Chapter 10

She poured the medicinal liquid from the silver spoon onto a piece of test paper: "Do you know what went wrong here?"

Luo En carefully observed the pool of medicinal liquid; with the help of the 【Herb Identification】 ability, he could see some tiny impurities swimming in the liquid.

"It's the thorn vine." He said after a moment of thought, "When I was peeling the skin, some fibers got mixed in."

"Very good." Madam Ellen finally showed a satisfied smile:

"Being able to discover this degree of flaw shows that you do have talent in this area."

She returned behind the counter and took out a contract from the drawer: "This is the work content and remuneration for the assistant."

Luo En took the parchment and began to read carefully:

Arrive at the shop one hour early every morning; responsible for organizing herbs, cleaning utensils; assisting in the completion of basic potion refining...

"The remuneration is..." His gaze stopped on the last line, somewhat incredulous.

"That's right, two magic stone fragments a day, plus free use of the refining equipment in the shop."

Madam Ellen nodded, "Of course, if you can help configure qualified potions, there will be extra shares."

This treatment is quite generous; you know, the part-time jobs of most apprentices, the highest remuneration is only one magic stone fragment a day.

"After talking about the remuneration, let's talk about your work arrangement." Madam Ellen continued:

"You have to work here for three hours every morning, and the rest of the time is free."

She paused: "But there is one thing to remind you, all the formulas learned here must be kept secret. The consequences of breach of contract..."

The old witch's eyes became cold: "I think you don't want to know."

Luo En nodded; in the Black Fog Jungle, the end of violating the contract is often more terrifying than death.

"Then it's settled." Madam Ellen took out a goose feather pen, "Start working tomorrow. Remember, you must be early..."

"Wait." Andre, who had been silent, suddenly spoke:

"You just hired him like this? No need for more investigation?"

"Investigation?" Madam Ellen smiled slightly, "I have lived for so many years, I still have some vision for people."

Her gaze lingered on Luo En: "Good talent, and so diligent..."

"And..." Madam Ellen continued, "Being able to study "Fundamentals of Potions" to this level in such a short time shows his comprehension in potions."

She glanced at Andre: "Not everyone can read this book so thoroughly, right?"

Andre shrugged: "Indeed, I have studied for half a year and haven't made any progress."

"So..." Madam Ellen pushed the contract and feather pen to Luo En:

"This is a win-win choice; you need a place to practice, and I need a talented assistant."

She took out a small bottle from under the counter, which contained a pale blue liquid: "Before signing, drink this."

Luo En took the bottle, did not act immediately; he cautiously observed this potion, while silently operating the 【Herb Identification】 ability.

The pale blue liquid presented a certain special fluidity in the faint light, and the edges were slightly glowing.

This characteristic is very similar to the truth potion he saw in "Fundamentals of Potions."

And judging from the transparency and fluidity of the medicinal liquid, it should be a finished product after multiple purifications, and it will not be mixed with any dangerous ingredients.

"Is this a truth potion?" Luo En asked pretending not to know.

"That's right, it can show whether a person carries malice." Madam Ellen nodded, "In the Black Fog Jungle, this is a basic preventive measure."

After repeatedly confirming it was a truth potion, Luo En drank the medicine in one gulp.

This degree of verification is indeed normal in the Black Fog Jungle.

"Very good." Madam Ellen nodded with satisfaction, "I like cautious people; in this kind of place, people who are too reckless don't live long."

Her expression became serious:

"However, there is one thing to remind you, there will often be some guests with special identities here. No matter what you see or hear, you must keep your mouth shut."

Luo En nodded solemnly; this kind of reminder made him feel more at ease instead

—an employer who explains the rules in advance is always easier to deal with than those who hide things.

………………

Early in the morning, before it was bright, Luo En was already standing at the door of the herb shop.

The morning mist flowed slowly on the street, and occasionally some glowing little insects could be seen dancing in the mist.

These are the unique "lamp butterflies" of the Black Fog Jungle; they are attracted by magic fluctuations and often appear near the herb shop.

Arriving so early, he had to thank Andre for his reminder last night.

"That old woman hates people who don't keep time the most." Andre was helping him organize the materials needed for the second body tempering last night:

"Last month, there was also a candidate apprentice who applied, just because he was five or six seconds late, he was directly pulled out by the two active vines at the door."

So to be on the safe side, Luo En specifically arrived half an hour early.

After he finished meditating last night, he began to review the content about herb preservation and utensil maintenance in "Fundamentals of Potions."

Since he wanted to start from the most basic organizational work, he must do it perfectly.

This is one of the few useful experiences he learned in the noble manor—if you want to get recognition from others, you must show enough sincerity.

At this time, a long bell rang in the distance.

This is the sign of the alternation of day and night in the Black Fog Jungle; it is said that the bell contains some kind of extraordinary power, which can dispel the evil spirits accumulated at night.

When the last bell dissipated in the morning mist, the shop door opened silently.

"Come in." Madam Ellen's voice came from inside the shop, "You are more punctual than I imagined."

The moment the door was pushed open, various strange smells rushed to his face.

After changing profession to 【Potion Apprentice】, Luo En found that his ability to identify these smells had significantly improved.

The one that is sour and sweet should be the nectar of night-blooming flowers, the main ingredient for making soothing potions;

The one that is spicy and fishy is probably the root of snake-tooth grass, which can neutralize most toxicity;

And some smells that couldn't be described, making him feel both familiar and strange.

The layout in the shop seemed to have changed compared to yesterday.

The herbs on the shelves were rearranged, some rare materials with "sold" labels disappeared, replaced by some new goods he couldn't name.

"Have you seen enough?" Madam Ellen's voice suddenly sounded in his ear: "Organizing these things is much more interesting than watching."

She pointed to a pile of sundries in the corner: "Put these in categories first. Note, they must be sorted by medicinal properties, don't let them affect each other."

Luo En walked closer and saw that the pile of sundries was piled with various bottles and cans, containing different herbs.

Some had even begun to react with each other, emitting faint fluorescence in the dim light.

(End of chapter)