Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 10 Inspection Pass Reward
She poured the liquid from the silver spoon onto a test paper: "Do you know what's wrong here?"

Ron carefully observed the pool of medicinal liquid. With the help of the ability of [Medicinal Material Identification], he could see some tiny impurities floating in the liquid.

"It's a thorn vine," he said after a moment's thought. "When I was peeling off the bark, some fibers got mixed in."

"Very good." Mrs. Allen finally showed a satisfied smile:

"Being able to spot flaws of this magnitude shows that you do have a talent for this."

She returned to the counter and took out a contract from the drawer: "This is the assistant's job description and compensation."

Ron took the parchment and began to read carefully:
Arrive at the shop an hour early every morning to prepare; be responsible for sorting herbs, cleaning utensils, and assisting in the preparation of basic potions.
"The reward is..." His eyes stopped at the last line, somewhat incredulous.

"That's right, two magic stone fragments per day, plus free use of the store's refining equipment."

Mrs. Allen nodded. "Of course, if you can help prepare a qualified potion, there will be an additional share."

This treatment is quite generous. You should know that the highest pay for most apprentices' part-time jobs is only one magic stone fragment a day.

"Let's talk about your work arrangements after we finish talking about your compensation," Mrs. Allen continued.
"You have to work here for three hours every morning, and the rest of the time is free to do as you please."

She paused. "But I have to remind you that all the formulas you learn here must be kept secret. The consequences of breach of contract..."

The old witch's eyes turned cold and said, "I don't think you want to know either."

Ron nodded. In the Black Mist Jungle, the consequences of breaking a contract were often more terrible than death.

"That's settled then." Mrs. Allen took out a quill. "Start work tomorrow. Remember, early."

"Wait." Andre, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke:
"You're just going to hire him like that? No need to investigate further?"

"Inspection?" Mrs. Allen smiled slightly. "I've lived for so many years, I still have some vision in judging people."

Her eyes wandered over Ron: "He has good talent and works so hard."

"Moreover..." Mrs. Allen continued, "He was able to study the Fundamentals of Potions to such a high level in such a short time. This is a testament to his understanding of potions."

She glanced at Andre. "Not everyone can read this book so thoroughly, right?"

Andre shrugged. "Indeed, I've been researching for half a year and haven't made any progress."

"So..." Mrs. Allen pushed the contract and quill in front of Ron:

"This is a win-win choice. You need a place to practice, and I need a talented assistant."

She pulled out a small bottle from under the counter. Inside was a light blue liquid. “Before you sign the contract, drink this.”

Ron took the bottle but didn't move immediately. He carefully observed the potion while silently using his [Herb Identification] ability.

The light blue liquid exhibits a special fluidity under the dim light, and the edges are slightly shiny.

This characteristic is very similar to the truth potion he saw in "Basics of Magical Potions".

Moreover, judging from the transparency and fluidity of the liquid medicine, it should be a finished product that has undergone multiple purifications and does not contain any dangerous ingredients.

"Is this the truth potion?" Ron asked, pretending to be ignorant.

"Yes, it can reveal whether a person has malicious intentions." Mrs. Allen nodded. "In the Black Mist Jungle, this is a basic preventive measure."

After repeatedly confirming that it was the truth potion, Ron drank the potion in one gulp.

This level of verification is perfectly normal in the Black Mist Jungle. "Very good," Mrs. Allen nodded with satisfaction. "I like cautious people. In a place like this, those who are too reckless won't survive long."

Her expression turned serious:

"But I have to remind you that there are often guests of special status here. No matter what you see or hear, you must keep your mouth shut."

Ron nodded solemnly. This reminder made him feel more at ease.

——An employer who explains the rules in advance is always easier to deal with than one who hides them.

………………

Early in the morning, when it was still light, Ron was already standing at the door of the herbal medicine store.

The morning mist flows slowly on the streets, and occasionally some glowing insects can be seen flying in the mist.

These are the "light butterflies" unique to the Black Mist Jungle. They are attracted by magical fluctuations and often appear near herbal medicine shops.

I arrived so early thanks to Andre's reminder last night.

"That old woman hates people who are not punctual." Andre was helping him sort out the materials for his second bodybuilding exercise.

"Last month, there was also a candidate apprentice who applied for the position. He was only five or six seconds late, and was directly pulled out by the two movable vines at the door."

So just in case, Ron arrived half an hour early.

After he finished meditating last night, he began to review the content about the preservation of medicinal materials and maintenance of instruments in "Basics of Magic Potions".

Since we have to start from the most basic organizing work, we must do it perfectly.

This was one of the few useful experiences he learned in the aristocratic manor - if you want to gain the recognition of others, you must show enough sincerity.

At this time, a long bell sound came from afar.

It is a symbol of the alternation of day and night in the Black Fog Jungle. It is said that the sound of the bell contains some kind of extraordinary power that can dispel the evil spirits accumulated at night.

As the last chime faded into the morning mist, the door of the shop opened silently.

"Come in." Mrs. Allen's voice came from inside the store. "You are more punctual than I thought."

The moment I opened the door, all kinds of strange smells hit me in the face.

After changing his job to a [Potions Apprentice], Ron found that his ability to identify these smells had improved significantly.

The sour and sweet taste is probably the nectar of tuberose, the main ingredient used to make tranquilizing potions;
The spicy and fishy smell is probably from the rhizome of snake tooth grass, which can neutralize most toxins.
There was also some indescribable smell that made him feel both familiar and unfamiliar.

The store's furnishings seemed to have changed a bit compared to yesterday.

The medicinal herbs on the shelves had been rearranged, and some rare materials with "sold" labels disappeared, replaced by some new ones that could not be named.

"Have you seen enough?" Mrs. Allen's voice suddenly rang in her ears: "Sorting these things is much more interesting than just looking at them."

She pointed to a pile of miscellaneous items in the corner and said, "Sort these out first. Remember to sort them by their medicinal properties so they don't affect each other."

Ron walked closer and saw that the pile of debris was filled with various bottles and jars, which contained different medicinal herbs.

Some have even begun to react with each other, emitting faint fluorescence in the dim light.

(End of this chapter)