Nolan arrived quietly, coldly watching the stream of people at the main gate.
He was actually in an extremely dangerous situation. While fighting for the Silent Flower in the Secret Realm, he had ruthlessly killed more than ten High Level Apprentices. The powers behind them were now hunting him with all their might.
Coming to Nightfall Town this time, he couldn't afford to cause a major disturbance. He planned to make his move quietly.
'That formula should still be in Ian's hands. This is good. I can get the formula back and avenge my brother at the same time.'
A few of his subordinates had already discovered that Ian had been hired as a resident Magic Potion Alchemist. But so what?
No one Nolan wanted to kill had ever escaped his grasp.
As for Ian's family, they were too far away, in a region with thin Magic Power.
He currently had to guard against the many hyenas hunting him, so he couldn't possibly spend too much time going over to wipe out Ian's family.
Ever since he had seized the Silent Flower, he was being hunted not only by High Level Apprentices from other organizations, but even by people within the Shadow Society who were secretly watching him.
He had come here in secret, and only a few trusted subordinates were available to him, useful only for surveillance.
...
From that day on, Ian began living the life of a shut-in who never left the main gate.
In the courtyard, he leaned back in his chair, chatting idly with someone while leisurely sipping Crimson Honey Water. The honey from Crimson Bees could calm the mind and focus the spirit, and it was specially prepared by the shop for its Magic Potion Alchemists.
It was just that its effects and taste couldn't compare to Malena's Fairy Flower Honey Tea.
"Clayton, I heard you have a decent Shield Witchcraft? I'm very interested."
"You haven't left the gate these past few days. Where did you hear that?"
Clayton didn't deny it. His eyes darted around as he waited for Ian to make the first offer.
"I heard your neighbor, Kristen, mention it once. Just tell me the price."
"Sigh, I've hit a bottleneck in refining the Awakening Potion. My success rate is stuck at only about thirty percent."
Ian understood. Clayton was asking for his guidance.
His current success rate for the Awakening Potion had risen to nearly sixty percent. In everyone's eyes, he was a true Magic Potion Genius.
His recent collaboration with Malena had made the other Magic Potion Alchemists in the shop incredibly envious.
Ian didn't hold back. With his current level of skill, teaching Clayton was a breeze.
The two continued their discussion for half an hour, and a thoughtful expression would occasionally appear on Clayton's face.
...
"Alright, that's all I know. The rest is up to you."
Ian stopped his explanation. Clayton stood up and thanked him solemnly.
"Ian, thank you for your guidance. Otherwise, it would have taken me a lot more time to understand."
After speaking, Clayton took a thin booklet from his person and handed it to Ian.
"This is my family's Witchcraft. I just ask that you don't pass it on to others."
Ian nodded in agreement. It wasn't like he was short on Magic Stones, so he certainly wouldn't teach it to others behind Clayton's back. The two of them didn't draw up any strict contract.
During his time working at the Magic Pharmacy, he had earned a total of over 1,300 Magic Stones.
This was a terrifying rate. Ian hadn't expected Magic Stones to be so easy to earn. Although he also spent them quickly, his supply was still steadily increasing.
'Learning Magic Potion Science well is like having a golden goose that lays Magic Stones.'
After Clayton left, he picked up the parchment in his hands and began to study it carefully.
The Witchcraft recorded in the book was called "Crystal Energy Barrier." The minimum requirement to learn it was Middle Level Apprentice, which Ian fit perfectly.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a light-based Witchcraft, so his Talent provided no bonus.
When the Witchcraft was cast, it didn't form a uniform, circular shield.
Instead, it condensed and wove a translucent shield in front of the caster, one that could be moved forward, backward, left, and right, making it extremely flexible.
Its overall structure was composed of tiny hexagonal energy units arranged in a dense pattern.
The drawback of "Crystal Energy Barrier" was obvious: its strength was average.
If a single unit suffered an overwhelming attack, that unit would shatter locally, requiring the Witchcraft to be recast.
Its advantages were also prominent. The Spiritual Power consumption was low, casting was fast, and it could be used to respond to sudden attacks.
It offered decent protection against both physical and energy impacts.
After studying it carefully, Ian decided to learn this Witchcraft immediately.
'Other people might worry about its insufficient defensive strength, but I'm not afraid. At worst, I'll just have to grind for more time.'
This Witchcraft also consumed little Spiritual Power, making it even more suitable for him to level up and improve quickly.
Moreover, he could vaguely see this Witchcraft's immense potential.
[Crystal Energy Barrier: Beginner (0/100)]
'Finally, I have a Shield Witchcraft. I'll feel a little safer when I go out in the future.'
Lately, in order to guard against Nolan's revenge, he hadn't taken a single step out of the shop.
Half a month had passed. There had been no news from Kenna and the others, which could be considered good news.
Now, an eye patrolled the area 15 meters above his residence.
This Eye of Vigilance couldn't normally be deployed randomly in town; after all, Wizards valued their privacy greatly.
The only reason he could cast it freely to grind his Skill Level was because he had spoken to Malena, gaining her consent only after much pestering and pleading.
Ian closed his eyes, connected to the Eye of Vigilance in the sky, and carefully "surveyed" his surroundings.
He had already discovered that someone seemed to be lying in wait nearby, though he wasn't sure if he was mistaken.
'I can't be sure if Nolan has come to Nightfall Town, so I don't dare go out. I can't raise the Skill Level of my other Witchcraft.'
His strongest tool, Secondary Frost Cold Beam, couldn't be practiced due to site restrictions, so his power hadn't changed much.
The only comforting thing was that his Skill Level for [Awakening Potion] was only a dozen or so points away from Limit-Breaking.
'I wonder what kind of surprise the breakthrough will bring me.'
The Magic Pharmacy actually had a small Witchcraft Practice Room.
However, it was permanently occupied by the High Level Apprentice stationed at the shop, so he rarely got to use it.
A while ago, an unfamiliar Apprentice, entrusted by Wade, had delivered a letter.
The letter detailed intelligence on Nolan, and Ian secretly congratulated himself for not going out.
That Nolan had been missing for a long time, yet he had actually posted a bounty for the capture of Kenna and his three companions on the Black Market.
This person's actions were truly audacious, daring to directly put a bounty on High Tower Apprentices. He only dared to do so because he was relying on his mentor's prestige.
Nolan had been gifted since childhood and was greatly favored by his mentor. He had been at the High Tower for over twenty years.
'In that case, Nolan must have been a High Level Apprentice for over a decade.'
Ian pondered for a moment and decided to ask Malena for help. It would be best to have her investigate and determine whether Nolan had already arrived in Nightfall Town.
Having made up his mind, Ian quickly went to Malena's residence.
"Malena, are you there?"
After a short while, Malena came to the door wearing a nightgown, seemingly having just taken a bath.
Seeing that it was Ian looking for her, she looked somewhat surprised.
"Is something urgent? Come in and talk."
After entering the room, Ian didn't let his eyes wander over the full, snowy-white figure before him.
"I'd like to ask for your help in finding out who has powerful Witchcraft Tools. It would be best if it could pose a fatal threat to a High Level Apprentice. I want to buy one for self-defense."
Malena froze for a moment, then slowly walked up to Ian. As she walked, her ample chest jiggled.
"Ian, with your current abilities, you can certainly afford these Witchcraft Tools. But you don't need to hunt Demonized Fierce Beasts, so what do you need this for?"
Malena stared at Ian's face, a thoughtful look on her own.
"Have you run into some kind of danger recently? Is that why you haven't been going out?"