The House of the Bronze Tree is a forum exclusively for pharmacists; others cannot access it.

  Both pharmacists and force adepts, including apprentices, receive a unique identity code when they register with the Hunter Union. This identity code allows them to log into either the force adept forum or the pharmacist forum.

  To register an account on the House of the Bronze Tree, one must input their pharmacist identity code.

  After matching and verifying through the Hunter Union's pharmacist information database, the system automatically collects the user's iris information to lock personal data.

  From then on, logging in requires only an iris scan.

  Yet, each time Aaron logs in and sees the eyes on the bronze tree, he feels a sense of unease.

  ……

  A message pops up on the screen: "Welcome back, ' Half Of Handsome '."

  The message box shows 99+ message replies.

  These responses are to a post he made some time ago titled, "How to Treat Head Disorders."

  In the snowy forest, Aaron had fainted due to his head condition, though others assumed he had simply collapsed from exhaustion.

  He never mentioned it voluntarily.

  Master Scott accepted him as a disciple, surely due to his talent.

  However, head disorders are the most fatal ailment for pharmacists, who rely heavily on their brain.

  Moreover, Aaron's condition isn't just a simple headache; it's an unknown disorder he's had since childhood.

  He fears that if Master Scott discovers his condition, he might reconsider taking him on.

  So, he decided to inquire on the forum, hoping for some guidance, since the forum is a mix of various individuals.

  Aaron detailed his situation in a post, hoping to catch the attention of some experts who could offer some insight.

  Unfortunately, despite the numerous replies over the past half month, no one has provided a reasonable explanation.

  Upon logging in again, Aaron browses through the new comments and replies.

  He realizes that in this chaotic forum with varying levels, the " low " are real, but he has yet to encounter any "high."

  The advice given mostly relies on basic potion knowledge.

  Scrolling down, Aaron notices a highly upvoted comment.

  【Idiot, reply to my private message.】

  This comment has garnered a lot of attention, with hundreds of replies following it.

  The original poster hasn't responded to these people, yet the followers has become quite active.

  【Whoa, it's the admin big shot.】

  【Big shot, you're amazing!】

  【Wow, a top-tier admin replying in the newbie section—I feel the love from the Hunter Union.】

  【Big shot, what level does it reach to learn basic potion knowledge in two and a half years within the pharmacist community?】

  【Reach the level of boasting.】

  【Big shot, are you taking on disciples? I'm very talented. [Picture of long legs in black stockings]】

  【Someone get rid of the idiot above, ruining my focus.】

  【I'm taking disciples, and I'm highly skilled. [Picture of eight-pack abs]】

  【By the way, what level of pharmacist do you need to be to become a forum admin? I'm an intermediate apprentice, always online. Do I qualify?】

  【Haven't you read the forum rules? Only Level 4 pharmacists and above can be admins.】

  【So even a Level 4 potion master calls someone an idiot!】

  【What, should they call you a fool instead?】

  【Geez, the person above is so annoying. Which area are you from? Don't fucking let me run into you during this year's Imperial Academy admissions.】

  【Why wait for admissions? Come straight to the First Island Chain, Brown Consortium, and I'll show you what a consortium is.】

  【What's with the island chain sea dog acting all high and mighty? Come to the Twilight Region, Roscente Consortium, and I'll show you the power of a millennium-old consortium.】

  【Twilight? A suburban consortium calling itself a consortium?】

  【I'm done. This forum is full of self-proclaimed big shots! Well, I won't pretend anymore. Here's the truth—I’m the Imperial Capital Royalty.】

  ……

  Seeing the replies below, Aaron feels a bit exasperated.

  The internet is full of amusing characters.

  But truth be told, the proportion of consortium members among pharmacists is indeed alarmingly high.

  Afterall, pharmacists not only need theoretical guidance but also require a large amount of herbs for practice, which isn't something just anyone can afford.

  Moreover, in the realm of potion, the advanced knowledge is often held by major powers.

  They tacitly enforce a knowledge blockade.

  Consortia control a vast amount of high-level potion knowledge, so ordinary talented individuals have no choice but to join a consortium if they wish to continue their studies.

  This creates a Matthew effect, that is the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker.

  Without reading follow replies, Aaron glances at the admin's ID and is left speechless.

  "Eat Soft Food Hard."

  He remembers this ID; it indeed sent him a private message.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  The combination of the ID and the grinning dog avatar seemed a bit unreliable, so Aaron hadn't bothered to respond.

  Now, seeing others' replies, it seems "Eat Soft Food Hard" is at least a level four potion master, so he figures it's worth giving some respect.

  Aaron opens the private message to review the information again.

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: After your headache, do you feel any unusual sensations in your body, and how's your memory generally?】

  Aaron thinks for a moment. After each episode, he does feel mentally drained for a while.

  As for his memory, it's actually quite good.

  When it comes to potion knowledge, he can almost remember things after a single glance and understand them with a bit of thought.

  Aaron carefully types out his situation and sends it to “Eat Soft Food Hard”.

  There's no immediate reply.

  In the meantime, Aaron picks a few seemingly reliable suggestions from the thread and replies with his thanks.

  Just as he's responding to the last person, he suddenly notices that his post has been deleted by the admin.

  Confused, he wonders what's going on when Eat Soft Food Hard finally replies.

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Your issue is a bit complex. Don't post about it on the forum for now. First, try buying a Focus Potion and see if it helps.】

  【Half Of Handsome: Can't afford it, too expensive.】

  Aaron rolls his eyes.

  This “big shot”seems a bit out of touch with the struggles of the poor.

  Focus Potions are Level 3 potions and quite high-end; it might not even be available in all of Bert City.

  Even if it existed , Aaron couldn't afford one.

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: A Calm Potion would also suffice.】

  【Half Of Handsome: Can't afford it, still expensive.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: You can't even afford a Level 1 potion?】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Are you really that poor?】

  【Half Of Handsome: A month ago, I was a slave in a mine.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: .....】

  【Half Of Handsome: Currently, I don't have a single gold coin. From what you're saying, it seems like my condition is difficult and costly to treat?】

  Although Hunter Union covers food and lodging, as a low-level pharmacist apprentice, Aaron doesn't receive a salary and indeed has no money.

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Well... I'm not sure if your condition is neurological or due to the second reason. If it's neurological, a few doses of Calm Potion could solve it. If it's not... well, then it gets interesting.】

  【Half Of Handsome: It shouldn't be a neurological issue. I've checked, and it doesn't match my symptoms.】

  Over the past couple of weeks, aside from studying potion formulas and filling in theoretical gaps, Aaron has dedicated his time to researching his head condition.

  He's compared many typical symptoms and found none that match.

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: I've got a good news and a bad news. Which do you want to hear?】

  【Half Of Handsome: Heh.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: You're no fun. The good news is, you might become very powerful. The bad news is, you might not live for many more years.】

  【Half Of Handsome: What do you mean?】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Have you heard of Superpower Awakening?】

  Upon reading this, Aaron's eyes widen, and a surge of excitement rises in his heart.

  Of course, he knows about Superpower Awakening.

  Superpower Awakeners are extremely rare; there are only a handful in the entire empire.

  But without exception, they are at the pinnacle of the empire's combat strength, the core force protecting the empire.

  Superpower Awakeners are entirely above force adepts and pharmacists.

  The only ones who can rival them are those who wield terrifyingly powerful rule artifacts.

  But what does his head condition have to do with being a Superpower Awakeners?

  A bold idea suddenly pops into Aaron's mind.

  【Half Of Handsome: Are you saying I'm a Superpower Awakeners???】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: There's about a fifty percent chance. Typically, Superpower Awakeners experience head issues, which aren't actually illnesses but rather a result of mental energy being drawn. You can think of the superpower as a seed, and your brain as the soil. It needs to draw nutrients from your brain to awaken successfully.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: The problem now is that there's no nourishment in your brain. And from what you've described about your fainting spells, usually, if a Superpower Awakeners faints due to mental energy depletion, after about four or five times, the 'seed' withers, meaning the awakening fails. How many times have you fainted?】

  【Half Of Handsome: About... twenty or thirty times, I guess.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: What?】

  【Half Of Handsome: Around thirty-two times, and it'll probably be thirty-three in the next couple of days. It's about time for another one.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: ??? Are you sure you're not joking?】

  【Half Of Handsome: Really, for over a year now, it's happened almost every month.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Wow! Your superpower seed seems quite impressive! Despite so many failed energy draws, it hasn't withered.】

  【Half Of Handsome: Master (kneels gently), would you consider investing in me? I'm good at housework, especially laundry, cooking, and cleaning.】

  Aaron quickly replies.

  In the past six months, every time he regains consciousness after a mental draw, he feels extremely uncomfortable and remains lethargic for days.

  No matter how resilient this superpower seed in his brain is, it seems close to withering.

  He wants to save it somehow.

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Actually, you do have investment potential, and quite a lot of it. But unfortunately, I'm not in a position to help.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Are you really unable to afford even a potion?】

  【Half Of Handsome: Absolutely true.】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Although I don't generally recommend it, you might consider finding a consortium. Be honest with them; they'll likely be very interested in you and willing to invest.】

  【Half Of Handsome: Is it necessary to keep having an superpower seed a secret?】

  【Eat Soft Food Hard: Yes, it's best to keep it secret, or you might face big trouble later. But for now, that's a bit distant for you. Your immediate concern is to quickly take some potions that nourish the mind to ensure a successful awakening. If the awakening fails, at best, you'll become an idiot; at worst, you could die. Of course, if you can find rare materials that nourish the soul, that's even better. I'll send you some information on Superpower Awakening; take a look.】

  The admin seems to have something urgent and logs off after sending the information to Aaron.

  What a kind person.

  After sending a mental thank-you card, Aaron opens the document and starts reading.

  Half an hour later, Aaron is deep in thought.

  It seems that, as advised, keeping his superpower seed a secret is crucial.

  The deletion of his post was probably to protect him from unwanted attention.

  The document contains stories of Superpower Awakeners, and it's clear that those who left legendary tales were all part of a consortium.

  There are very few who emerged from humble beginnings, which makes Aaron uneasy.

  Could it be that the consortiums have ways to steal abilities from awakeners?

  The thought sends a shiver down Aaron's spine, making him feel a bit creeped out.

  At this moment, Aaron's emotions are a mix of good and bad.

  The good part is the possibility of becoming a Superpower Awakeners.

  The bad part is that the "seed" in his head is close to withering and requires a substantial amount of potions to nourish it—not just one or two, but a large quantity until the ability fully awakens.

  As for seeking protection from a large consortium, Aaron thinks it over and decides against it.

  According to the information, those who failed in Superpower Awakening described their final symptoms as being in a coma for several days, even up to a week.

  His longest coma so far was a day and a night, indicating he's in the mid-to-late stage of awakening.

  He estimates he can hold on for a few more months.

  With this in mind, Aaron casually flips through the basic potion formula book on his desk.

  It doesn't seem too difficult, and he realizes he might have some talent in potion-making.

  Perhaps he can save himself.

  After all, everyone needs a dream, right?

  A man should not remain in obscurity forever. Bowing to life is simply not an option.

  With newfound determination, Aaron feels a surge of boldness.

  He picks up his phone and sends a message to Ava:

  "Hey buddy, you there?"

  A moment later, a reply comes through.

  "What's up?"

  "Can I borrow some money?"

  "Message retracted."

  ……

  Staring at the retracted message, Aaron falls into silence.

  It proves that he can't pin his hopes on others.

  Aaron organizes his current options for earning money to buy potions. There are only three ways:

  1. Venture into the wilderness to gather herbs and hunt insects. The herbs or insect corpses can be sold at the Hunter Union.

  2. Take on tasks from the Hunter Union and earn rewards.

  3. Brew potions. Either the Hunter Union provides the herbs and pays a fee for brewing, or he buys the herbs himself, brews the potions, and sells them.

  The first and second options are definitely out.

  For the past two weeks, he's been trying to sense the force, but with no success whatsoever.

  Without having cultivated the force, and with no knowledge of firearms or weapons, venturing into the wilderness would be a fool's errand.

  That leaves only the third option.

  The Hunter Union provides a monthly quota of free herbs to senior pharmacist apprentices, allowing them to practice brewing potions and eventually become certified pharmacists.

  In the past two weeks, Aaron has already completed the assessments for junior and intermediate apprentices.

  The senior apprentice exam is much more rigorous and is held only once every six months.

  The next exam is in two weeks.

  Determined to pass the senior apprentice exam, Aaron decides to focus and continues studying the basic potion formulas.

  Just then, his phone buzzes with a message from Ava: a grinning emoji.

  Aaron quietly blocks the contact.

  No one, especially not a woman, can toy with his emotions.