Pei Ze had long been mentally prepared for the difficulties of learning to concoct potions.
'It might be tough at first, but once I successfully concoct my first potion, it should get much easier.'
Seeing Pei Ze's determined expression, Yin Xue smiled faintly. She said no more and instead took out a piece of parchment, handing it to him.
"This is the recipe for the Ferocity Potion. I've already memorized it, so it's no use to me anymore. You can have it."
Pei Ze was slightly taken aback.
To become an Alchemist, besides having sufficient resources, acquiring potion recipes was also crucial.
At the High Tower Academy, all sorts of books and knowledge on alchemy were free and could be borrowed from the library.
But potion recipes, even for basic, unranked potions, were not made public for free.
To obtain a recipe, one could only buy it from the logistics department or become a Direct Disciple of an Alchemist and have it passed down.
Of course, the latter method usually still required payment.
Wizards believed in the principle of equivalent exchange. Even with their own disciples, they rarely gave away knowledge or resources for free.
At most, the price would be a bit cheaper than what was available outside.
Although the Ferocity Potion was just an unranked potion, buying it from the logistics department would cost at least two or three hundred contribution points. Yin Xue's gift was by no means cheap.
Pei Ze hesitated, "Senior..."
Before he could finish, Yin Xue cut him off. The young woman's face broke into a smile. "I'm optimistic about your growth. Just consider this a small investment in you."
"Junior, you're a guy. Don't be so wishy-washy."
Since she had put it that way, refusing any further would seem disingenuous. Pei Ze no longer hesitated and nodded, accepting the recipe.
'I'll just find a chance to repay Senior Yin Xue in the future.'
"Thank you, Senior."
Seeing Pei Ze accept the recipe, Yin Xue's eyes curved into a smile. "By the way, Junior, although you're a fast learner, I still suggest you find a teacher. With a teacher's guidance, you can avoid a lot of detours."
A thought stirred in Pei Ze's mind. He asked, "Senior, what tier of Alchemist is Master Mo Weng?"
"My teacher is a Tier Five Alchemist."
"..." Pei Ze immediately extinguished any thought of taking Mo Weng as his teacher.
A Tier Five Alchemist, even in Chenxi City, belonged to the absolute top echelon of Alchemists.
Unless one's talent was truly outstanding, it was impossible to be accepted as a student by such a powerhouse.
Pei Ze knew his own limits. At least for now, he didn't stand a chance.
'But why would an Alchemist of that level stay at the academy?'
Pei Ze was puzzled.
...
After leaving the academy, Pei Ze headed straight for his apartment.
He planned to go back and finish reading *The Complete Guide to Magic Pets*, get the magic pet situation sorted out first, and then start learning how to concoct potions.
A proper magic pet could assist a Wizard in battle against enemies, playing a significant role.
Especially for a Wizard Apprentice, whose combat methods were relatively limited, the role of a magic pet was even more important.
Once he successfully contracted a magic pet, Pei Ze's combat power would also rise significantly.
This matter had to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.
By the time he returned to the vicinity of his apartment, the sky was already growing dim.
Many crows were still circling and hovering over the block, their hoarse caws rising and falling.
Pei Ze looked up at the crows in the sky, feeling a slight sense of regret.
'It's a shame the chances of a crow awakening magic-like abilities are too low. Otherwise, turning one into a magic pet wouldn't be a bad idea.'
Sighing, Pei Ze was about to open the door to his apartment when a flash of inspiration struck him.
'The chance of a magic pet awakening magic-like abilities depends on the individual differences of the creature and the Wizard's Spiritual Power level. Could I use the Eye of Omniscience to analyze these two points and determine the probability of awakening those abilities?'
Pei Ze's eyes instantly lit up.
'It's worth a try!'
Putting thought into action, Pei Ze immediately turned and scanned his surroundings. He quickly selected a crow perched atop a lamppost and, with a flick of his hand, tossed a Dizziness Technique at it.
The poor crow didn't even have time to react. It tumbled headfirst off the lamppost and landed right in the palm of Pei Ze, who had rushed over.
'Eye of Omniscience, analyze the probability of this crow awakening magic-like abilities after I contract and convert it into a magic pet.'
[Analysis requires 0.2 Spiritual Power. Proceed with analysis?]
'It really works!'
Pei Ze was ecstatic.
This wasn't just his guess being confirmed; it had opened up a whole new door for him.
Since the Eye of Omniscience could analyze the probability of a crow awakening magic-like abilities, it could surely analyze other creatures as well.
In other words, in the future, he could use the Eye of Omniscience in combat to investigate an enemy's power level and abilities!
This was undoubtedly an extremely convenient tool!
'I should have thought of this sooner. Since the Eye of Omniscience can analyze my own status attributes, it can definitely be used on other creatures too. At worst, it will just cost some Spiritual Power!'
Pei Ze's heart pounded with excitement, and he immediately willed the analysis to begin.
After only three or four seconds, the Eye of Omniscience returned the results.
[Upon conversion to a magic pet, this individual has a 0.13% probability of awakening magic-like abilities.]
"..." 'It really is low.'
Pei Ze sighed and opened his palm.
The little creature, having regained consciousness, immediately flapped its wings and fled the moment it was free.
Watching the sky full of crows, Pei Ze's brows furrowed.
Although he had the physique of a Knight, catching flying crows was still not easy.
Using Magic was simple, but doing so would consume a lot of Spiritual Power.
Even the lowest-cost spell, Mage's Hand, required 0.5 Spiritual Power to cast.
At this rate, he could analyze thirty to forty crows a day at most.
At this speed, it would take forever to find a suitable contract target...
'Wait!'
Pei Ze suddenly slapped his forehead and chuckled self-deprecatingly.
'I was getting bogged down in the details. I don't need to do this kind of thing myself at all.'
His circumstances up to this point had trapped him in the mistaken belief that he had to do everything himself.
In fact, most Wizards, including Wizard Apprentices, would delegate menial tasks like collecting common materials to their attendants in order to free up more time for Meditation and studying.
This was also why Wizards commonly recruited attendants.
Although he was only a Wizard Apprentice and didn't yet have the qualifications to recruit a Knight as an attendant, he could absolutely hire people to catch crows for him.
That way, he could just stay at home, wait for the crows to be delivered, and analyze them one by one.
Without having to expend Spiritual Power to cast Magic, he could analyze at least a hundred crows a day. He should be able to find a suitable target in ten days to half a month at most!
At this thought, the corners of Pei Ze's mouth curled up.
Chenxi City had numerous crows that flew around cawing all day. Many residents, unable to bear the nuisance, had to hire people to drive them away or capture them. Over time, this gave rise to the profession of the Crow Catcher.
Pei Ze remembered there were quite a few Crow Catchers nearby.
Having made a decision, he immediately sprang into action, rushing to the residence of a Crow Catcher.
The process was very smooth. Faced with employment from a Wizard Apprentice, several Crow Catchers agreed without a second thought, patting their chests and guaranteeing they would complete the task.
And the price Pei Ze paid was merely 20 Copper Coins per crow.