She had made her fortune through potions, and Potions Study was a branch of alchemy. It would surely help her improve the most, so that was the one.
The others... She could think about the others later.
Looking at the book Basic Potions, Lan Qingyou took a deep breath, then cautiously moved her finger toward the screen.
Finally, she gritted her teeth and pressed down.
"Whew—"
Seeing a book with a leather cover appear on the Small Screen, Lan Qingyou let out a breath of stale air.
It was good that she'd chosen. Now she didn't have to choose anymore.
Setting the book aside for the moment, Lan Qingyou picked it up and flipped through it, then closed it again.
She'd chosen well. This thing was practical and would be a great help with her alchemy. She could study it properly later.
She went over to the desk to check the requirements for upgrading to Level Three.
That was when she saw the words "Please Name" on the Level Two Tree Hole Shelter.
[Note: Once named, it cannot be changed. Please consider carefully.]
What was there to consider? Did she really need to think about this? Without a second thought, Lan Qingyou entered the words "High Tower."
That was right. Even though it only had two floors for now, it was called the High Tower.
That showed just how much Lan Qingyou was obsessed with high-rises.
Or perhaps it showed how deeply those three days had scarred her.
After naming it, Lan Qingyou checked the requirements for upgrading to Level Three.
[Tree Hole Shelter (Level Three) Upgrade Requirements: Wood*25000, Stone*1000, Vine*5000, E-Rank Devilish Creature Crystal Core*100]
Good grief, the requirements had increased tenfold.
At this rate, would Level Four need 250,000 Wood?
The Tree Hole Shelter was supposed to expand, and with so much Wood taken from inside the tree, it was already a bit unreasonable that none of it had dropped. And now it wanted even more.
Where was all that material going?
Never mind, never mind. She'd check out the Alchemy Workshop first.
Putting aside her grumbling, Lan Qingyou drifted over to the workshop.
The workshop was partitioned off with Wooden Planks. It was a small room, about ten square meters.
Inside was a sturdy-looking wooden table. On it were several wooden platforms, presumably for setting things down. Beside it was a round window just like the one outside, and beneath the window was an iron step.
There was nothing else.
[Function: You can use Magic to inscribe your own unique Alchemical Array on it, then place your cauldron on top.]
[Description: Apprentices are a curious bunch. They can always find new ways to take Alchemical Arrays to heights beyond their abilities, so an iron base will do. After all, no one will feel bad if this thing gets ruined, right?]
So that was why it needed iron. It was for making an Alchemical Array Base.
Judging by the description, novice apprentices weren't very well-regarded.
Then again, inscribing her own Alchemical Array really wasn't that easy.
New alchemists who had just started studying Semiotics and Drafting could certainly attest to that.
After looking over the Alchemy Workshop, Lan Qingyou quickly went to peek into the bathroom next door.
It had everything in one room.
A squat toilet, a washbasin, a showerhead, and even a mirror.
A squat toilet?
Wasn't this making things hard for me, Fat Tiger?
Did I look like someone who could squat?
Never mind. It was better than nothing.
Lan Qingyou sighed and turned to go upstairs.
A large, semicircular glass sliding door had appeared in the room that previously had no windows.
Since they'd used sand, it was glass. That made perfect sense.
Outside the door was an even larger semicircular terrace.
Lan Qingyou gently pushed the door open and drifted outside. To her surprise, a trellis made of woven Vines stood at the edge of the terrace, taking up a third of its area.
Now she had somewhere to dry herbs, and even a place to relax and read in her spare time. She just didn't know whether it was sturdy.
Lan Qingyou floated up to take a look, only to find that the Vines had climbed directly onto the tree trunk.
Looks like she didn't have to worry about them withering and ruining such a nice trellis.
Lan Qingyou then drifted around the area and spotted the Alchemy Workshop's window diagonally below. Beside it sat a square wooden box.
It was probably the bathroom's Water Tank.
Lan Qingyou floated over and opened it. Sure enough, it was the Water Tank, but it was empty. Looks like she'd have to fill it herself.
Farther along, she could see light shining through the window by the shelter entrance.
Now that there was an entrance, Lan Qingyou simply went out through the door and carried all her bedding over to the Fireplace.
Then she brought all the books and the Magic Hurricane Lamp upstairs.
She'd planned to brew potions tonight, but first, she didn't have enough test tubes, and she still hadn't sold all the potions she'd made last night. Second, she'd gotten so many new books. It would be a disservice to herself not to read them and learn something.
Of course, the most important thing was that now she had a bathroom. How could she not take a proper bath?
It was still cold water, but Lan Qingyou enjoyed the bath.
Afterward, she lay in bed and quietly absorbed the knowledge in her books.
She paid no attention to what was going on outside.
The people waiting by the desk, hoping Lan Qingyou would give them an explanation, kept staring at it, but more than half an hour passed without a peep.
"Come on, break it up. She's a busy woman. Why would she reply to you?"
"Exactly. She's feeding off us and still acts like she's all that. I can't stand people like her."
"I'm definitely not buying her stuff anymore and lining her pockets."
"Clowns, do you really think saying that will subtly change everyone's opinion of Lan Qingyou?"
"And you won't buy any more? If you can really resist buying Mana Potions, I'll be impressed."
"Heh, what kind of people are these? Do they think we're still college students who haven't entered the real world?"
"Hey, Ailuaier, what's wrong with college students? I'm a college student too, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."
"They've probably been paid to come out and bark."
"Let's wait and see. Based on my years of undercover experience, the mastermind is probably trying to pressure Lan Qingyou through public opinion, so they can force her to help them achieve something."
"Ivan, you were undercover!?"
"Of course."
"Good, good, good. I didn't expect you to hold out until Karim before showing your hand. I'll avenge our fallen compatriots."
Anyone who spent a lot of time online knew that when one topic suddenly appeared under another, people usually stopped paying attention to the original topic.
As the two continued their discussion about undercover work, the conversation gradually shifted.
No one cared anymore about what Lan Qingyou's shelter looked like after its upgrade.
They might as well spend that time worrying about how long it would take to upgrade their own shelters.
Who knew what things would be like once the so-called novice period ended? Their only hope of surviving was to raise their shelter levels.
Someone had once calculated that seven days was just enough time for people like them to upgrade their shelters to Level Two.
That was right.
Even without a Mana Wheel Axe, seven days was barely enough time to gather a few thousand units of basic materials.
They'd have to follow the most grueling work schedule of "working from sunrise to sunset," and they couldn't afford to slack off for even a single day.
Of course, that was just for the materials.
Devilish Creature Crystal Cores were another matter.
Before you continue