26: Chapter 0026 Transformation

It was already dark when they returned to Gray Mist Mountain Town.

However, visibility on the snow-covered streets at night was still quite high. The two arrived at the police station and encountered Deputy Director Goliath, who was just preparing to leave.

The academy's pink witch box suddenly stopping in front of her made her suspicious. Seeing that Li Size and Felina were the ones getting out, she raised an eyebrow:

"Do you two need something?"

Her tone still faintly betrayed the lingering reservations she held toward Felina. Felina was the first person to have committed a crime right under her nose after she became Deputy Director and still gotten away with it.

Li Size stepped forward and chuckled:

"We just happened to come to find Deputy Director Goliath to collect the spoils from the last mission."

Gelia heard this and complained fiercely:

"I'm already annoyed enough having to work on a rest day! Now I'm off the clock! And you guys come looking for me for this!"

Li Size explained helplessly:

"For the academy's orders and missions, we've nearly spent all our gold coins purchasing land and equipment these past two days. We still have to pay the final installment tomorrow; we really have no choice."

Gelia looked at Li Size and Felina in surprise upon hearing this:

"I didn't expect you kids to be so efficient. What kind of weapons can your factory produce? The police station will also make purchases from you when the time comes. But you promised me the factory price!"

Despite her words, she turned back into the police station, retrieved the gold coins from the safe, and handed them over to the two: 7 gold coins and 20 silver for each, totaling 14 gold coins and 40 silver.

The group ended up chatting for a while longer at the police station. Hearing that Li Size had purchased two empty lots east of the academy, they marveled at his extravagance.

When they heard Li Size planned to invite Felina to clear out that abandoned mine, she thought for a moment and agreed to go with them.

Li Size also learned some unclear Duchy developments from Gelia:

She heard that Feiting's air fleet had been increasing the frequency of cross-border reconnaissance lately, but the Duchy side had only issued condemnations and offered no strong counterattack.

Additionally, the prices of various basic necessities showed an upward trend, and the Duchy Police Headquarters strictly ordered local police stations to closely monitor potential unrest in the region.

Having just experienced the prosperity and liveliness of Gele City, hearing this different picture from Gelia's inside information made Li Size quietly take note.

After some conversation, Li Size and Felina bid farewell to Gelia and returned to the academy.

Felina's Apartment

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. The semi-transparent floor-to-ceiling glass partition vaguely revealed a graceful figure...

Li Size was flipping through the design schematics for the energy core modules of the 'little sorcerer donkey' and the three-wheeler on Felina's desk.

These runes were basic knowledge that Li Size generally recognized. He vaguely discerned that these runes, when combined, possessed the ability to absorb, convert, store, and output.

[Read 'Miniature Energy Condensing Sorcery Array (Wind)' schematic, consumes 200 Energy Points for Analysis (Currently unusable)]

Li Size frowned. His 'Pay-to-Win Analysis' ability had its own set of rules for calculating the value of things.

Li Size had not mastered them yet, but this miniature array schematic, which looked very weak, required 200 Energy Points to analyze into a skill.

This was four times the price of the common-sense level sorcery, 'Wizards Hand,' which was enough for him to spend 0.1 of his Mental Energy on Pay-to-Win. It was clear that in terms of 'Pay-to-Win,' knowledge related to sorcery was more valuable than attributes.

However, thinking again, analyzing an entire Sorcery Array directly into a skill for four gold coins didn't seem too expensive.

But without becoming a Wizard Apprentice now, all this was illusory. He really needed to quickly become a Wizard Apprentice!

"Splash."

The sound of water in the bathroom suddenly stopped. Li Size turned his head and was instantly stunned:

"Gelia!!!???"

What was going on? Wasn't that Felina just now? How could the person walking out now be Gelia, whom they had just parted ways with? Had the two women conspired to play this prank behind his back?

She was wearing a tightly tailored bright red uniform. The fabric was as vibrant as the morning glow yet soft, outlining graceful and slender curves.

Her straight, slender legs were wrapped in sheer pink stockings, as thin as cicada wings, vaguely revealing the luster of creamy skin, supple like the stem of a water lotus just emerging from the pool.

Her cheeks were flushed with a faint pink, fresh like the morning dew on lotus petals after the rain. Her skin was fair and moist, as if dewdrops would seep out with a light touch.

Her eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows were as clear as a spring, filled with gentle affection. Her lips were like an unopened lotus bud, carrying a natural moist color.

Her overall aura was as pure and beautiful as a water hibiscus, possessing both the charming shyness of a young girl and an unsullied freshness, making one forget worldly concerns as she gazed affectionately at Li Size.

Li Size swallowed, his mouth dry, and asked:

"Ge...li...a... What are you doing? Where is Felina?"

Gelia stepped forward, hooked her left arm around Li Size's neck, and lifted his chin with her right hand:

"Student Li Size, I now declare you arrested..."

That voice was clearly Felina's!

She suddenly pushed Li Size onto the sofa and immediately pounced on him:

"Hee hee, Student Li Size, do you like it?"

Although he couldn't figure out the situation, Li Size was certain this was Felina. He felt a faint sense of loss mixed with excitement, yet also felt he was being a bit of a scoundrel for thinking that way.

As if not sensing Li Size's thoughts, Felina asked him on her own:

"dear, do you like it? This is Lesser Shapeshifting Spell, a Zero-Ring Sorcery of the Illusion System. It uses light and shadow effects to transform into the appearance of a familiar person."

Li Size looked at the 'Gelia' so close to him; his naked eyes simply couldn't distinguish reality from illusion.

He touched the other person's face and only then felt something was wrong. This Zero Ring illusion sorcery could only deceive the eyes; touching it revealed it wasn't the real thing.

Li Size was slightly excited but still said softly:

"This might not be appropriate..."

Felina sensed the anomaly in Li Size's body and teased:

"Hmph! dear, do you have no feelings for Gelia? Look, your body is being very honest. I can satisfy you in this form, but you have to promise me one condition."

Li Size's breathing gradually became rougher, and he asked in a deep voice:

"What condition?"

Felina's eyes shimmered with crystalline moisture, and she whispered:

"Hmph! I know that perhaps in the future, you might have other women. But we just got together, and I want a beautiful memory that belongs only to me. Therefore, you are not allowed to be too intimate with Gelia for half a year. If..."

Her face flushed crimson with shame, and she turned her head, saying in a voice as faint as a mosquito's whine:

"If you're thinking about it... I can use this form. Hmph! I'm letting you off easy."

Li Size was moved upon hearing this. With such a beauty, what more could he ask for!

He lowered his head and kissed her, gently wiping away the moisture in her eyes.

But ultimately, under a strange sense of excitement, he did not ask Felina to cancel the 'Lesser Shapeshifting Spell,' and the apartment slowly filled with... soft murmurs.

The next day, Li Size arranged to meet both Felina and Gelia, planning to clear the empty lot designated for the future warehouse together that night.

Li Size looked at the familiar Gelia and vaguely felt a sense of awkwardness. As soon as Felina saw Li Size's expression from the side, she looked at him teasingly.

Although the police station had not cleared it, this empty lot was originally a mining area, and the old brick walls were mostly intact, so there was no risk of undead monsters wandering out.

The architectural structures in the Wizard World, due to their special construction, generally had better stability and durability than buildings on Blue Star. If it were an abandoned mine on Blue Star, the walls would surely have collapsed after so long.

From a distance, outside the wall, Felina sensed the dense undead energy particles here and warned Li Size and Gelia:

"There are quite a few undead creatures inside. Everyone be careful later."