Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Three Stages, Madness
He carefully put away the pocket watch, placing it within arm’s reach on the bedside.
Lying in bed, Ron recalled the day’s gains, a slight smile unconsciously appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Instinct told him that this "Time Guardian’s Pocket Watch" was far more than it seemed on the surface.
"Time Guardian..." he murmured to himself, slowly closing his eyes and drifting into sleep.
The first ray of morning sunshine pierced the mist of the Black Mist Jungle, slanting onto the wooden sign of the herb store.
Ron got up early, carefully placing the few rare materials into specially made containers.
He felt the peculiar sensation brought by the pocket watch—even though he engaged in intensive practice the night before, his body remained as relaxed as usual, with no trace of fatigue.
On his way to the herb store, he chose a less-traveled path, cautiously observing the surroundings, wary of any possible danger.
Since the last conflict with the half-beastman mercenary in Lizard Alley, Ron thought it was better to be more cautious now.
He pushed open the door to the herb store, the wind chime emitting a crisp sound.
The store was still dimly lit, the air filled with a peculiar fragrance of mixed herbs.
Ron was surprised to find Lady Allen already working behind the counter, bending over a wooden cabinet, organizing something, her long pale hair swaying gently with her movements.
"Come in, I’ve been waiting for you for a while," Lady Allen said without lifting her head, her voice carrying its usual hoarseness.
"I apologize, ma’am, I didn’t mean to be late," Ron instinctively apologized, even though he was sure he arrived earlier than the appointed time.
"Late?" Lady Allen finally raised her head, a glimmer of surprise flashed in her ghostly green eyes, before returning to a sharp, all-seeing gaze:
"You came even earlier than usual today; I just arrived even earlier. Isn’t it normal for an old lady to wake up early? Boy, don’t always be in a rush to apologize; it makes others think you’re easy to bully."
She straightened her back, emitting a few light creaks, leaned on her cane, and approached the counter, looking at Ron with interest:
"So, what have you gained? Let me see what you’ve brought back."
Ron took out the carefully packaged containers from his pocket, placing them on the counter one by one.
Each container was specially treated to ensure the internal materials wouldn’t be damaged or contaminated by movement.
"Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash, Crystal Moss, and Withered Tongue Moss, I’ve obtained these," he reported simply, his voice calm and confident, devoid of any intent to boast or seek praise.
Lady Allen’s eyebrows slightly raised, a rare look of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Her fingers stretched out like eagle claws, picking up the crystal bottle containing the Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash, examining it carefully under the light, her posture like a seasoned jewelry appraiser scrutinizing a suspicious gem.
"Good quality, one might even say excellent."
The old witch sniffed lightly and evaluated, her tone carrying a hint of praise, something rare for her usually stingy with compliments:
"Where did you get these from? How much did you spend?"
Ron simply described his experiences at the Sunset Tavern and Lizard Alley, naturally omitting the final conflict with the half-beastman mercenary.
"You bought this quality of heart ash for just five fragments?"
Lady Allen exclaimed in surprise, an incredible expression appearing on her aged face:
"That cunning dwarf Otto actually offered such a price? He’s known for his shrewdness, reportedly even calculating three parts off his dead mother."
"I helped him identify some herbs in exchange."
Ron humbly explained, trying to downplay his accomplishments, yet couldn’t completely hide a trace of pride in his eyes.
"Oh?" Lady Allen’s gaze became sharper, like a knife peeling open a fruit, aiming straight for the core:
"Your herb recognition skills have reached a level that even Otto acknowledges? That old fox doesn’t easily think highly of anyone."
Her ghostly green eyes focused tightly on Ron, resembling an alchemist scrutinizing an experiment behaving contrary to expectations:
"In just a few months, from a candidate apprentice to having this level of herb recognition capabilities... Ron, your progression speed is astonishing, even somewhat... unusual."
The old witch, speaking as she rechecked the three items of materials, with professional precision and accuracy, ensuring everything was correct before carefully storing them in the drawer.
"Honestly, I didn’t expect you to find these materials so quickly."
Lady Allen stared directly into Ron’s eyes, her voice serious and earnest, a stark contrast to her usual slightly acerbic tone:
"When I gave you this list, I originally anticipated it would take you at least three months, possibly longer, to find just one item. My plan was for you to collect them in stages, first teach you the meditation technique that could cultivate to the advanced apprentice stage, and then, once you had enough strength, you could delve further."
She paused, her ghostly green eyes becoming even deeper, as if they could pierce the fog of time:
"But since you’ve reached this point, I won’t be stingy either. I will fully impart to you the first two stages of the ’Star Eater’s Ravings’—from elementary to advanced apprentice, and from advanced apprentice breaking through to official wizard."
Ron’s heart nearly skipped a beat, the blood in his entire body seeming to flow faster.
This was far more generous than he expected. Originally, he thought she would hold back, according to convention; little did he know Lady Allen would be willing to impart the content including breaking through to an official wizard.
This level of extraordinary knowledge is strictly confidential within the school, usually only obtainable by signing a contract to serve the school for decades or even a lifetime.
"Thank you very much for your generosity, ma’am."ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ
Ron said sincerely, aware that Lady Allen’s help far exceeded the ordinary mentor-apprentice bond, also keenly sensing the deeper meaning behind her actions.
In the Black Mist Jungle, no one is generous without reason.
Lady Allen’s nurturing towards him clearly saw his potential, just like Holt before, investing in his future.
The more she gives, the greater the returns she’ll reap from him in the future.
But this relationship, purely based on a foundation of transactional exchange, made Ron feel particularly secure.
Compared to those pretentious and insincere cares, a naked interest-based relationship is more reliable because both parties are clear about each other’s bottom lines and expectations.
"Don’t be in a hurry to thank me." Lady Allen’s voice interrupted his thoughts:
"’Star Eater’s Ravings’ isn’t just any meditation technique, I’ve previously mentioned it sprang from the mad inspiration of a traveling wizard, containing many truths that shouldn’t be known, enough to drive someone insane."
Her expression turned unusually grave, a trace of worry Ron had never seen flashing in her eyes:
"This meditation technique is divided into three stages. The first stage will allow you to reach the level of an advanced apprentice, the second stage can help you break through the bottleneck of becoming an official wizard, and as for the third stage..."