Grand Warlock: My System Gave Me Infinite Classes

"Robb?" Cynthia frowned. "You mean that assistant Lady Elena just recruited?"

"Not just that," Oliver turned, expression tightening. "According to my information channels, he's already applied for Potion Master certification."

Cynthia blinked, then burst into sharp laughter.

"Potion Master certification? He's been working under Lady Elena for, what, three months at most? Even if he had some prior background, there's no way he's reached that level."

"Never underestimate anyone."

Oliver shook his head. "I have a particular interest in him. Whether he passes or fails the exam, if we act now, the academy will take notice, especially with how far Lady Elena has gone to support him."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "So you're telling me to wait?"

"Exactly. That would be the wise move." Oliver nodded. "If he fails the certification, next month he'll be assigned to field missions. We'll have plenty of chances then."

"Fine. This time, you make sense."

Cynthia withdrew her disdainful expression and glanced toward the now half-hypnotized beastfolk, her eyes gleaming with twisted anticipation.

"So, do you mind if I try out this new toy now?"

"Be my guest," Oliver bowed slightly. "My lab is well soundproofed. Nothing will interrupt your... fun."

Just as he reached for the doorknob, Cynthia's voice rang out behind him.

"Oliver. Don't think I don't know what you're playing at."

Her voice was low and dangerous. "You want to know my secret, but you're always afraid I'll influence you. Be careful, or you'll get burned."

Oliver stopped but didn't turn.

"Everyone plays with fire, Cynthia. The difference is, some people get burned. Others become the flame itself."

As the door shut behind him, Oliver's perfect smile slowly vanished.

A flicker of disgust passed through his eyes, as though he had just touched something foul.

"You underestimate Robb far too much," he muttered. "Pleasure and emotional manipulation... these are mere parlor tricks in the face of true power."

Oliver turned his gaze toward the specks of lamplight scattered across the darkened Black Mist Forest, his thoughts drifting to memories from years ago.

Back then, he had been a lowly sixth-tier prospective apprentice, his potential barely worth noticing. Not unlike Robb when he first arrived.

That first year in the forest, another student arrived alongside him: Hugo, a gifted youth with a rare fourth-tier spiritual apritude, praised and courted by many.

Oliver had hidden in the shadows, watching Hugo shine like a star.

"Another success. Apprentice Hugo mastered the foundational meditation technique in just three months and advanced to Elementary Apprentice."

He had spent all his meager magic shards on a paid lecture and could still hear the professor's praise echoing:

"Such comprehension and control, rare even among fourth-tier candidates. Now, Hugo, why don't you share your experience with the class?"

In the last row of the classroom, Oliver's fists clenched. His nails dug deep into his palms.

He stared at Hugo with a mixture of longing and venomous envy.

"Why not me?" he screamed inwardly. "Why is fate so unfair?"

Then came the night that changed everything.

By chance, he stumbled across a fragmentary ancient text that detailed a theoretical arcane technique, "Brain Extraction."

"It is within the brain that talent and wisdom reside..."

The words dripped like demonic whispers:

"With the right method, you can extract and use it for yourself."

That discovery consumed his nights.

He began experimenting in secret, starting with small animals, then failing slaves he could "collect."

Each step was fraught with risk and revulsion, but also undeniable power. In the process, he awakened his latent talent in curses and bio-modification.

His first full "extraction" succeeded six months into his time in the forest. He had captured a young child from a wildling tribe, a rare affinity for nature magic.

The process was bloody and gruesome. But the results were astonishing.

His spiritforce increased. He could sense the natural elements more clearly.

That success changed his life.

Over the years, he refined his techniques, "collecting" more and more gifted individuals.

Each new acquisition pushed his power further. And as he grew stronger, so too did the darkness in his heart.

Three years ago, when he was promoted to High Apprentice, his previously indifferent mentor finally took notice.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really the same mediocre boy with no gift I once saw," the mentor had said in awe. "Your progress is beyond belief."

Oliver had smiled faintly.

"Everyone has their path, Professor. I just found the one that suits me best."

Now, he was one of the top candidates in the official Wizard Reserve Track, just a step away from full sorcerer status.

And it had all been built on pain, suffering, and the "collected" brains of the talented.

"Robb Reyne..." he whispered, eyes flashing with a strange light. "Your secret, I will uncover it."

Outside the window, the black mist thickened as if echoing the darkness inside him.

Oliver knew he had gone too far to ever turn back.

But he didn't care.

At the end of this road awaited the power and prestige he had always dreamed of.

As for the many "brains" he had claimed? They were nothing more than just stepping stones to the top.

...

The day after submitting his application, Robb threw himself entirely into preparing for the Potion Master certification.

His desk was covered in notes and materials, every formula that might appear on the exam meticulously rewritten into a personalized notebook filled with annotations and improvements.

"According to Lady Elena, the exam will randomly choose three from this pool of ten potions."

Robb flipped pages rapidly. "Stimulant, healing potion, clarity serum, mana tonic, stardust elixir… I need to be able to brew them blindfolded."

He picked up his silver pocket watch and poured his focus into it.

The obsidian gem embedded in it glowed faintly, absorbing his fatigue.

[Status reset successful: Minor Fatigue removed. Energy -1]

Refreshed, Robb resumed work, practicing the trickiest parts of the formulas using small alchemy tools.

After each attempt, he recorded flaws and problems, then reset his fatigue again and started anew.

This brutal rhythm lasted three days.

On the morning of the fourth, a gentle knock broke his concentration.

"Robb, it's me."

He opened the door to find Andrey standing there, an uncharacteristically worried look on his face.

"Good morning, Andrey. Is something urgent?"

"It's the latest intel I dug up."