Chapter 34

He couldn't help but want to reach out and take it, but the next moment, Lady Ailan slowly closed the small notebook, and the gemstone seemed to flicker, as if saying goodbye reluctantly.

She placed the notebook lightly on the counter, but her hand remained on it, with no intention of pushing it toward Luo En.

"Stinky brat, it seems you still don't quite understand the rules of the Wizard World."

Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk, looking straight into Luo En's eyes, her voice carrying some dissatisfaction:

"Knowledge has weight and can never be given away casually. Things of value require equivalent exchange; this is an eternal law."

That slender finger with blood-red nail polish was drawing circles lightly above the notebook at this time:

"Greedily taking without wanting to give is the beginning of countless apprentices heading toward depravity. Therefore, before giving you the meditation method, I need to first determine whether you are truly worth my... investing in."

Seeing this, Luo En immediately spoke up: "Sorry, Lady Ailan, it was my rashness. I am of course willing to pay the corresponding price for it."

Lady Ailan stared at the young apprentice in front of her, seemingly evaluating the sincerity in his words.

Those deep green eyes seemed to be able to see through all disguises, reaching the depths of the soul.

A moment later, the corners of the pink-haired witch's mouth rose slightly; she saw the craving in the young man's eyes.

"Very good." Lady Ailan's tone carried a trace of approval: "Then, I have a small task for you."

She took out a piece of parchment glowing with a faint light from another drawer under the counter.

The text on the paper was not written with ink, but seemed to be branded on, glowing with a dark red luster under the dim light, and some places even presented a metallic texture.

"I need these materials to complete an important potion research..."

She pushed the parchment toward Luo En, her bright red nails tapping lightly on a few of the items:

"A person who truly masters 'The Star-Eater's Mutterings' needs not only the strength of spiritual power, but also the means and courage to acquire knowledge."

Luo En took the parchment carefully, the touch was slightly cool and had a slight tingling sensation, as if the paper itself contained concentrated magic power.

He lowered his head to carefully examine the list on it; every material name was written in ancient wizard language, and there were some rune annotations on the side that he did not quite understand.

As his gaze gradually moved down, Luo En's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Among these materials, most of them he had never even seen in "Basic Potionology"—"Dream-Eating Spider Eye Fluid," "Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash," "Crystalline Moss"...

And the few that he barely recognized, such as "Night Talk Pollen" and "Thirsty Person Tongue Coating," were all prominently in the ranks of "restricted trade items" designated by the school.

"These..." Luo En raised his head, pretending not to know as he tested the other party's tone: "Most of the materials cannot be bought at the apprentice market."

"Is that so?" Lady Ailan tilted her head, her deep green eyes flashing with some kind of expectation:

"Then, smart as you are, you should know where to find them, right?"

Her tone was relaxed, but her eyes were as sharp as a knife.

Luo En instantly understood Lady Ailan's hint—in the Wizard World, merely possessing knowledge is far from enough.

How to acquire the resources you need in a complex and dangerous environment, and how to maneuver in the gray areas without losing your life, these are all survival skills that must be mastered to become a qualified wizard.

Luo En was silent for a moment, looked at the list again, and began to calculate possible ways to acquire them in his mind.

He raised his head and met Lady Ailan's gaze firmly: "Understood, I will find a way to collect these materials."

Lady Ailan nodded with satisfaction, a trace of relief flashing in her eyes:

"Very good. Remember, this is not only for 'The Star-Eater's Mutterings,' but also for yourself. Surviving in the Black Mist Jungle sometimes requires some... special channels and techniques."

Her fingers tapped lightly on the counter, the rhythm becoming somewhat heavy: "As for Ao Li Fu..."

Lady Ailan's expression suddenly became unusually serious, and a gloominess inconsistent with her young and beautiful face appeared on it:

"Be extremely careful of that guy, especially now that he might have become interested in your sonic spell research."

She leaned forward, her voice lowered extremely low, saying it almost against Luo En's ear:

"Ao Li Fu's research direction is very dangerous. The 'Living Curse' he studies has already crossed the forbidden boundary that many formal wizards are unwilling to touch. If he is interested in your sonic spells, it must be because he has discovered some kind of connection between the two."

"Could you please give me some guidance on what exactly the connection is?" Luo En asked, but he tactfully pulled away a little distance; the radiation field unique to a formal wizard on the other party stung his skin.

The other party seemed to notice the abnormality in him, her aura condensed slightly, and Luo En could clearly feel the tingling sensation on his body subside a lot.

Lady Ailan's eyes also became deep and worried at this moment: "The issue of the carrier of sound waves and curses. Traditional curses require physical objects as carriers, which is also their greatest limitation. And sound waves..."

She paused, seemingly weighing her words:

"Sound waves can penetrate material barriers and can transmit energy without contacting the target. If Ao Li Fu succeeds in using sound waves as a carrier for curses, then his curses could spread as ubiquitously as sound, and the effect and range would be countless times that of traditional curses."

Luo En felt a chill slowly spreading up his spine.

If this is true, then Ao Li Fu's research will create a new type of weapon that no one can defend against, at least at the apprentice stage.

"Then what is your advice?" He had already made a decision in his heart, but decided to ask for the other party's opinion first.

Lady Ailan's answer did not exceed his expectations: "Continue to perfect your sonic spells, but ensure that only you know the key to them. Some knowledge will have completely different results in the hands of different people."

She did not lean closer, but just hinted faintly: "Also, sometimes, the best defense is to strike first. Do you understand what I mean?"

Luo En nodded slowly; he certainly understood Lady Ailan's hint.

In this world, waiting for danger to arrive often means death; only by taking the initiative can one master one's fate.

He carefully put away the list, folded it, and put it into his inner pocket: "I will collect these materials as soon as possible."

"No need to be too anxious." Lady Ailan waved her hand gracefully, her pink-purple curly hair swaying lightly with the movement:

"Safety is always the first priority. After all, dead people cannot learn 'The Star-Eater's Mutterings'."

A trace of elusive light flashed in her eyes: "Alright, go back and rest. Just come to work at the normal time tomorrow. I still have a lot of things I haven't taught you yet."

When leaving the herb shop, Luo En's mood was complicated to the extreme.

The night was deep, and the shadows of the Black Mist Jungle spread under his feet, as if countless invisible hands were touching his ankles.

After the cold wind brushed his cheeks, his gaze became firm again. After all, in the world of mysticism, crisis and opportunity always coexist.

(End of chapter)