After mastering the resurrection technique, they begged me to extend their lives.

In the professional system of the continent of Vain, the "magician" is undoubtedly the noblest.

In fact, anyone who is associated with magic is already considered superior and far ahead of others, not to mention those who dare to call themselves "magicians" are true "professionals".

The term "professional" refers to someone who has passed the examinations of official institutions, enjoys a high social status, and is respected wherever they go.

An Xiao had repeatedly failed the adventurer team interviews because she "didn't have the necessary certifications."

Since the shop assistant introduced Miss Hela in this way, she must be a certified "witch" in the true sense of the word.

At that moment, a string of fine characters appeared before his eyes—

[A trainee from the Upper City of the Magic Kingdom in Terraria, at the Egret Academy, she studied under the magic potionist Graymist. Due to her excellent academic performance, she was recommended to join the Planeswalkers Guild upon graduation, becoming a free-roaming witch.]

Quiet, reserved, academically gifted, and with a touch of repressed passion... these are her outward personality traits. Traveling and gathering herbs is her most enjoyable lifestyle.

But recently, her alchemy skills, which had reached a bottleneck, were causing her distress, and the unfortunate death of the messenger only exacerbated her already troubled state of mind...

Right now, all she wanted was to find a quiet place and get through this period of Mercury retrograde.

"..."

The setting originated from a newbie colleague on the project team, and that's all An Xiao can remember.

Generally speaking, such characters are often minor supporting roles, used in side quests, and are not as dazzling or popular as the Wind Sword Princess.

But right now, anyone who can provide potential value and whose moral compass leans towards the lawful side is worth trying to manipulate and exploit.

An Xiao didn't move, but quietly hung her arm in front of the door, trying to catch the clear and pleasant voice behind her.

"Sir, what did you say? You need... a 'Superior Magic Potion'?"

As if she hadn't heard An Xiao's words clearly, the witch Hela asked again to confirm.

"Yes, top grade."

An Xiao nodded, "If not, something high-end will do."

"..."

According to the planning team's memory of prop packaging, the magic recovery potions commonly found on the continent are divided into four levels: primary, secondary, advanced, and special.

If a high-grade potion can instantly restore about one-third of one's current mana, then a premium potion will double that, restoring at least 70%.

Of course, its price is also extremely high. Even without considering the cost of materials, there are very few alchemy masters who can easily make such a top-tier instant mana regeneration potion.

"Sir, if I may ask, are you intending to take it yourself?"

A hint of the use of the Detection Eye Technique flashed in Hela's eyes, but her expression was more one of curiosity about the mysterious young man before her.

"Yes."

"Huh?"

Because An Xiao's combat rank is not as high as that of Wind Sword Princess, the information about An Xiao is very brief in the eyes of the witch. She can only see information such as "Combat Rank: 2" and "Magic Value: Unknown".

It was precisely this low rank coupled with such high demands that made her wonder if he was some kind of noble young master...

Even though her combat rank was 36, she showed no arrogance or disrespect in her tone when speaking to him.

click, click, click...

The sound of high-heeled boots on the wooden floor was accompanied by a fragrant breeze that wafted from behind, and the exquisite perfume from the witch had already invaded An Xiao's nostrils.

"Sir, if it's convenient, could we speak in private for a moment?"

Hela approached him and narrowed her deep blue eyes to observe his attire further.

"A tattered robe," priced at 40 copper eagles in the magic item shop...

"An old magic wand," priced at less than 1 silver deer...

"Coarse cloth boots" sell for 35 copper coins in armor shops.

No backpack, no luggage.

There is no such thing as the most expensive magic storage ring.

"..."

Strictly speaking, one can only tell that he is a spell user of "apprentice level" or a magic enthusiast.

So, is his demand for a top-grade magic potion genuinely effective, or is it simply a way to attract attention and satisfy some vanity?

Hela's expression was complex.

Hesitantly, I wondered if I shouldn't continue wasting my time on such a low-level guy?

Whenever she goes out, she always becomes the center of attention, no matter where she goes, even if she wears a witch's hat or covers herself up completely...

Could it be that the young man in front of me is just like those other types?

Simply wanting to show off?

Hela was having second thoughts when An Xiao suddenly spoke up:

"Sure. This also gives me a chance to discuss my terms. After all, a transaction involves both parties. If you're satisfied with my 'product,' then we can proceed."

"!"

His calm words, delivered in a light tone, instantly dispelled Hela's doubts and banished all the wild thoughts from her mind.

She could tell that An Xiao wasn't the kind of young person who was easily swayed by emotions, but rather seemed to genuinely have a need for her product.

With that in mind, she was no longer worried and immediately revealed what she could offer—

"Yes, sir! I... I'm just a novice apothecary, having only recently started learning alchemy, so the best magic potion I can make is intermediate level..."

"intermediate?"

An Xiao frowned slightly.

Suddenly, he pushed open the door in front of him.

"!? Sir, please wait a moment!"

Looking at his indifferent expression, as if he had lost interest and was about to leave...

Hela's pretty face flushed red, a rare sight for her. She straightened her back, took a step or two forward, and quickly added:

"Listen to me! Although I don't know how to make high-level or higher magic recovery potions, I can make 'Trickle Potion'!"

"Trickle-flow potion?"

An Xiao stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, yes! This is a potion that slowly restores magic. Although it's not as fast as a fast-acting magic potion, it's cheaper and can be stacked with other potions!"

Hela's speech quickened, as if she wanted to prove her abilities. She subconsciously reached out and grabbed An Xiao's right sleeve, promoting her product:

"I...I made a lot beforehand! I originally intended to sell them to this pharmacy, but if you have a more suitable price, perhaps we can discuss it further!"

She clearly expressed her demands.

The young man at the bar pursed his lips, somewhat regretting that he hadn't kicked An Xiao out immediately.

"Alright. In that case, I'll give you my price."

With things having come to this point, An Xiao nodded in satisfaction, and finally turned to face the witch who was usually the object of endless secret admiration from ordinary humans—

His gaze didn't linger on her beautiful, delicate face for even a second.

Instead, he ignored her body and looked at the birdcage placed on the bar not far behind her.

Zoom in.

Inside the birdcage lay a quiet, magical raven, its body stiff and motionless.

It seems that it had already stopped breathing.

It's certain that it was Miss Hela's messenger.

An Xiao's expression hardened, and she said in a deep voice:

In exchange, I can provide you with a "service".

Price: 10 bottles of Intermediate Fast-Acting Magic Potions, 30 bottles of Trickle Potions.

"???"

Based on the price of 100 gold for a high-grade magic potion, the price of a mid-grade magic potion is estimated to be no more than 50 gold, theoretically closest to 35 gold per bottle.

Trickle-flow potions, which provide slow recovery, are somewhat like "slow-release painkillers," and their price is naturally more than three times lower than that of high-grade fast-acting potions, tentatively estimated at 25 gold.

An Xiao's expectation was:

"A single divine spell is worth a thousand pieces of gold."

So, collecting 10 medium blue bottles and 30 trickle bottles from the witch will cost a total of about 1050 gold, which is reasonable, right?

Of course, if she's not willing, then finding someone else to do the deal isn't out of the question.

After all, sticking to one thing isn't in An Xiao's nature; one must know how to be flexible.

[1050 gold coins; perhaps her crow didn't even cost that much.]

He thought to himself.

Click, click...

The clock in the shop continued to advance a few seconds.

Perhaps the meaning of the words had not been conveyed clearly, for some reason, a subtle strange expression flashed across Miss Hela's face...

She stared intently at the face that had just been revealed to him.

He immediately looked away, twisting his fingers and lowering his gaze, as if seriously considering something, and stammered:

"Is a single service... that expensive...?"

……

……