52: Cost and vacation

He looked at the sky.

It was a cloudy day with a gentle breeze and light rain, and the sky was overcast.

Mist Coast in April always had this kind of drizzle, lasting for many days... Green opened a bamboo-framed umbrella and went to eat.

Although Green wasn't hungry at the moment, he understood the principle that surviving a great disaster meant future blessings.

After experiencing a painful ordeal in his life, Green felt that the upcoming month-long vacation was heaven's reward to him.

Now, Green, having suffered dual trauma to his mind and spirit, his head was empty, and a significant shadow remained in his heart; every time he recalled that huge bathtub, Green couldn't help but tremble all over.

This was the price of taking a shortcut.

Every gift of fate came with a price tag.

Green had only spent three months to complete the transformation of belief and successfully break through to Grand Knight, a process that other knights took years or even decades to achieve.

All of this came with a price...

Green walked along the country path, smelling the fresh earthy scent that rose from the soil after being dampened by the rain.

He silently calculated the cost in his heart.

First, financially: 1000 magic stones for life-saving potions, 1000 magic stones for special training potions (mainly low-level recovery potions), and 30 magic stones for custom armor.

Secondly, in terms of favors: the significant favor of free special training provided by Alice, Adler's friendly help with three months of sparring, Oakes and their help in caring for him when he was unconscious, and so on.

Lastly, Green himself: his body had no major issues, but three months of hellish torment had a profound impact on his psyche.

A month or two of rest would suffice for the mental exhaustion, but the terrifying sensation of ten thousand ants densely gnawing at his body still made Green shudder with lingering fear every time he thought about it.

At that time, he truly held on by a thread of willpower.

This psychological shadow might accompany Green for a long time...

Green looked up.

At the sun, which had just revealed half a disk from behind the dark clouds.

He smiled...

The smile was hearty and radiant;

The smile was mixed with sweat, blood, and tears;

The smile was the hard-earned pride after striving with all his might.

No matter what, Green, who had given his all, had made tremendous progress this time.

The breakthrough to Grand Knight opened a new chapter in Green's life...

Green arrived at his usual spot on the first floor of the North District, the Beef Burger Shack.

He decided to treat himself.

It was only a little past three, so there weren't many apprentices dining.

Green booked a private room for himself and devoured all sorts of delicacies...

After breaking through to Grand Knight, Green felt his teeth had also become much stronger; the plump, juicy, and chewy Angus grilled steak would tear apart with a gentle bite from his upper and lower teeth, turning into a meat paste after a few chews.

Now that Green was eating without restraint, it was — three bites for a 1-pound standard steak; by the end, the three chefs in the small shop couldn't even keep up with Green's eating speed.

After two hours of thoroughly enjoyable eating, Green, still not entirely satisfied, wiped his mouth with a napkin and prepared to leave.

Because Green had eaten all the ingredients at the Beef Burger Shack today, not even a single lettuce leaf was left...

Only eighty percent full, Green, before leaving, specifically greeted the three head chefs.

Green made a deal with them.

He asked them to triple the amount of ingredients they prepared for the next month.

And to have half of the ingredients prepared before mealtime so that Green could immediately enjoy delicious food upon arrival.

To boost their work enthusiasm.

Green also specifically tipped each of them three magic stones...

Encouraging them to work hard and showcase their best skills, for if Green (and all you esteemed readers) ate to his heart's content and was thoroughly satisfied, rewards would certainly follow.

The three head chefs tearfully guaranteed:

As long as they could satisfy Green (all you esteemed readers), they would redouble their efforts, unleash all their lifelong skills, and ensure Green (all you esteemed readers) ate well, ate with pleasure, and gave a thumbs-up.

Even if they had to cut out their own livers to make a 'true ~ liver-bursting dish' for Lord Green (all you esteemed readers), they would not hesitate.

Lord Green was extremely pleased after hearing this; now *that* was a good head chef (good author).

Good awareness, here's your reward!

...For the next month.

Green simply commuted between his dormitory and the North District cafeteria every day.

He turned down all study and laboratory activities.

Of course, by mid-month.

Green still gathered with his good friends to properly thank them for their help.

Adler also came this time.

The two big eaters competed to see who could eat more, and Green overwhelmingly defeated Adler.

He displayed his powerful strength after a bloodline awakening.

Adler, upon learning that Green had undergone a bloodline awakening and it was a bloodline that could eat the moon, immediately exclaimed in fear that he would never compete with Green in eating again...

In the lively atmosphere, Oakes egged them on, saying Green had a double blessing.

He had both broken through to Grand Knight and successfully awakened a bloodline, which was truly commendable.

He should perform a show to liven things up, but it couldn't involve eating.

What talents could Green possibly perform? He was a homebody, a lab guy; was he supposed to perform — how to create a perfect quality Mental Power Water — in this bar for them?

Green looked left and right, and finally found a good choice...

Green raised a large glass of rye ice beer and said, "I'd like to toast everyone and wish you all smooth sailing on the wizard's path, constantly breaking through yourselves, and achieving new glories.

And as for a performance — a bottoms-up!

I'll finish mine, you do as you please."

Oakes was also someone who cared about his reputation and was not to be outdone.

"You, Green, can eat a lot, but you might not be able to drink a lot.

When it comes to drinking, I've never backed down; we northerners grew up in a wine vat since childhood.

Could I show weakness?

Definitely not."

So, the two drunkards began their drinking competition.

If you toast me, I'll toast you back;

If you drink beer, I'll drink red wine;

If you drink red wine, I'll drink white wine...

Eventually.

Adler and Bigg were also drawn into the drinking war...

The three of them took turns battling Green.

But Green was also overjoyed.

To relieve and vent the confusion, fear, unease, pain, despair... and other negative emotions accumulated deep within him over the past three months, Green welcomed all challengers.

It turned into a wizard-version of 'Three Heroes Battling Lu Bu'.

The four fought fiercely, drinking until they were utterly disoriented.

Alice, ignoring them, sat quietly aside, sipping juice in small sips, watching this war between men.

At first, Green was incredibly brave, relying on the excellent physique granted by his special bloodline, he single-handedly pressured the other three.

No matter how strong the alcohol, or whether he had drunk it before, he just downed it in one gulp.

That momentum... all the apprentices in the Battle Axe Bar were stunned and cheered for Green.

Anyway, it was all ordinary alcohol; Green had bought a three-magic stone package.

He could drink unlimitedly for a day, drink as much as he wanted...

Gradually.

The various alcoholic beverages in Green's stomach accumulated more and more...

Red... white... beer mixed together, and the alcohol's potency... suddenly hit him.

Green still had some rationality in his mind and did not actively use his bloodline power to metabolize the alcohol.

Instead, he relied on his own physique and alcohol tolerance to resist...

As a result, Green couldn't compete with the 'Three Heroes' on the other side.

Before long, Green fell completely into a disadvantage.

But Green stubbornly refused to admit defeat, holding on and continuing to drink...

In the end, all four were too drunk to be conscious.

No one knew who won or lost...

Fortunately, Alice, their friend who always kept her wits about her, was there to guide them home.

The four drunkards, arm in arm,

staggered along in a drunken walk,

while loudly singing some strange song,

"Friends... walking through life together,

Those days... are no more,

One word... a lifetime,

One love... one cup of wine,

Friends... never alone,

A word 'friend'... you will understand..."

Green, in particular, sang the most cheerfully, his unique, ghost-wailing-like voice scaring passing apprentices, who thought some demonized beast had escaped from the laboratory...

If Alice hadn't been there to escort them, the four of them might have been caught by the academy's security and locked up in a dark room.

However, Alice wasn't idle either.

While correcting the four drunkards' mistaken routes,

she held up a scrying crystal ball, carefully recording this unforgettable and unique scene.

She believed that Green and the other three would surely thank her for recording this historic moment when they later saw their excellent and uninhibited performance.

Alice thought silently to herself, a mischievous, devilish smile involuntarily appearing at the corner of her lips...