Chapter 19: Alchemy
In order for this business to last longer, it was crucial to set a price that wouldn't make the other party feel the pinch. A steady trickle fills the jar, after all.
"Pleasure doing business." Once the deal was made, the other party handed over the money readily. He picked up the gun and played with it for a bit, trying to imitate Zhou Ning and twirl it around his finger, but failed miserably. He let out an awkward cough and handed four Vecktas to Zhou Ning. "Oh, by the way—unless it's really necessary, it's best not to go out at night for the next few days. Things have been pretty chaotic lately. Some of the senators are even considering pushing a curfew bill."
"Alright, thank you." Zhou Ning took the money and found it was two 5-Vecktas and two 10-Veckta bills. It was actually his first time seeing the 10-Vecktas note in real life! Its dominant green tone featured the portrait of Charles I, the founding king of the Bryston Kingdom. The designer had even crafted a watermark in the king's beard as an anti-counterfeiting measure. The note gave off an intoxicating scent of fresh ink.
Holy crap! A single note was worth two months of his stipend!
Perhaps due to fragments of his predecessor's memories, Zhou Ning felt an instant connection with the money in his hand—love at first sight.
He kept a straight face, suppressing the ridiculous urge to kiss the bills, folded them neatly and tucked them into his coat. Then he casually asked, "That bill probably won't pass, right?"
"Obviously not. That bill threatens too many people's interests. No nightlife means no sex life for a lot of folks, and even tax revenues would drop by a third," Sherlock remarked sarcastically. "If I had to guess, that idiot senator will be out of office soon."
That made a lot of sense. After all, up until the moment Zhou Ning had transmigrated, he'd never heard of any curfew laws in Bryston in the game. He quietly lit a candle for that nameless senator in his heart.
The two chatted for a while longer before Sherlock politely tipped his deerstalker hat and took his leave.
As Sherlock walked off, Zhou Ning, who had also been about to leave, suddenly turned back after a moment of hesitation and called out, "Detective Sherlock, have you ever heard of the Life Alchemy Society?"
"The Life Alchemy Society?"
Sherlock paused for a moment, then immediately caught on.
"The Life Alchemy Society—those lunatics who believe life can be created through alchemy. They originated from the eastern kingdom of Ruins, and they're obsessed with experimenting to create all sorts of alchemical life forms. Why? You think this case has something to do with them?"
"It's just a hunch. I heard that within the Society, there's a faction that's not only obsessed with creating life through alchemy, but also with refining themselves using alchemy. At first, they tried mechanical parts and animal organs to modify their bodies, but that didn't work. Eventually, they realized that only the human body truly matches the human body..."
Just then, a system panel popped up:
[You've triggered a B-Rank Quest: Alchemical Phantom. Accept? Yes / No]
"Of course, it's just a rumor I heard somewhere. Just take it as a story," Zhou Ning added nonchalantly while silently accepting the quest.
"No, you're right! That explains it!" Sherlock's expression shifted from surprised to thrilled.
What had seemed like a complicated case suddenly had a breakthrough, thanks to Zhou Ning's lead. Sherlock immediately broke into a jog toward the carriage parked beyond the woods.
The system quickly followed up with another prompt:
[B-Rank Quest Alchemical Phantom – 25% Complete.]
Meanwhile, the investigation site remained busy as more officers arrived.
Although murders weren't rare in the Bryston Kingdom, one occurring at Vick University was highly unusual.
As the kingdom's most prestigious institution, Vick University only accepted the future elites of Bryston—either brilliant minds or offspring of high-ranking nobles.
If this case were to spread, it could cause a national sensation.
Both the Darkland Police Department and the university administration were under immense pressure.
After a while, the vice principal, who oversaw campus affairs, stepped forward and announced to the students and staff that no one would be allowed to enter or leave the campus for the time being, pending the investigation.
Zhou Ning understood the vice principal's intention—it was to cooperate with the investigation—but he still shook his head. The suspect was clearly a supernatural individual. That kind of measure might work on ordinary people, but what about a supernatural being?
Nearby, several officers began questioning passing students. Likely because someone had already vouched for him, Zhou Ning wasn't stopped. He put his hat back on, walked to the end of the path, turned a corner, and stopped in front of the Pig and Whistle Breakfast Shop.
The shop shared its name with an inn from World of Warcraft's Old Town. The owner, Mrs. Turing, was in her seventies and cared for her paralyzed husband, who was ten years her senior. On nice days, she could often be seen pushing his wheelchair around campus.
"Mrs. Turing, I'll take three pounds of your cupcakes."
"Alright, Little Wayne. By the way, did something happen at the dorms?" Mrs. Turing asked while scooping out the cupcakes.
"Someone died in the woods. A second-year student from the Alchemy Department. Her name was Sharon," Zhou Ning answered concisely.
"Oh my goodness! I remember her—such a sweet girl. We got along quite well. What a shame. Just the other day she told me she'd gotten a wonderful new boyfriend," Mrs. Turing said, making a prayer gesture used by the Ascetic Church, her face full of sorrow.
"Oh? She had a boyfriend?" Zhou Ning was surprised. From what he'd heard, Sharon had a bad temper and no friends, let alone a boyfriend.
"Yes, I'm certain. She said her boyfriend was handsome, charming, talented, and a true gentleman. Madly in love with her too," Mrs. Turing recalled.
That boyfriend sounded suspicious. Zhou Ning nodded thoughtfully, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind as he took the cupcakes and made his way to the Alchemy Building.
The Alchemy Building wasn't far from the student dorms. It was a standalone four-story structure. Professor Wesley's alchemy lab was located on the second floor.
As Professor Wesley's teaching assistant, Zhou Ning's duties included not only academic support but also manning the Alchemy Building and helping prepare alchemical materials.
With the start of the new term just days away, the building was already getting busier.
As soon as Zhou Ning entered, he saw Sherlock at the front desk inquiring about something. Zhou Ning gave him a quick greeting and then headed up the stairs to the second floor.
The moment he opened the lab door, a strong stench of alcohol assaulted his nose.
He opened a window to let in fresh air. Under Professor Wesley, Zhou Ning specialized in Applied Alchemy—researching ways to apply alchemy to everyday life. Of course, Alchemical Pharmacology was also a required field.
Today he needed to prepare iodine, sage, calming flowers, coinleaf, sun orchids, and daisy roots...
[Ding! You completed an Alchemical Material Identification – Gained 3 EXP.]
[Ding! You completed an Alchemical Material Identification – Gained 2 EXP.]
In Apocalypse, there were many ways to earn experience—besides combat and quests, life skills could also provide substantial EXP. So lifestyle players weren't at a total disadvantage.
Zhou Ning skillfully prepared the dozens of materials Professor Wesley would need that afternoon, earning nearly 200 EXP in the process.
With a sigh of relief, he looked at the clock—he now had over four hours entirely to himself.
At the moment, only the basic materials were available for practice, and even those were in limited supply.
Zhou Ning opened his Alchemy skill page. He only had two formulas he could reliably produce: Basic Mana Potion and Basic Healing Potion.
The mana potion required calming flowers, belladonna root, and iodine. The healing potion used ginkgo leaves and daisy roots—both of which were well-stocked in the lab.
For leveling up and increasing skill proficiency, the healing potion was clearly the more cost-effective choice.
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