Chapter 203: Shining Starlight (A)

Lan Qingyou paused in surprise upon seeing the description of this spell.

Well then.

It seemed she had formed a slight misunderstanding about the word "melee," adopting a rather narrow perspective.

So-called "melee" encompassed not just combat, but also defense. This skill clearly belonged to the defensive category, and no matter how she looked at it, it felt specifically tailored to counter the Magic Eye skill.

'Is it worried that other Witches might try to harm me?'

'No, that is not right. There is no guarantee that others would not awaken a talent similar to the Magic Eye.'

'In a way, does this skill help me avoid a potential danger?'

'Based on my Mana Points of over two thousand, it can last for about half an hour. That is more than enough time, whether for fighting or fleeing.'

'It can even be used for defense.'

'I just wonder if it will block my own line of sight while obstructing the enemy's vision.'

With that thought in mind, Lan Qingyou immediately activated the magic to test it out.

Silently, a ring of dark purple smoke materialized around her. It looked no different from smoke rising from a stove. It possessed no physical texture when touched, and it did not even affect her breathing.

It just did not look as beautiful as the description made it out to be.

However, as time passed—about five seconds later—tiny, colorful specks of starlight gradually emerged within the dark purple smoke, creating a breathtakingly gorgeous display.

Lan Qingyou tried looking around and found that her vision was unimpeded, merely veiled as if she were looking through a layer of sheer black gauze.

This set Lan Qingyou's mind at ease.

If it had been a double-edged sword that harmed her as much as her enemies, she would have never used it again under any circumstances.

Afterward, Lan Qingyou flew a lap around the area to see how it performed in motion.

When accelerating from first to third gear, the smoke in front of her thinned out and exposed her body, but the smoke trailing behind her grew thicker, accompanied by a trailing string of sparkling starlight.

It gave off the vibe of those Witches riding on Magic Brooms she used to see in shows when she was a little girl.

'Oh, I am a Witch myself. Never mind then.'

In truth, despite the calm expression Lan Qingyou maintained on her face, her heart was already blooming with joy.

'Who is not a child at heart, after all?'

It would be a complete lie to say she was not thrilled about acquiring such a dazzling and practical skill.

After flying around and playing with the spell for a while, Lan Qingyou returned to the sixth floor completely satisfied and took out the Sap of Gale.

'What kind of interesting magic will this sap, which grants speed-related spells, bring me?'

Lan Qingyou was full of anticipation.

[Shining Starlight (A)]

[Effect: Consumes 500 Mana Points to anchor any location within a 100-meter radius, transforming into starlight to arrive there in an instant.]

[Description: You will turn into starlight and experience the joy of becoming a star.]

'Whoa!'

'Well then!'

'And here I was wondering what kind of skill I would get.'

'Judging by the description of its effects, isn't this just a blink skill?'

'Turning into starlight, experiencing the joy of the stars... making it sound so elegant.'

'The reason it is an A-rank skill rather than an S-rank like Black Witch Smoke is probably due to the rather high Mana Points consumption.'

'After all, even though Black Witch Smoke has the same consumption rate, it provides omnidirectional defense.'

'Still, a blink range with a 100-meter radius is more than enough no matter how you look at it.'

'At the very least, it can save my life in a critical moment.'

Thinking about how even a behemoth like the ancient tree was only a hundred meters tall, Lan Qingyou felt an overwhelming sense of security.

'Besides, neither the effect nor the description mentions anything about a cooldown.'

'That means as long as I have enough Mana Points, I can theoretically use it infinitely.'

'Hmm... It seems the development of C-rank Mana Potions needs to be put on the agenda.'

'Before this, I thought a D-rank Mana Potion that restored 100 Mana Points was a bit overkill, but after becoming a Witch, I realize that is not the case at all.'

'Looking back, my past self was rather laughable.'

'No, it should be attributed to a lack of information.'

'Oh right, talent potions need to be prioritized as well.'

'Anyway, I now have the C-rank Dark Demon as a material. As for the higher ranks, that will have to wait until monsters of those tiers actually appear.'

Thus, after finishing her lunch, Lan Qingyou got to work.

Although she truly wanted to start brewing Potions right away, there were still quite a few other things she needed to take care of first.

Especially when it came to the actual brewing process.

Right now, Lan Qingyou only had a dozen or so Humanoid Magic Puppets available for use. They were still following the previous quota of one puppet managing seven Crucibles.

As for the remaining puppets that were missing arms and legs, they would just have to wait until she finished developing the two new Potions and found the time to rebuild them.

After sorting out the issues with the magic puppets, Lan Qingyou turned her attention to the Shelter.

Currently, the functionality of the Shelter had been significantly diminished due to her "industrial relocation."

This was especially true for the first and second floors, which she had originally intended to use as potion fields, but were now completely empty.

The Shelter now had a total of six floors.

Therefore, Lan Qingyou decided to merge the first and second floors, building a grand staircase in the center and turning both sides into a sprawling garden.

'After all, I am a wealthy little lady who owns an area the size of a hundred football fields now. What is wrong with indulging a little?'

'It should be a bit more beautiful, a bit more full of life.'

'Wouldn't it be wonderful to just go downstairs and admire the flowers and plants to relax my mind whenever I get tired of reading or researching medicines?'

'The original crystal nest can be hung from the ceiling of the second floor as a chandelier. Having Elf Butterflies dancing gracefully around it... it would be absolutely breathtaking.'

The sixth floor, naturally, would remain her Bedroom.

The Library, originally on the fourth floor, would be relocated to the fifth floor, while the Alchemy Workshop on the third floor would be moved to the fourth floor.

Since she had not spared any space for a Bathroom and washroom during her previous selections, she would still have to go to the third floor for those facilities.

'I will figure it out the next time I have a chance to move things around. Or maybe I will just build a Bathroom in the Bedroom and The Library too.'

'That would make things a lot more convenient.'

'But until I get that sorted out, I will just have to make do with what I have.'

As for the actual design work required to bring all these ideas to life, Lan Qingyou decided to toss the responsibility over to Chu Yuan.

After all, his subordinates were teeming with talent.

'Oh!'

'Speaking of crystal nests, I think I harvested a large, unidentified crystal cluster back in Utopia.'

Taking advantage of the hook on the second-floor ceiling, Lan Qingyou hung the large crystal cluster up to appraise it before hanging the actual crystal nest.

[Large Crystal Nest (World-Class)]

[Effect: Increases the hatching rate of Elf Butterfly pupae by 100%, and increases the evolutionary success rate of Elf Butterflies by 50%.]

[Description: The Crystal Nest is an exclusive hatching item for Elf Butterflies, and also serves as a playground for young Elf Butterflies to frolic. But you must believe that these transparent little spirits are full of infinite possibilities.]

'Great, now even "possibilities" are being brought up.'

'Still, the fact that Elf Butterflies can evolve is definitely good news.'

'It is just that this crystal nest looks much more high-end than the one from when the Shelter upgraded.'

She was not referring to the crystal nest's rank, nor was she talking about its effects.

She was simply talking about pure aesthetics.