Chapter 70: Silver Wing Separator, Ancient

He sighed, closed the door, and walked quickly toward the market.

Along the way, he kept thinking about his current situation.

Living in the candidate apprentice dormitory area was not just a matter of losing face.

But every time he thought about this problem, it made him conflicted. Reason told him he should move out of this place as soon as possible, but the high rent made him think twice.

According to information Andre had gathered, the cheapest independent residence in the school cost an annual rent of 150 magic stone fragments, and better ones even required several complete magic stones.

He currently helped out at Lady Allen's place, with a fixed daily wage, plus extra commissions from some auxiliary refining work, as well as side income from Trish and Andre, earning a net income of about 80 to 90 magic stone fragments a month.

But even at his current income level, such an annual rent was a significant burden.

After all, after renting an independent residence, he would still face various other expenses, and he also needed to invest resources in other areas.

As his thoughts churned, he arrived in front of the herb shop without realizing it.

Pushing open the door, the familiar scent of herbs rushed toward him. Lady Allen was standing behind the counter, organizing accounts.

"Just in time."

Lady Allen put down the ledger in her hand, her dark green eyes staring straight at Luo En: "There's a big order today that needs your help."

"What big order?" Luo En asked curiously, while starting to put on his work apron.

"Thirty bottles of refreshing potion and twenty bottles of wound healing potion. The school's law enforcement team needs to replenish their stock."

Lady Allen pointed to the workbench in the back: "I've already prepared the materials; you can start directly."

Luo En nodded and threw himself into work without saying a word.

This level of bulk order no longer posed a challenge to him, but he still maintained a high degree of focus.

Each bottle of potion was precisely proportioned, with stable and uniform efficacy.

Two hours later, all the potions were completed.

Luo En arranged them neatly on the wooden shelf, waiting for the liquid to cool completely.

After this period of dedicated study, his potion-making skills had also made great progress:

[Potion Refining: Proficient (46/80)]

[Herb Identification: Proficient (42/80)]

[Basic Potion-Making: Proficient (98/100)]

It seemed that Basic Potion-Making would soon welcome a breakthrough to the mastery level.

At that time, he might consider further career planning.

"Well done." Lady Allen walked over and randomly selected a few bottles for inspection:

"The quality is very stable, even better than the last batch. This is the terrifying power of diligent study and talent."

Luo En smiled slightly and complimented: "It's also thanks to your guidance."

Lady Allen's eyes flickered, as if she had seen through his thoughts.

She tapped the counter lightly, the joints on her withered fingers appearing exceptionally prominent.

"Luo En." Her voice was rarely soft: "I can notice your recent progress."

"Thank you for your affirmation, Madam." The young apprentice couldn't gauge the other party's meaning and could only answer modestly.

"No, it's more than just progress. During this time, your attainments in potion-making have far exceeded some talented beginners, and even surpassed many senior potion apprentices who have been immersed in this field for many years."

Lady Allen shook her head:

"Not only is your grasp of material properties becoming more accurate, but your control of heat and prediction of reactions between materials have reached a quite high level."

She paused, a flash of rare approval in her eyes:

"To be honest, there isn't much left I can teach you. With your level, you can completely stand on your own feet from now on."

Luo En was stunned: "You mean..."

"You have already graduated, Luo En," Lady Allen said bluntly:

"For you to still be an assistant in my small shop is really a bit of a waste of your talent."

After finishing, she reached under the counter, took out a wooden box, and pushed it in front of Luo En:

"Take it. This is a small gift from me, just to celebrate your upcoming independence."

Luo En opened the wooden box curiously. Inside lay a delicate, silver-shimmering instrument—a Silver Wing Separator.

This was the precious tool he had always longed for but could never bear to spend magic stone fragments to buy.

"This is... a Silver Wing Separator!" He touched this exquisite instrument in surprise, carefully taking it out of the box.

This rare tool, capable of extracting the purest essence from medicinal materials without losing any activity, was a treasure that alchemists dreamed of.

For a moment, Luo En didn't know what to say.

Initially, he had come here simply because he wanted to practice some potion-making.

He never expected that this seemingly strict and mean old woman would teach him so generously, and even bestow upon him such precious meditation methods as "The Star Eater's Whispers."

Now that he had graduated, she even gave such a valuable gift. Even a mother-son relationship wouldn't go this far...

"I noticed that every time you handle materials that require fine extraction, you are always hesitant."

Lady Allen said, her tone much softer than usual: "With this, it should solve your difficulties."

"This is worth at least several complete magic stones, right?"

Luo En still couldn't believe it. He began to worry whether the other party had some difficult task to assign to him again.

"It's just an ordinary tool." Lady Allen pretended to be nonchalant, but the smile at the corner of her mouth betrayed her emotions:

"Compared to those flashy collectibles, this set of tools is more practical in actual combat."

Her gaze became distant, as if piercing through the walls of the shop to look far away.

"I have owned it for many years. A long time ago, when I was still working at the Crystal Spire, I used it to refine materials."

"Crystal Spire?"

Luo En knew this name. It was an extraordinary gathering place recorded in books, far larger in scale than the Black Mist School, and it was said that there were even Great Wizards there.

Lady Allen seemed to realize she had revealed too much and sighed lightly:

"Yes... that was before I came here. The situation among official wizards is far more complex than you can imagine. One wrong step in the competition for advancement, and the consequence is..."

She didn't finish, subconsciously stroking the ugly, indelible scar on her waist and abdomen.

Lady Allen shook her head, as if to dispel those memories:

"None of that matters now. I found my place here, doing what I love most, discovering talented young people, and helping them grow. The losses at the Spire have instead become my gains... and now, they are your gains."

The old woman's gaze refocused on Luo En, carrying rare sentimentality:

"There is a wider world outside this forest, child. In some places, magic power is as surging and endless as a tsunami, and high-level existences can shape reality itself with just a thought. Perhaps one day, when you are ready..."

She stopped again, a look of relief appearing at the corner of her mouth.

Luo En carefully put the separator back into the box: "You have given me so much, I really don't know how to thank you, Madam."

"No need to thank me like that..." Lady Allen waved her hand, her tone returning to its usual crispness:

"Teaching talented young people actually has great benefits for us."

"Benefits?" Luo En asked suspiciously.

Lady Allen was silent for a moment, as if considering how much information to reveal.

Finally, she sat on the chair behind the counter and gestured for Luo En to come and sit as well.

"Do you know why official wizards are very busy, but most are willing to spend time establishing schools and teaching apprentices?"

She asked, a strange light flickering in those dark green eyes.

Luo En thought for a moment: "To pass on knowledge? Or to cultivate assistants?"

"Partly correct, but not complete." Lady Allen shook her head gently:

"In the world of occultism, there is an ancient rule—'Favor'."