"What's wrong?" Arnor noticed him suddenly freeze in place. "Is there a problem?"
"It's nothing." Robb took a deep breath and silently willed.
Confirm class change.
The next mont, a strange energy surged from his heart, spreading through his entire body like a warm stream. It felt as though he were soaking in a hot spring.
As soone who had previously been a complete "blank slate" with no class whatsoever, even the most basic lifestyle class represented a monuntal leap from nothing to sothing, and the transformation it triggered within him was earthshaking.
The murky, disordered mana gradually clarified, like scattered iron filings suddenly finding order in the presence of a magnet.
His perception shifted subtly along with it.
The magical elents drifting through the air were no longer entirely intangible. Still hazy, yes, but at least he could faintly sense their presence now.
The most dramatic change occurred in his hands. Every herb, root, and trace of ambient mana he had ever touched now left a distinct "imprint" in his perception.
It was as if a blind person had suddenly gained the concept of color. The world in his senses beca richer and more dinsional.
This level of perceptual acuity was probably what they ant by mastery cos from specialization.
The wondrous sensation lasted several seconds before condensing like droplets along his blood vessels, ultimately settling around his heart to form a faint "origin point."
[Class change successful!]
[Class acquired. Potion Apprentice (One-Star)]
[Base attribute increase. Spirit 0.3 | Constitution 0.1 | Mana 0.2]
[Class skills unlocked:
1. Potion Crafting (Beginner)
2. Herb Identification (Beginner)]
[Special bonuses:
1. Slight increase in EXP gain rate for Potioneering-related skills
2. Slight increase in spirit power accumulation rate
3. Slight increase in mana affinity]
Robb closed his eyes and felt the changes within.
The once-blurry fluctuations of spirit power had beco noticeably clearer, like a painting veiled behind thin gauze suddenly having that veil lifted.
And deep in his consciousness, a strange new perceptual ability seed to have erged.
When he focused his attention on the Scorching Essence Oil sitting on the table, he could faintly sense the energy currents flowing within it.
"Hm?" Arnor's voice broke in. "Your aura... seems different sohow."
Robb opened his eyes to find Arnor studying him with a puzzled look.
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure why..." Arnor furrowed his brow, though he didn't seem entirely certain. "I keep feeling like there's sothing new about you... a certain quality? Like those High Apprentices who specialize in Potioneering."
Robb's heart skipped. This had to be the result of the class change, not just a nurical boost, but a subtle, almost mystical shift in his bearing. He kept his expression neutral, however.
"Probably because I just finished preparing a potion for the first ti. The ntal exertion must have sharpened my spirit power a bit."
He casually rubbed his temples in a dismissive gesture. "I feel like my mind is a bit sharper than before."
Arnor nodded, half-convinced.
"That makes sense. First ti handling so many supernatural materials, so minor effect would be normal."
"Speaking of which," Robb deliberately changed the subject, "how long does the Scorching Essence Oil stay effective?"
"About three days, generally."
Arnor yawned. "It's getting late. When you have ti, look over the notes I gave you. I'll co back tomorrow to teach you the specifics of the body-tempering process."
Only after Arnor left did Robb finally let out a breath of relief.
He was itching to test the effects of ditation now. Adjusting his posture, he began entering a ditative state following the thod in Fundantals of ditation.
The mont he closed his eyes, he noticed a massive difference, the consciousness rune that had previously taken ages to sketch could now take shape in re monts.
Its form was also far more stable than before.
What thrilled him even more was that the spirit power gathering toward him was markedly more abundant.
The feeling was like going from sipping water through a flattened straw to scooping it up with a ladle.
[Basic ditation EXP 1]
[Basic ditation EXP 1]
[Daily training limit reached. Rest recomnded.]
"This improvent..." Robb opened his eyes and studied the data before him, a mix of elation and caution stirring in his chest.
The ease of gaining ditation experience was clearly far greater than before. If he were to take an aptitude test now, he might even register at a higher magnitude.
And this enormous leap had co from acquiring just one lifestyle class, one that had little to do with combat.
"I'll need to be more careful," Robb told himself silently.
"Fortunately, the mages seem to treat Initiates fairly well. As long as you follow the rules, they won't cause any harm. No need to worry prematurely about drawing attention from those above."
Everything was happening so fast that the changes were almost overwhelming.
He felt that right now, more than anything, he needed to take stock of his situation and map out his plans and goals.
Robb stood up and began tidying the scattered tools on his desk.
The Black Mist Forest was eerily quiet in the dead of night. Only faint, unidentifiable sounds drifted in from the distance.
He began tallying his current status in his mind.
First, the most critical part, the base attribute increases from the [Potion Apprentice] class change.
[Spirit: 1.1 → 1.4]
[Constitution: 0.4 → 0.5]
[Mana: 0.1 → 0.3]
Then there were two beginner-level class skills and three special bonuses.
"These boosts aren't insignificant, but they're still far from the threshold for breaking through to Elentary Apprentice," Robb mused.
Just as he was lost in thought, absently turning the small bottle of Scorching Essence Oil in his hands, the panel suddenly popped up a new notification.
[Scorching Essence Oil detected. Begin use?]
[Note: First use will unlock class change for combat class, [Knight Squire ★]
"I see."
Robb looked at the prompt and finally understood why Arnor had said he'd teach him how to use it tomorrow, the first application of this body-tempering compound was especially critical.
He carefully stowed the notebook and the bottle, preparing to turn in early.
Tomorrow, he'd not only begin training in the Solar Breath, but also head to the herb shop to apply for that assistant position.
As he tidied up, his peripheral vision caught the copy of Introduction to Potioneering on the nightstand.
Looking back, the decision to pursue Potioneering may have been guided by fate all along.
The attribute boosts and special bonuses from the Potion Apprentice class, along with the various resources it gave him access to, would undoubtedly carry him further down both the mage and knight paths.
"But for now, the most important thing is to keep these improvents hidden."
Robb lay down on the creaky wooden bed and stared up at the vague outline of the ceiling.
"At least until I'm strong enough to protect myself. That day shouldn't be too far off..."
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