Alchemist's Apprentice

After hours of meditation and focused energy work, I finally mastered all six alchemical magic array cards. Julier lay on the bed nearby, her chin resting in her hands, watching me with a look of curiosity. The light cast a soft glow on her skin, making it appear even smoother, while the small wings on the back of her head drooped slightly, partially covering her face.

Exhausted from absorbing the last of the cards, I could barely lift a finger. As Julier leaned closer, her face almost pressing against mine, I couldn't help but protest, "Hey! Haven't you seen enough?"

"I wasn't doing anything strange—just using a few magic cards."

Julier nodded, then shook her head playfully, her mischievous smile appearing even more endearing. "Didn't you feel anything unusual?" she asked.

"Nothing at all! Why would I?"

"Well, maybe you should check the Book of Demons," she suggested with a mysterious expression. Following her hint, I casually flipped open the book. "Nothing much has changed," I remarked after a glance. "Just six new abilities."

"What's this?" I wondered aloud. The Book of Demons is divided into six sections: Abilities, Cards, Treasures, Demon Contracts, Titles, and Commanded Armies. Under Abilities, I had Platinum Glory, Nameless Martial Skill, Earthquake Punch, Basic Swordsmanship, Holy Light Blast, Sacred Flame, and a long list of other skills.

My collection of cards filled two pages, while my list of treasures was smaller: the ancient moon blade, the Holy Light Beetle, a black dagger, a silver spike, and a demon dog emblem. I didn't even bother counting the ten or so demon dog summoning stones—they're hardly worth mentioning.

In the Contracts section, I had two contracts: one for reserve duty with the Sealing Demon Mercenary Corps with Fang Lingxue and a duel contract marked as "complete."

As for Commanded Armies, I currently led only one—the Giant Spider Monster Legion. And under Titles, there was now a new, bold, dark-gold title that read: "Apprentice Alchemist."

"How did I get this title?" I asked, puzzled.

Julier cast me an admiring look, then, with a playful kiss gesture that sent a warm shiver through me, she giggled and said, "You learned six alchemical magic arrays, so naturally, you've earned this title. I think you have real potential in alchemy! Why not focus entirely on this path?"

"Focus on what? Skills on Demon Isle are all based on luck. I don't exactly get a choice in the matter!"

Feeling unusually weary, I brushed off Julier's suggestion and immediately channeled my energy through the Nameless Martial Skill to replenish my strength. Normally, the chill of inner force flowing through my body would feel refreshing, but this time, a sharp coldness surged from the icy vortex in my dantian. Thankfully, the sensation faded quickly, and I attributed it to simple fatigue. Once the platinum glory energy suffused my body again, I opened my eyes to find a deluge of messages from my teammates filling my comm card.

I sprang to my feet, feeling a slight discomfort but dismissed it after testing my limbs. "What's going on today?" I murmured. "It feels like something's off…"

Unable to unravel the mystery, I let it go and quickly informed Julier before leaving the room.

As the powerful flow of qi surged through my veins, I felt a marked increase in my own explosive strength and endurance, as though my body had reached a peak state. The odd feeling was quickly forgotten as I rejoined my group in Snoke's lavish suite. By the time I arrived, they had already cracked open dozens of colorful bottles and were playing cards, a scene that reminded me of the hard life I was leading.

"Wang Lin! Care for a round?" Wolf King greeted me with a grin, his eyes glancing toward the pile of chips in front of him and Snoke, while Bullet sat nearby, his face twisted in frustration. I shook my head, signaling my lack of interest.

Seeing me, Hachibei Jinfu pushed back from the table and announced loudly, "Let's get going, everyone! Make sure you've got what you need; marsh dragons are tough, and ordinary weapons won't do much against them."

Wolf King let out a mock cry and sneered, "Hachibei, at least finish this round first—you're about to go bankrupt!"

Ignoring him, Hachibei looked out the window, lost in thought. When Lilith saw me, she seemed visibly relieved. Among us, she was the most on edge.

As she approached me and draped an arm over my shoulder, she paused, her gaze sharpening. "Wang Lin…you seem taller!" she murmured in surprise.

"Taller? That's impossible!" I laughed. "We haven't been apart that long."

I was about to dismiss her comment when Hachibei glanced my way and added, "Wang Lin, you really do look a few centimeters taller. What's going on?"

I shrugged, only to notice that I was now closer to Lilith's height. While still shorter than her, it was true—I seemed to have grown.

Could I really have gotten taller?

Wolf King let out a piercing whistle, smirking. "Our Wang Lin has finally become a real man—growing in more ways than one!" The room erupted into laughter. Though a bit exasperated, I chose not to take offense.

This time, as we left the Demon Isle Grand Hotel, we opted for new modes of transport. Lilith piloted the helicopter for our group of four, while Snoke's group flew on Bullet's magic carpet. The marsh dragons had only one habitat, so finding them wasn't a problem.