In the following days, Roy quietly accelerated his progress.
He could not afford to ignore Botning's threat.
But he also couldn't limit himself, afraid to cross any boundaries; he continued to secretly refine incense and make money, quietly accumulating wealth.
By mid-October.
"That Tersitz..."
A faint silver light appeared in the void, outlining the contours of the Willpower Rune.
Gradually, it stabilized.
"The tenth rune!"
Roy's face lit up with joy.
Lacking talent, he made up for it with resources.
This path was indeed feasible.
"However, after drinking several potions in succession, the effects have noticeably diminished."
He pondered for a moment and reached a conclusion.
"Need to increase income and reduce expenses!
Explore more ways to make money and types of self-made potions, pursuing lower costs!"
As for how to do it specifically...
He found himself at a loss.
Currently, his talent, Proficient, was merely a black iron-level talent.
The success rate boost it provided was based on the alchemical formulas he had already mastered.
He could either learn and master new formulas.
Or...
Obtain more and better new talents!
But the question was, how could he achieve these?...
Time flew by, and over a month passed.
Inside the Wizard Tower, in the apprentice's quarters.
After heating solvents and other basic preparations, Roy mixed various materials according to the knowledge he had learned.
These included a plant with sharp, serrated leaves, known as Blood Iron Grass.
Dried and cut into small pieces were bat wings.
A purplish-red powder, resembling salt grains, made from Nephrite ore.
He carefully added these in strict order and specific quantities into the reaction vessel and began to brew.
As the temperature rose, the originally clear solvent gradually became murky, with various materials blending together to form an inexplicable liquid.
Due to the rudimentary conditions, these operations looked somewhat like a "witch brewing soup."
But in reality, it was a legitimate method of alchemical practice in the wizarding world, infused with a certain mysterious ritualistic Wizardry power.
The Proficient black iron-level talent faithfully fulfilled its guiding mission, mobilizing the knowledge in Roy's mind and the instincts of his body, trying to steer this alchemical process toward a successful outcome.
During this time, he had been learning and researching, leading a very fulfilling life.
Hard work pays off; he finally mastered some scattered alchemical potion formulas.
This mildly effective Screeching Potion could potentially be useful.
"This potion has a stimulating effect on the mind and is often seen as an aid for meditation, similar to the Meditation Potion.
Unlike the Meditation Potion, it has obvious negative side effects.
Users will instantly hear a loud banshee's wail, leading to nausea, headaches, and other negative reactions, and may even suffer from tinnitus and nightmares as aftereffects.
But one advantage is something the previous Meditation Potion could not compare to.
It's cheap enough!"
As Roy mixed and measured, he thought to himself.
Finally, after more than an hour had passed.
The "witch's soup" was ready!
Roy frowned as he looked at it.
This potion, after several rounds of purification, still presented an amber-colored liquid, and upon closer inspection, it emitted a strangely pungent odor.
"This smell... is truly unbearable!"
It resembled the scent of dust and mud when raindrops hit a concrete slab on a hot summer afternoon, making one feel uncomfortable while also assaulting the nasal mucosa with scalding heat.
But the next moment, he decisively drank it all in one gulp and licked the bottle clean.
"Uh, my tongue feels a bit numb..."
He frowned, suddenly feeling a bit pale.
"Ah!"
The wail of a banshee echoed in his mind, causing a splitting headache.
But his brain instantly cleared, and his spirit was invigorated.
It was working.
Roy quickly seized the moment to meditate again.
The Wizard's Book...
Willpower Rune...
Sketching, illuminating...
One knowledge point after another surfaced in his mind.
About half an hour later.
When he began to feel a buzzing sound in his ears like cicadas.
He successfully manifested the eleventh Willpower Rune—Izar!
Finally succeeded!
...
A few days later.
"The Screeching Potion seems quite good.
My meditation efficiency has noticeably improved these past few days; I should be able to manifest another Willpower Rune within a month!"
Roy looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, rubbing his forehead, feeling half relieved and half cautious.
"However, the side effects are starting to show; it seems I'm experiencing some tinnitus."
Tinnitus wasn't a major issue, but it indicated the accumulation of negative effects.
If this continued, it could lead to some irreversible damage.
"It seems just drinking this potion won't do; I need to give my body some time to recover."
Knock, knock, knock! Lost in thought, the door was suddenly knocked on.
Roy went to open the door and found Renien and others had come.
"Roy, the Wizard Tower has issued a mandatory mission for outdoor adventures; all intermediate apprentices must participate!"
As soon as he stepped in, Renien, with a hint of excitement, delivered some bad news.
"A mandatory mission?"
Roy's expression turned serious.
Apprentices in the Wizard World were protected by the Wizard Tower, enjoying personal rights and safety guarantees within its walls.
But once they stepped outside, that was not necessarily the case.
Botning's earlier threat had also mentioned this matter.
He didn't expect it to come so soon.
He steadied himself and comforted Renien, "Don't rush; take your time to explain."
Renien continued, "Do you remember the Forbidden Experiment that caused a stir a month ago at the Cleansing Tower?" "Of course I remember..."
How could Roy forget? That was precisely what happened when he crossed over.
"Reports say that the site of the previous accident has undergone a mutation!"
Niya, Andov, and others who followed in also looked somewhat apprehensive as they discussed.
"The Wizard Tower has done everything possible to rescue the situation, but it has still been futile; they can only temporarily seal off the entire area along with the Small World.
A lot of Wizardry Energy has radiated into the outside world, creating mutated monsters around the Wizard Tower.
Although due to the suppression of the World's Will, it won't create wizard-level monsters, they have become extremely frenzied and dangerous.
This radiation pollution could also harm the ley lines, affecting those resource points.
To investigate the situation, the Wizard Tower needs to send apprentices to various locations for inquiries."
After chatting for a while, Roy learned that this mandatory mission would be organized in groups of three to five, allowing for free team formation.
The Wizard Tower had serious matters to attend to and couldn't just watch them walk into danger, so they arranged for senior apprentices to lead the teams.
There were often conflicts among apprentices, like those between Roy and Botning; having someone lead could provide some deterrence.
After hearing this, Roy felt a bit more at ease.
But who would be in charge of his group was still unclear; they would be assigned based on the selected mission location before departure.
With a sense of unease, the next day arrived.
"It turns out to be Senior Sophia!"
Everyone reacted with mixed feelings of joy and concern.
(End of Chapter)