When Locke and the others stepped out of the examination venue wearing their badges, they immediately noticed a large crowd gathered around the area.
These people were from various local wizard families, high-end shops in the Chimera Market, or certain special institutions.
One olive branch after another was extended to Locke and Gogol.
A Potion Master Assistant could handle many tasks independently, capable of brewing numerous moderately difficult potions, making them relatively mature wizards.
Gogol seemed unprepared for such a scene and froze momentarily. When he regained his composure, he found his hands already filled with business cards from local families associated with Lilith's Cottage or shops in the Chimera Market.
A First Class Wizard Apprentice who passed Lilith's Cottage's Potion Master Assistant examination carried entirely different weight.
Gogol murmured repeatedly, "Thank you... thank you..."
He appeared genuinely moved. Never did he expect that after obtaining his Potionology Assistant Certificate, he would transform from someone unnoticed into such a sought-after individual.
Bate watched him and Locke with envy, feeling a bitter taste in his heart.
Thus, he quickened his pace and swiftly left the scene.
Locke, on the other hand, declined invitations from multiple shops and local wizard families consecutively. He had no interest in becoming a consultant for some wizard family or the manager of a potion shop.
For ordinary First Class Wizard Apprentices, serving as a consultant for a wizard family or managing a shop in the Chimera Market was a decent option.
Especially for those without any background, who had to work to earn every resource they needed. But Locke had his own plantation and didn't need to toil for others to earn Magic Stones.
Moreover, in the future, he could likely use the Synthetic Magic Cube to establish his own Pharmaceutical Room.
Pharmaceutical Rooms opened by Potion Masters often collaborated directly with major shops in the Chimera Market, which could distribute the products manufactured within.
Of course, like the Botanical Garden, setting up a Pharmaceutical Room required substantial initial resource investment.
Therefore, not every Potion Master Assistant could afford to open one. Only a select few could own their own Pharmaceutical Room at this stage.
And even then, profitability wasn't guaranteed.
This was why most Potion Master Assistants could still be hired by others.
But Locke had the Synthetic Magic Cube and could confidently establish his own Pharmaceutical Room without worrying much about future losses.
In the future, the Pharmaceutical Room could even form an upstream-downstream relationship with the plantation.
This was also why Sophia was both a Breeder and a Potion Master.
Of course, talent played the most crucial role as well.
A female First Class Wizard Apprentice in a white wizard robe handed Locke a document. "Hello, Potion Master Assistant. This is an invitation from our Healing Hand Clinic. If you join us as a pharmacist, we can offer you a monthly stipend of one thousand Magic Stones."
"You wouldn't need to come in daily—just fifteen days per month would suffice."
"Of course, you'll need to focus on brewing the following three potions in the coming period. Our clinic expects you to become highly proficient with these, as many wizard apprentices who come to our clinic require these treatments."
"The three potions are: Withered Bone Revitalization Soup, Green Vine Detoxification Potion, and Unicorn Purification Potion."
The female First Class Wizard Apprentice said in a gentle voice, "These are the basic requirements for Potion Masters at our Healing Hand Clinic. So, are you interested?"
Locke frowned and shook his head slightly.
Putting aside other considerations, although this job would earn him a thousand Magic Stones per month, that was only equivalent to what he could make at his plantation as a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice.
And for these thousand Magic Stones, he would need to work fifteen days each month for this so-called clinic.
That aside, he would also have to shift his potion research focus to specialize in the three types of potions they listed.
None of those three potions were simple to brew, and mastering them would require considerable effort.
Moreover, it seemed he would have to spend his own money to learn them.
The terms were quite poor indeed.
No wonder they were recruiting right outside the examination hall—most Potionology Assistants probably wouldn't consider this job.
Thus, Locke immediately declined.
Out of curiosity, Locke asked, "Is the clinic run by Lilith's Cottage?"
A trace of regret flashed in the First Class Wizard Apprentice's eyes. She had initially targeted Locke because the other candidate who passed the examination wasn't a student of Lilith's Cottage.
His skills couldn't be guaranteed, and he appeared rather old.
Still speaking gently, the First Class Wizard Apprentice explained, "No, the clinic was established by the academy's senior advisor, Francis."
"It's a private institution, similar in nature to the shops in Chimera Market. But the clinic provides an option for many academy students who have nowhere else to turn. By spending Magic Stones, they can resolve many of their troubles."
Locke nodded regretfully. "That's commendable, but unfortunately, I have other commitments and won't have enough time to serve as your clinic's Potion Master."
The First Class Wizard Apprentice smiled and said, "You might want to reconsider. Due to the ongoing wizard war, the clinic is currently treating many patients."
"At the very least, working at the clinic means many medicinal ingredients are provided free of charge. For Potionology Assistants short on funds, it's an excellent place to practice brewing techniques without cost."
Locke understood her implication. Many Potionology Assistants lacked the funds to continue studying and researching potion formulas, forcing them to seek external financial support.
But this meant the direction of their research and studies would inevitably be influenced by their sponsors.
Locke gave a slight nod, then made his way through the crowd and left.
The Contemplation Balm was only rated at level 5 in the Magic Cube, so Locke could continue synthesizing these balms to see if he could discover new synthesis formulas.
Locke returned to his wooden cabin and changed into casual clothes. He sat on the sofa beside the warm fireplace in his house and combined the two Contemplation Balms he had saved earlier with the one he had concocted during the assessment.
"I wonder what will come out of this synthesis," Locke pondered. "If I can create some special formula, I'll be one step closer to owning my own Pharmaceutical Room."
Just then, Locke heard someone knocking on his door. He frowned slightly, and his expression shifted as he sensed the terrifying Magic Pressure emanating from the person outside the Magic Door.
It was the Magic Pressure of a Formal Wizard—so powerful that it caused beads of sweat to form on his forehead. The flames in the fireplace flickered and whimpered, as if even ordinary fire was screaming under the pressure.
With a wave of his hand, Locke extinguished the flames in the fireplace and furrowed his brows. "Why would a Formal Wizard come looking for me?"
"Aside from Sophia, it's unlikely any Formal Wizard would seek me out. Unless…" Locke quickly considered what he possessed that might warrant a Formal Wizard's visit—and polite knocking.
"The only possibility is that it's related to the Advanced Meditation Technique."
"Could there be some issue?"
From outside the door, an elderly voice spoke. "I am Urien Rich."
"Locke Augustine, I need to speak with you privately."
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