Time passed quietly amidst the busyness and focus Lynn had been back at the Potion Garden for seven whole days.
During this time, he remained extremely cautious, meticulously gathering all available information about Emerald Island's Great Forest, fearing that his identity might be exposed.
However, after a week of observing various pieces of information being disseminated, Lynn realized he had been overly paranoid.
He had erased every possible clue, completely covering his tracks. It was nearly impossible for anyone to find him.
The Furnace had indeed communicated with Aestry and taken some actions.
On the surface alone, Lynn learned that the Furnace had issued a bounty, offering a hefty reward for the capture of two apprentices, along with their portraits.
Lynn had examined the wanted poster his appearance looked nothing like the person depicted. The surrounding eyewitnesses had failed to identify his true identity.
Even so, Lynn still felt uneasy. Collin's image was also among the wanted apprentices, yet Lynn had no idea where Collin was hiding within the fourth layer of the labyrinth…
Aestry had not discovered Collin's whereabouts yet. Otherwise, Lynn's own identity would have long been exposed.
"Collin, I hope you can hold on…"
Lynn sighed softly, but the pressure on him did not diminish.
Although he had successfully concealed his identity, one remaining lead could still allow the Furnace to track him down.
That was the investigation into the late apprentice, Riley, especially Riley's acquaintances and enemies.
However, Riley had far too many enemies and associates. It would take a significant amount of time to investigate them all, making it unlikely for Lynn's identity to be uncovered anytime soon.
Even so, this still posed a potential risk to him.
Lynn never lost sight of his goal: to complete the auxiliary potion as soon as possible, earn enough battle merits, and resolve the contract issue with the Furnace.
Once the contract was dealt with, he would regain his freedom.
If things didn't go as planned, he could still choose to escape, rather than being forced to rely on the Furnace.
"Moreover," Lynn murmured, "based on the intelligence I've gathered over the past few days, more and more people have been passing through the first three layers of the labyrinth, and the number of injured has decreased… It seems the difficulty has been reduced."
He furrowed his brows slightly, a strange premonition surfacing in his mind.
The changes in the labyrinth might have something to do with him.
After all, when he traversed the labyrinth, he had abandoned conventional methods, opting instead for a highly destructive approach demolishing one section after another.
Without access to comprehensive data, Lynn could only speculate. Recent figures might also be influenced by the luck of the Furnace apprentices or the random nature of the labyrinth.
Regardless, the situation remained unclear, and he couldn't make any definitive judgments.
Shaking his head, he pushed these thoughts aside.
He needed to focus and continue his work on potion refinement.
The auxiliary potion required to advance to a formal wizard was proving to be far more challenging than he had anticipated.
Originally, he had thought a week would be enough to complete it. But now, it was clear that he was still quite far from his goal.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Furnace's central tower, inside a grand and resplendent hall
The Master of the Furnace stood side by side with the Whiteheart Tower Master, their gaze fixed on the neatly arranged reports and scrolls before them.
"The number of apprentices passing the third layer of the labyrinth has already reached fifty. Compared to before, the increase is simply astonishing…"
Flipping through the records in his hand, the Furnace Master's tone carried a trace of doubt.
Whiteheart Tower Master raised an eyebrow at this, contemplating the matter before asking,
"Could it be due to the larger sample size?"
Previously, the Furnace Master had mandated that all apprentices participate in the labyrinth trial.
The larger pool of participants might be one reason for the higher success rate.
The Furnace Master shook his head, his gaze deep and contemplative.
"Not entirely. The data shows that the number of injured apprentices in the first three layers has also significantly decreased. Overall, the labyrinth's difficulty appears to have genuinely decreased."
At these words, his eyes narrowed slightly, his voice turning somber as if he were deliberating over something.
"This could either be a natural effect of the 'Landscape' upon the wizarding world… or it could be related to what Aestry mentioned about that…"
He abruptly stopped speaking, seemingly choosing to avoid a certain topic. Instead, he shifted gears.
"Regardless of the exact reason, having more apprentices clear the first three layers is ultimately beneficial to our plan."
Whiteheart Tower Master caught the subtle implication in his words. A glimmer of intrigue flickered in his eyes, but he did not press further.
With a faint smile, he instead asked, "Oh? So, you're ready to proceed?"
The Furnace Master let out a cold chuckle, his gaze dark as an abyss.
"I originally thought these useless apprentices would be stuck at the labyrinth's front lines for much longer, delaying our plan indefinitely. But now, with the labyrinth's difficulty reduced and more of them making it through… we've barely reached the minimum requirement."
"Tsk, tsk, this has made me quite curious," Whiteheart Tower Master clicked his tongue, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation. "Just what kind of place is the interior of the legendary 'Landscape'…"
A deep hunger for the unknown flickered in his gaze, his voice tinged with solemnity.
Even as a fourth-level Morningstar Wizard an existence capable of conquering entire dimensions he still regarded the 'Landscape' with caution.
If not for the fact that this particular 'Landscape' was unstable, that the Furnace Master had divulged everything he knew, and that the 'Landscape' had been affected by the wizarding world's forces, he would never have dared to venture in so recklessly.
Time flowed like water, and another seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Throughout this time, Lynn remained entirely immersed in potion refinement, never once allowing himself to be distracted.
With only three incomplete auxiliary potions at hand, his margin for error was minimal.
To ensure absolute success when completing the potions, he dedicated himself to mastering every step through relentless practice.
Due to this cautious and persistent approach, Lynn spent a full half-month tirelessly perfecting his technique, refining every motion to near perfection with the aid of his "Heavenly Reward for Diligence" talent.
At last, on this day, he pushed the final crucial step of the process to its peak. It was time to attempt the completion of the potion!
To ensure absolute focus, Lynn spent his accumulated points to rent a quiet and private laboratory.
Inside, the air was so still that even the subtle movement of dust particles seemed perceptible.
On the table, three bottles of brown potion stood neatly in a row, surrounded by an array of rare materials essential for the completion process.
After scanning the room to confirm everything was ready, Lynn took a deep breath, allowing his mind to settle into absolute calm.
"Let's begin. I've practiced every step to perfection…"
He murmured to himself, his gaze firm as iron.
Carefully, he picked up one of the brown potion bottles, gently unsealing its long-sealed cap, and slowly poured the liquid into a beaker.
As the brown liquid flowed, the laboratory was soon filled with a subtle, distinct herbal fragrance.
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