"What news?"
"It's said to have been received from a businessman who claimed to have 'special channels'," Andrei said, a hint of unease in his voice.
"Recently, this kind of news has been circulating widely among the trainee apprentices, with those merchants claiming to have a way to greatly enhance mental strength in a short period of time."
Ron's heart skipped a beat: "So Locke was tricked?"
"No, it's worse than that."
Andrei shook his head. "Those banned drugs can indeed boost mental strength in the short term, but the price is..."
He didn't finish speaking, but Ron had already pictured the twisted flesh and the constantly trembling eyeballs.
"I've heard that these merchants seem to be supported by wizards."
Andrei continued, "They need a lot of test subjects, and those desperate apprentice candidates are the best targets."
Ron suddenly realized that Locke was someone else's pre-selected prey from the very beginning.
Then he recalled that Locke had just had an accident, and immediately people around were whispering about it, about Locke's special channel for obtaining mental catalysts. It was too coincidental to be normal.
"So, I'm here to remind you," Andrei's voice became extremely serious, "no matter what temptations you encounter, don't try anything from dubious sources."
"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid." Ron forced a smile. "Haven't we found the right path now?"
Andrei nodded with a hint of satisfaction:
"Indeed, even Lord Holt acknowledges your talent in potion-making, and your training in the Corona Breathing Technique is progressing smoothly."
"But speaking of which," he suddenly changed the subject, "how do you plan to deal with Mrs. Allen's instruction today? She's notoriously strict."
"Well," Ron glanced at the notes on the table, "I've already reviewed all the sections on simple potions in 'Basic Potions'."
He picked up a notebook filled with dense notes and casually demonstrated his understanding of medicinal herbs:
"Moreover, the hands-on experience at the herbal medicine shop yesterday gave me a new understanding of many materials."
Andrei took the notebook and flipped through it, a look of surprise on his face:
"You summarized all of this yourself? You even recorded the reactions and habits of rare medicinal herbs in such detail."
Just then, a chaotic commotion suddenly broke out outside, mixed with a few suppressed gasps.
"Someone else..." Andrei's expression instantly darkened, and even his usually elegant tone became hoarse.
The two exchanged a glance. The commotion at this point in time often meant that someone with nowhere else to turn had chosen that path of no return.
"Go check it out?" Ron asked hesitantly.
Andrei's fingers unconsciously rubbed against his clothes, a habitual gesture he made when caught in a dilemma.
But in the end, he slowly nodded:
"Go ahead, it might be good to go and take a look, but be careful to keep your distance. At times like these, those white-robed wizards who lack experimental materials always 'visit' on time."
When the two arrived at the end of the corridor, a group of people had already gathered. Although it was still dark, it was clear that no one living there was truly lazy.
Unlike the Locke incident earlier that morning, everyone kept their distance this time, as if they were afraid of something.
Under the flickering magic crystal lamp, Ron saw a distorted figure huddled in a corner.
The morning light shone through the window frame onto that once delicate female face, but now it was so grotesque that it was chilling.
"It's Emily." Someone recognized her first.
The name gave Ron a jolt.
He had seen the duke's daughter yesterday afternoon; although she was disheveled, she was still wearing a magnificent silk dress and a jeweled necklace.
Even though this noblewoman had become someone else's servant, she still maintained her aristocratic elegance.
And now...
Emily's face was not only disfigured, but her body was also twisting in a way that defied common sense. Her expensive silk dress was soaked with sweat and clung to her skin, outlining a strange shape.
Something seemed to be wriggling inside her, making her originally slender figure look strange and distorted.
"I heard she went to Marcus's room a few days ago…" a female apprentice whispered.
"Ha, Emily won't accept that; she's always dreamed of becoming a junior apprentice..."
"That's right. It was thanks to the magic stone fragments she obtained by selling her body that she was able to afford the 'Mental Catalyst'."
"Tsk tsk, what a pity. I remember how proud she was when she first came, saying things like 'Even if I become an experimental subject, I'll stay here,' and now look what's happened..."
The murmurs abruptly ceased as a tall figure draped in a white robe appeared at the end of the corridor, a disdainful snort emanating from beneath his mask.
"Another pathetic wretch who doesn't know his own mortality."
The white-robed wizard's voice was devoid of any emotion: "We've been researching a new conversion formula recently, and we're lacking suitable test subjects."
He casually unleashed an invisible wave, trapping Emily, who had already begun to change, within it, and prepared to take her away.
As the white-robed wizard's rough actions continued, the girl's originally delicate features were twisted and deformed under the binding, and the gemstone necklace was deeply embedded in her swollen neck.
Just then, she struggled slightly and raised her head to look at the apprentices watching.
Ron noticed that the other person's once beautiful, clear eyes were now covered with bloodshot veins like spider webs.
In that blood-red hue, one could vaguely see some strange object constantly reassembling.
"Help...help...wait," she tried to make a sound, but only muffled sobs came from her throat.
The wizard, somewhat disgusted, reached into his robes and pulled out a vial of potion that glowed with an eerie light: "Looks like I'll have to make you behave..."
"Let's go." Andrei grabbed Ron's arm. "It's better not to watch the next scene too much."
The two had only taken a few steps when a shrill scream came from behind them, mixed with a chilling low moan, as if it came from the deepest part of the abyss.
Back in his dorm, Ron was unable to calm down for a long time.
Everything that happened today was too heavy. From Locke, whom he met last night, to Emily now, they all reminded him of the cruelty of this world.
"We must improve our strength as soon as possible."
In this dark and cruel world, strength is the foundation for survival.
Whether it's to survive or to avoid becoming a piece of meat on the chopping block of those white-robed wizards.
He opened his notebook and continued studying the properties of the medicinal herbs.
He was about to receive Mrs. Allen's guidance, and he had to be fully prepared.