If only I could actually bind a Windspirit Moonshadow game modifier and bring it here...
Then he could just max out all his stats and skills, and become some kind of divine legend in this fantasy world.
Robb flipped through the pages of Basic Alchemy, diligently memorizing and taking notes while occasionally letting his mind drift to such fantasies.
Still, things weren't bad as they were. With the stacking effects of multiple extraordinary professions, his stat and skill growth would snowball—numbers would explode the further he progressed.
[Basic Alchemy EXP +1]
Another notification popped up. Robb could feel his understanding of Alchemy deepening once again.
It felt like weaving a giant net—each piece of knowledge was a node. And with each new insight, new links formed between those nodes.
This was growth. Watching the numbers tick upward and feeling the knowledge take root in his mind—there was no vague "I think I get it," only measurable, visible improvement.
If only learning on Earth worked like this too, he couldn't help but think...
If everyone could see their efforts saved permanently and quantified clearly—this sense of progress, this certainty that hard work pays off—anyone would become addicted to learning.
To Robb, this was the most fulfilling his life had ever felt. Every moment he could sense himself growing, every bit of effort left a trace on his character panel.
...And so, time slipped by quietly as he immersed himself in study.
In his cramped room, candlelight flickered day and night, casting dancing shadows over his books and notes.
For the past week, aside from basic meals and rest, Robb had thrown himself entirely into Alchemy.
"The potency of Moongrass diminishes the longer it's left after harvest, but if picked during a full moon, its effect lasts an entire month.
Spiderweed must be cut horizontally to retain the most magical energy.
Silver iris, however, needs to be sliced diagonally for maximum potency..."
What once had been obscure and hard-to-remember herb properties were now forming vivid mental connections.
The knowledge was no longer dry text—it had become part of his blood and flesh.
[Basic Alchemy EXP +1]
[Basic Alchemy EXP +1]
[Basic Alchemy EXP +1]
...
[Basic Alchemy (Beginner 5/50) → Basic Alchemy (Proficient 9/100)]
[Gained Bonus Trait: Accelerated Memory (Memory Boost)]
A full week had passed in this near-obsessive state of study.
That EXP progress reflected countless moments of intense focus. Averaging ten points per day, it wasn't fast, but earning that "Accelerated Memory" trait was a welcome bonus.
And the further he advanced, the slower it would get. Just reaching the next tier would take months of grind.
So the top priority was getting a proper class—at least the basic [Alchemy Apprentice]. Right now, as an unclassed "whiteboard" character, his EXP gain was unbearably slow.
As for the combat-focused class [Wizard Apprentice], he still hadn't met the unlock conditions.
While Robb was planning his next steps, there was a soft knock on the door.
"Hey, Robb? You still alive in there?"
A teasing voice came from the other side. "Haven't seen you in the commons for a whole week. I was starting to think you'd quietly turned into a dried-up corpse in your room."
Robb looked up to see a handsome face peeking through his half-open door.
The guy had radiant blond hair, and even the plain gray-and-white apprentice robes couldn't hide the elegance in his every move.
Robb searched his memory. This guy, who clearly acted like an old friend, was—Andrey, the kingdom's thirteenth prince. Also one of the few familiar faces Robb had in this murky Black Mist Forest.
Back in the kingdom, unlike his more aggressive royal siblings, Andrey had always been modest and courteous—maybe even a bit too low-key.
It was said that his older brothers felt relieved, thinking this particular prince had no interest in the throne.
Now, this thirteenth prince was leaning against his shabby doorframe, dressed in the same robes as Robb.
"A royal checking in on me?" Robb teased. "Too bad the House of Reyne doesn't swear loyalty to you, Your Highness."
"Cut it out. Don't call me that."
Andrey waved dismissively and slouched against the doorframe.
"In this place, we're all the same. Whether a Count's son or the thirteenth prince, those noble titles mean nothing in front of a wizard."
His gaze swept over the desk and landed on the well-worn Basic Alchemy.
The pages were full of tabs and notes—some corners already bent from overuse.
"You can't be serious…" Andrey said in disbelief. "You've been studying this all week?"
Seeing the surprise on Andrey's face, Robb suddenly realized just how extreme his behavior might've seemed.
Most candidates with no hope of advancement would spend their time socializing in public areas—or try to curry favor with senior apprentices.
Locking oneself up and diving into textbooks? That was rare.
"Yep." Robb nodded, fingers idly brushing a page. "Turns out Alchemy is surprisingly interesting."
"Interesting?" Andrey raised an eyebrow, now clearly intrigued.
Growing up in the palace, he was a master at reading people. He could tell Robb wasn't faking it.
That focused, confident look—there was no way to pretend that.
"Looks like you've actually made progress."
Robb was about to reply when he noticed Andrey eyeing the towering stack of notebooks on his desk.
The pile was almost thicker than the Basic Alchemy textbook itself—every page crammed with writing.
"You wrote all this in just one week?"
Andrey looked at the topmost notebook, noting the neat handwriting and clean diagrams.
Some notes were marked with extra comments or questions—many of which had clearly been answered later on.
"Technically," Robb said, pointing to the thickest notebook, "that's my first one. I didn't understand much at the beginning, so I wrote everything in detail. The later ones got more streamlined as I improved."
Andrey's gaze lingered on the Alchemy book for a moment. His expression grew complicated.
Too many had failed at Alchemy—some studying for years without breaking through. Reaching "proficient" in a few months? Unheard of.
He remembered—he had given Robb that book. At the time, he'd decided he had no talent for Alchemy and switched to studying enchantment. He'd just handed the book off.
"You remember where you got that book?" Andrey asked casually.
Robb thought for a second and quickly recalled. "You gave it to me. Said Alchemy wasn't your thing and you were moving on to enchantment."
Andrey glanced at the thick stack of notes and gave a strange little smile.
"Seems like you've got more drive than I did. To think, all this in just one week."
"Honestly," he said in a light tone, "I didn't expect you to go down the Alchemy path. Most experienced apprentices have failed at it. Just reading and note-taking won't..."
He trailed off, chuckling, but the skepticism in his tone was clear.
Enchantment, Alchemy—they were for the gifted. He had tried them all and failed.
Andrey, too, had once burned with desperation, scrambling for a breakthrough under pressure.
But reality was cruel—wizard disciplines didn't come easy. Having talent didn't mean one-in-a-million, but it was still one-in-a-hundred, even among these elite candidates.
Robb smiled faintly, understanding what Andrey was thinking, and changed the subject casually:
"By the way, I haven't seen Talisa around lately. Has she been…"
He didn't finish the sentence before noticing the normally composed prince suddenly falter—his expression briefly slipping out of control.
Though Andrey quickly regained his usual calm and poise, Robb had caught that flicker of something else.
"Oh, her?" Andrey said with a too-bright smile and breezy tone.
"She's already a mid-level apprentice. Just finished her promotion ceremony last month. Figures—she's the only true genius of our kingdom."