Now that Wizard’s Hand had achieved its breakthrough, it was the perfect time to test the Spiritualization ability.

He first picked up the formula for the Secondary Healing Potion.

He had refined this Potion before at Star Leaf, but the ingredients on this new formula were slightly different.

The formula’s main ingredients were Silver Leaf Grass and Hemostatic Moss, supplemented by a small amount of Silver Moon Grass powder and purified water.

Its purpose was to accelerate the healing of external injuries and stabilize vital signs.

Thanks to his three special abilities—Spiritual Soothing, Concentration, and Insight—Ian’s speed at analyzing and learning unfamiliar Potions was astonishing.

He activated Insight. To his eyes, the Silver Leaf Grass and Hemostatic Moss were no longer just plants.

Instead, he saw networks of pale green Life Energy and earthy yellow healing energy flowing within them.

How to combine them, when to add them, how much Magic Power to use for catalysis... a complete understanding naturally surfaced in his mind.

"Let’s begin."

Ian activated the Spiritualization ability, using Wizard’s Hand to process the ingredients. It felt no different from using his own hands—he was remarkably skilled.

"It"—the Wizard’s Hand—took a portion of Silver Leaf Grass, used a Silver Saber to slice off the part richest in Life Energy, and tossed it into the Crucible. He injected a trace of Magic Power to activate it, and pale green motes of light slowly began to emerge.

Next came the Hemostatic Moss powder. The moment it was sprinkled in, the earthy yellow energy fused with the green motes of light.

...

After all the ingredients had reacted, the liquid inside the Crucible stabilized, emitting a pale green glow.

[Secondary Healing Potion Skill Level +1]

[Secondary Healing Potion: Beginner (42/100)]

’A success on the first try.’ Ian nodded to himself.

’With the help of Wizard’s Hand, my workload will be much lighter from now on.’

He continued his work, producing vial after vial of the pale green Potion and placing them in the Constant Temperature Box.

His Skill Level grew steadily, and his refining speed increased with each vial.

In less than an hour, twenty standard-quality Secondary Healing Potions were neatly arranged in the Constant Temperature Box.

He had successfully completed the task for the Healing Potions.

’Faster than I expected.’

Ian took a short break, had a sip of water, and picked up the formula for the Basic Antidote Potion.

The Potion’s main purpose was to neutralize common biological toxins and the remnants of Low Tier Curses.

This formula was completely different from the one at Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy; it was practically a different type of Low Level Potion.

Its main ingredients were Clear Heart Grass and Antitoxic Fern, combined with Auxiliary Materials like White Quartz Powder.

The refining process was slightly more complex than the Healing Potion’s, requiring some understanding of toxins and the principles of neutralization.

He picked up the notes left by Sterling Wizard from the table and began to study them.

They contained general knowledge about Low Level Magic Potions, but Ian focused on the sections concerning antidotes and curses.

Half an hour later, Ian set the notes aside and began to refine the antidote Potion.

Activating Insight again, he saw that the Clear Heart Grass contained a cool, blue Purification Energy, while the Antitoxic Fern held a web-like structure of pale gold decomposition energy.

He first used Magic Power to activate the White Quartz Powder, forming a stable, neutral base...

Ian adjusted the order of infusion and the timing of his Magic Power intervention...

[Basic Antidote Potion Skill Level +1]

[Basic Antidote Potion: Beginner (35/100)]

Once he had one successful attempt with any Potion, the rest of the process became much smoother.

He churned out vial after vial of the Potion as if on an assembly line.

Soon, he had effortlessly completed the task Sterling Wizard had given him.

He set aside the extra Potions he’d made, storing them for a rainy day.

Ian closed his eyes and focused, replaying the details of the Magic Potion refining process in his mind and summarizing what he had learned.

’During a time of War, the demand for these Low Level Magic Potions is huge. At this rate, I can grind my way to the Skilled or even Mastered level in no time. Limit-Breaking won’t be far off...’

However, he wasn’t particularly concerned about improving these Skills.

He was more focused on Crystal Energy Barrier. His Skill Level in this Witchcraft was less than 200 points away from Limit-Breaking.

’Here, a fight could break out at any moment, and it wouldn’t be the minor squabble it was before.’

’Without a stable, instant-cast Shield, I’ll never feel completely safe.’

He took out a Ring from his pocket—it was the Shield Ring left behind by the Apprentice from the Deep Red Royal Court.

’This Shield Ring isn’t very reliable,’ Ian thought, frowning.

His past few battles had shown that the Ring’s Shield wasn’t that durable, not much better than his own, in fact.

’Starting tomorrow, after I finish my quota of tasks, I have to ramp up my Shield practice.’

Having made his plan, Ian downed a Limit-Breaking Edition Awakening Potion and began his first deep Meditation in the Scorching Canyon.

Outside the camp, the night deepened.

The deep red glow from the canyon’s depths, however, grew ever more distinct, like the eye of a lurking behemoth.

「The next day.」

Ian secured the required quota of Potions on his person and pushed open the door to his room.

The smell of sulfur and a gust of hot wind hit him in the face. In the distance, the deep red glow at the bottom of the canyon seemed a little dimmer in the daylight.

The camp was built against the mountainside. As far as he could see, stone houses and tents were scattered about, clearly divided into several distinct zones.

He had only caught a hurried glimpse upon his arrival yesterday; now was his first real chance to observe the "Furnace" camp.

The central area was the most orderly. A three-story tower stood there, clearly the heart of the entire camp.

It was where Sterling Wizard lived, and it also housed some of his Laboratories.

Surrounding the tower were several rows of sturdy stone houses. The Shadow Moon Banner of the Shadow Moon Tower fluttered from their roofs, marking them as the quarters for the High Tower’s High Level Apprentices.

His own stone house was right next to these quarters, making it convenient for turning in his tasks.

To the east was the Workshop and warehouse district. A cacophony of sounds from Alchemy, Enchantment, and smithing blended together, while chimneys billowed smoke of various colors.

To the west lay a sprawling area of tents and simple wooden huts, which saw the most foot traffic.

Ian walked along the main path, observing everything carefully.

The camp’s population was complex, but it could be roughly divided into three categories.

The first group was the Apprentices from Shadow Moon Tower, numbering around forty to fifty.

Most of them wore gray robes with an Apprentice Badge on their chest. They moved with purpose, and a distinct fluctuation of Magic Power emanated from them.

These individuals were responsible for the camp’s core operations, such as maintaining the Defense Rune Array, allocating strategic materials, and analyzing intelligence from the front lines.

The second group consisted of personnel sent by the surrounding Wizard Clans, totaling about two hundred people.

They wore varied attire, but each bore their family crest on a sleeve or their chest.

Among them, only thirty or so actually possessed the strength of a Wizard Apprentice. The rest were trained Attendants, craftsmen, and Knight Level Guards.

The third group was made up of temporarily recruited civilians for logistics. After all, the Apprentices didn’t have time to handle the many menial tasks of daily life.

This group numbered about a hundred people and was responsible for the most basic labor: hauling, cleaning, and cooking.

Most of them looked exhausted, but their movements were deft. Occasionally, he spotted one or two with the strength of a Knight Level, though they showed no fluctuations of Magic Power.

He also saw some Apprentices who radiated a baleful aura; these were wounded personnel transferred from the front lines to recuperate.

The entire camp’s population was around three hundred fifty to sixty people—a moderate size for a logistics base.

The true front line, where the War with the Deep Red Royal Court was being fought, lay further to the southwest.

On the camp’s periphery, Ian saw several figures in black Leather Armor patrolling, their auras steady and composed.

They were Guards from the Crawford Clan, rumored to have reached the Grand Knight Level of strength.

His gaze grew distant. ’A Great Knight!’

His own father was a "powerhouse" of that level, but from his current perspective, there was no real difference between a Great Knight and an ordinary mortal.

Even an ordinary Middle Level Apprentice could deal with a Great Knight with ease.

The two weren’t even in the same league.