A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 200 Sequence Seven Potion Recipe

"Pizza, hug."

As Lin said this, she handed Huanhuan, who was in her arms, to Quinn.

She didn't want Quinn to hold her, but rather for Quinn to hold the fox for a while so she could have her hands free to eat lemon pie.

"Huanhuan" is the name of the three-tailed fox. Unfortunately, the auspicious name "Ma Jiaqi" was rejected by Amamiya Nene because it was "unpleasant to hear," and she casually chose a disgusting reduplicative word instead.

Quinn took the fox and remained silent.

Lin sat to his left, with Amamiya Nene and him flanking her, like a family of three.

"Why, are you worried?"

Amamiya Nene noticed that Quinn was distracted.

"I was just wondering where to get the potion to advance to Sequence Seven." Quinn naturally wouldn't say that he was thinking about Chaldale.

Regarding the girl who ran away, he felt mostly helpless—when he asked Xia Dai'er out yesterday, Quinn hadn't even thought about what to say to the girl, what could he say? He felt like he was saying goodbye to this other world.

After Chaldale left, her mother hesitated to speak, but Elon, as if nothing had happened, came over and had a drink with Quinn, asking if he and Anquya could meet up soon.

Quinn naturally agreed.

Unnoticed by everyone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the girl who ran away left no trace, like fireworks on a stage, except for a faint wine stain on the ground.

"Sequence Seven... The academy's forbidden vault should have the recipe?"

"There are only Sequence 9 and Sequence 8; there are none above the middle sequence. Perhaps they have been sealed away."

Quinn rubbed his temples; the path to advancement for a thief was indeed a problem.

Although the old drunkard at Demar's Tavern knew a lot, he was not clear about the sequence potion recipes for other destiny paths besides the Knight's Destiny. He might know some of them, but not only the Thief's Destiny, a point that Selvi had made clear from the beginning.

It would be extremely difficult for Ankuya to obtain them. Extraordinary potion recipes are forbidden, and safe and stable methods of preparation are only known to the major religious sects. Most of the potions circulating on the market are low-sequence potions, with the recipes of thieves and secret agents being the rarest. These are mostly defective products that adventurers have dug up from ruins or dungeons, and even if drinking them could lead to advancement, they would be accompanied by serious side effects.

The most common of these is various forms of mental pollution, which exacerbates the tendency to lose control.

The low-series recipes alone are exorbitantly expensive. On the black market, a recipe for an archer's potion that can make someone a superhuman can cost as much as 15,000 gold pounds. This doesn't even include the more expensive and hard-to-find materials. Sequence 8 recipes start at 30,000 to 40,000 pounds, and anything above that is priceless. Sellers usually only accept barter, exchanging other recipes for it.

These extraordinary formulas are thorny issues that major religions and national governments are keeping a close watch on, since no one wants a bunch of out-of-control superhumans to pop up in their territory. The higher the formula's sequence, the more attention it attracts.

The mid-series recipes listed for sale on the black market in the mystical world are basically a sting operation by the cult.

In an environment where both buyers and sellers may have ulterior motives, extraordinary formulas circulate only within a small circle in the mystical world. Joining such a circle usually requires an introduction with connections and a long period of review, followed by waiting patiently for someone to put the potion formula up for sale.

Ankua might have a way to get it, and Quinn still trusted Aqua's reliability, but even if he could buy it, it would cost money. A Sequence 7 potion would be worth six figures in monetary terms, which was not a sum Quinn could afford in the short term.

Of course, there is another simple and efficient method.

That means going to find Hermes.

The day after escaping the abyss, Hermes told Quinn at the entrance of the infirmary that if he was willing to "have a frank talk," he could provide Quinn with a mid-series potion recipe.

Quinn looked ahead and saw a small, black snake coiled around the neck of Director Snape, who was in the front row of Grindelwald's seating area.

As the vice dean in charge of off-campus affairs, Hermes would naturally attend events like the Arcane Festival, but few people were qualified to know of his existence.

Elon probably never imagined that his speech had been heard by Grindelwald's top management.

Quinn did not want to seek out Hermes. In his view, a person's experience and shrewdness do not necessarily increase with age, but when a person has lived for more than three hundred years and experienced an era in which heroes once shone, he will inevitably have some aspects that Quinn cannot fathom but must be wary of.

He was afraid of being exposed, but there was no better way at the moment, so he decided to go back and talk to Hermes.

Ankua was unaware of his relationship with Hermes, so it was difficult to explain why he would suddenly produce a Sequence Seven formula.
Quinn's eyes flickered. It would be better to talk to Hermes now. If the Demon King was watching him, he could put on an act in front of Him, pretending to work hard and getting close to the academy's higher-ups to extract information about the hero.
In this way, I can legitimately do extra work for the academy in the future without arousing the Demon King's suspicion.

Just as Quinn was pondering how to bring it up with Hermes, Amamiya Nene suddenly said, "The recipe for Sequence Seven... I think I have it at home."

His tone was so casual, as if he owned some common, trendy junk.

Lin took small bites of the lemon pie. She was quite full today, so her posture became unusually elegant. As for the fact that Sequence 7 couldn't be added to the sweet and sour filling, the little girl ignored it.

"Huh?" Quinn turned around abruptly, genuinely amused. So much help had been left by his fellow villager!
"Well, it seems to be incomplete. I have a ton of those incomplete recipes that haven't worked for anyone. If you're tough enough, you can give it a try?"

"Isn't there a complete one?"

"The complete ones are only for knights and envoys. My mom won't give them to me. She'd go crazy if I dared to drink any extraordinary potions."

"If I'm being blunt, you're just wasting your breath."

"If you have a way to buy it, kind-hearted Lady Amamiya Nene wouldn't mind lending you some money." She said meaningfully.

"We'll see when the time comes," Quinn said, without refusing.

Amamiya Nene didn't really want to talk about potions; she wouldn't give Quinn those defective formulas at home. She was just looking for an excuse to talk about what she really wanted to discuss. She glanced sideways at Quinn, watching his reaction: "Just now..."

"A Branson girl ran out crying, do you know what happened?"

"Did not notice."

Quinn remained calm. "Allison from the Demon Defense Squad got beaten unconscious by Celia's brother while trying to pick up girls. I went to treat the wounded."

"Hmph, I saw you spacing out and thought it was related to you. But I guess you're not that attractive."

Amamiya Nene looked away, then paused, puzzled, and asked, "Did you just say something interesting?"

Quinn then recounted what had happened as if he were gossiping.

Amamiya Nene chuckled for a while after hearing this, then looked Quinn up and down: "You're not exactly a handsome man either, you're nowhere near as good-looking as Allison, why is he wary of you?"

“That’s because you don’t understand men.” Quinn sneered. “With your terrible personality, you’ll stay single until you go through menopause and never date, so naturally you wouldn’t know what jealousy is.”

"Thank you for your kind words. I wish I could spend my whole life with Wangcai." Amamiya Nene didn't care about Quinn's sarcasm. It was like mocking a tall person who was short; people would just smile faintly. The number of men chasing after Amamiya Nene could probably circle half of the airport.

The two fell silent. After a while, Amamiya Nene casually spoke up: "Hey."

Quinn stared intently at the stage, petting the fox in his hand.

He neither liked nor disliked these cute little animals, but he knew how to pet them because Mi Yutong had once owned a Somali cat—he gently lifted the tip of the chin upwards. Huanhuan, the three-tailed fox, was not as docile on Quinn's lap as she was in Lin's arms, but because Quinn was petting her so comfortably, she was temporarily obedient.

The fashion show is in progress on stage. Unlike on Earth, there are not many different kinds of shows to watch in Temurian. Skits, crosstalk, and stand-up comedy are considered vulgar entertainment. The only shows that can be performed on stage in this kind of place are classical music performances, ballet, or singers hitting high notes.

The fashion show is similar to Victoria's Secret, but the level of exposure is naturally not as open. They walk on the stage wearing clothes from big-name designers from various countries, and after the party, socialites and wealthy women can spend a lot of money to buy the latest styles. Regardless of whether the design is good or not, being able to participate in the Arcane Festival is considered fashionable.

“Hey, leg fetishist.” Quinn didn’t even need to turn his head to know that Amamiya Nene was staring at him intently.

"When you look at a girl, what do you look at first?" she asked in a low voice, somewhat mysteriously.

"First, check the skill multiplier."

"??"

"Spit it out, what exactly do you want to say?" Quinn calmly met Amamiya Nene's suspicious gaze.

"You really didn't notice that Branson girl?"

"Why should I pay attention to her?"

"She," Amamiya Nene carefully crafted her words, "is very attractive to men."

"Not as good as you."

"Didn't you say that no man pursues me?"

"Don't you also think I'm unattractive? In the end, you're still doubting me?" Quinn got up irritably, stuffing the fox into Amamiya Nene's arms to stop her curiosity. "I have something to discuss with the vice dean. If you don't come back soon, remember to bring Lin back to the academy."

"Hey, why are you treating me like a babysitter?"

"Lin, know the way." The little girl was indicating that she could get back by herself.

“If you don’t bring her along, sixth-grade boys will have to line up to confess their love to her.”

Lin tilted her head, not quite understanding, and continued eating.

Amamiya Nene immediately perked up: "Leave it to me, I promise I'll take good care of it."

Quinn walked across the seats to the front row and casually sat down behind Snape. Immediately, the black snake coiled on the terrifying skin raised its head, met Quinn's gaze, and, seeing him point to the exit, slowly swam down and disappeared into the shadows behind the sofa.

Quinn stood up, nodded to the professors, and left.

It wasn't until quite some time after Quinn left that Headmaster Snape, who had been intently staring at the runway models' thighs, turned to look at his disappearing figure and asked in a flat tone, "Hasn't the administration still not found the hero?"

An elderly man standing nearby replied, "That was said when school started."

"How about we get some of his blood and see what happens?"

"Tsk tsk, Director, if you can handle Dean He Mo, then I have no objections." The voice was filled with eager anticipation.

Hearing the conversation between the director and the professor, Baldwin, who had just received a favor from Quinn, felt he needed to say something: "He's just an ordinary young man, not worth the trouble."

"Ordinary? Ha."

Upon hearing Baldwin's words, who shared a class with Quinn every week, Snape gave a chilling smile and said hoarsely, "Just kidding, heh heh."

Hearing such laughter, Baldwin sighed, "Quinn, good luck to you."

Outside the airport, the once-crowded avenues became less congested as the performance began, but judging from the exceptionally enthusiastic atmosphere of the crowd, Elon's speech was probably more anticipated by the citizens than tonight's fireworks.

Before time rewinds, Quinn bought a cup of camel milk with coffee and ice at the snack stall where he had bought egg tarts for Lynn. Then, he chose a relatively open roadside spot and sat down on the lawn without minding the dirt.

A rustling sound came from the grass, then the trembling of snake scales formed a melody like musical notes, gradually transforming into the solemn voice of an old man—

"what's up."

“Dean Hermes,” Quinn said, getting straight to the point: “I need the thief’s Sequence 7 potion recipe.”

Why did you choose this time?

Just as Quinn had predicted, Hermes was very suspicious.

But he was prepared and said bluntly, "Your office is a bit scary; I'm a little afraid to go in alone."

"."

A moment later, the evening breeze and the hustle and bustle of the crowd seemed to be separated by a wall, becoming muffled and indistinct. Quinn knew that Hermes had blocked their conversation, but he wasn't sure if the Demon King could hear it.

“I understand you’re still bothered by what happened the night school started.” The black snake slithered over to Quinn and coiled up. “But there’s no need to be so wary. I’ll turn on the lights next time you come.”

Quinn shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

"Since you've brought this up with me, are you planning to have a frank discussion?"

Quinn's expression remained unchanged, but her heart tightened. If the Demon King were watching at this moment, she couldn't let her interpret these words as betrayal. Quinn carefully considered her words.

"I hope you can be honest as well."

".certainly."

"I'd like to ask, has the academy found a hero yet?"

"What does this have to do with you?"

"Dear Dean, please do not answer questions with questions."

"."

After a long silence, Hermes finally said slowly, "No. We're looking for it."

"Any clues?"

"Oh, young man, before you answer, it's my turn to ask you a question."

"You asked."

"How did Merlin manage to freeze people like that?"

"I learned it," Quinn said honestly.

“You don’t have a single arcane circuit in your body. Apart from your left hand, even I, and even Dean Fufumark, don’t have such pure and high-quality arcane circuits. Your circuits don’t consume a single bit of mental energy. Among all the arcane masters in history, only Merlin could do this.”

Hermes stated it in a declarative tone.

"So, when I was unconscious that day, you not only discovered that I was a superhuman?"

“Everyone has secrets. Just like the person who sent you the job offer from the college, I went to some trouble to find out how you got the teaching assistant interview. In the end, I found out about Ankuya. That kid is very careful, but he's still a bit lacking in experience.”

(End of this chapter)