Spiritual Enhancement

"This is a very unique phenomenon. The magic power inside the bottle is like a mass of chaos; only when it points at you does it become clear."

Old Barton took off his monocle and explained with great interest.

"I suggest you drink it now. The power contained in the medicine will slowly evaporate, and that will reduce its efficacy."

Lynn thought for a moment, then agreed to Barton's suggestion. With a veteran mage present to watch over him, the chance of an accident would be reduced.

And so, under Barton's and Elaine's gazes, he quickly twisted off the stopper, tilted his head back, and drank down that little bottle of Fate Potion.

It tasted strange, like apple juice mixed with dried salted fish. It was a little sweet when it first entered his mouth, but the aftertaste grew increasingly nauseating. Still, it was bearable.

According to the apothecary Carlisle, even the positive effects were random. They might be insignificant, or they might temporarily make someone shed their mortal body and exchange their bones.

I wonder what effect I'll draw?

Filled with anticipation, Lynn felt the faintly cool liquid slide down his esophagus into his stomach, then a strange tingling sensation rapidly spread through all his limbs and bones.

It was like countless tiny electrical currents, ultimately converging in his head.

In that instant, he felt as if a sudden vista had opened before him.

The odd flavor lingering in his mouth, Barton's eyelids trembling slightly from intense concentration before him, the faint fragrance coming from Elaine beside him...

My senses have improved quite noticeably... Lynn quickly adapted to these changes and quietly suppressed the delight in his heart.

It was not even limited to his five senses. His "spirituality," which symbolized the sixth sense, had also grown.

He could now see that the monocle Barton was pinching between his fingers contained peculiar magical patterns. This was a special magical item.

It could be used without infusing magic power into it!

Is this an invention of the White Tower Society? A magical item even non-spellcasters can use!

"How is it?" Barton asked with a smile. Elaine was also watching him with a curious gaze.

"My five senses have received a slight enhancement. This potion really is unusual!" Lynn said, his tone filled with surprise.

His surprise was genuine, but he hid the part about his spirituality being enhanced.

After all, "spirituality" was an extremely mysterious ability, tied to one's perception of the occult and of things mortals could hardly detect. Who knew how many mages meditated and practiced every day without being able to improve it at all.

If Barton learned that the Fate Potion could permanently increase spirituality, he would probably dig three feet into the ground just to find Carlisle.

Barton nodded when he heard that. "Not bad. Potions that can enhance the five senses are still very precious. Unfortunately, this bottle of potion was mixed with too many other things. It would have been even better if it had been refined further."

Afterward, Lynn thanked Old Barton, and once the two said their farewells, he left the Magic Association.

I never expected Carlisle's Fate Potion to be this powerful. Unfortunately, only three bottles can be produced each month, and not every bottle grants a positive effect...

No matter what, Lynn silently raised the importance of helping him complete his commission by quite a bit. Establishing a friendly relationship with an apothecary like this was necessary.

"Where are we going next?"

Lynn looked at the sky and said to Elaine, "It's still early. Let's just wander around."

Seven o'clock in the evening, Iron Spike Ball Street, Gambler Tavern.

The moment Lynn stepped through the tavern doors, he instantly drew the gazes of the women inside.

The heavily made-up, scantily dressed mature women waved at him with hands holding lit cigarettes, trying to attract his attention.

Only when they saw the half-elf girl following closely behind him did they restrain themselves a little.

Clothes made the man. Over the entire afternoon, after a series of shopping experiences guided by Elaine that could be called "hellish" for Lynn, Lynn had been completely transformed from head to toe.

His current outfit was brand-new and extremely suited to his own temperament.

His upper garment used light gray cotton cloth as its base, with the shoulders and elbows reinforced by thin leather, emphasizing lightness and durability.

On his lower body were dark brown linen trousers and thick-soled leather boots. There were multiple specially made pockets at his waist, combining practicality with function.

In truth, these were all relatively common traveler's clothes.

The only somewhat special piece was the dark green waxed-cloth short coat draped over him, with its collar standing upright and a circle of magical patterns embroidered along the edges, granting a certain degree of mental protection.

This whole set cost him 65 silver coins, of which the coat, which counted as half a magical item, took up 50 silver coins.

Originally, Lynn had wanted to buy a set of leather armor, which would have improved his overall defensive ability quite a bit.

But after trying it on, he discovered that even the weight of leather armor was difficult for a mage's frail physique to handle. After running for a little while, he would already be panting for breath.

"We mages should focus on thought and the mind. As for the safety of the body, leave that to teammates and protective magic!" Elaine had said.

Then, under her careful coordination, Lynn finally changed out of his tattered adventurer's outfit.

"You look like a capable traveling mage now. Natural colors can help you blend into the wilderness environment better."

Looking at this young mage with black hair, black eyes, handsome features, and a calm gaze, she said it with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

At first, Lynn was still a little unused to it, mainly because his heart ached for the money he had worked so hard to earn. In the blink of an eye, he had less than 60 silver coins left.

He had originally planned to go to the local bank and exchange them for gold coins!

After entering the Gambler Tavern, he began looking around. Finally, in a certain corner of the tavern, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Celine, it's only just gotten dark. How have you already drunk this much?" He walked over coldly to the woman sprawled across the table.

Elaine followed close behind, her gaze curiously sizing up the woman called Celine.

According to Lynn, she was one of his former teammates.

She was a woman with an intensely mature allure. In the dim light, her skin had a honeyed sheen. Hearing the sound, she lifted her face, her dark-brown hair falling in slightly messy waves. Her features were delicate, her eyes misty with drink, their corners tilted upward as she looked up at Lynn with a distinctly seductive charm.

"Lynn, it's you... You brat, you finally felt like getting out of bed. Come, have a drink with big sis..."

As she spoke, she reached out with fingers tipped in bright-red nails and hooked them around the hem of Lynn's shirt, making as if to tug at his belt.

She seemed to have some fondness for Lynn? Or maybe not... Drawing on the experience she had accumulated in social settings, Elaine analyzed it: perhaps she was simply unrestrained in her behavior, and this had to do with habit.

Lynn lightly pulled away Celine's less-than-honest hand, then turned his head and looked around. "Where are Liam and the others?"

At that, Celine immediately clicked her tongue and pouted. "And here I thought you'd come specially to see me."

Lynn, for his part, turned his head to glance at her, then raised a hand and turned the wineglass in front of her upside down.

"Captain, stop drinking. I came to find you all for a job."

Captain? Elaine immediately looked at Celine. So this lady was Lynn's captain?

She grew nervous all at once, like an intern preparing for an interview at a new company.

As the client for the mission, she would also be joining Lynn's team. Feeling a little nervous and expectant toward squad members she was meeting for the first time was only natural.

Especially since she had never formed an official adventurer squad with anyone before.

"This young lady is our client for this mission." Lynn shifted aside so that Celine could clearly see Elaine behind him.

Celine cast Elaine a glance full of charm. When she saw the half-elf girl's clean, outstanding appearance clearly, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Then she slowly stood up.

Only then did Elaine realize that the other woman was extremely tall, almost the same height as Lynn, and her figure was outrageous too—especially the honey-colored expanse at her chest, wrapped in a pitifully small amount of cloth.

The other woman looked Elaine up and down from above, then lowered her head and leaned close to Lynn's shoulder, sniffing a few times.

She lazily lifted her lashes, her voice like honey so thick it refused to melt.

"Looks like you two spent no small amount of time together today. Your body's covered in her scent."