Ian had just swiftly eliminated the hidden spy, but the crisis was only temporarily averted.

According to the records recovered from the corpse, the Osborne Clan had already marked him as a primary suspect. With the spy’s death tonight, the situation had only grown worse.

This was a massive hidden threat.

His strength had grown too quickly; he had gone from a Middle Level Apprentice to a High Level Apprentice in less than four months. The timeframe was unnaturally short. Fortunately, the current state of war temporarily masked his anomaly.

His progress was certainly spurred by the pressures of war and his own relentless efforts.

But the panel had provided the most help. It was his greatest secret, his ultimate trump card, and he could not allow anyone to pry into it!

’I have to get rid of them as soon as possible.’ Ian’s heart seethed with killing intent.

But personal duels were strictly forbidden within the camp. His opponents were family Wizards dispatched by the High Tower, and without an ironclad reason, they would never be permitted to kill one another. Doing so would threaten the camp’s already fragile order.

’I can’t make a move inside the camp.’ Ian’s mind raced. ’Then I’ll have to find a way to lure them out.’

Ian took out a pen and paper, quickly jotting down information on the table as his mind spun, weighing various methods.

’I need a reason. One that will force them to leave without making them overly suspicious.’

’And it would be best to separate them, or lure them to a location that gives me an advantage.’

...

Ian scribbled on the paper for a good while, but still couldn’t come up with a foolproof solution.

There were no fools in the Wizard World. A custom-tailored plan with any flaws would only backfire.

He had been an ordinary person in both of his lives, and his intelligence was average at best. Such intricate scheming was not his strong suit.

Since a direct solution wasn’t feasible, he decided to change his approach.

’Instead of trying to eliminate them quickly, I’ll disrupt their investigation first. Then I can find opportunities to kill them one by one.’

’Since you’re so intent on investigating, I might as well reveal my talent for Magic Potion Science.’ Ian thought to himself.

The Osborne Clan’s power was built primarily on the back of its Bloodline Potions.

’Tomorrow morning, I’ll first figure out exactly how many of them there are and how strong they are.’

He planned to go directly to Hank tomorrow to gather information.

He had helped Poison Fang tonight, and their relationship didn’t seem like that of ordinary teammates. He could probably get some intelligence from him first.

As for how to earn Contribution Points in the camp, the plan had one more crucial step that he needed to handle with care.

...

The next morning, a team led by Poison Fang and Rex, followed by six Middle Level Apprentices, stood at the camp entrance.

The other team was led by Leon and Gray Rat. The sixteen of them said their farewells to friends and acquaintances in the camp and embarked on a reconnaissance mission into the western region.

Standing in the crowd, Ian noticed the faint aura of a Rock Armor Demon Bear on Poison Fang and nodded to himself.

Leon also sensed the aura on Poison Fang. His expression was inscrutable, his thoughts hidden.

Just before leaving, he discreetly handed a note to a member of his clan, then led his team west.

Ian watched in silence, his gaze fixed on the members of the Osborne Clan who had come to see the teams off.

There were six Middle Level Apprentices in total, one of whom was an old man who kept sizing him up with eyes full of malice.

’You old dog. The moment I get a chance, you’ll be the first to go.’

Ian thought viciously and turned to head back to his quarters.

"Ian, come to my Stone Tower," Sterling’s voice rang out.

Ian’s heart skipped a beat. "Yes, Sterling Wizard."

He then followed Sterling toward the Central Stone Tower.

When the crowd saw Sterling single out Ian, their eyes flickered as they began to speculate.

The members of the Osborne Clan exchanged a glance.

’It seems Sterling holds Ian in high regard. This is an unexpected development; Leon didn’t give us any instructions for this.’

They looked at each other, at a loss. ’How are we supposed to handle this?’

As he approached the Stone Tower, Ian’s thoughts raced.

’Sterling summoning me now must be related to Hank buying the Neutralizing Potion last night.’

’And this... this is the most critical part of my plan.’

Inside the Stone Tower, Sterling didn’t linger in the main hall, instead leading Ian into his laboratory.

The moment he stepped inside, Ian smelled the rich aroma of various Magic Potions, mingled with the faint scent of sulfur.

Sterling sat down at a heavy wooden desk and gestured for Ian to take a seat as well.

"Ian," Sterling began, getting straight to the point. His gaze was calm yet intensely penetrating.

"Last night, Hank came to me and bought a Neutralizing Potion to be used in conjunction with your Rock Bear Potion."

"After Poison Fang consumed it, the Potion’s effect was remarkable. It even manifested a phantom of a Rock Armor Demon Bear."

Ian was taken aback. "A phantom?"

’When Kenna and the others took it, why didn’t it have this effect?’

As for how Sterling knew, Ian had already considered this possibility when he gave the Potion to Poison Fang.

When Poison Fang and Rex came to purchase the Neutralizing Potion, they would have inevitably been questioned by Sterling.

Ian tensed internally, but his expression remained calm. "That is true. The Potion is more potent because the formula I used is an improved, enhanced version."

Sterling’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk, producing a rhythmic TAP... TAP... TAP.

"Who improved it? Modifying a Bloodline Potion is not something an ordinary person can accomplish."

As far as he knew, there were only a handful of Magic Potion Alchemists in Shadow Moon Tower capable of modifying a High Level Bloodline Potion at will.

Ian had already rehearsed his answer. He straightened his spine, his tone conveying respect for Sterling, but also a barely perceptible hint of pride.

"I won’t hide the truth from you, Sterling Wizard. The one who improved the formula was Teacher Alevia! During my time studying at the Star Leaf Magic Pharmacy, she discovered I had a decent talent for Magic Potion Science and taught me a great deal on the subject."

Ian wasn’t lying; every word he spoke was true. He was confident he could pass even if subjected to some strange Lie Detection Witchcraft.

"Teacher? You’re a student of Alevia?" Sterling was taken aback.

’Back at the High Tower, I never heard that Alevia had taken on a male student.’

’But Ian called her ’Teacher’ with such conviction. That’s not a title one uses casually... unless he has a death wish.’

Sterling fell silent for a moment, his eyes scrutinizing Ian.

The only sound in the room was the soft CRACKLE of the fireplace.

Finally, the sharp edge in his eyes vanished, and his expression slowly softened.

"I have the utmost admiration for Alevia Wizard’s accomplishments in Magic Potion Science. You are fortunate to have received her teachings." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Sterling seemed to accept this explanation. His expression was unreadable, or perhaps he simply didn’t intend to press the matter further.

"To be able to concoct a Bloodline Potion... it seems I underestimated your talent."

Ian inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. ’I’m halfway through this ordeal.’

’Sterling wouldn’t be so bored as to go and confront Alevia directly about this, would he?’

"Honorable Sterling Wizard, I have one more request. I would like to accept commissions within the camp for custom-made Rock Bear Potions. This would serve to enhance the camp’s overall strength against the threat of the Deep Red Royal Court."

Sterling chuckled to himself. ’This Ian... give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.’

Still, his proposal was a good one. Every person in the camp who consumed a Bloodline Potion was equivalent to another High Level Apprentice, strengthening their forces that much more.

The key was that every Bloodline Potion sold would require the purchase of a Neutralizing Potion from him.

This represented a rather substantial source of income for him as well.

"Very well, I agree," Sterling nodded.

"Ian, I have another proposition for you. Are you interested?"