CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 34: THE LIST AND THE SONIC CURSE

He couldn’t help but reach out for it, but the next moment, Lady Allen slowly closed the small notebook, the gemstone seemed to flicker, bidding a reluctant farewell.

She gently placed the notebook on the counter, her hand still covering it, clearly not intending to push it toward Ron.

"You naive boy, it seems you still don’t quite understand the rules of the Wizard World."

Her gaze was sharp like a hawk, fixing on Ron’s eyes, her voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction:

"Knowledge carries weight, it can never be given freely. Things of value require equivalent exchange, this is an unchangeable law."

The slender finger painted with blood-red nail polish lightly traced circles above the notebook:

"Greedy demands without willingness to give is the beginning of countless apprentices’ descent into corruption. So, before I bestow the Meditation Technique upon you, I need to determine if you are truly worthy of my... investment."

Seeing this, Ron quickly spoke up: "I apologize, Lady Allen, I was presumptuous. I’m, of course, willing to pay the corresponding price for it."

Lady Allen examined the young apprentice before her, seemingly assessing the sincerity in his words.

Those dark green eyes seemed capable of seeing through all disguises, reaching deep into the soul.

After a moment, the pink-haired witch’s mouth slightly curled upwards, she noticed the desire in the youth’s eyes in front of her.

"Very well." Lady Allen’s tone held a hint of approval: "Then, I have a small task for you."

She retrieved a parchment with a faint glow from another drawer beneath the counter.

The text on the parchment was not written with ink but seemed branded into it, shimmering with a dark red glow under the dim light, with some places even showing a metallic texture.

"I need these materials to complete an important Magic Potion research..."

She pushed the parchment toward Ron, her bright red nails lightly pointed at several items on the list:

"A person who truly masters the ’Star Eater’s Ravings’ needs not only strong Spiritual Power but also the means and the courage to acquire knowledge."

Ron carefully took the parchment, a cool and slightly stinging touch, as if it contained concentrated magical power.

He lowered his head to scrutinize the list, each material name written in ancient wizard language, alongside symbols he couldn’t quite understand.

As his gaze moved down, Ron’s brow furrowed tighter.

Most of these materials he had never seen in ’Basic Magic Potion Theory’—"Dream-Eating Spider’s Eye Fluid," "Moon Shadow Bat’s Heart Ash," "Crystal Moss"...

And a few he barely recognized, like "Night Talk Pollen" and "Thirsty’s Tongue Moss," were glaringly listed under prohibited trading goods defined by the School.

"These..." Ron raised his head, feigning ignorance to probe the other’s intentions: "Most of these materials can’t be found in the apprentice marketplace."

"Is that so?" Lady Allen tilted her head slightly, her dark green eyes gleaming with a certain expectation:

"Then, someone as smart as you should know where to find them, right?"

Her tone was relaxed, but her eyes were as sharp as knives.

Ron instantly understood Lady Allen’s implication—in the Wizard World, having knowledge alone is far from enough.

How to obtain the necessary resources in a complex and dangerous environment, how to maneuver in the grey areas without meeting a bitter end, these are survival skills a qualified wizard must master.

Ron was silent for a moment, once again looking closely at the list, his mind already starting to calculate possible acquisition routes.

He raised his head, steadfastly meeting Lady Allen’s gaze: "Understood, I’ll find a way to gather these materials."

Lady Allen nodded approvingly, a hint of relief in her eyes:

"Good, remember, this isn’t just for the ’Star Eater’s Ravings’, it’s also for yourself. In the Black Mist Jungle, survival sometimes requires... special channels and skills."

"As for Oliver..."

She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper, practically speaking against Ron’s ear:

"Oliver’s research direction is very dangerous, his study of ’Living Curse’ has already crossed many forbidden boundaries that even many Official Wizards are unwilling to touch. If he takes interest in your Sound Wave Magic, it must be because he discovered some connection between the two."

"Could you please enlighten me on what the specific connection might be?"

Ron inquired, but imperceptibly drew a bit of distance, the radiation field unique to an Official Wizard pricking his skin painfully.

The other seemed to sense the change within him, and her breath slightly condensed, Ron could clearly feel the stinging sensation fading considerably.

Lady Allen’s eyes became profound and worried: "The carrier issue of sound waves and curses, traditional curses require a physical object as a carrier, which is also their greatest limitation. But sound waves..."

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully:

"Sound waves can penetrate material barriers, transmit energy without contacting the target. If Oliver succeeds in using sound waves as a carrier for curses, then his curses could spread as pervasively as sound, the impact and range would be exponentially greater than traditional curses."

Ron felt a chill slowly creeping along his spine.

If this were true, Oliver’s research would create a new kind of weapon that no one at the apprentice stage could defend against.

"Then what is your suggestion?" He already had a decision in mind, but decided to ask her opinion first.

Lady Allen’s answer was as expected: "Continue perfecting your Sound Wave Magic, but ensure only you know the key aspects. Some knowledge, when held by different people, can lead to completely different outcomes."

She did not draw closer, merely offering a gentle reminder: "And sometimes, the best defense is to take the initiative, understand what I mean?"

Ron slowly nodded, of course he understood Lady Allen’s hint.

In this world, waiting for danger often meant death; only by taking the initiative can one control their fate.

He carefully stored away the list, folding it and placing it in an inner pocket: "I will gather these materials as soon as possible."

"No need to rush." Lady Allen elegantly waved her hand, her pink-purple curls gently shaking with the motion:

"Safety is always the priority, after all, the dead can’t learn the ’Star Eater’s Ravings’."

A flicker of inscrutable light passed through her eyes: "Alright, go back to rest, come to work at the usual time tomorrow, there are still many things I haven’t taught you yet."

As he left the herb store, Ron’s emotions were a complicated mixture.

Night had deepened, the shadows of the Black Mist Jungle spreading beneath his feet, like invisible hands brushing against his ankles.

A cold wind swept across his cheeks, yet his gaze regained an extraordinary determination. After all, in the world of mysticism, crisis and opportunity always coexist.