Chapter 50

Chapter 50

"Someone came to tattle on you," the cloaked figure said, sitting at the desk and casually flipping through a book. "They said you abused your authority and deliberately made things difficult for him."

Eve maintained her amiable expression: "Is that so? I was just joking."

The cloaked figure dismissed her so-called joke with a light hum. She wasn't interested in the conflict between Luo Wenzhou and Eve; she was merely trying to help her business partner save face, so she offered Eve a gentle warning.

Propping her head with one hand and holding a pen in the other, her hood draped behind her, a lock of curly golden hair spilled from her neck and rested loosely on her chest as she spoke nonchalantly: "Stop provoking people. Just behave yourself."

"I promise there won't be a next time."

After all, she had already acquired everything she needed.

Eve blinked, waiting a moment. When the cloaked figure said nothing more, she realized Luo Wenzhou hadn't mentioned their wrist device swap.

Whether he forgot or was too embarrassed, Eve felt a sense of accomplishment for keeping a secret right under the cloaked figure's nose.

She sat cross-legged on another chair, studying the assignment the cloaked figure had given her. After a few days together, Eve had realized the vast difference between her own skill level and that of her "cheap" teacher. As an assistant, she usually helped in the lab with simple tasks like sorting medicines and analyzing spell formulas.

However, these past couple of days, the cloaked figure seemed to have encountered an insurmountable problem. She had stopped making potions altogether, instead sitting at her desk, scribbling on a stack of yellowed manuscripts. The basic tasks she'd given Eve were put on hold, replaced by theoretical assignments.

For example—

Today's Assignment: On the Diversified Application of Spell Formulas

Reference Cases: Concealment Potion & Black Cloak

At least she hadn't been utterly heartless; she had copied out the secret script from the black cloak she wore, rather than making Eve decipher it by feeling the fabric while writing her assignment.

But no other materials were provided. The cloaked figure told her to find references herself. How utterly unhelpful. If this were a regular university, such a teacher would surely be permanently blacklisted.

Resigned, Eve pulled out a piece of paper and began transcribing the transformation formulas for the corresponding potion. Thankfully, her foundational skills were solid enough that she didn't need to consult that spell compendium, which was thicker than a brick and heavy enough to kill someone if lifted.

She laid two pages side by side. Initially, she thought that since their functions were similar, the spell formulas used should be alike too. But after comparing them, she couldn't help but let out a surprised "Huh?"

The spell formula embroidered on the black cloak was actually much simpler than the one for the Concealment Potion.

The alchemy theory Eve subscribed to differed from mainstream conversion theory, allowing for a particularly flexible understanding.

Potions, as alchemical products with pre-integrated raw materials, possess more stable compositions and functions than other alchemical items. The spell formulas used also differ from those of other products. Even so, normal alchemical products should exhibit clear characteristics of energy conversion—for example, her mythological mecha, Hecate, whose inscribed alchemical spell formula was activated by the mental energy injected by the pilot upon startup.

However, the secret script on the black cloak lacked any input script, meaning this spell formula consumed no energy during operation. Moreover, it also lacked formal output scripts, containing only functional ones.

Its principle wasn't like the Concealment Potion, which absorbs and then neutralizes one's aura to achieve concealment. Instead, the scripts interlocked, forming a structure that locked in all external characteristics of the robe's wearer, including their aura.

Though the spell formula wasn't long, the creator's caliber was evident. The structure alone, defying conventional theory, was particularly distinctive.

No wonder it's said that the leap from Three-Star to Four-Star is a huge hurdle for alchemists. Most Grand Alchemists who reach Four-Star have developed their own theoretical models, so the assessment shifts from spell application to practical tests of transmutation. Every Four-Star alchemist has their own method of turning ordinary stone into luxurious gold, but the thinking behind these methods varies.

This is also the dividing line that separates talent—alchemists with limited comprehension can only reach Three-Star in their lifetime.

Eve's fingers tightened on the paper. In fact, these few lines of the spell formula also left her puzzled. To some extent, this zero-energy consumption structural formula's principle was somewhat similar to what she'd seen in Cionanado's manuscripts. But she hadn't encountered many high-level alchemists, so she couldn't be sure if this was a case of great minds thinking alike.

Just as she was engrossed in her work, the cloaked figure, curled up at the other end of the lab, let out an impatient "Tch."

Hearing this, Eve looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Leng Tian sent me a message. That son of his—what's his name again?—is back, but he's not in good condition. He wants me to go take a look."

The terminal's light screen had just been put away. The cloaked figure hastily gathered her manuscripts, her tone somewhat gloomy: "I thought he was dead... I need to head out now. You stay here and focus on your reading."

Eve was inwardly surprised. It had only been a few days—had Alice's side acted this quickly?

As expected of professionals, their efficiency was impressive.

The cloaked figure also seemed to find it strange that someone could die and come back to life, then return safely. Noticing that Eve didn't ask any follow-up questions and was being uncharacteristically well-behaved, she narrowed her eyes and studied her.

Eve, under the gaze of a pair of cold, golden vertical pupils: "...Why are you staring at me?"

Could she have sensed that Eve was stirring the pot?

"You tell me," the cloaked figure said thoughtfully. "If that son of his comes back and complains that I left him for dead, would it affect my partnership with Leng Tian? Maybe I should just quietly finish him off."

Eve: "..."

She had overestimated both the cloaked figure's wariness of her and her moral standards.

"Don't worry, you have a solid alibi," Eve reassured her, though inwardly she thought there was no need for complaints—Leng Tian's expression during their earlier conversation had already made it clear he'd unilaterally decided she'd abandoned his son. But out loud, she said hypocritically, "Besides, I think the boss is a reasonable person."

The cloaked figure nodded in agreement, her last bit of hesitation gone. She pulled her hood down and stood up to leave, but not without a final reminder as she headed out: "Don't wander around the lab on your own."

This time, Eve didn't answer, thinking, *You're leaving anyway—what are you going to do about it?*

-

Rewind to earlier.

Back when Luo Wenzhou had just delivered the newly arrived manuscripts, he received a message from his associate saying that an alchemy manuscript he'd lost had been found, and the person who picked it up told him to go to Upside Down Wonderland to retrieve it.

He immediately felt a sense of foreboding and asked over the communication line, "What did the person who found it look like?"

The associate replied briefly, "Two women. One with black hair, one with brown hair."

Luo Wenzhou: "..."

Seemed like it was those two killers.

His Spiritual State Ability was special—it could warn him of major impending dangers. The night Poison Fang ambushed Alice, his Spiritual State Ability went haywire with warnings, telling him he'd die if he didn't run. So he slipped away early, but it seemed he'd escaped the first danger only to face the second—they'd found him anyway.

But one thing puzzled Luo Wenzhou: Alice knew he was with Poison Fang, which made sense since they'd worked together for a while and had met before. But how did she know to track him down through his associate?

Luo Wenzhou asked, "Did you switch sides?"

"You suspect me? Why don't you look at yourself?" The associate was furious. "They brought up the Luo name right off the bat—what was I supposed to do?"

Luo Wenzhou: "?"

Mention of being recognized made Luo Wenzhou think of that robed figure who'd given him a hard time. He couldn't believe his disguise skills were so poor that everyone seemed to recognize him.

With a defeated sigh, he said, "We'll talk when we meet," and ended the communication. He first went to logistics, making excuses and bribing his way to get a new wrist device, then applied for a small spacecraft from the starship.

The moment it landed, a glowing white-gold orb shot out, passing over the oblivious Luo Wenzhou's head and coming to rest atop a traffic light pole.

The Luna Butterfly studied the electronic map on a billboard for a moment, then set off confidently, weaving between low sheds and tall buildings until it reached its destination: the Coffin Building, also known as the Upside Down Wonderland base.

Physical barriers meant little to a being in a spiritual state. The Luna Butterfly passed through the door as effortlessly as a drop of water falling into a lake, causing ripples of light to spread across the surface. There weren't many people in the base during the day—most were out on missions or busy gathering information about Eve's whereabouts. But the Luna Butterfly knew one human would definitely still be there.

It fluttered its wings and flew into Qi Ying's room.

-

The cloaked figure had no sooner left when Eve rose from her seat.

Though her research on the cipher inscribed on the black cloak wasn't yet complete, it was more than sufficient to meet the assignment requirements.

She could always return to her studies later, but opportunities to explore freely while her "cheapskate teacher" was away didn't come often. She knew exactly which priority mattered more.

The alchemy lab assigned to the cloaked figure by Venomfang was quite spacious, divided into inner and outer sections. The outer room was used for potion-making, while the inner one functioned as a small library, separated by a louvered wall. Usually, Eve stayed in the outer room. The cloaked figure would conduct experiments there or retreat to the inner room when not working—the partition between the two rooms allowed one-way visibility.

Eve walked softly further in, careful not to disturb anything. After a few steps, she noticed something unusual underfoot. The sound of her hard heels against the floor was usually distinct, but as she stepped on one particular tile, the echo lingered longer than elsewhere, hinting at hollow underneath.

Acting on impulse, she immediately crouched down and tried to pry the tile open. But the one-square-meter tile refused to budge, as if sealed tightly by powerful adhesive.

"Could there be a mechanism?" Eve wondered suspiciously.

Then she recalled her earlier suspicion—that Luo Wenzhou might have had underhanded dealings with the cloaked figure. She experimentally rolled up her sleeve and pressed the surface of her wristwatch against the tile.

A soft blue light glowed, accompanied by the low rumble of turning gears. The previously unresponsive tile now slid open willingly, revealing a dark, steep staircase descending deep into the unseen underground.

Truth be told, the Luna Butterfly wasn't with her at the moment, and there was no telling when the cloaked figure might return. Venturing down alone wasn't the safest plan.

But reward always comes with risk. If she didn't seize this chance today, who knew when the next opportunity would arise?

Eve hesitated for less than a minute before making a resolute decision.

She took a lab lantern from the table and cautiously started down the stairs.

Behind her, the mechanism of the floor tile slowly closed shut.