Black Widow

Neither Xiao Kang nor Orn intended to accompany him to the Furnace Mountains to collect specimens. For a moment, Reilo couldn't think of anyone else to invite.

"Travel alone?"

Thinking this, and seeing that the sky was about to darken, Reilo hurried towards Scholar Street.

Because the Church had imposed martial law, Scholar Street, once bustling, was now deserted.

"Stop!"

Reilo, in a hurry, was stopped by a Church knight on patrol during the martial law.

With the clatter of hooves, the Church knight, covered in metal armor, arrived beside Reilo, only a pair of eyes visible beneath his helmet, scrutinizing Reilo from above.

"Your identification?"

Since the Church had imposed martial law on the academy, they had issued relevant identification for the convenience of public order. If one forgot their identification, they would need to be claimed by an academy tutor to be released, which was very troublesome and greatly hindered the academy's freedom.

Compared to the academy's former relaxed and free academic atmosphere, the academy now felt tense and oppressive, with many shops on the street closed.

Those who bought houses in the school district would probably suffer huge losses.

Reilo quickly took out his identification and respectfully handed it over. The horse's breath from its nostrils sprayed onto Reilo's face, smelling a bit foul. Reilo turned his head slightly.

The Church knight took Reilo's identification, confirmed it, and casually threw it back.

"Why were you running just now?"

"It's almost dark. These days, the street shops are under curfew and martial law. I want to buy a suitable weapon before the blacksmith shop closes, as I need to go out to collect specimens tomorrow."

The Church knight gave Reilo a final look before turning and leaving.

"Phew..."

He was quite tense. After the knight left, Reilo finally breathed a sigh of relief, slowed his pace, and continued forward, glancing around frequently.

Ding dong! Ding dong...

Attracted by the "ding dong" of hammering from a distant shop, Reilo walked over. The high temperature from the furnace hit him, and a bare-chested burly man with thick chest hair, exuding the smell of sweat, was hammering an iron sword over the furnace.

"Boss, I want to buy a handy iron sword!"

After thinking for a moment, he added, "A cheaper one!"

The bare-chested man wiped the sweat from his brow. Seeing Reilo wearing a scholar's robe, he managed a smile and pointed to a pile of iron swords placed in a corner behind him. He sighed to himself, "Business is bad, rent is expensive, how can I survive like this! May the Lord bless us and catch those damned Warlocks soon!"

Reilo silently began to choose from these iron swords.

As a student who only mastered the Level 0 Bubble Technique, a handy weapon was certainly more reassuring than the Bubble Technique.

Suddenly!

Reilo seemed to discover something strange. His eyes fixed on an unremarkable black iron sword, and he couldn't look away.

[Hint: Discovered 73 grams of Black Demon Iron.]

He looked at the other iron swords, and there were no hints. Only when Reilo picked up this sword did the prompt reappear before his eyes.

Reilo was stunned for a moment, then his mind raced. Suppressing the strange surprise in his heart, he turned and asked, "Boss, where did this iron sword come from, and how much is it?"

The man around the forging furnace looked back and said indifferently, "I don't know which unlucky fellow it belonged to. A regular customer picked it up from the Demon Eagle Forest and I haven't had time to reforge it yet. If you want it now, it's twenty silver coins."

Black Demon Iron, although only one of the lower-grade magic materials, was still traded and calculated by the gram.

Seventy-three grams of Black Demon Iron was not a small amount!

"Boss, I'll take this iron sword. Here's the silver."

Taking out twenty silver coins, Reilo bought the unexpectedly discovered iron sword and put it into his spatial storage box, his face filled with excitement.

On the way home, Reilo was lost in thought.

For some unknown reason, the Star Core had merged with him. Just like the iron sword he had just discovered contained Black Demon Iron, perhaps through the Star Core, he would also have other unexpected discoveries in the Furnace Mountains?

"Reilo?"

Suddenly, a shout came from behind him.

Reilo, who was excited, snapped back to attention and looked back. It was a familiar face – his neighbor, Marilyn, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

She still had that idle and lazy look, but this was the first time Reilo had seen Marilyn not wearing a bathrobe. The beautiful widow was looking at him, full of surprise, "You're still alive?"

"Sister Marilyn."

He responded, and Reilo knew what she was referring to.

That night, she must have witnessed him being attacked by a Warlock and being on the verge of death. Seeing him standing here alive and well now, she was indeed surprised.

Reilo smiled helplessly, "My tutor saved me. I got lucky."

Nodding in disbelief, Marilyn recalled the dangerous scene that night and mused, "The master who saved you that day was indeed formidable. I watched with my own eyes as that terrifying Warlock pierced your chest with a single blow!"

Then, Marilyn smiled charmingly, "I thought another new neighbor had died."

"Uh..."

Reilo felt quite awkward.

Perhaps because of him, Marilyn had suffered new gossip.

He glanced up at the shop next to Marilyn, a pharmacy called Black Widow. His face grew even more awkward.

Noticing Reilo's strange expression, Merlin said indifferently, "It's called a pharmacy, but I've turned it into a poison shop now. Customers come to buy poisons. You just survived a great disaster, want to buy a few bottles as a souvenir for self-defense later?"

Poisons?

Reilo's eyes lit up, and he tentatively asked, "Sister, do you need an apprentice? I can work for you for free!"

"Work for free?"

Marilyn was stunned. She hadn't expected Reilo to make such a request. She looked him up and down and chuckled softly, "Are you interested in me, your widow, or my fortune?"

"Huh?"

Not knowing how many times he'd been teased by her, Reilo's face turned red all the way to his neck. He quickly said, "It's just that I've acquired a special skill and want to learn some knowledge about poisons from you."

Pfft.

Seeing Reilo's reaction, Marilyn couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, don't be so nervous! But it's perfect timing. I do need an apprentice. If you're interested, you can come anytime. I can pay you eighty silver coins a month."

Reilo excitedly said, "Deal! It's a promise!"

Whether it was evolving Bubble Technique or researching the feasibility of Self-Control, knowledge of poisons was a necessary part of Reilo's research.

Basic Poison Formulas, Reilo didn't know how long it would take him to learn them on his own, not to mention the extensive experimental verification needed. Working for a master poisoner would undoubtedly benefit him immensely.

Marilyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her curvaceous, alluring figure exuded an indescribable mature temptation. Her eyes flickered, and she said charmingly, "So, when do you plan to come?"

The bartender neighbor, who was busy fiddling with malt-scented liquor, saw this scene and almost dropped his jaw. He looked at the oblivious Reilo with pity, then continued his work.

Passersby occasionally stared intently at Reilo and Marilyn, as if trying to discern something from their expressions.

"I plan to go out for a few days to collect specimens in the Furnace Mountains. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll come to your place after I return."

Reilo walked into the shop and looked at the various poisons inside, startled by the prices.

Merlin said dismissively, "Hehehe, but let me tell you first, you can learn poison knowledge from me, but antidotes need to be prepared by a specialized pharmacist. I'm not good at that."

Huh?

Good at making poisons, but not at antidotes?

She really is a Black Widow!