Chapter 89

"I just forgot something and came back to get it."

Leah's gaze fell on a notebook on the podium, then she walked over to take it.

The thin, small apprentice noticed that Aaron had been maintaining a strange posture, and hurriedly stepped forward to support him: "Aaron, what's wrong with you? Don't say anything extra to Lord Leah."

He pulled Aaron's arm hard, only to find that the other party was stiff all over and couldn't even speak.

"We... we're leaving." The thin, small apprentice and another companion hurriedly supported Aaron and left the classroom quickly.

Luo En looked at their embarrassed backs as they fled, and couldn't help but envy the absolute status of high-level apprentices—she didn't even need any words or actions; just her existence was enough to make these bullies who fear the strong and bully the weak flee at the sight of her.

Just after walking out of the place where the crowd gathered, Aaron suddenly coughed violently, spat out a mouthful of black blood, and his whole body felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer, his internal organs seeming to have shifted.

"Aaron!" The thin, small apprentice's face changed greatly, recalling Luo En's light finger just now, and couldn't help but shudder: "How could..."

"That kid is not..." Aaron squeezed out a few words intermittently, his face pale as paper: "Don't touch him again..."

Several people looked at each other, cold sweat dripping down their backs.

If they really tricked this guy into the wilderness, I'm afraid it wouldn't be certain who would be the prey by then.

………………

Leah picked up the notebook, turned and prepared to leave, suddenly as if remembering something, looked at Luo En:

"Apprentice Ralph, is it?"

Luo En was a bit surprised: "Lord Leah, do you also know Lord Holt?"

"He said you signed up for the Alchemist certification exam."

Leah's tone carried a trace of rare concern: "As someone who has been through it, I want to remind you: don't aim too high."

Her expression became serious: "Alchemy is one of the disciplines that values practical experience the most. Even if your talent is high, without enough accumulation, it is very difficult to pass the certification. I suggest you accumulate a few more years of experience before trying."

Luo En thought to himself that the speed of news spreading within the school was truly amazing.

But it could also be that Holt learned of his registration information in advance through some internal relationship.

"Thank you for your reminder, Lord Leah." Luo En responded politely: "I will consider it seriously."

"The school has special regulations for internal apprentices," Leah continued: "If you change your mind, you can withdraw at any time before entering the exam room, and the registration fee will be fully refunded."

Her tone was not forced, more like a reminder:

"Holt seems to have confidence in you, but I personally think that being eager for success is easy to fail. Alright, I have to go."

After saying this, she turned and left, her tall figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

The few apprentices left around showed strange expressions in their eyes; they clearly heard about Luo En signing up for the Alchemist certification.

In the eyes of these apprentices, a professional alchemist is an existence that is out of reach, and their comprehensive value and status even exceed many high-level apprentices.

A newly promoted junior apprentice daring to challenge such a certification is simply whimsical.

However, this has nothing to do with them; everyone is very busy, who cares whether you are really going to participate in any Alchemist qualification certification.

Leaving the classroom, Luo En recalled the knowledge and techniques learned today.

Although the paid courses have a complex structure and harsh advanced conditions, they can indeed accelerate the learning process and have a significant help in improving strength.

[Spell Construction (Introductory) Experience +2]

[Mental Interference (Introductory) Experience +2]

Both skills have been significantly improved, with efficiency several times higher than his own hard practice behind closed doors.

The closed self-study method is safe, but the efficiency is far inferior to systematic guidance.

"Must seize this opportunity to accelerate progress." Luo En thought silently in his heart: "Can't close the door and build a car anymore."

Moreover, it is said that many opportunities for individual consultation with mentors are only provided to apprentices who have taken their advanced courses.

For those paid consultation opportunities, he must finish all these courses.

Walking out of the teaching area, the night of the Black Mist Forest has already shrouded the surroundings.

A faint howl of a beast came from afar, making people shudder.

Luo En quickened his pace and walked toward the dormitory area.

………………

On the day of the professional Alchemist exam, the first ray of dawn at dawn had just pierced through the canopy of the Black Mist Forest, and Luo En had already gotten up and made preparations.

He checked his tools repeatedly, especially the Silver Wing Separator, which could separate the purest medicinal essence in the shortest time during the refining process.

A sentence that Lady Allen often reminded him of still echoed in his ears:

"Remember, the value of an alchemist lies not only in how many formulas they know, but also in how to make every drop of potion exert its maximum effect."

"Everything is ready, it's time to set off." Luo En organized his attire and the items he needed to carry, took a deep breath, and walked out of the dormitory.

Walking in the Black Mist Forest in the morning light, his mood was slightly nervous but full of expectation.

The Alchemist certification exam, held once every six months, is a rare opportunity for him.

If he misses this time, he will have to wait another six months, and his scheduled plan simply cannot be delayed.

Arriving at the central hall, more than twenty people had already gathered in front of the steps, and there were basically no faces Luo En was familiar with.

Some of them wore worn-out robes, carrying the dusty atmosphere of travel;

Some were dressed elegantly, but their eyes were tired, as if they had come from a long distance;

Some were even wrapped tightly like mummies, and alien limbs could be vaguely seen under the robes...

"The Alchemist certification exam is indeed quite special." Luo En thought: "Even those wandering apprentices and aliens outside the Black Mist Forest have been attracted."

"Next one, please hurry!" On the duty platform, a middle-aged female apprentice who seemed a bit annoyed called out loudly.

When it was Luo En's turn, he stepped forward to submit the application form and the registration fee of fifteen magic stone fragments. It is said that people outside the school who want to participate in the Alchemist certification must pay double the fee.

The duty personnel—a female apprentice nearly forty years old, took the form and scanned it, and obvious surprise immediately appeared on her face.

"Luo En Ralph? Just became a junior apprentice?"

She looked up, carefully examining Luo En up and down, with a trace of scrutiny in her eyes: "Little guy, are you sure you want to participate in the Alchemist certification exam?"

Luo En nodded, his expression calm: "Yes, I am ready."

The duty personnel snorted lightly and placed his application form aside casually:

"Young man, do you know how low the pass rate of this exam is? Even those old apprentices who have studied potions for decades can barely pass."

She lowered her voice, her tone becoming almost pitiful, and prepared to hand back the bag of magic stone fragments directly:

"I'll give you a piece of advice—it's not too late to quit now. If you voluntarily give up, I can use the duty officer's authority to fully refund your registration fee; this is a special privilege only for our internal school apprentices."

Luo En smiled slightly, knowing that the other party was out of good intentions, and politely repeated his request again: "Thank you very much for your kindness, but I hope to continue participating in the exam."

"Young people... just don't listen to advice, you'll be honest after you suffer a bit more."

The duty personnel saw that he insisted on doing so, could only shrug, took the form that had been placed aside, and stamped it with the magic seal that took effect immediately: "Don't blame me for not reminding you then."

After saying goodbye to the duty personnel, he received the exam identification and was led into the waiting area by the light element guide deliberately arranged in the air.

More than a dozen participants were already sitting here, each with varying degrees of tension and anxiety on their faces.

Luo En scanned the circle and found that most of the candidates looked much older than him:

An old man with white hair was concentrating on flipping through an alchemy notebook, his fingers turning dark yellow from years of contact with reagents;

An elderly lizardman with two short horns on his head sat in the corner, his eyes full of fatigue and expectation;

And several middle-aged people who looked to be in their thirties or forties were whispering to each other, occasionally casting curious glances at Luo En's side.

Although a few people noticed this young candidate, surprise and doubt flashed in their eyes.

But most of them quickly withdrew their gazes and focused on their own preparation work.

At this critical moment, wasting energy to be jealous or question others is stupid.

Most of them have experienced too many failures and have long learned to focus all their attention on the exam itself.

Only a short, fat middle-aged man couldn't help but whisper to his companion:

"These young people always think that alchemy can be mastered by talent."

"Why care?" His companion responded calmly, even somewhat numbly:

"I have participated in the exam five times in thirty years, and every time I see some confident young faces, but what's the result?"

The two smiled bitterly at each other and said no more.

These conversations were soon drowned out by the tense atmosphere of the exam room, and Luo En only focused on his final preparations, not hearing these idle gossip.

"Candidates, please pay attention!" A school duty officer in a standard gray robe walked in: "The exam is about to begin, please follow me to the exam hall."

The exam hall was a spacious circular room, with dozens of luminous stones embedded in the walls, providing bright and stable light.

In the center of the room was a semi-circular long table, behind which sat three examiners.