Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Spreaders and a Race Against Time
Peeking through the door gap to the outside, a familiar figure was stumbling past—it was another Candidate Apprentice, Andy, who had arrived at the Black Mist Jungle at the same time.
This young boy from a merchant family usually looked fearful every day.
At this moment, he was clutching a large pile of books, running anxiously in the direction of the Library.
"Another one looking for a breakthrough at the last minute..." Ron shook his head to himself.
This kind of situation was becoming more and more frequent recently.
As the examination deadline approached, those Candidate Apprentices yet unsure of passing were either going astray like Locke and Emily or desperately researching like Andy.
But regardless of the choice, the results are often unsatisfactory.
"You still have to proceed step by step."
Ron looked at the Stimulant Potion in his hand and made up his mind silently.
Although his current progress wasn’t particularly fast compared to those higher Star Level geniuses, this was just the beginning of his growth path.
On this path, every step was solid, every bit of progress visible and tangible, and it would get faster and faster until finally, he would surpass everyone completely.
With that in mind, he sat back on the bed to continue today’s cultivation.
Time was precious; he couldn’t waste the effect of this Stimulant Potion.
......
Ron had just finished his Meditation Cultivation and was resting when laughter came from the hallway.
"...That necklace is so beautiful, it must be very expensive, right?" A female voice drifted through the door.
"It’s okay, just a gift from the master. Speaking of which, do you know what Sir Marcus has been researching recently..."
He opened a crack in the door, silently peeking outside, from afar he could see several Servants of apprentices conversing; judging by the sound, it seemed they weren’t the same group as last time.
However, from their meticulously dressed clothing and jewelry, it was clear that their status was far beyond that of ordinary servants.
"Not everyone has such luck."ᴛhis ᴜpdated by NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt
One voice carried a hint of envy:
"I heard that the newcomer, the one who ’broke through’ just last month, apparently also took a special route."
"Shh—keep it down. But seriously, I heard it too, and it only took three days..."
"Really? I remember he seemed to be from the black market area..."
"Don’t get into too many details, but I’ve heard some new merchants arrived recently, specializing in rare material purchases."
The tone in which they spoke seemed casual, as if just small talk, but every word carried a certain implication.
Ron noticed several dimly lit rooms behind closed doors.
The Candidate Apprentices still troubled by breakthroughs were evidently listening.
"Hey, who’s that over there? Yes, the one who went to find the black market merchants a couple of days ago."
One of the servants suddenly whispered, "I heard..."
"Don’t talk about it, don’t talk about it, it’s better not to discuss such things."
Another hurriedly interrupted, "But indeed, the stuff those merchants have is quite potent."
"Yes, yes, I’ve heard the effect is very quick, my master said, as long as you manage the dosage and timing well, especially in the..."
Hearing the servants’ conversation, Ron suddenly recalled that yesterday, just after leaving the Herb Store, he encountered a few flamboyantly dressed female servants loitering at various street corners of the market.
At that time, the looks they gave carried a hint of scrutiny, thinking back now, they were probably searching for potential ’targets.’
Those servants were clearly specially trained.
They always chose to talk loudly about those ’special channels’ in crowded places, and they were all attractive females, which drew even more attention and appeared more natural when speaking.
Every detail was meticulously designed to get those nearly desperate Candidate Apprentices to believe this was ’reliable information.’
"Such means are truly..." Ron sighed softly.
His upbringing at Earl Ralph’s Mansion made him very familiar with this kind of ’information guidance.’
Back then, those subordinates wanting to curry favor with his father often intentionally spread favorable rumors in certain situations.
But in the Black Mist Jungle, such means had far more severe consequences.
Here, a wrong decision not only meant a fall in status but could directly threaten life.
The servants continued chatting away, gradually moving further away.
Yet those subtle ’messages’ had already ignited like sparks on dry wood, secretly burning through the dorm area.
"Truly insidious." Ron shook his head with a cold smile.
The ’three-day breakthrough’ example they mentioned was precisely the mutated Locke.
But in their narrative, they deliberately omitted the tragic aftermath, only emphasizing the potion’s effect.
To those Candidate Apprentices with no way out, this was undoubtedly a fatal temptation.
"The three-month deadline is indeed too short for some people..."
He looked out at the gradually darkening sky, sighing internally.
As time passed, those unable to see hope would inevitably grow more desperate.
And the spread of these ’messages’ was undoubtedly pouring oil on the fire.
In just a few short days, several Candidate Apprentices had already taken reckless chances.
Locke and Emily were just the beginning; likely more would follow down this doomed path.
It wasn’t hard to guess who was behind the servants spreading information, and who the black market merchants were connected to.
In this survival of the fittest world, the weak are always the prey.
Whether they become test subjects or someone else’s servant, for some, it was just a harvest game.
"I still have to get stronger quickly; I don’t want to be manipulated like this forever..." Ron took a deep breath, readjusting his mindset.
He forcefully shut the door tight and sat back by the bed.
Even though the chatter from outside slowly faded away, those deliberately planted ’messages’ had already left ripples in the dorm area.
He could hear pacing from Darrend’s room next door, evidently indicating that his neighbor, deeply absorbed in noise magic research, had also been affected by the chatter.
Usually, Darrend was always focused on his experiments, rarely concerned with the outside world, but now even he couldn’t sit still.
"There really isn’t much time left..." Ron felt a sense of urgency stirring within.