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

Chapter 105 Whenever it's a potion case, I'll definitely lend a hand.

Forem stared speechlessly at Ivan's untroubled smile, finally sighing and saying, "Are young people these days all so optimistic?"

He sighed, his attention immediately drawn back to the situation inside the crucible.

The sensation of stirring with the stirring rod has changed. The viscous resistance has disappeared, replaced by a silky smoothness, like flowing water.

"alright."

Forem retracted the stirring rod and turned to let Ivan come over to look.

Inside the crucible, the previously murky, viscous blue liquid had completely transformed.

Lying at the bottom of the crucible was a pool of clear amber liquid, its surface calm, reflecting a cold blue light under the lamp.

There were no bubbles, no impurities, and no signs of instability.

Forem took a clean glass medicine bottle, used professional tongs to tilt the crucible, poured the liquid completely into the bottle, sealed it, and affixed the corresponding label.

The movements were fluid and graceful, clearly the result of years of practice and refinement.

Evan, watching from the side with envy, rubbed his hands together and said...

"Doctor, this looks pretty simple. Can I give it a try?"

Upon hearing this, Forem lunged forward and blocked the control panel, spreading his arms to protect his inscribed bronze crucible, his expression filled with vigilance.

"You should learn more about the basics first, and then make your own crucible before you talk about anything else."

As he spoke, he carefully shielded the crucible behind his back.

"What my precious baby fears most is a reckless young person like you."

Seeing the doctor's amusingly miserly demeanor, Evan wisely raised his hands in surrender and changed the subject.

"By the way, Doctor, do you know which potions have the side effect of reducing silver resistance and electrical resistance?"

Forem stopped wiping the inside of the crucible with a soft cloth.

He turned to look at Evan with an expression that said, "This is the first time in my twenty years of medical practice that I've encountered such a question."

"This is the first time I've seen someone search for potions based on their side effects."

Evan chuckled, scratching his chin with his index finger, and said, "One of my current characteristics is that of a Bloodthirsty Race! I can barely live a normal life at the basic first stage, but I can't handle anything at higher levels."

"I'm afraid I might have taken the wrong potion, and the side effects might happen to coincide with these flaws, which would only make things worse."

Forem has now become accustomed to Ivan's unorthodox way of thinking.

He hummed in agreement, put the crucible back in the cabinet, and answered while tidying up.

"Purification Potion, Beginner Level. Its positive effect is to remove low-level curses and some negative status effects. Its side effect is to reduce silver resistance."

"Energy Potion, Beginner Level. Its positive effect is to temporarily increase one's spiritual strength, while its side effect is to reduce electrical resistance."

"At your current apprentice level, these two are the ones you'll encounter most often. You won't be able to come across anything more advanced for now."

Ivan memorized the two names and nodded.

"Thank you, Doctor! Where can I usually buy potion recipes?"

Forem shook his head: "It's unavailable."

He closed the cabinet door, turned around, and explained.

"Potion recipes are almost always internal secrets monopolized by major factions. Developing a new potion consumes a huge amount of resources, lives, and time."

"Unless there is an equal exchange of benefits, it is almost impossible to buy it with money."

Ivan sighed, "I see."

Forem glanced at him and continued.

"Besides, if you want the recipe, you don't need to buy it from outside. Just go to Richard and the others. Your lineage of witch hunters, Adolf, already has quite a few potion recipes."

"I first heard the names 'Purification Potion' and 'Energy Potion' from Rhine back in the day."

"Rhine was the previous owner of your Witcher traits."

Ivan nodded knowingly; this was the first time he had learned the name of the old hunter who always shared knowledge with him.

In the time that followed, Forem provided Ivan with a great deal of additional details and precautions regarding the refining process.

The criteria for judging the heat, the changes in the stirring rhythm, the impact of the order in which materials are added on the final product, and how to judge the current progress by the changes in liquid color and viscosity.

He then refined three more doses of mind-calming potion as a demonstration, stopping at key points each time to allow Evan to observe and memorize them carefully.

By the time all the lessons were finished, it was already noon.

The two emerged from the lead plate chamber and returned to Forem's office.

Ivan sat down on a guest chair, pondered for a few seconds, and then asked.

"Doctor, if the factory owner's men want to arrest me for questioning, should I resist?"

Forem was washing his hands when he heard this, so he looked up and saw Ivan in the mirror.

"What happened?"

Ivan recounted what had happened last night.

It is naturally a version that has been selected.

He only said that Richard had come to him injured, and then that night someone broke into his apartment and asked him where Richard was.

During the negotiations, a figure suddenly appeared and attacked the factory owner, punching him through the chest and taking him away along with a bronze statue.

He didn't say who that fast and strong being was.

Forem dried his hands, leaned against the sink, and said with a slight frown.

"Now that you've noticed them following you, given their modus operandi, they'll probably make their move on you soon."

"Okay, wait a moment."

He turned and walked to his desk, picked up the black telephone receiver, and cranked the handle a few times.

"Connect me to the Bolton City Police Department."

After a few seconds of waiting, the line was connected.

"Yes, yes, it's the one from Newhafen."

His tone was calm, as if he was already quite familiar with the other side.

"Yes, Dr. Armitage personally selected him; he has a real talent for potions."

The other person seemed to say something, and Forem raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? New Haven has a very high opinion of you? Okay, then come over here."

After hanging up the phone, Forem turned around and smiled at Evan.

"Your reputation has spread here, and the officials in New Haven have a high opinion of you, which makes things much easier."

"The officials will come to pick you up in a bit. They'll also take care of those people watching you outside and assert our dominance."

He put his hands into the pockets of his white coat.

"After all, you are from the University of Michigan, and Professor Armitage's new disciple. That title still carries some weight in the official supernatural faction of Bolton City."

Upon hearing this, Ivan immediately relaxed considerably, and inwardly exclaimed, "Armitage really has a lot of influence."

About half an hour later, there was a knock on the office door.

A man and a woman entered.

Both men were wearing long, dark brown trench coats, a style somewhere between that of a private detective and an undercover police officer.

The hat was pulled down just right, covering his somewhat bald forehead and revealing only the lower half of his face.

He is of medium build, has an average appearance, and is quite an ordinary person.

The man on the left was the first to take off his hat. He was in his forties, and the hair on his head was so sparse that it could reflect light. He tried to comb the remaining hair towards the middle, but the effect was limited.

He first nodded to Forem and greeted him respectfully.

Then the light fell on Evan.

He grinned, and a gold tooth embedded in his right front tooth flashed under the light.

"I've heard so much about you, Mr. Arkham!"

His voice was loud and clear, carrying the warmth of a seasoned veteran.

"We all know about your record in New Haven, and the guys there speak very highly of you."

Evan laughed and said without any modesty, "What a pity I didn't hear it in person! I wish I could have been praised to my face; I love hearing compliments."

""

The bald middle-aged man was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then burst out laughing and grabbed Ivan's hand, shaking it vigorously twice.

I like your straightforward personality! You don't hide anything!

"Hansa Gregory, just call me Greg, expert mage."

The woman next to him also took off her hat.

He was in his early thirties, with short hair and regular features. He seemed to be a newcomer to the industry and was somewhat reserved.

"Harvey Peg, just call me Peg, an apprentice witch."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the atmosphere quickly warmed up.

Gray has a loud voice and an outgoing, generous personality, which surprisingly works well with Evan's naturally sociable style.

After the pleasantries ended, Gray put away his smile and said seriously.

"Don't worry about those people keeping watch outside. Even if you really killed Elton, it doesn't matter. He crossed the line first."

Ivan, of course, had no intention of admitting anything; he put on a look of sudden realization.

"His name is Elton? He looks pretty rich."

The group said goodbye to Forem while talking and walked out of the medical school gate together.

The midday sun was weak at the end of November, and the wind blew from the direction of the Chahar River, carrying a chilly, watery vapor.

Ivan sensed it as soon as he stepped outside.

Across the street, a black Ford Model T was parked on the side of the road with its engine still running.

Three young men in black suits stood beside the car, their ties neat and their shoes gleaming, their eyes fixed on the entrance to the medical school.

It perfectly matches the dressing style of the factory owner faction: high-profile and flamboyant.

Their expressions turned grim when they saw that Ivan wasn't alone, but was flanked by two men in brown trench coats.

Gray strode toward the three men, his steps exuding a confident and assertive air, and spoke at the top of his lungs.

"Go back and tell your master! Arkham is one of ours! Put your claws back!"

After saying that, Gray completely disregarded how unpleasant the expressions on the faces of the three young men in black suits were.

I walked toward the four-wheeled carriage waiting by the street, and the driver had already opened the door.

Ivan and Peg followed him into the car, which then slowly drove past the three young men in black suits.

The three young men stood there, looking at each other, none of them saying a word.

Finally, the leader gritted his teeth, opened the car door, got in, and drove off in the opposite direction.

Gray chuckled in the carriage.

"A bunch of bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong."

He crossed his legs, took out a cigar from the inside pocket of his trench coat, bit the seal open with his teeth, but didn't light it; he just held it in the corner of his mouth.

"Arkham, the procedures still need to be followed."

"When we get back, I'll take your statement, recount what happened last night, and then give it to them for filing."

Evan hummed in agreement, then remembered something.

"Okay, Brother Gray, I'd like to get a gun, could you help me with that?"

Gray chuckled, a cigar dangling from his lips. "Of course! You brought your investigator's badge, right? We'll process it directly at the police station."

He twirled the cigar halfway around his lips, his tone becoming more casual.

"By the way, I'll need your help later, brother."

"We have a case here. A potion failed to be made and went out of control, turning into some kind of living thing and ending up in the sewers."

His expression changed from casual to serious.

"We've already killed three homeless people in the last two days. We don't have many demon hunters here, and that thing is quite poisonous, so we don't dare to go near it."

"I heard you have good drug resistance?"

Ivan's eyes lit up, and he patted his chest, his bright smile as radiant as a sunflower.

"Don't worry, Brother Gray! I can't say for sure about the others."

He held up one finger, his tone firm and confident.

"Any case involving potions, I, Evan Arkham, will definitely lend a hand!"

Upon hearing this, Gray grabbed Evan's hand, his gold tooth gleaming in his smile.

"From today onwards, you are my younger brother!"

The carriage then bumped along the road for thirty minutes before finally stopping in front of the side gate of the Bolton City Police Station.

Bolton City Police Department is a four-story gray granite building with six thick Doric columns on the front and a winged eagle carved above the lintel.

Before even entering the door, Evan could already hear the commotion inside.

The sound of a regular police officer yelling at a suspect, and the suppressed sobs of the person reporting the crime.

A drunk man handcuffed to a bench is yelling in vulgar slang that he wants to see his lawyer.

The sounds of chairs scraping against the floor, the clatter of typewriters, and the incessant ringing of telephones—

Gray did not take Evan through the main entrance.

He turned into an inconspicuous corridor on the left side of the hall, at the end of which was a relatively quiet small hall.

The space was small, with an old-fashioned brass chandelier hanging from the ceiling, casting a dim, yellowish light.

Directly in front was a counter separated by an iron fence. Behind the counter sat a middle-aged woman in a dark blue uniform, her hair neatly tied up, looking down as she flipped through a thick stack of documents.

There is a gate on each side of the inside of the fence, both of which are closed at the moment.

Two young people were sitting on a bench in the waiting area opposite the counter.

Both were in their early twenties, pale-faced, and still shaken.

One of them was still trembling, while the other was clutching his hat tightly, muttering to himself as if he were saying something.

The woman behind the counter looked up and saw Gray smiling as he spoke.

"Detective Gray, these two are the new complainants."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two young men, as if they had seen a lifeline, jumped up from their chairs almost simultaneously.

"Officer! Officer!"

The young man in the lead spoke in a voice filled with terror and hoarseness.

"In the mine! A corpse in the mine! The corpse is alive! And it's turned metal! It crawled out of the sewers and bit off Jerry's leg!"