14: Chapter 14 Summary and Solving the Problem of Getting Enough Food

Time flows like water; ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

These days, Zhang Mu's life has been quite regular.

He wakes up early and goes to the Other World to learn herbal knowledge and some common potion recipes from Potter.

Meanwhile, he practices the Meditation Method, hoping to fill up the experience bar as soon as possible.

It was another morning much like any other.

He threw off the covers and washed up.

Once finished, Zhang Mu wasn't in a hurry to enter the Other World today.

First, he rummaged through his wardrobe and rearranged his cherished collection of Beast-girl Figurines on his bedroom desk.

Unlike his Classmates who liked tipping streamers, in his twenty-three years of life, his only hobby was collecting exquisite Beast-girl Figurines that appealed to his fetishes.

Because high-end ones were mostly expensive, and his fixed savings could never be touched.

So the funds for his purchases were all squeezed out from his designated living expenses—a little less rice today, a few fewer pieces of meat tomorrow.

He kept these Figurines on his desk and admired them every night. This soul-relaxing ritual only stopped when he learned he had lung cancer.

Now that things had taken a turn for the better and he felt much more relaxed, it could be restarted!

He carefully adjusted the angles of all the Figurines to face the bed, so he could appreciate them at first glance upon waking up in the morning.

Zhang Mu nodded with satisfaction. Women? Hah, how could they compare to a Cat Girl?

He watched for a while longer, then summoned the panel.

[Character: Zhang Mu]

[Race: Human]

[Class: None]

[Rank: None]

[Skills: Meditation Method—Mana Sensing (99%), Mana Absorption (99%), Mana Control (99%)]

[Fireball Spell (85%)—Release a powerful fireball to attack the target.]

[Unlocked Functions: inventory, Resurrect on Spot, Resurrect in Town (Not yet bound to a city)]

All three abilities of the Meditation Method were nearly full, but he didn't know if there was room for further improvement.

Zhang Mu was a bit uncertain because the panel didn't show a maximum level; he could only wait and see later.

According to the information he got from Potter, there was no such thing as a tiered promotion for the Meditation Method; practice stops once it reaches the limit, and there is no "breakthrough."

To continue improving the three basic abilities of a mage, one must apply to the church for an identity badge corresponding to the mage's rank, which stores the study books for that level.

As for the Fireball Spell, his hard work had finally yielded some progress.

He could already condense a golden fireball the size of a basketball and keep it stable in his palm.

It was just that he couldn't control its accuracy once thrown, which was a bit of a drawback.

He asked Potter, who said that once he became a Magic Apprentice and obtained a badge from the church, and continued studying the books within, he would have enough Mental Energy—that is, Mana Control—to manipulate the thrown fireball.

He would find time to go to the church after dealing with the lung cancer.

Zhang Mu closed the panel and took out the Fireball Spell magic book and his phone from the inventory.

He opened the photo album, flipped through the book, and placed them together.

The magic script in the photo was basically the same as when it was taken, while the script in the magic book was clearly a bit more faded.

No problem; the real world is not affected by the rules of the Other World.

Putting away the book, he took a square cardboard box out of the inventory.

Ten days ago, Zhang Mu had found a remote, godforsaken place in the small town to hide the herbs.

He remembered this last night and put the herbs in a box to bring back before returning to reality.

He lifted the lid, and three herbs lay in the box.

Compared to before he took them to the Other World, their appearance had undergone a world-shaking change.

Picking them up one by one to examine them closely, Zhang Mu, who had already mastered a lot of herbal knowledge, immediately confirmed in his heart that they had completed their mutation.

It's settled!

Zhang Mu happily put the herbs back in the box and picked up his phone to search for herbs in online stores.

"Cultivate the magic potion first," he planned in his mind.

There is no mana in the air of the real world, so he could only practice the Meditation Method in the Other World every day.

But the magic potion could replenish the mana in his body, so he could practice in the real world as well, and the practice speed of the Meditation Method would be much faster.

magic potions are not very cheap; generally, low-level Adventurers would occasionally use a bottle and feel the pinch for half a month.

This is all because a herb called Bluefire Fruit in the recipe is very rare.

Zhang Mu took one and checked it with his phone; it turned out to be goji berries.

There are as many of these as you want in the real world, but in the Other World, they are sold by the grain, and the unit price, converted by purchasing power, is about 9,000 yuan in the real world.

In a great mood, Zhang Mu dusted himself off, changed his clothes, and took a taxi to the hospital.

After a series of check-up procedures, he walked out of the building with the report.

The lung cancer hadn't improved, but it hadn't worsened either. Dr. Song was very surprised; the spread of cancer cells had almost stagnated.

He praised Zhang Mu for having a good mindset, which led to this result.

Zhang Mu didn't say much and nodded in response, but he was actually overjoyed.

Potter's potion was effective, and quite good at that. Now things weren't so urgent, and he could slowly learn magic from Potter.

He happily took a taxi home.

Just as he reached his doorstep, Zhang Mu frowned.

His much-strengthened Mental Energy keenly sensed a strange aura emanating from the mailbox on the wall.

Could it be...

He took out his keys and opened the mailbox door. Sure enough, a bank card lay at the bottom.

He picked it up and flipped it over; the password was written on the back.

Who on earth?

He hadn't seen anyone when he came upstairs, and looking for them now would surely be in vain. Zhang Mu pinched the card and went inside.

He tossed the card onto the coffee table, sat on the sofa, crossed his arms, and stared at the bank card.

Searching every corner of his mind, he couldn't remember anyone whose relationship with him was good enough for this.

After thinking for a while with no result, Zhang Mu called Ye Ming.

"Senior, how are the herb test results?

It's helpful for your project? That's great; it's a case of 'unintentionally planting a willow that grows into shade.'

Hahaha, the old man must be furious, right?

Yeah, okay, I see. By the way, do you have any acquaintances who can help check the owner of a bank card?

If not, then forget it.

It's just a small matter, really.

Alright, I'll definitely tell you if anything comes up."

The call ended.

Zhang Mu's eyebrows knitted together. This was truly bizarre.

"I'll turn it over to the Government Officials."

Just as he got up to go out, his phone suddenly rang. He looked at it; it was the landlord calling.

"Hello?"

"Hey handsome, it's time to pay the rent."

Zhang Mu froze for a moment, then realized he had been so busy with magic and herbs these past few days that he forgot the rent was almost due.

"Sorry, I got busy and forgot. I'll transfer it to you right away."

He hung up and opened Juxin. Three months totaled 2,700; he went to transfer it all.

[Insufficient balance in Change.]

Looking at the light black text, Zhang Mu remembered that after selling four gold coins for over twenty thousand, he hadn't made any money since.

He had only been spending, buying a bunch of random things, and with today's check-up costs, he only had a bit over a thousand left.

He quickly sent a message to the landlord.

"Sister, money is a bit tight right now. Is it okay if I'm a couple of days late? I'll definitely give it to you before the 20th."

Zhang Mu didn't think it would be a big deal. The rent was due at the end of the month, but she wanted it ten days early. Today was the 18th.

It was the landlord who wanted it early, and he wasn't actually in arrears.

"Handsome, we don't do things that way. One must keep their word."

"Sister, the contract says the 20th. There are still two days left." Zhang Mu's tone hardened.

Seemingly realizing she was in the wrong, the landlord didn't say more, just leaving a sentence:

"Fine then, give it the day after tomorrow. Be mindful of the time and don't make me come asking for it."

Zhang Mu narrowed his eyes. He always repaid grievances with grievances.

If he wasn't a match, he'd endure for now. If he had enough strength, he wouldn't let it sit overnight.

Move?

He immediately shook his head. He hadn't found the person who left the bank card yet. If they sent something else after he left and it was taken by the next tenant, it would be trouble.

He needed to find the person first and deal with the rest later.

Having thought it through, Zhang Mu got up, put his phone in the inventory, and happened to see he was out of instant noodles. He went downstairs to buy three boxes.

"Speaking of which, I've been in that town for nearly half a month and haven't really looked around."

"I'll go for a stroll in a bit and see what things are easy to resell."

If he couldn't find anything for now, he'd just use instant noodles to trade with Potter for a few gold coins as a temporary fix.

Having decided, he summoned the portal and stepped in.