Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Potion Effects and Spell Experimentation As he finished work and left the herb store, Ron carefully tucked the few bottles of Stimulant Potion into his coat. Although Lady Allen said these were just defective products, for a Candidate Apprentice like him, they were still a rare acquisition. In the Black Mist Jungle, a bottle of perfect quality Stimulant Potion often costs more than ten Magic Stone Fragments. Even this kind of defective product, if taken to the market, could fetch at least two or three Magic Stone Fragments. This was still the most basic Stimulant Potion — primarily made from Moonlight Grass and Carbon Breath Grass, supplemented with other auxiliary materials. Compared to those high-tier potions crafted with rare materials, its effect was naturally much weaker. But for Ron at the moment, it was more than enough. While this potion couldn’t directly enhance Spiritual Power, it could keep the user highly alert for a short period. Compared to the bitter water brewed from Black Quill Leaf, not only was the stimulating effect several times stronger, but even the supposed nauseating bitter taste of the potion was harmonized just right. No wonder some apprentices from better backgrounds would rather spend a lot of money to buy a few bottles as a reserve. Amid these thoughts, Ron returned to his room. Although the morning’s work and practice had consumed quite a bit of energy, he did not intend to rest just yet. The deadline for the assessment was getting closer, and every minute and second felt exceedingly precious. Moreover, he was eager to verify his thoughts just now. Taking out a bottle of Stimulant Potion, Ron first examined the clear amber liquid inside carefully. In the dim light, some tiny silver particles could be seen floating and sinking, which were residues of Moonlight Grass. "Let’s begin." Ron sat on the bed, adjusted to the most comfortable position, and carefully took a small sip of the Stimulant Potion. The cool sensation instantly spread from his throat to his entire body, like a stream flowing through a dried riverbed. The fatigue from morning exercises and work was swept away, replaced by an unusually clear state of mind. "This effect..." Ron murmured to himself, "No wonder so many people are eager for it." Then he closed his eyes and began to enter a meditative state. This time, he tried to combine the operation of his Spiritual Power with the clarity brought by the potion. In this unprecedentedly keen state, Ron could perceive the flow of Spiritual Power more clearly. Those subtle fluctuations that were usually difficult to capture were now all clearly visible. "I see..." He suddenly realized that the energy fluctuations remaining in the potion were astonishingly similar to the rhythm of Spiritual Power. This might be why the Stimulant Potion could help stabilize Spiritual Power. [Basic Meditation begins] In the Consciousness Space, the basic rune formed by three arcs began to take shape. But this time, instead of mechanically copying it as usual, Ron tried to let the rune form naturally along with the rhythm of his Spiritual Power. Like writing beautiful cursive, the important thing wasn’t rigidly copying the characters, but mastering the connection between strokes. Gradually, he felt an unprecedented sense of fluidity. Spiritual Power was like a gentle stream, slowly gathering under the guidance of the rune. [Triggered Special Effect: Potion Amplification—Slight increase in this meditation’s effect] [Basic Meditation Experience Points +1] [Basic Meditation Experience Points +1] [Basic Meditation Experience Points +1] ... "This speed of improvement..." Ron opened his eyes, pleasantly surprised by the continually increasing experience points on the panel. Apart from the amplification brought by the potion, the speed enhancement in accumulating Spiritual Power brought by the Magic Potion Apprentice profession was also quietly at work. Just as Ron was about to continue meditating, he heard Darrend’s annoyed voice from next door: "Why is the ’Sound Wave Tremor’ magic model always unstable..." Then there was a series of crashes, as if some experimental device had been smashed. This persistent researcher of Sound Wave Magic had obviously encountered another bottleneck. Hearing the sound, Ron suddenly remembered something. Come to think of it, he hadn’t yet seriously studied that zero-ring Magic "Slime Splash." In the foundational Magic scrolls that the school uniformly distributed, apart from the "Basic Meditation Technique," there was only this simplest zero-ring Magic. In the world of Wizards, Magic is like precious seeds, each Wizard pouring their lifetime’s efforts into cultivating a few, making them the unique source of their power. And the number of rings represents the complexity of the Magic model, not directly its power. The majority of apprentices will truly master no more than two or three types of Magic in their lifetime, and even those with outstanding talents find it difficult to master multiple kinds simultaneously. For every piece of Magic, true mastery means integrating it into one’s own Spiritual system, a process that is extremely long and arduous. Turning to his notebook that he carried with him, he found the incantation notes he hurriedly recorded before: "Some zero-ring Magic, in the hands of a true Wizard, can even exhibit astonishing power surpassing high-ring Magic..." "Every piece of Magic is a seed; an apprentice’s task is not mechanically memorizing casting steps but finding a way to resonate with this seed, allowing it to take root and grow in one’s Spiritual soil..." "The zero-ring Magic ’Slime Splash’ requires forming a droplet-shaped Spiritual Power structure. It seems simple but actually contains multiple different energy flow patterns..." Ron carefully went through these contents. His understanding of Spiritual Power had vastly changed now, especially after gaining insights into the "Rhythm." Perhaps he could understand this Magic from a new perspective. Using a cool hand to wake himself up, he began to gather his Spiritual Power according to the notebook’s method. The clarity brought by the Stimulant Potion still persisted, allowing him to perceive each subtle wave of Spiritual Power more acutely. Outlining the droplet shape in his consciousness wasn’t hard; what’s difficult is maintaining the shape’s stability and bestowing it the correct "rhythm." Ron remembered the Masters had once said true Magic Mastery is a long process. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 Elementary Apprentices mastering 1-2 types of Magic is already commendable, while Middle Apprentices often spend years deeply researching a Magic’s variations and applications instead of blindly pursuing quantity. After reaching the Advanced Apprentice stage, only then do they start trying to improve and integrate the Magic they have mastered, creating a more personalized power. Only upon reaching the level of an Official Wizard do they have the qualifications to attempt creating entirely new Magic. By that time, they would have integrated the few types of Magic they mastered into their souls, able to invoke the power of heaven and earth with a simple gesture. This is also why, in the eyes of ordinary people, Wizards seem to be able to cast powerful Magic without chanting a spell — those spells have become as natural as breathing to them. Like preparing a potion, Ron tried to guide the Spiritual Power similarly. Instead of forcing them to shape immediately, he followed their natural flow, slowly gathering them into a droplet shape. [Zero-ring Magic "Slime Splash" casting begins] [Optimized Spiritual Power control method detected] [Magic Potion Apprentice profession bonus: Slight increase in Spiritual Power control precision] "Seems the direction is right..." Ron could feel the Magic model taking shape with unprecedented stability. The feeling was like finding the best balance among the materials when preparing a Magic Potion. When all forces are in harmony, the Magic naturally forms. [Slime Splash Experience Points +2] "I see..." Ron opened his eyes, looking at the small blob of slime concentrated in his hands. This time, casting the spell was much smoother than before, and the Spiritual Power consumed was noticeably reduced. But he knew he still had a long way to go before truly mastering this Magic. This was only a preliminary understanding; to truly internalize it as a part of his own power would require countless practices and failures. As the Masters often said: "A Wizard often exhausts a lifetime to master only a few types of Magic, but it is precisely this focus and depth that allow these Magic to reach unimaginable levels for ordinary people." It seems that not only in Magic Potion Making, even the most basic Magic follows a certain specific rule. And through understanding "Rhythm," he seemed to have found a shortcut to improvement. Just as Ron was about to continue his experiments, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the corridor, seemingly mixed with low sobbing. He pricked up his ears alertly; at this time, any unusual sounds were worth being cautious of. Especially after all that had happened yesterday...