Spellcasting Gods

Crimson blood gushed from the deep wound that exposed bone.

The intense pain contorted the lawyer's face as he pulled out the stopper, tilted his head back, and poured the entire contents of the medicine down his throat.

In the blink of an eye, abundant vitality flowed through the digestive system to the whole body, and the wound that was still bleeding profusely began to stop bleeding and scab over quickly, leaving only a red mark in the end.

Clearly, the wound from that incident was not beyond the healing limits of a basic healing potion; otherwise, while it would have stopped the bleeding, the wound would not have healed so quickly.

Polman stared wide-eyed at the arm still stained with blood, and immediately exclaimed, "Incredible! Absolutely incredible! Did you concoct this potion? Do you know alchemy?"

Zhang Cheng smiled and nodded: "That's right, I made it. So, what do you think would be a suitable price if we were to sell it to the public?"

"For sale?! My God! Don't you know? Potions have always been the most sought-after item in the underworld! Without a doubt! The current councilman, Miles, who controls the entire Brooklyn district, won over most of the lords with his superb alchemy skills and eventually rose to power. My suggestion is that you could use alchemy to secure a territory for yourself first, instead of using it to make money." Polman waved his arms excitedly.

"Territory? What's the use of it?" Zhang Cheng asked, looking puzzled.

Although he roughly knew that "lords" could enjoy some privileges in their own territories, he was not very clear about the specifics.

"Of course it's useful! As a lord, you can levy a 11% tax within your territory. That means all transactions in the underworld must be paid to the lord. Secondly, a lord has the right to participate in the annual auction, where countless rare treasures and even rare slaves will appear. Finally, and most importantly, only by becoming a lord can you participate in the war game and compete for a seat in the council. Don't you crave immense power?"

While saying these words, Polman carefully observed Zhang Cheng's reaction.

In his eyes, this was an opportunity, a chance to escape his awkward status and climb the social ladder. Once he missed it, he probably would never have another chance in his life.

As a nobody who is summoned and dismissed at will by lords, he dreams of gaining power and status in the underworld.

Zhang Cheng stroked his chin and considered for a moment, then immediately shook his head with a smile: "Hehe, it sounds interesting. But the problem is, there are already twenty-two lords in Brooklyn, and I'm afraid there won't be any extra territory left for me. Besides, I don't have the time or energy to deal with all sorts of messy things."

“No, my dear sir. You probably don’t know this yet, but Congressman Miles’ life is coming to an end soon. The lords of Brooklyn will soon be at war. Some of them will die, some will be exiled, and a very few will rise to the position of congressman. At that time, many territories will be vacant. As for the management, you don’t need to worry at all; just find a good helper.” With that, Polman suddenly raised his head, his eyes revealing undisguised desire and ambition.

"Do you understand what you're doing?" Zhang Cheng curled up his lips, a playful expression on his face.

Through the brief conversation, he suddenly realized that there must be very few people in this world who are capable of concocting magical potions, so he might be able to use his alchemy skills to achieve some special purpose.

In addition, there is another very important piece of information: the Brooklyn underworld is about to undergo a power reshuffle, and the recent anomalies are most likely related to the struggle between the lords.

Polman assured him confidently, "Yes! I understand what I'm doing! Your Excellency! Please give me a chance! I will prove myself with my actions!"

“Alright, let’s give it a try. Anyway, there’s not much to lose if we fail. But let me make this clear: what you’re doing is your own business and has nothing to do with me. If you encounter any danger, I won’t come back to save you. Tell me, how do you plan to operate?” Zhang Cheng asked as he tossed the ground root grass and silver leaf grass he had just collected yesterday into a beaker and stirred it gently in front of the other person.

Once the solution inside turns yellowish-green, quickly light the alcohol lamp to heat it. After about ten seconds, the solution begins to emit a faint, pungent smell. Then, after another three or four minutes, the solution gradually becomes viscous.

Just as it was about to solidify, he precisely injected arcane energy into it.

moment!

The yellow-green jelly evaporated into a gaseous state!

Without saying a word, Zhang Cheng picked up the funnel placed on the alchemy table, covered the beaker, and poured the yellowish-green gas little by little into the test tube through the small opening at the top, sealing it up.

After the gas in the test tube cools down, it condenses into a clear and transparent liquid, which is the famous Lion King's Might potion of Azeroth.

Don't be fooled by the fact that it only provides players with a paltry four points of strength in the game. According to Zhang Cheng's tests, an average human farmer in Azeroth has at most ten points of strength, and an untrained Earthling is even worse, with only eight to nine points.

A bottle of Lion King's Strength Potion is equivalent to giving the drinker half the strength of an adult, and it often plays an unexpected role, especially in close combat.

Chapter 0074 The Value of Alchemy (Part 2)

"Is this... another new potion?" Polman asked tentatively, not entirely sure.

He stared intently at the Lion King's Power potion in the bottle, his eyes revealing an undisguised greed.

Carefully placing the sealed potion bottle alongside other magical potions on the nearby shelf, Zhang Cheng turned around and nodded: "That's right! Each of these different colored potions you see has a different effect. For example, the red potion you just tried heals; this yellowish-green potion grants the drinker extra muscle strength. Besides, the black potion makes skin and muscles more resilient, the dark green potion provides continuous regeneration, and the emerald green potion increases a person's agility..."

Before he could finish introducing all the potions, Polman couldn't help but interrupt, "Wait! If I may ask, how many kinds of potions can you actually concoct?"

"Hmm... there are probably about twenty kinds so far." Zhang Cheng pondered for a moment before quickly giving his answer.

Because he has been concocting a large number of low-level potions recently, his alchemy skills have now reached a level close to intermediate, which should be around 150 proficiency points according to the specific numbers in the game. However, due to the slow growth cycle of some high-level herbs, he can only concoct a few of the lowest-level potions for the time being.

"What?!?!" Polman exclaimed, his voice rising an octave in disbelief, followed by rapid-fire muttering to himself, "Unbelievable! Twenty! You can actually concoct twenty different potions with varying effects? Even Councilor Miles can only concoct six!"

"Oh? Tell me, what are the effects of the potions this councilor concocted?" Zhang Cheng asked with great interest.

His current research topic of greatest interest is comparing the use of supernatural forces in Azeroth and this world, identifying similarities and differences, and ultimately learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses to make it his own.

However, the research is still in its early stages, and he hasn't even figured out what the faint, unusual energy permeating the air is or how to utilize it.

"As far as I know, Senator Miles can concoct six potions: Dream, Death, Illusion, Metamorphosis, Petrification, and Energy Amplification."

The first type allows the user to enter a dream state while fully conscious, typically used to explore important forgotten memories or to stimulate abilities within the subconscious.

The second type is extremely special. It can stop a living person's breathing and heartbeat for a short period of time, allowing them to walk in the world as a living dead. During this period, no matter how great the injury to the body is, the person will not die, as long as the damaged parts are repaired or replaced before the drug's effects wear off.

The third type of vision allows the drinker to see the boundaries between overlapping worlds, and even connecting passages. As we all know, since the war with Hell and Heaven, the worlds of the three realms have been torn apart to varying degrees, and these torn parts have slowly evolved into numerous smaller spaces. Some of these have already been discovered, while others remain hidden in endless darkness. Only with the help of the Vision Potion can the Council find those hidden spaces.

The fourth type of transformation, as the name suggests, causes the user's body to grow to a gigantic size in a short period of time, gaining power and destructive force far exceeding that of a normal state.

The fifth type of petrification is similar, except that the giantification results in complete petrification, thus gaining unparalleled resistance to attacks.

But the last one—energy amplification—is different; it can greatly increase the power of energy release in all forms. In the underworld, almost no lord can resist its allure.

Of course, all of the above are just rumors. After all, I'm just an insignificant nobody, not qualified to access potions, and unable to ascertain how much of it is exaggerated.

As he spoke, Polman moved closer to the alchemy table, extending his stubby fingers to gently caress the test tubes filled with various liquids, as if he were treating a lover.

For him, these medicines meant more than just wealth and power; they meant the beginning of a change in his destiny...

Zhang Cheng stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment, and then looked up at the lawyer, asking in an extremely solemn tone, "Can you arrange a meeting for me?"

"A meeting? With whom?" Polman was clearly taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant and exclaimed with his mouth agape, "Oh no! You don't mean you want to meet with Congressman Miles, do you?"

"Why not?" Zhang Cheng asked with a half-smile. "As you can see, he knows alchemy, and so do I. Perhaps we can exchange experiences and knowledge."

“No! No! No!” Polman shook his head frantically, explaining, “These are sensitive times! Anyone who comes into contact with Senator Miles will inevitably be targeted by the lords of Brooklyn. I don’t want to die, and I certainly don’t want to stir up this hornet’s nest. If you want those formulas, you can simply wait until he’s dead and get them directly from the new senator. After all, besides you, there won’t be another person in all of New York who knows alchemy by then.”

“I see…” Zhang Cheng’s face showed a look of sudden realization. He then opened a drawer, grabbed a few gold dinars, and casually tossed them to the lawyer behind him. “Your payment. Now our debts are settled.”

Polman caught it with ecstatic joy, sticking out his disgusting tongue and licking the surface of the gold coin repeatedly, like a complete fetishist.

However, upon closer observation, it can be observed that as the number of times it is touched increases, the mysterious energy stored inside the gold dinar begins to gradually dissipate, eventually turning it into an ordinary gold coin.

After finishing all this, he reluctantly stuffed the remaining gold dinars into his pocket, took out a tissue to wipe his drool, and said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, I haven't absorbed any energy for three whole months, so I really couldn't control myself."

Zhang Cheng shrugged dismissively: "It's okay! But I'm a little curious, is this part of your ability?"

“Yes! My ability is to modify the memories of ordinary people. Each modification consumes a corresponding amount of energy, and I cannot obtain energy myself. I can only rely on absorbing gold dinars to recover. Therefore, gold dinars are not only wealth to me, but also the source of power. If I cannot absorb energy for a long time, my body will age rapidly and I will die.” Polman made no attempt to hide anything, even revealing his weakness.

His intention was simple: to bring the two of them closer. Sometimes, only when one person knows another's weakness can they trust that person completely.

Chapter 0075 The Value of Alchemy (Part 2)

Several hours later, in the witch's private bedroom in the basement of the restaurant, Catherine was carefully examining bottles of magical potions of various colors. It took her a full forty minutes before she put down her tools, a delighted smile playing on her lips. "Fantastic! Although I can't discern the ingredients at all, there's no doubt that each one has excellent effects. I never imagined my lovely little wizard was actually so skilled in alchemy!"

“No, madam, I think it’s too early to say. Just because Zhang can produce potions doesn’t mean he can make them. It’s very possible that he obtained the finished product from someone else,” Karls, who had been waiting nearby for a while, offered a different opinion.

As an assistant and servant, his duty was to stand in a different light and help the mistress analyze various possibilities, rather than simply agreeing with her.

Gently fiddling with the medicine bottle, Catherine asked without looking up, "Polman, is there anything you want to say?"

"Of course! My esteemed lord! I swear on my life that I witnessed Zhang concocting one of the potions with my own eyes. He is definitely a wizard who has mastered alchemy." The lawyer quickly stepped forward and gave his assurance with absolute certainty.

Zhang Cheng probably never imagined that the lawyer who had been discussing with him how to use alchemy to seize a territory not long ago would turn around and betray him...

"Oh? I saw it with my own eyes!" Catherine's eyes lit up slightly.

Polman quickly nodded: "Yes! He concocted several bottles of those magic potions that can increase muscle strength in less than ten minutes! In addition, he said that he has at least twenty different magic potion recipes and hopes to meet with Councilor Miles to discuss experience and techniques."

Catherine seemed to have made a connection, and a playful look quickly appeared on her face: "Then tell me, Polman, based on your observations, is he ambitious? Does he crave power?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, all I can tell you is that he's not particularly enthusiastic about power, but he has an extraordinary thirst for knowledge and strength, coupled with an incredibly cold and mad heart, making it difficult to give a specific assessment. Treating him like a servant or subordinate is definitely not the way to go," the lawyer said, adjusting his glasses and giving a serious warning.

"You mean Zhang can't be won over or subdued, right?" Karls interjected, frowning.

“That’s right! To be precise, you can’t be won over in the long term! Because once Zhang’s thirst for knowledge and power can no longer be satisfied, he will quickly lose interest in you.” Polman gave his assessment without hesitation.

It must be said that although the two had only known each other for a very short time, he saw through Zhang Cheng's personality at a glance.

The witch returned to the sofa, crossed her legs encased in black stockings, and chuckled softly, "Hehehe, sounds quite amusing. Karl, what do you think?"

The latter stroked his beard and pondered for a few seconds before offering a meaningful suggestion: "Since Zhang craves knowledge and power, we might as well give him those first. As a wizard who possesses alchemy, he'll inevitably attract the attention of the High Council sooner or later. What we need to do is use him to clear obstacles on his path to power before that happens. Besides, judging from how easily he gave a large quantity of potions to a stranger he'd only known for a few days, I'm starting to believe he truly comes from some secluded place."

“Well said! Based on my observations these past few days, he spends all his time hiding in the villa studying, researching, and experimenting, completely ignoring what’s happening outside. A person with that kind of personality is simply not suited to be a spy, especially since none of my enemies can command a wizard with alchemy skills to be a spy. It seems that this time, Lady Luck is on my side, isn’t she?” As she finished speaking, a pale purple light flashed in Catherine’s pupils.

"So what do you plan to do with these potions? I promised Zhang I'd get him a piece of land," Polman cautiously reminded him.

Karls glanced at the lawyer with disdain: "Idiot! Where did all your usual cleverness go? Bring all the potions here, and we'll naturally help you deal with them. Once the lady takes down her rival and becomes a senator, will she still be worried about not having territory?"

Catherine nodded approvingly: "Yes! With these potions, I can definitely win over more people! As for the territory, don't worry, I promise to give the cute little wizard the richest territory. After all, he is still so young and has unlimited potential. I wouldn't be foolish enough to make an enemy of a wizard with the potential to become a powerful one for some short-term gains."

Seeing that both men had made their promises, Polman finally breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply with one hand on his chest: "Thank you for your generosity! There is one last thing. From now on, I will no longer provide you with any information about Zhang. Instead, I will actively fight for his interests."

"It's alright, I understand. Congratulations on finally achieving your long-held dream of stepping one foot into the vortex of power. But please remember, the most important thing for a good servant is not flattery, but filling in the gaps in your master's work. You've been in the world of ordinary people for too long, and you're bound to pick up some bad habits, such as selfishness and cunning, or a lack of loyalty. I can tell you very clearly that job-hopping is not common in the underworld. Once your master starts to get tired of you, your life will come to an end."

As he said this, Karls' expression suddenly became extremely serious and earnest, completely devoid of his usual coldness. Instead, it was as if a senior was instructing a junior on how to do his job well.

"Please rest assured, I know what to do." Polman bowed respectfully, then turned and left the room.

For him, the moment he stepped out of the room marked the beginning of a completely new self and a completely new life.

Watching the lawyer's slightly plump figure from behind, Carls suddenly took a deep breath and sighed, "Fate is truly something you can never quite fathom. Who would have thought that a janitor, whose job is to clean up other people's messes, could one day rise above others and become someone of high status..."

"Hmph! Don't be so sentimental, my loyal servant. Believe me, trash like Polman won't go far on the road to power. The underworld has always been about the strong ruling. Without power, what good is climbing high? A simple raid or assassination will cost him everything. My dear little wizard understands this very well." Catherine made no attempt to hide her contempt for Polman.

Karls chuckled and shrugged. "Alright, you're right. Polman's abilities are simply insufficient to protect himself; the higher he climbs, the harder he falls. By the way, what are you planning to do with these potions?"

"Is that even a question? Send some to my allies first, then quietly spread the word that I've contacted an alchemy master. In two or three days at most, those neutral lords will come knocking on my door. By then, the fact that they've chosen sides won't even need the war game to begin..."

Chapter 0076 Attempting to Decipher

If life is a great adventure, then for most ordinary people, the difficulty of this adventure is at most moderate. Although they may encounter all sorts of dangers and hardships along the way, the vast majority of them will eventually reach their final destination.

Of course, if you are born into a powerful family, the difficulty of taking risks may become very low, and you may not even need to work hard to obtain money, power, status, and an enviable luxurious life.

But if you're born in a slum rife with violent crime, or in a war-torn region, the difficulty instantly escalates from ordinary to hell. You might even be shot dead by a bullet that comes out of nowhere before you even reach adulthood, ending this great adventure prematurely.

For Zhang Cheng, his original life path should have been like most people's: a relatively happy childhood, a job that, while not very lucrative, was enough to support himself, and perhaps a few years later, finding a girlfriend, dating, getting married, having children, and living a mundane life step by step.

However, this peaceful period did not last long, and a drunken rant changed everything...

Now, the difficulty of his life's adventures has probably far exceeded what ordinary people can understand, and it seems to have even unleashed the madness that has been suppressed in his subconscious.

Since sending Polman away, he has been studying the notebook filled with mysterious symbols day and night, trying to combine different symbols to see if he can trigger the corresponding magical resonance.