In this era when everyone practiced martial arts, the best thing about it was probably the life of a wage earner. Why? Of course, because you didn't have to worry about your boss withholding your pay.
Everyone had at least a little strength. If you dared to hold back their wages, they'd beat you up in no time. Generally speaking, people weren't going to cheat someone over a little money.
After buying all the ingredients at the market, Li Yu returned to the apartment with Asuna. Asuna first went back to her own place to put her things away, then came downstairs.
While she was gone, he contacted his former landlord and told him he'd moved out. He asked the landlord to inspect the place himself; Li Yu had already left.
The landlord didn't have much to say. He told Li Yu he'd come by to inspect the apartment, then ended the conversation. After taking care of that, Li Yu started cooking.
Asuna came downstairs not long after. Seeing Li Yu busy in the kitchen, she hurried over to help. The two of them began preparing dinner at Li Yu's apartment.
In truth, Asuna mostly asked Li Yu questions about cooking. In just a short time, she'd learned quite a lot.
Before long, Li Yu had dinner ready. He invited Asuna to eat, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the beef brisket stewed with potatoes.
"That smells amazing. It looks delicious!" Asuna had caught the mouthwatering aroma as soon as he'd opened the pot.
As expected, Li Yu was a great cook. With a talent like his, learning how to cook had to be a piece of cake.
"Of course it's good. Make sure you eat plenty." Li Yu grinned and handed Asuna a bowl of rice before sitting down at his place.
Asuna didn't hold back. She picked up her chopsticks and dug in, lifting a piece of beef brisket to her mouth. It had been stewed just right; it fell apart with the slightest chew.
The rich flavor spread through her mouth, and Asuna's eyes grew brighter. She looked at Li Yu with even greater envy.
"Honestly, I envy your talent. You can learn anything you want as soon as you set your mind to it," Asuna said as they ate.
In response to Asuna's envy, Li Yu said with a straight face, "Maybe I have this talent because I'm destined for some great mission. Right?"
Asuna laughed. Maybe he was. Who could say? The two chatted while enjoying the delicious food. It was nice just like this.
They took turns treating each other to meals, and Asuna thought it was great. She'd only known Li Yu for two or three days, but she felt comfortable around him.
This time, Asuna ate more than usual, mainly because Li Yu's cooking was so good. After finishing, she offered to help clean up.
"Next time I get the chance, I'm coming over to mooch another meal. You'd better not turn me down!" Asuna joked after helping Li Yu clear the table.
Hearing that, Li Yu nodded and smiled. "No problem. Come downstairs whenever you want to eat. We live close to each other now, anyway!"
He didn't mind at all, as long as Asuna was willing. Who wouldn't want a pretty girl to share a meal with?
"Mm. I'll bring the ingredients, and you can cook!" Seeing that Li Yu had agreed, Asuna seriously considered how to make it work.
Of course, she couldn't keep eating and drinking at Li Yu's expense. She could buy the ingredients whenever she came over, which would put her mind at ease.
Li Yu would provide the cooking, and she'd provide the ingredients. Perfect. Thinking about how she'd get to eat his cooking now and then made Asuna feel delighted.
After chatting with Li Yu for a while, Asuna checked the time and said she should head home. She needed to wash up and then meditate.
"I'll head upstairs, then. You can get on with whatever you need to do." Asuna waved to Li Yu, opened the door, and went out.
"See you later." Li Yu stood up and walked Asuna out. After saying goodbye, he locked the door and went to wash up.
By the time he came out of the bathroom, he had a message on his phone. The landlord had returned his deposit, so everything on that end was finally settled.
After accepting the transfer, Li Yu searched his phone for the information he wanted and downloaded some material related to potions.
He downloaded all kinds of books on how to brew potions and extract their essences, along with several comprehensive guides to medicinal substances.
Once he'd downloaded all the books that might come in handy, he checked the word count. Altogether, they came to nearly a million words.
If he listened at double speed, it would take him about fifty-five hours to finish them all. After doing a quick calculation, Li Yu quietly set aside some of the books on advanced potions.
Tonight, he'd just listen to the material on basic potions. He could tackle the advanced mixtures later. Besides, even if he learned how to make them, he probably wouldn't be able to produce them yet.
After removing the books he couldn't use for now, Li Yu checked the word count again. If he started listening now, he'd probably finish learning everything by tomorrow.
Once he was sure there were no issues, Li Yu activated the Magic Array in his room, lay down on the bed, and started the read-aloud function on his phone.
Before long, Li Yu had entered a meditative state. The magic power inside him steadily grew, while the contents of the books being read aloud on his phone flowed into his mind.
Meditating while learning new material—if he told people about it, plenty of them would probably be green with envy. It was just that convenient.
The night passed without incident. After waking the next day, Li Yu didn't rush to do anything. Instead, he played with his phone and searched for some news online.
The read-aloud function had been running the whole time, and he still hadn't finished. But he'd be faster reading it himself, and he was confident he could get through all the material before noon.
After checking the news, Li Yu switched to reading mode. With the speed he read novels, he skimmed through the material on his phone in no time.
Thanks to Kenkeiko, Li Yu now had a photographic memory. One glance was enough for him to remember the words, and his brain stored all of them away.
Li Yu couldn't be bothered to eat breakfast. He just stayed curled up in bed, using his phone. By the time he'd finished reading all the material, it was nearly noon.
"Phew, finally done!" Li Yu sorted through all the knowledge in his mind and let out a long breath. After stretching, he finally got up to wash.
After freshening up, Li Yu couldn't be bothered to cook. He grabbed his keys and took the elevator downstairs to buy some things so he could make potions himself!
Before you continue