Chapter 108: Potion Packaging

Hmm.

Selin Witch calmly accepted Lin Ke's salute.

She fell silent, lifted the cup, and took a sip of the refreshing hot drink inside.

Lin Ke saw this, did not continue to disturb Selin Witch, and went into the male changing room to put on the uniform.

About fifteen minutes before the regular work start time, a hulking, muscular giant walked into the shop.

Over 2.2 meters tall, with arms thicker than Lin Ke's thighs, bulging chest muscles, an inverted-triangle upper body, and thighs as thick as Lin Ke's waist, every detail indicated he was a little giant.

"Selin Boss, I have reported for duty."

The hulk shouted in a deep, muffled voice; his tone was obviously deliberately lowered, yet still very loud.

Lin Ke could hear it clearly even in the backyard.

"Lo Ken, I've told you many times, lower your voice when you speak!"

Selin Witch deliberately waited in the lobby today instead of going upstairs early, just to wait for the hulk Lo Ken.

As soon as they met, the hulk Lo Ken launched a noise attack, and her mood instantly soured.

"Hehe."

The hulk Lo Ken gave a simple smile, raised his hand to scratch his head, and apologetically said, "I've already lowered it, but my voice is naturally like this—I can't help it."

"Hmph."

Selin Witch glared at the hulk Lo Ken and said irritably, "You have so many excuses. Alright, quit the chatter here—go to the backyard for the handover. I'm warning you: don't scare little Lin Ke."

"No way, I, Lo Ken, love making friends the most."

The hulk Lo Ken patted his chest, giving a reassuring 'thump-thump-thump'.

Selin Witch couldn't be bothered with this pretentiously clueless oaf, and went upstairs.

This oaf, the more you engage with him, the more energetic he gets.

If you ignore him, you can actually stay quiet.

The hulk Lo Ken was obviously not a first-time visitor to the potion shop; familiar with the layout, he went straight past the stairwell and dining hall into the male changing room.

Inside was a cabinet that had long been prepared with a uniform suited to the hulk Lo Ken's build.

After changing into the uniform, the hulk Lo Ken came to the backyard work area.

"Hello, I am Lo Ken."

Having received Selin Witch's instructions, and having also learned of recent turmoil, knowing that Paro Witch valued Linke Grand, the hulk Lo Ken did not look down on a petty witch apprentice; as a second-rank witch, he actually extended his large right hand to show friendliness.

This is an extremely rare occurrence.

Lin Ke didn't know the rank of this hulk before him, but being able to call Selin Witch 'boss,' combined with her recent retreat from the front lines, there's no doubt he is an official witch.

As for whether he is first-, second-, or third-rank, Lin Ke had no idea.

Nevertheless, this didn't stop Lin Ke from straightening his attitude; he quickly put down what he was holding, wiped his hands clean, and reached out.

When someone gives you face, you have to cherish it, right?

"Hello, Witch Lo Ken, I am Linke Grand."

While shaking hands, Lin Ke introduced himself.

"Hmm."

The hulk Lo Ken released Lin Ke's hand, nodded in praise, and said, "I know you; you're outstanding, far better than I used to be."

"Where, where,"

Lin Ke had to be humble at this moment, quickly saying, "No, no."

"Let's skip the pleasantries."

The hulk Lo Ken waved a big hand, laughing heartily, "If we keep going, the little guy might scare his legs soft. Hmm… Selin Boss told me to hand over to you; let's start now."

Lin Ke heard this and secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Facing a stranger, someone he'd never dealt with before, an official witch of unknown temperament, Lin Ke felt great pressure.

Every word and deed had to be weighed carefully.

Lin Ke didn't think he could rely on Paro Witch's favor to provoke an official witch.

The more approachable the other party was, the more cautious Lin Ke became in his words and actions.

He feared that a single misworded sentence would provoke them.

Just talk business, just talk business!

Lin Ke immediately brought out his professional scope, introducing every aspect of the two tasks: pretreatment and refinement of plants and herbs.

After Selin Witch's reminder, Lin Ke had already prepared his notes in advance.

Now that the handover began, there was not the slightest delay; he gave a comprehensive, in-depth, and smooth introduction of the two tasks.

"Alright, this is now my responsibility!"

The hulk Lo Ken listened with great satisfaction; slightly excited, he slapped Lin Ke on the shoulder.

A crisp crack sounded.

Lin Ke's right shoulder immediately gave way, and his whole body began to topple to the side.

Had Lin Ke not reacted in time, he would already have fallen to the ground.

"The Defender 3202 set was utterly useless."

This was not a magical attack at all, but pure physical strength.

In the set's passive-defense stress state, it was utterly unable to defend!

Lin Ke felt excruciating pain in his right side, yet could do nothing and dared not cry out.

What if this was intentional on his part?

You may know a person's face but not their heart.

The more honest‑looking a person is, the more one must be wary.

Who knows whether he is genuinely simple‑minded or just pretending to be foolish?

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Lin Ke placed his left hand on his right upper arm, lifted and twisted, and set his dislocated shoulder joint back in place.

Luo Ken then chuckled sheepishly: "Oh dear, look at my hand—I didn't control my strength, and absentmindedly caused trouble. Sorry, little Lin Ke!"

As his words fell, Luo Ken cast a healing magic.

Brilliant emerald light spewed from the tip of Luo Ken's right hand, falling onto Lin Ke's agonized right shoulder.

In the blink of an eye, a cool breath circulated over the wounded spot, the sharp pain vanished, and the swelling disappeared.

Lin Ke released his left hand that had been supporting his right upper arm, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile: "It's fine; my body is just too weak to withstand Luo Ken the mage's force."

Luo Ken seemed to let out a breath of relief and praised: "It's good that you think that way; I was afraid you'd misunderstand. I truly didn't mean to oppose you, hey..."

Speaking, Luo Ken patted his own head, distressed: "The more I describe, the darker it gets; the more I say, the more it seems I did it on purpose."

Lin Ke didn't want to dwell on this topic, so he said: "Mage Luo Ken, do you think our handover counts as completed?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Luo Ken laughed honestly: "You explained it so thoroughly and comprehensively—how could it not count as a completed handover? Go attend to your own business; I'll take over here."

"All right, Mage Luo Ken, I'll be off then."

Lin Ke waved his left hand, left the backyard, and took off his slightly soiled uniform in the men's changing room.

During that time, Lin Ke deliberately checked his right shoulder.

After Luo Ken the mage's healing magic treatment, outwardly there was no sign of any problem, nor any trace of injury.

Lin Ke didn't linger, changed into another fresh uniform, left the changing room, and went up to the second floor via the stairs.

The first and second floors are roughly the same size, but their layouts are completely different.

The entire second floor is open‑plan, divided only by glass curtain walls into different functional areas.

Mage Se Lin sat in the living/office area; upon seeing Lin Ke, she asked in a light tone: "Did Mage Luo Ken give you trouble?"

In this potion shop, nothing can escape Mage Se Lin's notice.

If she wishes, even an ant crawling by would leave a trace she could detect.

Only two places are relatively special: the men's and women's changing rooms.

When constructed, special materials were added, employing alchemy to block mental power probing and to maximally weaken sensory probing.

Lin Ke shook his head and said: "He didn't give me trouble; Mage Luo Ken is very enthusiastic."

"Really?"

Mage Se Lin squeezed a question from her nose, shifted her tone, and lightly explained: "Luo Ken bears you no ill will; it's just his habit—upon seeing someone more handsome than him, he wants to give a pat."

Lin Ke remained silent.

Some questions must be answered; others he does not wish to answer.

Not telling lies is Lin Ke's principle.

He indeed did not think Mage Luo Ken had just been giving him trouble, and he indeed thought Mage Luo Ken was very enthusiastic.

But regarding that pat, it was a matter of whether Luo Ken the mage's habit applied or not.

Sorry, Lin Ke isn't that magnanimous; he took a slap, suffered intense pain, and still had to be understanding.

At most, he would not hold a grudge.

And Lin Ke indeed bore no grudge.

Seeing this, Mage Se Lin said no more and instead instructed: "Today, tomorrow, and the day after, you will follow Ti Na and do potion‑bottling work."

"All right, Mage Se Lin."

Lin Ke acknowledged, turned his gaze, found Ti Na already busy, and walked over.

Potion bottling is not merely transferring liquid from a large container into many small ones; it is a position with high technical demands.

One must be familiar with the potions' properties, bottling techniques, and precautions—not to mention, this is basic skill.

Certain special potions are extremely delicate, with harsh storage conditions; a slight mistake—for example, not putting them in dark‑colored potion bottles, exposing them to sunlight—renders them ineffective instantly.

Situations like this, and even more stringent ones, are countless.

Therefore, to excel as a potion‑bottling assistant, one must master potion knowledge, hone technique, and be bold yet meticulous.

Lin Ke came up to the second floor with an attitude of learning.

So, he didn't rush to interrupt Ti Na while she worked, nor did he hastily jump in; Lin Ke stood aside, quietly observing her procedure.

After a while, Ti Na finally finished diluting and bottling a large vial of the completed "Pain Regret" potion base.

Beholding ten perfectly clear crystal vials, even through the specially made potion glass, they still emitted an inexplicable allure.

This allure is called Magic Stone, and it is a standard grade‑two Magic Stone!

Lin Ke greatly admired Ti Na; holding so many standard grade‑two Magic Stones, her hand remained steady, the whole operation flawless and smooth.

"You've come up."

Mage Ti Na placed the ten "Pain Regret" potions into the refrigerated box, greeted him, and asked: "How do you feel after seeing them?"

Lin Ke pondered, then replied honestly: "It feels very exciting!"

"How so?"

Ti Na was quite curious about Lin Ke's remark.

"I stood aside, not daring to take a deep breath, for fear of affecting you."

Lin Ke laughed: "If I messed up, with so many Magic Stones I couldn't afford to compensate—even selling myself wouldn't cover it!"

"Hehehe..."

Ti Na's laugh trigger is low; she was easily amused by this, letting out a goose‑like silly laugh.

The laughter echoed in the potion‑bottling workspace, making it seem even stranger.

After a while, Tina stopped her weird laugh and said, 'Don't worry, when that time really comes, sis will introduce a few rich women for you to meet; even if you're sold, she can still afford to keep you company.'

After a pause, Tina explained the reason for her strange laugh: 'After all, a few rich women have privately inquired, asking how much it would cost to eat the virgin chicken of your "witch's friend".'

Lin Ke couldn't help but picture a black person's question-mark face. jpg in his mind.

What the fuck is this tiger-wolf remark?

Are witches really that ferocious?

I'm still a minor, very immature,

Can you really bring yourself to do this?

Regarding such an unhealthy topic, Lin Ke chose to remain silent.

Perhaps feeling it inappropriate to talk dirty in front of a minor, Tina promptly changed the subject, asking, 'What are you planning to do? Look first? Or go straight to hands-on?'

"I wouldn't dare go straight to hands-on."

Lin Ke shook his head and said, 'I'd rather follow Sister Tina to learn first; it's not too late to get hands-on when the time is right.'

"That works."

Tina agreed, without any intention of hoarding her knowledge.

For the rest of the morning, Lin Ke stayed by Tina's side, mainly watching, occasionally lending a hand, passing tools.

Of course, he couldn't just watch; he also needed to compare what he saw with the potion-packing knowledge and techniques he had memorized.

Linking theory with practice, right?

After finishing the morning's work, they changed clothes and had lunch.

Selin the witch and the hulking Luoken didn't stay to eat in the shop; they went out.

Tina came over to Lin Ke and Mo Li's table, holding a plate.

She glanced around, looking a bit furtive, and whispered, 'New coworker, have you interacted with him? Is he easy to get along with?'

Her voice was as low as a mosquito's buzz, yet Shaliya and Aila not far away heard it crystal clear.

The two turned their heads in unison and stared at Lin Ke.

Obviously, all three female staff members cared about this question.

How could Lin Ke answer?

Say he gets along well?

Lin Ke had only had a brief contact with Luoken the witch, and basically didn't know his temperament or manner.

If later the three find Luoken the witch hard to get along with, whose fault would it be?

Luoken the witch's, or Lin Ke's?

Say he's hard to get along with?

Wouldn't that directly offend someone?

He just smiled, said nothing, and lowered his head to eat.

Seeing this, Tina understood Lin Ke's embarrassment and stopped pressing further.

Shaliya and Aila were a bit disappointed, having thought they might hear some insider news.

Boring!

After lunch, they rested briefly, then everyone got busy again.

Going upstairs, Tina raised an eyebrow at Lin Ke and whispered, 'Hard to get along with?'

Lin Ke was somewhat speechless.

Why are we still hung up on this issue?

Although he could understand Tina's thoughts…

Among the three female staff, she will have the most dealings with the hulking Luoken.

If Luoken the witch isn't easy to get along with, she'd need to prepare early.

But could you consider things from his perspective?

"Sis…"

Lin Ke showed a helpless expression and pleaded in a sorrowful voice, 'Please let me off, stop asking this question I can't answer.'

Hearing this, Tina gave an embarrassed smile and finally gave up on probing further.

Fortunately, she's not narrow-minded; even after Lin Ke gave her a soft bump, she didn't take it to heart.

When it came to potion packing, she taught whatever she knew, holding nothing back.

Lin Ke really appreciated that.

He studied ever more seriously!

(End of chapter)