BXBX NOVEL Chapter 185: Team (5)
Switching from magic to alchemy, Lucille studied different methods. Eventually, she earned a degree and recognition in this field, even from her former rival.
This warranted Lucille\'s lucrative and prominent future.
That said, she refused an invitation to become one of the royal alchemists. The bitterness of the youth and the embers of the past didn\'t allow her to become a part of Minerva\'s house.
Instead, she settled in the capital and started an independent alchemy shop.
"Coin\'s friends?" Lucille asked her apprentice, who had come to her office on the highest floor, to notify her about Jake, Shaw, and Peace\'s presence.
These three had already spoken with one of Last Coin\'s admirers and were now huddled in the corner of the shop, talking about casual things.
Lucille sighed, "Ask Coin about them and let them in if he knows them."
It might have sounded like she was too lenient on Last Coin or even treated him like a VIP. After all, Last Coin worked in the workplace beneath her shop, concocting potions and practicing his mana flow.
He\'d earn income from it and stats.
He was like a real worker, so it\'d be weird for his employer to allow his friends to visit him for chit-chat.
Players, however, were much different—at least, their culture was way different than NPCs.
This was because the majority of the players took the game aspects of this immersive game reality too literally. If the quest was too dull or mundane, they\'d cancel it and find something more enjoyable elsewhere.
Nonetheless, most basic fields were available to players, as those had different gifts(game systems), allowing them to practice and learn stuff much faster than residents.
That said, the phrase \'go next\' was one of the most hated phrases in NPCs\' communities.
"Coin is a talented and diligent child, so I\'d not want to lose him. He can have much more leeway than others, and those lasses following him like hungry rats," Lucille said. "If he takes too much time dallying with his friends in the workplace, kindly remind him to return later or tomorrow."
The apprentice nodded and left the office.
Jake and his two new friends entered a new world a few minutes later.
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"It\'s like a witchcraft!" Peace said upon entering the shop\'s basement.
A huge, black cauldron stole her eyes right away, eliciting such a reaction. It was under a bonfire, which pleasantly rippled as tongues of flames licked the wood. The boiling water continuously bubbled, creating a rather harmonious and pleasant-to-the-ear melody.
Many more cauldrons were lined up adjacent to the walls, but they were smaller. Each cauldron had at least three benches around it so alchemists could prepare ingredients for their potions.
Empty glass vessels hang above them, waiting for their turn to be filled with miraculous liquids.
That said, it was so hot here!
Peace had already taken off her robes and stood only in her shirt and pants. It took only a few seconds for her to perspire and for the cotton material of her clothes to become tightly stuck to her skin.
If she turned like that in mere seconds, then the admirers of Last Coin were in much worse condition. They were so new to it that it was difficult for them to adapt to this environment.
Their cheeks and bodies were so flushed red that it wouldn\'t be weird for others to think that Last Coin had fed them with love potions.
For men like Jake and Shaw, the sight was pleasant to the eye.
Peace elbowed her boyfriend before ignoring him, as men would be men.
Jake didn\'t receive any treatment, but he was still freed from the shackles of hormones, as Last Coin smiled at them and used their presence as a chance to run away from the women following him!
Peace sighed, "Our surprise was foiled because of that apprentice!"
Last Coin smiled, "Surprise? What surprise?"
"We wanted to surprise you. Archer still hasn\'t added you to friends, right?" Peace explained.
Last Coin glanced at Jake and nodded. "I see… uh, thanks for coming. It was getting really stressful for me down here… I barely could focus."
He whispered so that the admirers wouldn\'t hear him.
It turned out that Last Coin was the most troubled one in the basement.
Peace smirked, "Why won\'t you tell them about it? You can always tell them to get used to the heat somewhere else. If they\'re so serious about you, they will cooperate."
As the only woman in this circle, Peace\'s words weighed the most! She also could see that Jake and Shaw didn\'t really mind the scene and that it would have been much different had it been them in Last Coin\'s stead.
Therefore, she found it fun to tease Last Coin.
Last Coin immediately looked down with scarlet cheeks. "Ummm… it\'s troublesome but also enjoyable. I don\'t want them gone."
Jake and Shaw sneered.
Peace shook her head. "Then man up and tell them to take a break once in a while! It won\'t hurt. You also can use this break to look after them and peek into their bodies if you\'re so attracted!"
Last Coin gulped, "Wow, no wonder your nicknames match this way."
"Did you say something?" Peace asked, her hands on her waist.
Last Coin shook his head.
Peace chuckled, "You\'re so fun to tease!"
Last Coin whispered, "Go easy on me."
It was difficult to speak to Last Coin before because he\'d been surrounded by other mages who were either jealous of him or curious about his stats. He also often had Randal next to him.
Last Coin would hide himself in the alchemy shop\'s basement a lot, too, so having such a close conversation with him was close to improbable.
Everything changed when Jake came to the training grounds to challenge everyone best.
Peace suddenly said, "I\'m going to trouble the girls, then!"
She had teased Last Coin enough to switch targets.
It was also her way of giving the boys time.
Jake said, "How about we invite SWalker here and have a talk?"