Spellcasting Gods

"Okay, okay, I'm just offering an option. Remember, girl, if you've figured it out, you can always come find me at the Queens Midnight Party Club. My door is always open for a lovely girl like you."

After saying this, Jesse stood up and nodded to Zhang Cheng, who was still sitting in the same spot, before turning around and leaving the underground bar with two other scantily clad female vampires.

No sooner had they left than Ralph pulled a wooden box and a bracelet inlaid with green gemstones from his pocket: "Mr. Wizard, this is your reward for this mission. Lord Karls asked me to give it to you."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing the word "reward," Zhang Cheng immediately put away the parchment, opened the wooden box, and glanced inside. He discovered that it contained a full forty gold dinars, ten more than originally ordered.

He closed the box, then picked up the bracelet and examined it closely. He quickly confirmed that an interesting spiritual life was sealed inside the gem.

Although the creature has no consciousness or thinking ability, and does not possess strong combat power, it can obey all commands of the bracelet holder 100% once summoned, making it a qualified servant and life assistant in general.

Chapter 0071 Request

Gently stroking the exquisite engravings on the inside of the bracelet, Zhang Cheng suddenly asked, "What is this? An extra reward?"

"Haha! Don't ask me, I'm just a nobody who delivers things. But more than a reward, I personally think it's more like compensation. After all, demons are notoriously difficult to deal with. If you hadn't been here, Lady Witch wouldn't even know who her enemy is." Ralph picked up the whiskey he had just ordered, downed it in one gulp, and grinned broadly as he flattered her.

"Really?" Zhang Cheng clearly didn't believe the other party's excuse.

Although he wasn't quite sure why Catherine was being so generous, one thing was certain: her purpose was definitely not simply to make amends.

Ralph shook his head with a wry smile: "Don't make things difficult for me. Anyway, it's free money, so why not take it? Besides, thanks to you, our team also received two million dollars in compensation this time, so we won't have to worry about making a living for a long time."

"Okay, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

Seeing that he couldn't get any useful information, Zhang Cheng immediately stood up and made a move to leave.

After all, he had been gathering information and fighting all day, which had kept him up until after 2 a.m. He was exhausted and desperately wanted to get back to his lodgings and get a good night's sleep.

Before she could even step into the passage, Gracie quickly caught up with her and stammered in a very embarrassed tone, "Mr... Wizard! I have nowhere to stay right now. I wonder if I could stay at your house for a few nights?"

"Nowhere to stay?" Zhang Cheng stopped and turned to look at the girl behind him.

Wearing an ordinary, cheap white T-shirt, a pair of denim shorts that were almost faded from washing, white socks, and sneakers, her long, golden hair was haphazardly draped over her shoulders. Due to a lack of long-term care, the ends of her hair were noticeably dry, yellow, and split. Coupled with her haggard face and dark circles under her eyes, she looked like a rich kid no matter how you looked at her.

“Yes! Ever since my sister was killed, I quit my job and gave up my apartment. I used my last savings to buy a gun to avenge her. Now, I don’t have a single penny left, and there’s no way I can find a place to stay.” As she spoke, Gracie helplessly pulled out her empty pockets.

"Where are your parents?" Zhang Cheng frowned instinctively.

The girl chuckled self-deprecatingly and replied, “I’m sorry, neither my sister nor I have ever met our parents. Our uncle raised us. But when we were sixteen, he died of lung cancer. His wife, who had disappeared for ten years, suddenly reappeared and took our only inheritance—the house. We were then evicted and forced to work odd jobs to support ourselves. Don’t worry, I’ll find a job and move out soon. I won’t bother you for long.”

Zhang Cheng hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding reluctantly: "You can stay at my place for a while, but there are a few things you must be aware of. First, you are not allowed to enter the basement or my bedroom. Second, you are not allowed to touch any of the furnishings in the house without my permission. Third, keep quiet and don't shout or make a sound no matter what you see."

“No problem! I swear I won’t cause you any trouble.” Gracey gave her assurance without hesitation.

After all, for someone as poor as her, having a place to live was already quite good; she had no right to ask for more.

Besides this, she also had a hidden purpose: to stay with the mysterious wizard in front of her as much as possible so that the demon could not easily kill her.

Zhang Cheng wasn't a fool; he easily saw through the girl's intentions. However, he didn't say anything and went straight back to the parking lot behind the restaurant.

When the two arrived in front of the uniquely designed sports car, Gracie's eyes instantly lit up with excitement. She stared intently at the streamlined body and murmured to herself, "Oh my God! A Salin S7! A seven-liter V8 engine, seven hundred and fifty horsepower, a luxurious interior, and a price tag of fifty-five hundred thousand dollars! I can't believe I'm lucky enough to see it in person!"

"Oh? Is this car very rare?" Zhang Cheng asked, looking puzzled.

Having absolutely no interest in cars, he had no idea that it was just a means of transportation and there was nothing to make a fuss about.

“Of course! Of course it’s rare! In the eyes of car enthusiasts, it’s like the Mona Lisa’s smile to a painter, or the Venus de Milo to a sculptor. Did you know that it accelerates to 100 kilometers per hour in just 3.8 seconds, and its top speed can reach 325 kilometers per hour? It’s widely recognized as the fastest sports car in the world to date. Didn’t you know any of this when you bought the car?” Grace recited the sports car’s detailed specifications as if they were second nature.

It goes without saying that she is a true car enthusiast.

Zhang Cheng shrugged nonchalantly: "No! In my opinion, it's not much different from the other two cars in the garage except for their different designs. Okay, enough talk, get in the car."

"OK!"

Gracie realized that the man in front of her didn't seem to care about the two famous sports cars at all, so she wisely shut her mouth and took the initiative to sit in the passenger seat.

With the sound of the engine running at high speed, the car quickly drove out of the parking lot and sped along the road, entering the villa in just ten minutes.

Exhausted, Zhang Cheng casually pushed open the door and pointed to the room on the right side of the second floor, saying, "These three rooms are guest rooms, each with a toilet and bathroom. You can choose any one as your bedroom. Also, the refrigerator downstairs has ready-made food such as juice, milk, bread, ham, and sausages. There's also a 24-hour food ordering hotline on the table. If you get hungry, you can take care of yourself."

After saying that, he didn't care whether the other person remembered or not, and directly pushed open the door of the first room on the left on the first floor and slammed the door shut.

"Hey! Wait! I don't have any clean clothes. Can I borrow yours for a bit?" Gracie called out from behind the door.

"Casual!"

Zhang Cheng responded through the door.

Anyway, the clothes don't belong to him, but to the original owner of the house, so he only needs to keep a few to change into.

Upon receiving a positive response, the girl breathed a slight sigh of relief. She ran to one of the guest rooms in a few steps, quickly stripped off her clothes without saying a word, and went into the bathroom to wash off the grime. As she washed, she began to sob softly.

Having been homeless on the streets for over a week, she was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now, thinking of her tragically deceased sister, a wave of sadness washed over her.

And so, the man and woman inside the villa, each with their own thoughts, quickly drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that less than twenty meters away from the villa, an owl perched on a tree branch, staring intently at it. After a long while, it flapped its wings and flew into the air...

Chapter 0072 Bait

Like many people who often stay up late, Zhang Cheng woke up in bed around noon, with bright sunlight streaming through the window and filling the room.

He first glanced at his watch out of habit, then got up, dressed, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. When he opened the door and walked out of the bedroom, he was surprised to find that he could hear the sizzling sound of something being fried coming from the kitchen.

It should be noted that since the original owner's accidental death, this villa has been vacant for a full six months. Many places are covered with thick dust, especially the kitchen, which is basically uninhabitable. This is why he hasn't cooked a single meal since he moved in.

But now, someone's actually frying something in the kitchen?!

Driven by curiosity, he quickly stepped to the door and immediately saw the brand-new kitchen, as well as the plates and tableware that had been scrubbed until they shone.

Of course, more importantly, Gracie was skillfully wielding a spatula to take the eggs and bacon out of the pan, sandwiching them with sliced ​​bread, tomatoes, and lettuce, and finally spreading a small amount of butter sauce on top. A decent-looking sandwich was ready.

After carefully placing the prepared breakfast onto a plate, the girl immediately turned around and greeted with a smile, "Good afternoon, would you like something to eat?"

"Okay, thank you. But is that jar of butter sauce still valid?" Zhang Cheng picked up one of the jars, took a bite, and asked somewhat uncertainly.

“Don’t worry, according to the production date on the lid, it can last at least eight months. And in my experience, butter sauce is fine even if it’s a month or two past its expiration date; at least it won’t give you diarrhea,” Grace explained with a nonchalant shrug.

As a girl born and raised in a poor neighborhood, she often buys discounted food that is about to expire from the supermarket. She knows very well what can be kept for a longer period of time and what must be bought and eaten immediately.

"Okay, I hope you're right." Zhang Cheng nodded slightly and swallowed a sandwich in a few bites.

After all, they've already eaten the unpalatable magic bread, so what else can't they swallow?

He devoured two sandwiches in one go before returning to the table. Sipping his orange juice, he asked with interest, "So, what are your plans for the future?"

“Plans? Heh…” A bitter look appeared on Grace’s face. “I’m just an ordinary girl who didn’t even finish high school. What plans could I possibly have? I just hope to find a stable job and settle down. Everything else will take its course.”

"Oh? You're not worried about the demon anymore?" Zhang Cheng raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.

Sometimes he really couldn't understand the American brain. One minute they were on the verge of death, and the next, a few hours later they could be laughing happily, even if they were penniless and homeless...

Gracie subconsciously touched her shoulder and sighed helplessly: "Sigh, it would be a lie to say I'm not worried at all, but what's the use of worrying? Forget about terrifying demons, I can't even handle a werewolf. Like that old man's advice, instead of worrying about when I'll die, I might as well enjoy life."

“In that case, I won’t bother you any longer. Here, this is your credit card. I think you need to buy yourself some cosmetics, a change of clothes, shoes, and socks before you can start looking for a job.” With that, Zhang Cheng’s follower took out a credit card with a regular limit from his pocket and threw it on the table, while giving the other person a meaningful look.

Since her original T-shirt and denim shorts were tattered beyond recognition, Grace was now wearing an oversized men's white shirt, through which her alluring curves could be vaguely discerned.

As a fairly experienced adult male, he was confident that he was probably wearing nothing underneath his shirt.

"Th...thank you!" The girl undoubtedly realized this as well, and her face flushed slightly.

There was no other way; there were no women's clothes in the entire house, and she couldn't keep walking around in a bathrobe, so a relatively neutral shirt naturally became the first choice.

Just as the atmosphere was starting to get increasingly strange, a knock on the door suddenly broke the silence.

boom! boom! boom!

Without thinking twice, Zhang Cheng instinctively got up and opened the door, only to see a slightly overweight middle-aged man standing there. He was none other than Paulman, the lawyer who walked the line between the underworld and the world of ordinary people.

“Aha! Good afternoon, sir. I’ve come specifically to inform you that all the follow-up troubles have been resolved, and you are now free to return to your home on the Upper East Side to reunite with your ‘mother’.” The lawyer stated his purpose with a smile.

However, Zhang Cheng didn't believe the other party's excuse at all, and scoffed, "Notify me? You're probably just eager to get your payment, aren't you?"

"Hehe! Since you've seen through it, I won't beat around the bush. Anyway, four gold dinars are nothing more than a drop in the ocean, a grain of sand in an endless sea to you." Seeing that his little trick had been exposed, Polman simply admitted it openly.

"Come in, I happen to have something I need your help with." Zhang Cheng gestured for him to come in and turned to walk towards the basement.

"It's my pleasure to serve you!" The lawyer bowed slightly, quickly followed behind, and closed the door behind him.

Upon entering the living room and noticing Gracie in her white shirt, a knowing glint appeared in his eyes. He lowered his voice and teased, "Your Highness, Wizard, your methods are truly remarkable. You managed to win over such a young and beautiful blonde in just one night."

"How do you know I've won her over?" Zhang Cheng asked without turning his head.

Without a second thought, Polman replied, “That’s easy! She’s already wearing your shirt, and women only wear men’s shirts in one situation: after they’ve slept together.”

"Hahahaha!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but burst into laughter, shaking his head as he laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, the reason she wore a shirt wasn't because we slept together, but because she had no other clothes to wear. Besides, whether you believe it or not, I won't touch her. Because she's bait. Have you ever seen anyone take the bait themselves when fishing?"

"Bait?" Polman looked puzzled.

“Yes! Bait! In the demons’ minds, letting a sacrifice escape is an indelible shame. They will do everything in their power to bring back or kill the escaped sacrifice. All I need to do is keep an eye on this girl, and I can set a trap and wait for the demons to obediently walk in.”

As he said this, Zhang Cheng's eyes gleamed with a light that was hard to tell whether it was excitement or anticipation.

As for what the trap was, he didn't say, or rather, he never intended to tell anyone...

Chapter 0073 The Value of Alchemy (Part 1)

There is never love without a reason, nor is there hatred without a reason, and there is no such thing as a "free lunch".

From the very beginning, Zhang Cheng had made up his mind to take advantage of Grace, which is why he provided her with free lodging, food, and even money.

Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't let any strangers get close to him, much less act like some lust-driven idiots who get aroused at the sight of a woman with a bit of looks.

His way of thinking is very simple: do what is beneficial to him and try to avoid what is not.

He didn't care at all whether it would cause harm to others...

As a middle-aged man who had experienced the ways of the world, Polman sensed a chilling madness and indifference in the words. He instinctively shuddered, quickly lowered his head to avoid eye contact, and followed behind without saying a word.

The two of them, one in front of the other, quickly arrived at the outermost room in the basement.

Zhang Cheng casually picked up a bottle of prepared basic healing potion from the shelf and handed it to the lawyer. The lawyer took it and shook it gently, then asked in a somewhat uncertain tone, "This is... a magic potion?"

"I guess so! Its function is that no matter how severe the external injury, just one bottle will stop the bleeding immediately, and it can also speed up wound healing. This bottle is for you, you can try it yourself," Zhang Cheng introduced casually.

"Oh? Really!" Polman was clearly surprised.

However, his hesitation did not last long. Just a few seconds later, he picked up a small knife used for cutting herbs and forcefully cut open his left arm.

moment!