Tang Qi's joy stemmed from one extra skill that showed up on his skill bar.
Skill: Secret Pharmaceutical Arts
After the Meditation Method, Furnace's Eyes, and the Chaga Fighting Technique, Tang Qi obtained one more skill, although it had not yet reached the elementary level.
With one thought, information fragments appeared after "Secret Pharmaceutical Arts".
[Information Fragment 1: Secret pharmaceutical arts originated from part of an indigenous school of knowledge. They used to be popular in the 13th Century of the old calendar and was the main competitor to the Mayan school of secret pharmaceutical arts. They pursued the re-creation and benign transformation of the natural and the primal. They eventually disappeared mysteriously.]
[Information Fragment 2: Internalize this portion of knowledge and produce three elementary indigenous secret medicines, and you'll be promoted to a "Secret Apothecary Apprentice".]
"Three types?"
Seeing this, Tang Qi silently immersed himself in his mind space. Soon, he managed to find those three indigenous secret medicines amidst his complex memories. They were "Rubber Man Secret Medicine", "Wind Language Secret Medicine", and "Psychic Secret Medicine".
The recipes for the three secret medicines appeared one by one.
Along with the utility of the secret medicines.
The indigenous school of secret pharmaceutical arts seemed to have originated from a tribe in the jungle areas who eventually established a prosperous civilization. But this tribe was eventually defeated by the Mayan civilization because of the huge differences in war preparation between the two.
Just like the benign principles of the secret pharmaceutical arts, the civilization was clearly not good at war.
Although it was only part of the original knowledge, Tang Qi realized that most of the recipes for secret medicines inside had nothing much to do with battle. At least, they couldn't directly increase combat power, with the exception of a few strengthening secret medicines that could improve one's abilities and some secret medicines for curses.
And the Rubber Man Secret Medicine was one of the rare ones that strengthened the body, but it was not combat ability that was strengthened, but the ability to withstand strikes. And it would allow one to perform many difficult physical actions.
Maybe the people from that civilization used this secret medicine to collect fruits from the top of a canopy?
And the Wind Language Secret Medicine allowed one to hear the information contained in the wind and quickly gain insight into your surroundings.
The Psychic Secret Medicine represented the grief for the dead. After taking it, one could see the spirit of the dead for a short period of time and bid them farewell.
"So this is a friendly school of secret pharmaceutical arts?
"But this also explains why Professor Kassel who possessed all this knowledge couldn't escape the torture of cancer. Because this school didn't encourage immortality, so there were no secret medicines to increase one's lifespan.
"To survive and seek revenge, one had no choice but to make Spider Monster Secret Medicine, which was extremely difficult to make and with effects that were hard to control."
Crack!
On the table, Kassel who had already recovered from the pain of his soul being cut up made a slight whip with his tentacles, kind of in response to Tang Qi's words.
It forgot about the knowledge of secret medicines, but what about the things it did?
Knowing that he drew Tang Qi's attention, Kassel dared not delay. His greasy tentacles reached into the glass again, soaked in water, and wrote on the table, "When will you perform your end of the transaction? Can I get a new body?"
Tang Qi very acutely sensed the fear in Professor Kassel.
At this time, he was probably in a kind of rootless fear and panic.
The active state of Shadow Fungi could allow him to barely live like an octopus, but this didn't change the fact that he was very fragile.
Furthermore, after ten days, if he didn't successfully transfer into a new body, he would dry up and die.
Compared to these, falling into the hands of Tang Qi was actually lucky for him.
He paid the greatest bargaining chip and price, but he also got a "promise" from Tang Qi.
Although he also couldn't be certain whether this cunning-looking high-school student would fulfill his promise.
If he had a human body and a pair of eyes, he would be able to see that Tang Qi, who had already stood up, was looking at him with a most strange look on his face. After a long time, he finally laughed and said, "Professor Kassel, you may not know this, but I'm a man well-known for his honesty who always fulfills his promise.
"In fact, I've already found a very strong body for you. It's almost ready and only needs some preparation. It would definitely take less than ten days."
As Tang Qi spoke, he took a glass bottle off the shelf on the side.
He opened the lid of the bottle and placed it in front of Professor Kassel. And then he continued, "Before that, you may need to stay in here first. I'll add water for you regularly."
Hearing Tang Qi's words, Kassel tapped the thing in front of him with his tentacle and soon knew what it was.
A glass bottle, the very thick kind.
Although he was reluctant, he thought and knew that there was no way he could violate Tang Qi's will, so he could only crawl, like a real octopus, into the bottle, even easily shutting the lid on himself.
"You're really the best collaborator, Mr. Kassel."
Tang Qi gave him a compliment, moved the glass bottle back onto the shelf, and covered it with a black cloth.
He cleaned up the table and pulled the curtains in front of the window not far away, and the warm sunlight came inside. The originally dark room was immediately filled with light.
It was the morning sun, and it fell on Tang Qi's face. It was a little dazzling and a little itchy.
It was early in the morning when Stana drove Tang Qi back.
Tang Qi only pretended that it was late at night to deceive Kassel and let him enter the active state himself.
Another sleepless night!
Tang Qi felt his robust energy, but at the bottom of his mind, he wondered if it was too rough for him to replace sleep in this way, and if he should occasionally relax, forget about meditation, the Samra family, or the mystical realm and just let go of himself once and have a good night's sleep.
As soon as the idea came out, Tang Qi shook his head and suppressed it.
He was not playing a game now. Enemies who wanted him dead could come to his door at any moment; the best strategy would be to seize every moment to improve his strength.
Relax?
It wasn't time for that yet.
Today is a rest day, I have no class. Should I go shopping on Central Avenue and collect some materials then? I should prepare to make my first secret medicine.
Tang Qi thought so as he prepared breakfast for himself.
He made it simple today. French toast served with black rice coffee with a strong aroma and a small bowl of fresh blueberries. It was the start of another perfect day.
But as soon as he prepared breakfast and was ready to enjoy it, the doorbell rang again.
Although he was a little far from the door, his excellent perception told Tang Qi who the guest outside the door was.
A tall figure that left a deep impression on people. Still in a long windbreaker. Although it covered her hot curves, it added some masculinity. The red hair hit the soul like a flame in the misty morning.
If she could don leather armor and hold a long sword, she could definitely cosplay as a female war god. Maybe it'd make her even more attractive.
"Stana, what an early visit. Did something happen?"
Tang Qi opened the door as he was thinking randomly like this and then asked directly.
"No big deal. But today is your first day taking office after all, so I plan to introduce you to some— Eh? What is that? It smells so good!"
Looking at the charming female sergeant who suddenly wiggled her pretty nose in the middle of a sentence, Tang Qi felt a bit speechless. He turned around quietly and led Stana into the room.
At the same time, he gave an invitation.
"If you don't mind, we can have breakfast together!"
"Of course!"
Before finishing speaking, the sergeant had already pulled out a chair and sat down first.