Water of Balance

Ian arranged his training plan, then took out a sheet of parchment.

This was the reward Christine had given him: an incomplete formula.

He had studied it carefully for a while just now, but the Status Panel had not recorded it because too much of the content was missing for it to be identified.

Ian felt somewhat disappointed. It seemed that if he wanted to restore the formula, he would still need to find a professional.

"Wizard Alivia is the best candidate."

When the time came, he could first sound Malena out. It should not be too difficult to complete the formula.

The formula recorded a strange potion called the Water of Balance.

The main ingredient was called the "core of a Silent Jellyfish," something Ian had never even heard of.

It was taken from the incorruptible central gel left behind after a deep-sea Silent Jellyfish died.

A Silent Jellyfish Core naturally possessed the trait of "energy buffering," capable of turning sharp, violent energy impacts into gentle ripples.

Harvesting it was also extremely troublesome. It had to be cut out with a silver knife in a lightless environment and preserved in an almond-sized piece. Once exposed to light for more than ten seconds, it would rapidly rot and become useless.

The auxiliary material for the Water of Balance was equally difficult to obtain: the complete shed skin of a Scale-Shedding Snake.

The Scale-Shedding Snake was a rare magical creature native to Moonlight Glade.

Every year, during summer and winter, it shed an entire translucent skin in a process lasting only five minutes.

The shed skin was roughly the length of an adult's arm, retaining the shape of a silver-white snake. It was thin as cicada wings, yet extraordinarily tough.

The outermost layer of the skin bore tiny protruding scales. Naturally compatible with all energy systems, it was the finest material for guiding energy.

Besides those two materials, it also required the nectar of Moon-Sleep Flowers, the drinker's own saliva...

As Ian read on, he found a long list of bizarre catalytic materials that made his head swell.

"No wonder Christine was willing to trade this away. It's completely useless!"

Ian rubbed his eyes and set the formula aside for the moment.

He closed his eyes and gradually fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, at dawn.

Ian hurriedly tidied himself up and left, intending to visit several colleagues he had fought alongside.

He first went to the homes of Clayton and Christine, who lived in neighboring houses.

After entering, Ian saw Clayton reclining against the bed, his face still somewhat ashen.

When Clayton saw Ian enter, he reluctantly pushed himself upright.

"Ian, you're here." Clayton's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Don't move. Just lie down properly." Ian sat on the edge of the bed and placed several potions for restoring mental and physical strength on the table.

Clayton looked at Ian with a complicated expression.

During the earlier battle, while lying on the ground, he had watched Ian vanish without a trace. At the time, he had felt rather resentful.

But after thinking it over, he remembered that Ian was still only an Intermediate Apprentice, and his anger faded.

Then, a piece of news that morning left him stunned.

Nolan was dead!!!

Just last night, more than a dozen miles outside Nightfall Town, he had been killed by Aislin, Alivia's student, and the Tranquil Flower had been taken away.

That story could only fool outsiders!

Clayton and the others all knew Aislin. They knew perfectly well that she had never appeared.

Even if Aislin had secretly come to Nightfall Town, there was no way she would have been allowed to intercept Nolan alone in such a dangerous operation. It made no sense at all.

"Ian..." Clayton licked his cracked lips.

"Nolan... you killed him, didn't you?!!"

He asked cautiously, his tone full of uncertainty.

Ian sighed inwardly and nodded gently.

There was no hiding this from the others who had acted with him. They were all Advanced Apprentices; none of them were fools.

When Clayton saw that Ian had actually admitted it, he was horrified.

He might have been the first to lose the ability to resist in that battle, but that did not mean he was truly weak. Nolan had simply been too powerful!

He recalled Nolan's dark spells, the helplessness of being ensnared by Life Drain, and the terror of his life force and stamina rapidly draining away.

But Ian had not only escaped uninjured, he had even killed Nolan in return... It was simply unbelievable!

"My God..." Clayton muttered, his expression blank.

He remembered when Ian had first arrived at Starleaf Apothecary. Ian had been cautious in every way, looking like he did not dare offend anyone.

Later, Ian had displayed talent in potion-making, but everyone had still regarded him as a junior.

He thought of the two deep-blue rays Ian had fired. Their power had been astonishing, and they had severely disrupted Nolan.

Thinking about it now, Ian had agreed to serve as bait because of his own strength!

"Hmph! You got the biggest benefit, so I can't give you all the magic stones I promised before!"

Clayton quickly adjusted his mood and began teasing Ian.

"I didn't get much benefit either. I almost died!"

Ian roughly recounted what had happened afterward, and Clayton's expression changed repeatedly.

"So in the end, the Tranquil Flower fell into Wizard Alivia's hands!"

Clayton's eyes darted about rapidly, though no one knew what he was thinking.

Seeing him like this, Ian felt somewhat amused. It seemed Clayton had not completely given up yet.

Ian himself was actually quite pained by it. The Tranquil Flower was an extremely precious advancement potion, but at the time, he had no choice.

Unfortunately, he was still only an Intermediate Apprentice. Even if he kept the Tranquil Flower, it would only bring endless trouble.

After chatting for a while, Ian bid Clayton farewell.

He then went to visit Harvey and Christine. Those two had also guessed the truth.

Ian warned them, "It's enough for you to understand it yourselves. Don't spread it around. Everything will depend on Wizard Alivia's announcement."

As he left, he asked Christine about the origins of the Water of Balance. Unfortunately, she did not know either; she had found the formula at a market stall.

Ian was somewhat speechless. Everyone else's rewards had been sincere, while she had just casually fobbed him off.

On his way back, he saw Malena leisurely drinking tea in the courtyard.

"Ian, come over quickly. I have good news for you." Malena waved her little hand.

She looked exceptionally well, sunlight falling over her fair skin and giving it a crystalline glow.

"What is it, my esteemed steward?" Ian sat down familiarly and picked up a cup of tea.

Malena crossed her legs, the tip of her foot swaying lightly.

"Last night, I said many good things about you in front of Lady Alivia."

"Thank you, Malena. I'll definitely work hard at brewing potions," Ian replied obediently.

Malena nodded in satisfaction. "Lady Alivia has already agreed that from now on, you may purchase advanced knowledge from her to study."

"Really?!" Ian was genuinely delighted this time, and his heart finally felt a little more balanced.

"So killing Nolan wasn't entirely a bad thing."

Knowledge above the level of an Advanced Apprentice was almost entirely monopolized by wizards. Ordinary apprentices found it difficult to access.

Why had Ian been envious of Allen before? Wasn't it because Allen had a wizard mentor?

Now, he too had a channel to obtain advanced knowledge. Though he was starting a little late, that did not matter.

"Heh, I'm someone with powerful talent!"

He would learn everything faster than anyone else!