Malena's Departure

The next morning, at dawn.

Ian got up feeling refreshed. After washing up, he went to Malena's residence.

Before he could knock, Malena had already opened the door.

"Malena, I heard the shop has several other Meditation Potion formulas. Could I..."

Ian did not intend to learn new formulas all over again; he merely wanted to use them as references and expand his knowledge of Potion Studies.

With Malena leaving in a few days, Ian had no idea who would come to manage the shop afterward. He might as well pull a few strings while she was still here.

"You've only been here for a short time, yet you're already eyeing the shop's other formulas. You've really gotten thicker-skinned."

Malena ignored Ian's request. "Although I have the authority to give them to you early, I can't casually break the rules. You should focus on refining Awakening Potions properly."

"As for the shop, it does have formulas for Spirit-Awakening Potions and Concentration Potions. Do you know why I've always had you refine Awakening Potions?"

Ian was no longer the noble youth he had once been. Now, he refined dozens, even hundreds, of potions every day.

"Because it's relatively cheap and practical, so it's more popular among low- and mid-level apprentices. One bottle costs five magic stones, lasts two hours, and the materials aren't too difficult to find."

Malena nodded. "Not only that, but tolerance to Awakening Potions develops gradually and slowly. Other potions can hardly achieve that."

This confirmed Ian's guess, but another question immediately arose.

"Then once someone becomes an Advanced Apprentice, Awakening Potions should no longer be effective, right? How do they meditate normally?"

"That's true. I currently take Concentration Potions. They provide excellent assistance for meditation methods, but they're very expensive. Even Ordinary Advanced Apprentices can only take them occasionally."

Malena sounded somewhat emotional. As a Potion Master, her financial situation was far better than most people's.

Yet many Advanced Apprentices had no talent for making a living, and their lives were just as difficult.

"Concentration Potions are the upgraded version of Awakening Potions, but they cost ten times as much."

"That expensive?" Ian was stunned. This was merely an auxiliary potion—fifty magic stones was an exorbitant price.

"Because Concentration Potions don't just help with meditation. They can also directly condense mental power and raise the upper limit of mental power by a trace!"

Ian's eyes immediately lit up. At last, he knew of a potion that could directly increase mental power.

The key to a Concentration Potion lay in the words "concentrate the mind."

I have to get it!

Malena's departure came even sooner than Ian had expected.

Three mornings later, Malena called Ian to the main hall, where Clayton was seated to the left.

Ian was somewhat surprised. After greeting them both, he sat down.

"Ian, I'll set out for the High Tower this afternoon to meet with Lady Alivia."

Malena had changed into a Crimson hunting outfit. She seemed less languid and more capable.

Paired with her graceful figure, she looked even more valiant and striking.

"I've temporarily entrusted the shop's daily affairs to Clayton. Harvey is recovering from his injuries, and the High Tower's patrols will handle the shop's defenses."

Ian silently nodded. He felt somewhat reluctant to see her go, but more than that, he wished Malena success in her breakthrough.

Though he had not known Malena for long, their friendship had already been etched into his heart.

"As for those potion formulas you've been longing for." Malena changed the subject and took a piece of parchment from her robes.

"This is the formula for a Spirit-Awakening Potion. By the rules, you aren't qualified to exchange for it. But since you're quite talented and helped me... solve quite a few problems, I'm giving it to you early."

Ian solemnly accepted the formula, and he could still feel its warmth.

Lines of elegant handwriting covered the parchment, recording the ingredients and brewing steps.

He understood that this was the greatest convenience Malena could offer within her authority.

"Malena, thank you!"

"Also," Malena said, pointing toward the backyard.

"The spell practice room will be yours to use while Harvey recovers. Supply the magic stones yourself, but focus on your training. Don't neglect the essentials for trivial matters."

"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Malena," Ian said sincerely.

Without Malena's initial acceptance and later protection, he could never have grown so steadily.

Malena waved her hand and looked at Ian with a complicated expression.

"You... train well. The clouds of war are gathering. The friction between Shadowmoon Tower and the Crimson Court is deepening constantly, and the future is unpredictable. Strengthening yourself is the only way to survive."

After saying all she needed to say, Malena rose and left the hall to make her final preparations before departure.

That afternoon, the sunlight remained bright.

A magnificent carriage bearing the Star-Moon emblem silently came to take Malena away.

The entire process disturbed very few people.

Watching Malena's departing figure, Ian did not know why, but he felt strangely bereft.

With Malena gone, Ian's life entered a period that appeared peaceful on the surface but was in truth filled with intense training.

His core foundation, the Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method, gained proficiency rapidly every day.

The Awakening Potion after Limit Break became his greatest aid.

Every night, without fail, he spent six hours in Deep Meditation. The runes in his mind grew at an unprecedented speed.

One Will Rune after another was effortlessly traced into existence.

Those scattered strands of mental power were continually condensed as well, and their total amount steadily increased.

His realm advanced by nearly one percent every day.

As for spells, Crystal Energy Barrier was also a required subject for him.

Every day, he repeatedly cast it, maintained it, moved it, dismissed it, then cast it again...

As he felt the resonance frequency between his mental power and the spell, as well as the subtle connections between every hexagonal energy crystal, the precision of his control rose at an astonishing rate.

Although its defensive strength was somewhat disappointing, Ian believed that the effects after Limit Break would give him the greatest return.

This spell's proficiency increased relatively quickly, nearly on par with Eye of Vigilance.

As for Ian's other two spells, after gaining the right to use the practice room, they also improved steadily every day.

Scorching Ray in particular was exceptionally easy and quick for him to grasp, thanks to his Light Attribute Affinity.

This delighted Ian. He could clearly feel that whenever he cast this spell, the incantation and gestures flowed far more smoothly than with his other spells.

In the practice room, he rapidly chanted an incantation.

"Ignis!"

A blazing, brilliant orange-red ray shot forth, leaving a charred black mark on the spell target.

[Scorching Ray Proficiency +1]

Satisfied, Ian began alternating his practice with Lesser Frost Ray.

Icy-blue and orange-red rays continuously streaked through the room, one cold and one hot, forming the beginnings of his combat approach.

The room's temperature fluctuated between hot and cold. Before long, rising mist obscured his vision.

Ian walked to the wall and pressed a red button. The mist was quickly vented outside.

Every day, Ian cycled through three things: refining potions, practicing spells, and Deep Meditation.

Clayton kept the shop's affairs in perfect order, so Ian did not need to worry about them.

But as time passed, rumors of war also grew increasingly common.

The prices of potion ingredients began to fluctuate.