Chapter 48: Harvest and Plans (Please keep reading, please add to favorites, and please recommend)

Chapter 48

Lynn followed Archmage Helen back to the Crucible.

As the stronghold of Level 4 Morning Star Wizards, the Crucible was as peaceful and stable as ever, appearing as though everything was operating according to plan.

If one were to insist on finding a difference, it was that there were far fewer people here; the former bustle had turned into a sparse desolation, leaving an indescribable sense of loneliness in the air.

Because Lynn was the sole messenger to escape from the Great Forest of Emerald Island, his identity was special. He was in a state of freedom, exempt from war conscription and not required to undertake the daily labor tasks of the Crucible.

Originally, Lynn intended to go and greet his teacher, but unfortunately, his beautiful teacher was busy and had no time to see him. Thus, he returned to the Magic Potion Garden alone.

Upon returning to his dormitory in the Magic Potion Garden, Lynn found that time had flown by; two months had passed since he last left.

Although he had spent almost these two months fleeing for his life and running about, looking back, his harvest was quite bountiful.

Archmage Helen did not care at all about the things Lynn brought back, so she allowed him to keep them.

At this moment, Lynn began to take stock of his recent gains.

First was a spatial item filled with various magic potions.

Most of the potions were prepared for Wizard Apprentices. Lynn did a rough calculation and found there was enough to allow him to break through to a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice, and there might even be some left over.

Aside from these ordinary potions, the most important items were three unfinished potions, which would be of immense help in the pursuit of becoming a formal Wizard.

Lynn was exceptionally careful with these potions. Following the methods in *Introductory Processing of Potions*, he stored them properly to ensure they could exert their maximum effect.

Second was another spatial item, filled with all sorts of demonized items.

Through his research during this period, Lynn had gained a preliminary understanding of one of the demonized items—that dagger.

The material of this dagger was extraordinary, so sharp it could almost slice a hair in mid-air.

If infused with mental strength, it would trigger elemental reactions, possessing boundless power.

As for the other demonized items, Lynn planned to study them slowly in the future. Since he had returned to the Crucible, he had plenty of time and would eventually figure out the true uses of these items.

Finally, the harvest that excited Lynn the most was "Little Green."

Calling it a puppet seemed most appropriate; although it lacked life characteristics and did not need to eat, it required maintenance with special magic potions.

Lynn was full of anticipation for Little Green's potential. Once it returned to its optimal state, it would be equivalent to having a powerful assistant at the Grand Knight level.

For someone like him, whose mental strength was under control, it would undoubtedly be a massive boost and could even play a decisive role in future battles.

After organizing his gains, Lynn took a deep breath and began to think seriously about his current situation and his next course of action.

Previously, while Lynn was staying in the Magic Potion Garden, he had not gained a deep understanding of the ecological environment within the Crucible.

However, after being baptized by the battlefield, he finally realized clearly that as an apprentice, one possessed almost no human rights in the Crucible.

On the battlefield, an apprentice's fate was entirely governed by their contract. Even if a contract demanded an apprentice to seek death, it could be forcibly executed; no one dared to resist or refuse.

Lynn had once personally witnessed the tragic death of an apprentice due to a contract backlash, a scene that still left him feeling terrified to this day.

He knew that although he had returned to the Crucible and was far from the direct threats of the battlefield, the shackles of the contract still existed; he still could not escape his constraints.

Unless he became a formal Wizard and changed the "master-servant relationship" between himself and the Crucible, he would eventually face the same fate.

Therefore, becoming a formal Wizard was Lynn's most urgent task.

Only by becoming a formal Wizard could he truly have a foothold in the Crucible, truly step onto the path of a Wizard, and pursue that unknown greatness.

Although Lynn was currently only a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice, while fighting alongside his companions Colin and Sonia, he had often heard them discuss matters regarding formal Wizards, which gave him some understanding of the entry requirements.

According to their discussions, there were three main requirements to become a formal Wizard

First, the mental strength of a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice must reach a certain standard; this was the most basic requirement.

Second, the apprentice needs to prepare a Level 1 formal wizard spell, which would serve as a permanent wizard mark.

Third, the apprentice also requires a specific auxiliary potion to help them break through to the realm of a formal Wizard.

Each of these three requirements was quite difficult.

The first required the apprentice's own strength, while the second and third involved a vast amount of resources—especially the purchase of potions and spells, which often required paying significant amounts of magic stones.

Looking back, Lynn realized that he had unconsciously solved one of these difficulties.

That was the issue of potions; he already had the potions required for his breakthrough in hand.

He only needed to wait for his proficiency in potion-making to improve, and then he could begin working to refine these potions, which was exactly the problem troubling other Level 3 apprentices.

"In other words, when I sprint toward becoming a formal Wizard, I will only need to purchase a Level 1 formal wizard spell."

A glint flashed in Lynn's eyes as he thought of that large pile of demonized items.

"Although the price of a Level 1 formal wizard spell is not cheap, I have harvested so many demonized items this time that I can completely sell them to exchange for sufficient resources."

In this way, he had almost solved two of the hurdles faced by other Level 3 apprentices.

The goal of becoming a formal Wizard seemed unreachable, but in practice, there was a traceable path. He only needed to proceed step by step, with steady progress, to reach it.

Lynn already had a clear plan in his heart; becoming a formal Wizard no longer seemed so abstract or fantastical.

Though the road was undoubtedly difficult, he seemed to have found a shortcut of his own.

Taking a deep breath, Lynn decided to take advantage of this rare period of solitude to focus on refining the potions on hand and break through to the Level 3 Wizard Apprentice realm as quickly as possible.

"No one is disturbing me now; it's the perfect time to concentrate," he muttered to himself.

He prepared sufficient food and water, confirmed that the dormitory door was securely closed, and began organizing the potions he intended to consume.

Every bottle of potion had been carefully selected to suit his current needs.

"Tears of the Day is suitable for the advancement of a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice. There's one last bottle."

"Mindy's Affection—this bottle can increase mental strength, which is most helpful for a Level 2 apprentice."

"Secrets of the Ocean—both Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices can benefit from this; I'll take this one last."

Lynn prepared these potions in order, silently calculating his breakthrough plan.

Currently, Lynn's mental strength had reached 12 points, while the perfection of a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice should be 15 points; he was very close.

He poured the last bottle of "Tears of the Day" into his mouth, and instantly felt his mental strength ignite. His entire mental domain began to boil, and the potency of the potion rapidly spread throughout his body.

Lynn closed his eyes, immersing himself deeply in his cultivation.

Having harvested so many resources, he was determined not to waste a single second until he had completely consumed these potions and achieved his breakthrough.

Unless Archmage Helen had a need and forcibly summoned him, he was determined to remain in seclusion here until he broke through to the Level 3 Wizard Apprentice realm before making his next move.

(End of Chapter)