"It seems the rumors were indeed true. For Aestry, that person was willing to offer up all his resources and knowledge…"
A wizard slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and low.
His face was covered in dense stitching scars as if it had been pieced together from fragments.
As he spoke, his jaw suddenly loosened, almost falling off. A strange glint flashed in his eyes as the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
With a crisp click, a thin silver thread hooked his jaw in place. His skeletal, corpse-like hand pressed it back firmly, making a chillingly sharp sound.
"Heh heh, if Aestry truly is that person's descendant, then the Furnace's continued expansion of the Eluria Kingdom's territory over the years is no longer a mystery."
Another wizard spoke with a tone of arrogance. "To have received the life essence of the great Morning Star Wizard, that dazzling queen could at least rest in peace…"
"This time, whether one is a First-Level, Second-Level, or even a Third-Level Grand Wizard, inheritances are being revealed. As long as your battle merits are sufficient, anything can be exchanged!"
"The opportunity to become a Third-Level Grand Wizard who wouldn't want to try for it…"
Amidst these discussions among the official wizards, Lynn's acquaintance, Wizard Drey, sat quietly in a corner, murmuring similar sentiments.
His usually expressionless face now faintly revealed a hint of excitement and yearning. The cold tone he always spoke with had unknowingly taken on an edge of fervor and greed.
At this moment, some wizards had already been consumed by desire and the lure of profit.
The Lord of the Furnace had played a masterful move, igniting a fire of greed in the eyes of nearly everyone.
Just as shrewd capitalists would willingly hang themselves for the sake of higher profits, so too would official wizards make their moves when the rewards were high enough.
After all, if they missed this opportunity, the price of obtaining such invaluable resources in the future would be far steeper.
Of course, not everyone was swayed by profit. Some official wizards chose to leave and return to the Furnace.
Among them was Lynn's nominal teacher, Rosalind.
At the teleportation array leading back to the Furnace, waves of magical energy pulsed as several official wizards inspected the formation.
In any war, logistics were of utmost importance, and ensuring the proper functioning of the logistics department made the teleportation array a critical factor.
This particular array spanned three nations, meaning it could not be prepared for use every single day.
During every Furnace campaign, supply deliveries relied on this teleportation array.
Typically, it was only activated once every seven days to transport supplies and evacuate the wounded.
This time, as the Furnace array activated to bring in supplies, the official wizards who had chosen to leave also boarded the array.
Rosalind's beautiful eyes flickered as she observed the unstable magical auras of a few figures beside her.
She knew that once these newly promoted official wizards returned to the Furnace, the events that had taken place here would spread like wildfire.
Those who had stayed behind in the Furnace be they wizards or apprentices would come here in droves, all driven by the lure of wealth and opportunity.
And the news wouldn't just circulate within the Furnace. These returning wizards had another task: recruiting external wizards.
Even if they were not born in the Furnace, as long as they weren't afraid of death, the Furnace would welcome them…
The Furnace, Core Area of the Potion Garden
Lynn had already completed today's required batch of Spring's Rejuvenation, yet he showed no signs of stopping. He continued brewing potions as if tireless.
At this moment, he remained entirely focused, his hands skillfully handling various magical ingredients, moving through the alchemical procedures with fluid precision.
Time passed second by second. As he completed the final step, infusing energy particles into the potion, his brewing process was finished.
Lynn gently swirled the beaker, watching the liquid ripple under the dim light. A faint pink radiance flickered within, exuding a subtle life force.
He smiled faintly, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. At the same time, his Apprentice Potion Master progress bar finally reached 100/200.
"Looks like I'm now a seasoned Apprentice Potion Master," Lynn murmured to himself. "Now, I can attempt to brew a maintenance potion for Little Green…"
According to the records of the Green Forest Earl, if Little Green could fully recover, it would reach the level of a Grand Knight.
But unlike ordinary Grand Knights, Little Green would no longer experience pain, fear, or fatigue. It would become a formidable asset to him.
As he pondered, the leader of their research group, Rand, suddenly entered the room. After clearing his throat twice, he spoke slowly:
"Everyone, I may be resigning from this job soon… I'm heading to the battlefield."
His words instantly caused a stir. The Furnace War had grown increasingly intense, and the logistics department was a safe and stable environment.
Why would Rand willingly choose to go to the battlefield, facing its unknown dangers and bloodshed?
No one could understand his decision. After all, while tasks had grown more challenging, at least staying in the rear ensured safety.
"Lord Rand, why are you going to the battlefield? Did something happen?"
An apprentice couldn't help but ask.
Rand did not hide anything. He took a deep breath before explaining the current state of the battlefield.
When he mentioned that battle merits could be exchanged for rare resources, potions, spell templates, and even official wizard inheritances, the apprentices around him fell silent in shock.
Once unattainable high-Level meditation techniques, spell models, and all kinds of rare potions and wizard inheritances now, all of them could be obtained through battle merits!
The temptation was undeniable, especially for Third-Level apprentices who now saw an unprecedented opportunity.
"Now I understand why Lord Rand would choose to go to war," an apprentice muttered. "If I were a Third-Level apprentice, I'd make the same decision."
Even Lynn had a brief moment of hesitation. After all, he too was a Third-Level apprentice and qualified to compete for battle merits.
But he quickly steadied himself. Not only did he already possess some resources necessary for advancing to an official wizard, but he also had a gut feeling that obtaining battle merits wouldn't be so easy.
It was impossible to believe that the Furnace would suddenly become charitable.
If one wanted battle merits, they would have to risk their life for them. The difficulty would surely be immense.
"Even though there's a Second-Level wizard inheritance available, I'm not even an official wizard yet. Chasing after that would be too ambitious…"
Suppressing his temptation, Lynn thought to himself.
Just then, he suddenly sensed something a message from his teacher, Rosalind.
Had she finally agreed to see him?
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