Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

On the way back, Ian gave a quick check of his spoils.

Sachi's dimensional bag contained over two hundred magic stones, miscellaneous materials, and a map of the Rotten Swamp.

And... an old leather scroll.

Ian had an idea and took out a scroll, infusing it with his mental energy.

The ancient script of the "Spiritual Pact (Fragment)" appeared in my consciousness.

This is not complete witchcraft, but a fragment of a secret manual about a "spiritual contract"!

It details how to use powerful mental energy to form a "spirit contract" with specific demonic creatures or elemental spirits to obtain a familiar!

Generally, the Spirit Pact technique usually requires a level one wizard-level mental control to be safely cast.

Umar, whom Ian had seen at the Shadowmoon Tower, was the familiar of the first-level wizard Luca.

However, this "Spiritual Contract (Fragment)" records a shortcut or trick.

If someone has exceptionally strong spiritual power or special qualities, and can find a demonic creature with abundant spirituality and willing to form a soul contract, they can try to sign a spiritual contract at the advanced apprentice stage, using essence blood and spiritual imprint as the core, supplemented by a specific ritual!

"Familiars... High-level apprentices are extremely rare!"

Ian's eyes flashed with a sharp light; this was an unexpected delight.

Familiars have a wide range of uses, including reconnaissance, assisting in combat, guarding, and searching for treasures. After signing a contract, they can also give back to their master by slightly increasing their mental energy activity.

"No wonder Sachi and his men looted so desperately. They probably didn't just want to hand over the 'blood leeches,' but also wanted to accumulate resources to meet the harsh conditions on this scroll."

He carefully put away the scroll and quickened his pace.

As the sun set, Ian returned to the vicinity of Misty Creek.

Instead of returning directly to the gathering point, he went around to a secluded bend in the upper reaches of the stream to carefully count all the spoils.

Along the river bend, the water flowed gently. Ian emptied everything from his dimensional bag and sorted it into categories.

He has 327 standard magic stones and 2 high-grade magic stones. Combined with his current magic stone reserves, this is enough to support his daily expenses for a long time.

Most of the miscellaneous magical materials were of mediocre quality and reeked of blood, clearly indicating their illegitimate origins.

Several items caught Ian's eye: three bottles of fresh blood from the "Rotting Swamp Pufferfish," a small jar of "Golden Arrow Frog" venom glands, and several pieces of "Weeping Blood Vine" roots with a unique texture.

From Sachi's bag, he also found some healing and antidote potions, as well as two dark red vials marked "Leech".

Ian carefully opened a bottle and smelled it; the strong stench of blood was mixed with a violent life energy.

"The 'Blood-Burning Potion' greatly enhances physical fitness in a short period of time, but it burns away one's life essence, resulting in severe side effects."

There were also some odds and ends: Sachi's black short staff, Sera's poisoned dagger, Barton's pair of steel gauntlets, a crude map of the rotten swamp, and a metal plaque engraved with a leech pattern.

Ian picked up the metal plaque and examined it closely. The plaque was cold to the touch and made of neither gold nor iron. On the back was engraved a line of small characters: "Second-class servant under the command of Blood Leech".

"Second-class servant..." Ian's eyes turned slightly cold.

Sachi, a high-level apprentice, was only considered second-class under that "Blood Leech." What kind of strength would that first-class person possess?

A formal wizard?

He envisioned storing the metal plaque separately in the ring, something that was both a potential hazard and, perhaps, a bargaining chip for misleading or trading purposes.

Finally, there was that leather scroll.

Ian sat cross-legged, laid the scroll on his lap, and slowly channeled his spiritual energy into it.

More details are emerging.

The "Spirit Contract Chapter (Fragment)" records three types of familiar contracts: equal contracts, master-servant contracts, and symbiotic contracts.

Normally, first-level wizards sign master-servant contracts, but the "shortcut method" recorded in the scroll can only sign the simplest equal contract—the contract strength is generally weak, and its binding force on the familiar is limited.

However, there are advantages as well. Once the familiar dies, the backlash is minimal.

"The terms of the agreement..." Ian read them carefully.

The contractor's mental atomization level must reach more than 50%, and they must possess the trait of "highly pure mental power".

Ian's mental sea has become less than 30% fogged after breaking his limits multiple times, which does not meet the requirements for now.

The ritual materials require three drops of the contractor's heart's blood, at least ten high-quality magic cores of the same attribute, a rare powder called "Spirit Pact Dust" (for stabilizing mental connection), and a place rich in energy of the corresponding attribute.

The risk is that if the familiar spirit is not intelligent enough or its origin is impure, it is very easy to suffer a backlash when signing the contract, which may result in mental damage or even soul pollution.

If the contractor's mental strength is insufficient, they may be corrupted by the familiar's instincts and become a half-human, half-beast monster.

Ian took a deep breath. The conditions were somewhat demanding, especially the "spiritual bond dust" and the "extremely strong spirituality and willingness," which were rare and hard to come by.

"Familiar..." he murmured to himself.

If successful, it would mean having an extra scout around the clock, a partner to assist in combat, or even a substitute or decoy in critical moments.

Its value is immeasurable for a solitary wizarding apprentice.

He increasingly felt that [Eye of Vigilance] was not keeping up with his pace, and its effectiveness would be even less if it hadn't already exceeded its limit once.

He memorized the contents of the scroll and then carefully put it away.

As darkness fell, Ian tidied up all his spoils and got up to return to the gathering point.

As he approached the tent area, he deliberately took a detour and approached from the other side.

The tent remained, and the warning runes at the entrance were not triggered.

But he keenly noticed that Talia's tent curtain was slightly lifted a corner not far away, and then quickly fell back down.

"She's observing..." Ian understood. He hadn't shown himself all day, so naturally, those who were interested would be watching.

He ignored him and went straight back to his tent.

The continuous fighting and traveling had put him under immense mental strain, and even with his current physical condition, he felt somewhat exhausted.

Ian took a dose of a minor healing potion and meditated for half an hour, after which his condition was mostly restored.

He took out the three bottles; the pale golden bark extract shimmered softly in the dim light, its fragrance filling the tent.

Just a small spoonful is enough to be one of the main ingredients of a [Concentration Potion].

"Starlight Vine Marrow Crystals, Moon Essence, Silver Soul Grass Pollen, Tranquil Spring Water, Ancient Tree of Life Extract... All complete."

A look of anticipation flashed in Ian's eyes. With all five main and auxiliary ingredients gathered, he could now continue refining the [Mind-Concentrating Potion].

In his future cultivation, his meditation efficiency will increase tenfold, and his progress towards becoming a high-level apprentice will be greatly accelerated.

"Level 1 Wizard..." Ian tapped his knee lightly with his fingers.

With his current strength, he can easily crush advanced apprentices.

But even the weakest first-level wizard is no match for him.

That was a being whose spiritual power had completely vaporized and condensed into a natal sorcery. It was a first-tier sorcery that could be cast instantly, and its power was fundamentally different from that of an apprentice.

"Let's focus on training first. As long as I'm strong enough, who cares about being a first-level wizard?"

He took out his alchemy tools and began processing the medicinal herbs.

Use a silver knife to slice the Starlight Vine Marrow Crystal into thin slices, slowly stir the Moon Essence with a crystal rod until it is completely clear, and sift the Silver Soul Grass pollen three times to remove impurities... Every step requires extreme precision.

As night deepened, the only sounds inside the tent were the rustling of the grinding mortar and the occasional dripping of liquid.

Ian was completely focused, and all the sounds from the outside world gradually faded away.