How About You Hit Me a Couple Times

"No." Wood wore a bitter expression. "The kind of secrecy charm you're talking about... I might have read some similar introduction or something back when I was in school, but right now I can't remember any of the content at all."

"What use are you?" Murphy sighed.

"I'm sorry." Alex Wood looked terribly embarrassed. "But I think there's someone who might be able to help you."

"Oh? Who?"

"My sister, Serika Wood. She used to be a member of the Committee on Experimental Charms, and she's also joined the Magical Archaeology Association. She knows a lot of spells."

"Oh? Good! Bring her to see me!"

Murphy had been worrying that his own stockpile of spells was too thin. If there was a spell expert, then even if she couldn't solve this particular problem, learning a few more spells would still be nice.

After saying that, he saw Wood's expression look a little off. "What's wrong?"

"My sister, she..." Alex thought for a moment, then raised a hand and tapped his own head. "She's not quite normal up here."

Not right in the head?

Murphy was even more interested. "Do I look normal to you?"

Alex shook his head, then felt that was a little inappropriate and quickly nodded again.

"Heh. Normal people are all mediocrities! Especially normal wizards! What use are they?" Murphy completely ignored Alex's bitter expression. "Call your sister over. Let me see just how abnormal she really is!"

A few days later, Murphy met that Serika Wood at the Supreme Potion shop.

To Murphy's surprise, she was actually a beauty.

She was petite, yet her chest was rather magnificent; her waist was slender, her hips perky, and a pair of fleshy legs were faintly visible beneath her short skirt.

Murphy glanced again at Alex Wood, who was walking beside her. "Alex, are you two really siblings?"

Alex didn't understand what he meant. "Yes, sir."

"Mr. Murphy Darkholme!" Serika seemed very happy. She shook off her younger brother, stepped forward, and grabbed Murphy's hand. "Is it really you? Alex didn't lie to me, did he? You're real, right?"

Murphy instinctively took half a step back.

Looking closely, the girl did indeed bear a slight resemblance to Alex. They both had the same brown hair, a small round face, and a few faint freckles beside the nose.

But these flaws of the Wood family were unexpectedly harmonious on his sister's face, making her look extremely sweet.

Still, wasn't she standing a little too close?

"You know me?"

"Everyone knows you!" Serika's eyes seemed to sparkle with stars. "Wow, you're so handsome! Mr. Murphy, I'm your fan."

"Oh, fine. I don't sleep with fans, so don't get too close."

"Then I won't be your fan anymore."

"Hiss..."

This woman was terrifying. She actually dared to answer that.

"Let go. Stand back. Stop wiggling your ass around!" Murphy shook off Serika's hand. "Stand there and don't move. Don't come closer."

"Oh." Serika obediently stood properly and didn't pounce over again.

Murphy glanced at Alex again, and the latter nodded.

All right, so it was this kind of abnormal.

But it didn't really matter. A girl around twenty—who didn't like handsome men? Just like how he liked looking at beautiful women. There was nothing strange about it. As long as she listened, it was fine.

If anything was to blame, it was that he was too handsome.

"Alex said you were a member of the Committee on Experimental Charms?"

"I used to be, but I've already resigned. Those people were either stupid as hell or lost in wild fantasies, and there were a few lecherous old men who stared at my butt all day!"

Murphy subconsciously glanced over.

He felt this couldn't be blamed entirely on those old men. Everyone loved beauty; it was understandable.

Serika seemed to notice his gaze and obediently wiggled.

"Ahem." Murphy withdrew his eyes, his expression turning serious. "Alex should have told you. I need a spell that can prevent the target from revealing secrets."

"Preferably one with progressive warnings. If they merely think about it, they won't suffer any substantive punishment or harm, but if they truly intend to put it into action, then they'll suffer effects such as having their throat sealed and tongue locked, the Petrification Spell, or intense pain, rendering them incapable of action and thereby stopping them from revealing the secret."

Serika blinked her blue eyes. "I've never heard of a spell like that, but it seems very interesting."

"Can you create a spell like that?"

"Creating spells is very difficult. I stayed on the Committee on Experimental Charms for two years, and they didn't create a single decent spell."

"You can't do it?"

"It really is hard, very, very hard." Serika looked pitiful. "I only graduated three years ago. How could I possibly make something like that? Can I find some people to research it together?"

"You can," Murphy said. "Tell me directly how much funding you need, but it has to be fast. If I have to wait two or three years before I can see the spell, it'll be far too late."

"Then I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, don't be mean to me."

Murphy thought for a moment. "One month. If you can come up with a viable research proposal, you continue. Otherwise, get lost."

"Oh." Serika looked at Murphy. "Then where do I work?"

The curse research institute had not been established yet, but Murphy had already rented a few factory buildings. He tossed Serika a key. "Go here. Ask Alex for anything else you need."

Serika asked again, "Will you come by often?"

"I'll be keeping an eye on your progress."

After saying that, Murphy was about to leave, but the moment he turned around, he found someone tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"Anything else?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"..." Murphy was speechless for a moment.

What the hell is wrong with this woman? I'm talking work with you, and what are you thinking about?

"Get lost."

"Oh."

In May, Umbrella Group wholly acquired Camelot Cosmetics Company, gaining ownership of its two facial mask factories and one comprehensive cosmetics production plant.

In June, the beauty essence produced by thirty wizards was diluted, blended, mixed, and packaged through multiple layers of processing, becoming all kinds of products such as facial masks, toner, moisturizing lotion, eye cream, serum, primer, foundation, isolation cream, sunscreen, and so on.

Murphy casually named this entire product line the "Venus Series."

In July, the moment the Venus Series cosmetics hit the market, they sent shockwaves through the cosmetics industry. Some said the era of a hundred flowers blooming in the industry had ended, while others said the Venus Series had opened an entirely new age.

Murphy looked at the many orders flying in like snowflakes.

It seemed he was one step closer to that path of immortality.

By comparison, progress on the secrecy curse research was extremely slow.

"I gave you one month. It's been three months now, and you still haven't been able to produce a truly viable plan!" Murphy glared at Serika in front of him. "What use do I have for you?"

"I'm sorry," Serika said, looking pitiful and aggrieved. "We really have been working very hard."

As she spoke, she shook his arm. "But this topic is too difficult. We looked through so, so much material and tried to fuse several spells together. Two of our colleagues were even injured because of it..."

"Don't be angry, okay? How about... you hit me a couple of times."

As she spoke, she turned her back to him.

"..."

Looking at the rounded curve wrapped beneath that light summer dress, Murphy fell silent for a moment.

If this slap lands, I feel like the future plot is going to veer from Wizard Chronicles into Overbearing CEO and His Delicate Little Wife...

But damn it, with the atmosphere built up to this point, if I don't slap her, would I be letting the esteemed audience down?

Fine. You forced me into this.

He plopped down on the sofa. "Is this the attitude of someone admitting her mistake?"

"Come here. Kneel. Lie across my lap."

Smack!