Sonya didn't chat much with Lynn. Her purpose for this trip was clear:
To sell off all her belongings left in the Furnace, exchange the battle merits she earned for resources that could enhance her combat strength, and then return to the battlefield to fight for more merits.
Meanwhile, Lynn fell into deep thought, repeatedly contemplating the feasibility of acquiring battle merits.
He longed for battle merits but had no desire to personally step onto the battlefield.
Lynn knew very well that his spiritual domain was still constrained by the Life Seed, preventing him from utilizing 80% of his mental power.
Going into battle in such a state to earn merits would be nothing short of suicide.
Thus, the best approach was to accumulate battle merits through other means such as trading or purchasing them.
Since battle merits were used to exchange for Furnace's valuable resources, if he could obtain those resources through other channels, he could, in turn, acquire battle merits indirectly.
But what valuable resources did Lynn have at hand? The only thing that might qualify was the Azure Sky Meditation Technique.
Yet, he obviously couldn't trade it.
After all, this meditation technique was a one-time insight imparted to him by Rosalind. Only she had the right to sell or transfer it, not Lynn.
For him, even revealing the breathing technique's details in the slightest would trigger a backlash from the contract…
"Aside from meditation techniques, what about crafting rare potions? No, that's not possible. Any potion I can make can be bought with magic stones or points who would spend battle merits on them?"
Lynn pondered. If even his best skill alchemy couldn't earn him battle merits, what else could he offer?
"Magical artifacts? I do have an enchanted version of a spatial item…"
The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head.
"I studied alchemy intensely some time ago and examined those enchanted items. While some are decent, none are valuable enough to trade for significant battle merits."
After careful consideration, a viable option finally emerged in his mind.
"Potions that aid in advancing to a formal wizard undeniably valuable… But the ones I have aren't complete versions."
Refusing to give up, Lynn decided to check the battle merit exchange lists at the Furnace's outpost.
However, after spending half a day searching, he returned with a grim expression. Every battle merit had been earned at the risk of life and limb.
Naturally, those who owned them wouldn't part with them easily, especially not for incomplete auxiliary potions.
"The plan is feasible to battle merits and can indeed resolve my contract restrictions."
Lynn sighed as he weighed his options.
"But now there's a new problem how to acquire battle merits. It seems my only choice is to further improve my potion-making skills and trade auxiliary potions for battle merits…"
"This aligns with my original plan. My alchemy skills have already reached a high level… The feasibility is quite promising."
With that in mind, Lynn set off for the potion garden once again, determined to continue improving his skills as an alchemist.
The Furnace, Residential District, Rosalind's Room
Standing by the window, Rosalind gazed at the towering central spire in the distance, her blue-green eyes filled with unease.
Her expression was complex.
"If my guess is correct, that person should already be a Starshatter-ranked Morning Star Wizard…"
A hint of doubt surfaced on Rosalind's face as she furrowed her brows.
Like the other official wizards, she hadn't been particularly worried about the current situation.
Even though the Black Dragon Witch, Aestry, had been captured, the Furnace remained. And as long as the Morning Star Wizard was still present, the Furnace wouldn't fall.
However, something seemed to have changed.
The pillar of the Furnace the Furnace Master had now shattered his star.
This was far from ordinary, and an ominous premonition stirred within Rosalind's heart.
"As a rational Morning Star Wizard, would he forsake the protection of the Wizarding World for his daughter? Aestry did fall into the Emerald Isle Forest, but did the Furnace Master truly go after her for that reason alone?"
Starshattering was almost irreversible, and the Furnace Master was a selfish and ruthless dark wizard.
Would he abandon the Wizarding World's protection for the family? That was highly unlikely.
Rosalind realized that there was more to this situation than met the eye.
The Furnace Master was deceiving everyone. But why would a Morning Star Wizard lie to those he considered mere weaklings?
There had to be a hidden reason.
"Mother Nature above, may I soon find what I seek…"
Rosalind closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and whispered a prayer.
In that moment, she appeared exceptionally devout. Yet, the depth and sharpness in her eyes starkly contrasted with the idealistic image of a nature wizard.
And indeed, the reality was far from that ideal.
The idea of "rising unsullied from the filth" was nothing more than wishful thinking.
A successful nature wizard needed the right environment to grow.
In the domain of dark wizards, where 80% of one's spiritual power was restricted during the apprentice phase, the path of a nature wizard was almost impossible.
Rosalind hailed from the territory of white wizards. Her reason for coming to the Furnace was to search for something something crucial.
"According to Mother Nature's guidance, it should be near the Furnace. I've searched for a long time, yet I haven't found it. Could it be…"
She fell silent, a bold guess forming in her mind.
With her status in the Furnace, Rosalind had access to major expeditions, proving her significance.
She had leveraged the Furnace's power, yet no kingdom or principality she explored had yielded any useful clues.
"Could it be… in that forest?"
Her gaze instinctively shifted toward the Emerald Isle Forest. Her eyes darkened as if piercing through the mist to glimpse the secrets hidden in the forest's depths.
A Month Later
Time flew by.
The Furnace forces broke through the outer defenses of the Emerald Isle Forest, and the army surged inward like a tidal wave.
Though the deeper regions had become somewhat less dangerous, significant threats remained.
As a result, the number of wounded and maimed continued to rise, placing immense pressure on the logistics department.
According to the Furnace Master's promise, every surviving soldier was to receive timely and effective treatment. This made an already intense workload even more grueling.
As part of the potion garden, Lynn was inevitably drawn into the logistical operations.
His responsibilities grew, demanding not only daily potion-making but also additional tasks.
While many apprentices complained about the increased burden, Lynn's eyes gleamed with excitement.
To him, handling various potion ingredients and refining different formulas was a golden opportunity to accelerate his growth as an apprentice potion master.
After all, a true alchemist needed proficiency in countless potions, and mastering the handling of diverse ingredients was essential.
This wartime demand, which allowed him unrestricted access to rare materials, proved invaluable.
Though exhausted, Lynn knew this was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss.
And so, his progress in potion-making surged forward at an astonishing pace…
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