Time flowed silently like a stream, and the dormitory in the potion garden was enveloped in a faint fragrance of potions.
Lynn's room was like a sealed refining chamber, completely isolated from the noise of the outside world.
Inside, everything appeared calm and still, yet beneath this quiet surface, his mental domain surged like the deep sea, with undercurrents churning.
His mental power continued to grow, like a towering tree with deep roots and lush foliage, steadily reaching toward the sky.
Unfortunately, the crystal ball in his hands was merely a crude, defective item, incapable of accurately recording each step of his mental power's growth.
Had he possessed a higher-precision crystal ball, it would have captured the fluctuations of his mental power:
12.1, 12.2, 12.3...
The trajectory of this growth was like the first light of dawn breaking through the darkness steady and bright.
As time passed, the supply of potions Lynn had brought back from the Nightshadow Fortress gradually dwindled. However, his cultivation speed significantly increased, and each session of meditation became more effective than the last.
Even more exciting was an unexpected discovery he made during his training.
The absorption rate of potions had accelerated. The process from consumption to full effect had noticeably shortened, allowing him to convert potion effects into his mental power much faster.
This meant that within the same amount of time, he could consume more potions, leading to a remarkable increase in his growth rate.
Previously, it took him several hours to fully digest ten bottles of potions. Now, within the same time frame, he could process fifteen bottles perhaps even twenty.
This leap in efficiency was like an invisible pair of wings, propelling him higher and higher on his path of cultivation.
Though Lynn's status panel did not provide a clear explanation, he keenly realized that this change stemmed from his unique talent.
Heaven Rewards Diligence.
And who said that diligently consuming potions didn't count as effort?
A month slipped by in the blink of an eye.
On this particular morning, as the sun rose, its golden rays spread gradually across the sky, dispelling the chill of the night and bringing warmth and vitality to the earth.
Sitting calmly at the edge of his bed, Lynn's face was illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the window. The interplay of light and shadow accentuated his focused and serene expression.
At that moment, his mental domain was vast and boundless, his mental power surging like ocean tides around the vibrant green seed of life at its core, radiating an abundant vitality.
If a high-precision crystal ball were to scan him now, it would reveal that his mental power had steadily reached 15 points, placing him at the peak of a second-level wizard apprentice.
He had maintained this state for quite some time.
Breaking through from a second-level to a third-level wizard apprentice was not as difficult as advancing from the third level to an official wizard, but it was far from easy.
After all, in the world of wizards, only a rare few ever achieved official wizard status. The vast majority remained apprentices their entire lives.
And within this realm of apprentices, the third level was already the pinnacle!
In the mortal world, a wizard apprentice at this stage would be a terrifying force even a so-called Grand Knight would tremble at the mere mention of such power.
If he wished, Lynn could easily establish himself as a noble lord, enjoying a life of luxury and extravagance.
Even within extraordinary organizations, third-level wizard apprentices were considered somewhat accomplished.
Veteran apprentices like Sonya and Collin, who had been part of the Furnace for years, were still only at the third level.
Yet Lynn, in a mere nine months, had already reached this point!
To put things into perspective, even the Furnace's most dazzling genius in recent years the Black Dragon Witch Aestry had only advanced slightly faster than Lynn.
After all, not even Aestry could defy the laws of nature. No matter how many potions she had at her disposal, her body still required time to absorb them.
But Lynn was different.
The more potions he consumed, the more efficient his refining ability became!
Drinking more meant working harder, refining faster, and naturally, progressing at an astonishing rate.
As the sun continued to rise, the light streaming through the dormitory window gradually illuminated half of Lynn's face, then, as time passed, his entire face was bathed in warm sunlight.
And at that very moment, something within his mental domain erupted like boiling water surging violently!
His mental power soared as if an invisible flood had broken through its final barrier.
A profound transformation occurred deep within his consciousness. His mental domain expanded instantly, becoming vast and boundless.
The Seed of Life, now greener and more vibrant than ever, radiated with surging vitality, like a small sun illuminating his entire mental domain.
"I've broken through! Third-level wizard apprentice!"
Lynn slowly opened his eyes. His gaze, as deep as the ocean, briefly flickered with a sharp, dazzling light.
Unlike his breakthrough from the first to the second level, which had brought a dramatic physical transformation, this time, the changes were purely in his mental realm.
Lynn could feel the substantial increase in his mental power.
He picked up the defective crystal ball and observed it. The numbers now displayed that his mental power had jumped from 15 to 20 points!
Even more exciting was that this growth wasn't stopping.
This was merely the initial phase of his breakthrough. Over the next few days, his mental power would continue to surge until it stabilized at 25 points the official threshold of a third-level wizard apprentice!
"Still have plenty of 'Secrets of the Ocean' left. I'll take my time, stabilize my breakthrough."
Lynn's lips curled into a satisfied smile, full of anticipation.
He wasn't in a rush to leave his secluded training. Instead, he focused on consolidating his newfound strength, carefully refining potions, and laying a solid foundation for the next stage of his journey.
Yet while Lynn was engrossed in his cultivation, an unfolding storm was brewing at the heart of the Furnace.
Inside a towering, pitch-black hall, solemn and imposing.
Four massive obsidian pillars stretched from the ground to the ceiling, their surfaces inscribed with mysterious runes that glowed faintly, resonating with the distorted void above.
That void, a swirling mass of shadow and nothingness, devoured all light and space, exuding an eerie and surreal presence.
The floor of the grand hall was etched with enigmatic symbols, flickering with an ethereal glow that pulsed in sync with the shifting void above.
At the very center of the chamber stood an elderly white-haired wizard, his spectacles resting low on his nose. His expression carried an unusual solemnity.
This was Helen, a third-level grand wizard, and one of the Furnace's most authoritative figures.
Yet, at this moment, his demeanor was one of humble deference a stark contrast to his usual commanding presence.
For within the Furnace, there was only one person who could command such absolute reverence.
The true master of the Furnace.
A fourth-level Morning Star Wizard.
From within the void, a terrifying presence surged forth, condensing into a single massive eye.
This eye had no pupil only a vast expanse of pale, lifeless white, exuding a chilling, indifferent aura that seemed to pierce through all things.
A voice, deep and fragmented, rumbled like distant thunder, reverberating throughout the chamber.
"Aestry... The Green Island Forest... So, it has begun again..."
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 120+ chapters
patreon.com/LordoftheReader