It's so hard being a hero!

The normal recipe uses the blood and soul of a person with strong desires as a catalyst, combined with several rare medicinal herbs.

That drug is addictive and can erode a person's will; it is a common method used by the Temple of Desire to control others.

But Evelyn always changed the most crucial ingredient each time she crafted it.

She replaced the soul catalyst with a simple magic crystal, and replaced all the steps that required extracting the life force of living people with substitutes.

The effect was somewhat less pronounced; the old emperor became addicted much more slowly.

But at least no one died as a result.

Over the years, she has tried her best to minimize the number of deaths in the tasks she has handled.

When she looks for targets, she always picks those who deserve to die, never harming the innocent.

She didn't know why she was doing it.

Perhaps it's because of the half of light attribute within her that's causing this.

Perhaps it was because deep down she always felt that there were some things she shouldn't have done.

Evelyn closed the window and turned back to the bronze mirror.

After thinking for a moment, she reached out, released her magic, and gently stroked the mirror.

The next moment, ripples spread across the mirror, and Lilith's breathtakingly beautiful face appeared in the mirror.

"Mother, I have something to report."

Evelyn said respectfully.

Evelyn never received love from Lilith; all she had was a superior-subordinate mother-daughter relationship.

Lilith asked a question.

"Did you receive the message?"

Evelyn nodded.

Lilith then continued to ask questions.

"Is that girl the same young woman you saw?"

Evelyn paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, it's her."

Lilith lowered her head and thought for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"What a coincidence!"

Evelyn did not respond.

She could feel her mother's gaze on her face, which carried a scrutinizing quality.

"By the way, do you really have a special feeling for her?" Lilith asked again.

Evelyn's body tensed slightly.

Of course she could feel it.

She sensed something was wrong the first time she saw Sophia at the banquet.

That contradictory feeling of both closeness and unease tormented her for several days.

But she didn't know how to tell her mother.

"Mother, what do you need me to do?"

She ultimately avoided the question.

Lilith looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled.

There was something in that smile that made Evelyn instinctively uneasy.

"What for? Hmm, let me think. How about this, I'll send someone to take over your mission. You go to Tianxing Academy and investigate that little girl named Sophia more thoroughly," Lilith said.

Evelyn was taken aback. She had been in the capital for several years and had finally established herself. It seemed inappropriate to suddenly transfer her away.

"Mother, what is this?"

Evelyn was about to say something, but the next moment, Lilith in the mirror suddenly froze, and she suddenly reached out a hand and slapped her hard across the face through the mirror.

"Snapped!"

The slap was hard, leaving a handprint on Evelyn's face.

Evelyn froze.

"You think what you're doing in secret can be slower than what I do? Don't forget, you're my son. Logically speaking, that old emperor should have gone mad long ago."

Lilith gave a cold, sharp reminder.

Evelyn touched her cheek, speechless for a moment.

She knew that her little tricks wouldn't escape Lilith's notice, but she did them anyway.

"Alright, I'll leave it all to Mother's arrangements. Once the replacement arrives, I'll head straight to Tianxing Academy."

Evelyn did not explain, but chose to follow the arrangement.

"Hmph! That's it."

After saying that, Lilith disconnected from her.

Evelyn pursed her lips and then touched her cheek.

Her mother had always been like this; whenever she questioned or rebelled, she would scold her.

It was as if she didn't need to have any other thoughts, she only needed to carry out her orders.

The problem is, she can't do it.

Chapter 86 Trouble is Approaching

Time passed slowly, and before she knew it, Sophia had been living at Tianxing Academy for a month.

She felt that her mindset had become much younger. At first, she was a little unaccustomed to it, but being surrounded by a group of girls and boys and being led by them made it hard not to feel young.

She has now become a well-known figure at the school.

On this day, Sophia was in the medicine laboratory, pondering over medicines.

The pharmacy class only has eight sessions a month, and half of them are theoretical.

Most of the time, I need to use my breaks and rest time to conduct research in the school's pharmacy lab.

The school's pharmacy class was only offered in the second year, and the number of students was very small, with fewer than fifty students in total, including those in the second and third years.

Moreover, there are only two pharmacy teachers, who are responsible for teaching more than fifty students.

These apothecaries are ranked differently from regular mages; they are classified according to levels one through twelve.

The level of apothecary you can create determines your level; it has no absolute relation to your cultivation level.

The problem is that ordinary people lack mental and magical abilities, making it difficult for them to learn how to make magical potions.

So theoretically, ordinary people can learn it, but in reality, it's already a talent for an ordinary person to become a one-hit pharmacist, and the maximum level is at most a level three pharmacist.

At this moment, various tools and medicinal herbs were placed in front of Sophia. She was looking at the potion book and making combinations.

But just then, a loud bang interrupted Sophia's train of thought.

Sophia turned her head to look behind her and saw a green-haired boy looking at the potion synthesis device emitting black smoke in front of him with a frustrated expression.

This green-haired boy is called Norton, and he's arguably the most interesting senior Sophia has encountered since coming to the lab.

He is a second-year student and an advanced wood-type mage. Wood is the most suitable element for becoming a potion master. His potion-making skills have reached level four, which is considered a potion-making genius for his age.

He is currently trying to reach the level of a Level 5 Pharmacist, but has been failing.

Sophia is already able to refine level one potions, which is very fast, considering she has only been learning for a few days at most.

It's currently break time, not class time. Only Sofia and Norton are in the lab.

"Senior Norton, don't worry, there's no use in being anxious. Just calm down."

Sophia offered a word of comfort.

Norton glanced at Sophia, then walked over and couldn't help but mutter a complaint.

"Junior Sophia, I really don't understand what you're thinking. If I had your magical talent, I wouldn't bother with potion studies."

Sophia shook her head, both amused and exasperated. After several encounters, she could tell that Norton genuinely loved potions, and that he wasn't learning potions because he lacked magical talent.

Meanwhile, an uninvited guest arrived outside Tianxing Academy: a young woman with dark golden hair. Upon closer inspection, wasn't this Evelyn?

She really did come to Tianxing Academy, and there was a female teacher waiting for Evelyn at the school gate. When Evelyn arrived, the teacher was very enthusiastic and led her into the academy.

Evelyn, a Level 9 Pharmacist, was hired as a pharmacy instructor at Tianxing Academy.

A level nine pharmacist—that's the highest level pharmacist at Tianxing Academy, high enough to be a director. At such a young age, she's an absolute monster in pharmacy. The school's dean, a Saint Realm mage, Roland, personally received her.

This shows how much the college values ​​her.

On Sophia's side, Norton became even more depressed after being comforted by Sophia.

He scratched his messy green hair, plopped down in the chair opposite Sophia, and let out a long sigh.

"Junior Sophia, it's easy for you to say that when you're not in my shoes."

Norton said with a bitter face.

"You've only been learning potion making for a few days, and you can already make level one potions. I've been stuck at level four for almost a year trying to advance to level five."

Sophia put down the pestle in her hand, looked at Norton's face full of frustration, and couldn't help but smile.

“Senior Norton, you’re already very capable. An eighteen-year-old level four pharmacist is considered a genius on the entire continent. Why do you have to make things so difficult for yourself?”

"You do not understand."

Norton shook his head.

"The advancement of a pharmacist is different from that of a mage. The transition from level four to level five is a hurdle. If you can get past it, you become an intermediate pharmacist. If you can't get past it, you'll be stuck at the low level forever. My family isn't very well-off. If I don't get the level five pharmacist qualification before graduation, I don't know how I'll explain it to my family when I go back."

Sophia paused for a moment after hearing this.