What a pity… If only I could have truly bound a Wind Spirit Moon Shadow modifier and brought it over.
Then I could have directly maxed out all attributes and skills and become an ancestor-level existence in another world.
Ron flipped through the Fundamentals of Potions in his hand, diligently memorizing and taking notes. Occasionally, he let his imagination run wild.
Still, the current situation wasn't bad either. The attribute and skill bonuses from stacking multiple professions would snowball, leading to exponential growth the further he progressed.
[Basic Potioneering Experience +1]
Another prompt appeared, and Ron felt his understanding of Potion Studies deepen again.
The feeling was like weaving a large net, with each knowledge point acting as a node. As his comprehension grew, more connections emerged between these nodes.
This—this was growth.
Watching the numbers increase little by little, feeling the knowledge take root and flourish within his mind—it wasn't a vague "I think I get it," but concrete, visible, quantifiable progress.
He couldn't help but wonder: how amazing would it be if learning on Earth had been like this?
If everyone could see their efforts preserved in real-time, quantified as numbers—this tangible sense of progress, this certainty that effort leads to reward—would make anyone addicted to the pursuit of knowledge.
To Ron, this world felt more fulfilling than his past life. Every moment of effort left a mark on his career panel, and he could feel himself constantly evolving.
Time passed quietly as he immersed himself in learning.
In his small room, the candlelight flickered day and night, casting dancing shadows across his books and notes.
Over the past week, aside from essential meals and sleep, Ron had dedicated nearly every waking hour to studying Potion Studies.
"The activity of Evening Primrose diminishes the longer it is left unharvested, but if collected during the full moon, its potency can last an entire month.
Spidergrass must be cut horizontally to preserve its magical essence, while Silver Calamus should be sliced diagonally for stronger efficacy…"
Herbal properties that had once been obscure now formed vivid, interconnected patterns in his mind. Knowledge was no longer rigid text—it had become living understanding.
[Basic Potioneering Experience +1]
[Basic Potioneering Experience +1]
[Basic Potioneering Experience +1]
…
[Basic Potioneering (Beginner 5 / 50) → Basic Potioneering (Proficient 9 / 100)]
A week passed in this near-obsessive study routine.
Every increment in his skill reflected hours of focus. On average, a full day of intense study would raise his experience by around ten points.
And as expected, the higher he progressed, the slower the growth became. At this rate, it would take months of dedication to reach the next level.
That's why Ron's most urgent goal was to change into the basic class of [Potion Apprentice]. Without an official profession, experience accumulation was painfully slow—like a snail crawling uphill.
However, the requirements for the main profession, [Wizard Apprentice], still remained a mystery. He hadn't unlocked the conditions needed to view that information yet.
Just as Ron was organizing his thoughts and planning his next step—
There was a gentle knock at the door.
"Hey, Ron? Are you still alive?"
A teasing voice came from outside. "You haven't shown up in the common area for an entire week. I thought you had quietly turned into a mummy in your room."
Ron looked up. A familiar, handsome face peeked in through the half-open door.
The young man had dazzling golden hair, and even the plain gray-and-white apprentice robe couldn't conceal the innate elegance in his demeanor.
Ron searched his memory—this guy, who spoke so familiarly, was Andre, the Thirteenth Prince of the kingdom. He was one of the few people from Ron's homeland here in the Black Mist Forest.
Back in the kingdom, Andre had been a legendary figure in aristocratic circles. Unlike other sharp and power-hungry royals, Andre always appeared humble, even excessively low-key.
This low profile, it was said, had put his older brothers at ease, thinking this younger prince had no interest in the struggle for the throne.
Now, that same legendary prince stood at Ron's door in a plain robe, casually leaning against the doorframe.
"Is Your Highness concerned about me?" Ron asked teasingly. "Too bad we're not serving your royal house, but the Ralph family."
"Come on, don't call me 'Your Highness.'"
Andre waved dismissively, his posture lazy as he leaned against the door.
"Here, we're all the same. Whether you're an earl's son or the thirteenth prince, before the Wizards, our noble titles mean nothing."
His gaze swept over the desk and froze when it landed on the worn-out copy of Fundamentals of Potions.
The pages were stuffed with sticky notes and annotations. The edges were curled from overuse.
"No way…" Andre murmured, surprised. "You've been studying this all week?"
Looking at Andre's expression, Ron suddenly realized how unusual his intense self-study might seem to others.
After all, most reserve apprentices with no hope of advancement usually spent their time loitering in common areas or flattering senior apprentices in hopes of favors.
Someone locking themselves in to study non-stop—well, that was rare.
"I have," Ron confirmed, his fingers brushing the page. "I found Potion Studies surprisingly… interesting."
"Interesting?" Andre raised a brow, expression turning serious.
As a prince raised in the palace and trained to read people, he could see the change in Ron's eyes—focused, composed. It wasn't an act.
"Seems like you've really learned something."
Ron was about to respond when Andre noticed the thick stack of notebooks on the desk.
They were nearly twice the size of the textbook, with each page filled to the brim.
"You wrote all these this week?"
Andre flipped open the top notebook. Inside was neatly written text and precise diagrams, many with added explanations and follow-up notes. Some questions had clearly been revisited and answered through further study.
"Well, to be precise," Ron pointed to the thickest one, "this was the one I started with. I wasn't very clear on many concepts back then, so I wrote them down in great detail. As I learned more, my notes became more concise."
Andre's eyes lingered on the Fundamentals of Potions, and his expression grew complicated.
Too many people had failed at Potion Studies. Some apprentices couldn't even reach the beginner stage after years. And Ron—Ron had reached Proficient in just one week.
He was the one who had given Ron that book in the first place. Back then, Andre had already deemed himself talentless in potions, so he'd passed the book along.
"Do you remember where you got this book?" he asked casually.
Ron thought for a second and nodded. "You gave it to me. Said Potion Studies didn't suit you and you were switching to Enchanting."
Andre looked over the dense notes again, a conflicted expression flickering on his face.
"Seems like you've outworked me by a mile. So many notes in just a week…"
He tried to keep his tone relaxed.
"Honestly, I didn't expect you to choose Potion Studies. You know, even some senior apprentices can't get past the basics. Just relying on reading and note-taking… I mean…"
He trailed off, chuckling, but the meaning was clear: he didn't think Ron had much of a chance.
Alchemy, Enchanting, Potioneering—these were the crafts of geniuses. Andre had tried several mainstream paths, but failed in all.
Just like Ron, he too had once desperately sought a breakthrough under the pressure of time.
But reality was cruel. Talent was rare—maybe not one in ten thousand, but definitely one in a hundred. And that one was chosen from among already-elite candidates.
Ron didn't seem offended. He could tell what Andre was thinking, and calmly shifted the topic.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Trissy in a while. Has she been around?"
At the mention of that name, Andre's elegant demeanor cracked—if only for a split second.
Though he quickly recovered his calm, Ron noticed the momentary flicker.
"Oh, her?" Andre smiled faintly, his tone deliberately light.
"She was just promoted to Intermediate Apprentice last month. As expected—among the three of us from the same hometown, she's the true genius."