Chapter 11

"Note, the attributes of some herbs will change over time."

Madam Ellen said while checking the account book: "The things you just learned from books may not necessarily work in actual operation."

Luo En nodded and began to carefully observe the pile of herbs.

With the help of the 【Herb Identification】 ability, he could perceive the unique "aura" emitted by each material.

"This..." He picked up a glass bottle containing silver powder and said after a moment of thought:

"Logically speaking, this should be moon dew flower powder, but this dark color seems different from what is recorded in the book."

"Very good." Madam Ellen looked up: "Did you notice the pale purple marks on the bottle mouth?"

Luo En observed carefully again: "Is it because it reacted with other herbs?"

"That's right." Madam Ellen put down the account book:

"Moon dew flower powder should be pure silver, but it is very sensitive to various energies. Yesterday, a supplier brought a batch of purple crystal grass, just because it wasn't stored separately in time..."

Speaking of this, she looked at Luo En with a test-like nature: "So how do you think this bottle of powder should be handled?"

Luo En pondered for a moment: "First, it must be resealed to avoid continued contamination, and then..."

He recalled the content in "Fundamentals of Potions":

"If it reacted with purple crystal grass, it should be usable for making potions. Although the purity is reduced, it wins in having gentle medicinal properties."

"Not a bad idea."

A trace of appreciation flashed in the old witch's eyes, and she nodded slightly to show approval: "It seems you not only remember the content in the book but also know how to apply it flexibly."

Luo En carefully put that bottle of powder aside and continued to organize other herbs.

Gradually, he found that there seemed to be some kind of pattern hidden in these seemingly messy materials.

For example, most of the herbs that glowed carried a faint aura of starlight;

While those materials that emitted heat all carried a special rhythm, reminding him of the sun energy described in the "Corona Breathing Method."

"So that's it..." he muttered thoughtfully.

In the process of actually coming into contact with these materials, the knowledge in books was being transformed into practical experience bit by bit.

Those once obscure descriptions now became vivid.

"Huh?" Luo En suddenly found a small bottle stuffed in the corner.

The bottle was covered with a layer of thin dust, but through the dirty glass, one could still see faint starlight flickering inside.

Just as he was about to check carefully, Madam Ellen's voice suddenly sounded:

"It hasn't been cleaned for a long time, it seems you found something interesting."

"This is... Star Dust Liquid?" Luo En carefully wiped the bottle: "The book says this material can help stabilize mental power fluctuations."

"That's right." Madam Ellen walked over and took the bottle to check in the light: "But this bottle has been left for too long, and the medicinal effect has almost been lost."

She looked at Luo En's slightly disappointed expression: "Why? Are you interested in this?"

Luo En didn't hide it: "Yes, the apprentice assessment that decides whether I can stay here is in three months, and I need to improve my mental power as soon as possible."

"So that's it."

Madam Ellen laughed indifferently: "It's no wonder you chose to apply for the job; this is indeed a good place to come into contact with various rare materials."

She put the bottle back on the shelf: "But if you want to improve your mental power, relying on external objects is not enough. True breakthroughs still depend on one's own comprehension."

Luo En fell into deep thought; indeed, the meditation during this period allowed him to capture some special inspiration; if he relied solely on external assistance, some extremely terrible things might happen.

Just at this moment, the shop door was pushed open, and a gust of wind rolled in a few withered leaves.

"Welcome..." Madam Ellen's words stopped halfway.

Luo En looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a tall figure standing at the door.

The visitor wore a gray-blue robe, with a badge inlaid with a deep blue gemstone pinned to his chest—this was the mark of a high-level apprentice.

He took off his hood, revealing a young but slightly pale face.

"Madam Ellen." The man nodded slightly: "I heard you have a new batch of evening primrose here?"

"Yes, Apprentice Holter."

Madam Ellen's tone was indifferent; she seemed extremely familiar with this young high-level apprentice: "They were all picked on the night of the full moon three days ago."

"Continue your work, I will be responsible for entertaining the guest." She turned her head and whispered to Luo En: "Don't ask anything, don't say anything."

Luo En nodded silently and continued to organize the herbs in his hands.

But he could feel that the atmosphere in the shop suddenly became heavy.

That high-level apprentice who seemed to be a regular customer didn't speak, just paced slowly between the shelves.

His robe moved without wind, and every time he passed those bottles and jars containing herbs, the materials inside would produce subtle fluctuations.

Luo En organized herbs while observing with his peripheral vision.

This opportunity was rare—being able to come into close contact with a high-level apprentice, perhaps he could learn something.

Relying on the keen perception brought by 【Herb Identification】, he noticed that the person would pause slightly when passing certain herbs.

These materials looked ordinary, but they all carried a trace of special "resonance."

"Good quality."

Holter carefully checked the herbs and actually took out a complete magic stone from his robe: "I want all of these."

Luo En looked at that magic stone, his heart shocked.

Unlike the fragments they ordinary apprentices used, the complete magic stone contained pure and powerful energy.

Just at this moment, a "star grass" he was organizing suddenly emitted a faint light, seemingly responding to the energy in the magic stone.

The gray-robed apprentice's movements paused, and he turned to look at Luo En's side.

Although he couldn't see the other party's expression, that sharp gaze made people shudder.

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself, "This star grass actually still retains its activity; little guy, how did you do it?"

Luo En's heart beat faster, but he remained calm on the surface: "My lord, I just followed what the book said, using salt crystal powder to seal..."

"No..." Holter interrupted him:

"Ordinary preservation methods can't reach this degree; this grass has been picked for more than a few days, being able to maintain such activity shows that you have some understanding of its 'rhythm'."

Luo En was stunned; he indeed felt the unique "rhythm" of this grass when organizing it; that rhythm was very similar to the mental power fluctuation during his morning meditation, so he subconsciously used a similar way to place it.

"Very good, what is your name?"

Just as Luo En was about to answer, Madam Ellen suddenly inserted into their conversation:

"This is the assistant I just recruited; he is still just a candidate apprentice."

(End of this chapter)