Finally, after waiting for a short while, Lynn saw a familiar figure it was Remi.
However, he was not alone. A young woman accompanied him.
She wore a loose-fitting wizard's robe, its oversized nature making her appear particularly petite.
Her face wasn't conventionally beautiful, but her large eyes radiated a clear and lively energy. At that moment, she was laughing at something Remi had said.
Her smile was bright, warm like sunlight, and the freckles on her cheeks only made her look even more endearing.
Yet, just as she was laughing freely, Remi suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Her smile instantly froze. A flicker of fear flashed through her large eyes, and she instinctively moved closer to Remi, as if intimidated by some unseen force.
"Long time no see, Remi."
A deep voice suddenly broke the silence.
Remi blinked in surprise, turning toward the source of the voice. It was only then that he realized standing before him was none other than Lynn!
"Lynn! You're back?! Has the Furnace War ended?"
Remi's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected Lynn to return.
When he first heard that Lynn had joined the Furnace War, he had been just as surprised. It was only then that he learned Lynn was the apprentice of a full-fledged wizard no wonder Lynn, a total newcomer, had been able to enter the Potion Garden as easily as he had.
He knew that all the apprentices of official wizards had been sent to the Furnace Battlefield. Now that Lynn had returned from the war, did that mean it was over?
"No, the Furnace War isn't over yet. I came back because of… special circumstances."
Lynn shook his head, offering a brief explanation. His tone was relaxed, as if it was nothing major.
Remi listened carefully, nodding thoughtfully.
He didn't doubt for a second that Lynn had run away from the war. If that were the case, Lynn wouldn't be standing here talking so casually.
"Enough about me. Let's talk about you I heard you've made it into the Potion Garden's core section?"
Lynn's eyes held a trace of curiosity.
He was a little puzzled that Remi had been able to enter the Potion Garden's core section so quickly.
After all, he clearly remembered that he and Remi had started learning The Fundamentals of Potion Making at the same time.
Yet, somehow, Remi had been promoted ahead of those who had worked in the outer potion fields for years.
"Well… funny thing, that has something to do with the Furnace War."
Remi hesitated, his eyes flickering slightly.
"Because all the official wizards' apprentices were sent to the war, the Potion Garden was suddenly short on hands. So, they loosened the examination requirements. Maybe I have some talent, or maybe I just got lucky, but I passed the test and made it into the core section."
Just then, the petite girl tugged on Remi's sleeve as if suddenly remembering something.
She realized she had yet to introduce herself.
"This is Yara, my fellow apprentice who also just joined the core section. Yara, this is Lynn…"
Remi made the introductions as he turned toward Lynn.
"Nice to meet you, Yara."
Lynn smiled gently and greeted her in a warm tone.
Yara quickly nodded and returned a slightly shy smile, clearly a little nervous.
"Lynn, are you thinking of joining the core section?" Remi asked. "The test is really difficult now. Maybe you could ask your teacher for help? That might give you a better chance."
Remi explained that there were two ways to enter the Potion Garden's core section:
One was the standard test, which required apprentices to accurately identify various potion ingredients and demonstrate a certain level of brewing experience. Only those who passed were allowed entry.
The other was a special case if a potion-making process was short on workers, apprentices with basic knowledge of that potion could be temporarily recruited. This method was much easier.
"But now, cases like mine are rare. The only way in is through the standard test," Remi sighed. "And that requires potion-brewing experience, meaning you'd have to buy ingredients yourself and practice from scratch."
Lynn shook his head helplessly. "My teacher's been too busy lately…"
At that moment, Yara spoke up softly. "I heard some of the other groups have open tasks…"
Remi immediately dismissed the idea. "Oh, you mean those? But they require at least a Second-level wizard apprentice! Lynn and I only joined the Furnace War recently he's still just a First-level apprentice like me."
Typically, newcomers in the Furnace War needed about six months to be promoted to a First-level wizard apprentice.
Advancing from the first level to the second level was even harder and took anywhere from one to three years.
As for becoming a Third-level wizard apprentice, that was an enormous challenge. Most people needed five to ten years of study and accumulation to reach that level.
Of course, all of this applied to ordinary people.
But Lynn… Lynn was no ordinary person.
While Remi and Yara were discussing the Potion Garden's core section, Lynn suddenly realized just how much he had surpassed them.
Their thoughts, and their concerns all revolved around their current level of ability.
But Lynn's world was already completely different.
First-level apprentices?
Second-level apprentices?
On the Furnace Battlefield, he had already slain more of them than he could count.
He and Remi had entered the war at the same time, yet now, Lynn was preparing to break through to become a full-fledged wizard.
Meanwhile, Remi was still a First-level apprentice, worrying about entry tests and potion-brewing experience.
That was why Remi hadn't even considered the more advanced tasks he simply couldn't imagine that Lynn could already take them on.
In the world of wizard apprentices, unless one actively released their magical aura or used special tools like a crystal sphere, it was difficult to gauge another's true level.
Lynn thought for a moment, then cleared his throat.
"Ahem… Remi, I'm already a Second-level wizard apprentice."
The words hit Remi like a lightning bolt. He froze, unsure if he had heard correctly.
Second-level wizard apprentice?
He clearly remembered that he and Lynn had entered the war together. By all logic, Lynn should still be a First-level apprentice like him.
When Lynn had left for the Furnace War, Remi had assumed he would never come back. Even now, he figured Lynn had just gotten lucky and spent the war working in logistics rather than on the battlefield.
But now, Lynn was claiming he had reached Second-level?
Before Remi could react, Lynn raised a hand.
At his fingertips, tiny shards of frost-blue energy coalesced magical energy particles.
Energy particles!
The ability to sense and control them was the defining trait of a Second-level wizard apprentice!
Lynn had not only survived the Furnace War he had come back as a Second-level apprentice!
Remi's breath hitched. He knew that, for someone like him, reaching the second level would take at least three more years.
But Lynn… Lynn had done it in just two months!
For a brief moment, Remi was consumed by envy.
Maybe… maybe he should go to the battlefield too?
Maybe there was a shortcut to success.
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