Chapter Thirty-Six: The Legacy of Light

A sudden income of five thousand—regardless of whether he had underpriced himself—was still a profit. After all, Murong Xun’s actual cost was only a few hundred, with the rest being the expenditure of a little mana to make the concoctions himself.

Having cleared out his inventory in one go, Murong Xun returned to idly reading, passing the time. In Modo’s words, his practical skills were acceptable and his learning quick, but his theoretical knowledge was much too shallow. An alchemist needed a vast foundation of knowledge, so Modo insisted he start with books.

After all, the field of alchemy involved countless materials. If one didn’t know their properties, appearances, effects, or the interactions between different ingredients, how could one hope to become an alchemist? Simply following recipes meant forever picking up scraps from others—remaining a mere apprentice. Only by mastering concoction, altering recipes, and even researching new formulas could one become a true master.

Murong Xun accepted this without resistance. He never missed a single opportunity to grow stronger.

With the awakening of his formidable spiritual power, his memory had sharpened immensely. He might not have photographic recall, but after reading something once, he could generally remember it; twice, and he could recite it. Still, the sheer volume of alchemical tomes was staggering. He could only chip away at the mountain, one bite at a time.

Presently, his alchemy theory had reached Beginner Level 78. This was the fruit of several sleepless days and nights spent poring over books. It might not seem useful, but this passive mastery directly enhanced his potion success rate—a supremely practical benefit.

As his theory improved, not only did his speed and success rate with low-level potions increase, but their effects also grew stronger.

“Welcome! If you need anything, just let me know—or feel free to browse,” he said, not even looking up from his book.

The newcomer did not leave, instead pausing before the counter.

“So you really do work here,” a familiar voice remarked.

Murong Xun looked up. Before him stood a girl with long golden hair, casually tied back with a ribbon. Today, Noya wasn’t wearing the signature bright silver armor of a White Knight, but rather an ordinary warrior’s uniform.

“It’s you!” he exclaimed, surprised she had come directly to find him.

“No need to be startled,” Noya replied coolly. “You heard the commotion last night. The city isn’t friendly to paranormals right now. Take my advice: don’t go looking for trouble. The Nightwalkers won’t show you any mercy.”

Murong Xun blinked, surprised that her visit was only to warn him. He had half-expected his association with Fang Yuan to be discovered.

“Thank you for the warning,” he said sincerely. Regardless of her motives, she had come in person to warn him. That deserved gratitude.

“No need. Not causing trouble is thanks enough for me,” Noya replied, turning to leave without a flicker of emotion on her face.

In truth, she hadn’t come just to warn him. She’d only happened to pass by and remembered Murong Xun saying he worked here. She came to check if it was true—otherwise, she would have put him on the wanted list.

Murong Xun, unaware of this, simply shook his head and returned to his reading once she’d left. Since he couldn’t improve his main strength for now, he could only focus on developing his secondary professions.

Ever since his talent had awakened, everything he crafted was subject to dark corruption, gaining strange and unpredictable effects. Not only had his original chef profession transformed, but even his newly acquired alchemist skills had changed. The two secondary professions merged perfectly, forming a new class: Hexchemist.

The Hexchemist was a support class—not a mundane profession as before—because the items it produced could be used in combat. The fact that Yi Thirteen bought out his entire stock spoke volumes.

Meanwhile, after leaving the apothecary, Noya continued on her way, warning every paranormal she knew: don’t cause trouble, don’t give the Nightwalkers an excuse to deal with you.

The Nightwalkers were the execution division of the Watchmen. Once they moved, there was no mercy.

Since last night’s events, many paranormals—whether for resisting or other reasons—had fallen into their hands. At best, they were captured; at worst, summarily executed.

Now, paranormals throughout the city were on edge.

Noya thought of the war reports from the south and sighed. For reasons unknown, rebellion had broken out in the south. Rumor had it that the city of Karlas had become a dead city overnight, and rebels were now advancing north toward the capital.

The young woman could not understand why people would rebel when life was peaceful. She worried that, once war began, countless would perish.

Her clearance was insufficient to know just how terrifying the force from the south truly was, or that more than just Karlas had become a dead city.

Boarding a steam bus, she began her return journey. Thanks to alchemists, such conveniences had appeared years ago, ushering the kingdom into an age of steampunk. Rapid national development, however, had led to fewer paranormals than in the past—partly due to official suppression, partly because technological progress made fewer people willing to risk their lives as paranormals.

Rumble—

Suddenly, the bus was struck by a tremendous force, flipping the carriage over. Lost in thought, Noya nearly tumbled out, but managed to steady herself in time, forced open a window, and leaped out.

The steam bus, built like a train carriage, lay toppled and derailed, unable to move. Above, several bat-winged monsters watched with cruel delight. One dove down, seized a passenger, and bit savagely into their neck.

The other creatures looked on, excited.

“Vampires!” Noya ground her teeth.

Her parents had been killed by vampires—she hated them with a vengeance.

Spotting her, one of the vampires swooped down to attack. Though she wore no mithril armor or knight’s greatsword, the girl drew her slender rapier from her waist without hesitation, infused it with radiant energy, and launched her counterattack.