A Crown of Shadows and Starlight

Chapter 16

The world of wizards was vast and boundless. Spells, magical artifacts, and enchanted scrolls possessed immense power, while magic potions, though seemingly eerie, were by no means inferior to the other forms of magic. There were also countless other mystical techniques, many of which Meilin had yet to even hear of.

A non-official apprentice merely grasped the basics of wizardry—the meditation technique.

A first-level apprentice was only just stepping into the threshold of the wizarding world, capable of absorbing a small amount of energy particles into their body and learning the fundamental use of spiritual power. However, casting spells was an entirely different concept. Only upon advancing to a second-level apprentice could one begin to release even the most basic zero-level spells. Until then, apprentices could do nothing but train tirelessly.

For some talented apprentices, potion-making was an excellent way to refine their control over spiritual power. Every time Meilin finished brewing a potion, she would feel a slight increase in her spiritual strength after recovering from exhaustion. This became her primary motivation for continuing to refine potions.

Although she had only succeeded once in six attempts, Meilin’s confidence remained unshaken. After a brief rest, she retrieved an ordinary notebook from her drawer. It appeared plain, handwritten, and unremarkable on the surface, but Meilin treated it as a precious treasure—this was her personal journal, compiled over four years.

Since she had been unable to advance for a long time, she had to rely on the meager earnings from working in the herb garden and hunting wild beasts on the outskirts of Shuiyunjian just to survive in the academy. Besides public courses, she had no access to free knowledge. So, apart from running errands for wizards and apprentices, she spent her time studying medicinal herbs, carefully documenting their habits, processing methods, and various related details. Even after she became a formal apprentice, she continued to take notes in the library, constantly improving her knowledge.

To others, this seemed like a foolish endeavor. However, Meilin had her own reasoning, and now it was proving to be a remarkably wise and far-sighted decision.

Knowledge would never harm her. If she refused to obtain it for free today, she would have to pay a heavy price for it in the future. Meilin would never allow that to happen. She was grateful for her past diligence—without it, she wouldn’t have developed such a deep understanding of potions.

Beside the notebook lay her experimental journal, where she recorded details about ingredient processing, the brewing process, environmental influences, and spiritual control. She had identified these four factors as the key elements affecting the success of potion-making.

Analyzing the reasons for her previous failures, Meilin began her second round of potion brewing.

The Focus Potion was a relatively basic potion, yet it was quite special because it assisted wizard apprentices in meditation and enhancing their spiritual power. Naturally, there were more advanced potions for formal wizards, but for them, the Focus Potion was as bland as water.

Focus Potions were categorized into four grades based on quality: inferior, medium, superior, and supreme.

Typically, non-official apprentices newly admitted to the academy were provided with a monthly supply of inferior-quality potions. However, prolonged consumption led to resistance, requiring apprentices to use higher-quality potions over time.

Currently, Meilin was consuming medium-grade Focus Potions. Though their effectiveness had noticeably diminished, she refused to use superior-grade potions unless she was preparing for a breakthrough. This time, she was brewing the potion not only for her advancement but also to hone her spiritual control.

During each brewing session, Meilin meticulously recorded every step and any changes in the potion. The repetition of the process gradually strengthened her confidence.

Gurgle…

The liquid in the cauldron bubbled continuously. Meilin stirred it with a glass rod while chanting an incantation. Her sweat revealed her exhaustion and tension, but she didn’t dare to wipe the drop trickling down her nose. One slip in chanting or stirring could lead to failure.

As she completed the final incantation, the potion in the cauldron turned into a bright silver color. Meilin collapsed onto a chair, her face pale as a sheet—an evident sign of severe spiritual exhaustion, even to the point of depletion.

“Near perfect—superior-grade potion,” Meilin murmured with a faint smile before slipping into unconsciousness.

A month later, Meilin gazed at the eight silver test tubes before her, pride gleaming in her eyes.

“Out of twenty sets of ingredients, I succeeded eight times—producing three superior-grade potions, four medium-grade ones, and one inferior-grade potion! A success rate of nearly forty percent! According to academy records, even the legendary potion master Nobel only had a success rate of barely thirty percent when he first attempted to brew Focus Potions.”

Success brought her joy, but Focus Potions were not allowed to be sold in the academy’s trading area. Though it was only a potion for apprentices, apprentices were the primary consumers. A stable producer of Focus Potions was like a hen that laid golden eggs, especially someone as low-ranked as Meilin, who would be easy to control.

“This must never be revealed, or danger will come sooner than expected!”

Meilin made up her mind. These potions were for her use only. Not even her friend Heller could know about them.

“It’s a pity… but now’s not the time to dwell on that. The real priority is advancing to a second-level apprentice!”

She had also considered refining the potions into superior or supreme grades to prepare for future breakthroughs. Once she left the academy, there was no guarantee she could obtain these potions.

With twenty-four willpower runes nearly completed, Meilin was already in her optimal state. She sat cross-legged on her bed, took a bottle of superior-grade Focus Potion, drank it in one gulp, and began meditating…

Unnoticed, dawn broke in the east. Outside, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridors.

Inside her dormitory, Meilin opened her eyes.

“I’ve finally advanced to the second level! My spiritual power has greatly increased, and the energy particles in my body are now several times denser than before. This… this is what power feels like!”

Joy overflowed on Meilin’s face. From the eager anticipation she had before entering the academy to the crushing disappointment afterward, her journey felt like a fall from heaven to hell. There had been moments when she contemplated ending her own life rather than suffering at the hands of scum like Feller. But she had persevered… was this the blessing of fate?