Chapter 14: Late-Night Visit
Chapter 14: Late-Night Visit
After witnessing the miraculous effects of the potions, Vivian's enthusiasm to become an alchemist noticeably increased. Her hands holding the pestle became steadier.
Since she couldn't use magic in front of people, she decided to save lives differently!
And to top it off, for every bottle of potion she brewed, she would earn an additional copper coin.
Having experienced the hardship of being penniless, she understood the importance of money.
However, compared to the simple cleaning potions that could be made easily, when it came to making hemostatic potions, Vivian encountered a harsh reality.
Bang!
The liquid in the pot exploded without any warning.
Fortunately, Vivian had received a warning from Charlotte in advance and conjured a water shield just in time to block the scalding liquid that came flying toward her.
"What happened? Didn't I strictly follow the steps?" Vivian looked confused.
"You stirred in the wrong direction during the third stirring. The reverse stirring disrupted the stability of the solution, and that's why it exploded," Charlotte leaned against the doorway, calm and composed.
"I see."
Vivian suddenly realized her mistake, feeling a bit ashamed. She poured out the remaining red liquid from the pot, then chanted an incantation and used a water-based cleansing spell. A stream of water snaked its way through the messy alchemy room, quickly cleaning up the mess.
Charlotte's mouth twitched slightly. Magic truly was the greatest productivity. He couldn't help but envy it.
Vivian had a natural talent for potion-making, and her affinity with the water element made it easier for her to control the state of the potions in the pot.
Without paying any further attention to her, Charlotte began to study the formula for the "Hydrating Essence."
It was originally the formula for a "Restorative Potion" that the original body had purchased from the black market. However, the final product made according to the formula had no significant effect on healing, so it was considered a waste.
After some manipulation by Charlotte, the waste product, now renamed the "Hydrating Essence," suddenly became the most expensive and profitable product in the clinic.
Although it was unclear whether the landlady and the horse-faced male mage would repurchase it, Charlotte was still preparing to make another batch.
The net profit from selling one bottle was over seven hundred copper coins. It was easy money!
The pleasant afternoon passed by as the two of them were busy. By the time they stopped working, it was already completely dark outside. Feeling hungry, they finally took a break.
Dinner consisted of two pieces of black bread, one for each person.
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Watching Vivian enjoy the meal with relish, Charlotte felt a sense of satisfaction.
To be able to find happiness even in such tasteless black bread, this employee wasn't picky and easy to feed.
After eating black bread for two days in a row, Charlotte himself couldn't bear it anymore. He had made up his mind that after paying the rent tomorrow, he would set aside money to have someone on the second floor build a new kitchen so he could cook and improve their meals.
Eating bread every day would eventually turn them into bread people!
"By the way, I told the neighbors that we hired a new employee, a young orc girl. So starting from tomorrow, you'll have to wear this headgear when you're in public," Charlotte took out a hairband he bought on his way back at noon and handed it to Vivian.
"A young orc girl?" Vivian looked at the black hairband in her hand, identified the direction, and put it on her head.
With her petite figure, delicate and cute appearance, and a pair of black cat ears peeking out from her hair, she instantly transformed into an adorable orc girl.
"Well, not bad, not bad." Charlotte nodded repeatedly. "But you should also change your clothes."
"Clothes?" Vivian lowered her head and looked at her oversized black attire, which she stole from a man while changing on the way.
Although it had been thoroughly cleaned with water-based magic, the clothes already had several holes from evading pursuit along the way.
Charlotte's expression turned serious. "Tomorrow, I'll buy you a new set of clothes. Remember, from now on, your name is Eileen. You're from the Lion Tribe of Stu Grassland and were abducted into the Abyss."
"I am Eileen, from the Lion Tribe of Stu Grassland, abducted into the Abyss," Vivian repeated.
"You don't want your enemies to know you're hiding in the clinic, right? So remember this identity and don't reveal any flaws in public, otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety."
Vivian nodded repeatedly.
The Lion Tribe wasn't something Charlotte made up. It was a real orc tribe and a powerful one at that. It was said to be filled with cat-eared girls.
Anna, who was on the cabinet, perked up her ears upon hearing their conversation, peered at them, and then retracted her head.
After dinner, Charlotte gave Vivian the mattress they sold during the day and asked her to go upstairs first while he took out some tools from the cabinet, preparing to repair the bed for her.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just at that moment, urgent knocking sounded from outside the door.
"It's so late, who could it be?" Charlotte immediately grew tense. He tightened his grip on the iron hammer in his hand and held a magic spell ready in his other hand.
In the depths of the Abyss's night, though not as dangerous as the wilderness, it couldn't be called safe either.
Every night, someone would quietly die.
The landlords didn't care about your life or death. They could easily find the next leek to pay them rent.
On the first page of his diary, it was written in bold letters: "Do not open the door to anyone at night!"
Remaining silent, Charlotte created the illusion that he was already upstairs, sleeping.
The knocking only lasted for a moment before a sword thrust through the crack of the door.
It was a black sword, slender in shape, but the tip seemed to be broken, leaving an irregular jagged edge.
Damn it!
Charlotte looked at the sword thrusting through the crack of the door and already knew what the person outside intended to do.
Who was outside?
A patient in need of urgent treatment?
An enemy from the original body's time in Calva? An assassin sent by the Physicians Association?
Has Vivian's enemies come knocking?
If it was the first possibility, there might be some room to maneuver.
If it was the latter two, then he might be in trouble tonight.
The black longsword flicked up gently, blocking the door, and a thick iron rod in Charlotte's hand was cut into two pieces by a single strike.
Charlotte's pupils dilated infinitely. What kind of divine weapon was this? Or rather, what kind of terrifying power did the person outside possess?!
Clang!
The iron rod fell to the ground, and the door slowly opened outward.
At the entrance of the clinic stood a man shrouded in a black robe. The large cloak made it difficult to see his face, blending almost seamlessly with the darkness behind him.
"Who are you? Why did you barge into my residence?!" Charlotte's mood sank to the bottom, his hand trembling as he held the magic spell, knowing that if a conflict broke out, he only had one chance.
Moreover, he wasn't sure if he could kill the person in front of him in that one chance.
"Charlotte. Clayton, there's no need to be so nervous. I'm not here to kill you," the man took a step forward, entering the light of the clinic. His low voice carried a hint of playful laughter.
Although standing in the light, Charlotte still couldn't see his face.
Charlotte never introduced his surname to anyone from the Abyss, so this person in the black robe should be from Calva. However, he had no memories of such an acquaintance.
The intruder claimed not to be here to kill him, but it didn't make Charlotte relax.
However, his gaze soon fell to the man's feet. At his feet, black blood flowed outward like a strange flower.
"Yes, as you can see, I am injured, severely injured," the man reached out and removed his cloak.
It revealed a pale face, devoid of any trace of color, but with firm lines. Thick brown curly hair was casually swept back, and the brown beard almost merged with the hair.
Those golden eyes were like two lanterns in the darkness, capable of piercing through everything.
He was a human.
Charlotte could confirm that he had no memories related to this man.
But the man recognized him and managed to find him in his severely wounded and poisoned state. Perhaps it was for treatment?
"Do you need help?" Charlotte cautiously asked.
He could sense the man's weakness. He was indeed severely injured and poisoned. The black blood flowing on the ground had already started corroding the stone floor.
The blood contained such a potent toxin, yet he could still stand here. This was completely unscientific!
"Perhaps so, but unfortunately, there's no one in this world who can help me," the man walked to the side of a stone bed and sat down, smiling as he opened his black robe.
At the location of his heart, a black spike was embedded, and the black blood flowed out from there.
Charlotte was shocked. That spike, which looked like some kind of monster, was as thick as an adult's arm and had a remarkably clean cut at the break. It seemed to have been severed by a sword.
Based on his education, being pierced through the heart and suffering from a severe toxin would logically have him lying on the ground, not sitting here with a smile, chatting with him.
"Who are you?" Charlotte looked into the man's eyes, regaining his composure.
A dying man suddenly came knocking, not seeking treatment. He must have come for him.
But he didn't even know who the other person was.
"Joseph. Kane," the man smiled self-deprecatingly and added, "Of course, you probably haven't heard of me. The last time I saw you, you were just a year old, held in Lin's arms."
"You know my parents?!" Charlotte instinctively asked.
Lin was his mother's name, but over ten years ago, his parents died in a wave of monsters while defending Calva.
"Yes, I was an old friend of Nolan and Lin. I'm sorry I couldn't attend their funeral back then due to other matters," Joseph's gaze dimmed, and his voice became low.
Charlotte could confirm that the man in front of him was a friend of his parents and had no ill intentions.
But to suddenly come knocking while on the brink of death, it was likely that he had not come just for catching up.
Could he want Charlotte to seek revenge on his behalf?
Charlotte glanced at the broken longsword next to him. Even in his severely wounded state, he could effortlessly cut through an iron rod as thick as an arm. This terrifying power completely exceeded his comprehension.
Or perhaps he wanted Charlotte to inherit his legacy?
For someone living below the poverty line like Charlotte, the legacy of a super-powerful individual held boundless possibilities.