At some point, the library had grown utterly silent.
"You seem to enjoy reading. Why don't you stay the night?"
A soft voice suddenly interrupted Ian.
Ian shot his head up. The library was now empty, and all the Witchcraft lamps on the walls had been extinguished.
He jumped in alarm and scrambled to his feet.
Ahead, by a bookshelf, stood a blurry figure.
"I'm sorry, Senior, I'll leave right away." Ian turned and ran for the main entrance.
He could clearly feel the gaze from behind him, like a slimy, venomous snake clinging to his back.
'How did everyone disappear so silently? I didn't notice a thing.'
Just as he was about to run out, the main door swung silently shut.
"Senior, I'm easily scared. Please don't joke around!"
When Ian found he couldn't pry the door open, his heart leaped into his throat.
"Little one, I have a fine opportunity for you. Care to hear about it?"
The voice grew even gentler, whispering softly in his ear.
Ian's mind instantly grew foggy, and he opened his mouth, about to agree.
Suddenly, a cool sensation spread from his panel.
Ian jolted, his mind clearing.
"I just remembered—I have urgent business at home. I must ask you to let me leave, Senior."
"Are you sure?" The voice instantly turned ice-cold.
At this moment, Ian didn't dare to hesitate in the slightest.
"I am certain I must leave. Please, Senior, let me pass!"
"Alas... You have no idea what a great opportunity you're passing up."
The voice had become hoarse. At the same time, the main door slowly swung open.
Ian scrambled out the door, not daring to look back as he fled in disgrace.
Night had fallen, and the main road was brightly lit on both sides.
He ran back to the crowded mission area, wiped away his cold sweat, and let out a long breath.
'Fuck, what kind of shitty luck is this? That was way too creepy!'
He was certain that if his panel hadn't saved him, he wouldn't have been able to withstand the other person's Witchcraft.
He was a little surprised that the person had let him go after the failed enticement. He figured he probably wouldn't have been killed on the spot if he'd agreed to stay, but the outcome would have been anything but good.
'He's at least an Official Wizard, yet he dares to do something so despicable inside the High Tower.'
At that moment, Ian was filled with resentment, but he was utterly helpless.
He didn't dare report it, either. Anyone who acted so brazenly might have an informant on the Law Enforcement Team.
This incident gave him a firsthand taste of the dangers of the Wizard World.
Who knew how many Mid-Low Level Apprentices silently disappeared in all sorts of bizarre ways each year.
Shadow Moon Tower was supposed to be the domain of White Wizards, a place that leaned toward a good alignment.
'This? Good my ass!'
From now on, he wouldn't be going there to read anymore.
He wouldn't return to the library until he became an Official Wizard, and he would visit the High Tower as little as possible, only when absolutely necessary.
Official Wizards had all sorts of bizarre temperaments. Who knew what kind of lunatic you might run into!
He stayed beneath the screen in the square until dawn.
Ian rushed back to the "bus" stop, paid 50 Magic Stone Fragments, and climbed into the carriage.
The encounter at the library had thrown all his plans into disarray, forcing him to return to the remote Wilderness once more.
He got off at Nightfall Town and went to the Magic Pharmacy he had visited before.
On the shop's sign, he saw two beautiful words carved in Elven Script: "Star Leaf."
Beside it was a distinct green leaf design.
"Hello, sir. Is there anything you need?"
A tall woman in a red dress approached to greet him; the girl in the green dress from last time was not there.
"I'm here on some business. Is your steward in?"
Before entering the shop, he had asked around a bit in the area.
This Magic Pharmacy had a good reputation, with very few negative rumors circulating about it.
"Whatever it is, you can just tell me. I can make decisions on most general matters."
Ian paused, surprised. He had assumed the woman was an ordinary clerk, not the steward.
"I saw a green leaf mark on the High Tower mission board that seems to be the same as the one on your sign."
Every Witchcraft Mark is unique, containing the Spiritual Mark of a Wizard or a High Level Apprentice.
The detection range of a High Level Apprentice's mark is very short—less than a few miles.
Only the mark of an Official Wizard can transmit messages over dozens of miles.
"You're not mistaken. That's the unique mark of Wizard Alevia."
The woman in red looked at the youthful Ian, a thoughtful glint in her eye.
"Don't tell me... you're here to apply for the position of Magic Potion Alchemist?"
Ian nodded. "I'm a Beginner Magic Potion Alchemist. At the moment, I only know how to refine one type of Magic Potion."
"What kind of Potion?" the woman in red asked.
Knowing how to refine only one Magic Potion didn't technically meet their recruitment requirements, but it depended on the type.
"The Awakening Potion. It's just that I don't have any finished products on me."
The woman in red's eyes lit up. Although the Awakening Potion was only a Low Level Potion, it was their bestseller.
"My name is Malena, and I'm the steward here. May I ask your name, sir?"
"Hello, Steward Malena. My name is Ian."
"Mr. Ian, would it be possible for you to refine an Awakening Potion on the spot? If it's up to standard, we can move forward with our cooperation."
Ian followed Malena to the back courtyard. The moment he entered, he was met with the rich aroma of potions.
The back courtyard was spacious, with four or five large, separate rooms, several of which were already occupied.
These rooms were presumably the living quarters for the Magic Potion Alchemists.
"I'll have someone prepare four sets of ingredients. You can use the room on the far right; it happens to be empty."
Upon entering the room, Ian saw that it was fully equipped, a great improvement over his own crude hovel.
Once everything was ready, Ian deliberately held back during the refining process, only succeeding on his third attempt.
[Awakening Potion Skill Level +1]
[Awakening Potion: Skilled (3/200)]
Once a Skill reached the Skilled level, he still received feedback after failures, but it didn't always increase his skill points.
"Please appraise it, Steward." Ian handed the Potion over.
Malena was a Magic Potion Alchemist herself. After examining it, she nodded repeatedly in approval.
"Mr. Ian, this is our contract. If you find it acceptable, you can go ahead and sign."
Ian took the Parchment and carefully read through it, clause by clause.
He was quite satisfied with its contents.
The Magic Pharmacy not only provided lodging but also had a High Level Apprentice stationed there, which guaranteed a high degree of security.
Ian's obligation was to turn over one finished potion for every four sets of raw materials the shop provided.
If his success rate was too low, he would have to make up the difference out of his own pocket.
The shop would purchase any extra finished potions from him for four Magic Stones each.
This was very different from the profit-sharing split described in the mission posting, but it left Ian far more satisfied.
If Ian were to go all out with his refining, setting aside Time for Cultivation, he could produce thirty to forty finished potions a day.
Unfortunately, he didn't dare to do that. He planned to start by showing a success rate of only around forty percent.
This arrangement wouldn't cut too much into his Time for practicing Witchcraft and Meditation.
By his calculations, turning in an extra four or five potions a day would be about right, earning him 16 to 20 Magic Stones.
He could also obtain the materials for his own Cultivation potions from here for free.
As for the other potion formulas Ian valued most, like those for the Awakening Potion and Concentration Potion, he would need to refine a certain quota before he could exchange for them.
Obtaining the formulas for ordinary Constitutional Potions would be much simpler.
He estimated that in about a month, he could exchange his earnings for the formula of a Constitutional Potion.
Unfortunately, judging from the potion descriptions, their effects were mostly temporary buffs, not permanent enhancements to one's Physique.
"I have no objections to the terms; I'm very satisfied." Ian signed his name on the parchment.
"Welcome aboard. We're colleagues now, so just call me Malena."
Malena looked delighted. The shop wasn't actually recruiting a Magic Potion Alchemist; that posting was for other branch locations.
Hiring an additional Magic Potion Alchemist today—and one so young, at that—was a pleasant surprise.