25: Level 3 Pharmacist

In the spacious conference room, Linn sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over every core member present. As the affairs of the fiefdom became increasingly complex, regular meetings had become the key to the efficient operation of Iron Sand Island.

"Old Morton, have all the goods and Slaves been counted and settled?" Linn looked first at his chief steward of internal affairs.

Morton stood up immediately and replied respectfully, "Young Master, all supplies have been registered and stored, and the Slaves have been temporarily settled in the newly built shantytown, awaiting further distribution." After advancing to Bronze High Rank, this old steward had more energy than ever, managing all affairs in an orderly fashion, a complete change from the days at the Count Ailisis Fief.

"Very good." Linn nodded, then got straight to the point, "Currently, our most urgent task is to expand our military armaments to deal with potential threats and safeguard the security of Iron Sand Island."

He looked at his military backbone and began to deploy them:

"Clay, from the newly arrived Slaves, prioritize selecting 30 strong and agile young men to expand the personal guard to a scale of 50. You may recommend a deputy captain to assist you in training and management."

"Yes, my Lord!" Clay responded in a deep voice, having long been prepared, and recommended, "Alexander is an old hand we brought from the Count Ailisis Fief. He is loyal and reliable, and has already advanced to Bronze Junior. I believe he is qualified for the position of deputy captain."

"Approved." Linn agreed. He was willing to give trust and opportunities to the abilities and loyalty of these early followers.

"Ocean, Hogan," Linn looked at the captain and deputy captain of the second team, "After Clay has finished his selection, you will proceed with the selection to expand the second team to a full strength of 100."

"Yes, my Lord!" Ocean could hardly hide his excitement, and Hogan was also thrilled. Leading a team of one hundred was something they had never dared to imagine in the past.

"Angus," Linn finally looked at the captain of the Reserve Force, "Your task is equally arduous. After they have finished their selection, you will expand the Reserve Force to 100 people. In the early stages, while ensuring basic training, you need to coordinate with Morton and be responsible for maintaining order and management in the slave district."

"Understood, my Lord!" Angus stood up to accept the order.

After this adjustment, the standing combat personnel of Iron Sand Island would reach 250, supplemented by 100 in the Reserve Force, and the military framework would begin to take shape.

"Regarding weapons and equipment," Linn continued, "You can register with Morton to receive the equipment purchased this time according to the needs of your respective teams. All team captains, as well as Hogan, can switch to Silver Rank armor and weapons."

As soon as these words were spoken, Karl, Hogan, Angus, and the others all had eyes bursting with surprise and joy. A set of Silver Rank equipment was worth a fortune. For them, this was not only a huge increase in combat power but also supreme glory and recognition. Even though they had not yet advanced to Silver Rank, they could possess precious weapons and armor in advance.

After arranging the military matters, Linn turned to Morton: "Old Morton, your tasks are the most complex. You need to oversee warehouse supplies, dispatch Slaves for labor, continue to push forward land reclamation, and expand the residential area and various workshops. The five blacksmiths and five shipbuilders purchased this time are important talents. The blacksmith workshop needs to run at full capacity, prioritizing the production of standard weapons; at the same time, establish a shipbuilding workshop as soon as possible to build our own ships. All of these are to be coordinated and followed up by you."

"Please rest assured, Young Master, this old servant will definitely do his best!" Morton's voice was loud and full of energy.

Finally, Linn looked at the increasingly graceful elf girl beside him: "Elise, you have a talent for forging and engineering. In your spare time, please visit the blacksmith workshop and the future shipbuilding workshop more often to give them some technical guidance."

"Yes, my Lord." Elise's crisp and pleasant voice rang out, and she nodded slightly.

The meeting ended, and everyone left to carry out their orders, throwing themselves into their busy work.

Linn entered the breath of life space again. He came to the huge experimental table he had built by the spring, ready to continue his assault on refining the level three potion. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart; since leaving the academy, he had been running around for the survival and development of the fiefdom almost every day, without a moment of leisure.

The little sprite Dolia flew lightly to his side.

At the experimental table, Linn was fully focused, mobilizing his Soul Power to carefully manipulate several level three magic plants, while simultaneously guiding the power of fire and wood elements, attempting to make them fuse perfectly. A halo circulated around the medicinal materials, and the medicinal liquid was gradually extracted and precipitated... However, at the critical moment of Fusion, the halo became violently chaotic, then shattered, and the medicinal liquid within instantly evaporated completely.

"Damn it, failed again!" Linn rubbed his brow, unable to hide his disappointment.

"Master, you have already done very well!" Dolia encouraged from the side, "It's just that the control of the fire element needs to be a bit more precise. You should drink some spring water and rest first. Consuming Soul Power at high intensity for a long time will put a burden on your body."

Linn followed her advice and drank a few sips of the breath of life spring water. The gentle energy flowed through his whole body, soothing his mental fatigue. He was not discouraged, carefully ruminating on every detail of the previous failure, and combining it with Dolia's guidance, he repeatedly deduced it in his mind.

In the following days, Linn was almost completely immersed in potion experiments, forgetting to eat and sleep. With one failure after another, and one summary after another, his micro-manipulation of Soul Power and his grasp of the balance of elemental forces became increasingly proficient.

Finally, in the attempt of unknown number, when all the medicinal liquid, under the wrapping of Soul Power and elemental force, fused perfectly into a ball of emerald green liquid emitting a soft light and pure color, an energy fluctuation far more intense and pure than that of a level two potion slowly diffused from the crucible.

Success!

Linn carefully poured this precious potion into a crystal bottle. Looking at the emerald waves rippling inside, a relieved and joyful smile appeared on his face.

"Congratulations, Master! You have successfully advanced to a Third-level Apothecary!" Dolia danced in the air, even happier than Linn.

Feeling that his understanding of potion knowledge had deepened by another level, and that his Soul Power had become more solid through repeated tempering, Linn knew that the development of Iron Sand Island was about to usher in a new boost. level three potions were of vital importance, whether for the improvement of high-level combat power or as a future trade commodity.

Linn took a bottle himself at the first opportunity. The strength of Merckdor of the Fierce Lion Mercenary Corps made him envious.

level three potions were the main Cultivate resource for the Silver Rank stage, and they could also greatly increase the hope for Bronze Rank with average Aptitude to Breakthrough to Silver Rank. Linn did not stint on gathering all core members to distribute the potions. Even Alexander, who had just become the deputy captain of the personal guard, received a bottle of level two potion.

Amidst the gratitude of the crowd, everyone took the precious potions to begin Cultivate and Breakthrough.