“Hmph, don't be so cheeky.. Let me ask you one more thing—are you willing to become a force adept?” Master Scott asks.

  “Of course! Master, can you teach me to be a force adept?” Aaron replies, pleasantly surprised.

  Pharmacists are powerful and hold high status, but at the end of the day, they’re still ordinary people with weak physiques.

  Take Master Scott for example—he roams the wilderness, but actually, he still hires the Silver Fox Hunter Group for protection.

  Setting aside Aaron’s past obsession with strength born from being bullied for his weakness, even Superpower Awakeners don’t necessarily have great combat ability.

  According to the info from “Big Shot,” Superpower Awakeners are strong, but that strength comes later.

  Like a fire Superpower Awakener—early on, they can only control tiny flames.

  Superpowers are amazing, but early stages are really underwhelming.

  Plus, early on, they are not only vulnerable , but also often targeted by various factions.

  “Big Shot” told Aaron to keep his identity secret, partly because many Superpower Awakeners are too weak early on to defend themselves.

  “Strictly speaking, it’s not Force Adept, but Poison Adept,” Master Scott corrects.

  “Poison Adept? Isn’t that just poisoning? Does this thing require cultivation?” Aaron asks skeptically.

  “It’s not ordinary poisoning. It’s about integrating poison into your body and using the force to deliver it!”

  Scott’s eyes flash with a intensity.

  This cultivation technique comes from an ancient ruin.

  After his improvements, it’s unique across the entire continent.

  He’s both the inheritor and the lone pioneer.

  “Is it dangerous?” Aaron asks after a moment’s thought.

  “Not deadly. It’s safe until your cultivation surpasses mine.”

  “Is it powerful?”

  “Not inferior to the top techniques passed down in the leading consortiums.”

  Master Scott speaks frankly about the pros and cons of this technique.

  At first, he didn’t kill Aaron, because he recognized Aaron’s talent for poison.

  He saw Aaron as an experiment—a test subject for cultivating the technique he created.

  He saved him casually; whether Aaron lived or died didn’t matter much.

  When they first met, Aaron was full of lies, but Scott saw through them—a heart that endured humiliation, a bit cunning, but desperate to survive.

  People who fight to survive always earn a bit of respect.

  He was like that in his youth too.

  But it was just respect, not affection.

  He simply thought, “Why not keep him around since I have nothing better to do?”

  As he dug into Aaron’s background and learned about his hardships, a trace of pity grew—but not much.

  After all, Scott himself had endured plenty of suffering in life.

  Nobody’s life is easy.

  Then, when Aaron’s assessment scores came in, Scott felt it was a blessing from heaven for his disciple.

  Such a talent in potion-making would surely elevate the technique he created to new heights.

  Now, with Aaron revealing his true self after Scott killed the traffickers who tormented him, Scott found himself strangely fond of him.

  Cunning, unpredictable, ruthless—but deep down, his blood still runs warm and he knows gratitude.

  This is an age of war, and Master Scott himself is no saint.

  He really likes Aaron’s personality.

  So, he doesn’t plan to force Aaron to cultivate the technique he invented.

  Instead, he wants to nurture a top-tier potion master and have Aaron help refine and improve this posion technique.

  And when he dies, Aaron will carry on this technique.

  That seems like a pretty good plan.

  “Master, please let me think it over!”

  Aaron hesitates, unsure what to decide.

  He’s definitely want to learn this technique, but with the superpower seed issue still unresolved, he doesn’t want to complicate things further.

  “Hm, no rush on this. By the way, Bruce told me you signed a contract with the Silver Fox Hunter Group.”

  “Yes, fifty bundles of herbs per month. Bruce negotiated it.”

  “Bruce is really good,” Master Scott glances at Aaron, then adds, “Though he’s a bit of a fool.”

  That kid actually praises Aaron for being simple-minded and having a pure heart.

  “Oh, and for this month, I’m stationed at the Potion Hall. You’ll come for classes every day from now on.”

  Aaron gives an awkward smile.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The Potion Hall requires a potion master on duty every month, rotating among the hall leader and two deputies.

  This month was Kaviz’s turn, but he got injured by Master Scott, so Scott is filling in.

  Since it all started because of him, Aaron can’t bring up the topic again.

  He nods casually, then tries to flatter: “Master, can I ask a favor?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Could you brew me a Focus Potion?”

  “Why do you want that?” Master Scott asks.

  “You probably know I learn quickly, but because of that, after every study session, I feel mentally drained. So I thought a little boost might help.”

  “Oh, I see! Sorry, I can’t.” Master Scott notices Aaron’s disappointed look and explains, “Most of my energy goes into brewing potions that complement the technique—mostly poisons. I don’t know many Level 3 potions.”

  Master Scott’s face flushes slightly.

  Poisoning? He’s an expert.

  Saving people? Sorry, no clue.

  “Alright then, last question—Master, besides being a pharmacist, what other identities do you have? Consortium member? Outcast? Wasteland bandit?”

  “Get lost.”

  “Got it!”

  ……

  Bert City.

  Outside Peak Corporation.

  A middle-aged man with a buzz cut, dressed in gray workwear, opens his car door and jumps out.

  “Guys, you head to the Hunter Union first and sell the stuff. It’s been seven or eight years since I last came to Bert City. I’m going to check on my brother, you don’t need to wait for me.”

  “Got it, boss!”

  After watching his teammates leave, the buzz-cut man strides into the company building and heads straight to the front desk.

  The female receptionist, dressed in uniform, hides her phone under the counter out of sight while watching a variety show. Noticing someone approaching, she quickly puts on a smile and asks,

  “Hello, welcome to Peak Corporation. Who are you here to see? Do you have an appointment?”

  “Is Sam around? I’m Vorry, his brother.”

  The receptionist’s expression flickers oddly at the name “Sam.”

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen to him?”

  Sensing something is off, Vorry’s face tightens with concern.

  “Captain Sam encountered a ferocious beast during a transport mission in the wilderness. Only two people escaped; the rest are missing.”

  “What? That can’t be! What are the names of the two survivors? Where are they?”

  Vorry explodes with anger, his voice sharp and demanding.

  ……

  “Mix the decomposed Withered Leafgrass with Wisteria Sap at a 3:1 ratio to meet the potion formula.”

  “Once blended evenly, add ninety grams of Ironback Beetle blood.”

  “Be careful—the Ironback Beetle blood contains trace toxins, so you need to purify it. But don’t overdo it; if you kill the active elements in the blood, the potion will turn out defective.”

  “Watch the amount of White Orchid Grass carefully. After blending, add the other three herbs one by one. The liquid’s color will shift from pale yellow to bright yellow, then deep yellow. Each time the color changes, you must add Leafbright Flower to neutralize it...”

  On the table, bottles and jars of all kinds shine in abundance.

  Aaron holds the vessel, brewing the Calm Potion, sweat beading on his forehead.

  Master Scott watches him nearby, occasionally offering reminders.

  “Master, what’s the next step?”

  Hearing no further guidance, Aaron can’t help but ask.

  “The next step is to dump out the trash you just made and start over.”

  Master Scott says calmly.

  “Already failed?”

  Aaron is stunned. This is his first time brewing a potion, and he didn’t expect it to end so soon.

  “Yeah.”

  Seeing Aaron’s frustration, Master Scott feels an odd sense of satisfaction.

  “Do you know why it failed?”

  Aaron thinks for a moment.

  “The reactions between the herbs weren’t what I expected. There must be some mistake at some point.”

  The Potion Hall’s official website has plenty of video tutorials showing pharmacists brewing potions.

  Aaron watched many videos about Calm Potion.

  But the chemical reactions in those videos differ slightly from what he brewed.

  “That’s right. Not just Calm Potion. When you brew other potions, it’s the same. No two herbs have exactly the same potency in the world. Even the same herb varies slightly. If they were identical, there’d be no need for pharmacists. They could just send herbs down a machine line and produce potions in bulk.”

  “What pharmacists do is adjust the brewing based on the actual herbs.”

  “Don’t stick rigidly to the formula. Those potion recipes are just a general guideline.”

  “You failed earlier because you didn’t notice the change in Leafbright Flower’s potency.”

  “A pharmacist must act quickly to fix things when the herbs don’t reach the expected potency.”

  “Like just now, you should have used other herbs to boost Leafbright Flower’s neutralizing power.”

  “That time for correction is very short, so you have to react fast.”

  “……”

  Master Scott keeps commenting.

  Although most of his potion skills focus on posion brews, guiding a first-brewing apprentice like Aaron feels like a breeze to him.

  Seeing Aaron silent, Master Scott adds, “For a pharmacist, the basic formulas are extremely important. You haven’t fully grasped them yet. Honestly, you’re a bit early to be brewing potions on your own.”

  No matter how gifted Aaron is, he’s simply too new to this.

  He’s only studied the basic formulas for just over a month.

  Aaron’s problem now is that he only fully understands the basic formulas related to the Calm Potion. The rest remain unclear.

  But relying solely on the Calm Potion formulas isn’t enough to successfully brew the Calm Potion itself.

  It’s like driving: those formulas are just road signs telling you when to turn or go straight.

  But whether to overtake, slow down, or stop for pedestrians—that depends on the situation and requires careful judgment.

  You have to apply other basic formulas flexibly based on the circumstances.

  “Master, I want to try again.”

  Aaron grits his teeth, determined.

  Watching Aaron in the brewing room, chopping herbs over and over, Master Scott stays calm. He doesn’t discourage him but observes closely.

  He occasionally points out which step went wrong and caused the potion to fail.

  He advises what potion formulas to use next time when facing similar situations.

  One night, Bruce and Alex wait outside the brewing room.

  For the past few days, Master Scott has been busy guiding Aaron through brewing the Calm Potion. Only at night, when Aaron goes to rest, does Master Scott have a little free time to teach them.

  “That kid’s really arrogant. Just passed the apprentice exam and already trying to brew the Calm Potion. “

  ”And the master’s so biased, always sticking by him. That is Calm Potion. Forget these few days, even if you gave that wild kid a few months, he might not succeed. Are we seriously going to be waiting here every night for the master’s guidance?” Alex grumbles nonstop.

  “Enough, cut it out. Our little junior brother is an S-grade genius. The master is definitely focusing on him. Plus, he learns fast. Maybe by June this year, he’ll become a Level 1 pharmacist and get into the Imperial Academy!” Bruce says.

  “Come on! I’ll be impressed if he manages to brew the Calm Potion in half a year. Besides, the Level 1 pharmacist exam isn’t just about brewing one potion. If that wild kid passes the Level 1 exam, I’ll eat this entire brewing room.” Alex scoffs.

  Bruce doesn’t argue, because honestly, it indeed sounds like a pipe dream.

  Inside the brewing room, Aaron looks utterly exhausted as he tosses the potion in his hand into the trash bin.

  No surprise, he fails again.

  For five straight days, Aaron has been obsessively brewing the Calm Potion.

  Fifty batches of herbs, all wasted; not a single semi-finished potion.

  Fifty thousand gold coins, down the drain.

  No wonder the pharmacist charges more with each potion.

  The early stages really burn through cash.

  Master Scott has been by Aaron’s side these past few days, constantly offering guidance.

  From Scott’s perspective, Aaron seems almost obsessed, desperate to prove himself by brewing the Calm Potion.

  But Aaron knows that he’s doing this out of sheer necessity.

  There are only about ten days left before his next migraine attack.

  Time is running out.

  Each time the superpower seed fails to absorb spiritual energy, it suffers damage.

  The more times it fails, the worse its condition becomes, which weakens its power.

  “If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just borrow some money from Scott and buy a few Calm Potions,” Aaron thinks to himself.

  He pulls out his phone and calls Landon.

  “Landon, I need to advance next month’s herb supply.”

  “Aaron... It’s only been five days, and you’ve already gone through fifty batches of herbs?” Landon’s voice trembles on the other end.

  Aaron’s recent situation is no secret to Landon.

  Ever since the results of the advanced apprentice exam came out, Aaron has been under the spotlight.

  He’s hailed as Bert City’s top potion prodigy, the first S-grade advanced apprentice in nearly a century.

  Bruce always tells outsiders that his junior brother is simple-minded, devoted solely to potion-making, and uninterested in socializing.

  Because of Master Scott’s reputation, many factions also hesitate to bother Aaron too much.

  Though they don’t dare to contact him directly, many keep a close eye on Aaron’s moves.

  He want to brew the Calm Potion is well-known.