Chapter 96: Chapter 92: Does He Have a Mysterious Master Behind Him... "Since the swordsmanship is nearing a breakthrough, it’s best to practice more now..." Ron picked up the Ironwood Sword and continued his daily cultivation. The sword light flickered indoors, each movement striving for precision and fluidity, perfectly combining the "Crown Breathing Technique" with swordsmanship. As he completed a set of Corona Swordsmanship, he felt a familiar premonition of an imminent breakthrough in his skills. "Just a little more persistence, and I can step into the realm of Mastery in swordsmanship. Advancing the powerful trait like ’Sharpness’ once more is truly something to look forward to..." [Successfully reset negative status: Fatigue, Energy -1] 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶 The boy’s eyes were bloodshot as he forced himself to keep his eyes wide open, capturing that spark of insight through relentless practice: [Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points + 1] [Current Progress: Basic Swordsmanship (Proficient 98/100)] ......... Gwyneth stood in the bright hall of the registration office, tapping her fingers impatiently on the marble countertop. As an Intermediate Apprentice, she shouldn’t be confined to such menial positions. But considering the "benefits" of this job—every wandering apprentice and alien race coming to register for various profession certifications would slip her quite a few advantages—she didn’t mind it so much. She tidied her chestnut long hair, her gaze sweeping past the hurried pedestrians outside the window. As the day’s work neared its end, she was pondering whether to attend the small apprentice gathering in the evening when she suddenly felt a majestic magic power fluctuation coming from the end of the corridor. "Gwyneth." The deep voice made her immediately straighten her back and quickly turn to face the newcomer. It was Magnus Crow, one of the most senior Magic Potion Professors in the school, and also a distant relative of her great-grandmother. Yet, it was precisely because of this almost invisible relationship that she secured this well-paying position. "Master Magnus." Gwyneth greeted respectfully, secretly nervous, fearing she had made another mistake. The elder alchemist walked steadily closer, placing a document stamped with the school seal on the counter. His white beard was meticulously groomed, and his eyes were sharp like an eagle’s, the radiation field around him causing the female apprentice a slight prick before quickly retracting. "This is the workshop contract for East District Number 14," Magnus said, lightly tapping the document with his finger: "I hope you can personally deliver it to Apprentice Ron Ralph." Upon hearing this somewhat familiar name, Gwyneth’s expression subtly changed. Ron Ralph? The greenhorn who came to register for the Alchemist certification a few days ago? She still remembered how she had disdainfully regarded his request back then, even kindly advising him to give up and save the registration fee. "Master Magnus, isn’t this usually delivered by the school’s tamed Monster Messenger?" She asked tentatively, her fingers subconsciously clenching tightly. The elder alchemist’s deep eyes stared directly at her, making Gwyneth uncomfortable. "I believe it’s more appropriate for you to deliver it personally," his tone leaving no room for negotiation: "After all, you were the registrar for his Alchemist assessment, correct?" Gwyneth’s heart sank, the words clearly carried an admonishing tone, Magnus obviously knew about her attitude towards Ron back then. "Yes, Master." She admitted in a low voice, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Very well." Magnus nodded, his beard twitching slightly with his words: "I suppose you know that Ron Ralph not only passed the assessment but achieved an ’excellent’ rating. This is an exceedingly rare accomplishment in the history of the Black Mist School, especially for such a young apprentice." Gwyneth’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Magnus. "’Excellent’ rating?" She involuntarily repeated: "He looks just fifteen or sixteen! How is that possible—" Her information channels only told her that he passed the assessment, but an "excellent" rating? And from this old conservative standing in front of her? "That’s precisely my question," Magnus gently interrupted her, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "But the fact remains, his Magic Potion Refining skills have reached levels that many Professional Alchemists struggle to attain. The elder alchemist slightly leaned forward, lowering his voice: "The school needs geniuses like him, Gwyneth. I hope you can use this opportunity to make amends for your previous...small mistake." Gwyneth immediately understood Magnus’s intention, it was a deliberate opportunity for her to apologize. She bit her lower lip and nodded: "I understand, Master. I will personally deliver the contract to him and...express my apologies." "Very good." Magnus nodded in satisfaction, turning to leave, but then stopped: "By the way, although he’s currently only certified as a Professional Alchemist, my judgment is that his actual level is very close to the standards of a Senior Alchemist, if not higher. Keep that in mind." As Magnus’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, Gwyneth exhaled a long breath, relaxing her tense shoulders. She picked up the contract, carefully scrutinizing the information on it. East District Number 14—that’s quite a good location; the East District is usually reserved for those with special backgrounds. Gwyneth frowned in thought as she packed her things, preparing to head to the apprentice dormitory area. Walking along the winding cobblestone path, the female apprentice’s heart was in turmoil with various emotions. Curiosity, confusion, jealousy, and a trace of indescribable awe. She muttered to herself, her footsteps echoing in the twilight. "Magic Potion Making is perhaps the most experience-reliant among all extraordinary disciplines. Mastery of timing in heating control, material interactions, and energy fluctuation adjustments...all require countless attempts and failures to truly understand." She recalled the alchemist certification exam she participated in about five years ago. At that time, she had studied Magic Potion Making for more than ten years and considered herself well-prepared, yet she still failed in the actual refining phase. The feeling of frustration was still fresh in her memory. "How could a child of fifteen or sixteen possibly master these?" Gwyneth shook her head, her brow furrowed: "Unless he has some special talent or... past-life memories?" Some ancient books recorded legendary figures who, it was said, could retain memories of previous lives through special means, or had fragments of ancient existences hidden within their souls. These people often exhibited talents and comprehension far beyond ordinary individuals. "Could he be such an existence?" Gwyneth pondered, then laughed self-deprecatingly: "What am I thinking... There are plenty of oddities in the extraordinary world, maybe he’s just a simple genius?" She no longer dwelled on the question and instead turned her thoughts to how she should apologize. A gift is essential, but what would be suitable to give a newly certified alchemist? Magic potion materials? Too ordinary... Equipment and tools? Based on previous investigations, the other, as Lady Allen’s student, may already have plenty of quality tools. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind: "Furniture! A new workshop needs a suitable set of furniture!" Gwyneth quickened her pace, her plan slowly taking shape. Working at the registration office in the East District, she was familiar with various merchants and could easily arrange for a quality set of furniture to be delivered to Ron’s new workshop. Although it wouldn’t have extraordinary effects, it would be practical and demonstrate her sincerity. "This could be a good peace offering..." Gwyneth thought, a slight smile forming on her lips: "And it could help establish a good relationship with this new alchemist, who knows when it might come in handy?" With this in mind, she quickened her steps toward the apprentice dormitory area, her mood becoming lighter. ......... Ron stood by the window, watching the morning light penetrate the leaves of the Black Mist Jungle, casting mottled shadows on the ground. Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Upon opening the door, Ron saw Trish and her leopard-like attendant Li Yue standing outside. The brown-haired girl was wearing a light-colored fitted long dress today, outlining her burgeoning figure, with a sapphire badge on her chest gleaming in the sunlight. Compared to her, Li Yue appeared more vigilant, her golden beast-like eyes continuously scanning the surroundings, obviously always mindful of her guard duties. "Good morning, Ron." Trish smiled slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes: "I’m here to collect the potions and also... to congratulate you on passing the professional alchemist certification." Ron stepped aside to let the guests in, closing the door behind them. "I was just planning to notify you sometime soon, but I didn’t expect you to find out so quickly." He said with a smile, his gaze lingering on Trish’s face for a moment. The girl’s lips were a tender red, and she looked much better than usual, obviously having put a lot of effort into her appearance before coming over. "News travels fast, especially about someone like you, an exception." Trish’s lips curled with a hint of teasing: "I heard you received an ’excellent’ rating? Master Magnus is famous for being strict; he doesn’t give such evaluations easily." Ron smiled modestly, indicating for her to find a place to sit while he began organizing the magic potions on the table. Trish’s gaze swept across the room, pausing on the neatly arranged potions, with a look of deep thought in her eyes. "Li Yue told me you agreed to make quite a few types of potions." She said, "It seems you’re progressing smoothly." "Most of them are already completed." Ron nodded, pushing several rows of bottles forward: "These are basic potions, and their quality should be better than what you used before. As for the more difficult ones, I plan to finish them after entering the workshop later." Trish picked up a bottle of Spiritual Stabilizer, bringing it closer to observe. The liquid presented a perfect deep blue, with silver flecks evenly distributed inside the bottle, indicating extremely high quality. "The effect has indeed improved a lot compared to before." She nodded slightly, her eyes revealing genuine admiration: "It seems that not seeing you for a while, your Magic Potion Refining skills have made more progress, worthy of an alchemical prodigy capable of receiving an ’excellent’ rating." Ron shrugged, not letting the girl’s praises make him smug, just habitually humbling himself: "It’s merely the result of persistent, diligent practice. Unlike someone with naturally high aptitude like yourself, I have to work hard in this field." He carefully arranged the potions, packaging them in a manner convenient for carrying. Trish, meanwhile, gestured for Li Yue to bring out a heavy bag, pushing it toward Ron. "Here’s the balance, 50 Magic Stone Fragments. You can check it." She said, then added, "Additionally, if you need any rare materials, I can help you acquire them through the channels of the sequence members." Ron took the bag and nodded satisfactorily: "Thank you. This will greatly help me establish my own alchemy workshop in the future." After the transaction was complete, Trish did not immediately leave but motioned for the leopard girl behind her to bring out another package. "I also brought a special gift, as a congratulatory present for your promotion to alchemist." When the package was opened, it revealed a finely crafted violin, accompanied by a portable harmonica and several music scores and music theory introduction tutorials. Ron raised an eyebrow in surprise, carefully picking up the violin, his fingers lightly brushing over the smooth wooden lacquer surface.