The two of them exchanged a glance, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Looks like I really did find the right ally," Andrey raised his teacup as if it were wine, eyes gleaming with hope. "To our cooperation!"
"And to the future!" Robb responded, clinking his cup.
The crisp sound of the teacups touching was pleasant to the ears. In this place, friendship and trust were more valuable than anything.
"Starting tomorrow, I need to prepare the list of ingredients for those potions," Robb said as he sipped his tea. "Do you have any way to get dragonbeard grass? I need it to brew my blood vitality potion."
"Dragonbeard grass isn't a problem," Andrey answered casually. "What about your side—what's on Madam Elena's list? Maybe I can help with that too."
Hearing Andrey's offer, Robb had originally planned to reveal a bit about the task Madam Elena had given him—after all, Andrey's connections far surpassed his own. But after glancing outside at the darkening sky, he decided it was better to discuss the cooperation in detail tomorrow.
Seeing Robb's expression, the perceptive Thirteenth Prince immediately caught on. He politely put down his teacup and excused himself.
After sending Andrey off, Robb locked the door and took out the simple stardust solution he had brewed under Madam Elena's guidance.
There was still a bit more than half a bottle of the silvery liquid left. Under the candlelight, it shimmered faintly.
"I'd better save the artificial star dew for later. It's not time to use that yet."
Robb muttered to himself, glancing at the cabinet where he had stashed the rare potion gifted by Holter.
He already had a plan: once Madam Elena gave him Whispers of the Star-Eater, he would use that higher-grade star dew to accelerate his increase in strength.
Given the complexity of that gem-level meditation technique, trying to brute force his way through would probably take an eternity. Only with potion support could he achieve faster progress.
"This remaining simple stardust solution should be enough to bring my sonic spell to a practical, combat-ready level."
Taking a deep breath, Robb retrieved Darude's notebook, ready to use the remaining potion to break through the final barrier:
[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) 87/100]
After a brief pause, he opened the window to confirm it was deep into the night. He then took out a piece of dried experimental wood from the herbal shop and placed it on the table as a target.
Carefully pouring out a small spoonful of the simple stardust solution, Robb slowly drank it.
A cool sensation spread from his throat, quickly radiating through his body.
He felt his mind become exceptionally clear, and his thoughts more agile.
Although, as Madam Elena had said, the effects were merely a "youth version" of true stardust solution, it was more than enough for his current task.
[Simplified Stardust Elixir – Effect: Slight increase in mental stability; slight increase in casting precision]
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he opened Darude's notebook and carefully studied the unclear portions.
Under the potion's influence, the once obscure symbols and notes now appeared far more comprehensible.
As time passed, he began to grasp the essence—
The core of Darude's sonic magic wasn't just simple vibration. Instead, it used specific "mental waves" to guide magical particles in the air into resonance, forming offensive sound waves.
"I see."
With the aid of the potion's mental stabilizing effects, Robb closed his eyes and began constructing the spell model for sonic magic in his mindspace.
No longer just droplet-shaped, the model had become a spiral energy structure—three layers of spirit energy rotating at different densities, forming a complex but stable vortex.
Each layer's rotation angle and speed were crucial. Following the notebook's guidance, Robb adjusted each step under the enhanced perception the potion granted.
"Feels more like tuning an instrument string by string than casting a spell," he thought to himself.
As he poured in his mental energy, the spiral vortex expanded and began to emit a faint humming sound.
At first, it was barely noticeable, but as Robb began channeling magic power, the vibration gained destructive force, disturbing the air around it.
[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) +1 EXP]
[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) +1 EXP]
[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) +1 EXP]
…
[Spell Construction (Beginner) +1 EXP]
Robb didn't stop, continuing to fine-tune the flow and strength of the energy.
Ever since advancing to Apprentice Wizard (One and a Half Star) and unlocking the Spell Construction skill, he had clearly been progressing faster in perfecting the prototype.
He noticed that when his spirit energy vibrated at a certain frequency, it not only constructed the spell model more efficiently but also significantly reduced magic consumption.
"It's like I've found a resonance frequency..."
So immersed was Robb in building the spell that he didn't notice the wooden block on the desk had begun to vibrate ever so slightly.
By the time he came to his senses, he realized his mental energy had unconsciously formed a complete sonic spell model—and it was already affecting physical matter.
"I actually finished it subconsciously? Seems like the stardust elixir worked even better than expected."
He quickly focused and took control of the accidental success.
"Sonic Tremor!"
Silently chanting the spell's name, Robb released a concentrated burst of spirit energy, pushing the spiral vortex forward.
An almost invisible ripple shot out from his palm, striking the wooden block.
Without a sound, countless fine cracks appeared on its surface before it collapsed into a pile of sawdust.
[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) +8 EXP]
[Breakthrough! Sonic Tremor (Prototype 100/100) → Sonic Tremor (Adept 1/200)]
[Trait Unlocked: Microwave Ripple – Attacks are harder to detect upon activation]
"I did it."
He could hardly believe it—he had not only mastered the sonic spell faster than expected but also pushed it past the beginner threshold into the Adept tier, gaining an additional trait.
Perhaps it was because he had personally refined the model from its conceptual phase.
Reaching out to touch the wood dust, Robb found it had been shattered so finely it was nearly powder—far more devastating than it appeared on the surface.
What surprised him even more was the astonishingly low mana cost. It had only consumed about 0.2 magic units, yet dealt destruction comparable to most offensive spells.
Even more impressive was how quietly the spell activated. No sound, no warning—perfect for catching opponents off guard.
"No wonder Oliver was so fascinated by this spell..."
Robb thought to himself, "If what Madam Elena said is true, combining it with curses could indeed produce an attack nearly impossible to defend against at the apprentice level."
The thought filled him with both excitement and caution.
Power like this, in the hands of different people, could lead to very different outcomes.
"At least now, I'm no longer that helpless weakling."
Robb let out a quiet breath, watching as dawn lightened the sky outside the window.
This newly-acquired "Sonic Tremor" might just be another vital trump card in the treacherous Black Mist Forest.
He finished the remaining stardust solution in his cup and gently closed his eyes:
"Now I just need Whispers of the Star-Eater. Once I gather the materials on the list, I might be able to take the next step toward a higher tier."