They were leaning against the columns in the hallway, it seemed they had been waiting specifically for him.
"Apprentice Reyne," Morris called out, his tone laced with complex emotions: "Looks like you're quite popular with Lord Solon."
Robb maintained a polite smile.
"Lord Griffith is an excellent instructor, generous with all his students."
Another student sneered: "Don't play dumb. We all saw how different his attitude is toward you. He brushed us off in fifteen minutes, but he's willing to spend half an hour, sometimes more, just coaching you."
Robb didn't respond directly. He simply thought to himself how pitiful their envy and frustration looked. "Everyone progresses differently and has different needs. Lord Griffith naturally tailors his guidance accordingly, it's called individualized instruction."
"Ha!" Morris scoffed. "So you're saying we're not worthy of more attention?"
"Heh... If that's how you interpret it, then I suppose there's nothing more I need to say."
Robb gave a faint smile and said calmly: "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
He nodded politely and walked past them. It was obvious they were itching to lash out but barely held themselves back.
"Don't think you're untouchable just because you've got some rare talent," Morris's voice came from behind, thick with resentment: "History is full of gifted wizards who burned out early. In the end, it still comes down to real ability."
Robb didn't look back. He simply kept walking.
Jealousy and hostility like this weren't rare at the Black Mist Order, especially when someone displayed extraordinary talent and rapid progress.
In the days that followed, similar incidents happened more and more.
After every one of Solon's classes, one or two students would linger, hoping to receive special guidance.
Solon didn't refuse them, but his attitude varied noticeably.
With Robb, he would explain every concept in detail, even demonstrating advanced techniques.
With others, his instruction was more basic and cursory, as if just going through the motions.
"There's nothing strange about this," Solon told Robb one day: "The essence of the 'Favor' system is that mentors naturally lean toward students who can offer more in return."
His tone carried rare frankness.
"You already understand the concept of Favor, so I won't hide it. What I receive from you is far richer than from the others. That means your growth and breakthroughs are more valuable."
Robb wasn't surprised.
According to Lady Elena, Favor was a feedback mechanism, students' growth and breakthroughs would provide corresponding benefits to their mentors.
The higher a student's talent and the faster their progress, the more Favor they generated.
"Don't let others' reactions trouble you,"
Solon continued: "In the magus world, resources are always scarce, and competition is inevitable. The ones who receive more are often those who can create more value."
Robb nodded in agreement. He was now a clear beneficiary of this Favor-based system.
Those with lesser abilities and weaker talent were inevitably going to face more obstacles and setbacks in such a harsh environment.
"If you keep progressing like this," Solon's eyes sparkled with anticipation, "you'll soon rise even higher in the Wizard Reserve's rankings."
Sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy of the Black Mist Forest. Robb walked along a familiar path, the surroundings bringing back memories of when he first arrived here.
Back then, he was merely a initiate whose mental strength barely met the minimum requirement.
Now, he was ranked 19th in the Wizard Reserve Track and already a young professional potion-maker.
"Time really flies. It's been over two months since I earned my potion certification."
Robb murmured to himself, glancing at a wildflower blooming by the roadside.
He'd been so busy with advanced courses and personal training that he hadn't visited Lady Elena in quite some time.
As his first true mentor in the extraordinary world, her help had been immeasurable.
"I wonder how she's doing."
He also thought of something else.
Ever since acquiring the fused skill Extraordinary Appraisal, he found he could not only discern the essence of objects, but also get a sense of people's talents and aptitudes.
That gave him an idea: perhaps he could visit the initiate district to see if he might discover a hidden prodigy.
With that thought in mind, he decided to check out the dorms before heading to visit Lady Elena.
The initiate dormitory area hadn't changed much, still the same low, run-down buildings, the air still heavy with mold and the acrid smell of failed experiments.
As he walked the worn stone path, Robb noticed several initiates practicing basic spells in the courtyard.
They looked exhausted, robes stained with potion residue and mud, clearly just returned from a task or experiment.
When they noticed Robb approaching, their expressions changed instantly.
The badges on his chest, one marking him as a professional potion-maker, the other as an Intermediate Apprentice, gleamed in the sunlight, symbolizing his elevated status in the extraordinary world.
"That's... that's Lord Robb the Potion Master!"
A tall, thin initiate exclaimed, then quickly bowed his head, afraid to offend such an important figure.
The others stopped what they were doing, hurriedly stepping aside and bowing respectfully.
None dared meet his gaze, as though he were some fearsome being.
"Carry on with what you were doing. Don't mind me."
Robb said calmly. He understood their reaction, he himself had once needed to treat higher-level "apprentice lords" with the same deference.
In this world of stark social hierarchy, deference from the lowly to the powerful was almost instinctual.
Besides, his status was now far above that of the average Intermediate Apprentice, second only to full-fledged wizards.
The apprentices thanked him repeatedly, but kept their heads bowed until he walked away. Only then did they dare to raise their eyes, filled with admiration and longing.
Robb deliberately slowed his pace and subtly activated Extraordinary Appraisal, attempting to assess the talents and potential of these apprentices.
But the results were disappointing.
Most had lower-middle five-star or six-star magic aptitude, comparable to or even worse than what he had started with.
Their talents were average, their potential limited. Even with hard work, they'd likely only reach the level of an Elementary Apprentice, and remain stuck there for life.
As he continued down the path, Robb overheard a few young voices speaking excitedly behind him.
"That was Robb Reyne! The genius who rose from a nobody to an Intermediate Apprentice in just six months!"
It was the same tall, skinny apprentice from earlier, clearly speaking with great excitement.
"No way, six months?"
Another voice was incredulous: "That's impossible! Normally it takes three to five years, right? Even Trissy, that three-star prodigy, took longer than that. Is he more talented than a three-star?"
"It's true! He's also a professional potion master. And rumor has it he's ranked top twenty in the Wizard Reserve Track!"
The skinny one was getting more excited: "They say he started out with just six-star magic aptitude, same as us!"
"That means we have hope too, right?"
"Exactly! If we find the right method and work hard enough, maybe we can be like him!"
"Yeah! We can't give up, we can do it too!"
Hearing the animated chatter behind him, Robb shook his head with a wry smile.
He knew they didn't understand the real reason behind his rapid rise:
The infinite classes system, the dual-soul special trait, the Timewarden Pocket Watch, a grind-heavy artifact that let him operate nearly without rest.
Without these, no matter how hard he worked, it would've been impossible to reach his current level so quickly.
These initiates saw him as a symbol of turning the tide, a source of motivation to keep pushing forward, which was good.
But knowing they would likely crash again and again against harsh reality, only to eventually resign themselves to mediocrity...
All Robb could think was: everyone has their own destiny.
"I guess hidden talents really aren't that easy to find. Wouldn't be called hidden otherwise."
Robb wasn't disappointed. He'd only been casually looking. With no results, he turned and headed toward Lady Elena's herb shop.
Passing through the stone archway of the apprentice market and weaving through a crowd of exotic merchants, he finally reached that familiar storefront, and was flooded with a wave of warm nostalgia.
It was here that his journey into the supernatural truly began.
From a mediocre initiate with poor aptitude, he had grown into an Intermediate Apprentice and a professional potion master.
As he pushed open the door, the familiar herbal aroma greeted him. Rows of bottles and jars were neatly arranged on the shelves.
Behind the narrow counter, Lady Elena was reviewing a ledger.
But this time, there were two young female apprentices in the store, both around fifteen or sixteen, busily sorting various herbs.
One was slim and plain-looking, with short brown hair tied neatly behind her head, and a serious, focused expression.
She was carefully separating the leaves and stems of an herb, her movements precise and orderly.
The other girl was tall, with flowing violet-black hair that reached her waist like the starry night sky.
She seemed to be wearing some light makeup, but her elegant features couldn't be hidden.
She was wiping a row of glass jars, moving quickly and skillfully, occasionally glancing at a notebook.
"Lady Elena, long time no see," Robb greeted softly.
Lady Elena looked up. Her emerald eyes lit up, and the wrinkles on her face eased a little:
"Oh, Robb! You finally remembered this old woman."
Her tone held a hint of reproach, but it couldn't hide her delight: "You've been away so long. I thought you'd forgotten your old mentor after entering the Wizard Reserve Track."
Robb smiled and shook his head: "How could I? I've just been swamped with classes and training lately. How have you been?"
"Thanks to you, I'm stable enough," Lady Elena snorted softly, setting the ledger aside: "Seraphine, that old bat, mentioned you the other day, said you've been doing well in the elemental course."
"Instructor Seraphine's guidance has helped me a lot," Robb replied sincerely. Then his eyes shifted toward the two girls, who had paused their work and were now watching him curiously.
"These are Fiona and Layla, my new assistants," Lady Elena said, following his gaze: "This is Robb Reyne, my former student. He's now an Intermediate Apprentice, member of the Wizard Reserve rankings and a professional potion master."
The girls' eyes widened in astonishment, clearly not expecting someone so gifted to show up here.
"Hello, Lord Reyne,"
The plainer girl, Fiona, bowed respectfully, her voice soft and humble: "Lady Elena often speaks of you. She says you're the most outstanding student she ever taught."
"Hello, Lord Reyne,"
The more refined Layla followed suit, her voice melodious and filled with curiosity, and a hint of ambition: "It's an honor to meet you. Lady Elena says you're one of the most talented potion master she's ever seen."
Robb replied politely, while discreetly activating Extraordinary Appraisal to evaluate the two girls' talents.
Fiona's mental aptitude was five-star, slightly better than the average apprentice, but nothing extraordinary.
She showed decent aptitude for potion brewing, with precise technique and a methodical mind.
With over a decade of hard work, she might become a professional potion master, but likely wouldn't go further.
Unfortunately, Robb didn't detect any special traits in her.
However, when he turned his attention to Layla, a strange energy fluctuation caught his attention.
Layla's mental aptitude was only five-star, slightly below Fiona's, but inside her, he sensed a unique energy pattern.
[Layla]
Mental Aptitude: Five-star
Special Trait: Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity (Second-Tier Trait)
When focused on learning a specific skill, her learning capacity gradually increases over time, with an exceptionally high potential ceiling.
Robb was slightly stunned.
A stroke of luck, he had unexpectedly stumbled upon another second-tier special trait!