What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

Lena nestled in Leon's arms, feeling as if she were curled up in a warm cradle. She curiously stroked the white fur on Leon's neck. The fur that grew after Leon's transformation was very smooth and soft, with an excellent feel.

Leon felt a tingling, itchy sensation when touched, which was actually quite comfortable. He didn't know if it was because his senses had changed after transforming into this form, or because of the aura emanating from Lena.

“Let me ride on your shoulders,” Lena added.

"Yes." Leon lifted Lena high like he was holding a child, and then let her sit on his shoulders.

This height made Lena instinctively hug Leon's head tighter, then she laughed happily and began to stroke Leon's head repeatedly: "Good boy!"

Watching Leon, transformed into a werewolf, act like a giant doll at her mercy felt incredibly strange to her.

Lena gently stroked Leon's head and suddenly asked softly, "Leon, answer me seriously, do you really like me, or are you just responding to my feelings because I like you?"

Leon was surprised to hear this, but upon reflection, he realized that he had never truly expressed his feelings to Lena, which explained why she felt insecure.

He paused for a moment before replying, "Before I met you, I lived a muddled life. After meeting you, I've experienced so much in the past year, and I feel like I've truly lived. You were always by my side when I was most helpless. Of course I like you, Lena."

Whether or not he was hypnotized, these were his honest thoughts, and he said them without the slightest hesitation.

Lena was overjoyed to hear this and happily ruffled Leon's hair. After a while, she said to Leon, "Put me down."

Leon carefully lifted Lena down. After Lena was put down, she still looked at Leon with a smile, then hugged him again and rubbed her face against his chest.

Why are you acting like a little kid?

Leon chuckled inwardly. He had wanted to see if Lena would do anything strange, but her interactions with him were surprisingly innocent.

Even after transforming into a succubus, Lena was still the innocent and romantic girl he knew.

That's not bad.

"Okay, wake up now." Lena tried clapping her hands.

Leon feigned a dazed look, blinking repeatedly at Lena as if he'd just woken up from a dream, feigning complete confusion: "What just happened? Was I hypnotized? What did you do to me?"

Seeing Leon's reaction, Lena gave a cryptic smile: "Guess."

"Did you do something strange to me?" Leon touched himself, even tugging at his pants. "You didn't peek, did you?"

"How could that be!" Lena slapped Leon, somewhat annoyed.

After taking the picture, she stole another glance.

"So what exactly did you do?" Leon asked, suppressing a laugh.

"It was nothing, I just touched the hair on your neck," Lena replied, looking away.

"Is that really it?" Leon asked Lena for confirmation.

"It's fine this time, but it might not be the same next time," Lena said with a smug smile.

It seemed Lena truly believed this ability would work on him. Perhaps after a few more performances, he could entice her to do even more reckless things. Leon pondered to himself.

Just then, both of them began to feel that the magic power in their bodies was starting to subside.

"This transformation seems to have a time limit."

Leon sensed something and simply let the magic subside like the receding tide. His body quickly returned to normal, and Lena also returned to her original appearance.

“We’ll test this ability more carefully later, and don’t let anyone else know about it. Let’s close that secret room later and not go near it for now,” Leon said.

In any case, it's a good thing that the power of blessing has been enhanced; this ability may become their trump card in the future.

"What about the shapeshifters inside?" Lena asked.

The shapeshifter was cursed by Leon and was temporarily petrified.

“After I break the curse, see if you can control it to come out on its own. I’m thinking of finding a secluded spot in the maze to keep it there for now,” Leon said after some consideration.

A shapeshifter that can transform into various people or monsters, if controlled, might come in handy in many ways.

Having navigated the maze with some setbacks, they now have to consider their next task.

"Leon, if we're going to move those monsters here to raise them, will we have to live on this island?" Lena asked.

“There are some houses and wells outside the mine. They could be renovated and people could live there without any problem. I just don’t know if you would mind,” Leon said to Lena.

“I’m fine with it, but Leon, are you sure you can manage?” Lena asked.

The count set a target several times higher than their previous output in the Hamel Town labyrinth. To achieve this, Lena would have to spend more energy controlling the monsters and refining magic essence than before. She would also have to mix and sell the potions and find time to research a cure for chlorination disease.

Afterwards, she was too busy to handle the work of raising and slaughtering monsters and processing monster materials in the workshop, so Leon had to take care of it. In addition, she also had to consider the storage and transportation of monster materials and potions, and had to transport things from the docks of Arend Island to various places in Southport County.

Then this area needs to be guarded long-term to prevent outsiders from entering the maze, and at the same time, to monitor for any unexpected monsters that may appear in the maze...

Leon clearly couldn't handle all these tasks alone. On the surface, he was still working at the Inquisition, and traveling between Hamel and Arendt Island was very time-consuming.

With their current production scale encompassing an entire maze, it's no longer as simple as just the two of them running a workshop.

They are currently running a factory with many vacancies and need more manpower. With more manpower, they also need to consider logistical support... And those who help in the maze will be involved in their core production operations, so they must ensure that these people are reliable.

With this in mind, Leon was acutely aware that their business was now completely different from when they were quietly running that studio in the labyrinth of Hamel.

There were still a mountain of problems to deal with, but fortunately they were all just trivial matters that Leon could handle.

“I’ll handle these things, but before that…” Leon glanced around the temple and nodded slightly, then fixed his gaze on Lena, “we need to find some decent clothes to change into first.”

The two looked at each other and smiled helplessly. Both Leon and Rena's clothes were tattered after they had transformed back to normal.

Chapter 109 Selecting Subordinates

Some time later, in a dilapidated house at the abandoned docks of Arend Island, Leon surveyed the fifteen people lined up in front of him across an iron table. Father Auden stood to his left, while Lena, whose face was covered, stood behind him.

In terms of production, Leon has transferred all the monsters he raised from the depleted Hamel Town maze to the cleaned Arend Island maze.

The monsters are in excellent condition in the new dungeon, and Lena has confirmed that they have begun to generate new magic energy.

The Arend Island maze was undoubtedly a viable production base to support their business, but to properly manage the maze, they needed to deploy new personnel on this side of the island.

In terms of sheer numbers, Leon has quite a few people at his disposal.

In terms of sales, thanks to the list provided by Father Auden, he has essentially taken over the part of the Southport County market that originally belonged to Mr. Henry Porter the Griffin. The potions ordered by those noble and wealthy clients are now mostly made by him and Lena.

The additional funds were enough to cover their operating expenses, and there was even a considerable profit.

In the process of expanding his business, Leon had Father Auden recruit more people to handle miscellaneous tasks such as transportation, errands, and rendezvous. Most of them were former subordinates of Potter, and together with the mercenaries who served as thugs and guards, the total number of people exceeded fifty.

During this period, he conducted a brief assessment of these people's work, and after discussing it with Father Auden, he selected fifteen of them and summoned them to Arend Island for a final selection.

Most of the dozen or so people present were mercenaries who had participated in the maze clearing mission. They knew that Leon had invested in taking over the maze, but most of them did not know Leon's purpose in taking over the maze, and they were not very familiar with his business of raising monsters and producing magic elements in the maze.

When they are selected to participate in core production operations, they will inevitably come into contact with this confidential information.

"You fifteen people here are the ones I've carefully selected from my recent business dealings. I plan to assign you to work on this island, and I won't force you to live here. You can work in shifts. As for your compensation, it will be at least twice what you're currently receiving."

Leon's opening remarks elicited excitement from his subordinates, but Leon gestured for them to calm down. "There are many positions here, but they can be broadly divided into two categories: those inside the maze and those outside. As you all know, I spent a considerable amount of money to acquire this maze, and it is extremely important to our business."

Some people in the room nodded subconsciously upon hearing this, and looked at Leon with a hint of awe.

They knew how Mr. Fenrir conquered the labyrinth; during the first clearing of the labyrinth, Mr. Fenrir dealt with the pack of wolves without losing a single soldier.

Later, due to the appearance of that earth dragon, a young man who went to scout ahead was killed, and the mission failed. Mr. Fenrir not only still paid them their commission, but also gave them compensation in accordance with the contract.

Just when they thought Fenrir had given up on the maze because he couldn't capture the earth dragon, only two days later they saw Fenrir bring a few more people to the island, and then those people entered the maze with Mr. Fenrir.

After several terrifying dragon roars echoed through the maze, while they were still wondering about Fenrir and the others' fate, Mr. Fenrir calmly walked out and beckoned them to come in and help.

When they went in, the earth dragon that they thought was absolutely unkillable was already dead. In the end, its body was cut into many pieces and carried out of the maze.

“The jobs inside the maze are the most crucial part. Simply put, we’ll be raising monsters here, and many of you should have experience in this area,” Leon said, pausing for a moment. “The basic compensation is five times that of a regular contract, with additional bonuses for unforeseen circumstances and missions.”

The subordinates present gasped in astonishment. Five times the pay meant more than 20,000 pfennigs a month, which meant that their stable monthly income alone was more than what they earned from risking their lives.

Being involved in organized crime doesn't mean you can make a lot of money by taking risks. Most people in this industry simply don't have any skills in legitimate business. They risk their lives to make a living in this way so they can at least have a chance to live a decent life. Some people have been to prison and have criminal records, so they don't even have much of a chance to make a legitimate living in their local area.

The wages for long-term hired bodyguards and thugs are not much higher than those for guards. Twenty thousand pfennigs a month is probably a salary that most officers in the empire do not receive!

"Currently, there are five open positions. The work is not complicated, but it will involve a lot of things that cannot be said. Therefore, I only select absolutely trustworthy candidates. The cadres in charge of affairs in various districts will also be selected from this group of people first."

Leon's gaze swept over the group, and everyone looked back at him with eager eyes, their gazes conveying the same message: "Choose me!"

Then, Leon expressionlessly took out five small glass bottles containing a dark red liquid from his person and placed them on the table. Under the puzzled gazes of everyone, he explained, "These bottles contain a special kind of potion. Drinking it directly is fine, but if it's triggered by a witch's power..."

Leon winked at Lena behind him. Lena stepped forward, picked up a small bottle, and the blood inside turned purplish-red, emitting an aura that evoked a sense of primal fear.

The thugs present all showed expressions of fear. They had all seen Mr. Fenrir use this terrifying potion, which could turn people and even dire wolves into stone on the spot.

And this potion seems to have been made by the mysterious witch who collaborated with Mr. Fenrir!

Some of the quick-witted subordinates realized why Mr. Fenrir had taken out these potions, and their expressions changed.

"The selection criteria are simple: whoever drinks these potions first will get these core positions," Leon said calmly.

The scene fell into a deathly silence.

Leon had anticipated this reaction, so he didn't say anything to persuade him, but simply stood there and waited silently.

After the power of blessing grew, he further experimented with his cursed blood and discovered more interesting changes.

In the past, his cursed blood would gradually lose its effect after feeding it to creatures for about two days. But now, when he feeds his cursed blood to those creatures, he can continuously sense magical fluctuations from the target that resonate with him, and this sensing distance can be very far. This means that he can also mark and locate the creatures that have been fed the poisoned blood to a certain extent.

Even after many days have passed, as long as the other party is within the range where he can manipulate magic, he can poison them at any time.

Leon suspects that his cursed blood has grown into a special kind of creature that can not only sense his will but also live parasitically in the target's body for a long time.

Through a series of experiments, he confirmed that it was possible to control others long-term with the blood of the curse to prevent them from betraying him.

Now that the labyrinth is about to officially begin operations, he doesn't have time to conduct long-term assessments of his recruited subordinates. Therefore, he decides to try this method to select five people to work on their core business. Those who are willing to drink the blood of the curse are essentially entrusting their lives to him temporarily, which greatly reduces the possibility of betrayal.

After discussing it, Leon and Lena decided to make everyone believe that the potion and the ability to trigger it were in the hands of Lena, who was a witch. This would be more credible and would also allow Lena to directly command the people in the core positions of the labyrinth.

Now, these subordinates are no less in awe of Lena than they are of Leon, and even more wary of her. This witch can not only easily poison people, but also control that pack of dangerous demon wolves!

When Leon stated his conditions, everyone hesitated noticeably, and no one stepped forward for a long while. Most of them were willing to fight with guns, but drinking this terrible potion was equivalent to having a gun pointed at their heads to do things, which was a completely different matter.

Father Auden leaned closer to him and whispered, "It seems this method might not be effective in recruiting anyone."

Leon did not answer, and he did not intend to relax his conditions if no one else responded. At this critical juncture, the initial operation of the maze could not afford to be betrayed.

At that moment, Simon, standing in the crowd, suddenly took a deep breath, made up his mind, stepped forward, and said, "I'll do it!"

Everyone else looked at him with surprise.

Simon ignored the stares, picked up a bottle, and solemnly said to Leon and Rena, "My life was saved by Mr. Fenrir and Miss! Mr. Fenrir has always treated us well and always keeps his word. I am willing to follow you forever!"

He still bore scars on his wrists, cheeks, and neck from the acid mist of the earth dragon. He was about to be eaten by the earth dragon when he was escaping in the maze, but Leon used a potion to slightly hinder it, and Lena used a dire wolf to drag him out of the maze when he couldn't get up.

The gratitude he felt for saving his life made him willing to believe in the man and the witch before him.

Moreover, he keenly sensed that Mr. Fenrir was clearly about to take over the market and territory of Southport County and would have the opportunity to expand his power. The sooner he pledged allegiance, the greater his chance of climbing to the top!

Leon smiled at Simon: "Don't be so polite, just drink up!"

Simon smiled sheepishly, then closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and gulped down the entire medicine from the bottle.

The medicine didn't taste as strange as he had imagined; it just had a strong, bloody smell.

After finishing the medicine, Simon nodded solemnly to Leon, put down the bottle, and prepared to leave. Leon suddenly said, "Wait a minute."

Simon looked surprised, and Leon said, "You've been a monster hunter, so you must have experience raising monsters, right?"

Simon nodded.

“That’s perfect.” Leon waved to Father Auden and held up three fingers.

Father Auden silently took out a gold certificate worth 30,000 and handed it to Simon.

"I'll give you a month's basic commission in advance. I'm appointing you as the supervisor. The others will follow your orders. You'll lead your team to take charge of raising the monsters and patrolling the maze for security." Leon looked into Simon's eyes and said, "Do a good job, and your salary will increase by 50% in six months."

Simon's leading role is crucial; he must offer sufficient terms.

Simon, holding the gold voucher, beamed with delight and nodded repeatedly to Leon: "Mr. Fenrir, I won't let you down!!"

He thought of something and turned to look at the crowd. There were several of his men there, and it would be best if these people were willing to work with him.

Two of Simon's men had already been tempted, and seeing their boss's signal, they made up their minds, strode forward, and picked up the bottle.

Inspired by these people, many of the remaining observers and hesitants could no longer sit still. Several people took a tentative step forward at the same time, and when they realized how many competitors there were, they began to rush over.

Two people managed to grab the medicine bottle, and the rest were about to wrest it from them when Leon coldly said, "That's enough. Whoever gets it first keeps it. No fighting."

Those who managed to grab the medicine bottles first beamed with joy, while the others could only retreat, either dejectedly or regretfully.

Even if it's the same thing, as long as there are people flocking to it, its value in the eyes of others will increase significantly.