"Just a bit of luck."

  Pierce said modestly, a rare hint of youthful shyness appearing on his usually calm face.

  Normally, he might not produce a single bottle of Perfect Quality potion even after brewing 10 bottles of Potion of Brute Force. To succeed in one go this time, apart from the improvement in micro-control brought by his Rank 3 spiritual power, indeed involved a considerable element of luck.

  Morven nodded noncommittally. He placed the potion back on the table, and then his serious face suddenly straightened, his voice becoming solemn and dignified:

  "Pierce."

  "Are you willing to take me as your Mentor?"

  As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

  Yuna's small mouth parted slightly. Although she had expected it, hearing Morven say these words with her own ears still made her heart skip a beat. You know, this old man's standards were ridiculously high; the last time he took a student was three years ago.

  Recovering her senses, Yuna was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly signaled Pierce with her eyes from an angle Morven couldn't see.

  Pierce was also shaken, but he didn't hesitate at all. He took a deep breath, stepped back half a pace, bowed deeply to the old man, his tone sincere and firm:

  "It is my honor, Mentor."

  "Good."

  A faint smile finally appeared on Morven's face, a gratification that he had a successor.

  He flipped his wrist lightly.

  Hum.

  With a wave of spatial fluctuation, a thick book and a crystal ball emitting a soft blue light appeared out of thin air, slowly drifting toward Pierce.

  Pierce subconsciously reached out to take them.

  The cover of the book was wrapped in a layer of grayish-white leather, delicate to the touch but slightly cold, as if it were the skin of some high-ranking magical beast. A line of words was written in gilded ancient arcane script on the cover:

  Compendium of Rank 1 Potions

  Pierce's pupils contracted slightly.

  The title alone sounded priceless! In the Logistics Department, even the most common Rank 1 potion recipe cost 6 to 7 magic stones. And this tome, hundreds of pages thick, likely contained no fewer than dozens of recipes.

  As for the other crystal ball...

  Pierce quickly recognized it as an extremely expensive Memory Crystal, usually used to carry high-level knowledge or images.

  "The crystal ball records a high-level meditation technique—Deep Sea Meditation."

  Morven's voice became deep and serious:

  "This is a top-tier inheritance that can be cultivated directly to a Rank 2 Official Wizard. Go back and practice it well; do not let down the weight of this knowledge."

  "Yes, Mentor!" Pierce nodded heavily, his fingers tightening around the crystal ball.

  He had to admit, Morven's greeting gift was simply too generous. For any apprentice struggling at the bottom, this was tantamount to ascending to heaven in a single step.

  Seeing Pierce's demeanor, Morven nodded with satisfaction, his tone much gentler:

  "That you could achieve this in just a month and a half proves your talent in potion-making. In the future, you must continue to delve into it and never slack off."

  "You can get whatever materials you need from me. Of course, to make you understand the truth that 'only by giving can you receive,' the materials are not free. However, I will give you an internal discount price; you can ask Yuna for the details."

  Pierce nodded to show he understood.

  The world of Wizards advocated equivalent exchange. He naturally wouldn't naively expect to get freebies from his mentor indefinitely. Getting rare materials at prices far below the market was already a huge invisible benefit.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  After encouraging Pierce with a few more words, Morven waved his hand, signaling the two to leave.

  Yuna and Pierce understood, bowed again, and quietly retreated from the room.

  ...

  When their footsteps completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, the light in the room suddenly distorted.

  A figure wearing a Star-Robe appeared out of thin air beside Morven.

  Guthrie looked in the direction Pierce left, a strange smile on his face:

  "...You picked up a big bargain."

  Morven glanced at him, continuing to fiddle with the crucible in his hand, his face expressionless: "Did I?"

  "Stop pretending."

  Guthrie pointed at him and scolded laughingly, "When I asked you to take this kid as a student before, you pushed back and looked reluctant. Now that you found out he has extraordinary talent, you couldn't wait to take him in, and even gave away the 'Deep Sea Meditation,' a treasure you kept at the bottom of your chest."

  "When Yuna became your student back then, she didn't get this kind of treatment, did she?"

  Morven's movement paused slightly, then he snorted coldly:

  "Say what you want."

  With that, he turned his back to Guthrie and continued to immerse himself in his world of alchemy.

  Guthrie shook his head with a chuckle. He looked out the window, his gaze seemingly penetrating the wall and landing on the black-robed youth walking away.

  "Steady temperament, decisive means, and now such excellent talent in potion-making..."

  "It seems that a remarkable little monster has really appeared among this year's freshmen."

  "When he truly grows up, perhaps he can really stir up a shocking wave in the stagnant water of Dawn City."

  Walking out of the castle, the sunlight fell on him again, but Pierce was still a bit dazed.

  Everything that happened today was truly catching him off guard.

  Until now, he hadn't fully figured out why a high-and-mighty Official Wizard would suddenly look at him differently and even take him as a student on the spot.

  But despite his doubts, Pierce was not dazzled by joy.

  Taking Morven as his mentor was definitely more beneficial than harmful to him right now.

  On one hand, as he progressed in potion-making, he would inevitably need higher-level recipes and guidance. The common goods in the Logistics Department obviously couldn't meet his needs. As a famous Rank 5 Potion Master in Dawn City, Morven was undoubtedly the best guide.

  On the other hand, and most importantly—

  With Morven as a backer, the pressure Patton (Pei Yonggao) brought him was greatly reduced.

  To move against the personal disciple of a respected Alchemy Master, Patton had to weigh the consequences. At least, he wouldn't dare to easily use those underhanded means.

  Otherwise, with Morven's famous protective personality, he would never sit idly by.

  With most of the invisible shackles removed, Pierce felt much more relaxed.

  However, placing hope entirely on others was ultimately the behavior of the weak. Truth was only held in one's own hands.

  Pierce clenched his fist secretly.

  I must advance to an Official Wizard as soon as possible. Only then will I be truly safe.

  Back at the herb garden exit, Yuna pursed her lips and smiled:

  "Pierce, from now on we are true siblings in apprenticeship. If you have any questions when brewing potions, or need special materials, feel free to come to me. I have a spare key and can take you to the material warehouse."

  "Thank you, Senior Sister." Pierce gave a sincere smile.

  The two parted ways at the exit. Pierce didn't go home directly but turned around and headed for the Logistics Department.

  Walking on the tree-lined path of the academy, Pierce clearly felt the change in the surrounding atmosphere.

  Countless gazes, bright or dark, were cast on him.

  Awe, envy, curiosity...

  Every now and then, apprentices would stop and bow respectfully to greet him. Among them were even some senior students who usually looked down on everyone.

  Obviously, the title of first place in the trial had made him a celebrity in the academy.

  Pierce maintained a polite distance, nodding in response all the way, but his pace quickened.

  He took a moment to check his Apprentice Badge. The 5000 contribution points awarded for the trial had arrived.

  There are over 6000 gold coins left in the Dimensional Pouch, plus these contribution points... it should be enough to brew the first batch of Rank 1 potions.

  As for Mistfeather's rations... that guy's appetite is getting bigger and bigger; I need to exchange for some high-energy magic stones.

  Even though he had just received a huge sum, Pierce still felt a sense of urgency about being short of money.

  It could only be said that pursuing truth was really a money-burning career.

  Before long, Pierce arrived at the Logistics Department hall.

  He walked straight to the familiar counter and tapped lightly on the table.

  "Excuse me, I'm here to redeem the trial rewards."

  The thin apprentice who was buried in writing documents raised his head expressionlessly.

  When he saw it was Pierce, that originally indifferent face instantly piled up with an enthusiastic smile, as if seeing a long-lost brother:

  "Yo! It's you! Lord Pierce! Please sit, please sit!"

  "Redeeming rewards, right? Wait a moment, I'll get you the list right away!"

  With that, he immediately rummaged through the drawer, moving as fast as if he were rescuing goods from a fire.

  The apprentices queuing nearby saw this and looked as if they had swallowed a fly.

  Just now when they were redeeming things, this guy had a dead face from start to finish, working as slowly as a snail. Why is he so diligent now?

  But turning to look at the object of his diligence.

  Oh, it's that ruthless man who rubbed the three great geniuses on the ground.

  Then it's fine.

  "Found it!"

  The thin apprentice raised his head, handing over a gilded parchment list with a beaming smile:

  "This lists all the Glimmer-Grade magic items currently in stock in the Logistics Department. You are the first place, so you have priority in selection."

  Pierce thanked him, took the list, and browsed it carefully.

  Although Glimmer-Grade magic items were not as powerful as formal Witchcraft Tools, they were still rare and good things at the apprentice stage.

  Suitable equipment could boost combat power by 40% to 50%.

  There were only about twenty items on the list in total.

  Pierce's gaze skipped directly over those flashy offensive items and locked onto the defensive ones.

  He had Mistfeather, the big killer, and next, he would learn the Rank 1 potion-making and high-level spells gifted by Morven. His offensive means were already overflowing.

  On the contrary, in terms of defense, relying only on the A.I. Living Shield and basic spell shields seemed a bit thin when facing threats at the Official Wizard level.

  Only by staying alive can there be output.