Chapter 485: Bullying to the End

Chapter 485: Chapter 15: Bullying to the End

A few days later.

The autumn sun hung high in the sky, while gusts of cold wind swept through the fortress. Concrete shacks clustered around the stone blockhouses, spreading outward in a circular pattern. Brown flagstone roads crisscrossed the area, frequently patrolled by armed soldiers of the warlords.

“You, come here.”

“How much is this?”

“You must be joking, sir. If you like it, just take it.”

The targeted Alliance Country merchant forced an apologetic smile, wincing inwardly as he watched the soldier take a dried animal pelt. Seeing this, the surrounding residents of the Mountain City remained utterly silent. They steered clear, terrified of drawing unnecessary attention.

“Not bad. You know how things work.

“Let’s go, boys. Looks like there are no harbored criminals here.”

The Red River Army patrol leader grinned, leading his men away.

The onlookers had mixed reactions to the scene. Some were envious, hoping to one day join their ranks, while others were terrified, afraid of offending them.

“Dad, why can they just take our things?”

Unlike the others, a frowning child in the shop hid behind the Alliance Country merchant. He watched the warlord soldiers walk away and asked, “Is it because they have guns?

“Or is it because they are the Red River Army?”

The barrage of questions left the Alliance Country merchant momentarily stunned. He shook his head helplessly and rubbed the boy’s head.

“I suppose it’s both.”

He sighed. He considered himself a reasonably skilled fighter, yet even so, he dared not offend these warlord soldiers with their ordinary Life Energy. It all came down to the fearsome reputation of the Red River Army, along with their ruthless rules of governance that were far more unrestrained than any other warlord’s.

“Dad.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to practice Martial Arts too!”

Similar scenes unfolded in various corners of the city. Over at the building housing the negotiation team, a Superpower Captain frowned as he watched the warlord patrol recede into the distance.

“These people…”

He shook his head inwardly. From the bottom of their hearts, the Superpower Members looked down on these warlord soldiers. Even so, they still deployed drones to patrol the building’s block, remaining constantly vigilant just in case.

This entire scene was observed from a hallway window on the second floor.

Its amber, ruby-like beast eyes flickered slightly as Ghost Element sprawled by the window, enjoying the autumn breeze. It occasionally observed the movements and conversations of the Superpower Members. At other times, it glanced toward the street, where the Mountain City child frequently looked back at it with intense curiosity and playful gestures.

It yawned and lazily stretched its body. A moment later, just as it was about to quietly slip away to hunt in the wilderness…

BUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLE!

A sudden sound rang out from behind. It paused its movements and looked back.

An unconscious figure lay on the bed inside the room. On the other side, a corner table was cluttered with numerous bottles, jars, and glass apparatuses used for potion-making.

As the bubbling sounds persisted, a green liquid boiled inside a glass flask on the table, constantly frothing. Billows of mist wafted from it. A brown Qi Flame flared beneath the glass flask, radiating an intense, fire-like heat that refined and melted the various botanical essences inside.

Lu Chao, dressed in a loose Martial Arts uniform, stood beside the flask. With a focused expression, he continuously channeled his Qi Flame, making subtle adjustments to the brewing temperature.

“High-Efficiency Skill is indeed powerful,” Lu Chao thought, his bright eyes fixed intently on the melting ingredients within the flask.

The highly efficient energy control allowed him to master his Qi Flame perfectly. To a certain extent, it was far more precise than using a conventional heating device, making the potion-making process much smoother. Furthermore, the creation-enhancement effect gave him a lot of new insights.

Before awakening this talent, brewing a Basic Potion always cost him a significant amount of time. Even setting aside the preparatory work of gathering materials, he still had to extract mineral elements, solidify crystals, melt medicinal essences, and deconstruct the core essence of Mutant Beasts. Every single step was incredibly tedious. Added together, the entire process took at least four or five days.

But now, not only was the time cut in half, but material consumption was also reduced by a large margin. Conversely, the corresponding success rate had increased rather than decreased. With every brewing attempt, new comprehensions and insights surfaced in his mind, transforming into accumulated experience. This served as rich nourishment for his next potion, or even for creating entirely new formulas.

“Everything related to potion-making has its efficiency boosted. And this is only a Basic Potion. If I can craft higher-quality potions in the future, the effects will be amplified even further,” Lu Chao thought. He seamlessly followed the recipe steps for the Life Essence, dropping in the refined essence blood of a Beast King Level material.

To him, every brewing session was like a form of cultivation. While it wasn’t strictly related to Martial Arts, it allowed him to walk much further down the path of a Biological Alchemist.

It might have seemed to be of ordinary significance to outsiders. However, he looked over at the unconscious Penelope. A peak Exploration Level expert who had been on the verge of death was now steadily recovering under his care, her breathing stable. She was even healing at a speed that far surpassed what most doctors or technological medical treatments could achieve.

This was the true power of a Biological Alchemist. Relying on their own brewing abilities and a profound theoretical foundation, they could create biological potions with a wide array of effects to enhance life, heal injuries, or provide powerful support for survival and combat.

“YOOO~”

A low croon rang out. Ghost Element, who had originally planned to go hunting, moved closer. Intrigued that the potion was nearing completion, it waited eagerly on the sidelines.

“You’ve got quite the sharp nose.”

Lu Chao shook his head helplessly, looking the beast up and down a few times. A Biological Alchemist did not merely brew potions; they were also proficient in cultivating flora and mastering the path of Biological Evolution.