Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

"The Balance of Water!"

Ian took out the incomplete recipe again, looked at it again and again, but found nothing unusual about it, so he had no choice but to put it away.

He knew this thing was extraordinary after receiving a warning from his mind earlier; this was the first time such a situation had occurred.

"Perhaps it's not a neutralizing agent at all! Christine didn't know its value and that's why she traded it to me."

Since he couldn't figure it out, Ian had no choice but to put it out of his mind and stop thinking about it.

He straightened his red robes and went out to find Hank.

Along the way, passersby cast awe-inspiring glances at Ian's red robe.

Hank's residence was a reinforced stone house, right next to the central stone tower.

Ian knocked on the door, and a rough, hoarse voice responded from inside: "Come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw Hank sitting at a rough wooden table, wiping his broadsword.

Upon seeing that it was Ian, Hank paused and placed the knife on the table.

"Ian." He stood up, his expression more serious than usual, even with a rare hint of unease. "I was just about to come find you."

Ian looked at him calmly without saying a word.

Hank took a deep breath, and a sincere expression appeared on his weathered face:

"Last night... Sterling asked about the bloodline potion, and I couldn't hide it from him."

He paused, his voice low: "The will of a formal wizard, here represents the will of the tower, which is not something we apprentices can contend with."

If I lied, not only would I be punished, but I would also implicate Venom Fang and even more people. I am truly sorry for this.

Ian looked into Hank's eyes. The captain, usually taciturn and composed, was now apologizing very directly.

Without making any excuses, he could sense the helplessness in Hank's words.

Ian himself felt the same way, and he was still feeling a bit resentful.

Inside the central stone tower, even after he moved out of Alyvia, Sterling still managed to easily exchange him for the bloodline recipe and all the magic stones by giving him something he couldn't currently use.

If he hadn't managed to gain some profit, he doesn't know how long he would have been suffering.

When a person is weak and taken advantage of, if they are powerless to resist, they have to accept it!

With the help of the panel, his growth rate far exceeds that of ordinary geniuses. When the time comes, there will be nothing he can't get back!

"I understand," Ian said slowly, his tone becoming calm.

"Since Sterling himself has questioned us, no one can hide it anymore. Let's just leave it at that."

Hank visibly relaxed, his tense shoulders easing slightly.

He looked at Ian, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes, which then turned into a deeper solemnity:

"And... about the fangs, I want to thank you."

His tone became exceptionally serious: "Before setting off this morning, I carefully sensed the aura of the Venomous Fang, and it was much stronger than yesterday."

The aura of the Rock Armored Demon Bear on Poison Fang's body was very obvious, already exceeding that of the core members of ordinary bloodline families.

That bloodline power was extremely condensed and active, without the slightest sign of being superficial or distorted.

Just two bottles of medicine have such amazing effects!

Ian thought about it carefully, and wondered why he hadn't felt a strong bloodline power.

"I passed out when I took the medication. What happened during that time? Did the panel help me?"

He vaguely sensed that the panel had already helped him eliminate the impurities in his blood, resulting in him having almost no special abilities except for being able to transform.

Ian interrupted his own speculation and looked at Hank: "It's just a deal. He comes back alive and brings me the essence of the Rock Armor Demon Bear. It's a win-win situation."

That being said, both of them knew that on the front lines of a war where every day was uncertain, a potion that could greatly enhance one's strength was worth far more than an ordinary "transaction".

As the atmosphere eased, Ian took the opportunity to ask, "Captain Hank, how much do you know about the Osborn family? This morning when we saw them off, one of the old men gave me a very unfriendly look."

Hank frowned, sat down again, and gestured for Ian to sit as well.

"The Osborn family... I don't know much about them either. They are a third-rate bloodline family within the Tower's territory. Their ancestors once produced a formal wizard, but they have recently declined."

Ian listened attentively, and as Hank recounted the story, he learned that only eight members of the Osborn family had come this time, one of whom had died during the previous "Blood Bat" attack.

"So, only those six intermediate apprentices are in the camp." Ian breathed a sigh of relief; the enemy was now within his control.

The old man watching him was named Lucie Osborne, an uncle of Leon's. He was of very poor aptitude and barely reached the intermediate level thanks to family resources. He was extremely unpopular within the family.

"They rely on Leon's strength and act somewhat arrogantly, offending quite a few people. That's about all I know."

"Thank you for letting me know, this is enough." Ian was satisfied.

Hank didn't ask him why he was interested in information about the Osborn family, which was good enough.

Hank shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked the question that had been on his mind:

"Ian, do you still have that bloodline potion you gave to Venomous Fang?"

His voice was filled with an undisguised longing, and his eyes were fixed intently on Ian.

Ian's heart skipped a beat; he knew the real deal was about to happen.

He remained expressionless and slowly said, "I don't have any on hand, but I can accept custom orders. I just need the materials: the essence blood of the Rock Armor Demon Bear, the more the better."

Hank immediately said, "I can find a way to get the essence blood. There is some near the Scorching Canyon. Although it is dangerous there, we should be able to get quite a bit by organizing some hunting teams and being careful."

He then remembered that Ian had asked him about this before, but he hadn't paid attention at the time. It turned out that it was about refining bloodline potions.

Seeing the longing in Hank's eyes, Ian knew that the matter was settled.

"In that case, we can cooperate," Ian said with a faint smile.

"I'll provide the potion, you provide the essence blood, but I won't accept magic stones."

Hank was taken aback: "Then what do you want?"

"Contribution points," Ian uttered three words, his tone calm yet authoritative.

"I'm not interested in magic stones, I only care about contribution points."

Ian had been eyeing those good things in the warehouse for a long time.

"How many contribution points do you plan to charge for one potion?" Hank asked in a deep voice.

Ian held up five fingers: "500 contribution points."

Hank gasped. 500 contribution points!

What does this mean? Ian only gets 40 points from his basic daily tasks, and even with the extra points, it would take him ten days to reach that number!

Hank did not immediately refute; his eyes were lowered as he began to quickly assess the situation.

If... he could possess an enhanced version of the [Rock Bear Potion], his strength would immediately place him at the top of the elite advanced apprentice level, perhaps even...

His heart began to pound uncontrollably. 500 contribution points, is that expensive? Absolutely expensive!

But is it worth it? Hank opened his eyes, his gaze now resolute.

"Worth it!" he uttered, his voice resolute.

"But I don't have that many right now. The last battle hasn't been settled yet, and I only have a little over 200 points on hand."

Ian had anticipated this and smiled, "You can pay in advance; you can provide the essence blood material first."

After I concoct the potion, the contribution points can be paid in installments, or... deducted in other ways.

"In what way?"

"Intelligence, resources... at times, you need to give me some support." Ian said meaningfully.

Hank instantly understood that Ian was not only making deals, but also building his own network of relationships.

Ian also seems to have his own enemies; he needs allies, people who will support him in crucial moments.

As for himself, as a veteran leader of the camp, he had a high reputation among the apprentices, and the camp was not a monolithic entity, making him the most suitable ally.

Hank stood up and extended his rough, large hand: "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Ian."

Ian also stood up and grasped Hank's hand; one hand was rough and heavy, the other slender and strong.

At this moment, a solid alliance was formed.