Roundup

Seeing the tension ease slightly, Lizer abruptly unclenched his fists, the white marks on his knuckles yet to fade.

Felina pressed her hand against the badge embedded with a sorcery crystal on her chest and exhaled a long breath. To stall for time, she took a half-step forward, her voice carrying a feigned excitement:

"Furthermore, I unexpectedly discovered that Lizer has an exceptionally strong aptitude for potions. He mastered the brewing methods of several low-grade potion formulas after only learning them once or twice. If we cultivate him into a master potioneer for the organization, his value will be incredibly high."

"Oh!?"

Rice tapped his fingers against the wind-element runes on his walking stick. The runes shimmered with a faint cyan glow, and the killing intent in his eyes instantly receded by more than half.

Ordinary people and future master potioneers held completely different values. Rice was finally moved, thoroughly laying to rest his intention to kill Lizer.

He pondered seriously for a moment, his walking stick thumping against the wooden floor, the runes on the stick flashing in time with the rhythmic tapping:

"Felina, very good! Building upon your obedience, you were able to adapt to the circumstances, brilliantly completing the mission while reaping such a bountiful harvest."

Felina finally let out a sigh of relief. She licked her dry lips, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the leather suitcase in the corner of the room:

"Can I have those 20 gold coins now?"

She was in desperate need of the 20 gold coins; the necromancy master was already pressing her for the medical fees.

Playing her true colors was the best way to minimize flaws. Rice nodded and smiled:

"Felina, don't rush. I brought you 25 gold coins, and they are all yours."

"Thank you, Mr. Rice!"

Felina bowed slightly, reaching out with both hands, her fingertips trembling slightly with anticipation.

Behind her, Wilson was slightly taken aback, his hand instinctively reaching for the baton at his waist—he hadn't expected Rice to offer extra money. It seemed this organization had quite good benefits.

Felina's eyes lit up at his words. To actually receive an extra five gold coins made her exceptionally happy.

Seeing this, Lizer dug his nails into his palms, secretly impressed: This guy was truly a master at manipulating human nature. If it hadn't been for his unexpected appearance, perhaps Felina really would have been slowly corrupted and subdued by him.

Taking in everyone's reactions, a smug smile tugged at the corners of Rice's mouth.

His walking stick tapped lightly on the ground, and the look he gave Lizer turned affectionate:

"Come here, little fellow. Let me get a good look at you, future master potioneer."

It was as if the person who had wanted to kill Lizer just moments ago wasn't him at all; he was like two completely different people.

Lizer bowed slightly, his peripheral vision darting a quick glance at Felina as he lowered his head, silently asking:

"Master?"

Feeling that the danger had passed, Felina stepped half a pace to the side and twitched her fingers, gesturing for him to go over:

"Go ahead."

Lizer stepped forward and stood before Rice, his hands folded over his abdomen, looking at him respectfully.

Rice quietly studied him for a moment before suddenly asking:

"When brewing a 'Low-Grade Agility Potion,' how do you use Swiftbird feathers?"

Hearing this, the virtual panel from his Pay-to-Win analysis flashed through Lizer's mind—

Swiftbird feathers were the primary ingredient for brewing the 'Low-Grade Agility Potion.'

The key to using them was to keep the heating temperature within plus or minus 10 degrees of the specified limit, allowing them to fully react with an appropriate amount of another auxiliary main ingredient, Ice Silkworm Thread, to transform into a different material before proceeding with the brewing.

He stated the answer at a steady pace.

Naturally, the skills Lizer obtained through the analysis of his Pay-to-Win ability were completely flawless.

A hint of surprise flashed in Rice's eyes. He now believed that Lizer indeed possessed a certain talent for potions, and perhaps cultivating him would yield a pleasant surprise.

Rice no longer mentioned killing Lizer, instead turning to pat Wilson on the shoulder.

Wilson stiffened as Rice introduced them:

"This is Wilson, a veteran police officer from Grey Mist Mountain Town. This is Felina, an intermediate wizard apprentice, and Lizer, our future master potioneer.

From now on, all relevant missions around Grey Mist Mountain are planned to be handled by Felina, seeing as she is an intermediate wizard apprentice.

Wilson will assist with his connections and experience. Lizer's joining now is an unexpected delight."

He turned to Felina:

"It just so happens that Lizer's family blacksmith shop is expanding due to academy orders. Let's go all out and increase the scale even further. The organization needs to secretly store a batch of weapons within Gele City."

Hearing this, Felina raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "That's not a problem, but it will require a substantial amount of funding."

Rice smiled, waved his hand, and opened the leather suitcase in the corner—the defensive runes on the suitcase's surface flashed with a faint golden light. He pulled out a small cloth bag from inside, the crisp clinking of gold coins ringing out as it swayed.

He took out 5 gold coins from it and tossed the remaining bag into Felina's hands. Felina casually passed it to Lizer to hold; it was heavy:

"35 gold coins.

25 gold coins are the funds requested for Felina.

10 gold coins are for the blacksmith shop to purchase land and equipment to build a weapons factory. The gold coins for purchasing raw materials will require a bit more waiting."

Then, he turned and tossed the gold coins in his hand to Wilson. The coins traced an arc in the air before Wilson instinctively caught them. Rice commanded:

"Wilson, make good use of your past connections and cooperate with Felina's missions.

From now on, to ensure everyone's safety, I will no longer contact you individually.

Felina will be in charge of everything; she is your superior. Do you understand!?"

It was obvious that Rice was the leader of the organization, and having more contact with him would be more beneficial.

Now, hearing that he had to take orders from Felina, who looked to be about the same age as Gloria, whom he despised the most, Wilson felt an instinctive sense of aversion.

He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and his mind raced. Looking closely at Lizer and Felina, he suddenly remembered something.

He first answered Rice respectfully, then turned to Felina, changing the subject:

"Lord Rice, I am willing to obey your commands!

Wizard Felina, I think I saw you and Lizer at the police station a few days ago. I don't know what you were doing there, but perhaps I can help you?"

Hearing this, Felina and Lizer's hearts simultaneously skipped a beat—Felina pressed her hand against the sorcery short wand at her waist, while Lizer reached for the potion bottle in his pocket. Upon careful thought, however, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Rice also looked over in confusion. Lizer found it hard to speak up, feeling nervous and wondering if Felina could come up with a good excuse.

Lizer stole a glance at the wall clock nearby—the hands pointed to 8:02, and the runes on the clock face were still turning slowly.

This police station really was unreliable!

They had agreed to surround the place at 8:00, and they still weren't here!

He secretly prayed that Felina was smart enough to stall until backup arrived.

Felina stared at Wilson for a moment, then suddenly laughed, her voice laced with mockery:

"How strange. Lizer's family accepted academy orders to produce a large batch of weapons. Shouldn't they register it with the police station?

Mr. Wilson is a veteran at the station, yet you don't even know this rule?"

Wilson looked slightly disappointed upon hearing this, but he had no choice but to accept it—he had originally wanted to catch them out, but in reality, he was just unwilling to accept Felina's leadership and decided to test the waters when he remembered the incident.

Seeing Rice looking at him inquiringly, he thought for a moment and could only nod helplessly.

Phew!

Lizer secretly gave Felina a thumbs-up in his heart.

At this moment, Rice suddenly frowned. He pressed the detection rune on his walking stick—the rune flashed a red warning light. He sensed that the witchcraft traps he had set up around the perimeter had been triggered.

He quickly walked to the window at the front of the living room, pulled back the curtain, and looked down. His face turned ashen. He then swiftly moved to the left window to take a look:

"Damn it! The red-skinned monkeys have surrounded this place!"

Rice suddenly glanced at Felina and Lizer, the killing intent in his eyes reigniting.

Lizer was greatly alarmed. Pushing off the ground with his feet, he activated the effects of his agility potion and dodged to the side.

"Hiss, hiss."

Rice raised the walking stick in his right hand, pointing it at Lizer and Felina, muttering incantations under his breath.

The lightning rune at the tip of the walking stick lit up with a blinding white light. Two brilliant, dazzling arrows of lightning shot out from the tip, striking toward Lizer and Felina respectively.

The Lightning Arrow was the fastest offensive spell among zero-circle witchcraft. Rice had attacked suddenly without a word, and the spell was on the verge of hitting them both.

"Crack."

Fortunately, Lizer reacted quickly, but he was still grazed on the shoulder by the witchcraft lightning arrow.

First, it blasted a hole through the chainmail on his shoulder, and then it blew a thumb-thick bloody hole into Lizer's flesh, causing blood to gush out.

And this was only after Lizer had taken an Inferior Defense Potion and several other low-grade attribute-enhancing potions in advance...

Otherwise, this single strike would have completely ruined him!

Lizer secretly rejoiced that he had made ample preparations.

Enduring the pain, he pressed his left hand against the wound, pulled out his revolver Silver Lightning with his right hand, and decisively aimed at Rice's head and fired.

"Bang!"

The knight armor ornament nearby suddenly moved—faint blue ripples appeared in the air, and the knight floated in front of Rice.

This was the witchcraft spell, Mage Hand, which blocked Lizer's shot.

Felina's speed was surprisingly even faster than Lizer's. She tapped her toes on the ground, slid half a meter sideways, and nimbly dodged the attack.

At the same time, while moving, her hands quickly formed seals, completing the witchcraft spell Skeleton Summoning.

Black mist billowed from a spatial rift, and a knight-level skeleton clad in rusted armor stepped out of the fog, standing between her and the threat.

Hiding behind the skeleton warrior, Felina continued to wave her hands and chant incantations. Grayish-black magical energy gathered in her palms as she launched the zero-circle necromancy offensive spell, Bone Arrow.

Three eerie white bones pierced the air, bypassing the knight armor and shooting toward Rice's heart. Rice bent sideways, and the bone arrows grazed his suit, pinning themselves into the wall before shattering.

A gruff voice came from downstairs, carrying a tone of mockery:

"Rice, Felina, stop it.

Why all the fighting and killing? Let's sit down and have a good talk."

The iron door of the apartment downstairs was violently smashed open with a loud bang. The piercing sound of twisting metal was accompanied by arrogant laughter:

"Hahaha, Rice, you cannot escape even if you had wings!"

Clearly, the newcomer was extremely smug.

Felina tightly gripped the arm of the skeleton warrior, hiding behind it. Lizer, clutching his bleeding shoulder with a furrowed brow, hid behind Felina.

Seeing that he could not land a fatal blow, Rice expressionlessly planted his walking stick on the ground. The runes on the stick dimmed, but the knight armor floating around him still flickered with faint blue magical light to prevent a sneak attack.

Wilson shrank his neck and hid behind Rice, his eyes filled with panic.

The living room on the second floor instantly fell silent. There was only the dripping sound of blood from Lizer's shoulder wound and the faint humming of the floating knight armor...

Everyone stared at the top of the stairs, the air thick with tension, waiting for the people from downstairs to arrive.