Pushing open the door and looking out, I saw a familiar figure staggering by—it was Andy, another candidate apprentice who had come to the Black Mist Jungle around the same time I did.
This young man from a merchant family always looked timid. At the moment, he was clutching a stack of books and rushing toward the library in a panic.
"Another one trying to find a breakthrough at the last minute..." I shook my head quietly.
Such scenes had been becoming increasingly common. As the assessment deadline approached, those candidate apprentices unsure of their chances of passing began to panic. Some, like Locke and Emily, took dangerous detours. Others, like Andy, buried themselves in frantic study. But regardless of which path they chose, the outcomes rarely turned out well.
"We still have to take this step by step," I reminded myself.
I glanced at the refreshing potion in my hand and firmed my resolve. My current progress might not be as fast as those so-called geniuses from higher backgrounds, but this was merely the beginning of my journey. Every step I took was solid, every bit of progress real and tangible. Eventually, I would pick up speed—and one day, leave them all far behind.
With that thought, I sat back on the bed, preparing to continue my practice. Time was precious, and I couldn't afford to waste the effects of the refreshing potion.
…
While I was meditating, laughter echoed faintly from the corridor.
"…That necklace is so pretty, it must have cost a fortune?" A female voice drifted through the door.
"It's alright. It was a reward from the master. Oh, by the way, did you hear what Lord Marcus is researching these days...?"
I cracked the door open slightly and peeked out. From a distance, I could see the ones talking were apprentice servants. Judging by their elaborate clothes and jewelry, they clearly weren't ordinary household staff. Their tone and manner also felt more refined, different from the group that passed by the other day.
"Ah, not everyone is so lucky," one voice said, tinged with envy.
"I heard that new guy, the one who broke through last month, also took a... special route."
"Hush—keep your voice down," another servant warned. "But seriously, I heard it only took him three days..."
"Really? Wasn't he from the black market?"
"Let's not dig too deep into that," the other interjected. "But apparently, several new merchants have arrived recently, specializing in rare materials."
Though their words sounded casual, there was an obvious subtext. As they spoke, I noticed faint lights glowing behind a few closed doors. The candidate apprentices—still struggling for a breakthrough—were clearly listening.
"Hey, who's that over there? Yes, the one who visited the black marketeer a few days ago."
"I heard that—"
"Stop! Don't say any more. It's dangerous to talk about these things out loud."
"But it's true that the things those merchants offer are powerful. I heard the effects are immediate. My master said the key lies in dosage and timing, especially when..."
Hearing all this, I suddenly remembered the few luxuriously dressed female slaves I'd encountered while exiting the herbal store yesterday. Their curious looks at me now made more sense. They were probably scouting for potential targets.
Those slaves were clearly trained. They made it a point to speak loudly about these "special channels" in crowded areas, and their beauty naturally drew attention, making their conversations seem more believable and less suspicious.
Every detail was meticulously crafted—to make desperate apprentices believe the rumors were trustworthy.
"This tactic... truly despicable." I sighed.
Growing up in Earl Ralph's mansion, I had seen such "information manipulation" plenty of times. My father's subordinates often deliberately spread favorable rumors in public to gain an edge.
But here in the Black Mist Jungle, the consequences were far more severe. A single wrong step could cost someone not just status—but their life.
The servants eventually drifted away, their idle chatter fading into the distance. But the damage had already been done. Like sparks falling on dry wood, the rumors were quietly catching fire in the dormitory area.
"So insidious." I scoffed softly.
The so-called "three-day breakthrough" they mentioned referred to Locke's mutation. But they conveniently ignored his tragic end, choosing only to highlight the miraculous effects of the mysterious potion.
For desperate apprentices, such one-sided stories were a deadly temptation.
"Three months... For many, it's far too short a time."
I glanced at the sky outside the window—it was already darkening. As the days passed and hope dwindled, desperation would surely grow. And the deliberate spread of these "news stories" was only adding fuel to the fire.
In the past few days alone, several apprentices had already taken reckless risks. Locke and Emily were just the beginning. More were likely to follow in their footsteps, venturing down paths of no return.
"Someone is clearly orchestrating this…" I clenched the stimulating potion in my hand.
It wasn't hard to guess who was behind those whispering servants—or who the black market merchants were tied to.
In a world where the strong preyed upon the weak, the vulnerable were always the hunted. Whether they became experiments or slaves, it all boiled down to someone else's profit.
"I need to become stronger—fast. I don't want to be anyone's pawn again."
Taking a deep breath, I refocused and calmed my mind. Then, I closed the door firmly and sat back on the bed.
Even though the corridor quieted down, the rumors had already stirred unrest throughout the dormitory. I could hear pacing from the room next door—Darend, my neighbor, who usually obsessed over noise magic, seemed restless as well.
He rarely paid attention to the outside world, but now even he couldn't stay indifferent.
"Time really is running out..." I looked again at the stimulating potion in my hand. A sense of urgency crept into my heart.
Maybe it was time to consider another career path.