Ron nodded, still feeling the discomfort from body refining, but since he agreed to go, he couldn't break his promise.
"Then I'll accompany you," Andre said thoughtfully. "That shopkeeper... is said to be someone with a significant background."
"You mean?"
"I'm not exactly sure," he shrugged, "but anyone who can open a shop in the Black Mist Jungle must have an unusual background."
The two retraced their steps, and the morning light had already driven away most of the gloom.
Passing by a cluster of mutated fungi, Ron noticed that the colors of the luminescent fungi appeared more vivid than when they had first arrived.
"This is..."
"Your perception has improved," Andre explained, with a slightly amused smile on his face:
"After body refining, your five senses become more acute. Such changes are roughly equivalent to enhancing an ordinary person's senses to... "
He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "a qualified knight's squire, but not comparable to an elementary apprentice."
Ron's heart stirred; this change was indeed noticeable. Not only visually, but even the faint magical auras in the air seemed clearer.
Of course, a significant part of this enhancement came from the boost of being a magic potion apprentice. However, he wasn't planning to disclose this to Andre just yet.
"We've arrived."
The two stood in front of the herb store, its mottled wooden door tightly shut, with a bronze wind chime hanging on the door frame, producing a clear sound as the breeze blew through.
"Strange..." Andre furrowed his brows, "The shop should be open at this time."
Just then, the wind chime suddenly shook violently, emitting a piercing sound.
Following that, a hoarse voice came from inside the shop, "Come in, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Ron and Andre exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of caution in each other's eyes.
Such odd occurrences often indicated some kind of danger in the Black Mist Jungle.
But since they were already here, they couldn't just turn and leave. Running away might further provoke the other party. They could only take things step by step for now.
As they pushed open the door, various peculiar smells assaulted their senses.
Compared to when he last visited, Ron's enhanced perception now allowed him to clearly discern the magical fluctuations within—some were full of vitality, while others were lethally poisonous.
The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, with a purple smoky crystal ball in front of her.
Last time, he hadn't dared to look too closely, but this time, Ron observed her closely. The giant beak-like nose, the hunched figure, and the skin wrinkled like a dried riverbed, left an impression eerie and frightening, reminiscent of the witch in "Spirited Away."
And at this moment, the old witch, with eyes glimmering green, was profoundly eyeing the two of them.
"Sun's Protection..."
She spoke suddenly, her gaze lingering on Ron for a moment, "Though incomplete, it's still quite rare."
Ron's heart skipped a beat. He had clearly changed his clothes, so those golden patterns should have been completely covered.
"No need to be surprised." The shopkeeper revealed a mysterious smile, "In the face of mystical methods, this kind of disguise is insignificant."
Her gaze shifted to Andre:
"As for you, the little prince of the Faruk family, it seems you're planning to liquidate the family's inheritance?"
Andre's expression slightly changed, "You are...?"
"Relax, child, you can call me Lady Allen." The shopkeeper waved her hand and began tidying up the chaotic tools on the table:
"I'm not interested in the trivial matters of your worldly royal family."
She took out a rusty tin box from under the counter:
"Back in the day, your grandfather used to come here often to buy medicines. He was only a fifteen-year-old lad then, always shouting about becoming a great wizard..."
She stopped suddenly at this point, seemingly lost in some memory.
Moments later, her focus returned to Ron, "So, you are here for the assistant interview?"
"Yes," Ron nodded, trying to keep his voice steady.
Although the other party seemed friendly, the oppressive feeling from facing a stronger being was still unsettling.
"Hmm..." Lady Allen gazed deeply at Ron, "Your talent in magic potion making is not bad, and your foundation is solid. However..."
Ron was startled. Can she tell his skill level in magic potion making just by looking? He hadn't even demonstrated anything yet.
"However, books and knowledge accumulation alone aren't enough." Lady Allen stood up, "Follow me. Let me see your practical skill."
She led them through the shelves to a room at the back of the shop.
As they opened the door, a strong medicinal fragrance greeted them.
This was a simple refining room, with several workbenches filled with various instruments.
The shelves by the wall were neatly lined with herbs, some even emitting a faint glow.
"We'll use these materials." She pointed to a few herbs on the workbench, "Make a bottle of Calm Potion."
The old witch glanced at Ron's slightly hesitant expression, "Don't worry about failing. These are the most basic materials. Furthermore..."
She gave a smile filled with hidden meaning, "At your current level, you shouldn't encounter any big problems."
Ron walked to the workbench, starting to carefully identify the materials.
The Herb Recognition ability he acquired after changing profession was now at play, allowing him to judge the attributes of each material more accurately.
On the workbench were several different types of herbs:
The leaves of Moonlight Grass appeared as semi-transparent silver, with the properties most gentle when bathed in moonlight;
Mandala Root had been sliced thin, its edges glimmering with a faint blue light;
The stems of the Thorny Vine still carried sharp thorns, each tip shimmering with a weak red glow;
There were also some plants Ron couldn't name, but through the Herb Recognition ability, he could at least determine their basic attributes.
"I've studied all these; there shouldn't be a problem," Ron murmured softly.
The combination of these materials was quite particular—Moonlight Grass offers tranquility, Mandala Root can slightly stimulate the spirit, while Thorny Vine helps maintain the potion properties, with other materials arranged around this.
The challenge lay in their proportions; the properties of different materials could conflict, a slight error might render all efforts in vain.
Ron began recalling the records on Calm Potion in Basic Magic Potion Theory.
This basic potion, though simple, requires a perfect understanding of the materials' traits to achieve excellence.
"Feel free to use the tools," Lady Allen added, though her gaze never left Ron, seemingly observing something.
Andre leaned against the door, watching the scene, feeling a bit anxious.
He was genuinely worried that Ron might fail in refining, angering this mysterious shopkeeper, causing them to not leave through the shop's door.
Ron took a deep breath and began his preparations.
First was the Moonlight Grass—tearing the leaf along the vein to maintain the integrity of the herb's properties;
Then the Mandala Root—cutting it horizontally would make the properties too potent, so he opted for a diagonal cut, allowing the effect to release slowly;
As for the Thorny Vine, its outer peel, needed to be stripped with silver tools, otherwise it would affect the other materials...
[Herb Recognition (Elementary) Experience Points + 1]
[Magic Potion Refining (Elementary) Experience Points + 1]
Ron could clearly realize the difference before and after taking on the Magic Potion Apprentice profession, as practicing magic potion-related skills noticeably gained experience more easily than when he previously had no profession.
Each detail increased his understanding, and this perception of the materials, in turn, helped him make more accurate judgments.
"Nice technique," Lady Allen suddenly said, "It seems you've put in a lot of effort in researching the basics."
Ron didn't reply, focusing intently on adjusting the potion's proportions.
With the perception ability acquired after changing profession, he could clearly sense the interactions between different materials.
When the final herbal ingredient was added to the copper pot, the potion's color began transforming—from turbid initially to gradually clear, finally displaying a faint amber hue.
"Timing is just right."
Lady Allen shifted her gaze from the pocket watch in her hand back to the potion in the copper pot, "Both color and concentration are very standard."
She scooped a bit with a silver spoon, gently wafting it beneath her nose, "The degree of active ingredient extraction is also perfect. It seems you understand the materials' traits very thoroughly."
At this moment, Ron noticed her gaze turning suddenly sharp, "However..."