If the Abyss’s Will had a conscious mind, it probably never would have dreamed,

that the target it was trying to erode and corrupt was actually a "Poisonous Bait."

Or that someone would use such an inconceivable method to filter it into pure "Supplements."

’Got another little bit...’

A flicker of indescribable satisfaction passed through Ian’s mind.

This feeling of turning the enemy’s strength to his own use, of snatching food from a tiger’s mouth... every time he experienced it, he felt the thrill of dancing on a knife’s edge.

He called this process: "fleecing the Abyss’s Will."

Of course, he was clear-headed about it.

The amount of "wool" he got each time was too small. It could only serve as an extra "dessert" or an "accelerator" for his daily Meditation and couldn’t replace his main course.

What truly supported his steady progress was the Cultivation of the [Starry Sky Festival] itself, as well as the [Starlight Potion] he was working hard to improve.

About half an hour later, as his Meditation entered a deeper, more stable phase, the [Abyssal Soul Contract] mark seemed to have "recharged" with some kind of power and began to grow warm again.

The familiar process repeated itself: a faint Link was established -> Chaotic Energy seeped in -> the panel’s Purification firewall activated -> pure Spiritual Energy and Rule Fragments were harvested.

...

Throughout a night of Meditation, such "minor episodes" would occur intermittently seven or eight times.

Each time the Meditation Method circulated, the starlight within his Sea of Spirit grew a little more solid.

When the sky outside the window turned the color of a fish’s pale belly, Ian slowly exhaled a long breath, ending his Meditation.

He opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, a faint starlight seemed to flash before vanishing.

Instead of getting up immediately, he habitually "looked" at his personal panel.

His gaze fell on the Skill Level column for [Starry Sky Festival].

The number had increased by about 50 points compared to before his Meditation. Of that, roughly 12 points were contributed by those "fleecing" sessions.

’A permanent thirty to forty percent increase in efficiency...’ he murmured to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smile.

He stood up and stretched his limbs.

Next, he planned to go to the Alchemy Room to continue grinding the Skill Level for the [Starlight Potion], or perhaps work on his mastery of the [Frost Ash Beam].

But before that, he needed to get the [Spirit Recovery Potion] to its Limit-Breaking stage.

In the Alchemy Room, Ian stared at a light green Potion in his hand.

The moment he successfully crafted the Potion, a faint, fluorescent green halo bloomed around it, lingering for three seconds before dissipating.

The Potion’s liquid deepened a shade, turning from light green to emerald green.

At the same time, his Spiritual Power was refined by a sliver—and it was truly just a sliver!

At his current Realm, the benefits of Limit-Breaking these Tier Zero Skills had become somewhat marginal.

The panel refreshed:

[Spirit Recovery Potion: Limit-Breaking 1 (0/1600)]

[Limit-Breaking Effect: Fast-Acting (Potion takes effect 40% faster, recovery speed increased by 20%)]

Ian raised an eyebrow.

Fast-Acting.

Not bad, but that’s about it.

He picked up the Potion, uncorked it, and tilted his head back to drink it down.

A cool sensation flooded his throat. The next second, his Sea of Spirit felt as if it were being rinsed with warm water, and the fatigue quickly faded.

It was indeed faster than the regular version.

But with his current liquefied Spiritual Power, this bit of recovery was like a single drop of water falling into a pond. It created ripples, but it didn’t change the water level.

’The effects of a Limit-Broken Tier One Potion should be much more significant.’

Ian set down the empty bottle, pondering.

’If the [Starlight Potion] could be Limit-Broken,’ he estimated, ’the increase in my Spiritual Power might be as much as five percent, and the vitality boost would be even stronger.’

This was a terrifying improvement, equivalent to several, or even more than ten, years of painstaking Meditation for an ordinary Level One Wizard.

However, Tier One Skills required a massive amount of Skill Level, and it wasn’t as easy to raise as it had been during his Apprentice days.

Right now, the Skill Level for his [Starlight Potion] was still hovering in the "Beginner" stage, a long way from mastery.

Aside from Meditation, his daily routine now included Refining the [Starlight Potion].

Fortunately, the procurement channels Herman had provided were reliable, and the supply of several key materials had never been interrupted.

And with Alevia as the Vice Dean, the Magic Potion Department’s allocation of resources was even more skewed in his favor.

Whatever Ian requested, the approved materials would be delivered the very next day.

In the afternoon, he cultivated his Witchcraft.

The [Frost Ash Beam] was a daily practice.

A pale violet light pulsed from his fingertip. The temperature plummeted and then soared as frost and Ashes intertwined in the air.

The Skill Level increased slowly, but with every point gained, the beam’s Penetration Power and temperature control grew more refined.

He didn’t neglect the [Crystal Energy Barrier] either.

Thirty-six Floating Crystal Guards materialized around him, rotating slowly as Runes flowed across their surfaces.

In the future, their number would grow, and their defensive and offensive range would expand.

He practiced [Collapsar Starburst] and the [Furnace Body Tempering Skill] in rotation.

The starburst was just an ordinary Tier One Witchcraft Model and needed improvement.

Ian had filled over a dozen pages in his notebook with diagrams of Rune structures, trying to increase the Energy compression efficiency of the "collapsar" phase by more than fifty percent.

The Body Tempering Technique, when combined with the [Bloodline Purification Technique], had remarkable effects.

Ian would first process the Extraordinary Creature Essence Blood that Kenna and the others delivered, using the Purification Technique to remove impurities and concentrate the bloodline’s essence.

He fed a portion to Gaga.

The Shadow Night Kite’s feathers were now a glossy black. It could shrink to the size of a fist, its wingspan was constantly expanding, and its Shadow Jump distance had surpassed one hundred and twenty meters.

The other portion, Ian used himself.

Every time he activated the Body Tempering Technique, his flesh felt as if it were being seared by a branding iron and then doused with ice water. The pain made the veins on his forehead throb.

But after the pain subsided, the fluorescent glow under his skin became more pronounced, his muscle fiber density increased, and his bones took on a pale golden sheen.

In the evening, Ian would spend half an hour processing orders for Tier Zero Potions, which served as a change of pace.

"Lord Ian, we’ve decided on a location for the shop."

Kenna stood at the entrance to the Alchemy Room, holding a sheepskin map with a broad smile on his face.

"It’s on the border of the Outer Tower District and the Middle Tower District. There’s a lot of foot traffic, it’s close to the Material Market and several faction Laboratories, and a shop just became available."

Ian took the map and glanced at it.

The location was indeed excellent.

"Alright. Rent it, give it a simple renovation. Make sure the counter, shelves, and anti-theft Runes are all good quality."

"Understood!" Kenna nodded. "And the sign? What should we name it?"

Ian thought for a moment.

"Let’s call it the ’Starlight Magic Pharmacy’."

「Three days later, the shop opened.」

There was no grand celebration, no invitations were sent out. They simply hung a dark blue sign with the shop’s name etched in Silver Runes.

The shop wasn’t large, only about sixty square meters.

A row of wooden shelves lined one wall, divided into three sections.

The first section held the [Concentration Potion]. The pale blue liquid was in a standard Crystal Bottle, with a label that read, "Tier Zero High Level · Spiritual Power Aid · Lasts Four Hours."

The second section held the [Spirit Recovery Potion]. It was light green, and its label read, "Tier Zero High Level · Rapid Spiritual Power Recovery · For Overexertion."

He marked it as a High Level Potion because he had already Limit-Broken it once, making its effect much better than that of an ordinary Recovery Potion.

The third section held the [Rock Bear Potion]. It was golden-yellow, with a label that read, "High Level Bloodline Potion · Permanent Body Enhancement."

Except for the Recovery Potion, all of them were the regular versions, not the Limit-Breaking Editions.

The effects of the Limit-Breaking Edition were too frightening. Ian had no intention of selling them publicly, planning only to let Kenna and the others use them occasionally.

He set the prices at a moderate level.

The [Concentration Potion] was 60 Magic Stones per bottle, the [Spirit Recovery Potion] was 20 Magic Stones, and the [Rock Bear Potion] was 700 Magic Stones.

On the first day of business, there weren’t many customers.

A few passing Level One Wizards poked their heads in, saw that they were all Tier Zero Potions, and left, shaking their heads.

Ian didn’t care.

He didn’t open the shop to make money, but to have a legitimate channel.

These Potions were all byproducts of grinding his Skill Level and needed to be liquidated.

On the second day, a familiar face arrived.

Kevin, the Level One Wizard from the Rune System, squeezed into the shop, his eyes immediately scanning the shelves.

"Wizard Marcus, is this... all your shop sells?"

"Mm, Tier One Potions are not for public sale."

Ian sat behind the counter, flipping through a book on Rune structure analysis.

"Then... what about the [Starlight Potion]?" Kevin asked, rubbing his hands together.

"That’s an internal supply for the Magic Potion Department. The waiting list for orders is five years long," Ian replied without looking up.

Kevin’s face fell.

But he quickly adjusted his expression and sidled up to the counter.

"Well then... I’ll buy some Tier Zero ones. Give me five [Concentration Potions] and three [Spirit Recovery Potions]!"

Ian looked up at him.

Kevin chuckled. "Just supporting your business! Besides, even if they’re Tier Zero, I’m sure the quality of Potions made by you is impeccable!"

That wasn’t an exaggeration.

Ian’s Tier Zero Potions were all produced at the ’Mastery’ Skill Level, their effects more than thirty percent stronger than others of the same type on the market.

Kevin paid the Magic Stones and left happily, clutching his Potions.

After that, word gradually began to spread.

"The stuff from the Starlight Potion Workshop is a cut above the rest!"

"Really? I bought a [Concentration Potion] yesterday. Not only did my Meditation time actually increase by half an hour, but my Spiritual Power also grew by a tiny bit more than usual!"

"The prices are just a little steep!"

But as long as the effects were good, there were plenty of Apprentices who didn’t care about the price.

Customers gradually became more frequent. After Kenna reported this, they hired a glib female Apprentice to work as a sales guide.

Kenna was in charge of managing the store, Wade ran deliveries, Monica handled the books, and Robert analyzed market trends and customer feedback.

The four of them worked with great dedication.

They knew this was an opportunity Ian had given them, but it was also a test.

If they did well, they would become the core of Ian’s team in Shadow Moon in the future.

If they messed up, there wouldn’t be a second chance.