I'm a proper student; I only take nine kinds of potions every day.

Chapter 175 The Temptation of Byron: A Shortcut to Mastery

After listening to everyone's stories, Evan gave them his instructions.

"If it doesn't hurt, you don't need to take it yet. Take it only when it hurts."

Aubry was taken aback: "But those nuns—"

Ivan interrupted, "Do those nuns who never even finished primary school know as much as the medical students at the University of the Wise?"

"I've seen many similar symptoms. You don't need to take this continuously. Seven days is one course of treatment. Take it again when the pain gets worse."

Aubry immediately said, "Thank you so much, Arkham!"

Then, with a hint of pride on his face, he said, "I never imagined that I, old Aubry, would one day be neighbors with a doctor."

After all, a doctor once came from Haien Street, and many neighbors benefited from that, finding it much easier to see a doctor.

Looking at everyone's smiles, Ivan sighed inwardly.

Others might not know, but Evan, being a seasoned gourmand, had long since figured out the effects of the Copper Elixir.

This drug's pain-reducing effect is permanent, and its damage to memory is also permanent.

If you only want regular pain relief, there's no need to keep taking it until the end.

Once the pain is reduced to a relatively tolerable level, you can stop eating.

Although their memory has been somewhat impaired, the fact that these people at the bottom of society can continue working without feeling too much pain is itself a blessing.

Even if technology and medicine advance greatly in the United States a hundred years from now, painkillers will still be rampant.

At present, there is no cure for the lumbar spine and bone diseases they suffer from.

The immense daily pressures leave them with no time to rest or take care of their health.

Sending these workers to physiotherapy and rest is no different from the saying "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"

This is the limit that Ivan can achieve at this stage.

After finishing his meal, Evan left amidst everyone's thanks, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and boarded the tram.

Squeezed among the crowd, Evan gripped the hanging handrail firmly, calculating his next move.

"Now I have fully mastered the three extraordinary characteristics, and I only need two more points of spiritual vision to become an expert."

"However, after becoming an expert, there will be a twelve-hour period of spiritual shock. Should I have Hill protect me?"

"I don't think it's necessary. Hill was protected before, but she was still attacked."

"Hmm? Got it."

Evan's lips curled up as he thought of the best place to weather the storm: Vic's office.

Now he's a specially invited expert for the special operations team, and he's highly sought after by Vic.

The other party now needs my help and knows the special nature of my bloodline. Helping me now would leave me with a great favor.

But then Evan turned his head and thought for a moment.

"Wait! What if this guy forces me to sign some kind of contract or plant some kind of curse while I'm weak?"

"One should always be wary of others!"

"Hmm—then I'll have to trouble Dr. Armitage again."

"You suffer, sir, and let the students have some more!"

After considering the promotion, Evan recalled his state last night after the foggy encephalopathy suddenly failed.

"In other words, those special mental states should not be too high. If they are too high, it is easy to fall into a unique state of paranoia."

"I didn't feel much when I was consuming 60% of it before, but it seems that this is a product where quantitative change leads to qualitative change."

"Subsequently, due to the failure of the characteristic, my self-awareness suddenly increased to 70%, and I immediately became a person who felt that I deserved to be slapped."

Upon reflection, it was a state of complete self-centeredness, utter disregard for the feelings of others, and absolute arrogance and narcissism.

"An overly strong sense of self leads to a significant neglect of other cognitive aspects."

"No wonder the drug I took before was called the 'Vaccine of Arrogance'."

"You can eat more of those foods that promote affinity and resistance in the future, but you must be careful about things that affect your mental state."

"60% — this is a relatively safe limit."

While I was thinking, the tram had already arrived at the school gate.

Just after the morning classes ended, Evan received an invitation from Professor Byron.

It's time to unleash the magic potion on the road.

You reversed the side effects of the Penetrating Potion.

Your digestive ability has been improved, and your constitution has been permanently increased by 0.07.

[Your blood quality will permanently improve by 4%]

"Tsk tsk, even a mid-level potion is still too weak when taken orally."

With that thought in mind, Evan went to that office again, where Byron was still fiddling with that notebook with the black sun on it.

Then, as usual, I used the foggy brain fog to cover my thoughts and fell into a daze.

Byron nodded with great satisfaction, then strode over and woke Evan.

This time, Ivan instinctively showed a hint of confused wariness: "Professor Byron? Are you performing some kind of magical ritual here?"

"Why do I feel so dazed and confused every time I walk in and open the door these past few times?"

Byron smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps you're a little too nervous, and your fear stems from overthinking the drug trial."

"If you don't believe me, try exiting and re-entering; you won't have this problem then."

Evan went back in twice to make sure he wasn't feeling dizzy before sitting down with Byron.

This time, Byron didn't have Ivan continue taking his medication first, but instead extended an invitation directly.

"You should know that I also work as a senior researcher at Byron Corporation."

Evan smiled and nodded: "Of course I know, you are a recognized success story in the school."

Byron's lips curled slightly: "Byron Corporation has a new drug trial project and is recruiting trial participants from various professions."

"The Witcher profession is being emphasized, and you have a unique talent in this area. I hope you can join us."

"The entire project lasted seven days and involved a complete closed-loop testing of the drug's efficacy."

"The location is the Placo Sanatorium in the north of the city. This test is for several potions for extraordinary professions, and the prize money is very generous."

Byron leaned forward slightly, his words full of seduction.

"One hundred US dollars a day."

Ivan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table with both hands as he tentatively asked.

"When will it start?"

Byron smiled and said, "I'm just letting you know in advance so you can make some preparations."

He paused, his voice tinged with mystery: "I hope you can keep this a secret, because it involves a lot of special benefits."

Ivan's face was full of longing: "What other perks are there?"

Byron said mysteriously, "For example, the opportunity to smoothly enter the ranks of masters."

Ivan's eyes widened, his voice trembling slightly: "Master!?"

Byron leaned back in his chair with an air of superiority and spoke casually.

"You witchers have no markers; the end of the entire extraordinary path is simply the Master."

"You should now know that to become a master, you need to fuse three complete extraordinary characteristics."

"Only after complete integration and a breakthrough in spiritual vision of twenty points can one become a master."

Evan nodded: "Yes, I know all of that."

Byron asked, "Then do you know how the three characteristics of a Witcher are integrated?"

Ivan's heart skipped a beat.

This time, he didn't try to hide it; instead, he exposed it directly.

Because he is truly smitten right now.

He had heard many times that combining traits would make one a master.

However, how to integrate them is completely unclear.

Byron continued, "Each profession has its own unique way of integrating, and these integrations all share some common patterns."

"However, due to their different characteristics, different fusion strategies have different details."

"This also led to the fact that the experience of each master in the process of integration was kept extremely secret, and it was all extraordinary knowledge that was priceless."

"And for our 15 common professions, there are relevant experience passed down in large families and factions."

His voice carried an undisguised sense of superiority and contempt: "But you witchers are different; your lineage is too fragmented."

"Furthermore, because there are no markers, it is difficult for you to grasp the right direction during the advancement process, which makes your already very complex professional characteristics even more confusing."

Ivan blinked. "What does that mean?"

Byron stood up with his hands behind his back.

"The fifteen common professions have symbols that can guide us and correct our mistakes when we advance in our careers."

"You can think of us as a ship sailing in the dark, with each of our fifteen professions having its own clear lighthouse."

"And your three professions don't have this kind of guiding light."

Ivan couldn't help but sigh.

Byron continued: "And because each of the fifteen regular professions has its own unique characteristics that match its talents, one can choose from."

"These are all proven and reliable methods that have been validated by many predecessors, which makes our success rate in the integration process very high."

"But witchers, sorceresses, mages, especially witchers! You have yet to find any extraordinary traits that suit your profession."

"Furthermore, due to the scarcity of resources, most demon hunters, during their apprentice and expert stages, generally use whatever extraordinary traits they can obtain."

"As a result, conflicts often arise between different extraordinary characteristics, and there are even frequent situations where one cannot integrate the three extraordinary characteristics one has mastered."

He looked at Evan and emphasized this point.

"The most classic example is that if a person possesses both the self-healing ability of the Bloodthirsty race and the fire ability of the demon, then there is absolutely no possibility of these two abilities being fused together."

"Although both of these characteristics are magical, mastering them simultaneously will not cause any direct conflict."

"But the Bloodthirsty race belongs to the moon, and the demons belong to the sun, which makes it impossible for these two characteristics to merge under any circumstances."

Evan nodded knowingly, then immediately asked.

"Is there a conflict between the Bloodthirsty Race and the Church's copperification?"

It's clear that Evan's question at this moment was quite straightforward and without any guile.

Byron forced back the sarcasm and smugness from the corners of his mouth and spoke in a serious tone.

"The two do not conflict and can be integrated normally."

Ivan breathed a simple sigh of relief: "Then, Professor, how do we fuse them?"

Byron turned to look out the sunlit window.

"Dreamland".

"All professions need to undergo training in the Dreamland to integrate their unique characteristics."

"Through the laws of the dream world, which are completely different from those of the material world, extraordinary characteristics are fused and forged together through one's own spirituality in continuous use."

"Ultimately, after the three elements were combined, my life form was able to leap forward."

Evan asked eagerly, "You mean you can protect me when I enter the Dream Realm for training?"

Byron forcibly suppressed the urge to punch this guy out of disgust: "I don't have time to accompany you on your training in the Dream Realm."

"But I can tell you some fusion shortcuts that are suitable for Witchers."

"These shortcuts I obtained unintentionally can greatly shorten the time it takes for you to become a master."

Ivan immediately stood up excitedly: "Professor! What do you need me to do?"

"As long as you can tell me this knowledge, I'll agree to whatever you want me to do with the drugs."

Byron nodded, sat back in the leather boss's chair, and waved for Evan to sit down as well.

"Of course I hope that outstanding trial subjects like you can become even stronger, so that I can try more drugs."

"So as long as you cooperate with me to complete this drug trial and fully test all the effects of the drug—"

"I can tell you the shortcut without any reservations."

After a pause, Byron smiled and said, "As proof that you can rest assured, I can give you some deposit now."

Ivan's eyes burned with intensity: "Please speak."

Byron said mysteriously, "A fusion potion, a precious potion recipe passed down by an unknown school of witchers."

"It belongs to the category of temporary intermediate-level potions."

"The effect is that it can temporarily allow the two extraordinary characteristics in the body to fuse to a certain extent."

"Once the two characteristics can begin to merge, the rest will be simple."

"The hardest part of becoming a master is taking the first step of integrating different elements."

"After taking the medicine, carefully experience this process in the dream world. This will give you a lot of experience and allow you to get started quickly!"

Just as Evan was about to excitedly ask further questions, he saw Byron take out a black potion bottle containing some kind of transparent liquid.

"This is the fusion potion I concocted, and this is my sincerity."

As he spoke, he pushed the medicine bottle towards him.

Evan eagerly took the medicine bottle, took a deep breath, and said loudly.

"Professor! I'm at your service at any time!"

Byron nodded in satisfaction, then took out two new bottles of potions.

"Drink it!"

Without any hesitation, Evan picked up the potion and drank it all in one gulp.

This time, Evan discovered...

These two potions are the complete versions of the Anti-Moon Potion and the Eclipse Potion.

The previous prefixes are all gone.

This guy has taken another step forward!