At exactly eight o'clock, Alivia Starwhisper entered the classroom on time.
She was still dressed in a simple dark green robe, her pale golden hair pinned up to reveal her pointed ears.
Ian noticed a faint trace of fatigue between her brows, though her gaze had grown even deeper.
"It seems many of you have heard the news from the Falling Star Plains."
Alivia spoke in a cool voice, getting straight to the point.
"War had indeed begun, and war required large quantities of potions—healing potions, Antidote Potions, Stamina Potions... and potions capable of rapidly restoring mental strength."
"Today, we won't discuss profound theory." She turned and wrote several complex runes on the blackboard.
"What I'm going to teach you is how to quickly, steadily, and mass-produce various strategic-grade potions with limited resources. For you, this will not only save your lives, but also become an important source of magic stones."
Ian focused and took out pen and paper to begin recording.
Alivia's explanation this time was exceptionally detailed and easy to understand.
Using the Lesser Healing Potion as an example, she broke everything down step by step, simplified the procedures, merged processes, and explained how to find substitute magical herbs...
She even personally demonstrated how to use mental strength to guide the brewing of three potions at once.
The room was silent as various materials danced into the cauldrons, where they were extracted and condensed...
Their eyes were filled with shock. They had never seen such miraculous skill before!
So potions could be brewed like this!
[Basic Potion Identification Proficiency +1]
Ian's mind shook violently. He hurriedly lowered his head and silently absorbed the information flooding into his mind.
Alivia paused slightly, glanced in Ian's direction, and continued her demonstration.
At that moment, Ian could no longer hear any sounds from the outside world. This Limit Break had come far too unexpectedly.
Alivia had covered a vast amount of unfamiliar potion knowledge, catching his advancement completely off guard.
Gradually, he discovered that his vision seemed to have changed.
No runes formed within the void of his mind, but his mental strength was refined once more.
After a while, the tremors gradually subsided, and he finished digesting the knowledge.
With a slight shift of thought, he sensed the newly appeared effect.
[Basic Potion Identification: Limit Break 1 time (0/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Insight)]
Insight was a form of vision that perceived energy pathways.
It could penetrate a potion's color and form, directly "seeing" the distribution of Magic Power density and the pathways of energy flow within.
After this skill's Limit Break, Ian would no longer need to rely on a potion's external characteristics to identify it. He could directly observe its internal structure.
Pulling himself together, Ian raised his head and continued listening without changing expression.
The two-hour lesson ended quickly.
As Alivia gathered her things and prepared to leave, Ian summoned his courage and hurried over.
"Instructor Alivia, please wait."
Alivia stopped and looked at Ian with her pale golden eyes.
"Ian, do you need something?"
"Yes, Instructor." Ian spoke respectfully. "I would like to purchase four vials of Tranquil Water. I was wondering whether you have a source for it."
Alivia raised her brows slightly. "Tranquil Water? It seems your Rock Bear Potion is progressing well."
After two months, Ian must have greatly improved the potion's effectiveness and begun preparing to use it himself.
"Yes, I was fortunate enough to make some gains," Ian admitted.
"I can sell it to you," Alivia said directly.
"But it is expensive. Five hundred magic stones per vial, no bargaining."
Although Ian had long known the price, taking out two thousand magic stones at once still pained him.
It was more than half of his savings from the past two months.
"Ugh! Who knew when he'd gather enough magic stones by relying on poor bastards like Kenna and the others?"
"I'll take four." Ian took twenty High-grade Magic Stones the size of goose eggs from his cloth bag and handed them over.
Alivia gave Ian a surprised look, apparently not expecting him to produce so many magic stones at once.
She accepted the magic stones. Green light flashed in her hand, and an exquisite wooden box appeared.
Inside lay seven neatly arranged vials of Tranquil Water. Their color was as deep as ink, as though they absorbed all the nearby light.
"Use the Tranquil Water half an hour before taking the Bloodline Potion."
Alivia removed the other three vials and handed the wooden box to Ian.
At the same time, she reminded him blandly, "You have considerable talent in potions. Don't neglect the important for the trivial. Take care of yourself."
"Thank you for the reminder, Instructor!" Ian solemnly accepted the wooden box, and his gratitude toward Malena rose once again.
"Instructor, how has Malena been lately?"
"She is well." Alivia turned and left, leaving behind only that indifferent reply.
Ian had originally planned to ask about the Water of Balance, but he never got the chance to speak.
He carefully put away the wooden box and continued calculating in his mind.
"Perhaps I can make use of this channel..."
Having finished his business, he did not linger at the High Tower. After purchasing materials for several other potions, he headed to the Station.
The carriage returning was much more crowded than the one he had taken there. Perhaps everyone carried valuables, making a carriage the safer choice.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was equally oppressive during the journey, and few people spoke.
Most wore weary, guarded expressions.
Ian sat by the window, leaned back slightly, and closed his eyes to rest.
Earlier, he had silently cast an Eye of Vigilance, which floated above the carriage and followed along.
The eye's vigilance range had already reached three hundred meters in every direction. If anything sudden happened, it would give him some time to prepare.
About halfway through the journey, pedestrians outside began to thin out.
When they entered a relatively secluded forest road, Ian suddenly opened his eyes.
A sudden change erupted!
Boom! Boom...
More than a dozen blazing Fireballs and pitch-black Corrosion Rays shot toward the carriage without warning.
Ian's Eye of Vigilance had just been shattered by a streak of light.
"Enemy attack!" the driver shouted, leaping down from the carriage first and disappearing into the forest.
"They're from the Crimson Court!" cries of alarm erupted inside the carriage.
The carriage exploded, and wood splinters flew everywhere.
Screams, shocked cries, and weeping instantly erupted.
Several apprentices sitting by the windows were unfortunately struck by sorcery and died on the spot.
Ian had sensed the attack before it came. The Crystal Energy Shield unfolded almost instinctively.
A Corrosion Ray passed through the oak plank and struck the shield, producing a sizzling sound.
The shield's spiritual light flickered violently before barely holding.
Before the eye shattered, he saw at least a dozen figures in crimson robes charging out of the woods.
The four at the front possessed especially powerful auras. They were Advanced Apprentices!
Their objective was clear. One of them split off to pursue the driver.
The remaining Advanced Apprentices blocked the roads ahead and behind, while the others surrounded the carriage.
By the looks of it, they clearly intended to wipe everyone out in one sweep.
"Run!" Ian cast another eye and leaped from the damaged carriage.
Guided by the eye, he sprinted in the opposite direction from most of the others.
His powerful physique showed its advantage once again. He moved like a gray shadow, vanishing into the forest after a few flashes.
"Oh? Quick reaction." The strongest person on the other side noticed Ian, and a trace of cruelty flashed through his eyes.
"An Intermediate Apprentice, yet he's quite fast. He might have some valuables on him."
He abandoned the opponent before him, transformed into a dark crimson streak of light, and pursued Ian.
To him, a prey struggling on the verge of death was far more interesting.
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