Revenge Plan

"Forget it. Let's turn our grief into strength and live on properly—for their sake as well!"

Roy kept a stern face and lectured them in his capacity as their senior.

"Definitely!" everyone replied solemnly.

But that brat Renion's lips were twitching so hard, he could barely keep himself from laughing.

He had already grasped the true essence of elementary-school division!

Roy's forehead throbbed with bulging veins.

Can't you wait until after the meeting to laugh?

At least show some consideration for Tigro's feelings. He just lost his beloved family, friends, and classmates!

Roy knocked on the table, drawing everyone's attention, and said solemnly, "Besides that, there's something I want to say."

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"I want revenge!" Roy declared decisively, his resolve absolute. "Revenge against that Merman Lord!

"Think about it. This time, it drove us away like stray dogs! It even killed our companions!

"How can we not avenge this grudge?"

The truth was not so righteous. The team needed a common enemy.

Besides, it was a Lord-level magical creature. If they could kill it, the rewards would surely be substantial.

Everyone had been somewhat traumatized by that monster. Roy was an Advanced Apprentice with the ambition to challenge it, but they were not.

Still, the fact that the monster had killed their companions was undeniable.

What was more, its Fish Pearls were sure to be valuable.

Everyone had already tasted the benefits and felt somewhat unable to stop.

Thus, they all agreed.

"Don't rush to spend the rewards in your hands. Think carefully about your respective paths of enhancement and modification, as well as how to deal with that monster."

Roy nodded in satisfaction.

"That's all. Go back and get some proper rest for now. We'll meet again over lunch tomorrow."

After everyone left, Nia seemed to have something to say. She deliberately lingered for a while and stayed behind.

"Is there anything else?" Roy asked, somewhat puzzled.

Nia said, "Thank you for what happened earlier. My reaction was so slow. If you hadn't pulled me..."

Roy waved his hand. "It was nothing. I just lent you a hand."

"I..." Nia seemed to have something else to say, but after opening her mouth, she deflated and said, "Forget it. I'll think it over carefully...

"I'll tell you once I've figured it out."

"Hm?" Roy was instantly baffled.

However, when he saw Nia turn and leave, he did not pay it much attention.

After everyone left, Roy went to the bathroom, lay in the bathtub, and recited a spell.

",..."

The towel that had once been enchanted and still retained the Secret Rune jumped down from the shelf above.

Immediately afterward, a small hand seemed to extend from the faucet beside him, twisting open the valve atop it.

Several tentacles made from the hair on Roy's head extended and lengthened. They flexibly wrapped around the soap, bath ball, and other items, scrubbing him clean.

He took a proper bath, ate and drank his fill, and prepared to rest.

After rushing about continuously in recent days, even with his current physique, he felt somewhat exhausted.

Before that, however, he first fed the Cauliflower Snake.

Roy gently stroked the snake's head, sounding a little guilty. "Ever since you started following me, you've gone hungry nine days out of ten...

"Good thing you're a snake and don't mind going hungry."

The Cauliflower Snake raised its head, looking at him with a dark gaze as it flicked its tongue.

The next day, Roy began dealing with the valuables in his possession and various other matters.

"These Fish Pearls from the merman warlocks contain magical power similar to Witchcraft Energy. They seem to meet the requirements for refining quite a few Alchemical Creations?

"While manifesting the Will Rune earlier, I already learned and mastered quite a few Alchemy Recipes. I was merely troubled by my empty purse and couldn't try them. Now I can finally give them a shot!"

In the year and a half since advancing to the Intermediate Apprentice level, most of his time and energy had been spent earning money and manifesting the Will Rune.

However, he had not neglected his studies. He had already built a solid foundation in Alchemy Knowledge.

He felt that his greatest confusion now lay in having no teacher to guide him and not having chosen a primary specialization.

Refining various small potions, making minor equipment, and refining magic stones for money were all merely low-level forms of alchemy.

They were not enough to put him on the broad road leading to the pinnacle of the supernatural.

The truly powerful things were enhancement potions, Bloodline Potions, and the like—things that could cause one's strength to soar or bring about supernatural evolution after being consumed.

Then there was the Philosopher's Stone, the universal panacea, capable of prolonging one's life and preserving one's youth.

Or, alternatively, Artificial Humans like Sophia, who could change bodies as easily as changing clothes.

"Forget it. Those things are still too far away. What I need more right now are some Healing Potions and Stamina Recovery Potions!

"Also, Resistance Potions.

"They can be used to enhance resistance against various kinds of Witchcraft Energy or magical elements!

"They can grant the user a surge of Witchcraft Energy that fills the body and reduce the damage suffered.

"I should also stock up on a few batches of Enchanted Gunpowder and the Alchemical Bombs refined from it..."

One should not forget past lessons, for they could guide one's future actions.

The recent events were enough to serve as the basis for his current alchemical choices.

"Besides that, I need to make full use of the rewards in my possession to enhance myself.

"Perhaps I should consider using a Bloodline Potion to undergo an Intermediate Knight enhancement!"

The Bloodline Potions provided in the Witch Tower came in various kinds, such as the Giant Bear bloodline and the Cheetah bloodline, all derived from magical creatures and strange monsters.

Every one of them started at the Intermediate Knight level and could grant the tower's apprentices basic close-combat abilities.

However, those things had one drawback: they were too expensive and too difficult to refine.

Apart from the obscure and difficult-to-understand related knowledge, another reason was that resources were limited during the Apprentice Stage, leaving few opportunities for practice.

Failure was the mother of success. Most people grew through failure, learning through experience.

But failure often also meant a price.

Most people could not afford that price, and therefore could not succeed.

"Several thousand in materials, half a year or a year or two of effort, and savings painstakingly accumulated—gone in an instant. Who could take that?

"After a few more failures, one's entire life would pass in poverty, mediocrity, and uselessness.

"But I'm different!

"With the support of my Skilled Worker Alchemy Talent, I'm a skilled worker the moment I start.

"Buying the main materials and preparing them myself won't just save money—the results might even be better!"

Roy quickly came up with a plan.

Not long afterward, Roy left the house and went to the commercial district to sell some materials and purchase Great Albert's Water, Coagulating Grass, Saponin Powder, and other items.

These were used to refine various Recovery Potions and other consumables.

He decided to deal with these miscellaneous matters first before considering the Bloodline Potion.

The Advanced Apprentice suite already had a meditation room and an Alchemy Room dedicated to its occupant.

It contained all the basic facilities, so he soon finished everything.

By noon, everyone arrived as scheduled to discuss the many matters ahead.