Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Herman held a vial of deep blue medicine.

On the crystal testing plate, silver characters were still flowing; he looked at those numbers three times.

"The test results are correct." He looked up, wrinkles furrowing around his brow.

"The condensation efficiency has increased by 86%... and has remained stable."

The old man's voice was very low.

He looked at Ian, who was standing opposite the lab table, as if he were examining a monster that had sprung from a rock.

"How long has it been, and you've already achieved stable refining?"

Alyvia stood next to Herman.

Her fingers traced the edge of the crystal plate. She didn't speak, but just stared at the potion for a long time.

"How...did you do that?" Alyvia's voice was a beat slower than usual.

"The echoes of the rules from the Howling Banshee's Tear Crystal... could actually be purified and guided in this direction?"

She had dealt with that stuff before.

Three years ago, she tried using it as an auxiliary material for high-level potions. It took her three months to barely stabilize the energy of a small amount of powder.

That tiny group almost polluted her mental state.

Ian stood there, his expression still calm.

"During the war, some fragments were found near the abyss rift."

He said, "After trying for a long time, I found a way to balance things out."

Once the sadness within the tear crystal is stripped away, the remaining resonance properties are very pure, making it perfect for bridging the gap.

He said it so casually, as if he were saying, "I peeled the potatoes."

Herman and Alyvia exchanged a glance.

Both were top-tier first-tier potion masters who had spent hundreds of years in the tower.

They knew what lay behind that understated remark.

That's an operation at the rule level, an understanding of the nature of alien energy.

It's boundless imagination, and... a madness bordering on gambling.

"Do you know what this means?" Herman put down the medicine.

"The Shadowmoon Tower, no, the entire Eastern Theater Command, currently only has three types of Tier 1 Meditation Potions that can be stably produced."

The most effective [Moonlight Dew] and [Pure Soul Crystal Fragment] are not actually potions.

Moreover, it only improves mental focus by 50%, and each one costs 100 high-grade magic stones, and it's frequently out of stock.

He stared into Ian's eyes: "This thing of yours increases efficiency by over 80%, and it even has its own activation function... Have you ever calculated how much it's worth?"

"Eighty high-grade magic stones," Ian said.

The lab fell silent for a moment.

"Eighty dollars?" Herman's voice rose a notch.

"Wizard Marcus, are you serious? What's the success rate?"

Ian walked to the lab bench, took out a small box from his dimensional ring, and opened it.

Inside were more than a dozen [Starlight Potions], all shimmering with a deep, azure starlight.

"The time was a bit rushed, so the yield rate is still somewhat unstable, around 30%."

Herman picked one up and examined it closely against the cold light stone on the top of the laboratory.

The starlight in the medicine flowed slowly, like the night sky contained in a test tube. He remained silent for a full ten seconds.

"Thirty percent?" Alyvia regained her usual cool demeanor, but the shock in her eyes had not completely faded.

Herman closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He recalled that when he had just been promoted to the next level, he spent three years improving a level zero advanced healing potion, and the success rate was barely raised to 40%.

At that time, he thought he was a genius.

Now he looked at the young man in front of him, who was a mid-level apprentice when he left the tower, but became a full-fledged wizard when he returned.

Having been in the potion department for less than a month, he pulled out a tube of a first-tier potion that could revolutionize the market, saying, "The cost control is quite good."

The old man's throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only uttered two words: "Monster."

Alyssa smiled. She rarely smiled, but this time the curve of her lips was genuine.

She walked up to Ian and patted him on the shoulder.

The movement was very subtle, but all the other potion masters present saw it.

"When are you planning to announce it?" she asked.

"Three days later," Ian said.

"A batch will be released internally by the potion department first, with a limit of one potion per person. The price is seven or five high-grade magic stones, or you can use contribution points to pay for it."

"Sure," Hermann said immediately.

"The first batch will proceed as you stated, with internal supply from the Potions Department, limited to one per person. I'll handle the details. What kind of support do you need?"

"It mainly involves stable procurement channels for a few specific materials, which may involve Abyss material merchants or rune masters."

Ian then suggested, "In addition, we hope that the quota for routine consumables in the laboratory can be appropriately increased."

"No problem, just write me a list." Herman agreed readily.

A potion master who can reliably produce Tier 1 meditation potions is worth the investment.

The news was not announced with great fanfare.

Two days later, at the Potions Department's monthly exchange meeting.

Hermann mentioned it briefly in the form of a project progress report.

"The meditation potion improvement project led by Wizard Marcus has achieved some initial results."

The new potion, [Starlight Potion], has a significant auxiliary effect on the mental power condensation of first-level wizards.

If any members of the department need it, they can register at my office. It's a limited supply, priced at seventy-five high-grade magic stones.

That's all.

But the dozen or so first-level wizards and one or two second-level potion masters present fell silent instantly.

Blake was writing and drawing in his notebook when his hand suddenly stopped.

He looked up abruptly at Ian, whose expression remained calm, his face burning with embarrassment.

I recalled my own mockery in the archives room, and Ian's counterattack in the corridor.

A newly promoted level one wizard doesn't understand energy conflict?

The results they've achieved are something he could only dream of but could never achieve!

The other level-one potion masters exchanged shocked glances.

Most of them are still struggling with how to refine standard Tier 1 potions.

Ian not only produced a stable output, but also completed the improvement and upgrade?

An efficiency increase of over 80%? That difference... left them speechless with envy.

All that remained was genuine admiration and a touch of bewilderment.

What they considered extremely difficult—potions—was as simple as eating and drinking for true geniuses!

The second-level wizards were much more composed, but their eyes held a much stronger interest and scrutiny.

One of the old wizards, who specialized in psychic potions, asked Herman a direct question.

"Hermann, is the data reliable? Have the samples been tested?"

"I personally tested it using the rune crystal disc. The data is in my office; you can go see it if you're interested after the meeting."

Hermann's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible pride. "Dean Elivia has also confirmed it."

Alyvia nodded slightly, which was taken as acquiescence.

This gesture carries more weight than any words.

The subsequent topics of the exchange meeting seemed to become somewhat dull.

Many people still cherish the memory of that [Starlight Potion].

As soon as the meeting ended, several first-level wizards surrounded Herman.

"Professor Hermann, I'll register now! Reserve one for me!"

"I want one too! Can I pay with contribution points?"

"Hermann, regarding our Shadow series' collaborative project... could you prioritize allocating a few units? The price is negotiable."

Several level-two wizards, mindful of their status, did not surround them.

However, they also privately expressed their interest and needs to Herman or Elivia.

The value of a meditation potion that even a level two wizard finds "somewhat useful" is self-evident.

Ian didn't participate in the little commotion; he sat quietly in his seat, organizing his notes.

He could feel many subtle gazes fixed on him.

Inquisitive, envious, complex... but he was already used to it.

Kevin, the level one wizard of the rune system, had somehow appeared.

With a friendly smile on his face, he said, "Wizard Marcus, congratulations! I knew you were no ordinary person."

Um... regarding the materials collaboration we mentioned last time, when would be a convenient time to discuss it in more detail?

We've just received a new batch of high-quality Abyss Runestones in our rune inventory; you'll definitely find them useful!

Ian's heart remained steady, his expression unchanged, and a perfectly measured, gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Wizard Kevin, perfect timing. I might need a batch of basic Abyssal Runestones and some etched magic iron powder for stability testing. Shall we discuss it in detail later?"

"No problem! Leave it to me!"

Kevin patted his chest, confirming that he had secured the priority purchase right for the [Starlight Potion].

Seeing Kevin's eager expression, Ian knew that the [Starlight Potion] brought more than just magic stones and contribution points.

It is a business card, a key.

They are opening many doors inside Shadowmoon that were originally closed for him.

This connects the network of contacts and resources he needs.

And all of this is just the beginning.