At the camp entrance, a stern-faced middle-aged man in a black robe stood quietly.
A silver Star-Moon Badge was pinned to his chest, and his aura ran deep.
He was unmistakably a Formal Wizard!
"Hank's squad, reporting." Hank stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"I am Sterling Vance, the camp's overseer, a First-Level Wizard, and the commander and chief Potion Master here." The middle-aged wizard spoke in a steady voice.
His gaze swept over the group before lingering briefly on Ian.
"Welcome to the Forge. For the foreseeable future, this will be your home—and your battlefield."
Wizard Sterling did not waste words and immediately began assigning tasks.
"Hank, you are appointed camp leader. Lina, join the patrol team. Every day, you will be responsible for guarding and clearing the area within three kilometers of the camp."
"Big Guy, go to the eastern wall and assist with the defenses there."
"Old Tobacco Pipe, the camp's Warning Runes and the two Water-Purifying Rune arrays are yours to maintain. Collect the materials from the warehouse."
"Poison Fang... assist with treating injured apprentices, especially poisoning and curse-related injuries. The warehouse has what you need."
Finally, he looked at Ian. "Ian Marcus, the Potion Master recommended by Starleaf."
Ian lowered his head and nodded. This was his first time encountering an unfamiliar First-Level Wizard, so he was especially cautious in his manner.
"What the camp needs most right now are Lesser Healing Potions and Basic Antidote Potions. The Alchemy Room is over there."
Sterling pointed toward a smoking stone house within the camp.
"It has basic equipment and some notes I left behind. Materials will be delivered every day. Your task is to produce no fewer than thirty potions daily, and their quality cannot fall below the standard. Extra Contribution Points will be awarded for exceeding the quota. Any questions?"
Thirty potions a day was immense pressure for an ordinary Intermediate Apprentice Potion Master.
Instead, Ian felt relieved. This was a reasonable range in which he could display his abilities.
"No problem, Wizard Sterling," Ian replied steadily.
"Good." Sterling nodded. "Remember, efficiency is life here. Every potion you brew may save a life. Go familiarize yourselves with the surroundings first. In an hour, Hank will take you to the Alchemy Room for the handover."
After Sterling left, Hank patted Ian on the shoulder.
"Wizard Sterling is famously strict, but he's fair. Work hard. Here, useful Potion Masters are respected even more than fighters."
Ian looked toward the smoking stone house, then at the crimson canyon in the distance.
Scorching Canyon, Forge Camp—this was the beginning of his life in war.
He weighed the wooden box in his hand. It contained all his belongings. Then he followed Hank into the camp.
As Ian stepped into the camp, the first thing he felt was the dry heat in the air, mixed with the smell of sulfur and scorched earth.
The camp had been built against a natural stone wall. Its crude wooden and stone structures were coated in a thick layer of fireproof material.
Faint rune light flickered atop several watchtowers.
Far away, dark red lava could vaguely be seen flowing through the depths of the canyon. That was an area where the Crimson Court was particularly active.
"This is Forge Camp." The new leader, Hank, still spoke in his hoarse voice as he pointed at a relatively intact stone house in the camp.
"Your Alchemy Room is there. The materials will be sent over shortly. Wizard Sterling said that as long as you brew thirty of either potion, the task counts as complete. Do your best."
Ian nodded and carried his wooden box toward the stone house.
The entire camp was not large. Along the way, most of the apprentices hurried about with exhaustion and vigilance on their faces. The air was thick with tension.
His gray robe did not stand out here, but his identity as a Potion Master still drew a few furtive glances.
The Alchemy Room was far more rudimentary than the one at Starleaf Magic Potion Shop, but it had all the basic equipment.
There was an old Thermostat Box, a set of basic grinding and extraction tools, and some common materials piled in a corner.
Most conspicuous was the small vent in the center of the room, engraved with simple purification runes to remove any trace toxins that might be produced during potion brewing.
"First, get familiar with the place. Then finish today's task."
Ian set down the wooden box. Rather than starting immediately, he carefully inspected every corner of the room to make sure there were no hidden hazards.
He took out a more refined set of silver utensils and several specially made glass bottles from his own wooden box.
He had purchased them from the High Tower with magic stones. They were much easier to use.
He summoned the Status Panel and took a look.
"Huh!"
[Realm: Intermediate Wizard Apprentice (74%)] [Talent: Medium Light Attribute Affinity] [Skills: Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method: Mastery (378/800)] [Wizard's Hand: Mastery (399/400)] [Frost Ray: Limit Break 1 time (286/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Twin)] [Scorching Ray: Proficient (357/400)] [Eye of Vigilance: Mastery (252/800)] [Crystal Energy Barrier: Mastery (608/800)] [Bloodline Purification Art: Proficient (163/400)] [Rock Bear Potion: Beginner (175/400)] [Spirit-Awakening Potion: Proficient (216/400)] [Awakening Potion: Limit Break 1 time (101/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Potency)] [Basic Potion Identification: Limit Break 1 time (3/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Insight)] [Lesser Healing Potion...]
At some point, Wizard's Hand proficiency had quietly reached the limit of Mastery. It was only one final point away from another Limit Break.
This minor skill, originally meant only to assist with potion brewing, had accompanied him through his hardest years.
"Perfect. I'll complete the breakthrough before I start brewing."
With a thought from Ian, the silver knife on the table flew into the air.
It precisely divided the roots of the Silverleaf, while the pestle descended on its own and ground the dried Hemostatic Moss into an even powder.
Several glass bottles were lifted by invisible hands and arranged in the most convenient positions on the workbench.
He had performed these actions countless times before.
Now, they flowed as smoothly as clouds and water, consuming almost no Mental Power.
The moment he placed a portion of Hemostatic Moss into the crucible, a familiar tremor came from his mind.
[Wizard's Hand Proficiency +1] [Wizard's Hand: Limit Break 1 time (0/800) (Limit Break Effect: 1. Spirit Infusion)]
A flood of insights regarding delicate control, force transmission, Mental Power attachment, and the granting of temporary spirituality surged into his mind.
At the same time, Ian sensed that his Mental Power had been condensed once more, to a degree similar to what had happened in class last time.
Within his mind, a slightly blurry gray rune appeared beside the blue Frost Rune.
After digesting the information, delight appeared in his eyes.
With another thought, the grinding rod on the workbench stood upright, bounced lightly, then began grinding another portion of Hemostatic Moss with gentler force and more complex movements.
Ian was not deliberately controlling it. He merely maintained it with a thread of extremely fine Mental Power before sending it a vague command.
"Spirit Infusion... just as I thought!"
Ian tested it. After the Limit Break, Wizard's Hand's control range had extended to around thirty meters, while its maximum carrying capacity had increased to roughly one hundred kilograms.
More importantly, its flexibility and degree of "human-like" behavior had greatly increased, while its consumption had decreased further.
When brewing potions, it could carry out two or three simple preprocessing tasks at once, greatly improving efficiency.
"Perfect for dealing with these bulk assignments."
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