Locke followed the clinic assistant into a spacious second-floor office reserved for First-Class Wizard Apprentices.
Inside the office were six First-Class Wizard Apprentices, each wearing the certification badge of a Potionology Assistant on their wizard robes. A few even had honor badges pinned to the hems of their robes for developing new potion formulas.
These six First-Class Wizard Apprentices were all students of the three resident Potion Masters at the clinic.
At that moment, they glanced briefly at Locke as he entered with the assistant but quickly returned their attention to their own tasks.
This was the first time Locke had seen such a high concentration of First-Class Wizard Apprentices in one place.
Even in public lectures, it was rare for so many to gather for a single class.
Of course, it might also be because he was Sophia the Witch's first student and had no fellow disciples.
Other First-Class Wizard Apprentices likely didn't have the same experience. Still, the benefit was freedom—no one usually kept a close eye on him.
The assistant bowed to Locke and said, "Senior Augustine, please wait here. The clinic is very busy, so there will soon be work requiring your attention."
"Most of the first floor is handled by Second-Class Wizard Apprentices, but major treatment plans are managed by First-Class Wizard Apprentices like you. The second floor is primarily your responsibility, though the actual operations are carried out by us junior assistants."
"You can review the materials first to quickly familiarize yourself with our clinic."
Locke nodded briefly. "Understood."
Since he had just arrived at the Healing Hand Clinic and had no immediate tasks, he cautiously began observing the patients in the office and flipping through the clinic's public records.
"Someone has already compiled a list of common curse magic from the Blood Curse Court," Locke remarked with satisfaction as he read the materials.
This information alone could fetch a considerable number of Magic Stones if taken outside.
To say the least, it was practically an encyclopedia of curse magic, meticulously categorizing different curses by their distinctions, characteristics, transmission methods, severity, and countermeasures.
Most curses had specialized antidote potions, but the most dangerous were those Blood Curses or powerful curses without specific antidotes—or newly invented curses that hadn't yet had counter-potions developed.
Locke pondered, "By deliberately degrading existing curses to create new curse magic in a short time, they can bypass established treatment methods with specialized potions. This puts immense pressure on the White Wizards. In turn, we Potionology Assistants are forced into a relentless cycle of developing new formulas."
"For the Blood Curse Court, this is certainly a viable strategy. Hussein Quinn must have thought the same way."
As soon as he spoke, a female Potionology Assistant nearby lifted her head and shot him a slightly displeased look, as if his line of reasoning felt uncomfortably close to that of the Black Wizards.
Locke followed her gaze to the victim she was treating—a First Class Wizard Apprentice from another wizarding organization.
The apprentice wore the Academy Badge of Holly Tower.
But at this moment, the Holly Tower apprentice's eyes were unfocused, and his speech showed obvious logical leaps when conversing with the female Potionology Assistant.
The female Potionology Assistant asked, "The potions for your treatment will cost quite a bit. Will you sign a loan contract? The treatment process requires an advance payment of at least two thousand Magic Stones. Do you have that much?"
The Holly Tower apprentice replied, "Oh, I have... I have Magic Stones. But six thousand is too expensive. What kind of potion costs that much?"
The female Potionology Assistant frowned. "I said two thousand Magic Stones, not six thousand."
"Besides, most of the Magic Stones you pay will go to my Wizard Mentor. The remaining small portion still has to be split between the Pharmaceutical Room and the Magic Potion Shop. I only get a tiny fraction. Don't think we're making a fortune here."
The Holly Tower apprentice shook his head as he answered. "Oh, two thousand Magic Stones. Two thousand is too heavy—it would crush a servant to death."
Locke noticed that the apprentice's mental state seemed abnormal.
The female Potionology Assistant clearly noticed it too. She studied the victim of the curse with suspicion. "I misjudged him. His cognition is severely disordered, and it's worsening over time."
"His speech logic is badly impaired, and his thought process shows severe disconnection. Though it's not a Blood Curse, it's still a rather vicious one."
"Is it the Lethargy Curse? Or the Multiple Self Curse? Or perhaps the Consciousness Split Curse?"
A male Potionology Assistant nearby overheard and chimed in, "Essie, the Lethargy Curse only makes the victim emotionally depressed, reduces their mobility, and saps their initiative. The telltale sign is dilated pupils."
"The Multiple Self Curse would make him babble incoherently, but I don't think that's the case here. I believe this is more likely the common Consciousness Split Curse."
"Have him drink ten doses of Bear Spirit Bile Antidote Potion to boost his skin's magic resistance. Then administer three doses of Sea Slug Mucus Potion to repair his brain nerves. Finally, give him one Twin Flower Soul Coagulation Potion to consolidate his consciousness. That should cure the curse."
"And the cost of these potions should stay within two thousand Magic Stones. The downside is that drinking so many potions will severely degrade his Mana in the short term and may affect his future potential."
The female Potionology Assistant, named Essie, nodded in agreement. "Angulo, your thinking is always sharper than mine."
"Never mind his future potential—if we don't treat him now, he might spend the rest of his life as a madman."
Essie said, "Angulo, help me get the Bear Spirit Bile Potion. Let's administer it together."
The two of them then restrained the Holly Tower apprentice and began treating him according to their earlier plan.
Locke nodded in agreement as he listened, also thinking Angulo's treatment plan was excellent, so he quietly observed to learn from it.
But when Locke saw that First Class Wizard Apprentice standing there like a wooden puppet, obediently controlled by Essie and Angulo, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and an uneasy feeling arose within him.
It was as if he had overlooked something—something that could lead to a disastrous event.
Wait a minute.
Locke quickly lowered his gaze to the three Omen Mandrake Vines coiled around his right hand, which had remained invisible until now.
At this moment, all three Omen Mandrake Vines had turned completely red!
That was a severe warning from them to their master.
Inside this office, someone harbored intense hostility toward him—and judging by the situation, it seemed to be outright murderous intent.
Locke swiftly scanned the room before his eyes locked onto the wizard apprentice from Holly Tower. Suddenly, he realized why he had felt something was off.
The records he had just reviewed indicated that the Consciousness Split Curse was a common curse used by the Blood Curse Court—and this curse had several distinct characteristics.