At the entrance to the camp, a stern-faced, middle-aged man in a black long robe stood silently.

He wore a silver Star Moon Badge on his chest and exuded a profound aura.

He was, without a doubt, an Official Wizard!

"Hank Squad, reporting for duty." Hank stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"I am the person in charge of this camp, Sterling Vance, a Level One Wizard. I am the commander here, as well as the chief Magic Potion Alchemist," the middle-aged Wizard said in a steady voice.

His gaze swept over the group, pausing on Ian for a moment.

"Welcome to the ’Furnace.’ For the foreseeable future, this place will be your home—and your battlefield."

Sterling Wizard wasted no words and immediately began assigning tasks.

"Hank, I’m appointing you as the camp’s team leader. Lina, you will join the patrol team, responsible for scouting and clearing the three-kilometer radius around the camp daily.

Big Guy, you go to the eastern wall and assist with the defenses there.

Old Pipe, you’re in charge of repairing the camp’s Warning Runes and the two Purification Rune arrays. Get the materials from the warehouse.

Poison Fang... you will assist in treating injured Apprentices, especially those with poison and curse-related injuries. You’ll find what you need in the warehouse."

Finally, he looked at Ian. "Ian Marcus, the Magic Potion Alchemist recommended by Star Leaf."

Ian bowed his head slightly. It was his first time interacting with an unfamiliar Official Wizard, so he was being extra cautious.

"The camp is in dire need of Secondary Healing Potions and Basic Antidote Potions. The Alchemy Room is over there."

Sterling pointed to a stone house in the camp from which smoke was rising.

"Inside, you’ll find basic equipment and some notes I’ve left behind. Materials will be delivered daily. Your mission is to produce no fewer than thirty Potions per day, with quality no lower than the standard. Exceeding the quota will earn you extra Contribution Points. Any questions?"

Thirty Potions a day was immense pressure for an ordinary Middle Level Apprentice Magic Potion Alchemist.

But Ian felt a sense of relief. ’This is a range where I can reasonably display my abilities.’

"No problem, Sterling Wizard," he replied calmly.

"Good." Sterling nodded. "Remember, efficiency is life here. Every Potion you refine might save a life. Go and familiarize yourself with the environment. In one hour, Hank will take you to the Alchemy Room for the handover."

After Sterling left, Hank clapped Ian on the shoulder.

"Sterling Wizard is notoriously strict, but he’s fair. Work hard. A useful Magic Potion Alchemist is more respected than a Warrior."

Ian looked at the smoking stone house, then at the crimson canyon in the distance, and took a deep breath.

’Scorching Canyon, Furnace Camp... this is the starting point of my life at war.’

He picked up his wooden crate and followed Hank into the camp.

Stepping into the camp, the first thing he felt was the searing heat in the air, mixed with the smell of sulfur and scorched earth.

The camp was built against a natural stone cliff. Its crude wood-and-stone structures were covered in a thick layer of fire-retardant coating.

On several watchtowers, the faint light of Runes flickered.

In the distance, deep within the canyon, one could vaguely see dark red lava flowing. That was the area where the Deep Red Royal Court was most active.

"This is Furnace Camp. It’s a bit crude, but the defenses are decent."

The new team leader, Hank, then pointed to a relatively intact stone house near the center of the camp.

"Your Alchemy Room is right there. Materials will be sent to you shortly. Sterling Wizard said that as long as you refine thirty Potions, regardless of which of the two types, the mission is complete. Good luck."

Ian nodded and walked toward the stone house, carrying his wooden crate.

The camp wasn’t very large. Along the way, he saw that most of the Apprentices in the camp were hurrying about, their faces etched with fatigue and vigilance. A tense atmosphere filled the air.

His gray robe didn’t stand out here, but his identity as a "Magic Potion Alchemist" still drew some subtle, scrutinizing glances.

The Alchemy Room was much cruder than the one at the Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy, but the basic equipment was all there.

An old Constant Temperature Box, a basic set of grinding and Extraction Tools, and a pile of common materials in the corner.

In the most conspicuous spot, the center of the room, there was a small vent inscribed with a simple Purification Rune, used to expel any trace amounts of toxic gas that might be produced in the Alchemy Room.

’First, I’ll get familiar with the environment and complete today’s mission.’

Ian put down the wooden crate but didn’t start immediately. He first carefully inspected the corners of the room to ensure there were no hidden dangers.

From his own crate, he took out a finer set of silver utensils and several specially made glass bottles.

He had purchased these with Magic Stones at the High Tower, and they were much more comfortable to use.

He called up his panel and took a look.

"Huh?"

[Realm: Middle Level Wizard Apprentice (74%)]

[Talent: Moderate Light Attribute Affinity]

[Skills: Star Moon Low Level Meditation Method: Mastery (378/800)

Wizard’s Hand: Mastery (399/400)

Frost Freeze Ray: Limit-Broken 1x (286/800) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Twin)

Scorching Beam: Skilled (357/400)

Eye of Vigilance: Mastery (252/800)

Crystal Energy Barrier: Mastery (608/800)

Bloodline Purification Technique: Skilled (286/400)

Rock Bear Potion: Beginner (175/400)

[Awakening Potion: Skilled (216/400)]

Awakening Potion: Limit-Broken 1x (101/800) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Strong Effect)

Basic Magic Potion Recognition: Limit-Broken 1x (3/800) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Insight)

Secondary Healing Potion...]

The Skill Level for Wizard’s Hand had, at some point, quietly reached the limit of the Mastery level, just one point away from Limit-Breaking.

This minor Skill, which he had initially learned just to assist with Alchemy, had accompanied him through his most difficult times.

’Perfect. I’ll break through before I start refining.’

With a slight nudge of his will, the small silver knife on the table flew up.

It precisely separated the roots of a Silver Leaf Grass, and a grinding pestle descended on its own, grinding dried Hemostatic Moss into a uniform powder.

Several glass bottles were lifted by an invisible hand and arranged in the most convenient spot on the workbench.

He had performed these actions thousands upon thousands of times.

Now, he executed them with practiced ease, the Spiritual Power consumption almost negligible.

...

The moment he placed a portion of Hemostatic Moss into the Crucible, a familiar vibration echoed in his mind.

[Wizard’s Hand Skill Level +1]

[Wizard’s Hand: Limit-Broken 1x (0/800) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Spiritualization)]

A flood of insights regarding fine control, power conduction, and how to imbue objects with a temporary spiritual quality by attaching Spiritual Power rushed into his mind.

At the same time, Ian noticed his Spiritual Power had been refined once again, to a degree similar to what happened during the class last time.

In his mind, a slightly blurry gray Rune appeared next to the Blue Frost Rune.

After he finished processing the information, a look of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.

With a thought, the grinding rod on the workbench stood up, hopped lightly, and then began to grind another portion of Hemostatic Moss with an even gentler force and a more complex technique.

Ian wasn’t deliberately controlling it. He simply began to maintain it with a very fine thread of Spiritual Power, into which he fed a vague command.

"Spiritualization... just as I thought!"

Ian tested it out. The control range of the Limit-Broken Wizard’s Hand had extended to about 30 meters, and its maximum weight capacity had increased to roughly 100 kilograms.

Most importantly, its manipulative flexibility and degree of "personification" had greatly increased, while the power consumption had decreased even further.

During Alchemy, it could now simultaneously perform two to three simple pre-processing tasks, greatly increasing his efficiency.

"This is perfect for handling these bulk tasks."