Hua Mi unfolded the folding knife, its blade gleaming silver and exceptionally sharp.
He casually made a few strokes in the air.
No effect.
It seed like the idea of cutting through space was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Hua Mi then pressed the blade against the tabletop and made a stroke, leaving no mark. Instead, the blade seed to lt at the point of contact, flattening out.
But once it detached from the surface, it imdiately returned to its original state.
Hua Mi tried pressing the blade against his palm, applying gradual force.
Starting from the tip, it slowly retracted, transforming into an irregular flat shape.
Once detached, it instantly reverted to its original form.
"It can be used for magic tricks..."
Hua Mi, in a mont of curiosity, began poking around with the folding knife. When the blade touched the lockhole of a drawer, it "lted," sliding effortlessly into the keyhole.
"Huh?"
Hua Mi twisted it lightly.
Click, the lock opened.
Drawing out the folding knife, the blade instantly restored its original shape.
He tried other keyholes, and they all opened easily.
Seems like I've figured out its purpose...
A thief's tool, indeed.
Hua Mi stowed the silver folding knife into his ring.
Of course, as an honest rchant, he rarely had use for such things.
But in special situations, like in a ga, when opening chests or doors to the next adventure area, this little folding knife could co in handy.
After inventorying his belongings, Hua Mi went to bed.
Under the influence of the Moon Slumber Honey, he slept until he naturally woke up.
...
Early morning in Heishi Town was the most peaceful ti of the day.
Soon, the streets would turn as bustling as a market.
Thud—
A muffled sound echoed.
It ca from an inconspicuous pointed-roofed house beside the street.
After the thud, black smoke wafted out from the basent window of the house.
The dense smoke drifted onto the street, carrying a pungent odor.
Passersby covered their mouths and noses.
"Is that the Johnson family? What are they up to?"
"I heard his niece is studying alchemy, turning the house into a ss."
"Wild alchemists are never any good; they're bound to go astray."
"She's always restless, likes to adventure everywhere, picking up bad habits along the way."
"Maybe we should report to the city hall and get her kicked out—before she poisons the whole town."
At that mont, the basent door banged open, and a slender figure rushed out, covered in soot, with disheveled hair.
She ascended the stairs to the ground level, breathing in the fresh air deeply.
Pedestrians hastened their steps, avoiding her like she carried a contagious disease.
Bang—
The front door of the house was forcefully thrown open.
A chubby, bearded man stord out, his face flushed. "Hillia, I've had enough! Must you blow up the house before you stop these experints?"
"Stay calm, Jason," Hillia glanced at him. "I paid the rent, well above market value."
The man angrily retorted, "This is my house! I'm your uncle, and I won't allow you to do these things! From now on, stop your crazy experints, or I swear I'll throw that cauldron of yours out!"
"That thing is quite heavy, be careful not to strain your back."
A rough voice interjected.
A beastman, Cole, stepped forward, cracking his knuckles in front of Jason.
Jason instinctively stepped back, fear evident in his eyes.
He both despised and feared Hillia's companion.
Lycanthropy was a vicious curse, and it was contagious. No one wanted to conflict with a beastman.
"Mr. Jason, we signed an agreent." Carter politely approached, smiling. "The most important thing in life is honesty, isn't it?"
"I..."
Before Jason could speak, Carter unilaterally shook his hand.
"I hope we can get along well in the future. Anything can be discussed, no need for conflicts. What do you say?"
A gold coin discreetly passed into Jason's hand.
Jason's eyes brightened, silently retracting his hand and pocketing the coin. Clearing his throat, he said, "You should also be careful not to make too much noise and disturb the neighbors."
With that, Jason turned and went back inside, his steps much lighter.
"Looks like it's not going smoothly," Carter handed Hillia a handkerchief.
Hillia took it and wiped her face, saying calmly, "In fact, the Swiftwing elixir is already completed. I'm trying to create a more advanced magical potion."
Carter seed surprised at the revelation.
After the black smoke dissipated, the three entered the basent.
The room still retained a pungent odor, unbearable for Cole, who stood at the entrance without entering.
In the dim basent, a semi-automatic alchemy cauldron occupied the center.
Various materials were scattered around.
"Hillia, you look like a swamp witch now," Cole teased.
Ignoring Cole's banter, Hillia picked up a small bottle of pale green potion from a nearby shelf, labeled "Swiftwing."
Carter took it, examined it, and opened the cap to sniff. "Looks and slls about right. Wonder how effective it is in practice."
Hillia said, "No issues. I tested it last night, and its effects are impressive, comparable to interdiate-level Swiftwing elixirs on the market."
"You tested it on yourself?" Carter looked at her in shock. "That could be deadly!"
"Stay calm." Hillia continued, "Firstly, I'm fine. Secondly, it's the only way to verify. I can't bring myself to experint on others."
"Let Cole try it!"
"Go to hell, Carter!"
"What I ant is, your physique far surpasses ordinary people. Even if sothing goes wrong, you can handle it."
"You make a good point, but still, go to hell, Carter!"
Carter coughed awkwardly, shifting the subject, "Without a formula, you managed to develop an interdiate Swiftwing elixir in such a short ti. It seems you truly have alchemical talent. Maybe switching to this path was the right choice."
In reality, he was downplaying it a bit.
Such talent could be considered genius.
"It's just a bottle of Swiftwing elixir, nothing to brag about. But it does give great encouragent." Hillia's voice lightened.
"In the future, leave the materials to and Carter; you focus on alchemy." Cole patted his chest, saying, "Ha, with an alchemist in the team, we can dominate, easily traversing five-star adventure areas."
"More precisely, it's alchemical potion branch." Hillia's gaze fell on the alchemical cauldron. "This cauldron can provide significant help in the early stages, but I can't rely on it forever. Truth be told, I still have a long way to go. For a truly perfect alchemical potion, this is it."
Hillia took out the bottle of Moon Slumber Honey, now only a quarter full.
"Current alchemical potions on the market, no matter how optimized, always have side
effects. The stronger the effect, the more obvious the side effects. So side effects are so severe that another potion is needed to neutralize them, but that only accelerates the accumulation of toxins.
"The buildup of toxins in the body will inevitably cause irreversible damage. The alchemist in the Black Forest gave this potion, and though its effects aren't potent, it truly achieves zero toxins, a qualitative improvent.
"The more you understand alchemy, the more you'll appreciate how difficult this is. So far, no alchemist has reached this level, not even those from prestigious academies. Only he has done it, a true genius, a beacon in the alchemical world!"
Hillia's eyes sparkled.
Carter and Cole witnessed her fervor for the first ti.
Well, she's becoming more like the stereotypical image people have of wild alchemists.
...
The next day, Hua Mi arrived in the Otherworld.
He imdiately sensed a drop in temperature.
Opening the window, he saw a glaring white landscape.
The ground was covered in thick snow, and the trees were dressed in white.
"It's snowing."
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