The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 107: The Path of Advancement

Vol 2 Chapter 107 The Path of Advancement

"Tia has advanced!"

Back at the manor inside town, Sylutia had planned to finish the tasks she'd been handling for the past two days. She never expected that shortly after walking in, other apprentices would notice something different.

At the shout, many apprentices who had been working also gathered, curious and wide-eyed with surprise.

Sylutia's talent was strong; everyone had expected she'd advance faster than them, but the speed she progressed was still startling.

Under normal circumstances, even the First Tier apprentice with the highest overall talent evaluation would take about one to two years to move from First Tier to Second Tier. After reaching Second Tier, advancing further would take, at best, four to five years, assuming exceptional talent.

If an apprentice's talent evaluation was average, it would take roughly six to ten years to reach Second Tier after joining the Hidden Grove, and reaching Third Tier could take thirty to forty years. That is why, on the surface continent, most Third Tier practitioners seen in the world are usually over forty. Those who reach Third Tier around age thirty make up less than ten percent; they can be considered exceptionally talented.

Reaching Third Tier before thirty is what counts as genius, the goal Iona once pursued.

After Sylutia arrived at the Hidden Grove, she entered Second Tier within half a year. She spent her first year on the Glittergold Plains, then two years in Lantern Town. She had been busy with garrison affairs, and these past months she had stayed at Ironwall Precipice, which delayed her progress considerably. Even so, within two years she stood out and stepped into Third Tier. Her high talent made many apprentices envious and speechless.

By Sylutia's own reckoning of her age, if she was counted as sixteen at the time of her awakening, she was still not yet twenty now—exceptionally young.The news quickly spread through the town, and many apprentices were stunned. Even some travelers temporarily staying in town were curious.

"Such a formidable girl, really a terrifying junior."

Two middle-aged men sitting in the dining hall listened to the commotion nearby and sighed in admiration.

They had also gone through Second and Third Tier themselves, so they naturally understood the difficulty. Advancing to Third Tier is unlike previous stages—it's almost a full test of oneself.

Going from nothing to First Tier only requires condensing one’s Aspect energy, while reaching Second Tier isn't that difficult either: one trains and develops multiple abilities, accumulates through Aspect energy, and gradually breaks through.

Third Tier is different. You must create your own core ability from nothing, and achieve breakthroughs in knowledge, concepts, and practical experience to become complete. This process cannot be achieved by crude accumulation alone.

He lifted a large wooden cup and drank the bubbling beer. A refreshing sensation surged up, then he set the cup down and looked across at his companion.

"How long did it take you back then?"

"Heh, it took me nearly ten years," the other man said, holding his cup and sipping slowly.

"After stepping into Second Tier, I carried a medicine chest through the Verdant Vine Forest, identifying and collecting herbs and learning their pharmacology. That took about two years to lay the foundation. Then I left the Verdant Vine Forest and apprenticed as an apothecary at Kadeshan Cottage, processing herbs and learning potion concoctions and advanced pharmacology. I spent four years there."

"After my studies were sufficient, on my instructor's recommendation I went to the Snowwind Harbor on the surface continent and registered with the physicians' association there as a trainee physician, assisting and learning. That was another three years."

"When my experience and knowledge had matured, I went alone to a remote town, replacing an elderly retired physician to treat locals and continued learning from him. That was another three years."

"Ten years passed. Only when I felt everything was ready did I step across the threshold into Third Tier."

"After advancing, my seniors in the faction said I had good talent, that reaching Third Tier within ten years made me one of the best among my peers."

"What about you, Zaria?" The topic turned to the knight across from them who was drinking beer.

"I'm a bit better than you; it took me nearly seven years." He picked up a piece of bread and ate it bite by bite, not fast, but steady.

"When I first entered Second Tier I was short on resources. To obtain as much as possible within the Hidden Grove, I chose to be stationed at the remote and dangerous Monster Ravine Road garrison."

"There were many Twilight Beasts invading from the edges of the Shadow World, the monsters we speak of—unknown aberrations and such."

"In the first month there, I was severely injured by a vicious black bird that fell from the sky. If it hadn't been for a ranger senior who shot it down, I would've been taken to the monster's nest."

"After that I trained desperately, learning all kinds of knowledge and combat techniques, day and night. That lasted a year."

"A year later I joined the mountain road patrol, engaging in combat against those monsters, constantly fighting."

"Being only Second Tier, even with armor and skill, facing some monsters of the same tier was extremely difficult. Their forms were bizarre, and their attack methods were unpredictable."

"To survive and win, I had to quickly understand their behavior patterns, weak points, and the flaws I lacked."

"Under that pressure, five years passed."

"One day after those five years, as if reaching a critical point, I suddenly had an enlightenment. I was no longer afraid of the monsters and became increasingly brave in battle. Even encountering unknown enemies, I did not panic."

"I realized suddenly that even monsters are imperfect. Even if they are stronger than me in some aspects, that strength comes with other costs. They cannot be superior in every way. I am not fighting without hope."

"With that mindset, facing seemingly powerful foes, I remained calm and fought bravely and cool-headed."

"Thus, in the following two years I stood out from the patrol, defeated one powerful monster after another, and completed the trials of the knight's path."

"People said I embodied the knightly virtue of courage. I think I simply understood a truth and gained a sense of composure."

"I knew what I wanted and what I would lose, so I did not fear challenges. In dangerous fights I found opportunities and defeated enemies." After explaining his view, he cleared his lunch plate.

"You..." The physician across shook his head.

"And you claim not to be brave. Someone like you would probably not fear death."

"Everyone's path to advancement is different. I'm not a knight, but I can see that someone like you is a model among knights."

The two finished their meal and rose to leave.

Listening to the apprentices' discussions along the way, their curiosity also grew.

'That Sylutia, what concept or truth did she comprehend during her advancement?'