Chapter 308 Lisa Sandles

A few hours ago, during the thirty-minute preparation time given to the survivors before the beginning of the hunt...

"Are you sure you two don’t need anyone else in your team?" Aria asked Max and the girl standing beside him.

The girl wore a light purple hat above short hair of a darker shade of the same color. Her emerald eyes were lowered to the ground, her face carrying a nervous expression due to the numerous judging eyes of the other students.

Max glanced at the flustered girl before turning his gaze ahead. "Nah, we are better off without anyone else."

Aria closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her black eyes shifted to the girl as she asked, "I have heard of your talent in Alchemy, Lisa Sandles. Don’t let your family’s history define who you are."

Aria’s words felt strangely soothing to Lisa, prompting her to lift her eyes ever so slightly.

Shunned and sneered at by the other students for being a traitor’s daughter, she had grown used to the whispers and the empty seats that surrounded her in the classrooms. To hear kindness from none other than Aria Starveil, a duke’s daughter, left her both surprised and relieved.

Apart from the annoying Max, who came to see her every single day and had made her join his team when no one else was willing, Aria was the only person who talked to her without a look of disgust and hatred in their eyes.

"Y-yes, Lady Aria," Lisa answered in a low and barely audible voice.

Aria nodded with a faint smile. "What level have you reached in Alchemy?"

"L-level Three," Lisa revealed, keeping her tone low.

Aria blinked. "Already?" The word instinctively left her mouth. She had never heard of anyone becoming a Level Three Alchemist at the young age of seventeen. If not for her father’s bad reputation, Lisa would have been hailed as the genius of the current generation of Alchemists.

"Don’t underestimate my Lisa," Max scoffed with a proud tone. "Among the first year students, the only one who can even defeat Senior Noah is her."

Aria had only just parted her lips to say something when Lisa exclaimed, squeezing her eyes shut, her cheeks tinted red, "Max Caldren, watch your tongue! I’m not yours!"

What surprised Aria was that Lisa didn’t stutter this time and actually spoke loudly.

Max only laughed shamelessly. "I’m sorry. I accidentally used the term I should use in the future," he teased, nudging her shoulder.

"In your dreams!" Lisa muttered, pulling the edge of her bucket hat down to hide her face behind it.

Realising that Lisa’s biggest bully was none other than Max himself, Aria was having second thoughts about letting her be on the same team as him.

"Oh right, do you have any potions on you?" Aria asked Lisa, drawing the duo’s attention back to her.

"I-I do," Lisa replied, stuttering again.

She lowered the heavy leather bag from her shoulders and unfastened one of its larger pockets. Inside, several potion bottles stood in a row, each held snugly against the lining by its leather strap.

"Wow..." Aria murmured, her eyes widening slightly upon seeing the colourful, glistening liquids. "Isn’t it risky to keep them in the bag? You should store them in a storage ring."

For a moment Lisa didn’t answer. She lowered her eyes again and silently nodded.

Aria instantly regretted making that suggestion. Given the conditions Lisa lived in, of course it wasn’t possible for her to afford something as expensive as a storage ring. Even with her high talent in Alchemy, no student was willing to buy any of her potions.

"Do you have any poisonous potions that only have temporary effects?" she asked, changing the topic.

Lisa nodded. She closed the pocket and unfastened another pocket below it. Her hand slipped inside and took out two potion bottles, one containing grey liquid and the other dark black.

"Both of them are Level Three debuff potions," Lisa explained with a hint of excitement in her tone. When the topic was Max and potions, she could surprisingly speak without stuttering. "This is Grey Mist. It can temporarily block the meridians of anyone below the level of Three Ring Mage or Two Star Knight."

She explained its application and the method needed to activate it on an enemy before moving on to the next potion. "It’s the upgraded version of the Grey Mist. It’s called Black Mist. This potion can paralyse anyone below the level of Four Ring Mage or Three Star Knight."

Her statement made both Max and Aria blink in surprise. Such a potent potion was only at Rank Three, and Lisa was actually carrying it with her in just a leather bag. What else must be inside this bag? And if these bottles accidentally broke and mixed with other potions, what kind of destruction might it cause to the entire forest?

The thought alone sent chills down the spines of both Max and Aria.

"It’s still at Level Three because of the difficult method required to activate it," Lisa revealed, looking at the black potion. "It needs to be injected into the victim in small dose at multiple spots and requires three minutes to take effect."

"Umm, Miss Lisa..." Max called, gulping nervously. "How about I carry your bag inside my storage ring during the practical?"

---

"The paralysis potion will take twenty-four hours to wear off," Aria muttered as she walked forward with staggering steps and heavy breathing. She glared back at the frozen figure of Noah and muttered, "Consider this the price you pay for disrespecting me."

"Damn, Noah has been defeated?" Vlad gasped, glancing back over his shoulder at the opposite side of the field where the battle had come to an end.

"And you will be the next one to follow, villain!" Lorenzo shouted from behind the hunters who were engaged in the battle against Vlad.

A massive serpent-like vine shot from the magic circle above Lorenzo’s head, gripping Vlad’s body from toe to head.

At the same time, the Angry Face and Sad Face swung their weapons, laced with Sword Aura, at him.