In the Angela Ring Mountain Range, Shadow Moon Tower Academy occupied only a very small area.
Besides Shadow Moon Tower, this entire region was also home to three other major Wizard Organizations.
The vast mountains all around and the endless forests below held an unknown number of resource-rich lands.
Some were grounds where magical herbs grew, and some were ruins of ancient Inheritances.
For an ordinary Wizard Apprentice to venture deep inside alone on a treasure hunt was a near-certain death sentence!
Ian followed the route from memory, walking along a faint forest path for about half an hour before the number of people on the path began to increase.
Most of them were dressed like Ian; they were Mid-Low Level Apprentices who lived in the surrounding wilderness.
Soon, he arrived at the nearest gathering point: Nightfall Town.
In the previous two years, Ian had only come here a handful of times and held an inexplicable fear of the place.
He followed the crowd through the main gate, and a cacophony of noise immediately washed over him.
He subtly sized up his surroundings, observing everything.
Banners with strange patterns, likely family or organizational crests, were draped in front of the shops lining the street.
The sides of the bluestone road were lined with all sorts of strange stalls.
"Fresh Ghost Face Flowers, only 50 fragments a piece! Get them while they're hot!"
"Come and see! What beautiful purple fox pelts!"
"Freshly made Magic Powder, double the potency! Not much stock left."
...
As Ian walked, a chaotic mix of foul smells assaulted his nostrils.
There was the stench of sweat, the bitter aroma of roasted herbs, and the gamey reek of beast glands...
He noticed that the items at the stalls were mostly priced in Magic Stone Fragments.
Magic Stone Fragments were the smallest currency traded among Wizards; one Magic Stone was equal to 100 fragments.
In the crowd, a few figures in red occasionally passed by.
The vibrant red was extremely eye-catching in the sea of gray, and wherever they passed, the crowd scattered as if before a calamitous beast.
Red robes were the sign of a High Level Wizard Apprentice.
It was rare for High Level Apprentices to come here. They generally only appeared in the settlements or towns near the High Tower.
After wandering for a while, Ian got a general sense of the prices.
He stopped, his gaze drawn to a stall that took up more than half the walkway.
The stall owner was an old woman, her withered body wrapped in a dark red robe.
All sorts of dried and fresh potion ingredients were displayed before her, placed in haphazard bundles on a rug.
The Moonlight Grass, in particular, was so fresh that some of it was still dotted with dew.
There were also Snake Language Flower, Starlight Moss, Withered Blood Vine...
These were all Low Tier potion ingredients. Ian recognized most of them and was surprised to find so many at this market.
"How much for the Moonlight Grass?" Ian couldn't help but ask.
"30 Magic Stone Fragments per stalk. There's a discount if you buy in bulk. Interested?"
The old woman's voice was hoarse, her ghastly green eyes fixed on Ian.
Ian felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze. He shook his head and started to turn away.
"Little fellow, if you're not buying, don't ask questions and disturb my business. Hmph!"
As the old woman finished speaking, an extremely powerful wave of Energy erupted from her.
In an instant, the hairs on Ian's arms stood on end as he felt a lethal threat.
'This person is definitely a High Level Wizard Apprentice. Kenna is no match for her at all.'
Ian quickly muttered an apology and scurried away in embarrassment.
'The people here are so aggressive. You can't even ask for a price?'
After that, he lost all interest in browsing and went straight to a proper Magic Pharmacy.
The Magic Pharmacy not only had a complete stock of medicinal ingredients but also all kinds of finished Potions.
Following his memory, Ian walked into a shop with a clean storefront, its sign bearing a green leaf logo.
A large Witchcraft Lamp hung from the ceiling inside, casting a soft, bright light.
"Hello, what can I help you with?"
A young girl in a green robe walked over to greet him.
However, two small, pointed ears peeked out from her head.
Ian concealed the surprise in his eyes and took out a list.
"Could you see how many Magic Stone Fragments this list of materials will cost?"
The girl took the list, gave it a quick glance, and then looked up at Ian.
"One set of the materials on this list is 80 Magic Stone Fragments. If you buy fifty sets or more, we can offer a discount of 5 fragments per set."
Ian's list contained all the ingredients for an Awakening Potion.
He wasn't afraid of revealing his intentions; countless Wizard Apprentices studied Magic Potion Science every year, so it was hardly conspicuous.
"I'll take ten sets. And how many Magic Stones for a vial of Awakening Potion?"
The ingredients here were much cheaper than what Simon had sold him, and he didn't have to worry about them being adulterated.
The hatred he felt for Simon intensified.
After buying the materials, he asked about the price of the Awakening Potions in a nearby display case.
"6 Magic Stones. Would you like one?"
"Isn't it 5 Magic Stones?" Ian was taken aback.
"This one was brewed by our own Magic Potion Alchemist, so the quality is guaranteed. Its effects are stronger than those you find elsewhere."
Ian observed it carefully through the glass and concluded it wasn't much better than the ones he made himself.
'It seems this Magic Potion Alchemist's skill level isn't very high.'
After leaving the Magic Pharmacy, he spent some gold coins on food supplies and prepared to head straight home.
Crossing a square, he saw a large notice board erected in the center. A crowd was gathered below, craning their necks to read the information posted on it.
Ian walked over and saw that it was filled with all sorts of quests.
"Long-term collection of Magic Light Leeches, 10 Magic Stone Fragments each. Contact at address ✕✕✕."
"Party forming for Hot Bend Canyon to hunt Fiery Rhinoceros. Experienced members wanted. Guaranteed haul of no less than 2 Magic Stones per trip..."
"Expedition to the Mist Swamp to harvest Bloodsucking Demon Vine seeds and hunt the Earth Demon Witch Dragon..."
...
Ian's eyes narrowed. Creatures like the Fiery Rhinoceros and the Earth Demon Witch Dragon were classified as Demonized Fierce Beasts.
Before their Demonization, most had been ordinary fierce beasts that mutated under the Erosion of Magic Power.
Although they hadn't reached Entry Tier, they all possessed some form of Talent Magic and were extremely ferocious.
He looked at the dangerous quests and their meager rewards—some only offered a few dozen Magic Stone Fragments—and felt a wave of emotion.
His predecessor's family sent him at least 20 Magic Stones every two months for his academic expenses.
'He really didn't know how good he had it!'
At that moment, Ian felt the full weight of his family's support and their earnest expectations for him.
At the same time, he grew even more vigilant. Simon would never let a "fat sheep" like him get away so easily.
But he was no longer the same clueless apprentice he had been before.
'Once I achieve a breakthrough, I won't have to hide at home like a gopher anymore!'
Ian remained extremely cautious on the way home, and thankfully, nothing unexpected happened.
His experiences in town had been a huge wake-up call. He resolved not to leave his home again until he became a Middle Level Apprentice.
In the days that followed, Ian was like a wind-up robot. He frantically practiced Witchcraft during the day. When he got tired, he would read books or refine Potions. At night, he would take a potion and Meditate.
He now only needed four hours of sleep a day and was still full of energy.
As the days passed, Ian's overall strength grew at a rapid pace.
[Star Moon Low Level Meditation Method Skill Level +1]
[Secondary Frost Freeze Beam Skill Level +1]
...