CH117 - CH118

CH117 

Helag felt a bit melancholic. Even if he risked his life to become a formal wizard, he'd only have a lifespan of 300 years, which was still shorter than Gami's.

Elves naturally had long lifespans, far exceeding humans.

Some were born into privilege, while others were born into hardship.

Larry removed his goggles, washed up briefly, and poured coffee for both of them.

"Sit down."

They sat at a small round table, and Larry began, "Let me update you on recent events."

"The war between Moonlight Forest and Green Hut is officially over. Both sides are now negotiating post-war terms."

"Do you know who ended the war? Someone you know."

Larry took a sip of coffee.

Helag was puzzled. "Someone I know?"

In his mind, only Malcolm could influence the war's outcome, but Larry didn't know about his connection to Malcolm. So, it had to be someone else.

It couldn't be Larry, who rarely left Moonlight Forest.

"Who could it be?" Helag thought for a while but couldn't figure it out.

Larry smiled and slowly said, "Fegar."

"Fegar?"

Helag quickly recalled Fegar's cold, expressionless face.

"How could it be him?"

As far as Helag remembered, Fegar was a second-level wizard apprentice with a meager aptitude of five, making it nearly impossible for him to advance to a third-level apprentice. How could someone like Fegar influence the war?

"He's now a formal wizard," Larry revealed, shocking Helag.

"A formal wizard?!" Helag was stunned.

With an aptitude of seventy-five and Deep Blue's assistance, Helag was only a third-level apprentice, still far from becoming a formal wizard.

Fegar, with an aptitude of just five, had become a formal wizard.

Larry nodded. "Yes, envious? Once you know his story, you won't be."

Larry explained Fegar's story, and Helag understood.

After joining Green Hut, Fegar quickly caught Malcolm's eye—not for his wizard aptitude, but as an excellent test subject.

Since joining Green Hut, Fegar endured hellish days, subjected to various torturous experiments by Malcolm.

But Fegar not only survived but grew stronger.

Seeing this, Malcolm became even more interested, continuing the experiments even during the war.

During the war's peak, Fegar silently advanced to a formal wizard and successfully ambushed Malcolm.

Malcolm was severely injured, and Fegar immediately fled Green Hut.

This triggered a chain reaction, with two more formal wizards defecting from Green Hut.

The war's tide turned, with Malcolm, the main instigator, gravely injured.

Many in Green Hut had opposed the war, and with Malcolm injured, the peace faction quickly gained control.

The war gradually ceased, with Malcolm still recovering and Fegar's whereabouts unknown.

Despite Malcolm's efforts to hunt him down, Fegar remained elusive.

"How did Fegar, even as a formal wizard, manage to severely injure Malcolm? How did he do it?" Helag found it hard to believe.

Malcolm was a powerful first-level wizard, and Fegar, newly advanced, shouldn't have been able to severely injure him, even with a sneak attack.

Larry shook his head. "Only they know the details. No one else knows what happened."

It was indeed puzzling, as Malcolm hadn't revealed any specifics.

Helag couldn't figure it out and decided to let it go since it didn't concern him.

He took out a Dragon Beard Grass from his spatial ring. "Teacher, what do you think of this?"

Larry's eyes lit up. "This Dragon Beard Grass is of excellent quality."

He picked it up and examined it closely.

Once uprooted, Dragon Beard Grass became ordinary grass, losing its aggressiveness.

Replanting it would soon restore its vitality.

"What's the market price for this?" Helag asked.

"This quality of Dragon Beard Grass goes for 120 magic stones each. It's a valuable item, not easy to obtain," Larry praised.

"I have five more. Do you want them, Teacher Larry?" Helag displayed the remaining Dragon Beard Grass, keeping one for himself.

He wouldn't need Dragon Beard Grass anytime soon, so selling it for magic stones to buy other resources was better.

Larry said, "Looks like you had quite an adventure. Sure, I'll buy them at market price. I need them anyway."

Larry understood Helag's intention to sell through him for safety.

He was happy to help, as these items were hard to come by.

Helag then took out other potion materials. "Teacher, what about these?"

Larry's eyes widened. "Did you raid someone's potion garden?"

Helag scratched his head and laughed. "No, I found them along the way."

"I'll take them all, but the price will be slightly lower than the market rate. You understand why. Let me calculate. Including the Dragon Beard Grass, that's 3,765 magic stones."

Larry planned to resell most of the materials to Moonlight Forest for a profit, keeping some for himself.

Helag didn't mind the lower price, prioritizing safe transactions.

Selling them himself could fetch a higher price but involved significant risk.

Larry, as his teacher, deserved to earn a bit more.

Larry, wealthy as he was, paid the 3,765 magic stones on the spot.

Helag's spatial ring, previously crowded, now felt empty after selling the materials.

Seeing the pile of magic stones in his ring, Helag finally felt a bit wealthy.

Previously, he had to toil for a single magic stone, but now selling a high-grade potion material earned much more.

Larry, a potion master, earned money at a pace Helag couldn't imagine. The stronger one was, the easier it was to make money.

For low-level apprentices, life was tough. Resources required magic stones, but without strength, earning magic stones was hard, creating a vicious cycle.

CH118 

"Wait a moment before you leave. I need to test your potion-making skills. I have an order for Memory Potions. Make one for me," Larry said, standing up.

Helag suddenly felt like he was back in his previous life, working with his mentor during graduate school.

Larry led Helag into his lab, where the materials for Memory Potions were ready.

Memory Potions stabilize mental power, making them useful for wizards after experiments or when their mental power is unstable. They typically sell for sixty to seventy magic stones, making them relatively high-grade potions.

For Helag, making this potion was much easier than the Dawn Dusk Potion.

He skillfully began processing the materials and started brewing.

He intentionally made slight errors in some steps.

When the potion was finished, Larry said, "Not bad. Some areas could be more precise, but this is a good first attempt."

Larry then explained some points, highlighting the intentional errors Helag made.

Helag listened attentively, as if eager to take notes.

After Larry's explanation, Helag made another attempt.

This time, he intentionally performed better, producing a higher-quality Memory Potion.

Larry patted his shoulder with a smile. "Very good! I have an order for fifty Memory Potions. Work hard for a few days, and I'll pay you twenty magic stones. This will also be good practice for you."

"Thank you, Teacher Larry!" Helag understood that Larry was using him as labor.

But he didn't mind, as he could earn some magic stones. Although the pay was low, it was still something.

Larry had helped him a lot, so it was only fair to help with these tasks.

Helag got to work without hesitation.

The raw materials for Memory Potions were plentiful. He could make seventeen or eighteen potions a day, finishing the order in two or three days.

With Helag handling the potion-making, Larry could relax and return to his study.

Before leaving, Larry said, "Go home by evening. Call me if you need anything."

"Okay, Teacher." Helag was enthusiastic, feeling like he was back in his days of working for his mentor.

Making Memory Potions was indeed good practice for Helag.

It allowed him to hone his potion-making skills, with more materials than most people had for practice.

Helag controlled the quality of his potions, producing high-quality, average, and occasionally subpar Memory Potions.

This variability made his work seem normal. With Deep Blue's assistance, he could make high-quality potions consistently, but that would be too suspicious.

***

Two days later, all fifty potions were complete.

Helag maintained a skill level better than most apprentices but not overly impressive.

"Excellent! I often have such orders. If you're willing, I'll call you next time," Larry said, satisfied with the quality of the potions.

"Of course, Teacher. Just let me know," Helag replied. He was happy to earn magic stones and gain experience, even if it was tiring.

Other apprentices would jump at the chance, even without pay, but their skills wouldn't meet Larry's standards and might cause losses.

Helag's skills were good enough to handle simple potion orders, making Larry's life easier.

Students were meant to handle such tasks.

"Also, as a third-level apprentice, you now have access to the second floor of the library. But be aware, you might occasionally receive tasks," Larry reminded.

Helag asked, "Don't I need to register or something?"

Access to the second floor was great news, as he needed to learn a lot.

"No need. When you advanced to a third-level apprentice, Moonlight Forest automatically recorded it," Larry explained.

Helag nodded. "I see. I wonder what tasks I'll get."

Larry pondered. "It could be anything. The war just ended, and there's much to do. As a third-level apprentice, you're a suitable task executor for Moonlight Forest."

"Hopefully, nothing too dangerous," Helag said with a wry smile.

He wanted to quietly train until he could advance to a formal wizard, avoiding any unexpected incidents.

Moonlight Forest's tasks were mandatory for apprentices. Only after becoming a formal wizard would his contract with Moonlight Forest end.

For Moonlight Forest, third-level apprentices were valuable assets.

First and second-level apprentices were less useful and rarely given tasks unless in wartime, where they became expendable.

After leaving Larry's place, Helag bought food and supplies in town.

His home needed restocking after his long absence.

With 3,785 magic stones, Helag was wealthy among apprentices.

"The market price for Ancient Potions is around 900 magic stones each, and Amanda Potions are 100 magic stones each. I have enough to buy the potions I need. Now, I just need to study and meditate to meet the requirements for advancing to a formal wizard."

Helag quickly planned his next steps. With enough magic stones, he didn't need to toil for mushrooms or do tasks.

He decided not to leave Moonlight Forest unless assigned a task, focusing on steady development until he became a formal wizard.

Helag looked around. The town was still sparsely populated, with only two people chatting in the café, making it feel deserted.

Back home, he began organizing the knowledge he needed to supplement.

First, he needed to advance his studies in herbology and potion-making. The basic knowledge he had was no longer sufficient.

Some potion materials he had collected in Creek Valley Town were unknown to him until Larry explained them after his return.

TL/n - 

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