Derrick Jones called in the next examinee, a First Class Wizard Apprentice from a minor wizard organization.
This First Class Wizard Apprentice appeared rather old, looking like a middle-aged man with graying temples. Locke guessed his actual age had to be at least over a hundred years old.
First Class Wizard Apprentices had a lifespan of two hundred years, so for his temples to gray to this extent, he couldn't possibly be younger than a hundred.
For First Class Wizard Apprentices from minor wizard organizations like this, their inheritances were incomplete, with many weak points across various disciplines. Their chances of advancing were practically nonexistent.
They came to take the Potionology Assistant Certificate exam merely to secure better job opportunities and improve their quality of life in the coming decades.
However, this elderly First Class Wizard Apprentice was undoubtedly quite steady. Five hundred Magic Stones might be a huge sum for him, requiring years of savings.
Without absolute confidence in success, he wouldn't have come for the exam.
Moreover, due to factors like age, his mentality was relatively stable, less prone to major fluctuations.
The elderly First Class Wizard Apprentice extended his finger, and a strand of Magical Flame appeared at his fingertip—a Wood Element Magic Flame.
Then, he switched to the Wind Element Magical Flame with the highest temperature. The pale Magical Flame flickered continuously at his fingertip, emitting a sizzling sound as it scorched the air.
After completing the set of tests, Derrick Jones nodded in approval. "Though your foundational theory is shaky, your performance in Magical Flame control is excellent. Some transitions took over three seconds, but overall, the average transition time still falls within three seconds."
"Not bad."
"Considering the academy you come from, this could even be considered quite good. It seems you've put in significant effort in this area."
Gogol bowed respectfully to the three Formal Wizards. "Thank you for your guidance, esteemed sirs."
"It is my honor to receive your instruction."
Derrick Jones said indifferently, "Next."
Locke stepped to the center of the room, facing the three Formal Wizards. He exhaled softly, then conjured the first strand of Wood Element Magic Flame, followed by the four Magical Flames of earth, water, fire, and wind, flowing seamlessly through his fingertips.
The transitions between the five Magical Flames were fluid, almost liquid-like, even carrying a certain aesthetic appeal.
This left the other two First Class Wizard Apprentices taking the exam utterly astonished.
They had never imagined that switching Magical Flames could be so effortless and smooth.
Gogol watched as the Magical Flames at Locke's fingertips connected seamlessly, blending like water, smooth beyond compare, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He glanced at Bate beside him and muttered under his breath, "As expected of a First Class Wizard Apprentice trained by a major wizard organization. So this is their true level."
"The gap between me and them is truly vast."
Beside him, Bate's face flushed slightly upon hearing this.
Derrick Jones's eyes flickered as he nodded. "Excellent. The average transition time between Magical Flames is only 1.5 seconds, sometimes even achieving around 1 second."
"Truly remarkable talent."
"Your Mana stability and precision are exceptionally high. It seems you're a student of Sophia the Witch. According to the records, she recognized your special talent in this area."
"That's why I've long wanted to suggest to the White Wizard Association that they include checks for Mana precision and stability when assessing Wizard Seedlings. This could prevent many talented individuals from being overlooked in the early stages."
Wizard Derrick Jones gave Locke a brief piece of advice, "If you could slightly improve your Mana sensitivity, your average switching speed could reach another level."
Locke was puzzled—Mana sensitivity?
Unfortunately, Wizard Derrick Jones wasn't his Wizard Mentor, just an examiner, so it wasn't appropriate for him to ask questions.
A Formal Wizard standing beside Derrick Jones chuckled softly, "Derrick, your expectations for this student are too high. Sensitivity is a domain only First Class Potion Masters need to focus on."
Derrick Jones replied, "Well, I just happened to come across a promising talent and set the bar a little higher for him."
"Alright, proceed with the third round of testing. Bate, you'll also participate in the final round."
Bate responded, "Understood, Master Jones."
Although Bate had already been eliminated in the second round, Locke knew that the results of each Potionology Assistant exam were recorded and considered comprehensively in subsequent assessments. This allowed the examiners to evaluate the candidates' overall proficiency in Potionology more thoroughly.
Thus, even though Bate was already destined to fail this time, he still had to give his all in the third round. If his performance in this round was too poor, he would be closely scrutinized by the Formal Wizards in charge of future exams. Conversely, if he performed exceptionally well, the examiners in his next attempt might slightly relax their standards based on his current performance.
It wasn't unheard of for First Class Wizard Apprentices to grind their way up through repeated attempts. After all, the difficulty of the Potionology Assistant certification exam far surpassed that of the Breeder Assistant exam—many candidates failed repeatedly.
The third round was a practical exam involving the actual brewing of potions. Locke naturally chose the Contemplation Balm, while Gogol, the veteran First Class Wizard Apprentice from outside, opted for the relatively simpler Blood-Stopping Moss Balm. Bate, however, chose to brew the Night Vision Potion.
Wizard Derrick Jones looked displeased at Bate's choice. "Night Vision Potion? I can't believe you picked that."
"As a First Class Wizard Apprentice from Lilith's Cottage, you chose the easiest option, just like an outsider. Why didn't you go for the Growth Element Gel instead?"
"Bate, I'm extremely disappointed in you."
Bate was so scolded by Wizard Derrick Jones that he didn't dare lift his head, his body trembling slightly.
Locke glanced at him. Both the Night Vision Potion and the Blood-Stopping Moss Balm were among the simplest potions—so basic that they barely qualified as Potionology Assistant-level concoctions.
As for choosing the Contemplation Balm, it was a standard mid-level difficulty potion for Potionology Assistants.
However, it was clear that for these First Class Wizard Apprentices eager to pass the assessment as quickly as possible, the best choice during the test was to brew the simplest Potionology Assistant-level potion.
After all, the assessment conditions were so unpredictable that no one could guarantee what might happen. The only reason he had chosen the Contemplation Balm was because Sophia the Witch had demanded it.
It seemed that, in the eyes of these Formal Wizards, choosing a standard mid-level difficulty potion to pass the assessment was the proper path.
Of course, something as simple as Growth Element Gel would never be included as an assessment target—so Wizard Derrick Jones had only brought it up to mock Bate.
Locke snapped out of his thoughts and retrieved a standard potion-brewing set from his Astral Ring: a cauldron, a stand, pipettes, capillary tubes, and a set of glass measuring cups of varying sizes.
There were also the ingredients for the Contemplation Balm. The main materials were: Silverleaf Mint, Birch Sap, Blue Butterfly Cocoon Powder, and Cat's Eye Stone Powder, while the supplementary materials were honey and Rawhide Gelatin.
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