To ensure this business venture had legs, nailing the right price point was crucial. It was all about that long-term grind, a steady drip instead of a quick burst.

  "Pleasure doing business." The deal was struck, and the guy was quick with the money, a real smooth operator. He took the gun, toyed with it for a moment, and tried to spin it on his finger like Julian had, only to fail spectacularly. A dry cough followed, a blush creeping up his neck as he handed over four crisp banknotes. "By the way, best avoid being out at night if you can. Things have been… hectic lately. The councilors are even considering pushing for a curfew."

  "Got it, thanks." Julian accepted the money, noting two 5-Victors and two 10-Victors. He'd never even seen a 10-Victor note in real life! It was mostly green, featuring the mug of Charles V, Kingdom of Bryston's first king. The designer had even gone the extra mile, incorporating a fancy watermark into his beard. The bills practically radiated that intoxicating inky smell.

  Damn! One of these was worth two months of his stipend!

  Maybe it was the lingering influence of his predecessor's fragmented memories, but at that moment, Julian felt a profound connection with these banknotes. Love at first sight, you could say.

  He schooled his features, fighting the urge to plant a big, sloppy kiss on the money. Folding them neatly, he tucked them into his inner pocket and casually asked, "That law wouldn't pass, would it?"

  "Obviously not. It steps on too many toes. No nightlife means no, well, you know… and it would slash tax revenue by a third," Sherlock said with a hint of sarcasm. "My guess is, that brainless councilor will be out of a job soon."

  He had a point. Even after Julian transmigrated into the game, he never heard of any curfew law in the Kingdom of Bryston. Mentally, he lit a candle for that unnamed councilor.

  They shot the breeze for a while longer before Sherlock tipped his Fedora and took his leave.

  He'd taken a few steps when Julian, also about to head off, turned back. After a moment's hesitation, he called out, "Agent Sherlock, have you ever heard of the Curse Cult?"

  "The Curse Cult?"

  He paused, caught off guard, but his detective brain kicked in instantly.

  "The Curse Cult, a bunch of lunatics who believe life can be created through alchemy. They originated in the eastern Kingdom of Ruins, obsessed with creating all sorts of alchemical life through experiments. What, do you think they're involved in this case?"

  "It's just a theory. I heard that within the Curse Cult, there's a faction that's not only obsessed with creating life through alchemy but also with alchemically enhancing themselves. At first, they tried using machines and animal organs, but they found that nothing beats the human body…"

  Just then, a system prompt popped up: You have triggered a B-rank quest: Alchemical Phantom. Accept? Yes/No?

  "Of course, it's just something I heard in passing. Treat it like a bedtime story," Julian added, subtly accepting the quest.

  "No, you're onto something. It all makes sense now!" Sherlock's face lit up with a mix of surprise and excitement.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  What he thought was a dead-end case suddenly had a ray of hope, thanks to Julian's tip. He practically sprinted towards the horse-drawn carriage parked outside the woods.

  [B-rank quest: Alchemical Phantom progress: 25%]

  Meanwhile, a bunch of cops were still milling around, and more were arriving on the scene.

  Murders weren't exactly rare in the Kingdom of Bryston, but one at a place like Vickers University? That was unheard of.

  As the top university in the Kingdom of Bryston, every student here was either a future pillar of society or the scion of some big shot.

  If this case got out, it would send shockwaves through the entire kingdom.

  The pressure on both the Darkland City Police Department and the university was immense.

  After a while, the vice-chancellor walked over to the students and announced that no one, students or faculty, could leave the campus until further notice, pending the investigation.

  While Julian understood the vice-chancellor's intention to assist the investigation, he couldn't help but shake his head. This was clearly the work of a Transcendent. This lockdown might work on ordinary folks, but against a Transcendent?

  A few cops started questioning students passing by. Probably because they'd been briefed beforehand, Julian wasn't stopped. He put his hat back on, walked down the path, made a turn, and stopped in front of The Pig and Whistle breakfast shop.

  It was a breakfast joint named after a tavern in World of Warcraft's Old Town. The owner, Mrs. Turin, was in her seventies, taking care of her paralyzed husband, who was ten years her senior. On nice days, you could often see her pushing his wheelchair around campus.

  "Mrs. Turin, three pounds of cupcakes, please."

  "Sure thing, little Wayne. By the way, what's all the commotion over by the dorms?" Mrs. Turin asked as she picked out the cupcakes.

  "Someone died in the woods. Sharon, a Sophomore alchemy student," Julian replied succinctly.

  "Oh my! I remember her, such a sweet girl. We got along quite well. What a shame. She just told me the other day that she'd found a wonderful boyfriend." Mrs. Turin clasped her hands together in a gesture of prayer, a look of sorrow on her face.

  "Oh? She had a boyfriend?" Julian was surprised. The version he'd heard was that Sharon had a terrible temper and no friends, let alone a boyfriend.

  "Yes, I'm sure of it. She said her boyfriend was handsome, talented, a real gentleman. And that he was madly in love with her," Mrs. Turin recalled.

  This boyfriend sounded a bit suspicious. Julian nodded, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. He took the cupcakes and headed towards the Alchemy Building.

  The Alchemy Building wasn't far from the student dorms, a four-story standalone structure. Professor Wesley's alchemy lab was on the second floor.

  As Professor Wesley's Assistant Instructor, Julian's duties included helping him with his coursework and being on duty in the Alchemy Building, preparing Alchemical Materials and Alchemical Equipment.

  With the start of the semester just days away, the Alchemy Building was already buzzing with activity.

  As soon as Julian walked in, he saw Sherlock at the front desk, asking questions. He greeted him and headed up the stairs to the second floor.

  Opening the lab door, he was hit with a pungent smell of alcohol.

  Julian opened the windows to ventilate. His specialization under Professor Wesley was Applied Alchemy, focusing on how to apply alchemy to everyday life. Of course, Medicinal Alchemy was also a required subject.

  Today, he needed to prepare iodine, sage, calming flowers, goldenrod, sun orchid, daisy root…

  [Ding! You have completed an alchemy material check. Gained 3 experience points.]

  [Ding! You have completed an alchemy material check. Gained 2 experience points.]

  In "Apocalypse," there were multiple ways to gain experience. Besides killing monsters and completing quests, Life Skills could also provide a significant amount. So, even Life Skill players had a viable path.

  Julian expertly prepared the dozens of Alchemical Materials Professor Wesley needed for the afternoon, racking up nearly 200 experience points in the process.

  He let out a sigh of relief. The next four hours were all his.

  Right now, he only had a few basic materials to practice with, and the quantities were limited.

  He opened his Basic Alchemy skill panel. His proficiency was pitifully low, with only two recipes mastered: Basic Mana Potion and Basic Health Potion.

  The former required calming flowers, nightshade, and iodine, while the latter used the more common ginkgo leaves and daisy root, both of which the lab had plenty of.

  If his goal was simply to level up and grind proficiency, then crafting Basic Health Potions was clearly the more efficient choice.