4: Chapter 0004 Mystery

"inferior healing powder."

The name carried the character "inferior," yet when the powder was pinched between the fingertips, faint golden runes could be seen subtly flowing, an effect that "inferior" could hardly describe.

The moment the powder touched the skin, it was as if faint murmurs of sorcery drilled into the wound.

After applying it to a superficial cut, one could see the flesh being gently drawn together by an invisible hand, forming pale pink new skin in just a few minutes.

Deeper external wounds would also stop bleeding and disperse bruising within half an hour, and the faint, almost imperceptible healing energy seemed to warm the surrounding air slightly.

Each 100g portion of the powder contained the sorcery essence of ground Healing Moss and Hemostatic Grass, and when sprinkled evenly, it could cover a wound the size of half a palm.

In memory, the pharmacy in town sold one portion for 5 silver coins.

But everyone knew that this inconspicuous powder concealed a simple mysterious healing ability that even ordinary Wizards envied.

Student Li Size stood on the podium, tapping his black toolbox with his fingertips, his voice low:

"Today, I will teach you how to refine the inferior healing powder—something even a common person can do. Watch closely."

He took out twelve raw Materials one by one, pausing to explain each one:

"Hemostatic Grass: Crushing the leaves yields an initial hemostatic effect.

Healing Moss: Grows in damp, dark places and can promote skin regeneration.

Daisy Root: Used to purify water quality and remove Impurities.

Foxtail Grass harvested during a full moon: Increases the powder's absorbency, helping it adhere to the wound.

Brain of a one-year-old frog: Alleviates wound pain.

Agave Sap: Natural antibacterial agent to prevent infection.

Licorice Powder: Neutralizes the harshness of the other Materials.

Alum: Astringent to close the wound and accelerate clotting.

Wasp Stinger: For moisture retention, preventing the powder from drying out.

Snakeskin from a Rat Snake eggshell: Increases the powder's stability and extends its shelf life.

Purple Gromwell Powder: Reduces inflammation and swelling.

Activated Charcoal Powder: Adsorbs toxins from the wound."

He picked up the grinding bowl and continued:

"The steps are simple: First, grind the Hemostatic Grass, Healing Moss, and the other ten solid Materials into fine powders separately, then mix them in a ratio of 1:1:0.5:...,

Then add the Agave Sap and the liquid formed by dissolving purified water crystals, stirring until no granules remain.

Finally, heat with a distiller to 80°C, maintain for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat. What remains after distillation is the powder..."

Li Size clenched his fists, his heart pounding as if it were about to burst out:

Common people can do it!

If he learned this, selling the powder would make a fortune!

He stared intently at every movement Snape made, not daring to blink, terrified of missing any detail.

But as he watched, Li Size grew anxious:

The precise ratio of Materials, the fineness of the grind, the heating temperature—he couldn't grasp any of these critical details!

It felt like success was just within reach, but failure was certain.

He bit his lip and silently thought, "If only I knew the exact formula..."

Suddenly, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in his mind:

"[Observing the complete refinement process, consuming 40 Energy Points (80 Silver Coins) allows for the Analysis of the precise formula and operational details.]"

Li Size felt a surge of ecstasy, but it cooled down the next second.

He touched the only 2 silver coins left in his pocket...

His throat tightened, and a sense of urgency surged like a tide:

He must earn money as soon as possible!

Otherwise, this opportunity in hand would slip away!

This rousing potion class soon ended. As Snape walked toward the classroom door, everyone was still immersed in thoughts about the potion formula.

It was then that Li Size remembered something. He subtly tapped his glasses frame while looking at Snape's retreating back:

Detected residual energy: Fire, Darkness, and... Necromancy!!!

It couldn't really be him?

How could I have offended him?

Li Size felt he had never offended Snape, but the man's taciturn nature truly suggested he was the type to kill someone over a slight disagreement.

A man of few words and ruthless action—Snape fit that description!

Thinking this way, even though he hadn't offended him, he realized he might have actually discovered Snape's secret:

In his memory, it was almost two weeks ago...

He originally had some questions about potion-making he wanted to ask Snape. He didn't find him in his office, and the office mentor told him Snape was conducting an experiment in the Potion Laboratory.

As a result, the door to the Potion Laboratory was slightly ajar. Li Size peered through the crack and saw Snape bent over refining some potion, the liquid in the test tube emitting a faint purple glow.

Yes, he seemed very excited at the time!

The Pay-to-Win Ability had already organized these fragmented soul memories. The more Li Size thought, the clearer it became. He recalled the excitement on Snape's face then.

Such an expression was rare on the face of this middle-aged, cold-faced man, much like the excitement one shows upon seeing something they deeply love.

However, when Snape's gaze swept past Li Size outside the door, his expression changed instantly, looking somewhat flustered and guilty.

He quickly covered the experiment bench with a cloth, then walked out of the Laboratory and closed the door, which was followed by his conversation with Li Size as a teacher and student.

But thinking about it now, Snape's gaze toward Li Size had been slightly off ever since, tinged with guilt and vigilance.

It's over!

Could it really be him?

Li Size sat stunned in his seat, resting his chin on his hands, pondering. He couldn't be sure if his speculation was correct, nor did he know what to do if it truly was Snape.

He remembered that the Pay-to-Win Ability could deduce things. Could it deduce the mastermind behind this murder?

Sensing Li Size's thoughts, the Pay-to-Win Ability in his mind immediately provided an answer:

"[Deducing the mastermind behind this murder requires the consumption of 20 Energy Points.]"

Damn!

It really can deduce it!

But...

20 Energy Points means 40 silver coins!

He touched the mere 2 silver coins in his pocket, feeling bitter inside...

The damnable Pay-to-Win Ability!

Since he couldn't rely on Pay-to-Win for now, he had to rely on his own intelligence.

Currently, Snape seemed to fit Li Size's speculation about the mastermind.

By the time he intended to report this speculation to the police via the academy's communication room, the last class of the morning had already started.

Mary walked into the classroom with her tools. Li Size had no choice but to suppress his panic and strive to focus on the lecture.

Mary was teaching 'Sorcery Common Knowledge,' primarily covering the basics of sorcery. It was necessary here to mention the writing systems of this world: Common Wizard Script and Rune Script.

Common Wizard Script was similar to Simplified Chinese on Blue Star, used for daily communication, and possessed no special power.

Rune Script was a textual symbol possessing special power; many sorceries relied on Rune Script to take effect.

This power of Wizards was indeed captivating...

According to Instructor Mary, even if one did not become a Wizard and couldn't wield the power contained within these Rune Scripts, the knowledge alone was power.

If one day you encountered an unfamiliar magical artifact or entered a dangerous Sorcery Array or Forbidden Ground,

you could at least use the Rune Script to know roughly what mysterious power it could exert.

Instructor Mary was lecturing on Rune Script combinations today. She turned and drew several runes on the blackboard, tapping them with her pointer:

"This is the core of the Zero-Ring Sorcery, 'Wizards Hand'—the first rune, 'Draw,' absorbs Demonic Energy.

The second rune, 'Move,' pushes objects, and the third rune, 'Hold,' maintains the effect.

Linked together, they form the basic minor sorcery every Wizard must learn..."

Her fingertip traced over the runes, and the chalk on the podium suddenly floated up and spun once:

"See? It can pick up small objects without touching them; they move without contact."

This was a minor sorcery every Wizard knew, but to ordinary people like Li Size, it was miraculous enough!

Li Size's eyes widened, and he leaned forward, staring intently at the floating chalk:

So this is what sorcery is like?

Making things move without touching them?

That's amazing!

For Li Size, this was more than just miraculous.

A small flame seemed to jump in his heart, beating rapidly:

"[Pay-to-Win Ability triggered: Listening to the complete Rune combination, consuming 50 Energy Points (100 Silver Coins) allows direct acquisition of the 'Wizards Hand' learning method!]"

100 silver was more expensive than the inferior healing powder, but Li Size didn't feel it was a loss at all!

This was his only chance as an ordinary person to touch the threshold of sorcery!

He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.

No matter how difficult, he had to gather those 100 silver coins!

This Pay-to-Win Ability was his hope!

These mysterious powers and knowledge deeply engrossed Li Size as he listened carefully to Instructor Mary's explanation.

When he found this vague knowledge exceptionally difficult to understand, Pay-to-Win indeed gave him another surprise:

"[Through classroom listening, accessing partial Rune-related knowledge, consuming 1 Energy Point allows for the Analysis of this portion of knowledge, directly outputting the information stream to the memory sector.]"

Incredible!

This Pay-to-Win Ability was simply a cheating artifact, capable of helping him learn and understand this mysterious and profound sorcery knowledge!

When Mary finished class, Li Size still sent a detection spell toward her retreating back:

Energy detected:

Wind, No Attribute, and Necromancy!

What the hell!

What's going on?

Is Mary the murderer?

His intuition told Li Size that the gentle Mary was even less likely to be the murderer than the taciturn Snape.

But this kind of environment in the academy made it difficult for her to have residual Necromancy power traces. How could the residual aura of her Necromancy power be explained?

Based on the memories he had of Mary, she wouldn't use much Necromancy System sorcery power!?

Was it a coincidence, or some other reason?

Li Size felt things were getting more complicated. He was now less certain that Snape was the murderer, and Mary couldn't be ruled out either?

Or was there another possibility: the murderer considered the police's potential detection methods; this was the murderer's setup!

This counter-detection setup ability was absurdly high-level!

It looked truly professional!

During the lunch break, Li Size, unable to figure things out, went to the Communication Room with a furrowed brow.

He connected to the police department's communication node. It was clear that Deputy Director Gelia still took this case very seriously.

As soon as she heard about Li Size's communication request, she rushed to the police communication room:

"How is it on your end?"

Li Size sighed, his tone slightly downcast:

"It's strange! Both teachers I encountered this morning had residual Necromancy auras.

Snape is understandable, but Mary is highly unlikely to have come into contact with necromantic auras."

Gelia was not very familiar with the academy mentors. She said:

"Normally, unless a Wizard specializes in the Necromancy faction, most people rarely come into contact with necromantic auras.

Furthermore, we privately checked visiting Wizards, and none of them had residual necromantic auras."

The police efficiency was truly high. Li Size couldn't help but thank her:

"Thank you!

I personally feel Mary is unlikely.

As for Snape, I feel he is suspicious, two weeks ago..."

Gelia had a nearby officer record the details. She tapped the desk with her finger and, out of professional habit, cautioned Li Size:

"My experience tells you that the truth might be hidden in the impossible. Regardless, you must pay attention to your safety and avoid places where it's easy to give the killer an opportunity."

The pressure of impending death was suffocating. This reminder warmed Li Size's heart slightly and gave him the strength to continue seeking the truth.

The two exchanged information and speculations regarding Snape and Mary, all of which needed to be verified one by one.

After ending the call, Li Size returned to his dormitory to rest properly.

Although the youth's spirit was high, staying up all night required some rest, especially since the day had been nothing short of heart-pounding.

Li Size fell into a deep sleep in the dormitory. The whistle for sorcery training drifted from outside the dorms...

He woke up abruptly. The pain in his body had subsided considerably, but it was still a bit stiff. He pulled out his pocket watch and looked:

Damn it!

It was 2:00 PM, and class had already started!

The afternoon was reserved for Combat Technique Class. Since combat technique training took a relatively long time, there was only this one class in the afternoon, starting at two o'clock.

Li Size quickly scrambled out of bed and ran toward the training grounds in his memory...

"Phew! Phew! I'm sorry, Instructor Felina, I was too tired and overslept."

His classmates were already in session, so Li Size had to brace himself and apologize to the instructor.

Instructor Felina was wearing a light green training uniform today. The thin fabric clung tightly to her body, outlining her slender yet firm waist and well-proportioned long legs...

Her sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, revealing skin that shimmered with a healthy bronze luster under the sorcery lamp.

She wore her hair in a high ponytail, with stray strands falling by her ears. Sweat droplets on her forehead slid down her jawline to her collarbone, but she casually wiped them away with the back of her hand, her eyes shining like tempered swords.

The cold wind of the Flying Snow Moon stung the face, yet she wore only a single layer of clothing without appearing to shiver. The power hidden within her slender frame made even senior Wizards wary.

Instructor Felina always spoke with a smile, her voice like silver bells chiming in the wind. Her movements during training were as swift as a leopard's. The students secretly called her the 'Green-Clothed Goddess.'

Li Size stared at her sleeve-rolling motion, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat:

He always felt that when Instructor Felina smiled, even the light from the sorcery lamp seemed to soften.

Li Size knew this was an influence left by the original owner; the original owner had clearly harbored a secret crush on this gentle and lovely mentor.

Instructor Felina looked at Li Size and smiled brightly, saying, "Student Li Size, be mindful next time."

Then she took two steps back, her posture suddenly straightening like a pine tree:

"Today we continue teaching basic Knight training methods. First, review the 'Stable State Breathing Method': Inhale through the nose for four seconds, sinking to the Dantian, hold breath for two seconds, then exhale through the mouth for six seconds. Every breath must link the chest cavity and abdomen. Consistent practice can slowly improve Physique and endurance."

She demonstrated as she spoke, her hands hanging naturally at her sides. As she inhaled, her ribcage slowly expanded; as she exhaled, her waist and back slightly lowered.

"Next is the 'Basic Straight Thrust': When gripping the sword, the distance between the hands should be one fist apart. The tip of the sword must aim at the center of the target ahead. When exerting force, the waist and abdomen drive the arms. The sword tip must remain as steady as a straight line, requiring every thrust to hit the same point."

This knowledge was all present in Li Size's memory, and these two skills existed in the Pay-to-Win panel.

Li Size followed suit, striking a pose. Just as he completed a standard straight thrust, a cold mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind:

"[Detecting practice of Basic Knight Swordsmanship, Proficiency + 0.3]"

His heart stirred. He thrust out three more times consecutively, and the prompt sounds followed one after another:

"[Proficiency + 0.2]"

"[Proficiency + 0.3]"

"[Proficiency + 0.2]"...

When he stopped, the ability prompted again:

"[Basic Knight Swordsmanship (Entry-Level): Current Proficiency 68 / 100.

Note: Upon reaching maximum proficiency, consuming 100 Energy Points allows promotion to Skilled Rank.]"

"[Skilled Rank will unlock additional strength bonuses and faster sword drawing speed.]"

When Li Size had doubts about the skill Ranks, Pay-to-Win promptly provided an answer:

"[These basic skills are divided into four Ranks: Entry, Skilled, Proficient, and Great Master.]"

"[After Great Master Rank, Deduction and Optimization can be performed to modify the skill.]"

While practicing, Li Size secretly glanced at Felina, which reminded him of Deputy Director Gelia from the police station last night.

Both were beautiful women with excellent looks and figures; if rated, both would score above 95 points. The difference was...

Deputy Director Gelia was capable and carried a hint of roguishness, along with the authority of a police officer.

Felina, however, gave the feeling of a gentle, spring-breeze-like girl next door.

A beautiful lady, a gentleman's desire; both women inspired longing.

Hopefully, a girl like this isn't the murderer.

With that expectation, he lightly tapped the energy detector, and the runes on it lit up briefly:

Energy display: Wind, No Attribute.

That's a relief!

At least that beautiful expectation wasn't shattered.