Dwarf Princess

Li Ang looked at the pink-haired little dwarf before him, who was trying hard to put on an imposing air but, because of the difference in height, had no intimidation whatsoever and instead looked rather comical. He could not help wanting to tease her.

He folded his arms, bent slightly forward, and mimicked her affectedly haughty tone as he retorted:

"Oh? So it was Her Highness the noble Dwarf Princess. My apologies, my apologies. But..."

His tone shifted, carrying a teasing edge. "Are you planning to use a dwarven sword to cut down us human nobles?"

"Y-You actually dare..."

Shandra Meiya clearly had not expected that not only was the other party unafraid, he even dared to mock her aloud.

Her round little face, still carrying some baby fat, instantly flushed bright red. She looked exactly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, on the verge of kicking up a loud fuss without a care for anything else.

Seeing this, Li Ang immediately lowered his voice and spoke quickly:

"Shh, Your Highness. You would not want to make a big scene here and summon the administrators, would you?"

He paused. Seeing the girl's slightly stunned expression, he continued in a low voice:

"If I am not mistaken, Your Highness, you came here to look for materials for the upcoming 'Silver Crucible' competition too, right? If things blow up now and you get disqualified, that would be throwing away the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds."

The fury on Shandra Meiya's face instantly froze, replaced by a trace of lingering fear and panic.

She had been blinded by rage just now. Now that she had calmed down, the momentum she had painstakingly built up vanished as quickly as a punctured balloon.

She bit her lip, shot Li Ang another wholly unthreatening glare, and unconsciously lowered her voice even further, sounding fierce on the outside but weak within:

"Hmph, I-I suppose you have a bit of a point. This time... this time, I will forgive your insolence. But if you still... still dare look at me like that next time, I will smash your kneecaps with my hammer."

With that, she gave a forceful snort, turned around, and marched away in deliberately imposing strides, disappearing behind the nearby bookshelves.

As Li Ang watched that pink figure vanish from sight, he could not help finding it amusing. What a pink chihuahua.

After that small interlude, Li Ang continued looking for books. He quickly found the other two books he wanted, completed the borrowing procedures, and returned to his dormitory carrying the three heavy volumes.

After returning from the library, Li Ang devoted most of his energy to studying those three thick books.

Compendium of Herb Properties recorded the traits, medicinal effects, growing environments, and processing methods of thousands of magical plants.

Leyline Mineral Deposits documented the appearances of various magic-infused minerals and the specific roles they could play in potions.

<Medicinal Extraction and Processing of Magic Beast Materials> opened the door to an entirely new world for him. Those seemingly disgusting Magic Beast organs, venom, and blood could, after proper processing, become potion ingredients.

Over the following days, he hardly left his room, spending all day in the dormitory studying the books and searching for the properties of the materials he needed.

Gradually, the vague concept of a muscle-building potion in his mind became clearer.

According to the records in the books, Li Ang learned that quite a few plants and Magic Beast materials possessed effects that roughly matched what he had envisioned.

For example, sunflowers could slightly enhance physical constitution, while Dragonblood Fruit could increase the body's metabolism.

There was also the blood of the Froststripe Tiger, a Magic Beast material that could temporarily increase strength, though it came with certain side effects.

After men consumed it, certain parts of their bodies would become excessively engorged with blood. If taken directly, there was even a risk of bursting outright.

There were quite a few materials like these. If he could fuse them together, the potion should succeed.

However, saying it was easy; doing it was hard. This theoretical process came with many problems.

For instance, how could he fuse the properties of these materials? How could he neutralize their toxicity? And what methods could remove all sorts of bizarre side effects?

During the time Li Ang was researching the muscle-building potion, he had not neglected his morning classes either.

Moreover, because of the large amount of studying he had done lately, he appeared increasingly at ease in these apprentice-oriented classes.

The competitive edge in Rufus's gaze toward him also grew stronger and stronger.

As for Lottie, after successfully condensing an Astral Star and casting off her greatest psychological burden, the foundations of her wizarding family gradually revealed themselves. She successfully cast the first Level 0 spell of her life: Spark Spell.

With that, Lottie officially advanced to become an apprentice and changed into that set of gray apprentice robes. As the third Formal Apprentice, she caught Mentor Karin's eye and was accepted as Karin's personal disciple.

Lottie also pinned a badge to her chest, one bearing a crucible encircled by emerald-green leaves, symbolizing that she was Mentor Karin's apprentice.

After becoming a Formal Apprentice, Lottie was finally able to move out of the communal dormitory. At her own request, she moved into the empty room opposite Li Ang's, making it more convenient for her to clean his room.

The two of them now often gathered in Li Ang's room after dinner to exchange insights.

During one casual conversation, Li Ang and Lottie talked about the various mentors within the faction. When they mentioned Mentor Karin, Li Ang became curious as to why she alone had taken on nearly half the Potion School's basic courses, and why she had more personal disciples than anyone else in the entire school.

Lottie explained, "Mr. Li Ang, did you not know? The faction's mentors can earn faction contributions by teaching classes and guiding apprentices. These contribution points are extremely useful. Within the school, they can be exchanged for many rare materials and pieces of knowledge that cannot be found outside..."

She paused and lowered her voice. "Moreover, if one accumulates enough contributions and academic achievements, one can be promoted to the rank of professor. Once one becomes a professor, not only do the monthly stipend and resource allocation rise greatly, but more importantly... one gains the qualifications to run for faction head. Mentor Karin works so hard at teaching; she probably has such ambitions too."

Li Ang suddenly understood. Then he could not help thinking of his own mentor, Eve, who never taught classes and had only one personal disciple—himself. Looks like she is a lazy bum with no ambition at all, Li Ang guessed inwardly.

One morning, Li Ang came to the small classroom on the fourth floor as usual, only to discover that the atmosphere today was completely different from normal. Mentor Karin and Mentor Edwin were actually standing together at the lectern, with their respective attendants beside them and a huge pile of potion materials on the floor.

Only then did Li Ang remember that today should be the first potion assessment. He had been so immersed in his own world these past days that he had completely forgotten about it.

Once all the apprentices had arrived, Mentor Karin tapped the lectern, and her clear voice carried through the classroom:

"Apprentices, it has now been one month since you joined the school and began learning its knowledge. Today, you will face your first practical potion assessment. Those who perform exceptionally today, regardless of whether they are Formal Apprentices, will have the opportunity to become either my or Mentor Edwin's apprentice."