Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 88 Who is the prey?

"I just forgot something and came back to get it."

Leah's eyes fell on a notebook on the podium, and she walked forward to take it.

The thin apprentice noticed that Aaron had been maintaining a strange posture and quickly stepped forward to support him: "Aaron, what's wrong with you? Don't say anything unnecessary to Lady Leah."

He pulled Aaron's arm hard, only to find that the other party's whole body was stiff and he couldn't even speak.

"We...we'll go first." The thin apprentice and another companion quickly carried Aaron and left the classroom quickly.

Ron looked at their fleeing figures and couldn't help but envy the senior apprentice's absolute status - she didn't even need to say anything or take any action, her mere presence was enough to make these cowards flee.

As soon as Aaron walked out of the crowd, he suddenly started coughing violently and spurted out a mouthful of black blood. His whole body seemed to have been hit by a sledgehammer, and his internal organs seemed to be displaced.

"Aaron!" The thin apprentice's face changed drastically. Thinking of Ron's casual finger just now, he couldn't help but shudder: "How could it be?"

"That kid isn't..." Aaron muttered haltingly, his face as pale as paper. "Don't touch him again."

Several people looked at each other and broke out in cold sweat.

If we really trick this guy into the wilderness, it’s hard to say who will be the prey.

………………

Leah picked up her notebook and turned to leave. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and looked at Ron:

"Apprentice Ralph, I heard Holt mention you."

Ron was a little surprised: "Lady Leah, do you also know Lord Holt?"

"He said you signed up for the Potions Master certification exam."

There was a rare hint of concern in Leah's tone: "As someone who has been through this, I want to remind you: Don't be too ambitious."

Her expression turned serious. "Potions is one of the subjects that relies most on practical experience. Even if you have great talent, it will be difficult to pass the certification without sufficient accumulation. I suggest you gain a few more years of experience before trying again."

Ron thought to himself that the speed at which news spread within the school was truly astonishing.

However, it is also possible that Holt learned his registration information in advance through some internal connections.

"Thank you for your reminder, Lady Leah." Ron responded politely: "I will seriously consider it."

"The school has special regulations for internal apprentices," Leah continued. "If you change your mind, you can withdraw at any time before entering the examination room, and the registration fee will be fully refunded."

Her tone was not coercive, but more like a reminder:
"Holt seems very confident in you, but I personally think that rushing into success is more likely to lead to failure. Well, I have to go."

After saying that, she turned and left, her tall figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

The few apprentices who stayed around had strange looks in their eyes. They had obviously heard that Ron had signed up for the Potions Master certification.

In the eyes of these apprentices, professional potion masters are unattainable, and their overall value and status even exceed those of many senior apprentices.

It is simply a fantasy for a newly promoted junior apprentice to dare to challenge such a certification.

However, this has nothing to do with them. Everyone is busy and no one cares whether you really take the Potions Master Qualification Certification.

Leaving the classroom, Ron reflected on the knowledge and skills he had learned today.

Although paid courses have a complex structure and strict advancement requirements, they can indeed accelerate the learning process and significantly help improve one's abilities.

[Spell Construction (Beginner) Experience + 2]

[Mental Disturbance (Beginner) Experience +2]

Both skills have been significantly improved, and the efficiency is several times higher than practicing hard behind closed doors.

Although closed self-study methods are safe, they are far less efficient than systematic guidance.

"We must seize this opportunity to accelerate our progress," Ron thought to himself. "We can't just work in isolation any longer."

Moreover, I heard that many mentors only provide opportunities for individual consultation to apprentices who have chosen their advanced courses.

In order to get those paid consulting opportunities, he had to complete all these courses.

Walking out of the teaching area, the night of the black fog jungle has enveloped the surroundings.

A faint howl of an animal came from the distance, which made people shudder.

Ron quickened his pace and headed towards the dormitory area.

………………On the day of the professional potion master examination, the first ray of dawn had just penetrated the canopy of the black fog jungle, and Ron had already gotten up and prepared.

He checked his tools repeatedly. The silver wing separator was particularly important, as it could separate the purest essence of medicinal materials in the shortest time during the refining process.

Mrs. Allen often reminded herself of a sentence that still echoed in my ears:

"Remember, a potion master's value lies not only in how many recipes he knows, but also in how to maximize the effectiveness of every drop of potion."

"Everything is ready, it's time to go." Ron packed his clothes and belongings, took a deep breath, and walked out of the dormitory.

Walking in the foggy jungle in the morning light, he felt a little nervous but full of anticipation.

The semi-annual Alchemist certification examination is a rare opportunity for him.

If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait another six months, but his plan could not be delayed at all.

When they arrived at the central hall, there were already more than twenty people gathered in front of the stairs, but there were hardly any faces Ron was familiar with.

Some of the people who came wore threadbare robes and had the air of a dusty traveler;
Some were well-dressed, but their eyes looked tired, as if they had come from a long journey;

Some were even wrapped so tightly that they looked like mummies, and one could vaguely see the alien limbs beneath the robes...

"The Potions Master certification exam is indeed quite special," Ron thought. "Even those wandering apprentices and aliens from outside the Black Mist Jungle have been attracted here."

"Next!" A serious-looking woman called out loudly at the duty desk.

When it was Ron's turn, he stepped forward and handed in the application form and the registration fee of fifteen magic stone fragments. It was said that people outside the school who wanted to participate in the potion master certification had to pay double the fee.

The officer on duty, a female apprentice in her late 40s, took the form, glanced at it, and an expression of obvious surprise immediately appeared on her face.

"Ron Ralph? Just became a junior apprentice?"

She raised her head and looked Ron up and down carefully, with a scrutinizing look in her eyes: "Little guy, are you sure you want to take the Potions Master certification test?"

Ron nodded, his expression calm: "Yes, I'm ready."

The officer on duty snorted and casually put his application form aside:
"Young man, do you know how low the pass rate is for this test? Even most of those veteran apprentices who have studied potions for decades can only barely pass."

She lowered her voice, her tone becoming almost compassionate, and prepared to hand the bag of magic stone fragments back directly:

"I have a suggestion for you—it's not too late to quit now. If you voluntarily give up, I can use my authority as an officer on duty to refund your registration fee in full. This is a special privilege only available to apprentices within our school."

Ron smiled slightly, knowing that the other party was well-intentioned, and politely repeated his request: "Thank you very much for your kindness, but I hope to continue to take the test."

"Young man... you just don't listen to advice. Once you suffer a little more, you'll behave yourself."

Seeing that he was determined to do so, the officer on duty could only shrug his shoulders, take the form that had been set aside, and stamp it with a magic seal that would take effect immediately. "Don't blame me for not reminding you when the time comes."

After saying goodbye to the on-duty personnel, he received the assessment badge and was led to the waiting area by light element guides deliberately placed in the air.

There were already more than a dozen participants sitting here, each with varying degrees of tension and anxiety on their faces.

Ron glanced around and found that most of the candidates looked much older than him:

There was a white-haired old man who was concentrating on flipping through a potion notebook, his fingers turning dark yellow from years of contact with potions;
An old lizard man with two short horns on his head sat in the corner, his eyes full of fatigue and expectation;

There were also several middle-aged men who looked to be in their thirties or forties, who were whispering to each other and occasionally cast curious glances in Ron's direction.

Although a few people noticed the young candidate and their eyes flashed with surprise and suspicion, most of them quickly looked away and focused on their own preparations.

At this critical moment, it is foolish to waste energy on jealousy or questioning others. Most of them have experienced too many failures and have long learned to focus all their attention on the assessment itself.

Only a short, fat middle-aged man could not help but whisper to his companions, "These young people always think that Potions can be mastered by talent."

"Why bother?" His companion responded calmly, almost numbly. "I've taken the test five times in the past thirty years, and every time I see confident young faces. What's the result?"

The two looked at each other and smiled bitterly, saying no more.

These conversations were quickly drowned out by the tense atmosphere of the examination room. Ron was only focused on his final preparations and did not hear the gossip.

"Attention, candidates!" A school attendant in a standard gray robe walked in. "The examination is about to begin. Please follow me to the examination hall."

The examination hall is a spacious circular room with dozens of luminous stones inlaid on the walls, providing bright and steady light.

In the center of the room was a long semicircular table with three examiners sitting behind it.

(End of this chapter)