Chapter 100

Luo En stood in front of the door of Workshop No. 14 in the East District, holding a brand-new key.

Although this two-story building could not compare to the independent towers of high-level apprentices, for him, who had just been promoted to a professional Potion Master, it was already an extremely luxurious treatment.

The brick-red exterior wall, the windows with iron frames, and the small flower garden in front of the door all revealed the school's emphasis on Potion Masters.

The two worked together to move Luo En's few personal items into the workshop; most of the furniture had been delivered in advance according to Gwennies's arrangements.

The interior space of No. 14 East District was even more spacious than Luo En had imagined—the first floor was a reception hall and a potion refining room, and the second floor had a bedroom and a small experimental place.

"Brilliant."

Luo En looked around with satisfaction, especially that spacious and bright potion refining room, where all kinds of exquisite tools and equipment were available:

"Much better than I imagined."

After putting away the last box of medicinal materials, Andre wiped the sweat from his forehead and took the initiative to say goodbye.

As a member of the royal family, it was said that there was no extra preferential treatment, but in fact, there were still some privileges, at least he didn't have to worry about his own accommodation problems.

Besides, the other party didn't take the initiative to keep him, so he should just leave tactfully.

Luo En nodded, said goodbye to Andre, and then couldn't wait to come to the potion refining room.

Just as he was preparing to hoard a little more potion for sale after the official opening, a completely unfamiliar yet strangely familiar feeling suddenly emerged from the bottom of his heart.

It was an indescribable existence, neither substantial nor void, like a clear spring quietly flowing into his mental sea.

Luo En couldn't even determine whether it came from the outside or originated from the heart, as if it existed in a completely different dimension, just accidentally intersecting with the real world.

This power seemed to possess unparalleled purity, without any impurities or negative effects, just like the most primitive and pure form of energy in the universe.

Even if it was just a brief contact, he felt an unprecedented sense of spiritual purification, as if something had quietly washed away a trace of haze deep in his consciousness.

"This is..." Luo En opened his eyes in surprise, the test tube in his hand almost falling, "'Grace'?"

Lady Ailan had once mentioned that when a young person makes a breakthrough under the guidance of a mentor, the pure energy generated by this growth will be fed back to the mentor in the form of "Grace."

But at this moment, he clearly felt a trace of weak "Grace" pouring into his mental world, although it was extremely small, it was incomparably clear.

That feeling was like suddenly discovering a drop of dew in the desert; although it was insignificant, it appeared extra precious because of its purity.

Luo En groped a little, and soon traced the source of the grace:

The scene of Eric letting him go on stage to share meditation experience in the magic circuit optimization class automatically appeared in his mind.

At that time, he used the metaphor of "water flowing to wash the riverbed" to clearly explain the principle of circular circulation, which aroused the resonance of his classmates.

Especially that thin apprentice wearing glasses, Luo En remembered a flash of sudden realization in his eyes, and he even nodded slightly to show agreement.

That was a heartfelt gratitude, a sense of relief after finally understanding a problem that had troubled him for a long time.

"So that's it..." He finally realized, put the test tube in his hand on the shelf to the side, his eyes sparkling with excitement:

"It's not just formal teaching and solving puzzles; as long as you can truly help others understand and grow, and let them be grateful from the bottom of their hearts, you can get the feedback of 'Grace'."

This discovery made Luo En excited.

He originally thought that "Grace" was the exclusive benefit of mentors, which required long-term systematic teaching to exchange for.

He didn't expect that he could also harvest this precious pure energy by simply sharing experience after others truly benefited.

Although the "Grace" obtained today was extremely small, almost as hard to detect as a drop of water in the ocean, its existence proved the feasibility of this path.

This also explained why in the school, those senior high-level apprentices often replaced mentors to teach classes and regularly held some small sharing sessions to teach experience to lower-level apprentices.

Luo En's eyes flickered, feeling that trace of elusive "Grace" settling in his body.

This power seemed to be stored in a special dimension, neither mixed with mental power nor affecting the flow of magic power, as if it were sealed in an independent space and could be called upon at any time to purify mental pollution.

"It seems that in the future, if there is an opportunity to show myself, I must not let it go."

Luo En decided secretly in his heart, realizing that this was a win-win choice:

"By sharing knowledge, not only can I increase my understanding of skills and obtain experience points to improve, but I can also harvest precious pure energy like 'Grace'."

"Once the workshop stabilizes, perhaps I can consider taking in a few truly talented students. The next batch of probationary apprentices should come in a while, and then I can see if there are any good seedlings."

A vague plan gradually formed in Luo En's heart, imagining the scene of several workbenches in a corner of the workshop, with several focused young faces conducting experiments under his guidance:

"Those beginners who have just come into contact with potionology often need systematic guidance..."

Speaking of Grace, he thought of his mentor, Lady Ailan.

Since he passed the Potion Master certification, he hadn't been to the medicinal herb shop much.

………………

A few days ago, Luo En had just come out of the Potion Master certification assessment venue, preparing to report the good news to his mentor.

The medicinal herb shop was sparsely populated in the evening, and the wind chime hanging in front of the door swayed gently in the breeze, making a pleasant crisp sound.

When he pushed the door open, the familiar scent of mixed herbs rushed toward him, giving Luo En a sense of inexplicable belonging.

Lady Ailan was standing behind the counter organizing the account book, those bony fingers tapping on the yellowed paper pages.

Hearing the doorbell, she just asked without raising her head: "Is there anything you need?"

That hoarse voice was as cold as ever.

"Madam, it's me, Luo En."

He walked to the counter, his tone full of joy: "I have already passed the Potion Master certification assessment!"

Lady Ailan finally raised her head, those dark green eyes examining him as usual.

Luo En originally thought he would see surprise or approval, but only saw a kind of near-indifferent calmness, as if what he reported was just today's weather condition.

"Hmm, expected."

She evaluated briefly, then lowered her head to continue bookkeeping, the nib of her pen making a rustling sound on the paper:

"What rating did that old guy Ma Genusi give you?"

Luo En's enthusiasm was like being poured with a basin of cold water, and a trace of disappointment surged in his heart.

He coughed slightly and adjusted his tone: "'Excellent' rating, Madam. Personally signed by Master Ma Genusi."

"Oh? 'Excellent'?"

The old woman's tone was still calm, but her withered fingers paused slightly, and the ink left a small stain on the paper surface:

"That old stubborn guy has always been stingy with high evaluations; it seems you did perform quite well."

Luo En keenly noticed this detail, and the disappointment in his heart lessened slightly.

She closed the account book, and those eyes deeply sunken in wrinkles finally looked directly at Luo En:

"You showed rare talent and understanding as soon as you arrived; passing the certification is naturally a matter of course. If you couldn't even achieve this little achievement, then I would have to doubt whether I had misjudged you."

These words were not direct praise, but better than praise.

Luo En smiled slightly and habitually walked to the side, preparing to help Lady Ailan organize the sundries on the counter, just as he often did when he was an assistant in the past.

Various potion bottles, dried herbs, and small measuring instruments were scattered on the counter, and his fingers had already subconsciously started to classify them.

"Stop." Lady Ailan's voice rose sharply, carrying a sense of command that could not be disobeyed:

"You are a professional Potion Master now, no longer my assistant; these jobs shouldn't be done by you."

Luo En's movements froze in mid-air, looking at Lady Ailan in surprise.

Seeing the other party stunned in place, a trace of rare playfulness appeared on Lady Ailan's face:

"Old Ailan can't afford the salary of a professional Potion Master; a talent like you is worth at least a dozen magic stone fragments per hour, and the daily turnover of my small shop is not enough to pay your half-day remuneration."

Luo En was amused by the rare sense of humor of the other party:

"Madam, you know I didn't mean that. I just wanted to help you manage the shop, just like before."

"I know." Lady Ailan's expression became serious again, those dark green eyes looking directly at him, as if wanting to see through his soul:

"But I am serious, Luo En. From today on, you need to focus on your own research and improvement, not waste time doing chores here."

She walked out from behind the counter unhurriedly, her hunched body casting a long shadow under the dim light.

The light in the medicinal herb shop was always dim, which was said to be to protect those rare materials sensitive to light.

Under this light, Lady Ailan's face looked even older, but those eyes were still as sharp as a hawk's.

"Every day you delay your improvement is reducing the 'Grace' to me."

Her voice became low, and a trace of longing that Luo En had never seen before flashed in the depths of her eyes:

"This old guy is still counting on you to help hang on to life."

Although the words carried a teasing meaning, Luo En could feel the seriousness in them, and he nodded gently:

"I understand, Madam. I will work harder and not live up to your expectations."

"Go, I heard that No. 14 East District was assigned to you; that's a good location."

Lady Ailan waved her hand, signaling him to leave quickly if there was nothing else:

"Make good use of your new workshop and don't waste that talented brain. That old guy Ma Genusi can give you an 'Excellent' rating, which shows that your potential is far beyond ordinary Potion Masters."

Luo En bowed solemnly to her:

"Thank you for your guidance all along, Madam. If you need any help, just send someone to pass the word, and I will serve you at any time."

"Go quickly, young man." Lady Ailan's voice carried a trace of softness that was hard to detect: "Your future is not in this small medicinal herb shop."

When Luo En's figure disappeared outside the door, and the wind chime made a final crisp sound, Lady Ailan's expression slowly changed.

A complex look appeared on that wrinkled face, both gratified and with a certain longing expectation.

She walked quickly to the back room, her movements much more flexible than usual, locked the door of the medicinal herb shop, and ensured that no one would suddenly break in.

Taking out a small silver mirror from under the counter, Lady Ailan carefully checked every corner around her, and after confirming that there was no one around, she slowly let go of the psychological defense she had been maintaining.

In an instant, the image of the old witch underwent a dramatic change.

That wrinkled skin became smooth and delicate, as flawless as fine porcelain.

The hunched back straightened, and the bony figure became plump and graceful.

Most notably, that withered silver hair recovered into a lustrous pink-purple, pouring down like a waterfall.

A stunningly beautiful woman replaced the old woman who was like a candle in the wind, only those dark green eyes remained her only unchanging feature, just looking brighter and deeper now.

This change only lasted for a short ten seconds, and then she returned to the image of an old woman.

But unlike usual, this change was actively controlled by her, rather than being forced to retreat because of insufficient power.

Lady Ailan's hand gently stroked the ugly scar on her waist and abdomen that could not be eliminated. This had accompanied her for over a hundred years and was a permanent souvenir of her past failure.

That was a scar that ran diagonally from the left rib to the right waist. It should have been fatal, but it allowed her to survive due to the intervention of some mysterious power, at the cost of never being able to fully recover.

"It's really surprising; this is the first time I've recovered to my peak state outside of the magic active period."

She whispered to herself, her voice carrying excitement and trembling that could not be concealed: "The 'Grace' given by that child is so pure and abundant."

She walked to a full-length mirror on the side and carefully observed herself in the mirror.

Even after returning to old age, her eyes were brighter than usual, and the wrinkles on her skin seemed to have decreased.

"No wonder the prophecy back then said that my turning point lies in the Black Mist School."

Lady Ailan stroked the image in the mirror, her eyes flashing with complex emotions:

"Those old guys in the Crystal Spire, if they knew I found such a talented student, I wonder what they would think."

She turned and walked to the medicine shelf, taking down a potion that had been sealed for a long time. It was a potion specifically used to detect the degree of mental pollution.

Carefully pouring a drop into her palm, she watched the liquid gradually lighten from dark blue, finally turning into light blue.

"Mental pollution reduced by at least 30%."

She widened her eyes in surprise, repeated the test incredulously, and the result remained the same:

"This is too exaggerated..."

The mental pollution that needed to be forcibly suppressed in the past was now like a giant rock that had been pressing on her chest for a long time being partially removed, allowing her to breathe more freely.

"Developing at this rate, perhaps I still have a chance to go further. Who would have thought that an ordinary boy with a sixth-star aptitude would become my straw to save my life."

Lady Ailan sighed softly, sat back at the workbench, and began to try to process some special materials, including ash-gray tongue moss, star-like crystalline moss...

"Still missing a few materials, I don't know when this kid can collect them all. But it's not very urgent; anyway, it's prepared for him to use when the time comes. It's a pity I can't leave the shop, otherwise..."

(End of chapter)