novellaaa Chapter 6 Conflict and Law Enforcement Team
Chapter 6 Conflict and Law Enforcement Team
That day, as usual, Rolin went to the materials processing room to prepare to take on the Moonshine Moss mission.
However, they found several people gathered in front of the water curtain, led by a sturdy gray-robed apprentice with a shallow scar on his face. The insignia on his chest indicated that he was a second-class apprentice.
"Boss Flak has started surrounding all the Moonmoss missions today. You guys go somewhere else."
Scarface apprentice Flac crossed his arms and addressed several first-class apprentices who wanted to take on the mission.
The first-class apprentices, though angry, dared not speak out and left dejectedly.
Rowling frowned.
Although the rewards for the Moonshine Moss quest are not high, its advantage lies in its stability.
Moreover, it was his only source of Shadow Fungus.
Being cut off by Flac would directly disrupt his plans.
Without showing any emotion, Luo Lin turned around to leave, wanting to see if there were any other suitable material processing tasks.
Hey! You, stop right there.
Flac called out to him, his eyes scrutinizing him.
"I heard there's a young guy who's been handling moonshoe moss really fast and well lately, is that you?"
Roland stopped and turned around, calmly replying, "It's just completing a mission."
"That's fine!"
Flac walked up to him, exuding an air of intimidation.
"From now on, just hand over the moonshine moss you've processed to me."
"You'll still get the mission reward, but the loot is mine."
Are the mission rewards the same as before?
Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe such nonsense. Who knows if they'll get contribution points after working for the other party? If they don't, it's like Luo Lin worked for them for nothing.
Luo Lin sneered inwardly, but his face remained expressionless.
"According to the academy's rules, task handover must be done through the counter."
"Rules?" Flack scoffed, reaching out to slap Rowling's face, but Rowling slightly stepped back to avoid it.
"Here, Boss Flac is the rule!"
"Kid, you'd better be smart or you'll suffer."
Several of his henchmen also surrounded him, their eyes filled with hostility.
Looking at the situation before him, Luo Lin knew that there was no way to resolve it peacefully.
He quickly assessed the situation:
The other side outnumbered him, and the scarred man leading them was a second-class apprentice whose mental strength was definitely stronger than his own; he might even have mastered offensive spells.
A direct confrontation would likely result in a significant loss.
"Tsk tsk, Lord Flac has quite the imposing presence, actually coming to the mission hall to act all high and mighty."
Just then, a familiar voice rang out.
A tall, thin apprentice walked in through the hall entrance, clapping his hands in front of him repeatedly, the loud sound echoing throughout the hall.
The visitor was none other than Black Rat.
But this moment was completely different from his usual shrewd and low-key approach when dealing with Rowling.
He wore a mocking smile, but his eyes were sharp as knives. A barely noticeable silver pattern had appeared on the cuff of the ordinary gray robe he wore.
That's the insignia of the college's law enforcement team!
When Scarface's apprentice Flac saw Black Rat, especially the silver patterns on his cuffs, his expression changed drastically. His previous arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of fear in his eyes.
His henchmen behind him also subconsciously took a half step back, their momentum waning.
"Black Rat... no, senior from the enforcement team."
Flac forced a somewhat awkward smile.
"We were just... just joking around with this junior and exchanging mission experience."
"Sharing experiences?"
Black Rat strolled over to Rowling's side, his gaze sweeping over Flack and the others.
"Should we communicate using numbers? Or should we communicate as second-class apprentices?"
"What I'm seeing is someone openly violating academy rules, seizing public mission resources, and even threatening lower-ranking apprentices?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable sense of pressure, causing the apprentices watching the spectacle to hold their breath.
Flake's forehead beaded with sweat as he quickly explained, "No, that's not true! Senior, you've misunderstood! We'll be going now, we'll be going now!"
He glared at Roland, seemingly trying to memorize his face, then, with his henchmen, slunk away from the mission hall, not even bothering with the Moonlight Moss mission he had originally intended to claim.
Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, the surrounding crowd quickly dispersed, though many looked at Luo Lin with a newfound curiosity and inquisitiveness.
Order was restored in the hall, leaving only Rowling and Black Rat.
Black Rat turned around, the playful look on his face disappearing, replaced by his usual shrewd expression, but with a hint of scrutiny in the depths of his eyes.
"Are you alright, Lin?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "林" (Lin) slightly.
Luo Lin felt a chill run down his spine.
Black Rat is actually a member of the law enforcement team!
Was his previous transaction with me a personal act, or was it part of some kind of surveillance mission?
He quickly suppressed his inner turmoil and replied calmly, "It's nothing, thank you for helping me out, senior."
"You're welcome. Maintaining order is the duty of the law enforcement team."
Black Rat waved his hand, speaking casually.
"Flake and his gang have been causing some trouble lately."
"But they only dare to bully newcomers who don't have any connections."
"Be more careful when accepting missions in the future. If you encounter any trouble, you can report it to the law enforcement team."
This sounded like a well-intentioned reminder, but Rowling sensed another meaning in it:
Black Rat was implying that he knew Rollin was a "newcomer with no background" and pointed out that "he could report to the enforcement team."
"I will, thank you for the reminder."
Luo Lin nodded in acknowledgment, without saying anything more.
Black Rat glanced at him, seemingly trying to read something from his face, but Rowling's expression remained calm and composed.
He smiled and said, "Alright, you can go ahead and get back to work."
"I hope you can bring something good to the table next time."
After saying that, he turned and left the mission hall, the silver pattern on his cuffs flashing by as he turned.
Rowling stood there, watching the black rat's departing figure, his mind racing.
The exposure of the law enforcement officer's identity as Black Rat is both a warning and a potential opportunity for him.
The warning is that his previous transactions were likely under surveillance by law enforcement, or at least monitored by Black Rat personally, so he must be more careful.
The opportunity arose because Black Rat had taken the initiative to help him out of the predicament and hinted at the enforcement team's channels, indicating that the other party currently harbored no ill will towards him and might even have a slight intention to protect him because he could reliably provide high-quality medicine.
"Strength! We still need to improve our strength as soon as possible!"
Rowling took a deep breath.
Security obtained by relying on someone else's momentary whim or vested interests is ultimately a castle in the air.
Only by becoming strong can one truly establish oneself.
After this conflict, he temporarily decided not to accept any more Moonstrip missions to avoid direct conflict with Flak and his gang and attract unnecessary attention.
Rowling turned and left the mission hall, returning to the cabin to ponder how to open up new resource channels and accumulate strength more quickly.
"Potion..."
Luo Lin muttered to himself.
This is his biggest advantage at present.
The Lesser Spirit Boil Potion is profitable, but it depends on Moonstripe quests and carries uncertain risks when sold through Black Rats.
He needs a more independent and harder-to-imitate potion product.
He recalled that when he had previously read "Research on Alternatives of Low-Level Potion Materials", in addition to the [Secondary Mental Boil Potion], he had also seen several obscure or even failed potion ideas.
One of the ideas, called "Minor Energy Potion," caught his attention.
The original intention of this medicine was to create a drug that could quickly restore physical strength and relieve muscle fatigue, targeting apprentices who needed to perform a lot of physical labor or long-term tasks.
However, the original formula used Vitality Root as the main ingredient, which was more expensive and had a less significant effect, only slightly relieving fatigue, far inferior to its advanced version, the [Potential Energy Potion].
Therefore, it was almost forgotten by the apprentices and was considered a useless thing.
What Luo Lin valued was its niche market and low demand.
No one would pay attention to a low-level potion with minimal effect.
Moreover, a thought flashed through his mind.
Could we use cheaper, more readily available materials, and leverage the precise processing capabilities granted by the [High-Efficiency Scholar], to enhance its effectiveness and bring it to a practical level?
Rowling immediately took action.
The next day, instead of going to the mission hall to clash with Flac's people, he went directly to the library and borrowed the book "Research on Alternatives of Low-Level Magical Potions" again. He spent 5 contribution points to carefully reread the section on "Minor Energy Potions" and memorized the basic recipe.
Next, he went to the academy's supplies exchange office.
He did not purchase any materials related to Moonmoss or Shadow Fungus, but instead purchased the basic materials for [Minor Energy Potion].
A small amount of Vitality Root Powder, and several common magic plants that are extremely inexpensive.
Examples include the slightly tough and resilient wiregrass, the mildly invigorating morning dew flower, and basic solvents.
These materials only cost him 20 contribution points.
Back in the cabin, Rowling began his research and development work.