[Beginner Healing Potion: Requires Ginkgo Leaf, Daisy Root, Crystal Vial.]

  The [Basic Alchemy] skill flooded Julian Thorne's mind with a deluge of alchemical knowledge. The precise method for crafting [Beginner Healing Potions] was instantly ingrained in his memory.

  How much Ginkgo Leaf to use, the exact ratio, the amount of Daisy Root, the precise ratio for that too, and the specific techniques required - he knew it all.

  In the game, brewing potions was just a matter of standing in front of an alchemy table and watching a progress bar. Now, he had to manually operate a crucible, distillation flasks, and other tools.

  This was some high-end stuff.

  5 grams of Ginkgo Leaf, 7 grams of Daisy Root, a dash of iodine to balance the medicinal properties... Julian meticulously added the herbs to the crucible, brought it to a boil, and then poured the mixture into a beaker.

  In his skill panel, his [Basic Alchemy] proficiency slowly increased, going from 7 to 8.

  In under five minutes, a steaming vial of Beginner Healing Potion was ready.

  [Beginner Healing Potion]

  Quality:

  Type:

  Use:

  Note:

  Once the Beginner Healing Potion was ready, Julian took a tentative sip. It tasted alright, probably wouldn't kill anyone. He set the newly made potion aside and started on another batch, following the steps meticulously.

  [You have completed a potion. Quality: 63. Gained 36 EXP, 1 Proficiency Point.]

  [You have completed a potion. Quality: 77. Gained 41 EXP, 2 Proficiency Points (Extreme Calm +1).]

  Thanks to his [Nimble Fingers] and [Extreme Calm] talents, Julian's potion-making was incredibly stable and had a high success rate. His speed also increased with his proficiency, going from one potion every five minutes to one every three minutes, with a success rate approaching a staggering 90%.

  Three hours flew by. Julian reached for another crystal vial, only to grasp at empty air. He'd used them all up already?

  Snapping out of his immersive state, Julian stared at the table overflowing with Beginner Healing Potions, utterly bewildered.

  Julian: ...

  Someone tell him what to do with all these healing potions. He was in a hurry!

  He could already picture Professor Wesley's grim face...

  Although he might have gotten into a bit of trouble, the experience gained was pretty sweet. In just over three hours, he had racked up around 6,000 EXP, and his Basic Alchemy proficiency was almost a third of the way to the next level.

  Whatever, the one who screwed up was Wayne Stilwell, what did it have to do with Julian Thorne?

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  At 1 PM sharp, Professor Wesley pushed open the door to the alchemy lab and was immediately stunned by the scene before him.

  The lab floor was spotless, the windows were sparkling clean, and the materials for the afternoon's lesson were neatly prepared.

  But then... the sheer number of Beginner Healing Potions covering every surface made him question his sanity.

  Wesley checked the remaining materials, his face devoid of any emotion. He picked up a vial of Beginner Healing Potion, sniffed it, and found the quality to be excellent. He had used 120 sets of ingredients to produce 112 potions, an astonishing success rate, even higher than most intermediate alchemists. Considering Wayne Stilwell was still just an apprentice, his talent was undeniable. With time, he might even reach the ranks of advanced or even master alchemist.

  But what was the kid thinking, brewing so many Beginner Healing Potions?

  "Rosie, get in here!" he bellowed.

  "Coming, coming!" A pretty girl scurried in a moment later, looking flustered. In all her time as his Assistant Instructor, she had never seen Professor Wesley lose his cool like this.

  "Rosie, take all these Beginner Healing Potions to the school's alchemy shop. Put them on sale for 20% off for the next week. And get me another batch of crystal vials," Wesley said, his face still stern. "Also, tell Wayne Stilwell to stop making healing potions. He can make any other potion he wants, but he's solely responsible for the welcome ceremony in four days."

  "Yes, sir," Rosie nodded frantically, sneaking a peek at the table. She was also shocked by the mountain of Beginner Healing Potions. This was hardcore, even for him.

  With this many potions, they probably wouldn't sell out until next semester at the normal price. No wonder they needed a discount.

  They definitely needed a discount!

  Meanwhile, Julian was already back in his dorm, clutching a stack of books. He'd saved up the 6,000 EXP from his alchemy session, planning to use it later when he had accumulated more.

  After two world simulations, his [A Literary Life] quest progress had crept up to over 300. He was getting closer to completing it. With some more reading in the real world and another three or four simulations, he might just finish it.

  [A Literary Life]: Deep down, you've always harbored a dream of becoming a writer. Make that dream a reality in your future endeavors. Read a total of 1,000 books across both the real world and simulated worlds (353/1000).

  Setting the books on his desk, Julian eagerly opened the Shop interface and dumped all 30 of his newly acquired Victor coins into it.

  The 30 Victors, still warm from his virtual wallet, vanished instantly. His Transmigration Coin balance increased by 3, bringing it to a total of 14.

  He then navigated to the lottery page and selected a ten-pull. A ten-pull only cost 9 Transmigration Coins, a pretty good deal!

  [You have obtained Rare Item: Springfield Rifle, with a number of 7.62mm rounds]

  [You have obtained Rare Item: Colt M1878 Revolver, with a number of .45 ACP rounds]

  [You have obtained Rare Item: Lee-Enfield Rifle, with a number of .303 British rounds]

  [You have obtained Epic Item: 1792 French Armor]

  ...

  Just as Julian expected, the lottery was filled with firearms. The ten-pull yielded 7 guns, 2 useless French antiques, and a dagger. He could keep the dagger for himself. As for the guns, there were five revolvers and two rifles, and none of them were particularly good. Based on the market price of 18 Victors for a rifle and 15 Victors for a revolver, he could potentially make over 100 Victors if he sold them all. He was getting closer to transmigration freedom.

  After the lottery, he had 5 Transmigration Coins left. If this transmigration didn't go well, he would only have one more chance in the near future. Julian took a deep breath and initiated another transmigration.

  [Transmigration in progress... Transmigration Coins -5]

  [Please select a transmigration mode...]

  [1. Direct Transmigration.]

  [2. Template-Based Transmigration.]

  The three templates, Extreme Hacker, Joker, and God of Gamblers, had only about 10 hours left on their refresh timers. He couldn't afford them, so Julian chose option 1 without hesitation.

  [Spend one Transmigration Coin to reroll talents?]

  Julian declined.

  [You have selected Talent 6, Talent 8, and Talent 9.]

  [Your current talents are: Gambler, Social Butterfly, Business Genius, and the permanent talent: Tony Stark.]

  [Matching successful. Your parallel world self is a playboy, a socialite, a genius in both research and business, and an unrepentant gambler.]

  [Current world exploration progress: 34.8%. Upon reaching 66.7% exploration, you will unlock the next Scenario.]

  [The game ends when you die in the simulation.]

  [Boarding the Time Machine... 1%... 33%... 65%... 95%... Whoosh... Transmigration complete.]

  [You have arrived in New York City, 2006. From this moment on, the wheels of history begin to turn.]