Chapter 31 - 30: A Step Away, Oliver’s Arrival

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Chapter 31: Chapter 30: A Step Away, Oliver’s Arrival He carefully examined this information, feeling both excited and slightly regretful. The excitement came from having completed two of the three conditions for the [Wizard Apprentice] job change; The regret was that he still had one more to go—raising the zero-ring spell "Slime Splash" to a skilled level. "Just this one step left..." Ron whispered to himself. In fact, he had been practicing this magic intermittently before, but due to the lack of a suitable target in the dorm room, his practice of this magic was far less diligent than his practice of Corona Swordsmanship. Nonetheless, the experience points for "Slime Splash" were nearing the breakthrough edge of the "Beginner" level; just a little more practice and he could meet the job change requirement. If it weren’t for the issues with Darrend and Marcus coming one after another, he might have already been able to take up the [Wizard Apprentice] position. Ron began to plan his next steps: After leaving the Detention Room, the first priority would be to quickly practice "Slime Splash" to a skilled level to complete the [Wizard Apprentice] job change. Information on the panel indicated that [Wizard Apprentice] would provide bonuses in magic experience point acquisition and spiritual power recovery. This complements the specialties of [Knight’s Squire] and [Magic Potion Apprentice], which can create a stronger synergy. "Developing three professions in parallel..." Ron tapped the desk lightly with his fingers: "This could maximize the advantages of the panel and form a virtuous cycle." He imagined the potential future: 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖 The spiritual power accumulation and magic affinity bonuses provided by the [Magic Potion Apprentice] could accelerate the growth of the [Wizard Apprentice]; While the magic growth and spell abilities of the [Wizard Apprentice] could complement the physique enhancement of the [Knight’s Squire], eventually achieving a powerful trinity. "As long as the job change is completed smoothly, when it’s time for the apprentice identity recognition and initial resource distribution, the potential shown should be more..." Just as he was deeply contemplating future plans, footsteps suddenly echoed from the hallway, interrupting his thoughts. The footsteps were very distinctive—light and rhythmic, with an indescribable elegance and pressure, unlike that of ordinary apprentices. Ron immediately became alert, gathering his thoughts and focusing his attention to sense the external situation. A nauseating and twisted spiritual wave, causing his scalp to tingle, suddenly invaded his sensing range. This unknown spiritual wave was filled with decay and eeriness, like the sound of hundreds of maggots squirming within decaying flesh, but at this moment all converted into spiritual sensations. Moreover, this wave seemed to be heading straight towards his Detention Room. Ron involuntarily tensed his body, his spiritual power instinctively contracting into a ball-shaped defensive posture to ease the discomfort within him. He glanced around, noticing that the eye-like monitoring devices in the hallway were all functioning normally, which slightly reassured him. In such a monitored public area, nothing too excessive should happen. With that thought, he had roughly guessed the identity of the approaching individual, likely someone associated with his unfortunate "neighbor." The Detention Room holding Marcus was not far away; in the past, during his cultivation, he would occasionally hear Marcus’ curses about the poor meals in the Detention Room. Sure enough, before long, a figure slowly emerged from around the hallway corner. Through the air vent of the door, which offered a relatively open view, Ron noticed it was an exceptionally striking young man, with black hair and black eyes, whose looks were almost eerily handsome. His skin was unnaturally pale, reflecting a gleaming luster in the dim hallway light. The most eye-catching feature was the deep blue gemstone badge on the person’s chest—a symbol of an Advanced Apprentice. Following behind this unknown visitor, Marcus lowered his head like a defeated dog, timidly trailing along. His demeanor sharply contrasted with his usual arrogant attitude, appearing somewhat pathetic and humble. "Ron Ralph?" The black-haired man stood in front of the Detention Room door, speaking in an odd tone, surprisingly gentle: "Pleased to meet you for the first time, I am Oliver, Marcus’s elder brother." Ron’s heart tightened; indeed, it was the Advanced Apprentice specialized in Curse Magic. "I have long admired your reputation." He nodded politely, cautiously responding to Oliver, striving to keep his voice calm and steady. Oliver displayed a near-perfect smile, revealing a row of neat white teeth: "I apologize for my brother’s rudeness on his behalf." As he spoke, he pulled out a set of keys from his robe and easily unlocked the Detention Room door: "As a gesture of goodwill, I have spent Magic Stone Fragments as payment to secure your early release." Ron raised an eyebrow, quietly pondering. In the Black Mist Jungle, there was indeed a rule that allowed the use of Magic Stone Fragments to reduce detention time, priced at roughly ten Magic Stone Fragments for one day. But he had never considered this option, partly because he was unwilling to part with those precious Magic Stone Fragments; secondly, despite the Detention Room’s basic conditions, it could meet fundamental living needs and allowed for peaceful cultivation. "Thank you for your kindness." Ron replied levelly, while observing Oliver’s every move. He did not immediately step out of the room; the Detention Room actually contained several trigger-type arrays. One part was to prevent the detained from escaping, and another was to prevent any untoward actions during visits, now these arrays instead served as his protective shield. The man named Oliver performed with near perfection, displaying polite etiquette and a gentle smile, like a true gentleman. Yet, this overly perfect façade made Ron wary; how could an Advanced Apprentice who could stand out in the Black Mist Jungle be of good character? "No need to be so formal." Oliver waved his hand: "My brother always tends to do annoying things, which truly gives me headaches." He turned and gently patted Marcus’ shoulder, seemingly intimate, but Ron caught a momentary stiffness and fear in Marcus’ body. "If you feel unresolved, you may freely teach him a lesson now." Oliver’s smile remained unchanged, but a flicker of an inscrutable light flashed in his eyes: "I wouldn’t mind at all." Ron felt a pang of caution; he glanced at the cowering Marcus and shook his head: "No need, since you have already apologized on his behalf, let’s put this matter behind us." "Your tolerance is admirable." Oliver commended, seamlessly shifting the conversation to the subject that most intrigued him: "By the way, I heard you’ve been researching Sound Wave Magic recently? Darrend’s project?" It came! This sentence caused warning bells to blare in Ron’s mind. It seems his research in the Detention Room wasn’t entirely secret, and even this Advanced Apprentice had heard about it. "Just dabbling out of curiosity." Ron cautiously replied. "An essential quality in a qualified Wizard is the relentless pursuit of knowledge; it seems you possess this fine quality as well." Oliver nodded with a smile, subtly revealing his true intentions amid his praise: "Sound waves and curses share commonalities, both influencing targets through subtle means; perhaps we can exchange ideas in the future."

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