I'm a proper student; I only take nine kinds of potions every day.

When the four hours were up, Parker counted the work in the work log three times before he could believe the numbers.

This kid did the work of two skilled workers all by himself.

"You brat, what kind of magic pill did you take?" Parker asked, his face full of disbelief, puffing on his extinguished pipe.

Ivan was covered in sweat and panting, but he grinned.

"That's the advantage of youth, Uncle Parker."

He wiped his sweat and turned to scan the warehouse.

"Where's the foreman, Kerry? I haven't seen him."

Parker's expression subtly changed.

"He got sick. Then he was fired."

"Are you sick?"

Ivan didn't ask any further questions.

In this neighborhood, when "sick" and "fired" are said together, it usually means something more complex than the literal meaning.

Parker counted out a handful of coins from his pocket and handed them to Evan.

"Eighty cents. You brat."

He tapped his palm with the stem of his pipe, his tone filled with genuine admiration.

"You are the temporary worker who has taken the most pay from me this year."

Ivan's fingers clenched the handful of coins and banknotes.

The metallic feel came from my palm, heavy and solid.

A genuine smile bloomed on his tired face.

"Thank you, Uncle Parker!"

"May the Lord bless you, hardworking and capable child." Parker waved and put the pipe back in his mouth.

On the way back, Ivan kept looking at the panel as he walked.

The reversal effects of the Night Demon Potion have already been observed.

You reversed the side effects of the Night Demon Potion.

Your eyesight has been enhanced, and your physical constitution has been permanently increased by 0.01.

Your perception has been enhanced, and your spirit has been permanently increased by 0.01.

[You like the sun more now; your Spirit has permanently increased by 0.01.]

After reading these three points, Evan immediately understood.

"In other words, consuming too much Night Demon Potion will make you hate the sun more and more, and your eyesight and perception will be permanently damaged."

"Based on what Hill said, all potions have side effects. The only difference is the type and severity of the side effects."

He memorized this pattern and continued walking home.

The streetlights on Guding Street were dim late at night, and there was almost no one on the street.

Only a few drunkards who refused to go home were shouting in the distant tavern, and a stray cat was meowing in some alley.

When he reached the bottom of his building, Evan stopped.

Three people were standing at the top of the stairs.

The leader was a tall young man wearing a well-tailored dark suit, a dark red tie, and polished leather shoes.

This contrasted sharply with the two bodyguards behind him, who were dressed in work jackets.

The most incongruous thing was the pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. The lenses reflected a cold light under the streetlights, making him look more like a bank clerk than a gangster.

Evan knew this person.

Nok. A big shot in the Gus gang.

Zach had to bow and scrape before him, addressing him respectfully as "Mr. Knok."

"Is something wrong?"

Ivan tensed up, his eyes filled with vigilance.

Nock turned around and, through his gold-rimmed glasses, sized up the young man in front of him, who was covered in sweat and had just finished four hours of strenuous work at the dock.

His gaze slowly swept from Ivan's face to his shoulders, then to his dusty and fishy work boots, and finally back to his eyes.

Then he smiled.

The smile was gentle and restrained, like a respectable gentleman showing goodwill to a stranger in a social setting.

"fine."

His voice was calm and steady, deliberate and clear, with each word pronounced distinctly.

"Just letting you know that Mary will never bother you again."

"You don't need to worry about Zack and the others, we've already taken care of it. The police won't come after you."

"Here's another piece of advice: as long as you don't interfere with our business, we won't bother you."

He paused for a moment, his smile unchanged, but a thin layer of sharpness appeared in his tone.

"I hope you know how to behave appropriately."

After saying that, he put his hands in the pockets of his suit trousers, turned around and walked down the steps. The sound of his leather shoes tapping on the stone surface was unhurried, as if he were taking a stroll.

Two attendants followed silently, and the three figures quickly disappeared into the night on Guding Street.

Ivan stood at the top of the stairs, watching the direction they had left, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Pulis has stepped up his game.

Feeling the pressure, the Gus gang is flexing its muscles as a warning to itself.

But it was within expectations.

He doesn't want to cause trouble. At least not now.

I got home and took a shower.

The cold water splashed on my body, and the two bruises on my back ached again from the stimulation of the water, but it was much less painful than before.

The self-healing power has begun to take effect, albeit only a little, but it is indeed helpful.

Chapter 26: The Healing Church

After drying himself off, Evan stood in the bedroom and brought up his attribute panel.

[Occupation: Witcher (in progress)]

[None]

【Trait: Base lifesteal 8%】

[Constitution: 1.903→1.915]

[Spirit: 1.004→1.025]

[Vision: 0]

[Talent: Power of Nine Dragons]

[Self-healing ability: 108% → 124%]

Blood quality: 104% → 116%

Syphilis: 46% → 48%

[Pneumonia: 6%]

Liver damage: 41%

[Peptic ulcers: 8%]

[Brain nerve damage: 13%]

Everything is steadily improving.

Physical condition, mental state, self-healing ability, and blood quality all improved.

But one number stung his eyes.

"Damn, the syphilis has gotten worse."

46% became 48%.

Despite all other indicators showing improvement, the syphilis is actually worsening.

"With a combined physique of 1.915, the combined improvement in strength and endurance is about 35%, while the combined improvement in immunity is only about 20%."

"The numbers are still not high enough; with our current immunity, we can't suppress the growth of syphilis."

Evan glanced down at his crotch and examined it carefully, but found no warts.

"It's alright, but we need to deal with it quickly."

After taking a shower, he turned around and looked at his back through the cracked mirror in the bathroom.

Two purplish-red bulges stretched across the area below the shoulder blades, like two snakes lying under the skin, with purplish-black bruises around their edges.

But upon closer inspection, the protrusion is lower than it was a few hours ago, and the color has lightened slightly.

"The self-healing ability has already started to take effect."

As he walked out of the bathroom and down the corridor, he saw that the door to the second bedroom was open.

It was completely empty inside.

The sheets were torn off, the pillows were gone, and several empty wine bottles and a torn stocking that Mary hadn't had time to take were scattered on the floor.

There was no pungent smell of smoke, no cheap perfume, no annoying groans, and no dull thuds of the bed hitting the wall.

Quiet.