely used bows and arrows as weapons." Gagnor casually agreed, though other thoughts were beginning to form in his mind.

"Oh, someone's here."

A soldier who had come to have a magic rune drawn ended their conversation.

Marcus grew busy again.

Gagnor returned to his room and flipped through the booklet Marcus had given him—Basic Guide to Making Magic Rune Ink.

As he read, his expression suddenly shifted, as if he had thought of something.

He immediately stood up and retrieved the Blood Magic Notes from a hidden corner of the room.

He unlocked the book and flipped through it rapidly. Before long, he stopped, his gaze fixed on a page in the middle.

"Beast Blood Magic Ink!" When he saw those large words on the page, Gagnor's eyes immediately lit up.