A Cafeteria That Controlled Costs

"Pull yourself together!"

Old Yao slapped the young government-funded student's shoulder and lectured him, "Cheer up. You need to remember that this is First University, and you're my student. Don't spend all day letting your imagination run wild, dwelling on nonsense. You're young—be a little livelier. Every day, you act like an old man, without a shred of youthful vigor!"

Zheng Qing tugged at the corner of his mouth and forced out a strained smile.

What Old Yao said was true, but the crushing pressure did not vanish because of his encouragement—Zheng Qing felt as though he were walking around the school clutching a nuclear bomb, liable to blow himself to pieces if he was not careful.

"Of course, we also can't rule out the possibility that your Transformation Spell mutated." After pondering for a moment, the professor offered the young wizard another reassurance. "Magic always undergoes one mutation or another as it develops—as for the reasons behind those mutations, there are all sorts of them, and so on. In short, if it always developed according to neat, orderly chains of cause and effect, it wouldn't be magic."

As he spoke, Old Yao picked up a kraft-paper envelope from the lectern and stuffed it into Zheng Qing's hands.

"Inside are your Transformation Spell notes, the School Hospital examination report, and the Transformation Potion monitoring report... Since we had to open the bottle for testing, the intact potion you handed in is gone. The school has issued you two new Transformation Potions instead. Their effects certainly won't be any worse."

"But if you want to use Transformation Potion again later, make sure to file a report. That way, the school's Guardian Formation can raise your protection level and keep you from being carried off by rats... Especially now, when the school