Chapter 11: Wish Fulfilled

As usual, the Bat's Eye Medical Hall seemed rather quiet.

The hall's fees were relatively high, so most patients were wealthier commoners, like mercenaries, and a small number of nobles. The poorest citizens rarely came.

After successfully treating a patient, the hall returned to silence.

"Mr. Orio, I'd like you to guide me in potion-making," Ivan suddenly spoke up.

Hearing this, Justine looked at him with astonishment. Then she seemed to realize something, revealing a subtle, barely noticeable smile, secretly thinking to herself that things were about to get interesting.

Old Orio didn't respond, clearly displeased.

Having spent some time with Old Orio, Ivan had more or less figured out his character. This time, he opted for a direct approach.

"Here's a universal breathing potion recipe. I hope it will satisfy you."

He handed over his bargaining chip directly—a formula for the Whirlpool Potion, which his father had entrusted to him.

The strategy wasn't bad. Justine's expression shifted slightly, and she watched the unfolding situation intently.

Old Orio took it, glanced at it briefly, and his gaze lingered on the parchment for a long time. This made the two standing beside him dare not disturb. Justine, being prudent, even took a step back and wisely refrained from peeking at the formula.

Ivan waited anxiously, trying to suppress his inner unease.

After a while, Old Orio finally spoke, "Tell me, which ingredients do you think could replace Whirlpool Flower and Barro Grass?" His eyes remained fixed on the formula.

The moment had arrived. Ivan knew this question was crucial, yet he didn't rush into answering.

[Apothecary Skill: lv1(6/100)]

[Knight Breathing Skill: lv0(9/10)]

[Linguistics Skill: lv0(1/10)]

In his eyes appeared a panel invisible to others. Recently, his Apothecary Skill had improved significantly, thanks to diligently reading volumes one, two, and three of the *Herbs Record*. However, he had hit a plateau since Old Orio hadn't given him additional books or showed any intention of further teaching.

*Ivan could completely understand—after all, Old Orio had merely lost a drinking contest once and was already being generous enough to teach him this much.*

*'Fine, let's give it a shot,'* Ivan thought to himself after a brief pause, biting the inside of his cheek. Activating the Small Light of Wisdom he earned upon leveling up his Apothecary Skill to lv1, he took the leap.

In an instant, his mind felt exceptionally sharp and agile. Everything he had learned about herbs surged vividly into his memory. Each nuance—their effects, hidden properties, and pitfalls—was crystal clear to him.

He was struck by an endless cascade of insights into potential combinations of ingredients, each creating sparks of revelation. His thoughts seemed limitless.

Such was the power of the Light of Wisdom—amplifying comprehension and spirituality by threefold.

Knowing he only had two minutes, Ivan quickly refocused his mind, shelving irrelevant thoughts. He concentrated on analyzing the formula for the Whirlpool Potion, examining its ingredients and crafting process. Using his accumulated knowledge, he searched for viable replacements for Whirlpool Flower and Barro Grass.

The atmosphere in the medical hall became heavy with tension.

Justine watched Ivan, deep in thought, feeling a mixture of envy and anticipation. After two or three minutes, she overheard Ivan murmuring a faint sigh, tinged with reluctance and regret.

"You could consider using Silver Fish Flower and Mouse Bellflower Root."

"Alternatively, keep Barro Grass but use water wheat susswassertang fruit, though you might need to add a dash of ripple stone powder."

"Another option is combining water olive, Black Spider Flower, and Grand Saber Spider gland fluid. It might yield interesting results worth exploring."

Formulating a recipe is a delicate process—tweaking a key ingredient inevitably demands adjustments to others. Ivan decisively proposed three possible substitution combinations.

Once finished, he looked at Old Orio expectantly.

Old Orio raised his head and gave a slight nod. "Not bad." With that, he effortlessly pocketed the formula.

It had worked!

Ivan's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but smile with excitement.

Seeing this, Justine frowned slightly.

*In truth, her displeasure wasn't overwhelming. From Ivan's imaginative answers earlier, she could sense his natural talent and intellect—qualities she was compelled to admit surpassed her own.*

Furthermore, she'd figured out how to seek mentorship herself.

The following morning, Old Orio summoned Ivan to the apothecary lab.

"Bang."

Under Justine's hopeful gaze, the door shut tightly, cutting off her view.

*'Ugh—bastard!'* she thought bitterly. Justine was frustrated; clearly, she'd been the first to arrive.

[Apothecary Skill Experience Point +1]

[Apothecary Skill Experience Point +1]

[Apothecary Skill Experience Point +1]

[Apothecary Skill: lv1(9/100)]

Inside the apothecary lab, Old Orio meticulously taught Ivan how to handle herbs, sanitize potions, and make basic remedies like hemostatic powder. Ivan relished this hands-on experience, watching his Experience Points climb steadily.

By the end of the morning, his Apothecary Skill had increased by 3 whole points—whereas self-study only netted him 1 point every two to three days.

*Ivan silently marveled at the difference between self-learning and proper instruction.*

From that day forward, Ivan officially became Old Orio's apothecary apprentice.

This motivated Justine immensely. She began exploring ways to present a breathing secret medicine formula, hoping to earn a spot as Old Orio's pupil herself.

…

One month later.

In the martial arts arena of Cassia Swordsmanship Hall, two young men were sparring with swords in a corner.

"Hah!"

At that moment, Donnie let out a sharp exclamation, channeling all his strength into a strike, sending his blade surging forward yet again.

"Good move!" Facing such an attack, Ivan remained unfazed. He stepped forward, his Quillen Sword delicately intercepting Donnie's iron blade at its weak point, smoothly deflecting the strike.

Ivan stepped back half a pace, stabilizing himself as he blocked the attack.

Donnie sheathed his sword and stood upright, sighing, "I give up. I give up. My swordsmanship's no match for yours."

Once again, he failed to defeat Ivan, which left him feeling a bit resigned. Despite being physically stronger and faster, his inferior swordsmanship meant he could only manage a draw.

"Swordsmanship is secondary; breathing techniques are the foundation," Ivan remarked, displeased himself.

Strength: 1.5, Agility: 1.3, Constitution: 1.1, Spirit: 1.4

For the past month, Ivan had trained tirelessly. His strength had increased by 0.2, while his agility and constitution had each improved by only 0.1. The slow pace frustrated him.

Donnie was different. Having purchased the Gushing Potion twice, his actual combat strength outstripped Ivan's, forcing Ivan to rely on swordsmanship to even the playing field, barely maintaining a stalemate.

Reflecting on swordsmanship, Ivan couldn't help but think back to the time his Knight Breathing Skill leveled up to 1.

*That upgrade yielded a wealth of benefits—not only deepening his understanding of breathing techniques but also granting brief insight into basic swordsmanship, riding skill, and archery, as if they were tied to his breathing training.*

After mastering basic sword techniques, Ivan had progressed to learning both the Gushing Sword Skill and his family's Frog-style Sword Technique. His skill in swordsmanship notably surpassed Donnie's.

Unfortunately, basic breathing techniques were, well, basic. No matter how well understood, their inherent limitations remained a constant, hampering progress.

Donnie declared, "I'm off to buy my last Gushing Potion. Are you coming?"

"Sure," Ivan replied after brief consideration, knowing he had just earned some gold coins and deciding to join.

Donnie smiled and clapped Ivan on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Spend on potions to boost your strength, and you'll earn even more gold coins afterward. Coins make coins."

The two walked into the hall's inner chambers and emerged with small bottles of Gushing Potion in hand.

"I need to make a trip to the Central Library. Catch you later."

"What for? That place isn't cheap."

"I've got my own plans."

Under Donnie's puzzled gaze, Ivan headed toward West City. He aimed to raise his Linguistics Skill to lv1—unlocking another Light of Wisdom he urgently needed.