"It’s... it’s Ron, the Alchemist, sir!"
A tall and skinny Candidate Apprentice exclaimed, then nervously lowered his head, fearing that his gaze might offend this great figure.
The other Candidate Apprentices quickly stopped what they were doing upon hearing this, and stepped to the roadside, bowing respectfully.
Their gazes dared not meet Ron’s, as if he were some fearsome presence.
"Continue with your tasks, don’t mind me."
Ron said calmly, understanding their reactions, as he himself once had to show such respect to those lofty "Apprentice Lords."
In an environment with such a vast gap in status, the reverence from the lower ranks to the upper becomes almost instinctual.
Moreover, his current position was significantly higher than that of the ordinary Intermediate Apprentice, second only to the Official Wizards within the School.
The Candidate Apprentices expressed their thanks continuously, but still kept their heads down until Ron walked away, then dared to raise their heads, their eyes filled with envy and yearning.
Ron deliberately slowed his pace, while quietly employing his "Extraordinary Recognition" ability, attempting to sense these Candidate Apprentices’ talents and potentials.
But the results were disappointing.
Most of these apprentices’ spiritual talents were at the lower segment of the Fifth-class Star or Sixth-class Star, similar to what he had been, if not worse.
Their talents were mediocre, their potential limited, and even with diligence, they were likely to barely become Elementary Apprentices, getting stuck at that level for life.
Continuing along his walk, Ron heard the excited voices of some young people behind him.
"That’s Ron Ralph! The genius who supposedly became an Intermediate Apprentice from an ordinary person in just six months!"
A familiar voice said excitedly.
Ron recognized it as the voice of the tall and skinny Candidate Apprentice from earlier; it seemed he had heard of Ron’s achievements from somewhere.
"Really? Just six months?"
Another voice was filled with disbelief:
"How is that possible? It typically takes at least three to five years, doesn’t it? Even that Third-class Star genius Trish reportedly took over six months. Could his talents be even above Third-class Star?"
"It’s absolutely true! He is also a Professional Alchemist, and I’ve heard he’s recently jumped directly into the top twenty in the Candidate Wizard rank!"
The tall and skinny voice grew more excited: "And when he first came here, it’s said his spiritual talent was only at the upper Sixth-class Star, much like ours!"
"This..." The other voice was full of shock, and then turned to excitement:
"Doesn’t that mean we also have hope?"
"Exactly! As long as we find the right method and put in enough effort, we might achieve what he has!"
"Yes! We can’t give up! We can also do this!"
Listening to the excited discussions behind him, Ron shook his head with a hint of helplessness.
He knew these Candidate Apprentices didn’t understand the true reasons behind his success:
The golden finger of infinite profession slots, the special talent of a dual soul, and the Time Guardian pocket watch, an artifact that allowed him to work tirelessly.
Without these, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t have achieved what he did in such a short time.
These Candidate Apprentices saw him as a model of rising against the odds, motivating themselves not to give up, which was inherently good.
But thinking about how they would likely hit the harsh realities repeatedly and eventually be compelled to accept a mundane fate...
One can only say that everyone has their own destiny.
"I made a round and haven’t seen any, it seems that discovering a forgotten genius isn’t as easy."
Ron wasn’t too disappointed, he was originally just having a go with a carefree mindset, and, seeing no harvest, he left the Candidate Apprentice Area and headed towards Lady Allen’s herb store.
As he passed through the stone archway of the apprentice market and the bustling merchants of various alien races, arriving at that familiar herb store, a warmth welled up in his heart.
It was here that his path to the extraordinary truly began.
From a Candidate Apprentice with mediocre talents, he grew into the Intermediate Apprentice and Professional Alchemist he is today.
He pushed open the door, familiar herbal fragrances greeted him, with various bottles and jars neatly arranged on the shelves.
Behind the narrow counter, Lady Allen was looking down at a ledger.
However, unlike before, the store now had two young female apprentices, seemingly fifteen or sixteen years old, busy organizing various herbs.
One of them was slender, with an ordinary face, brown short hair neatly tied back, with a focused and serious look between her eyebrows.
She carefully separated leaves and stems of a herb in her hand, her actions precise and orderly.
The other was tall, with long, purple-black hair flowing smoothly to her waist, like the deep starry sky.
Her face seemed to have some makeup, but it couldn’t hide her exquisite features.
She was wiping a row of glass bottles, her movements swift and skilful, occasionally consulting a notebook.
"Long time no see, Madam." Ron greeted softly.
Lady Allen looked up; her deep green eyes lit up immediately, her face relaxing into a few more wrinkles:
"Oh, Ron! You’ve finally remembered this old lady."
Her voice carried reproach, but couldn’t hide the joy:
"I thought you’d forgotten about me after entering the Candidate Wizard ranks."
Ron shook his head with a smile, "How could I? Recently, the courses and training have been overwhelming, I couldn’t find the time. How’s your health?"
"Thanks to you, I’m still stable in all aspects."
Lady Allen let out a small huff, putting down her ledger:
"Just the other day, that old fellow Yuni mentioned you, saying you’ve been doing well in the element courses."
"Yuni Master indeed has given me much guidance."
Ron said sincerely, then his gaze turned to the two Candidate Apprentices who had stopped their work, looking at him curiously.
"This is Fina and Lilia, my new assistants."
Lady Allen followed his gaze and introduced:
"This is Ron Ralph, once my student, now an Intermediate Apprentice in the Candidate Wizard ranks, and also a Professional Alchemist."
The instant these introductions were made, the two young women widened their eyes in shock, seemingly surprised that such brilliance would visit here.
"Greetings, Mr. Ralph."
The ordinary-looking one, Fina, bowed respectfully, her voice gentle and humble:
"Lady Allen often speaks of you, saying you were her most outstanding student."
"Greetings, Mr. Ralph."
The exquisite Lilia also bowed, her voice more melodious, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and some ambition:
"It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Allen says you’re one of the most gifted Alchemists she’s ever met."
Ron casually responded with a few words while quietly using his "Extraordinary Recognition" ability to observe the talents and gifts of the two young women.
Fina’s spiritual talent was at the upper range of the Fifth-class Star, slightly above ordinary Candidate Apprentices, but not extraordinary.
She had good comprehension in Magic Potion Making, precise technique, and a rigorous thought process.
Perhaps with a decade of honing, she might become a Professional Alchemist, but that would be her limit.
Regrettably, Ron sensed no special talent in her.
However, when his gaze turned to Lilia, a peculiar energy fluctuation caught his attention.
Lilia’s spiritual talent was only mid-range Fifth-class Star, slightly lower than Fina, but within her lay a distinct energy flow pattern.
[Lilia
Spiritual Talent: Mid-range Fifth-class Star
Special Talent: Diligence Can Make Up for Incompetence (Second Tier)
Learning ability grows with time when focusing on a skill, reaching an extremely high upper limit]
Ron’s heart stirred slightly; by mere chance, he had encountered a Second Tier special talent here again!