"Really? Can I?" Kenley scratched his head, deliberately putting on a shy and innocent look. Pure, huh? Let's see how much you like it. This wicked woman actually had a thing for innocent young boys. How come he never noticed this back in the game?

  "Of course, giggle~ I never lie." Green rested her chin on her hands, leaning forward on the table as she gazed at Kenley with anticipation. She was curious to see what he would pick.

  "Thank you, Teacher!" Kenley bowed deeply.

  "Hurry up and choose."

  With that, Kenley walked up to the shelf, glancing left and right.

  He appeared hesitant, as if he was unsure of what to pick. Green smiled slightly."Would you like me to give you some hints?"

  Kenley immediately shook his head."Since this is a test from teacher to student, I won't let you down no matter what!" He even made a little cheering gesture on purpose.

  "Alright, I'll wait and see how you do." She chuckled, seeming even more intrigued.

  "Then, Teacher, I'll take this one, this one, and this one!" Kenley pointed to three different-colored bottles.

  One contained a golden liquid, another a crimson-red liquid, and the last one an icy-blue liquid.

  Green was stunned. Her eyes widened in shock!

  By the Mother Goddess… Could he actually be a prodigy in alchemy? The three potions Kenley had just chosen were far from ordinary—they were the best ones in her entire collection!

  First, the golden potion, Blessing of the Sun God, instantly granted the drinker a Light Elemental Shield for three minutes, making them immune to all damage below Tier 7—whether magical or physical, even penetration attacks were nullified.

  Second, the crimson potion, Breath of the Elven Ancestor, instantly restored the drinker to full health and granted a Rebirth effect for three minutes. If the drinker were to suffer a fatal blow within that time, they would be resurrected immediately, with their body and energy completely restored—though the rebirth effect would disappear afterward.

  Finally, the icy-blue potion, Seer's Elixir, greatly enhanced the user's potential for a short time, doubling both magical and physical damage. Moreover, all spells and abilities would have their cooldowns reduced by 50%, and the effect lasted for a full five minutes.

  For the first time, Green truly understood what it meant to feel heartache. Her lips twitched. These potions were made from rare ingredients she had painstakingly acquired from all over the world, each one worth a fortune. Not to mention, their effects were extraordinarily powerful.

  If he had only taken one of them, Green wouldn't have felt so bad. But of all things, he chose three of the very best ones! This brat…

  "Um… my dear student… could you perhaps…" Cold sweat trickled down Green's back as she tried to retrieve at least one or two of them.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  But before she could finish, Kenley interrupted with a pitiful gaze and a soft voice,"Teacher, you wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"

  "You little—!" Green cursed inwardly but ultimately endured. Since she had agreed to it, she could only let it slide.

  "Of course, I wouldn't break my promise. But tell me, where exactly did you learn your swordsmanship?" Green clearly hadn't given up on uncovering Kenley's identity.

  Kenley secretly sighed in relief. As long as she wasn't insisting on taking back the potions, sharing some information wouldn't hurt…

  His eyes flickered, and he answered,"Actually, I learned it from my father." A complete fabrication, of course. No way was he going to tell her that his warrior‘teacher' was actually a dead man—a former captain of a slave merchant's escort team.

  "Your father? Who is he?" Green pressed further.

  Kenley had no choice but to brace himself and continue with the lie."About my father… I only remember someone calling him something like Reverse Scale… but I don't recall his full name."

  Reverse Scale? Green froze. There was only one person in the world daring enough to use that title.

  Green knew a lot of the world's secrets, including the existence of a man known as the Sword Saint of Reverse Scale. Could it be that this boy was…?

  "No way!" Green suddenly shot up, her voice rising by several decibels.

  "That old man? There's no way he could have a child!" she shouted angrily. But after a moment, noticing Kenley's stunned expression, she realized she had lost her composure. Her gaze flickered before she forced herself to calm down.

  Her brows furrowed as she scrutinized Kenley's face, as if trying to find some sort of clue. Yet Kenley's eyes were crystal clear, without a trace of deception. She couldn't detect even the slightest hint of a lie.

  "You're saying your father's nickname was Reverse Scale?" Green asked again, seeking confirmation.

  Kenley shook his head."I'm not sure. I never met my parents. I only vaguely remember someone referring to my father by that name."

  "Where did you grow up?" Green continued her questioning.

  "Laupa Town."

  "Laupa Town?! You mean the one east of the royal capital?" Green's eyes widened again.

  Kenley nodded.

  "No, you can't be that man's child. But wait… your face… you really do look like him…" As if talking to herself, she seemed to be denying the possibility—but then, a moment later, her expression changed.

  Suddenly, she rushed out from behind the counter and stormed up to Kenley.

  "You're Wilk! Aren't you?! Wilk! You're Wilk!" The Witch of Alchemy, Green, now seemed almost hysterical, standing uncomfortably close to Kenley.

  "Teacher, you're scaring me," Kenley deliberately shrank back.

  This development was way too dramatic. Who would've thought that the infamous Witch of Alchemy had a past with Wilk? Judging by her reaction, they might've even been lovers.

  But… how did she recognize him as Wilk's reincarnation?

  "You—!" Green started, then abruptly stopped herself.

  Staring into Kenley's‘fearful,'‘nervous,' and‘panicked' eyes, she seemed to regain her senses. Slowly, her hysteria faded into calmness, then softened into something almost melancholic.

  "…I lost control there. My apologies." She turned away, her silhouette looking unexpectedly lonely."Leave. Go on with your business."

  After a pause, she added,"But leave me your address. And… a strand of your hair."

  Kenley eyed Green as he walked back to the counter, wrote down his address, and plucked a strand of hair, placing it on the paper. He knew witches could use hair or nails for divination—tracking a person's location.

  "Teacher?" Kenley asked cautiously.

  "Just go." Green didn't turn around, but her voice was laced with turmoil.

  "…Then I'll be going now," Kenley said, stepping outside. He kept looking back until he was sure Green could no longer hear his footsteps.

  As soon as the shop door closed, Green abruptly turned back and muttered to herself,"Old man… I refuse to believe you died that easily."

  ——

  "Whew!" Kenley let out a breath. What a bombshell. Who would've thought the infamous Witch of Alchemy and Wilk had a history? Fate? Or just sheer coincidence?

  Kenley didn't know, nor did he have time to dwell on it.

  Whatever. Focus on the present.

  Weighing the three potions in his hands, he could barely contain his glee.

  "Hahaha! Oh, Green, you thought you were testing me? Look at you now—outsmarted and suffering the loss instead!"