"Ian." Kenna smiled, the lines on his face much deeper than before. "We’re back."

"Come in, quickly." Ian hurriedly invited them inside, but his heart sank.

’From the looks of them, they’ve had a rough time,’ Ian thought.

"Where... have you been for the past three months?" Ian asked.

Kenna and Robert exchanged a look, their faces filled with bitterness.

"We followed your advice and left Nightfall Town. First we went to the Scorching Canyon in the southwest, then we made our way to the edge of the southern marshes. But no matter where we went, we felt like someone was hunting us."

Wade gulped down a mouthful of tea and took over. "Later we found out it wasn’t the Shadow Society behind us, but the Deep Red Royal Court!"

Ian’s pupils constricted.

Robert pulled a piece of parchment from his robes and spread it on the table.

A map was sketched on it with simple lines, large areas marked in red.

"This is a map we got by trading with another group of apprentices we met at the edge of the marshes while we were on the run."

Robert pointed at the map. "The conflict between the Shadow Moon Tower and the Deep Red Royal Court has fully escalated. A month ago, a huge battle broke out between them on the Falling Star Plain. Supposedly, dozens of High Level Apprentices from both sides were killed, and an Official Wizard from the Shadow Moon Tower was seriously injured and forced to flee."

Monica added in a low voice, "We also heard that the Deep Red Royal Court is planning a surprise attack on the High Tower’s rear sometime soon, but we don’t know from which direction."

Kenna looked at Ian, his expression grave. "Ian, Nightfall Town is one of the High Tower’s outer strongholds. And... on our way back, we heard someone asking about the Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy."

The room fell silent. Ian lowered his gaze.

"Do you know who it was?"

Kenna wasn’t sure. "The source was vague. It sounded like people from a Bloodline Wizard Clan. We heard Nolan owed them a sum of Magic Stones."

Ian’s heart skipped a beat. "What’s the clan’s name? How strong are they?"

Kenna looked a little embarrassed. "I’m not sure about their strength. I only know it’s the Osborne Clan."

’A Bloodline Wizard Clan?’ Ian had his suspicions but couldn’t be sure.

’The Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy has sold a good number of Rock Bear Potions over the past two months. Maybe it’s just someone else making inquiries.’

Wade’s expression was heavy. "Ian, this area is also within the red zone on the map. It seems there are still remnants of the Shadow Society active here. You need to be careful."

Ian was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Looks like quiet cultivation is no longer an option."

He stood up, his gaze sharpening as he looked out at the pitch-black night.

"You’ve returned at the perfect time. I have a batch of precious resources on hand that can dramatically increase your strength in a very short time. It’s suitable for all of you!"

Kenna and the others’ eyes lit up.

"But in exchange," Ian turned, his gaze sweeping over the four of them.

"I need you to be my eyes and ears. Help me gather all information about the war, and... any intelligence about people asking about me."

He needed to know what the world outside had become.

More importantly, he needed to guard against any individuals or factions that might be spying on him from the shadows.

Now that the war had begun, no one could remain uninvolved.

And the strength he had accumulated over the past two months gave him the confidence to face the war head-on.

...

The next morning, Ian invited Kenna and the others into his room.

"I thought about it a lot last night." Ian got straight to the point, placing four vials of Rock Bear Potion on the table.

The Blood Crystal-colored potion shimmered under the light, with lively golden threads swimming joyfully inside.

"This is a new potion I’ve refined. It’s called Rock Bear Potion."

Ian saw the eager looks in their eyes and nodded to himself before explaining the potion’s effects.

"It’s an extremely rare Bloodline Potion. It can give a person the strength of a High Level Apprentice in a very short amount of time!"

Kenna and the other three stared at the potions on the table, their breathing growing heavier.

With war on the horizon, everyone wanted to gain power quickly.

"As I said last night, I plan to give each of you one vial as an investment."

"Ian, this is too valuable..." Kenna tried to refuse, but he couldn’t hide the desire in his eyes.

"It’s not free," Ian said, cutting him off with a wave of his hand.

"I need a reliable information network, and you are the people I trust most. Taking these potions will also greatly enhance your own safety."

He paused, his tone turning serious. "There is one thing I must make clear. This potion cannot be used alone. It must be paired with a Neutralizing Potion, otherwise there’s a risk of bloodline mutation or Demonization."

"A Neutralizing Potion?" Robert frowned. "Those are expensive and hard to buy."

"I know." Ian nodded. "There’s a Neutralizing Potion called Water of Serenity. One vial costs 500 Magic Stones."

"500 Magic Stones?!" Monica gasped.

To them, that was an astronomical sum.

"You’ll have to figure out how to get the Magic Stones yourselves," Ian said.

"However, I can advance you some Magic Stones as operational funds, but you’ll have to earn the bulk of it yourselves. Or, you can wait until you’ve saved up enough Magic Stones before taking the potion."

Kenna exchanged glances with his team, then gritted his teeth. "We’ll figure out a way to get the Magic Stones. You can count on us for the intelligence."

Ian nodded in satisfaction. He handed the four potions to them and advanced them 200 Magic Stones as startup capital.

The group discussed how they would relay intelligence, agreeing to use the Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy as a base and send back information periodically.

After seeing them off, Ian began to consider his own situation.

’I still have a few vials of Strong Effect Rock Bear Potion, but I’m not going to take them.’

’I want to wait until both my Bloodline Purification Technique and Rock Bear Potion skills are Limit-Breaking, then take the Limit-Breaking enhanced version!’

’I can’t wait to see what kind of power boost I’ll get then!’

’Unfortunately, the Skill Level for these two Skills is increasing too slowly to keep up with the current war.’

A thought struck him, and he remembered the incomplete formula.

’As it happens, Teacher Alevia has a class tomorrow.’

Ian checked his schedule. ’I should go.’

「The next morning」

Ian set out early, taking a carriage to the Shadow Moon Tower.

Along the way, he carefully observed the atmosphere around him through the carriage window.

It was indeed much more tense than before. The patrolling figures of High Level Apprentices were everywhere.

Arriving at the teaching area again, the atmosphere was completely different from before.

The apprentices hurrying through the corridors mostly wore grave and worried expressions, their conversations revolving around the war and the Deep Red Royal Court.

Ian arrived at Classroom 1 of Magic Potion Science Area 2. He showed his wooden token and entered the classroom to wait.

The classroom was packed, as usual, filled almost entirely with red-robed apprentices. The few gray-robed ones stood out conspicuously.

He had come here many times for lectures over the past two months and had learned a great deal.

Even his Skill Level in Basic Magic Potion Recognition was nearing its limit.

’It’s not a combat Skill, but after Limit-Breaking, it can slightly refine my Spiritual Power. That’s a nice bonus.’

At the same time, he had also learned about Teacher Alevia’s status.

At the Shadow Moon Tower, Alevia’s attainments in Magic Potion Science were ranked in the top three!

Her power was even more terrifying; he heard she was close to breaking through to become a Level One Wizard!

’Perhaps... my only hope of completing the formula for the Water of Balance lies with her.’