Water of Balance

Ian arranged his training schedule, then took out another piece of parchment.

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

He had studied it carefully for a while, but the panel had not recorded it. Too much of the content was missing for it to be recognized.

Ian was 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 out Malena. It should not be too difficult to complete the formula.

The formula described a peculiar potion called Water of Balance.

The primary ingredient was called the "Silent Jellyfish Core," something Ian had never even heard of.

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

The Silent Jellyfish Core naturally possessed an "energy-buffering" property, capable of turning sharp, violent surges of energy into gentle ripples.

Harvesting it was also extremely troublesome. It had to be cut out with a silver blade in complete darkness and preserved in almond-sized pieces. If exposed to light for over ten seconds, it would rapidly rot and lose its effectiveness.

The supplementary ingredient for Water of Balance was equally difficult to acquire: the complete shed skin of a Scale-Shedding Snake.

The Scale-Shedding Snake was a rare magical creature originating from Moonlight Glade.

Every summer and winter, it would shed a complete translucent skin once, a process lasting only five minutes.

The shed skin was about as long as an adult's arm, retaining the form of a complete silver-white snake. It was thin as cicada wings, yet extraordinarily tough.

The outermost layer of the skin possessed tiny raised scales. It was naturally compatible with every energy system and was the finest material for guiding energy.

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

When Ian read further, he found a long string of bizarre catalytic materials that made his head ache.

"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.

Ian tidied up hastily and headed out, intending to visit several colleagues who had fought alongside him.

He went first to Clayton and Christine's residences. The two lived in neighboring houses.

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

When he saw Ian enter, he forced himself to sit up.

"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 strength and stamina on the table.

Clayton looked at Ian, his eyes complicated.

During the previous battle, while lying on the ground, he had seen Ian vanish without a trace. At the time, he had felt somewhat resentful.

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

Yet news he received that morning had left him dumbfounded.

Nolan was dead!!!

Just last night, more than ten miles outside Nightfall Town, he had been killed by Aislin, Alivia's student, who had also taken the Tranquil Flower.

Those words could only fool outsiders!

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

Even if Aislin had secretly come to Nightfall Town, there was no way they would have allowed her to intercept Nolan alone during 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 people who had acted alongside him. They were all Advanced Apprentices; none of them were fools.

When Clayton saw Ian actually admit it, he was utterly stunned.

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

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

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

"My god..." Clayton muttered, a dazed expression appearing on his face.

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

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

He thought of the two dark-blue rays Ian had fired. Their power had been astonishing, causing Nolan enormous interference.

Thinking about it now, the reason Ian had agreed to serve as bait in the first place was because of his own formidable strength!

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

Clayton quickly adjusted his mindset and began teasing Ian.

"I didn't gain much either. I nearly died!"

Ian roughly recounted what happened afterward, and Clayton's expression kept changing.

"So the Tranquil Flower ultimately ended up in Wizard Alivia's hands!"

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

Seeing his expression, Ian found it somewhat amusing. It seemed Clayton still had no intention of giving up completely.

Ian himself also felt the pain of it. The Tranquil Flower was an extremely precious advancement potion, but he had had no choice at the time.

Unfortunately, he was only an Intermediate Apprentice. Even if he had kept the Tranquil Flower, it would have brought endless trouble.

After chatting for a while, Ian bade Clayton farewell.

He then went to Harvey and Christine's residence. Those two had also guessed the truth.

Ian warned them, "It's enough that you understand it. Don't spread it around. Everything will follow Wizard Alivia's announcement."

As he left, he asked Christine where Water of Balance had come from. Unfortunately, she did not know either; she had picked up the formula at a stall.

Ian was somewhat speechless. Everyone else had offered sincere payment, while she had casually fobbed him off.

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

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

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

"What orders do you have for me, my steward?" Ian sat down familiarly and picked up a cup of tea.

Malena crossed her legs, her toes swaying slightly.

"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 agreed that from now on, you can purchase and study advanced knowledge from her."

"Really?!" Ian was genuinely delighted this time, and the scales in 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 previously envied Allen? Was it not because Allen had a wizard mentor?

Now, he too had a channel for acquiring advanced knowledge. His start might have been somewhat late, but that did not matter.

"Heh, I'm a person with powerful talent!"

He learned everything faster than others!