Lynn had no idea about the dramatic changes happening at the Wizard Tower in the core area of the Furnace.
At this moment, he had just successfully infiltrated the "Rejuvenation Overnight" project team, completed his identity transition, and officially joined the core ranks of the Potion Garden, becoming a proud potion master.
Brewing potions was a technical craft. In the Furnace, manpower was abundant, but talent was scarce.
Thus, the first issue to address was compensation.
Previously, when tending to potion plants in the greenhouse, Lynn earned about 25 points per month.
But after joining the Potion Garden, his income nearly doubled and that was just the base salary.
Beyond the base pay, there were generous commission bonuses.
The commission was directly tied to the quantity and quality of the potions he produced.
After completing the daily task quota, each successfully brewed potion would bring Lynn additional points.
The more valuable the potion, the higher the earnings.
It was worth noting that even the most skilled potion masters could not guarantee a 100% success rate in every attempt.
Success was largely predictable but never absolute.
Additionally, potion-making consumed a significant amount of mental energy, limiting the number of potions a master could produce each day.
Even with a high success rate, everything depended on mental energy recovery.
As Lynn put it, his earnings followed a piecework system base salary plus commission.
Moreover, his days off increased from two to four per month.
For a workplace like the Furnace, a potion master already enjoyed a relatively decent profession no wonder Remi was so thrilled about joining.
Lynn's workstation was by the window. Through the large panes of glass, he had a broad view of the blue sky and the greenhouses of the Potion Garden in the distance. The setting was open and pleasant.
Sitting at his desk, he examined the neatly arranged materials for brewing "Rejuvenation Overnight."
The amount of resources he received each day was determined by the daily task requirements.
The higher the task requirement, the more materials he was provided; the lower the demand, the fewer materials allocated.
Notably, if a potion master was skilled enough, they could retain any unused materials after completing their quota.
However, if the materials ran short before the task was completed, they would have to purchase additional supplies with their points.
Lynn's gaze swept over the delicate vials and jars, but his mind was already planning for the future.
His primary goal in joining the Potion Garden was to improve his potion-making skills so he could craft the maintenance potion needed for Little Green and restore the three extremely rare Wizard Surge Potions.
He rubbed his forehead lightly as a stream of information surfaced in his mind, quickly organizing his current progress.
Name: Lynn Cole
Rank: Third-Level Wizard Apprentice
Talent: Heaven Rewards Diligence.
Progress:
Books: …
Spells: …
Potions: …
In the field of potion-making, Lynn had already accumulated Apprentice Potion Master Progress (5/200).
An Apprentice Potion Master primarily brewed low-level potions for wizard apprentices. Only a Level 1 Potion Master could begin crafting official potions suitable for full-fledged wizards.
Lynn stared at the progress bar and murmured, "Grind my progress and level up as a potion master!"
His plan was already set, and determination flickered in his eyes.
"I can completely replicate my previous success in brewing 'Rejuvenation Overnight,' ensuring a 100% success rate…."
Lynn closed his eyes, recalling every moment of his last successful attempt at brewing the potion. The details were as vivid as if they had just happened yesterday.
Now, he had two options.
The first was to rely on his talent and gradually improve with each potion brewed. This would enhance his skills but also risk occasional failures, and wasting valuable materials.
The second option was to directly replicate his previous successful attempt, following the same steps without deviation.
This approach wouldn't increase his proficiency in brewing "Rejuvenation Overnight" since it was essentially "not putting in effort" but rather recalling his past success.
However, it guaranteed a 100% success rate, since he had already done it once before.
Though the potions produced would be of average quality, they would still meet the success criteria.
After careful consideration, Lynn chose the second option direct replication.
He reasoned that the Furnace provided limited resources; the less he used, the more he could keep for himself.
There was no need to waste resources just to improve his proficiency in brewing a single potion like "Rejuvenation Overnight."
Besides, he had already tested this method. Raising a potion's quality from Good to Excellent required a tremendous amount of effort.
Reaching his current level had already cost him an entire afternoon.
Improving further would require exponentially more resources not worth the trade-off.
It was like a 100-point exam. Lynn had barely passed with a 60, which was enough. However, advancing to 100 would require significantly more effort.
The first 60 points were easy, like stumbling upon correct answers by luck. However, progressing beyond that required far more skill and effort.
Thus, while he could continue improving, there was no immediate need at least not right now.
After all, grinding Apprentice Potion Master's progress wasn't limited to just one potion.
Lynn also needed to sell excess materials to acquire ingredients for crafting other potions and advance his mastery.
The more surplus materials he kept, the greater his wealth and resources.
"These potions aren't for me anyway. This is just part of my financial planning. Let the Furnace apprentices suffer I'll let the Furnace take the blame."
Lynn chuckled and finalized his strategy.
Whether he chose to brew extra 'Rejuvenation Overnight' potions for commissions or sell leftover materials for points, it didn't matter either way, he was profiting.
Interestingly, many potion masters left their signature marks on the potions they crafted as a branding strategy.
But since Lynn had decided to sell lower-quality potions, he naturally wouldn't sign his name and attract unnecessary hostility he would simply use the Furnace's imprint.
"No rush. Whether it's improving my potion-making skills or boosting my mental strength, these things take time. At least I'm finally out of a war zone and can develop at my own pace."
"If I can use my talent to advance to a full-fledged wizard, unlock my mental power, and then move forward… that would be ideal."
With that thought, Lynn began mass-producing low-quality 'Rejuvenation Overnight' potions.
At his workstation, various ingredients were swiftly processed, measured, and combined into different vials. With the precise application of energy factors, they gradually transformed into bottles of "Rejuvenation Overnight."
Meanwhile…
At the Wizard Tower in the core of the Furnace, the Lord of the Furnace swept his massive sleeves and led his elite warriors, who had fought alongside him across worlds, toward the Emerald Island Forest!
From the highest point of the Wizard Tower, his piercing gaze scanned the entire Spirit Eye Furnace.
The Furnace covered an immense area. From his vantage point, he could see endless steel structures stretching across the landscape vast, unyielding, and imposing.
"It took me two hundred years and an unimaginable price to build this Furnace. Let's see if it can hold back... that place."
The Lord of the Spirit Eye Furnace had pale, piercing eyes, locked onto the distant Emerald Island Forest.
Long ago, he had escaped from there, seizing the opportunity that led him to become a Morning Star Wizard.
But all gifts of fate came with a hidden price tag and now, it was time to pay his due…
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