Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 11 Senior Apprentice Holt

"Be careful, the properties of some herbs will change over time."

Mrs. Allen said as she counted the account books, "What you just learned from the book may not be useful in practice."

Ron nodded and began to examine the pile of herbs carefully.

With the ability of [Medicinal Herb Identification], he can sense the unique "smell" emitted by each material.

"This..." He picked up a glass bottle filled with silver powder and said after a moment's thought:
"Logically, this should be the powder of the Moon Dew Flower, but this dark color doesn't seem to match what's described in the book."

"Very good." Mrs. Allen looked up. "Did you notice the lavender mark on the bottle?"

Ron observed it carefully again and asked, "Is it because of a reaction with other herbs?"

"That's right." Mrs. Allen put down the account book:
"Moondew pollen is supposed to be pure silver, but it's very sensitive to all kinds of energy. Yesterday, a buyer brought in a batch of amethyst grass, and it was destroyed because it wasn't separated and stored in time."

At this point, she gave Ron a testing look and said, "So, what do you think we should do with this bottle of powder?"

Ron thought for a moment: "First, we need to reseal it to prevent further contamination, and then..."

He recalled the contents of "Basics of Potions":
"If it reacts with the amethyst grass, it should be able to be used to make potions. Although the purity is reduced, the advantage is that the medicinal properties are mild."

"Nice idea."

The old witch's eyes flashed with admiration, and she nodded slightly in approval: "It seems that you not only remember the contents of the book, but also apply them in practice."

Ron carefully put the bottle of powder aside and continued to organize the other herbs.

Gradually, he discovered that there seemed to be some kind of pattern hidden in these seemingly messy materials.

For example, most of the luminous medicinal herbs have a faint aura of starlight;

And those materials that emitted heat all had a special rhythm that reminded him of the solar energy described in the Coronal Respiration Method.

"I see." He muttered to himself thoughtfully.

In the process of actually coming into contact with these materials, the knowledge in the books is gradually being transformed into practical experience.

Those descriptions that were once obscure and difficult to understand now become vivid.

"Huh?" Ron suddenly found a small bottle tucked in the corner.

There was a thin layer of dust on the bottle, but through the dirty glass, you could still see the faint starlight twinkling inside.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, Mrs. Allen's voice suddenly rang out:

"No one has cleaned that place for a long time. It seems you found something interesting."

"Is this... Stardust Liquid?" Ron wiped the bottle carefully. "The book says this material can help stabilize fluctuations in mental power."

"That's right." Mrs. Allen came over, took the bottle and examined it under the light. "But this bottle has been sitting there for too long, and the potency has almost completely faded."

She glanced at Ron's slightly disappointed expression and asked, "Why? Are you interested in this?"

Ron didn't hide it: "Yes, in three months I will take the apprenticeship assessment to determine whether I can stay here. I need to improve my mental strength as soon as possible."

"I see."

Mrs. Allen smiled nonchalantly: "No wonder you chose to apply here. This is indeed a good place to come into contact with all kinds of rare materials."

She put the bottle back on the shelf. "But if you want to improve your spiritual power, relying on external things alone is not enough. The real breakthrough still depends on your own understanding."

Ron fell into deep thought. Indeed, the meditation during this period allowed him to deeply grasp some special inspirations. If he relied solely on external assistance, some extremely terrible things might happen.

At this moment, the door of the shop was pushed open, and a gust of wind blew a few dead leaves in. "Welcome." Mrs. Allen stopped mid-sentence.

Ron looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall figure standing at the door.

The man was wearing a gray-blue robe and a badge inlaid with a deep blue gem on his chest - this was the symbol of a senior apprentice.

He took off his hood, revealing a young but slightly pale face.

"Mrs. Allen." The man nodded slightly. "I heard you've just received a batch of evening primrose?"

"Yes, Padawan Holt."

Mrs. Allen spoke calmly, seeming to be very familiar with the young senior apprentice in front of her: "They were all picked three days ago on the night of the full moon."

"Continue with your work. I'll be in charge of entertaining the guests." She turned her head and whispered to Ron, "Don't ask anything, don't say anything."

Ron nodded silently and continued to sort the herbs in his hand.

But he could feel that the atmosphere in the store suddenly became solemn.

The senior apprentice, who looked like a regular customer, didn't say anything, but just paced slowly between the shelves.

His robe moved without wind, and every time he passed by the bottles and jars filled with medicinal herbs, the materials inside would produce subtle fluctuations.

Ron sorted the herbs while observing out of the corner of his eye.

This kind of opportunity is rare - to be able to get close to a senior apprentice and perhaps learn something.

With the keen perception brought by [Medicinal Herb Identification], he noticed that the man would pause for a moment when passing by certain medicinal herbs.

These materials may seem ordinary, but they all carry a special "resonance".

“Good quality.”

Holt carefully examined the herbs and actually took out a complete magic stone from his robe: "I want all of these."

Ron looked at the magic stone and was shocked.

Unlike the fragments used by ordinary apprentices like them, the complete magic stone contains pure and powerful power.

At this moment, a "Star Grass" that he was sorting in his hand suddenly emitted a faint light, as if responding to the energy in the magic stone.

The gray-robed apprentice paused and turned to look at Ron.

Although I couldn't see the other person's expression, that sharp gaze was chilling.

"Interesting." He murmured to himself, "This Star Grass is still alive. How did you do it, little guy?"

Ron's heartbeat quickened, but he remained expressionless: "Sir, I just followed the instructions in the book and sealed it with salt crystal powder."

"No..." Holt interrupted him:

"Ordinary preservation methods can't achieve this level of activity. This herb has been picked for several days, and to be able to maintain this level of activity suggests you have some understanding of its 'rhythm'."

Ron was stunned. He did feel the unique "rhythm" of this grass when he was arranging it. That rhythm was very similar to the mental fluctuations during his morning meditation, so he subconsciously arranged it in a similar way.

"Very good. What's your name?"

Just as Ron was about to answer, Mrs. Allen suddenly interrupted their conversation:

"This is my new assistant. He's just a candidate apprentice."

(End of this chapter)