Wizard: Starts with Advanced Meditation

Finally, old Thor lowered his hand, took the pipe from the vine, and took another puff.

"Alright." He exhaled a puff of purple smoke and said to Hughes.

Hearing the sound, Hughes opened his eyes and slowly sat up. He gave old Thor a standard wizard's salute and said in a clear and strong voice, "Thank you, Thor's apprentice."

At this moment, he could clearly feel that the necromantic energy remaining in the wound had dissipated without a trace, and the chilling sensation had also faded away.

Old Thor waved his hand and said to Heleto, "You get thirty dollars, your friend gets forty."

After paying for the magic stones, the two left old Thor's hut. They would stay for a while longer; Heleto was going to buy supplies to prepare for his upcoming escape, while Hughes was going to repair his Dark Absorber Robe.

Following Heleto's directions, Hughes arrived at a large wooden house, which was the sorcery shop Heleto had recommended.

The sorcerer was a gnoll. After handing over the sorcerer's tools, Hughes went to the potions shop in Blackwood Town to see what good stuff they had.

Blackwood Town is not rich in resources. There is only one potion shop in the whole town, but the owner of the shop is a low-level potion master.

In fact, apart from family businesses like Bohr's Potions Shop, many other potions shops in Everfrost Spire either source their supplies directly from uncertified junior potions masters or several shops jointly purchase from a single junior potions master.

The main products in these shops are mostly common and readily available potions. New products created by potion makers themselves, or rare potions obtained by chance, are rarely found on the shop shelves.

The potions created by potion masters are of great research value to their peers. These recipes contain each potion master's unique insights into the materials, and represent their unique understanding and practice in the properties of medicinal materials and the blending of magical power.

Potions masters who own their own shops usually put many of these potions on their shelves, since they make these potions themselves and don't need to buy them from suppliers. Of course, it also depends on whether they are willing to sell their recipes.

The potion shop was located in an alley. Hughes quickly arrived at the potion shop. This potion shop was the most magnificent building Hughes had seen in Blackwood Town so far. The walls were made of brand-new wooden planks, and there were obvious signs of cleaning in front of the wooden door.

Pushing open the wooden door carved with vine patterns, Hughes entered the shop. The room was filled with a fresh scent of herbs and trees. Shelves lined the walls, displaying glass bottles of various sizes on the brown shelves.

The bottles contained either viscous liquids of various colors or mists of various colors. Behind the wooden counter stood a young man dressed in a patterned gold robe. The counter seemed to be his alchemy station, fully equipped, and he was concocting potions.

His fingertips were stained with dark green medicinal powder as he stirred the bubbling potion in the crucible with a silver spoon. The flames at the bottom of the pot were a soft blue, and in addition to the aroma of the medicine, there were faint magical fluctuations in the air. He was observing the changes in the potion.

Hughes didn't disturb him, but stood quietly to the side, observing his potion-making process. If a potion master was willing to make potions in public, it meant that he didn't mind others learning from him.

A few minutes later, he finished refining the potion and poured the crystal-clear green liquid into a specially made potion bottle. After sealing the bottle, he looked up at the guest he had neglected.

"Welcome to the Emerald Cauldron. I am Rod Leon, a low-level potion master." Clearly, Hughes's decision not to disturb Rod greatly increased his goodwill towards Hughes, and the esteemed potion master gave the potion apprentice before him a wizard's salute.

"I would like to request some of your original recipes," Hughes said solemnly in return with a wizard's salute, his tone steady. "If you have any spirit potions, that would be even better."

"Haha, I'm just a third-class wizard apprentice. Only a formal wizard can create mental potions on their own," Rhodes laughed.

"However, I do have some original potion recipes, but you'll have to exchange them for other potion recipes." After saying that, Rhodes squatted down and started rummaging through something.

After hearing this, Hughes copied down the recipes for Shadow Potion and Soul Healing Dew, which were not yet under contract. Both of these potion recipes were quite good, and he could exchange them for Rhodes' recipes.

Hughes glanced at them and finally chose the Wild Power Potion and the Corrupting Heart Potion. The former could increase strength, and its effects varied depending on the type of magical beast blood used in its preparation.

The latter is a poison, but unlike the poison invented by Clyde that takes effect immediately, the Corrosive Poison is a delayed-acting poison that is difficult to detect.

Hughes bought a few more potions and materials, and the two ended the transaction. They went to the sorcerer's tool shop. Hughes paid for express service. The sorcerer worked quickly and skillfully. Hughes took the repaired Dark Absorbing Robe and went to the vine door.

This was the meeting place he and Heleto had agreed upon. Soon, Hughes saw Heleto's figure. Heleto came to the vine gate, gently tapped one of the vines twice with his finger, and the thick vine began to wriggle, quickly making way for him.

The two stepped out of Blackwood Town and passed through the dark Blackwood Forest. It didn't take long for them to reach Outpost No. 5. It was already late at night. After returning to the cabin, Xiu deliberately glanced out the window. The cabin opposite was dimly lit and obviously empty.

Hughes thought for a moment and then decided to sneak into Reber's cabin to see what information he could find, and also to stake out Reber's companions at Outpost No. 5.

Hughes put on an ordinary black mask—the same one he wore when he went to Blackwood Town—and then donned a black robe before tiptoeing out the door.

Stepping outside, the cabins of each apprentice squad were spaced apart. Hughes used his mental energy to scan the surroundings, confirming that no one was around. He then quickly headed to Reber's squad's cabin, casting Shadow Step on himself to avoid leaving footprints in the snow.

Hughes rummaged through Reber's storage bag for the cabin key and pushed open the door. The room was dimly lit, with only a few faint rays of moonlight shining through the window, barely outlining the old furniture.

Hughes used his mental power to scan the area again, and after confirming that no one was there, he took out the Night Owl Eye potion he had bought earlier from his storage bag.

This potion allows the user to see clearly in the dark, so Hughes dared not light a lamp, fearing that the light would alert Reber's accomplices who might come to investigate.

Hughes used his breathing technique to minimize his noise and began searching the cabin from the inside out. Reber's team hadn't been there long, and there wasn't much luggage in any of the rooms, but they did find several letters in a hidden compartment under Green's bed.