Chapter 58: The Crucible Gathering (Please keep reading, add to your library, and recommend!)

Chapter 58

Ten days passed quickly.

Lynn sat at his workstation, holding a cup of milk tea.

He had a nightmare last night, dreaming of a swarming crowd of wizard apprentices with severed arms and legs coming to claim his life.

They were muttering incomprehensible things like, "You fake medicine peddler, you are destined for hell."

"To think I can still have nightmares as a wizard apprentice; I must be overworked lately. I need to relax. I'll check out that party tonight and pick up a few things while I'm at it."

Lynn rubbed his brow and took a light sip of milk tea, calculating in his mind.

On his progress panel, his [Apprentice Magician] progress had reached (50/200), which was his greatest achievement from over ten days of hard work.

He knew very well that relying solely on the refinement of a single potion would yield extremely limited progress. To truly advance, he had to learn and master a wider variety of potions.

Thinking about it, this made perfect sense.

A formal Magician could never advance based on just one or two potions; they had to delve into various types, accumulating sufficient knowledge and experience to step into higher realms.

As he was pondering, a "colleague" quietly approached and whispered

"Thanks a lot, Lynn! Luckily you recommended that lead, otherwise I would have had to borrow points to buy materials..."

"Don't mention it. We're all friends; helping each other out is only natural."

Lynn smiled slightly and smoothly tucked the item the other person handed him into his sleeve.

To make money, there were only two methods: increasing income or reducing expenses.

Lynn had long discovered that if he directly sold the refinement materials for "Overnight Rejuvenation" and then bought materials for other potions, the process would be cumbersome and result in a loss of points.

Every time he sold and then bought, the Crucible would take a cut. Furthermore, without the Crucible acting as an intermediary, transactions would be difficult to trust.

Thus, he had a sudden inspiration and thought of a more efficient method: directly transferring his accumulated "Overnight Rejuvenation" materials to his "colleagues" at a low price.

The price was naturally "considerate," and he even allowed them to exchange materials for other potions.

Apprentices regularly refined potions and kept various materials on hand, while Lynn specifically needed a diverse range of materials to experiment with different potion formulas.

This trading model not only reduced the double commission taken by the Crucible but also avoided unnecessary point losses.

As the saying goes, a loss avoided is a profit gained.

Moreover, by introducing leads to others, he could both strengthen social ties and collect gifts, which was much better than his previous strategy of selling materials for points and then using points to buy materials.

After a day of work, Lynn finished his tasks, gave a brief greeting to several apprentices, and instead of returning to the dormitory to rest, he headed out beyond the Potion Garden.

The Crucible was divided into several departments. Although most apprentices and formal wizards had left due to the war, a small number of personnel remained in each department to maintain basic operations.

Logistics departments like the Potion Garden, in particular, had relatively more staff staying behind.

However, even so, the current population within the Crucible was far below its former glory; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that not even one in ten remained.

Because of this, many shops in the living area were empty and rarely visited.

Faced with this situation, some of the remaining personnel had the idea to organize a gathering every few days.

These gatherings took many forms, ranging from pure revelry—drinking, dancing, and indulgence—to intelligence exchange and item trading.

For the remaining staff, these gatherings were rare social opportunities that served as both entertainment and a means to acquire resources.

Lynn walked through several quiet streets and alleys toward a pavilion in the living area.

On the way, he noticed that many people seemed to be heading in the same direction as him.

One could tell their purposes by their attire: men and women dressed in fine clothes with heavy makeup were clearly there for a night of revelry; while those like Lynn, wearing long robes or carrying large bags, were most likely there for trading.

Upon reaching the entrance of the gathering venue, Lynn took out his Crucible apprentice ID and swiped it to enter.

The entrance fee here was even higher than in the core area, reaching an astonishing two points.

Lynn was startled. He scanned the bustling crowd and thought to himself, "This place can make quite a lot just from ticket sales alone."

Clearly, clever wizards weren't in the business of charity; they held these gatherings specifically to earn points.

The two-point threshold also successfully kept the broke paupers out, preventing them from taking up space without spending anything.

"This entrance fee is ridiculously expensive. Compared to the core area, the only selling point here is the 'crowd'."

Lynn shook his head, but in the current desolate environment of the Crucible, a crowd was already the greatest attraction.

As Lynn swiped his way in, the view suddenly opened up before him, revealing a spacious hall.

The hall was divided into several zones. The central dance floor was clearly for socializing, while sofas and chairs were placed in the surrounding corners for resting or private chats.

Lynn even noticed that some people had set up street stalls, with a dazzling array of items that were overwhelming to look at.

Even though it was a temporary gathering, the hall offered activities for everything.

He waved over a bartender, took a drink, and took a light sip.

It was smooth upon entry, slid down the throat, and left a lingering fragrance in the mouth; the breath carried a subtle orchid scent that was pleasing to both body and mind.

These drinks were part of the perks included with the entrance fee; it would be a waste not to drink.

Lynn thought to himself that since even food and drink were covered, he might as well enjoy himself.

He strolled toward the depths of the hall, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the center of the dance floor.

As they say, civilization and morality are merely rules that constrain ordinary people, and wizard apprentices were clearly no exception.

The male and female apprentices in the center of the dance floor were in high spirits, behaving wildly and without restraint.

Lynn even caught a glimpse of a female apprentice dressed in nothing but a few strips of cloth lunging directly at a male apprentice, performing a bold scene in public without any hesitation.

However, Lynn was long accustomed to such scenes; his interest did not lie there.

Instead, it was the apprentices following the Bloodline Wizard path who caught his attention.

From a distance, he spotted a male apprentice who likely inherited an octopus bloodline, fighting multiple opponents in the dance floor in a rather intense and eye-catching display.

Lynn observed briefly with a critical eye before withdrawing his gaze and turning toward the direction he was more interested in—the intelligence zone regarding the recent changes in the Crucible.

Before long, he arrived beside a sofa.

A figure was reclining there, appearing half-asleep. Under a wide hood, a beak-shaped mask was visible, and a vigilant owl crouched at their feet.

Lynn didn't waste words and got straight to the point: "What is the reason for the increased difficulty of tasks in the Crucible recently?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a potion and tossed it lightly.

The owl was quick; it suddenly flapped its wings, rose up, and swallowed the potion in one gulp.

At that moment, the beak-masked apprentice on the sofa spoke lazily

"The Crucible is besieging the Great Forest of Emerald Island. That Great Being has personally descended..."

The words were few, but each one carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

Lynn's heart jolted, and he took a deep breath.

The Great Being—the only entity in the Crucible that could be addressed in such a manner—was none other than the Lord of the Crucible.