Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

The next day, early in the morning.

Ian got up feeling refreshed, and after washing up, he went to Malena's place.

Before she could even knock, Malena had already opened the door.

"Marlena, I heard the shop has some other meditation potion recipes, could I...?"

Ian wasn't going to relearn the new recipe, but rather use it as a reference to increase his knowledge of potions.

Malena is leaving in a few days, and I don't know who will take over managing the shop. I might as well pull some strings while Malena is still here.

"You've only been here a short time, and you're already thinking about other recipes in the shop. Your skin is getting thicker and thicker."

Malena ignored Ian's thoughts. "Although I have the authority to give it to you in advance, I can't break the rules at will. You should focus on making the sobering potion."

"As for the shop, it does indeed have the recipes for 'Awakening Potion' and 'Concentration Potion.' Do you know why I've been having you concoct 'Awakening Potion' all along?"

Ian is no longer the nobleman he once was; now he concocts dozens or even hundreds of potions every day.

"Because it is relatively cheap and affordable, it is more popular among junior and intermediate apprentices. One tube costs 5 magic stones, and the effect lasts for 2 hours. The materials are not difficult to find."

Marlena nodded. "Moreover, the resistance to the Awakening Potion increases gradually and slowly, which is difficult to achieve with other potions."

This confirmed Ian's conjecture, but another question immediately arose.

"So, once they reach the advanced apprentice level, the effects of the wake-up potion should be gone, right? How do they meditate normally then?"

"That's right. I'm currently taking the 'Mind-Concentrating Potion,' which has an excellent effect on meditation, but it's very expensive, and even ordinary advanced apprentices can only take it occasionally."

Malena felt a pang of emotion; as a potion master, she was in a much better financial situation than others.

However, many advanced apprentices lack life skills and still live in poverty.

"The Concentration Potion is a high-end version of the Awakening Potion, but it costs ten times more."

"So expensive?" Ian was taken aback. This was an auxiliary potion, and 50 magic stones was quite a lot.

"Because the 'Concentration Potion' not only helps with meditation, but it can also directly refine mental energy, increasing its upper limit by a tiny bit!"

Ian's eyes lit up immediately; he had finally discovered a potion that could directly increase mental strength.

The most crucial element of the "Mind-Concentrating Potion" is the word "mind-concentrating".

"We must get it!"

……

Malena's departure came even faster than Ian had anticipated.

Three days later, in the early morning, Malena summoned Ian to the hall, where Clayton sat to her left.

Ian was somewhat surprised, but after greeting the two, he sat down.

"Ian, I will set off for the tower this afternoon to meet Lady Alyvia."

At this moment, Malena had changed into a deep red hunting outfit, which made her look less lazy and more capable.

Coupled with her captivating figure, she appeared even more dashing.

"I have temporarily handed over the day-to-day operations of the shop to Clayton. Harvey is recovering from his injury, and the shop's defenses are being handled by the tower's patrol team."

Ian nodded silently, feeling a little reluctant, but mostly he wished Malena well in her breakthrough.

Although he and Malena had not spent much time together, their friendship had already taken root in their hearts.

"As for the potion formula you've been longing for," Malena changed the subject, taking out a piece of parchment from her bosom.

"This is the recipe for the 'Awakening Potion.' According to the rules, you are not qualified to exchange for it, but seeing that you have good talent and have helped me... solve a lot of trouble, I'm giving it to you in advance."

Ian solemnly accepted the formula, still feeling its lingering warmth upon handling it.

On the parchment, lines of neat handwriting recorded the materials and refining steps.

He understood that this was the maximum convenience that Malena could provide within her authority.

"Marina, thank you!"

"And another thing," Malena pointed towards the backyard.

"The sorcery practice room is yours to use while Harvey is recovering. You can fill it with magic stones yourself, but you need to practice diligently and not put the cart before the horse."

"I understand, thank you for reminding me, Malena," Ian said sincerely.

Without Malena's initial acceptance and subsequent protection, he could never have grown up so peacefully.

Malena waved her hand, looking at Ian with a complicated expression.

"You... should focus on your cultivation. The clouds of war are gathering, and the friction between Shadowmoon Tower and Crimson Court is intensifying. The future situation is unpredictable. Improving your strength is the only way to survive."

After giving her instructions, Malena got up and left the hall to make final preparations before setting off.

The sun was still shining brightly in the afternoon.

A magnificent carriage adorned with star and moon patterns silently took Malena away.

The whole process didn't attract too much attention.

As Ian watched Malena's departing figure, he felt a sense of loss for some reason.

……

With Malena's departure, Ian's life entered a seemingly peaceful but actually intense training phase.

His core foundation, the "Star and Moon Low-Level Meditation Method," is becoming increasingly proficient in, with his skill level growing rapidly every day.

The "Awakening Potion" after its limitations were broken became his greatest asset.

Every night, without fail, six hours of deep meditation allows the runes in my mind to "grow" at an unprecedented speed.

He easily sketched out each rune of will, creating them from nothing.

The loose spiritual energy was also continuously condensed, and its total amount continued to increase.

His cultivation level increases by 1% almost every day.

In terms of witchcraft, "Crystal Energy Barrier" was also a required course for him.

He repeatedly releases, sustains, moves, then disbands, and releases again every day...

Feeling the resonance frequency between spiritual power and witchcraft, the subtle connection between each hexagonal energy crystal, the precision of control is rapidly increasing.

Although its protective strength is somewhat unsatisfactory, Ian believes that the special effects after breaking the limit will give him the greatest reward.

The proficiency in this spell increases relatively quickly, similar to that of "The Eye of Vigilance".

Meanwhile, Ian's other two spells have been steadily improving every day since he gained access to the practice room.

Especially with "Burning Rays", thanks to his innate affinity for light, it is exceptionally easy and quick to learn.

This thrilled Ian. He could clearly feel that the fluency of the incantation and gestures was much higher than that of other spells when he cast this spell.

In the practice room, a series of rapid incantations were chanted.

"lgnis!"

A bright, blazing orange-red ray shot out, leaving a dark scorch mark on the magic target.

[Burning Ray Proficiency +1]

Ian was satisfied and began to practice alternately with the Lesser Frost Ray.

Rays of light, some icy blue, others orange-red, constantly traversed the room, their interplay of cold and heat forming his initial battle strategy.

The indoor temperature fluctuated between hot and cold, and soon, the rising steam obscured the view.

Ian walked to the wall, pressed a red button, and the fog was quickly expelled outdoors.

Every day, Ian cycles through three things: brewing potions, practicing witchcraft, and deep meditation.

Clayton managed the shop affairs very well, so Ian didn't need to worry about it.

But as time went on, more and more rumors about the war emerged.

The prices of potion ingredients have begun to fluctuate.

……