14: Chapter 0014 Meeting

Upon receiving the news that Rice was about to arrive, Li Size immediately tensed up, pacing around his office while rubbing his cold hands—the sorcery crystal on his desk flickered with an uneasy blue light.

Regardless of whether Sven and the others could succeed, he first had to save his own life; after all, death meant nothing.

His thinking was simple—stacking defenses!

He would pile on every defense possible and proceed in the safest manner.

Furthermore, using the revolver was an entirely new Domain for him, so he first had to find a corresponding book in the library before returning to his own dormitory.

He pulled out the "Basic Shooting Training Guide," which had a knight holding a gun printed on its cover, from his backpack. His fingertip gently traced the hidden patterns on the pages—

This was a book printed with sorcery, and every page contained a faint fluctuation of Demonic Energy.

Taking a deep breath, he concentrated his spirit and activated the [Pay-to-Win Analysis] ability. A virtual panel instantly popped up in his mind:

[Consume 5 Energy Points to Analyze Shooting Skill]?

Without hesitation, he confirmed it with his consciousness.

The next second, 5 points of energy were drawn from his body, and a slight numbness traveled up his fingertips. The runes on the book suddenly lit up with a pale gold light, seeming to come alive as they drilled into his mind.

Soon, the panel updated:

[Analysis Successful! Shooting Skill (Novice 10/100)]:

Immediately following this, countless details about holding a gun flooded his mind—

The two hands gripping the gun must be steady, the web between the thumb and index finger aligned with the centerline of the gun body, the arms hanging naturally to avoid stiffness; breathing must be slow and deep, holding the breath when aiming at the target.

The force applied to pull the trigger must be even, without sudden jerks.

Simultaneously, a clear prompt from the [Pay-to-Win Analysis] ability surfaced in his consciousness:

[Shooting Accuracy: 70%].

He tried simulating the gun-holding posture in his mind, and his arm muscles actually held a subtle sense of memory, as if he had practiced it dozens of times already.

He would no longer suffer from hand tremors like before, nor would he have to worry about accidentally injuring his own people.

But against a High-tier Wizard Apprentice, self-preservation was even more crucial...

Following Felina's suggestion, he asked her to help him acquire two sets of Materials for the "inferior defense potion."

The inferior defense potion required ten types of raw Materials:

Rock Lizard Scale Powder: Ground from the scales of the Gray Mist Mountain Rock Lizard, enhancing the hardness of the lipid layer.

Wind Silkworm Mucus: Transparent mucus secreted by the Wind Silkworm, increasing the toughness of the lipid layer.

Light Moss Extract: Juice from light-attributed moss, resisting minor Necromancy Sorcery.

Iron Thorn Juice: Green juice from the Iron Thorn, improving the adhesion of the lipid layer.

Algae Glue: A gelatinous substance boiled down from deep-sea algae, ensuring the lipid layer covers the skin evenly.

Fire Ant Wax: Wax from Fire Ant nests, increasing the heat resistance of the lipid layer.

Earth Smilax Block: An earth-attributed herb, enhancing physical attack defense.

Thunder Pattern Grass Powder: A lightly thunder-attributed herbal powder, mildly paralyzing the contactor.

Ice Silkworm Thread: Thread spun by the Ice Silkworm, keeping the lipid layer smooth and resistant to cracking.

Sorcery Salt: Specially made by the academy, balancing the material's Demonic Energy reaction.

Felina used her mentor privileges to help Li Size gather the Materials: Rock Lizard Scale Powder was collected during her internship, Wind Silkworm Mucus was borrowed from the Herbology instructor, and Light Moss Extract was taken from the academy's culture dishes.

Late at night, accompanied by Felina, Li Size activated the [Pay-to-Win Analysis] ability in the Laboratory, and a virtual panel popped up in his mind:

[Consume 1 Energy Point to Activate Analysis Function].

He lit a sorcery lamp to heat the crucible to 150 degrees, then added the Rock Lizard Scale Powder and Iron Thorn Juice sequentially. The panel prompted, "Stir for 30 seconds."

Adding the Wind Silkworm Mucus and Algae Glue, the crucible runes flashed a light green.

Adjusting the temperature to 200 degrees, he added the Light Moss Extract and Fire Ant Wax, maintaining it for 5 minutes.

Then, he added the Earth Smilax Block and Thunder Pattern Grass Powder. The panel warned, "Avoid Demonic Energy overflow."

Finally, he added the Ice Silkworm Thread and Sorcery Salt, activating the defensive runes at the bottom for 10 seconds.

Under the guidance of [Pay-to-Win Analysis], Li Size successfully refined the potion. The liquid turned into a milky white paste, and two portions of the potion were made!

The effect description stated "minor," but after consuming the potion, a thick, hard lipid layer formed. Li Size's punch left no mark, and it couldn't be broken without using full force.

The effect was only 20-30% lower than Gelia's "Resistance Enhancement" sorcery.

Li Size also asked Felina to use her privileges to borrow a set of knight chainmail from the academy—

The chainmail was inscribed with anti-piercing runes. It felt heavy when worn, making his shoulders a bit sore, but it provided a strong sense of security.

However, what he was about to face was a High-tier Wizard Apprentice; who knew what strange methods Rice possessed.

Perhaps it was Necromancy—in the records of wizard books, Necromancy practitioners were best at hiding in shadows for sneak attacks. Eight out of ten villains were Necromancy practitioners?

"If it's Necromancy, the academy has finished products of purification water. The bottle is inscribed with light-attributed runes and can directly purify Necromancy Demonic Energy."

"Arrange it!"

purification water served both as a semi-finished sorcery tool and a raw material for refining higher-tier sorcery tools; it had wide applications and was simple to make.

1 liter of pure water continuously soaked 3 units of light-attributed magic stones for 90 Sorcery Days (the magic stones would not be consumed), and the light-attributed magic stones emitted a soft white light, slowly injecting energy into the water.

It was just that these magic stones were hard to obtain; magic stones were hard currency among high-ranking wizards.

One unit of standard magic stone contained 100 Demonic Energy. The official exchange rate was 1 magic stone for 100 gold coins.

These were ordinary magic stones with mixed attributes. Single-attribute magic stones with pure energy were more valuable, with an actual value 30-50% higher than ordinary magic stones. Light-attributed magic stones were one such rare type.

The purification water reminded Li Size of the pale yellow liquid held by Perisman and the few Patrol Officers on his first night of Transmigration to this world.

So it wasn't some holy water; there were no churches in this world.

The Wizard Council prohibited all religious beliefs; deities were the lifelong enemies of wizards. The Council's emblem hanging on the office wall shimmered faintly, reminding him of this fact.

The mysterious and powerful Wizard Council was the organization that enveloped the world, driving the power of deities out of the Wizard World, and it remained the stable cornerstone of the Wizard World to this day.

Additionally, Li Size used Felina's privileges to review all the potion formulas that ordinary people could refine, such as 'inferior healing powder,' and saw several formulas:

"Inferior Vitality Potion":

The inferior vitality potion required 12 raw Materials; the core raw Materials included:

Crimson Flame Grass (providing internal heat flow, promoting blood circulation)

Rock Lizard Blood Powder (enhancing the base Physique value, increasing endurance)

Warm Sun Pollen (quickly replenishing energy, alleviating fatigue)

Earth Smilax Block (balancing the medicinal properties, reducing the intensity of side effects)

...

Upon drinking, one would feel a flow of heat in the body, slightly increasing the user's Physique by 0.3 - 0.5 for 30 minutes.

The side effect was listlessness for the next 2 hours (Physique - 1), with a potion resistance time of 24 hours (cannot be reused within 24 hours).

"Inferior Agility Potion":

The inferior agility potion required 11 raw Materials; the core raw Materials included:

Wind Spirit Grass (enhancing nerve reaction speed, making footsteps lighter)

Ice Silkworm Thread (increasing the flexibility of body joints)

Swift Bird Feather Powder (strengthening the Agility attribute, increasing movement speed)

Thunder Pattern Grass Powder (mildly stimulating nerves, improving reflex arcs)

...

Upon drinking, one would feel lighter on their feet, slightly increasing the user's Agility by 0.3 - 0.5 for 30 minutes.

The side effect was joint stiffness for the next 2 hours (Agility - 1), with a potion resistance time of 24 hours (cannot be reused within 24 hours).

"Inferior Strength Potion":

The inferior strength potion required 13 raw Materials; the core raw Materials included:

Iron Thorn Juice (enhancing muscle contraction force)

Giant Bear Bone Powder (increasing instantaneous explosive power)

Fire Ant Wax (strengthening muscle toughness, reducing strains)

Earth-attributed Magic Stone Fragments (replenishing the Demonic Energy required for strength)

...

Upon drinking, one would feel muscle swelling, slightly increasing the user's Strength by 0.3 - 0.5 for 30 minutes.

The side effect was muscle soreness for the next 2 hours (Strength - 1), with a potion resistance time of 24 hours (cannot be reused within 24 hours).

"Inferior Mental Clarity":

Inferior Mental Clarity required 10 raw Materials; the core raw Materials included:

Light Moss Extract (improving mental clarity, making the mind clearer)

Wisdom Grass Juice (enhancing short-term memory)

Brain-Clearing Flower Powder (alleviating mental fatigue)

sorcery crystal Shards (stabilizing Mental Energy fluctuations)

...

Upon drinking, one would feel the mind becoming clearer, slightly increasing the user's Mental Energy by 0.3 - 0.5 for 30 minutes.

The side effect was dull thinking for the next 2 hours (Mental Energy - 1), with a potion resistance time of 24 hours (cannot be reused within 24 hours).

Analyzing the refining skills for these potions required 50 Energy Points, quite a bit more than for the "inferior defense potion"—

After all, these were potions that could temporarily boost attributes; even though they had side effects, they could save a life at a critical moment.

Li Size gritted his teeth and converted 5 more gold coins, gathering 250 Energy Points.

He unlocked all of them except for "Inferior Mental Clarity"—

Mental Energy wasn't immediately needed, but Physique could boost defense, and Agility could improve reaction speed, making it easier to dodge sudden attacks.

Felina watched Li Size skillfully refine the potions, her eyes shining. She slapped the table:

"If there's a chance, I will definitely help you strive to become a Wizard Apprentice; your talent for alchemy will surely make you an Alchemy Great Master in the future!"

On this day, the brilliance of the Sun grew dimmer, faint dark clouds appeared in the sky, and night was about to fall...

Someone sent a note to the doorkeeper for Felina. The note contained a string of garbled characters.

Felina took out the "Crimson Soul Duchy General History Research," flipped to a specific page number, and cross-referenced it for Analysis:

"8:00 PM, Apartment 20, Feimang Street."

Felina frowned and looked at Li Size:

"Do you know this place?"

Feimang Street was in the east of the town. George's house was at number 50, but he wasn't familiar with places further away.

Li Size shook his head and checked his pocket watch: 7:10.

"They aren't even leaving time for dinner," Li Size grumbled, rubbing his stomach—though he was actually worried Gelia wouldn't have time to prepare on her side.

Felina's face had been tense since seeing the note. Li Size's comment eased her slightly, and she advised:

"At a time like this, you're still thinking about food! Don't slip up later; you must call me Master, don't act on your own initiative. I will communicate with Rice."

"Understood, Master! What do we do now?"

Li Size bowed deeply, quickly getting into character—the two had occasionally role-played as master and servant these past few days, with Felina playing the master.

Felina considered riding a bicycle there, but it was inappropriate for her, as the master, to ride with Li Size. So, she borrowed one from a colleague.

Li Size pouted and patted the bicycle seat: "Teacher, my cycling skills are very good; I can give you a ride."

Riding the bicycle quickly through the streets and alleys, the cold wind blowing against his face stung, and Li Size shrank his neck, gripping the handlebars tightly.

The sorcery streetlights by the roadside emitted a faint yellow glow, and the wind carried the cold aura of runes.

The structure of this bicycle was similar to the ones he rode in middle school in his previous life, relying on a chain to drive the tires; the feeling of riding it was the same.

However, Li Size hadn't ridden a bicycle since starting work. In his first month's salary after joining the research institute, he bought a small electric scooter called a 'Tai Ling'—

Brother Chao's advertisement was too catchy: "When choosing an electric vehicle, choose Tai Ling."

The civilization and technology of this world developed based on sorcery theory, so after the bicycle, there was a gap in transportation development.

Above the bicycle was the 'witch box,' a land vehicle that required a Wizard Apprentice to continuously input Demonic Energy to control it.

The witch box's outer shell was inscribed with Wind Element Runes, allowing it to travel incredibly fast.

In Gray Mist Mountain Town, the middle class who couldn't afford a witch box, such as academy mentors and police Patrol Officers, all owned bicycles.

Li Size's father also had one—the handlebars were wrapped with old cloth strips, and the frame showed signs of repair.

However, bicycles held no advantage in short to medium-distance transport and freight of 5-20 km, and riding them for too long was tiring.

This gave Li Size an idea. He slapped his thigh:

His advantage should lie in the difference between the two civilizations; this was even greater than the [Pay-to-Win Analysis] ability.

If he could develop the Wizard World's version of small electric scooters and tricycles within the cost acceptable to the middle class, then he wouldn't have to worry about gold coins before becoming a Wizard Apprentice.

Li Size rubbed his hands, his eyes shining.

The structure of small electric scooters and tricycles was actually very simple; it was just that wizards in this world led the research and went straight to developing the witch box, never considering this detailed branch.

However, he needed to pay attention to intellectual property protection to prevent a flood of imitations as soon as he developed them—Li Size stroked his chin, frowning in thought.

The two rode very fast. Felina gripped the handlebars tightly, her expression tense. They arrived at Apartment 20, Feimang Street, at 7:45.

Looking at the somewhat aged detached apartment building before them, covered in climbing vines, with a rusted iron gate, Li Size and Felina exchanged a look: "This house is not for ordinary people."

Li Size suddenly slapped his forehead, and an old newspaper flashed in his memory: "I know, this is..."