Ron nodded. He was still feeling the discomfort from the body-strengthening process, but since he had promised to go, he couldn't break his promise.
"Then I'll go with you," Andrei said thoughtfully. "That shop manager…I've heard he's a very important person."
You mean...?
"I don't know the specifics either." He shrugged. "But anyone who can open a shop in the Black Mist Jungle must have a powerful background."
The two returned along the same route they had come from, and the morning light had already dispelled most of the gloom.
As Ron passed a patch of mutated fungi, he noticed that the fluorescent fungi seemed to be more vibrant in color than when he arrived.
"This is."
"Your perception has improved," Andrei explained, a playful smile on his face.
"After physical training, the five senses will become much more acute. This level of change is roughly equivalent to being upgraded from an ordinary person to a higher level."
He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully: "...a qualified knight's squire, but still not comparable to a novice apprentice."
Ron's heart skipped a beat. This change was indeed very obvious. Not only the visual changes, but even the faint magical fluctuations in the air seemed to have become clearer.
Of course, a significant portion of this benefit comes from the potion apprentice's bonus. However, he doesn't intend to tell Andrei this yet.
"arrive."
The two stood in front of the herbal medicine shop. The mottled wooden door was tightly closed, and a bronze wind chime hung on the door frame, making a crisp sound when a breeze blew through it.
"Strange." Andrei frowned. "Logically, the door should be open by now."
Just then, the wind chimes suddenly began to shake violently, emitting a piercing sound.
Immediately afterwards, a hoarse voice came from inside the store: "Come in, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Ron and Andrei exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of wariness in each other's eyes.
Such a strange situation often signifies some kind of danger in the Black Mist Forest.
But since we're already here, we can't just leave like this. Besides, turning around and running away might just completely enrage the other party. We can only take it one step at a time for now.
The moment the door was opened, a variety of peculiar smells wafted out.
Compared to his last visit, Ron's senses were enhanced, allowing him to clearly distinguish the magical fluctuations contained within—some brimming with vitality, while others carried deadly toxicity.
The store manager sat behind the counter, with a crystal ball emitting purple smoke in front of him.
Last time he didn't dare to look closely, but this time he took a closer look and found that the other party's huge nose like an eagle's beak, its hunched body, and its skin wrinkled like a dried-up riverbed gave people the feeling of Yubaba from "Spirited Away", which was both strange and scary.
At this moment, the old witch was looking at the two of them meaningfully with her eyes that glowed with an eerie green light.
"The protection of the sun"
She suddenly spoke, her gaze lingering on Ron for a moment, "Even though it's incomplete, it's still quite remarkable."
Ron was startled. He had clearly changed his clothes, so the golden patterns should have been completely covered up.
"Don't be surprised." The shopkeeper gave a mysterious smile. "This little bit of disguise is nothing compared to the power of mystical techniques."
Her gaze then turned to Andrei:
"As for you, the young prince of the Farouk family, it seems you intend to cash in on the family's legacy?"
Andrei's expression changed slightly: "You are..."
"Relax, children, you can call me Mrs. Allen." The shopkeeper waved his hand and began tidying up the mess of utensils on the table.
"I have no interest in your secular royal family's stuff."
She took a rusty tin box from under the counter:
"Back then, your grandfather often came to me to buy medicine. He was just a fifteen-year-old boy then, always shouting that he wanted to be a great wizard."
She suddenly stopped talking, seemingly lost in some kind of memory.
A moment later, her gaze refocused on Ron: "So, you're here to apply for the assistant position?"
"Yes." Ron nodded, trying to keep his voice steady.
Although the other party was friendly, the oppressive feeling from someone with greater strength was still unsettling.
"Hmm," Mrs. Allen gazed intently at Ron, "Your talent in Potions is good, and your foundation is solid. However..."
Ron was startled. Could the other party really tell his potion-making skills with just a glance? He hadn't even shown anything yet.
"However, simply accumulating written knowledge is not enough." Mrs. Allen stood up. "Come with me and let me see your actual level."
She led the two through the shelves to a room deep inside the shop.
The moment the door was opened, a rich aroma of medicine wafted out.
This is a simple refining room, with various tools and utensils piled up on several workbenches.
The medicinal herbs were neatly stacked on the shelves by the wall, some of them still glowing faintly.
"Use these materials," she said, pointing to several herbs on the workbench, "to prepare a calming potion."
The old witch glanced at Ron's slightly hesitant expression: "Don't worry about failure, these are just the most basic ingredients. And..."
A knowing smile appeared on her lips: "With your current skill level, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Ron walked to the workbench and began to carefully examine the materials.
The [Medicinal Herb Identification] ability he gained after changing jobs is now coming into play, allowing him to more accurately determine the properties of each material.
On the workbench, there were several different kinds of herbs:
The leaves of the moonflower are translucent silver, and those that have been bathed in moonlight have the mildest medicinal properties.
The datura root was sliced into thin pieces, the edges shimmering with a faint blue light;
The stems of the thorn vine are covered with sharp thorns, each tip of which shimmers with a faint red light;
There were also some plants that Ron couldn't name, but with his [Medicinal Herb Identification] ability, he could at least determine their basic properties.
"I've studied all of these, so it shouldn't be a problem," Ron muttered to himself.
The combination of these materials is quite sophisticated—moonlight grass can calm the nerves, datura root can slightly stimulate the mind, and thorn vine can preserve the medicinal properties; the other materials are also configured in this way.
The problem lies in the proportions; the medicinal properties of different materials can conflict with each other, and even a slight mistake can ruin everything.
Ron began to recall the description of calming potions in the "Fundamentals of Potions".
Although this basic potion is simple, making it perfect requires the refiner to have a thorough understanding of the properties of various materials.
"Use the tools as you like," Mrs. Allen added, her gaze fixed on Ron, as if observing something.
Andrei leaned against the door, watching this scene, and couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
He was genuinely worried that the other party wouldn't be able to refine it, which would anger the mysterious shopkeeper and prevent the two of them from leaving the shop.
Ron took a deep breath and began his preparations.
First, there's the moonflower—tear the leaves along the veins to preserve the integrity of its medicinal properties;
Then there's datura root—if you cut it horizontally, the medicinal properties are too strong, so you choose to cut it diagonally to allow the medicinal effects to be released slowly;
As for the thorn vine, the outer skin needs to be peeled off with a silver tool, otherwise it will affect the other materials.
[Medicinal Herb Identification (Beginner) Experience Points +1]
[Potion Making (Beginner) Experience +1]
He could clearly understand at this time the difference between becoming a Potions Apprentice and being a blank slate without a profession. When practicing skills related to potions, it was significantly easier to gain experience points.
Every detail enhances his understanding, and this perception of materials, in turn, helps him make more accurate judgments.
"Not bad," Mrs. Allen suddenly said. "It seems you've put a lot of effort into studying the basics."
Ron did not answer; he was focused on adjusting the proportions of the medicine.
With the help of his newfound perception abilities, he can clearly sense the interactions between different materials.
When the last ingredient was added to the copper pot, the color of the liquid began to change—gradually becoming clearer from its initial turbidity, and finally turning into a light amber color.
"The timing is perfect."
Mrs. Allen looked away from the pocket watch in her hand, and then glanced one last time at the liquid in the copper pot: "The color and concentration are both standard."
She scooped up some with a silver spoon and gently fanned it in front of her nose: "The extraction of the medicinal properties is also perfect. It seems that you have a thorough understanding of the characteristics of the materials."
At that moment, Ron noticed her gaze suddenly sharpen: "However."