Luo Lin followed Wizard Eric into the Insect School Laboratory.
The interior was far more spacious than he had imagined, and the air was filled with the mingled scents of strange herbs and insect secretions.
Along the way, he saw many transparent containers housing all kinds of bizarre insects of varying sizes.
Several apprentices in white robes were busy at work inside.
Wizard Eric led him to a separate workbench. On it sat a specially made refrigerated case containing twenty neatly arranged, milky-white translucent glands that pulsed faintly.
A set of extremely delicate dissection tools lay beside it, including hair-thin silver needles and miniature cutting blades.
"These are the ones."
"I'll give you two days."
"Use the tools here. Notify my assistant when you're done."
After saying that, Wizard Eric turned and left, seemingly unconcerned that Luo Lin might ruin the materials or steal them.
Luo Lin took a deep breath. He knew this was a test.
He put on the thin leather gloves prepared nearby, picked up a silver needle, and carefully examined a Dream Spider's silk gland.
The gland's surface was covered in tiny veins, while viscous fluid flowed slowly within it.
He needed to separate it from the attached tissue without puncturing its outer layer. The difficulty was extremely high.
Focusing his mind, he activated the [Efficient Scholar] talent at full force.
His senses became extraordinarily sharp, and the silver needle in his hand seemed like an extension of his fingers.
Luo Lin carefully inserted it into the connection between the gland and the tissue, his movements gentle and steady as he searched for the slightest entry point.
It was an incredibly taxing process.
His mental power was tightly focused, and fine beads of sweat soon appeared on his forehead.
It took him nearly an hour to perfectly separate the first silk gland. He nearly made mistakes several times during the process, but corrected them in time with his exceptional control.
After placing the perfectly separated silk gland into a special preservation solution, Luo Lin let out a breath.
With the experience of his first success, the later processing would go faster.
He rested for a moment to recover some mental power, then began working on the second one.
Time passed amid silent, focused work.
Luo Lin became completely immersed in this high-precision operation and forgot the passage of time.
Whenever he was hungry, he took a bite of the black bread he had brought with him. Whenever he was thirsty, he drank some water.
Other than the necessary rest and meditation to restore his mental power, he spent nearly all his time at the workbench.
The precise control granted by [Efficient Scholar] and the solid foundation provided by [Basic Potion Material Processing] came together perfectly at this moment.
His movements grew smoother and smoother, while his error rate remained extremely low.
A job originally expected to take two days was completely finished in a day and a half.
Of the twenty Dream Spider silk glands, nineteen were perfectly separated. Only one suffered slight damage along its edge during the final stage due to an extremely fine strand of tissue still clinging to it.
However, more than ninety percent of its overall activity had been preserved.
This success rate far exceeded Wizard Eric's expectations.
"Very good! Far beyond my expectations!"
Wizard Eric rarely showed a smile.
"It seems your talent for material processing is much stronger than the merely decent level you claimed."
"Damaging one is unavoidable. This degree of completion is already extremely rare."
He directly transferred 500 contribution points to Luo Lin, then pondered for a moment before saying,
"Luo Lin, would you be interested in working part-time as my laboratory assistant? Your main duty would be handling delicate, fragile materials or organs."
"You may need to come once or twice a week. The schedule can be negotiated."
"Your compensation will be based on the difficulty and completion level of each task. It won't be lower than market rates."
"Furthermore, some basic internal knowledge and resources of the laboratory can be opened to assistants."
Luo Lin's heart trembled.
This was exactly the opportunity he had been longing for!
Not only would he gain stable and generous compensation, he would also gain access to knowledge and resources at the level of an Official Wizard. This would bring immeasurable benefits to his push toward Third-Rank Apprentice and even Official Wizard.
"Thank you for your appreciation, Wizard. This student is willing!"
Luo Lin immediately bowed in acceptance.
"Very good. My assistant will coordinate the details with you."
"Register your identity information first."
"From now on, you may come every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, unless there are special circumstances."
"If there is an urgent task, I'll have my assistant notify you."
Wizard Eric nodded and informed Luo Lin of several other matters.
After leaving the Insect School Laboratory, Luo Lin's emotions surged.
Becoming an Official Wizard's laboratory assistant was undoubtedly an important shortcut.
It meant that he had truly entered the fringes of the academy's core circle and gained valuable channels for resources and information.
He checked his identity plaque. His contribution points had risen to more than 2,500.
He did not squander them recklessly. Instead, he began making final preparations for advancing to Third-Rank Apprentice.
The key to becoming a Third-Rank Apprentice lay in a qualitative transformation of mental power, a substantial increase in mana, and the construction of a more complex preliminary core spell model representing the direction of one's own path.
That required a huge accumulation of resources and a deep understanding of knowledge.
He first spent 800 contribution points at an internal academy auction to bid for a bottle of [Spirit-Concentrating Potion].
It was a precious potion that could significantly purify mental power and improve meditation efficiency, making it highly effective for breaking through bottlenecks.
Next, using his laboratory assistant privileges, he spent 300 contribution points at an internal discounted price to purchase several sets of notes on mental power compression and mana purification.
Such knowledge was normally accessible only to Third-Rank Apprentices or Second-Rank Apprentices with influential backgrounds.
Luo Lin also began consciously making use of the laboratory's resources.
Wizard Eric allowed assistants to use the laboratory's basic equipment for personal research after completing their work, though they had to provide their own materials.
Luo Lin began using the precise instruments there to further optimize the preparation process for [Stamina Recovery Potion], while also attempting to study a low-level potion formula called [Clear Mind].
This potion could temporarily improve concentration and thinking speed, helping with study and the construction of complex spell models.
Time flew by amid his fulfilling, busy days, and only two weeks remained before the assessment.
Luo Lin's pace of life quickened even further.
At fixed times each week, he went to the Insect School Laboratory to complete assigned tasks. He devoted all his remaining time to frenzied cultivation.
He meditated intensely three times a day. After taking [Spirit-Concentrating Potion], his progress in [Basic Meditation Method] increased rapidly.
He repeatedly practiced [Acid Spray] and [Weak Force-Field Armor]. His proficiency in both spells steadily improved, and [Acid Splash] finally reached the beginner level, allowing him to cast it with relative stability. Its range and accuracy also improved somewhat.
[Weak Force-Field Armor], meanwhile, reached the peak of the beginner level. Its defensive power increased, and it lasted longer as well.
Luo Lin also began studying the techniques for mental power compression, attempting to actively guide his mental power through refinement during meditation. The process was exceptionally painful.
It was like forcibly compressing loose gas into liquid, but the effects on mental power growth and qualitative transformation were remarkable.
The data on his panel changed every day:
[Level: Second-Rank Apprentice Wizard (Progress 78%)] [Mental: 2.8] [Mana: 28/28] [Basic Meditation Method (Mastery 55%)] [Spells: Acid Spray (Beginner 15%), Weak Force-Field Armor (Beginner 88%)]
The threshold of Third-Rank Apprentice drew ever closer, but Luo Lin could feel that the final push would be especially difficult.
The growth of his mental power had begun to slow, and the barrier leading to the third rank was sturdier than he had imagined.
Ten days before the assessment, Wizard Eric called him aside and handed him a crystal vial containing a silver liquid that radiated soft starlight.
"This is [Starlight Dew]. It is quite effective at stabilizing the Mental Sea and assisting with breakthrough attempts."
"Consider it a reward for your outstanding work lately."
Wizard Eric's tone was calm.
"Prepare well for the assessment. Don't embarrass me."
Warmth welled up in Luo Lin's heart. He accepted it solemnly. "Thank you, Wizard!"
This bottle of [Starlight Dew] was extremely valuable, far exceeding the value he had created for the laboratory during this period.
It was not merely a resource; it represented recognition and investment.
Seven days before the assessment, Luo Lin adjusted his condition.
He stopped all tasks and focused only on meditation, spell practice, and physical training.
After taking [Spirit-Concentrating Potion] and [Starlight Dew], Luo Lin felt that his Mental Sea had become more condensed and stable, while that barrier seemed to have loosened slightly.
Three days before the assessment, Luo Lin felt that he had reached the peak of his current state.
His Second-Rank Apprentice progress had reached 99%, his Mental attribute had risen to 2.9, and his maximum mana had reached 29 points.
[Basic Meditation Method] had risen to Mastery 68%, while [Weak Force-Field Armor] had broken through to the proficient level!
It was time!
Before you continue