Chapter 38

The refining utensils were crafted from magic-affinity metal, each piece bearing tiny stability runes, capable of withstanding high-intensity magical modulation, making them essential tools for advanced potion research.

The protective inner armor was woven from a mixture of various extraordinary materials; although not a true magic-infused item, it was of excellent texture and could provide considerable protective power without affecting the flexibility of movement.

Calculated by market value, these two items together would cost at least one or two complete magic stones.

"I choose these two." Luo En pointed to the list and said, his tone revealing caution: "This set of refining utensils and the protective inner armor."

The duty officer nodded and made a record on the form: "A typical choice for potion apprentices, practical and not flashy. Wait a moment, I'll go get the items for you."

During the time she left the test room, Luo En thought again about why Lady Ailan would promote him so much.

Was it just because of the talent he showed in potionology? Or did that mysterious old pharmacist see some deeper potential in him?

Regardless of the reason, he silently kept this kindness in his heart. In a place like the Black Mist Forest, such help was too rare.

Not long after, the duty officer returned, holding an exquisite wooden box and a piece of neatly folded dark cyan fabric.

"These are the items you chose." She handed them to Luo En, along with a thin booklet:

"Also, this is the rules and regulations and resource guide that primary apprentices need to know. I suggest you familiarize yourself with it as soon as possible."

Luo En took the items and carefully opened the wooden box to check.

Inside was a set of well-crafted refining utensils, each flashing with the cold light of metal, with tiny stability runes engraved on the bottom.

"This set of utensils is flawless at the apprentice stage."

The duty officer said as she watched Luo En's movements: "It is suitable for refining not only ordinary potions but also some advanced formulas. If used properly, it can accompany you for a long time."

Luo En closed the box and looked at the inner armor again.

The seemingly ordinary fabric felt exceptionally tough, and it felt slightly cool to the touch, obviously not an ordinary object.

"Thank you for your help." He nodded politely in thanks, "May I ask if I need to go through any other procedures?"

"Not for the time being." The duty officer handed him a green badge glowing with a faint light:

"Wear this; it can prove your primary apprentice status and also allow you to enter some public areas of the school that require authority."

Luo En took the badge and pinned it to his chest.

The runes on the badge immediately resonated with his mental power, emitting a faint light.

"Lady Ailan has also given me some help before. Since she values you so much, as a senior, I will give you some advice."

The duty officer's tone became extremely serious:

"Although primary apprentices have passed the most basic screening, they are still at a lower level of the food chain within the school. Especially for someone like you... who has come from behind, you are often more likely to attract the prying eyes of those with ill intentions."

When leaving, she added meaningfully: "Act cautiously and keep a low profile; this may be the most important survival rule for you in the next period of time."

Luo En nodded in thanks; he fully understood the meaning of these words.

After experiencing the matters with Davod and Ma Kusi, he had a profound understanding of the rules of the Black Mist Forest.

When he walked out of the central hall, the night was deep.

Luo En hugged the set of refining utensils and the protective inner armor tightly, his heart filled with excitement and a hint of vigilance.

Becoming a primary apprentice meant that he had taken the first step in the Black Mist Forest.

But this was just the beginning, and the road ahead was still long and full of unknowns.

With these thoughts, Luo En walked toward the dormitory area.

Speaking of which, after he was certified as a primary apprentice registered by the school, he was eligible to change dormitories and move out of the candidate apprentice area.

But ever since the incident with Davod, the neighbors around him had been empty for a large area, which was equivalent to him enjoying a quiet and undisturbed area alone.

He simply didn't move out; after all, changing to a better dormitory room would require paying a large amount of magic stone fragments to the school, while the one he was living in was free.

………………

After returning to the dormitory, Luo En immediately locked the doors and windows, ensuring there was no possible surveillance, before starting to carefully study the items obtained from the school.

First was the set of refining utensils; he carefully took each piece of equipment out of the wooden box and placed it on the table.

This set of equipment was far more sophisticated than he had imagined—the crucible was made of a special blue-silver alloy, capable of conducting heat evenly and resisting most magical corrosion;

Each interface of the distiller was embedded with miniature stability runes, which could precisely control the flow of steam;

Even those seemingly ordinary measuring cups and stirring rods contained special materials, capable of measuring and mixing various components without affecting the potion components.

[Potion Refining Experience +1]

Just by becoming highly familiar with the basic usage of these utensils, his potion refining experience value had improved.

Luo En was secretly happy; this set of equipment would undoubtedly greatly accelerate his progress in potionology.

Afterward, he checked the protective inner armor again; this was a precious item that could save his life at a critical moment.

At first glance, this close-fitting armor was no different from ordinary clothing, but when he observed carefully, he could see tiny runes faintly flickering in the fabric.

When touched lightly, the fabric automatically changed shape to adapt to his gestures, soft yet carrying an incredible toughness.

"What exquisite craftsmanship." Luo En praised, folding the inner armor carefully and placing it aside.

But now, he had more urgent things to do—to advance the zero-ring spell "Slime Splash" to a proficient level and complete the last job transfer condition for [Wizard Apprentice].

Luo En quickly sorted out all the necessary conditions in his mind:

[Combat Profession - Wizard Apprentice (One and a Half Stars) Job Transfer Information]

[Job Transfer Conditions:

1. Mental power reaches 2.0 √

2. Basic meditation technique reaches proficient √

3. Master a spell at a proficient level]

"Only the last one left." Luo En whispered in his heart, "Must finish it tonight."

He looked around, searching for a suitable practice target.

Finally, his gaze fell on a stone at the foot of the bed, which he had prepared specifically for practicing spells.

Taking out the simple stardust liquid he had refined under Lady Ailan's guidance, Luo En sipped a small amount carefully.

The cool feeling immediately spread from his throat to his whole body, and his spirit was clearer than ever before.

[Simple Stardust Liquid - Effect: Mental power stability slightly increased; spellcasting precision slightly increased]

"Alright, let's start." Luo En took a deep breath and began to condense his mental power.

With the qualitative change in primary apprentice mental power, his control over energy was no longer what it used to be.

The previous blurry feeling had disappeared, replaced by a clear path of energy flow.

Every thread of mental power operation was within his perception range, like transparent water flow, which could be precisely guided to any direction he wanted.

Luo En closed his eyes, recalling the description of sound waves in Darren's notes.

Sound waves are essentially vibrations of a specific frequency, and mental power can also be adjusted according to a specific frequency.

This idea gave him a brand-new direction for experimentation—he began to try to combine mental power with a specific sound frequency.

Strangely, this method was somewhat similar to the technique he had groped for when practicing "Slime Splash" before.

The difference was that this time he was consciously adjusting the vibration frequency of his mental power, rather than relying on intuition.

Under his guidance, the mental power began to vibrate at a specific frequency, like a plucked string.

With the adjustment of the vibration frequency, he could clearly feel every detail of the spell model and the changes in every energy node.

[Slime Splash spellcasting started]

[Spellcasting method optimization detected]

[Simple Stardust Liquid effect is still in effect: spell model stability slightly increased]

(End of chapter)