Chapter 93: At this age, how can you sleep?

Sunlight pierced through the mottled tree shadows by the window, casting a patch of light on the simple dormitory floor.

Luo En was sitting at the table, focusing on studying the potion formula notes in his hand. The liquid in the refining vessel on the side was churning slowly, constantly exuding a faint fragrance.

It would take two more days for the workshop application to be approved, but of course, he couldn't just sit idle.

Since transferring to Potion Master, he felt that his understanding of medicinal materials and his grasp of formulas had gone up a level.

Those subtle balance points that needed repeated deliberation in the past now seemed to have become instinct.

Focusing on adjusting the flame intensity, Luo En carefully added the final ingredient—Silver Leaf Essence.

The liquid immediately changed from light blue to a clear azure, with threads of silver light flowing across the surface as if it were alive.

【Potion Alchemy Experience +1】

"Perfect." Luo En smiled with satisfaction, carefully sealing the bottle of "Mental Stabilizer" and placing it aside with the batch of potions already completed.

Just as he was preparing to begin the next potion, a soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Opening the door, a pair of golden beastly pupils stared straight at him—it was Trish's leopard-woman, Li Yue.

She had a tall, lithe figure, and her eyes still maintained that innate sense of vigilance.

"Li Yue?" Luo En was somewhat surprised, then stepped aside to let her in: "Does Trish have something she needs me for?"

The leopard-woman's movements were elegant and light; the special structure of her padded paws allowed her to glide into the room almost without making a sound.

She bowed her head slightly and spoke in a respectful tone:

"My mistress asked me to bring you a message. She hopes you can accept a new batch of potion orders. The quantity is larger than the last, and the compensation will naturally increase accordingly."

The leopard-woman's voice was not pleasant, sounding like a wild beast growling at him through a suppressed throat.

Luo En raised an eyebrow and took the parchment list that the leopard-woman retrieved from a pocket close to her waist.

As soon as he unfolded it, he took a light breath; the quantity of potions listed was nearly double the previous order.

It also included several advanced potions, such as "Mental Shield" and "Clarity Potion."

"This is a big order, Li Yue."

Luo En browsed the list carefully, his brow furrowing slightly: "Why does Trish suddenly need so many potions? Especially these defensive ones."

A flash of hesitation crossed Li Yue's beastly pupils. She looked around, her sensitive ears twitching slightly as if confirming no one else was eavesdropping.

Then, she leaned closer to Luo En, her voice dropping extremely low: "My mistress might be... in some trouble recently."

The leopard-woman's tail flicked nervously, her voice barely a whisper:

"She needs these potions to deal with potential... dangerous situations."

Luo En's brow furrowed even tighter. Although his relationship with Trish was currently quite close, everyone in the Black Mist Forest had their own agenda.

The infighting within the candidate wizard sequence was an undercurrent, and one wrong step could lead to total ruin.

Reason told him it would be better not to get involved, but on the other hand, this was a rare opportunity.

As a newly independent apothecary, a stable source of orders was crucial to him.

After weighing the pros and cons, Luo En nodded:

"Tell Trish I accept this order. However, I am still living in the candidate apprentice dormitory, and the conditions for alchemy are limited. I should be able to obtain my own independent workshop in two days, and my efficiency will be higher then."

A flash of joy crossed Li Yue's eyes as she took a heavy bag from another pocket at her waist:

"This is the advance payment, 50 Magic Stone Fragments. Upon completion, my mistress will pay the same amount again."

Luo En took the bag and felt its weight; it was even more generous than he had expected.

"Also..." Liyue added, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes.

This might have been the first time Luo En had seen an expression so close to "human" on the face of the guarded leopard-woman:

"My mistress said that if you need any rare materials, she can help you obtain them through the special channels of the sequence members, as part of the compensation."

This was indeed a tempting condition:

Members of the candidate wizard sequence were generally able to access many rare resources that were difficult for ordinary apprentices to obtain.

He hadn't forgotten that he wanted to obtain the complete "Whispers of the Star Eater," for which he still lacked several rare materials to exchange with Lady Ailan.

Furthermore, to complete the advancement of the 【Bloodline Knight】, some rare Yang-attribute materials associated with the Corona Breathing Method were also indispensable.

"Thank Trish for her kindness on my behalf; I will begin preparing these potions as soon as possible." Luo En nodded and accepted the large order.

After seeing the leopard-woman out, he immediately threw himself into work.

He first checked his material inventory, calculating the herbs that needed to be purchased additionally and the potions he could start making immediately.

"Start with the basics..." Luo En began preparing to refine "Refreshing Potion" and "Wound Healing Potion."

The benefits brought by changing his profession to Apothecary were immediately apparent; not only did the refining process become smoother, but the efficiency of material utilization also improved significantly.

In the past, it took an entire Moon-viewing Grass to make three bottles of Refreshing Potion, but now the same material could produce four, and of higher quality.

………………

Two days passed in a flash. Luo En threw himself into potion refining, almost forgetting to eat or sleep, and he used his pocket watch to reset his physical fatigue.

Even so, the mental burden made him feel somewhat shaky, no less than staying up all night gaming with roommates back on Earth.

When he carefully sealed the last bottle of Mental Stabilizer, more than twenty bottles of high-quality potions were already neatly arranged on the table.

"As for the most difficult 'Mental Shield' and 'Clarity Potion,' I'll wait until I have an independent workshop to attempt them."

He whispered to himself in his heart, wiping the sweat from his forehead, feeling his eyelids fighting each other.

In addition to the potions Trish ordered, he had also refined several extra advanced potions, and a large batch of ordinary potions refined on the side, all of which he had stockpiled in advance.

"Once the workshop is established, these can serve as display pieces to show customers my level of potion refining."

After completing these preparations, Luo En began to take stock of his financial situation.

He took out a piece of parchment and carefully recorded his income and expenses:

"Trish's advance payment of 50 Magic Stone Fragments, the royal family's monthly subsidy of 20, Trish's previous commission, plus the accumulated wages from these days at Lady Ailan's shop, minus expenses..."

Altogether, it added up to about 200 Magic Stone Fragments.

This was more than enough for personal daily expenses, but if one considered the various upcoming investments, he would likely be stretched thin very soon.

"No matter how cheap the rent for an independent workshop is, it will cost at least a hundred Magic Stone Fragments a year, and the paid courses 'Magic Circuit Optimization' and 'Mental Stability Techniques' together require 50..."

Luo En calculated with a frown: "Plus the need to continuously purchase high-quality potion materials, I must reserve at least 50 as working capital."

Not to mention the biggest investment plan currently in his mind—purchasing a Multi-armed Snake Demon as a combat slave and training opponent.

Even for a mixed-blood with the thinnest bloodline, the price was around 300 Magic Stone Fragments.

"And the most critical issue of manpower..." He stood up and paced back and forth in the small room: "It is difficult for one person to handle refining, sales, and procurement at the same time."

He recalled the tree spirit he saw at the Blake Exchange; that ability to have a natural connection with plants was undoubtedly extremely precious for a potion workshop.

He had Andre inquire about the price afterward, which was around 80 Magic Stone Fragments—a significant investment.

But if it could improve potion quality and material utilization efficiency, it would definitely be worth it in the long run.

"The funding gap is at least several hundred..." Luo En sighed softly, his gaze falling on the Ironwood Sword.

His basic swordsmanship was only one step away from mastery, and his breathing and body-tempering were also nearing a breakthrough.

The only obstacle was his constitution attribute, which was currently only 1.7, still a bit short of the 2.0 required for a 【Bloodline Knight】.

However, with the auxiliary effects of various potions on knight training, it shouldn't be too far off to cross this threshold.

"The first goal is to complete the breakthrough in swordsmanship, as well as the transition to Bloodline Knight." Luo En pondered.

As his train of thought gradually became clear, a comprehensive development plan began to form in his mind:

First, consolidate the foundation as a professional apothecary, stabilizing income sources through Trish and other potential clients;

At the same time, use the apothecary's income to support the dual development of knight and wizard paths;

After accumulating enough funds, purchase a tree spirit and a Multi-armed Snake Demon, one as a workshop assistant and the other as a combat training partner;

In the process, continue to explore and develop other professional routes, such as alchemy, enchanting, and the bloodline "modulation" he was currently most interested in...

"However, the most urgent issue is the operation of the workshop." Luo En stroked his chin and thought:

"Relying on Trish as a single client is far from enough. I need to expand my client base while following a niche boutique route. After all, I cannot delay my wizard training for the sake of earning magic stones; that would be putting the cart before the horse."

"I must still enhance my core strength." His gaze returned to the Ironwood Sword: "After all, in a place like the Black Mist Forest, strength is always paramount."

Once a skill reaches a proficient level, the accumulation of experience points becomes exceptionally slow.

The ability of Basic Potionology to break through to mastery relatively quickly was largely due to his long-term practice and guidance at Lady Ailan's place.

Under the personal instruction of a professional mentor, he was able to master many advanced techniques in a short time.

Now is not the time to rest. Come to think of it, at this age on Earth, it was also a time for staying up late to grind through test papers without sleeping...

At your age, how can you sleep? Luo En thought of this famous piece of advice, finding humor in his bitterness.

(End of chapter)