The Verdant Festival and the Barbecue Shop

The barbecue uncle became visibly excited when he started talking about the Verdant Festival. He picked up a large mug of ale and took a hefty swig before casually beginning to tell Punk about the festival.

Punk ate his barbecue while quietly listening to the uncle's disjointed explanations. It turned out that the middle of the Greenleaf Season was when farmers' sown seeds sprouted. The Verdant Festival was held to celebrate this sprouting, a way for everyone to express their wishes for the crops' robust growth. On this day, people would wear green clothes and celebrate with grass wreaths. What the populace anticipated most, however, was the performance of song and dance by young female followers of the Church of Harvest, who worshipped the Goddess of Harvest, Maisena. As the barbecue uncle mentioned the dances performed by those young female followers, his expression was that of a completely infatuated old lecher.

Once Punk learned that the changes in Konola City were merely due to a festival, he lost interest. He calmly finished his barbecue, now contemplating how to sell the large bag of junk he had brought back from the Mage Guild. However, just as Punk was deep in thought, his train of thought was interrupted.

Punk, sitting up straight and cutting his barbecue with a small knife, felt someone tugging at the hem of his mage robe. He looked down to see a beautiful little girl with light blonde hair. The little girl wore a grass wreath adorned with many small flowers. The light green grass wreath complemented her light blonde hair, and her fair face was both childlike and delicate. Her large, watery eyes were fixed on Punk's face hidden within his hood, and her slightly parted lips conveyed her surprise. Her small, moving nose made her little face look incredibly adorable!

"Big brother… you're so pretty…"

On the surface, Punk remained expressionless, but inside, he felt a twitch. This was the first time in his life anyone had ever called him "pretty"!

The barbecue uncle walked over, chuckling awkwardly with a hint of fear. "This is my daughter. She's young and doesn't know any better. Please excuse us, young Mage…" He then deliberately put on a stern face and said to the little girl, "Hurry back inside! You're not allowed to bother Mage brother!"

"No, no, I don't want to! I want Mage brother to do magic for me!" The little girl glared at the barbecue uncle, giving him the look of "I'll cry if you bother me again." She then turned back to Punk, her expectant eyes practically sparkling.

"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Mage…" the barbecue uncle said, preparing to forcibly carry the little girl back inside. But the little girl, who was determined to see magic, wasn't about to leave. She tightly gripped Punk's mage robe, refusing to let go, leaving the barbecue uncle in a quandary – should he pull or not?

"It's alright, it's just a child's little wish," Punk said, waving his hand to stop the uncle. The uncle, standing there somewhat flustered, practically wore his worry and distress on his face. But Punk ignored the awkward uncle. He opened his hand and beckoned gently. The water in the cup on the table gathered into a water ball that floated in his hand. Under the little girl's astonished and unwavering gaze, the water ball transformed into three small figures wearing short skirts, dancing. The little water figures spun on Punk's palm, dancing a tango.

"Wow…" The little girl was completely mesmerized. Even after Punk returned the water to the cup, she maintained a look of surprised adorableness. Punk gently patted her little head, and the little girl responded with a purr-like expression of enjoyment, murmuring softly like a kitten.

"This is a real world!" Punk exclaimed in a barely audible whisper after finishing his barbecue.

"What did you say, Lord Mage?" The uncle hurriedly placed the now-sleepy-looking little girl onto a nearby chair, moving her much farther away from Punk. Only then did he wipe the sweat from his brow, looking relieved.

"Nothing. The barbecue was delicious, and the little girl is very pretty!"

"Is… is that so? Haha…" The uncle habitually scratched the back of his head, offering no further overly familiar responses to Punk.

Punk paid no attention to the barbecue uncle's state. He didn't consider the psychological activities of an ordinary person worth his time to speculate about. So, Punk simply tossed a silver coin, leaving behind the rather extravagant remark, "No need for change," before picking up his "bag of junk" and turning to leave the barbecue shop.

The pedestrians outside were all wearing green clothing and hats, chatting and laughing. Only Punk, clad in a light blue mage robe, his face mostly hidden in the shadow of his hood, stood out uniquely and somewhat out of place on the bustling street. However, Punk savored this feeling. The path of the strong was destined to be solitary, and he had already conquered solitude in the Void!

The old man at the Mage Guild, after all, possessed rich life experience. Seeing that Punk had reached the Journeyman Level, he merely paused for a moment, unlike the old man at the city gate who had lost his composure in surprise. However, the old Mage's attitude towards Punk had clearly changed. The ridiculous demeanor of a "senior expert" had vanished without a trace, replaced by a strangely familiar and close attitude, as if they were old friends or distant relatives. Punk's bag of junk was easily sold for a high price of eight hundred gold coins, which pleasantly surprised Punk, who had expected it to fetch at most six hundred.

However, Punk also knew that this was the old Mage's attempt to curry favor with him. After all, Punk's potential in any aspect was clearly far greater than that of the old Mage, who was already half-buried in the grave. The old Mage's strategy of trying to win over "future influential figures" was understandable; at least Punk was benefiting from it for now.

But the old Mage's calculations regarding favors were destined to fall through. Punk was not someone who cared about favors, let alone the fact that he had decided to discard his useless identity as a member of the Mage Guild once he found a reliable mentor!

Therefore, no matter how many times the old Mage tried to strike up a conversation beside him, Punk ignored him. He simply went ahead and purchased the Night Vision Potion he had "long desired" from the Alchemy Golem, along with several necessary materials. Then, Punk closed his eyes, leaning against the cool wall, waiting for the small puppet to retrieve the recipe book. Seeing that his efforts to speak were exhausting and pointless, the old Mage could only curl his lips and turn away helplessly.

"Is this old man a fast talker? My ears are getting annoyed," Punk muttered to himself, rubbing his pointed ears.

Clutching the ancient and thin recipe for "Night Vision Potion," Punk arrived at a very secluded and gloomy alley in Konola City. Although the houses here were a bit dilapidated, they were quiet and secluded, far from the hustle and bustle, making it the perfect location for an alchemy workshop. After all, alchemy was a delicate art, and beginners could not tolerate even the slightest disturbance, lest their brewed potions be ruined or, worse, explode on the spot! Although Punk was confident in his "skills" and the System's analysis, it was better to be cautious about such "what if" scenarios.

With the recipe, materials, and equipment, Punk's first alchemy was finally about to begin!

Alchemy is about to begin, please collect and vote!

Welcome to join group 548859662