After deciding to attend the auction, Olivia returned home and began making meticulous plans.

First, ahem... she wanted to sell something there.

Auctions allowed big markups, unlike direct sales. The rarer the item, the higher the price. The Imperial Capital had no shortage of rich folks—and she was dead broke.

The only problem? What to sell?

Hanchong Grass?

No, no, no... Olivia shook her head. Selling raw crops at auctions rarely paid well. Who’d overpay for common market ingredients?

But Hanchong Grass was her most unique asset.

So she’d still use it—just processed this time.

Everyone knew Hanchong Grass brewed ice-attribute potions. And those brewed elemental composite potions.

With plenty of grass on hand, she could turn some into ready-made ice potions. Nobles would buy them to skip brewing costs.

That was added value, huh... She hadn’t expected to start agri-processing already. Ahem.

How delightful.

But potion brewing was tricky. Only seven professions existed here: Warrior, Mage, Priestess, Knight, Potion Master, Stellar Mage, Assassin. Talents came from bloodlines. Most commoners had none.

Potion Master was the rarest talent, usually nobles-only. Only they mastered brewing spells. Others couldn’t—except Stellar Mages like Olivia.

Stellar Mages were jacks-of-all-trades, like Druids. They harnessed starlight to mimic other professions: melee, ranged, healing, tanking, brewing, even backstabbing. A bit of everything!

Of course, jack-of-all-trades meant master of none. Stellar Mages were once called the lamest profession. But skills never hurt. With few talented folks around, magic beat no magic. Jobs were easy to find.

Olivia knew basic brewing. Her potions were low-grade compared to real Potion Masters. But composite potions only needed ice-attribute base—quality didn’t matter.

Hmm. Olivia nodded. She’d brew ice potions, sell them for household cash, and maybe snag a bargain at the auction.

She prepped materials next. Choosing the easy Low-grade Condensation Potion—mostly Hanchong Grass—she sent the butler for extras. Then locked herself in a dark room.

Deep breath. Textbook open. She activated her magical channels.

Eyes shut tight. This was her first spell since arriving here. Energy surged through her veins, swirling wildly.

The blue-haired loli opened her eyes. The world became an endless indigo starfield. Gently, she extended a finger. Energy gathered at its tip, dotting stars across the void. They linked into a glittering galaxy—a strange constellation.

"Potion synthesis—Low-grade Condensation, evolve!"

She shouted. The stars morphed into a Potion Master’s brewing array. The room snapped back to normal. Olivia jumped up, dumped all ingredients into a flask, placed it on the array, and channeled pure magic.

Trembling. Hours passed. Finally, she sighed. The liquid turned deep blue. Excitement flared in her chest.

Huh. Not bad for a first try.

She bottled the potion, corked it, stretched, and grabbed water.

Done. She’d brew more later, then hit the auction tomorrow. But Olivia pinched her chin. Something felt off...

Right! Disguise. She’d stayed low-key about Hanchong Grass. Flaunting rare ice potions would draw dangerous attention.

How to hide?

The blue-haired loli frowned. She hadn’t checked today’s shop refresh.

She pulled up the interface. Scrolling up, a fox mask caught her eye.

Only 10,000 Love Points—and she had exactly that. She tapped the description:

[Fox Mask: Non-consumable. Alters physique and voice with 10+ effects. One-time disguise on removal—but shatters after.]

Wow. A high-end voice changer.

Olivia grinned. With this mask and men’s clothes, she’d pass as a guy. Totally unrecognizable. Safety locked down.

The disguise feature? Useless now—but still a killer item.

Redeem!

...

Olivia brewed all night—ten ice potions total. Next morning, mask on, men’s clothes on, she checked the mirror. Hmm. Not bad. Instantly a 1.8m mysterious fox-masked man. Masculine confidence restored!

Brimming with confidence, she strode to the auction house. But at the entrance—

A familiar, infuriating figure stood there...

Yel... yellow-haired Caius?!