Peeking through the crack in the door, a familiar figure staggered past—it was Andy, another trainee apprentice who had arrived in the Black Mist Jungle at the same time.
This boy from a merchant family always seemed timid and cautious.
He was carrying a large pile of books and ran towards the library in a panic.
"Another one trying to find a breakthrough at the last minute," Ron thought to himself, shaking his head.
This situation has become increasingly common recently.
As the assessment deadline approached, those prospective apprentices who were not yet confident of passing either went astray like Locke and Emily, or studied desperately like Andy.
But no matter which path you choose, the results are often unsatisfactory.
"We still need to proceed step by step."
Ron looked at the energy potion in his hand and secretly made up his mind.
Although his current progress is not particularly fast compared to those geniuses of higher star levels, this is only the beginning of his growth path.
On this path, every step is taken firmly, every bit of progress is visible and tangible, and the pace will only accelerate, eventually leaving everyone else in the dust.
Thinking this, he sat back on the bed, ready to continue his cultivation for the day.
Time is precious, and we can't waste the effects of this energy booster.
......
Ron had just finished his meditation and was resting when he heard laughter coming from the corridor.
"That necklace is so beautiful, it must be very expensive!" a woman's voice came from through the door.
"It's alright, they were all gifts from Master. By the way, do you know what Lord Marcus has been researching lately?"
He opened the door a crack and silently peered outside. In the distance, he could see that the people talking were several apprentices' servants, and judging from their voices, they seemed to be different from the last group.
However, their elaborate clothing and jewelry revealed that their status was far beyond that of ordinary servants.
"Sigh, not everyone has that kind of luck."
One of the voices carried a hint of envy:
"I heard that the new guy, the one who just 'broke through' last month, also seems to have used special connections."
"Shh—keep your voice down. But seriously, I've heard it too, it really only took three days."
"Really? I remember he came from the black market."
"Don't go into too much detail about this, but I heard that a few new merchants have recently come to buy rare materials."
His tone was casual, as if it were just a casual chat, but his words carried a certain implication.
Ron noticed that faint lights were coming from behind several closed doors.
Those aspiring apprentices who were still struggling to make a breakthrough were clearly listening.
"Hey, who's that over there? Yeah, the one who went to see the black market dealer a couple of days ago."
One of the servants suddenly lowered his voice: "I heard..."
"Stop talking, stop talking. It's better to avoid discussing this kind of thing."
Another quickly interrupted, "But it's true, those merchants have some pretty impressive stuff."
"Yes, yes, I heard it works really fast. My owner said that as long as you get the dosage and timing right, especially..."
Hearing the servants' conversation, Ron suddenly remembered that yesterday, just as he stepped out of the herbal medicine shop, he encountered several brightly dressed female servants loitering at various street corners of the market.
At the time, their gazes held a hint of inquiry; now, I think they were probably looking for a potential "target."
Those servants were clearly specially trained.
They always choose to talk loudly about those "special channels" in crowded places, and they are all glamorous women, which makes them more eye-catching and natural when they speak.
Every detail was meticulously designed to convince the despairing prospective apprentices that this was "reliable news."
"This method is really something," Ron sighed softly.
His upbringing at the Earl of Ralph's mansion made him all too familiar with this kind of "information guidance."
Back then, those subordinates who wanted to curry favor with their father would often deliberately spread rumors that were favorable to them on certain occasions.
But in the Black Mist Jungle, the consequences of such methods would be far more severe.
Here, a wrong decision not only means a loss of status, but may also directly threaten one's life.
The servants continued their casual conversation as they gradually walked away.
But those seemingly unrelated "messages" had already begun to ignite like sparks falling on dry tinder, secretly burning within the dormitory area.
"How insidious." Ron shook his head with a cold laugh.
The example they mentioned of "breaking through in three days" was referring to Locke, who had already undergone a mutation.
However, in their accounts, they deliberately ignored the tragic end and only emphasized the effects of the medicine.
For those desperate apprentices, this was undoubtedly a fatal temptation.
"A three-month period is simply too short for some people."
He gazed at the darkening sky outside the window and sighed inwardly.
As time goes on, those who see no hope will inevitably become more and more desperate.
The spread of these "messages" is undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.
In just a few days, several aspiring apprentices have already taken the risk.
Locke and Emily were just the beginning; many more will likely follow this path of no return.
It's not hard to guess who the servants who spread the news were, and who those black market merchants were connected to.
In this dog-eat-dog world, the weak are always the prey.
Whether they become experimental subjects or servants of others, for some, it's just a game of reaping rewards.
"I need to get stronger quickly. I don't want to be manipulated like this forever..." Ron took a deep breath and readjusted his mindset.
He slammed the door shut and sat back down on the bed.
Although the murmurs outside gradually faded away, the deliberately spread "messages" had already left ripples in the dormitory area.
He could hear footsteps coming from Darend's room next door; clearly, his neighbor, who was engrossed in studying noise magic, was also affected by the chatter.
Darrend usually focuses on his experiments and rarely pays attention to the outside world, but now even he can't sit still.
"Time is indeed running out," Ron thought, a sense of urgency rising within him.