Chapter Three: Feng Cai

"W-what?" Brian was momentarily bewildered. Wasn't it only natural for the victor to claim the spoils? Why put on such a performance? Yet, seeing the boy before him grow colder and colder, Brian didn't dare ask. He could only chalk it up to some strange quirk of his and hurriedly answered, "I agree!"

Taking the badge Brian handed over, Qi Xiao tossed him the pill without a second thought. The moment Brian caught it, the familiar mechanical female voice echoed in Qi Xiao’s ear.

"Congratulations on successfully completing your first alchemical supply. Reward granted—Zero-level Cantrip: Fire Elemental Control."

Feeling the system’s acknowledgment, Qi Xiao forcibly suppressed the urge to smile, determined not to shatter his own character portrayal before it had even taken root.

"The truth serum will wear off in about an hour. Try not to speak until then. If you don't want to die, you'd better leave quickly. In your current state, you can hardly hope to collect ten badges."

After confirming that Brian’s wounds weren't worsening upon taking the pill, Qi Xiao left him with those words and strode east.

Such basic knowledge wasn’t something Brian would lie about. If he was really in the year 4820 now, many things would be of little use to him for the time being.

He recalled that the movie had mentioned several times that the protagonist was born on the first day of the year 5000, meaning he was now about two hundred years before the main character’s era.

This was already a relatively favorable point in time. Although the film didn’t dwell much on the past, there were plenty of hints dropped. Had he arrived in the future depicted in the movie, there’d likely be little useful information to glean.

As he walked, pondering these details, Qi Xiao also tested out the cantrip he’d just received. Like the alchemical knowledge before it, he could wield it as naturally as his own arm, instantly constructing the corresponding spell model in his mind as though he’d practiced it a thousand times.

Even if it was only the most basic fire elemental control, it was still the cornerstone of many cantrips and spells. To obtain it now was certainly a boon.

However, with no magic power to channel, relying solely on mental force might make it less effective than the "Ignite" rune.

He soon reached a deserted square, where two people spotted him. They sprinted towards him from either side, apparently having formed some alliance.

Qi Xiao remained motionless, waiting quietly. When they were within twenty meters, he casually threw out several boards inscribed with the "Explosion" rune.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

A series of explosions left the two boys dazed, sent flying through the air.

Picking up the staff he’d made earlier, he gave them each a few more knocks for good measure. Once he was sure they’d given up resisting, Qi Xiao spun the stick in his hands with satisfaction.

He deftly stripped them, finding a total of eight badges and a decent amount of food.

"How easy~ The task is done; it's not as difficult as I imagined," Qi Xiao whistled, asked for some intel, then happily tore open a bag of jerky, tossed down two pills for them, and continued on his way to the east.

The only regret, perhaps, was that rewards were only granted for the first transaction of each type of alchemical product.

As they watched the devilish boy’s silhouette disappear into the distance, the two on the ground exchanged a look of sorrow and indignation—they were thinking much the same thing.

"Has the competition gotten this fierce already? Even alchemists are joining the recruitment tournament."

For a moment, their spirits sank in despair.

Qi Xiao now carried twelve badges—enough to call it quits. Collecting more would only net a few extra apprentice-level resources. With his current mastery of alchemy, as long as he made it out safely, he could earn more in no time. There was no need to take any risks before his cultivation had even begun, especially when his body was at its weakest.

The only reason he kept heading east was because the name "Feng" intrigued him.

He recalled that the protagonist had once encountered an official wizard named Feng Cai. Though that wizard was a free agent at the time, unaffiliated with any faction, the age would match up over two centuries.

So, Qi Xiao decided to look for him. If he could establish a connection with a future official wizard ahead of time, it would naturally benefit his own development.

Unfortunately, the film had ended just as the protagonist advanced to a second-level official wizard.

At the time, seeing the zero in the "comments" column, Qi Xiao had assumed it was because the movie was new. Before he could even look for a sequel or find out when it would be released, he’d been abruptly thrown into this world.

No sense dwelling on it. One can’t have everything. With his current advantages, Qi Xiao was confident he could establish himself here.

He recalled scenes from the movie. Though there were hundreds of terrains and scenarios in this area, the activity zone would gradually shrink as time passed, so Qi Xiao wasn’t worried about never encountering Feng.

When he reached a small stream, Qi Xiao saw his reflection for the first time in this new world.

His face was much like his own when he was young, just with slightly longer hair and fairer skin.

From middle school to university, Qi Xiao had often seen photos of himself at various ages posted on the school forums, so he was all too familiar with this face.

He washed up briefly, gathered some branches, and boiled a pot of water with the "Ignite" rune. Leaning against a tree, he began carving runes.

There were many basic runes, far more than those he was carving now. Though his technique was already highly refined, practical application would take some time to master.

For now, he was choosing only the runes most suited to his immediate needs from memory.

As for carving all the runes one by one and testing them, perhaps he could try that after leaving this place. Here, such a display would be too astonishing.

Qi Xiao wanted to show exceptional talent in alchemy, but his current level was already impressive enough. Showing more would only invite unnecessary trouble, as he’d reached the peak of what was plausible at his age.

Rested and with his boards nearly overflowing with runes, Qi Xiao glanced at the ever-shrinking arena, packed up his things, and set off again.

There were three days left. Fewer than forty contestants remained, and most of the terrain had vanished. Yet, after wandering through five different areas, Qi Xiao hadn’t seen a single soul.

"Has everyone chosen to hide?" he mused. It made sense—if they didn’t take these days to rest and recover, the coming two days would be even tougher.

Whoosh.

The instant he sensed the arrow in flight, Qi Xiao activated the "Shield" rune without hesitation.

Thunk!

He paid no mind to the arrow that grazed his ear, embedding itself in a stone. Turning, he looked toward the direction it had come from.

A figure stood in a tree far away—too distant to make out clearly, but the greenish hair suggested it was a boy.

When the green-haired youth saw Qi Xiao turn, he waved his bow and pointed at the stone before Qi Xiao, then leapt down and vanished into the woods.

Qi Xiao compared the figure to his memories and found them to match well enough. Using a branch, he nudged the note from beneath the arrow.

"Tomorrow morning at seven, meet at the quarry—Feng Cai."