Robb opened his eyes and answered cautiously. "I discovered certain clues about the 'rhythm' of spirit power, which allowed to use ditation ti more efficiently."
"Rhythm?" The duty officer nodded, a contemplative look crossing her eyes. "That's quite an insightful angle... Even high-aptitude individuals rarely achieve breakthroughs from that direction."
She considered for a mont, then continued. "Besides ditation, have you practiced any other skills?"
Robb weighed his answer carefully. He certainly couldn't reveal his system, but showing so special talent was necessary in order to be assigned better resources by the faction.
"I have so experience in both potioneering and swordsmanship," he said cautiously. "Especially potioneering, I've been working at Lady Elena's shop."
"Lady Elena..." The officer's expression shifted subtly. "That explains it... That would account for how you broke through so quickly."
Her attitude beca more attentive.
"On paper, your starting point was very low. But breaking through from a sixth-magnitude Initiate to Elentary Apprentice in just a few months, it reminds of a case from a few years back."
"What case?" Robb asked curiously.
The officer's gaze carried a mix of reminiscence and unease.
"Another Initiate who started at rock bottom. When he arrived, not only was his magic aptitude the lowest of the lot, but his appearance was strikingly ugly... Yet within just a few years, he shot through the ranks. He's now standing at the threshold of Morning Star Mage."
Robb's heart lurched, recalling certain tidbits Arnor had shared. "You're talking about... Oliver?"
The officer's eyes imdiately turned guarded. "You know him?"
"Only by reputation." Robb hastened to explain. "I've heard he's made significant achievents in curse research."
The officer nodded slightly, though the wariness in her eyes didn't fully dissipate. "Oliver is indeed a rare talent. But the path he's chosen... isn't one everyone should follow."
She seed reluctant to say more about the na and quickly pivoted back to business.
"Well then. Since you've passed the spirit power assessnt, I'll register so basic information, and then you can apply for resource allocation."
The process was calm and efficient. The officer recorded Robb's basic information and aptitude profile, then asked about his future developnt plans.
"Which field do you intend to focus on?" she asked. "This will affect your task assignnts and resource types."
Robb considered. As soone with multiple classes, his developnt path was naturally more diversified.
But given the current situation and the abilities he'd publicly demonstrated, his choice needed to be careful.
"I'm interested in both potioneering and spell research, but I'm currently leaning toward potioneering."
This was his final answer, consistent with both his real capabilities and Lady Elena's recomndation.
"Potioneering..." The officer nodded and wrote down his choice. "Lady Elena has always had an excellent eye. If she chose you as her assistant, she must have seen potential in you."
Next, she produced a thick catalogue, turned to a specific page, and handed it to Robb.
"Based on your aptitude and breakthrough tiline, you've been rated as 'Sub-tier Potential.' This ans you can only select items from this list."
Robb scanned the catalogue, his heart sinking. The offerings were decidedly basic.
A handful of passable arcane materials, several ordinary potions he could already brew himself, and so introductory texts on mage's arts, no better than his copy of Introduction to Potioneering.
What interested him most was the ditation thods category.
It listed several Gem-tier advanced ditation thods, but the acquisition conditions were nearly prohibitive, requiring service contracts of fifty years or more with the faction. And these thods could only elevate a practitioner to a High Apprentice, with no higher-tier content.
Similarly, zero-circle spell models ca with equally stringent terms, also requiring fixed-term service commitnts.
"These conditions..." Robb frowned slightly.
"Don't complain. This is already better than what most Sub-tier Potential apprentices receive."
The officer said evenly. "Faction resources are extrely limited. Not everyone can get the best of everything."
"My apologies, ma'am." He produced Lady Elena's sealed letter. "Lady Elena asked to present this to the duty officer."
The officer accepted the letter, her eyebrows rising slightly.
She examined the seal carefully, confird its authenticity, and then opened it with care.
As she read, her expression gradually shifted to surprise. She even turned the paper over to verify the signature and seal markings.
"This..." She looked up at Robb with noticeably different eyes, reassessing. "Lady Elena rarely writes recomndation letters. And the phrasing in this one..."
She didn't finish, but Robb could feel the weight the letter carried.
"Please wait." The officer stood, walked to a secluded corner, and took out a communication stone, speaking in hushed tones.
The stone glowed faintly. Monts later, an authoritative male voice responded.
The voice was too quiet for Robb to make out the specifics, but he could tell it belonged to soone far more powerful than the duty officer, likely a Morning Star Mage.
Robb stood in place, his thoughts churning. He wondered what Lady Elena might have written to provoke such a reaction.
Before long, the officer returned to the testing room with a different catalogue in hand. Her composure had been restored, but her curiosity toward Robb was barely concealed.
"Based on Lady Elena's recomndation and confirmation from a mage within the faction, your access level has been elevated to Mid-tier Potential."
She handed the catalogue over. "Here is the corresponding resource list."
Robb took the new catalogue and skimd it quickly. The difference was staggering.
Not only were the available items far more varied, but the acquisition conditions were significantly more lenient.
Precious supernatural knowledge that previously required decades of service now demanded only shorter commitnts. So basic items could even be claid with no additional conditions whatsoever.
"Additionally," the officer continued, "given your specialization in potioneering, you've been assigned to potion-crafting duties. You'll need to submit a fixed quota of potions each month. The remainder of your ti is yours to manage freely. You may occasionally receive field assignnts, but far fewer than other apprentices without specializations."
Robb's interest sharpened. This was undoubtedly the ideal assignnt for him.
A fixed potion quota would hone his brewing skills while leaving ample ti for other training.
"You may now select items from the list." The officer said. "Choose carefully, this will affect your developnt for a considerable ti to co."
Robb nodded and studied the catalogue once more.
He understood the gravity of this choice. His mind raced through comparisons and trade-offs.
After long deliberation, he decided on a complete set of potion-crafting vessels and a fitted protective inner armor.
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