NOVEL NEXT Chapter 129: [Blue Ice Potion] Completed!
Emma slowly sat down on the sofa. Her delicate face looked dazzling in the sunlight from the window.
Ethan glanced at her a couple more times. He had to admit, no one could match Emma's looks.
If she became a movie star, she wouldn't need any acting skills. That face alone would be enough.
But Emma wasn't just a pretty face. She was smart and capable. From Ethan's attitude just now, she already sensed this talk wouldn't go smoothly.
Sure enough, after she stated why she came, Ethan refused without hesitation and said:
"Sorry, it's hard for me to help you with potion formulas."
"Hard?" Emma asked softly.
Hard, not impossible.
From her experience, [Windchaser] was trying to use her need to raise the price.
So she asked directly: "If it's about money, just name your price. Veritas Snow Group will make sure you're satisfied."
Ethan slowly shook his head. What he needed was to grow stronger in the real world and cure a real-world illness.
For Ethan, who didn't have much time left and wasn't strong enough to protect himself, more money was useless.
So he said: "This isn't about money. If it were something else, I could help you for Lucas's sake."
"Not this."
Hearing Ethan mention his name, Lucas looked up instinctively, then said to Emma:
"Sis, intel on potion recipes is really rare. And once it shows up, a lot of people fight over it. You know what happened last time."
By "last time," Lucas meant the threats he received before the intel auction.
Emma knew about that incident, but she still felt something was off about why [Windchaser] turned her down.
She slowly leaned forward, trying to take the lead in the talk, and suddenly asked:
"Is it because of Ethan?"
The room fell silent.
Ethan smiled but didn't answer.
He knew Emma would think along those lines. It couldn't be helped.
Emma took a deep breath. Under normal circumstances, there was no conflict between her and [Windchaser].
Unless someone else was the reason he refused her.
And besides Ethan, she couldn't think of anyone else.
It seemed there was some kind of link between Ethan and [Windchaser], or maybe they were part of the same secret group.
Back when Ethan was kidnapped with Dr. Axel, he clearly wasn't just an ordinary patient.
Emma thought for a moment and asked directly, "Who are you? And why do you want to work with me?"
Ethan kept smiling and said, "That's not important. What matters is there's a chance to gain power in the real world right in front of you. Are you going to ignore it?"
Emma slowly looked up at Lucas. A hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, then she said:
"I agree to work with Ethan."
Ethan spread his hands. "I think you should go talk to Mr. Ethan yourself—and be polite. This time, you lost."
Emma froze for a second.
She had lost, indeed. Ethan had told her to take some time and think it over.
But it hadn't even been a day, and she was already thinking about going back to him to agree to the deal.
That meant in future work, Ethan would be the one calling the shots. And that made her uncomfortable.
After all, in Emma's eyes, whether it was real-world business or potion research, she was better than most.
She should be the one leading the partnership, not Ethan, who was a patient.
Emma slowly stood up. She didn't answer Ethan. She looked at Lucas and said, "Veritas Snow Group has a dedicated gaming division. Their highest-level player is already level 15."
"If you want, I can put those people under your management."
Lucas shook his head without hesitation. He had just been discussing with Sylvan how to properly help Ethan.
So what if they were level 15? Lucas felt [Windchaser] was surely stronger than those players, even if he didn't know [Windchaser]'s current level.
This trust was built over many events.
Also, Lucas was worried [Windchaser] might not let him handle things anymore. He said to Emma, unhappy:
"Sis, I have things I want to do, and I can do them well. Please don't interfere with my decisions."
Emma sighed, glanced back at Ethan, and then walked out of the [Tower of Fates].
She needed to think: keep spending time looking for another way, or swallow her pride, go to Ethan, and agree to work together.
As Emma was thinking, Ethan suddenly called out, "I have a question I'm curious about. Can you answer it?"
Emma stopped and asked, puzzled, "What is it?"
Ethan said, "What's the quality of your talent?"
Emma thought for a moment and told him directly.
A gold-quality talent was very rare. In all of Safe Zone 9527, no one had heard of another player with a gold-quality talent.
Lucas's eyes went wide. "Sis, how is your talent quality so high? Mine is only purple!"
Ethan wasn't surprised by Emma's talent quality. He thought to himself:
"As expected, the intel was right. The gold-quality talent [Ice Queen] should be a great match for [Ice Calamity]."
"Maybe it won't be long before Emma fully becomes [Ice Calamity]."
Before that, Ethan could give Emma a reminder or a hint in the real world. If she makes it out alive, she'll owe him a favor.
After Emma left, Lucas lingered awkwardly by Ethan's side, unwilling to go.
Ethan asked helplessly, "What's up with you?"
Lucas scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "Lately Sylvan and I have been pretty free, nothing much to do. So I wanted to ask if you have anything we can help with."
He added: "Don't worry, we'll do a great job with whatever you assign."
Lucas didn't say the one condition: whatever [Windchaser] asked shouldn't involve supernatural powers in the real world.
Ethan thought for a moment. He was about to visit Elise and might not find all the materials for the [Saint Healer's Secret Formula]. He could have Lucas and Sylvan look for them.
So Ethan said, "Hold on a bit. I may have something for you and Sylvan to handle."
Lucas lit up, thumped his chest, and said:
"Ethan, Sylvan, Lucian, and I will definitely help you get it done!"
Ethan smiled and nodded. Who would have thought that in the real world, Lucas—the younger brother of Veritas Snow Group's president—would get excited just for the chance to help him.
…
Safe Zone 9527, inside Elise's item shop.
As soon as Ethan walked in, he noticed his shoes had picked up a lot of dust. Elise was sitting behind the counter looking worn out.
Ethan thought something might have gone wrong with her work on the [Blue Ice Potion], so he hurried to the counter.
Elise looked up and saw him. Her expression eased a little, and she said:
"[Windchaser], are you here about the [Blue Ice Potion]?"
Ethan nodded. He was about to answer when Elise, still annoyed, went on:
"You really don't care about me at all. If I'd known, I would've slacked off a bit. Then I wouldn't have pulled all-nighters every day trying to make the [Blue Ice Potion]."
Ethan ignored her complaining and asked directly how the [Blue Ice Potion] research was going.
Elise slowly took out a vial glowing with a bright blue light from under the counter, handed it to him, and said:
"Here, your precious potion. I've barely run the shop these days just to make this. I lost a lot of money—I can hardly pay the rent."
Ethan took the [Blue Ice Potion] and examined it.
[Blue Ice Potion]
[Quality]: Blue-quality
[Requirements]: None
[Effect]: After use, permanently increases a random attribute by 1–3 points.
[Note]: Don't take it when you're having bad luck.
Yes, this matched the [Blue Ice Potion Recipe Intel]. It could raise a random attribute.
Ethan quickly looked at Elise and asked, "So, for the Blue Ice Potion's materials, do you think any of them can be replaced with other materials?"
"Or are there any that are essential and can't be swapped out?"
Elise rolled her eyes at him again and sighed. "[Windchaser], are you even listening to me? I've hardly sold anything while studying the [Blue Ice Potion]!"
Ethan thought for a moment and said calmly, "Answer my questions. I have a way to let you make a ton of money in one go."
Elise's eyes widened, and she looked at him more seriously.
She figured Ethan was just bragging. After all, nothing big had happened lately in the Ice City settlement or around Safe Zone 9527, so players weren't coming to buy her items.