Chapter 3013: Chapter 3014: Transformation
Upon hearing that Angel wanted to buy Witchâs Soup, Luciaâs expression was momentarily stunned but quickly turned into a smile.
She wasnât particularly affected when others purchased Witchâs Soup. But Angel was a tutor at Ashiliya Academy and was a reformist magician studying potions under the master of magic potions. The fact that Angel appreciated her potions was indeed a validation for her!
Moreover, Angel specifically mentioned that he was purchasing "Luciaâs" Witchâs Soup.
This made Lucia feel very satisfied internally.
However, on the surface, Lucia still had to pretend to be indifferent, and said coolly: "Oh? Which ones do you want to buy?"
Angel did not answer immediately, but first inquired about the prices of different Witchâs Soups.
The most expensive one was Grass No. 2 Soup, costing 399 Magic Crystals per bowl. But considering this soup increases the mental power value, the price seemed quite reasonable.
Besides this, the flower series Witchâs Soups were also rather expensive, with the most expensive being Flower Mushroom Witchâs Soup, priced at 299 Magic Crystals.
Flower Mushroom Witchâs Soup had obvious flaws, and the reason it was priced so high was solely because it was designed exclusively for witches.
This kind of targeted Witchâs Soup often comes with a premium.
Fortunately, Angel wasnât interested in the most expensive flower and grass series Witchâs Soups; what he wanted to buy was â
"Five bowls of Luciaâs Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup and ten bowls of Luciaâs Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup."
Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup works to unblock obstructions and rebuild internal energy circulation. Angel himself doesnât need this soup, but it can be brought to the Wilderness of Dreams for the Demon Hunters of the Sin Hunting Group. Demon Hunters rely on the power of demonic fiends; once there is an internal energy blockade, they can easily become uncontrollable. However, with Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup, the degree of losing control can be reduced.
Of course, Angel could also use the Ability Tree to save those out of control, but thatâs not a long-term solution, and he canât monitor them all the time. So having some Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup prepared is prudent.
As for Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup, this soup that forcibly restores energy, Angel most likely wonât use it. But he intends to prepare a bowl for Earl Mi. Earl Miâs energy system comes from awakened demon people, and this energy system is undoubtedly strong. But no matter how strong, it will be suppressed by the Otherworldâs Will.
Itâs like when Angel went to the Abyss, even though he could rely on meditation to restore magic power, the recovery speed was extremely slow. This is due to the suppression by Otherworldâs Will.
Earl Mi also faced a similar situation; in the Wizardsâ Realm, his recovery ability was diminished.
If he really encounters a situation of running out of resources, with Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup, there would at least be a chance for a last stand.
Of course, the ten bowls of Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup arenât all for Earl Mi; Angel also plans to leave some for the boy in the jar.
Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup, on the surface, works by squeezing potential to restore energy. But if used skillfully, it can also become a spark for ignition.
The boy in the jar comes from Hante World, and having soaked in the Sea of Void Mirror for too long, he has become an empty-hearted person.
In this situation, trying to rekindle telekinesis cultivation is difficult... After all, he has forgotten how to practice.
And at this time, Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup can become the spark to light the path of cultivation.
It will forcibly squeeze the potential of the boy in the jar, allowing telekinesis to refill the boyâs body.
At this stage, itâs certainly not enough to let the boy retread the path of cultivation. Grass No. 1 merely allows telekinesis to return; the real key for him to rise again is â Luciaâs Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup.
When paired with "Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup," itâs enough for the boy in the jarâs body to build the circulation of telekinesis by itself, and this is what leads him to find the key to cultivation again!
In other words, these two Witchâs Soups are tailor-made for the boy in the jarâs enhancement.
If Angel hadnât encountered these two Witchâs Soups, even if he knew the way to restore the boyâs path of cultivation, he wouldnât bother searching.
But since he encountered them, and the price is reasonable, and they arenât useful only for the boy in the jar, buying some for reserve is naturally appropriate.
"Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup costs 149 Magic Crystals per bowl, and Heart of Flower Witchâs Soup is 199 Magic Crystals per bowl. Altogether thatâs 2485 Magic Crystals. I can decide to round it off for you to 2000 Magic Crystals," Lucia swiftly offered a price.
Angel: "... Is this considered rounding off?" Isnât this directly cutting off the price of nearly three bowls of Grass No. 1 Witchâs Soup?
Lucia raised her head, looking proud, and said, "Iâm the boss of Luciaâs Workshop. If I say itâs rounding off, then itâs rounding off."
After a pause, Lucia suddenly changed her tone: "If you feel Iâve deducted too much, making you uneasy, why not find some time to exchange insights on alchemy to counterbalance the deduction?"
Looking at the "scheming" that overflowed from Luciaâs eyes, Angel could confirm that this sentence was her true intention.
But, alchemical exchange... If it were other alchemists, Angel wouldnât have much interest, but with Lucia, he might consider it.
Although Luciaâs behavior is somewhat quirky, her technical skills are commendable. The flower series and grass series that caught Angelâs eye are proof enough.
Therefore, Angel didnât mind Luciaâs little schemes, nodding in agreement: "Okay."
Upon receiving Angelâs consent, Luciaâs eyes suddenly brightened.
She didnât think she was weaker than Ashiliya Academyâs tutors, but academy faction alchemists are always comprehensive in knowledge. For her as a self-taught wild faction, the help would be significant.
Lucia happily accepted the one-time spatial capsule Angel handed over, checked the number of Magic Crystals inside, and quickly brought out fifteen bowls of Witchâs Soup.
After the transaction was completed, Lucia immediately began to inquire when Angel would be available.
Upon learning that Angel was free now, Lucia decided to find a quiet place for a thorough exchange with Angel!
The workshop was crowded and noisy, and with the boiler still brewing new potions, exchanging ideas would be uncomfortable. Lucia thought about it and decided to go with Angel to the reception room in the inn.
There, they had anti-prophecy and anti-spy fields, and there were laboratories dedicated to potion crafting, making it the best place for an exchange.
As for the new potion in the workshopâs boiler, Lucia just handed it over to the alchemy golem. She could remotely control the golem when the time comes.
Having made the decision, Lucia and Angel left the workshop.
On the way to the inn, Lucia said to Angel: "You mentioned earlier that Red Sword Docks would also come to the Starry District, so you should get the Platinum Card and Glittering Diamond Card as well, saving you another trip."
"Not just Docks, but also a few apprentices." Angel initially wanted to mention that besides the apprentices, there was a senior. However, he thought about it and decided against it; the situation of Black Earl doesnât need to be said, and the Noah Clanâs circumstance is known to everyone. Once people arrive, Lucia will naturally find out.
Lucia: "As for apprentices, when they come, they can go to the task hall at the end of the district and directly process ordinary membership with the guild president there."
Actually, Angel could also become a member at the task hall, but thatâs just ordinary membership... Buru meant for Angel to find Lucia, indicating that Angel was worthy of a higher-level membership.
Of course, itâs not because Buru has a good eye and sees Angelâs identity. It was because Angel did not hide his aura, and naturally, for official wizards, the Didia family would open a door of convenience.
This isnât just limited to the Didia family; the courtesy for official wizards is higher than for apprentices, and this is a rule that is naturally followed, even without an unspoken agreement.
Lucia: "By the way, Jon Wizard should know how to activate the membership card, right?"
Angel nodded; the method to activate the membership card is by inputting oneâs pheromones. In essence, it is adding a recognition code in the faction judgment field.
"Itâs good that you know, it saves me a lot of effort," Lucia said, as if she had thought of something, and added, "Speaking of which, youâve met Witch Sharon, right?"
Angel nodded. It was at noon when Witch Sharon pointed out that Buru was approaching them to gather pheromones, deliberately making them suspicious of each other.
According to Buru, Witch Sharon did this not to target Angel, but just for fun.
This witch is a typical fun person.
"When Witch Sharon was applying for membership, she found out she had to inject pheromones into her membership card, and immediately started looking for trouble, claiming we were targeting her. I had to talk to her for a long time, laying out the facts and reasoning with her. It wasted me half a day before she reluctantly believed... It almost drove me crazy. If I had known earlier, I wouldnât have had Buru greet her."
"So, people who understand are still better. Unfortunately, those who understand are all wizards from large organizations, and such wizards, knowing the chaos in the Gumman Kingdom, seldom come here."
At this point, Lucia looked at Angel meaningfully, though she didnât ask directly, her intent was clear.
Angel: "Though the Gumman Kingdom is chaotic, it hasnât reached the point where it must be avoided. If I wanted to come, I just came."
Lucia naturally didnât fully believe Angelâs words, but she wasnât going to delve deeply into his reasons for coming, as it was, after all, private. With a slight hint, Angel was already showing goodwill by giving a vague answer.
Soon, they walked out of the workshop.
The moment they left the workshop, even before Angel noticed, he heard a clear male voice:
"Finally, I can change back!"
Angel turned to see "Girl Lucia" had now transformed into "Boy Lucia."
Not halfway, but fully restored to a manâs physique, his height extended to nearly two meters, his long white hair shortened, and his once soft face gained more angles.
Although his eyes still carried a bit of dorkiness, he no longer had any feminine traits.
Seeing Angel scrutinizing him, Luciaâs eyes flickered, and he quickly said, "I changed back only after leaving the workshop, donât report me. Besides, you signed a verbal contract."
Angel: "Since you signed a verbal contract, what are you afraid of?"
Lucia whispered, "Youâre an assistant from Ashiliya Academy, you, youâre a big shot, big shots need to keep their word."
Lucia stuttered as he spoke.
Angel found it amusing listening to him and shook his head, "I never said Iâd report you. Iâm just curious, arenât you worried at all about switching between male and female?"
Angel also knew some male wizards who transformed into witches to attend tea parties. From what he knew, Nis did such things, and he even mentioned that Sanders also... cough cough.
Anyway, this sort of thing wasnât uncommon, as tea parties were significant events, and wanting to participate was understandable.
But most male wizards have some obsessions, or shame; even if they transform, they try their best to make themselves completely unrecognizable.
Some even specifically seek others to customize appearances, voices, attire, and etiquette to ensure they arenât recognized.
As for transforming in front of others, thatâs even less likely.
Yet Lucia seemed to have no such troubles, transforming right in front of Angel, even as they stepped out of the workshop and into the bustling district.
Now at the night market, amidst crowds, he completed the entire process of transforming from female to male.
No scruples at all.
Moreover, when Lucia turned into Lucia, there was barely any major change; besides slightly softer facial features, they looked almost identical.
As if he wasnât afraid of others knowing that Lucia and Lucia were the same person.
This was different from the "female" wizards Angel was familiar with.
"Why should I care?" Lucia looked at Angel puzzled, "I donât look bad as a witch."
Angel could clearly sense that Luciaâs emotion was genuinely confused.
He couldnât understand why Angel would ask this, thinking it was because his female appearance was ugly?
Angel paused, then chuckled softly, "No, you donât look bad as a witch."
Lucia raised his head, "Then thereâs no problem, Iâd like everyone to know what Lucia looks like."
Angel could see that Lucia genuinely thought this way... also, earlier when he casually asked an apprentice in Luciaâs workshop, that apprentice clearly knew about Luciaâs situation.
Even a random passing apprentice knew about Lucia, showing that Luciaâs words truly reflected his thoughts.
This attitude of not caring for othersâ opinions and being true to oneself is quite admirable... it reminds me a bit of Nausicaa.
However, Nausicaa is much more mature than Lucia.
While Angel was caught in his thoughts, suddenly a clamor arose from the entrance of the district.
Lucia glanced over, remained uninterested, and continued leading Angel towards the hotel.
However, just as they entered the hotel, they saw Buru rushing toward them anxiously.
Under Luciaâs puzzled gaze, Buru quickly said, "Trouble, the Bilun Tree Court is under attack!"
Lucia: "What does an attack at the Bilun Tree Court have to do with our Starlight?"
Buru glanced at Angel, hesitant to speak.
Lucia waved his hand, "Itâs fine, just say it."
Buru sighed, and softly said, "The attackers came from the Starry District..."
Luciaâs pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively cursed.
"What on earth happened?" Lucia asked, then seemed to remember something, saying, "Never mind, letâs talk on the way, we should check out Bilun Tree Court."
After speaking, Lucia gave Angel an apologetic look.
Before he could say anything, Angel waved his hand, "No worries, this matter is more important. We will have time to chat."
Lucia quickly thanked him, and without waiting for Buru to react, pulled him swiftly toward the entrance of the Starry District...