"List" and Sonic Curse

He couldn't help reaching out to take it, but in the next moment, Mrs. Allen slowly closed the little notebook. The gem seemed to flash once, as if reluctantly saying goodbye.

She gently placed the notebook on the counter, but her hand remained on top of it. She had no intention of pushing it toward Ron.

"Brat, it seems you still don't understand the rules of exchange in the wizarding world."

Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, staring straight into Ron's eyes. Her voice held a hint of displeasure:

"Knowledge carries weight. It can never be given away casually. Anything of value requires Equivalent Exchange. That is an eternal, unchanging law."

The slender finger, its nail painted blood red, traced slow circles above the notebook.

"To greedily demand something while refusing to give anything in return is how countless apprentices begin their descent into corruption. So, before giving you the Meditation Method, I need to determine whether you are truly worth... investing in."

Seeing this, Ron immediately said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Allen. I was presumptuous. Of course I'm willing to pay the appropriate price."

Mrs. Allen gazed at the young apprentice before her, seemingly evaluating the sincerity in his words.

Those dark green eyes appeared capable of seeing through every disguise and reaching straight into the depths of his soul.

After a moment, the Pink-haired Witch's lips curved slightly upward. She had seen the yearning in the boy's eyes.

"Very good." A hint of approval colored Mrs. Allen's tone. "Then I have a small task for you."

She took a piece of faintly glowing parchment from another drawer beneath the counter.

The writing on its surface had not been written in ink. It looked as though it had been branded onto the parchment, gleaming with a dark red sheen in the dim light. Some parts even had a metallic quality.

"I need these materials to complete an important potionology study..."

She pushed the parchment toward Ron, tapping lightly on several items with her bright red fingernail.

"Someone who has truly mastered the 'Whispers of the Star Eater' needs not only powerful mental strength, but also the means and courage to acquire knowledge."

Ron cautiously took the parchment. It felt cool, with a faint prickling sensation, as if the parchment itself contained condensed magic power.

He lowered his head and carefully examined the list. Each material's name was written in the language of the ancient wizards, accompanied by several annotations in symbols he didn't quite understand.

As his gaze gradually moved downward, Ron's brows drew tighter and tighter.

He had never even seen most of these materials in the "Basics of Potionology"—"Eye Fluid of the Dream-Eating Spider," "Heart Ash of the Moonshadow Bat," "Crystalline Moss"...

As for the few he barely recognized, such as "Night-Talk Pollen" and "Tongue Moss of the Thirst-Dead," they were all clearly listed among the "prohibited trade goods" designated by the School.

"These..." Ron raised his head and pretended not to know as he probed her intentions. "Most of these materials can't be bought at the Apprentice Market."

"Is that so?" Mrs. Allen tilted her head, a certain anticipation flashing in her dark green eyes.

"Then, clever as you are, you should know where to look for them, shouldn't you?"

Her tone was casual, but her gaze was as sharp as a blade.

Ron instantly understood Mrs. Allen's implication—in the wizarding world, simply possessing knowledge was far from enough.

How to acquire the resources one needed in a complicated and dangerous environment, and how to maneuver through gray areas without losing one's life—these were all survival skills a qualified wizard had to master.

Ron fell silent for a moment, then examined the list again. His mind had already begun calculating possible ways to obtain the materials.

He raised his head and met Mrs. Allen's gaze with determination. "I understand. I'll find a way to gather these materials."

Mrs. Allen nodded in satisfaction, a trace of relief flashing in her eyes.

"Very good. Remember, this isn't only for the 'Whispers of the Star Eater'; it's for your own sake as well. To survive in the Black Mist Forest, you sometimes need... special channels and techniques."

Her fingers tapped lightly against the counter, the rhythm growing somewhat heavy. "As for Oliver..."

Mrs. Allen's expression suddenly became exceptionally grave. A gloom utterly at odds with her young, beautiful face surfaced across her features.

"Be extremely careful around that man, especially now that he may have taken an interest in your Sonic Spell research."

She leaned forward and lowered her voice until she was practically whispering beside Ron's ear.

"Oliver's field of research is extremely dangerous. The 'Living Curse' he studies has already crossed many forbidden boundaries that even Formal Wizards are unwilling to touch. If he is interested in your Sonic Spell, it must be because he has discovered some connection between the two."

"Could you explain what that connection is?" Ron pressed, though he imperceptibly drew a little farther away. The Radiation Field unique to a Formal Wizard prickled his skin painfully.

She seemed to notice the abnormality in him. Her aura tightened slightly, and Ron could clearly feel the prickling pain across his body lessen considerably.

At that moment, Mrs. Allen's gaze grew distant and troubled. "The issue of sound waves and curses as carriers. Traditional curses require physical objects as their carriers, which is also their greatest limitation. But sound waves..."

She paused, seemingly weighing her words.

"Sound waves can penetrate material barriers and transmit energy without coming into contact with the target. If Oliver succeeds in using sound waves as a curse's carrier, his curse will be able to spread as freely as sound, permeating everything. Both its effects and range will be many times greater than those of traditional curses."

A chill crept slowly up Ron's spine.

If that was true, Oliver's research would create a new type of weapon that no one could defend against, at least at the apprentice level.

"Then what do you suggest?" He had already made up his mind, but decided to ask for her opinion first.

Mrs. Allen's answer was exactly what he expected. "Continue perfecting your Sonic Spell, but make sure you are the only one who knows its key points. Some knowledge can produce completely different results depending on whose hands it falls into."

She did not move any closer, merely offering a subtle hint. "And sometimes, the best defense is to strike first. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ron slowly nodded. Of course he understood Mrs. Allen's implication.

In this world, waiting for danger to arrive often meant death. Only by taking the initiative could one seize control of one's fate.

He carefully put away the list, folded it, and slipped it into the inner pocket close to his body. "I'll gather these materials as quickly as possible."

"There's no need to rush too much." Mrs. Allen waved her hand gracefully, her pinkish-purple curls swaying lightly with the motion.

"Safety always comes first. After all, a dead man can't learn the 'Whispers of the Star Eater.'"

An inscrutable glimmer flashed through her eyes. "All right, go back and get some rest. Just come to work at the usual time tomorrow. I still have plenty of things to teach you."

When Ron left the Herb Shop, his emotions were tangled beyond words.

The night had deepened. The shadows of the Black Mist Forest spread beneath his feet, as if countless invisible hands were touching his ankles.

After the cold wind brushed across his face, his gaze became resolute once more. After all, in the world of the occult, crisis and opportunity always existed side by side.