**Chapter 19: Viktor**

The most unique aspect of the Refining Essence into Qi system was its view of “essence,” “qi,” and “spirit” as a unified whole.

Jie Ming’s rapid improvement in mental energy (spirit) greatly stimulated the growth of his “essence” (physical constitution) and “qi” (true essence).

At the same time, the overall enhancement of his cultivation nourished his mental sea and soul strength, further boosting his wizard meditation progress.

Like stepping on one foot with the other, the two systems secretly reinforced each other, forming a near-infinite cycle of rapid improvement.

If not for the methods Jie Ming found in the Great Dao Book Pavilion to suppress his cultivation and solidify his foundation, he might have already surpassed Qi Refinement Layer One.

Even so, at the peak of Layer One, he was starting to feel unable to suppress his power.

His true essence was like a flood about to burst its dam, ready to break through to Qi Refinement Layer Two at any moment.

But breaking through in the dorm would cause a massive energy fluctuation, likely detected by the academy’s omnipresent monitoring arrays or even noticed by passing wizards. That would be a disaster!

He had no choice but to break through in a safe, insulated environment—like a laboratory with a robust isolation array.

However… Jie Ming’s entrepreneurial venture had collapsed halfway, and his pockets were emptier than his face was clean.

This was a major reason he was frantically taking tasks to earn points. He never imagined that in a spiritless world, he’d be worried about suppressing an imminent breakthrough.

Damn those points!

Looking out at the deep night, feeling the surging true essence within him, Jie Ming knew time was running out.

He had to earn enough points to rent a laboratory before his breakthrough.

With a sigh, he left the dorm and headed toward the task hall in a nearby academic building.

The distillation tower cleaning task paid per job, but the next one wasn’t for another ten days. He needed new tasks to fill the point gap.

…

…

In front of the task board, there was always a crowd of apprentices.

They stared at the constantly refreshing task listings, their eyes filled with longing.

Jie Ming was now one of them.

He desperately needed points—immediately, urgently!

As he scanned the task list, a slightly impatient voice came from beside him.

“Move aside! Pick carefully, don’t block the way!”

A tall, lanky apprentice with sharp, calculating eyes pushed forward, his fingers flying across the task board, his gaze faster than the magic network terminal’s refresh rate.

Jie Ming recognized him. This was Viktor, the third and final apprentice in their alchemy cohort.

Viktor didn’t even glance at Jie Ming, his eyes glued to the task listings as he muttered rapidly, “Cleaning tasks… high repetition, stable points… sorting… time-consuming and labor-intensive… This one! ‘Prepare Basic Stabilizing Potion.’ Looks complex, but the process is fixed, materials provided by the academy, just pass the product inspection… high points!”

Before his words even finished, Viktor tapped the screen, and the “Prepare Basic Stabilizing Potion” task vanished from the board, snatched by him.

Jie Ming watched it all unfold.

Viktor was clearly a wizard’s descendant. Though he hadn’t cultivated before enrolling, his upbringing in related knowledge gave him far more task options than the average apprentice.

After grabbing the task, Viktor smirked with satisfaction, finally noticing Jie Ming.

His gaze flicked to the alchemy crucible badge on Jie Ming’s chest, then to his empty task slot, a faint trace of superiority in his eyes.

“Hey, Jie Ming, still looking?” Viktor’s tone was casual but carried an unmistakable hint of gloating. “You’ve gotta be quick with tasks—good ones don’t wait. As long as you’re capable, there are plenty to choose from!”

His words were framed as advice but were really a showcase of his own insight and ability, while subtly belittling apprentices stuck with mundane tasks.

Jie Ming’s expression remained unchanged. He nodded calmly. “Thanks for the tip. I’m still thinking, looking for something that suits me.”

Viktor shrugged, noncommittal.

Without another word, he turned toward the other side of the workshop, likely to collect materials for the potion task.

Though they were both alchemy apprentices, they hadn’t interacted much. Their social circles were entirely different.

Amy, with her exceptional social skills, was quite familiar with Viktor, so most of Jie Ming’s impressions of him came from her.

Watching Viktor’s retreating figure, Jie Ming’s assessment of him sharpened.

Smart, calculating, efficient, and unabashedly utilitarian with a clear sense of superiority. He didn’t hide his pursuit of profit and took pride in it.

He’d “kindly” offer advice in public, but it was always laced with a display of his own advantages.

He wouldn’t be an enemy—unless you stood in the way of his gains—but he’d never be someone who genuinely helped either.

A quintessential wizard, shaped by the rational rules of the wizarding world—a high-efficiency egoist.

“A perfect example of a wizard,” Jie Ming thought. “Not necessarily a bad thing for me.”

People like this had clear strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, they were smart and wouldn’t antagonize others over petty reasons like jealousy or dislike.

If you could offer them benefits, they could even become allies.

Of course, don’t expect them to help in a pinch.

“But… in my current state, I’m hardly in a position to look down on him.”

Recalling his pitiful point balance, Jie Ming shook his head, pushing thoughts of Viktor aside and focusing back on the task board.

Luckily, it wasn’t long before he found a suitable task.

“Sort common ores in Warehouse No. 5, weight: ten tons, points: 2.” Jie Ming’s eyes lit up.

The points were low, the workload heavy, and the environment harsh, so few competed for it.

The upside? It was pure physical labor, requiring little knowledge. The task even provided an ore catalog, offering extra learning opportunities.

Best of all, like the distillation tower task, it paid per job, not monthly—perfect for Jie Ming’s current needs.

He tapped the screen and confirmed.