Chapter 48 Not Convinced? Then Gamble!

Chapter 48 Not Convinced? Then Gamble!

"Boom!"

An explosion erupted from the cauldron, and a cloud of pungent black gas billowed out.

The potion-making had failed.

Fortunately, the purification array cleared the air, and the stench quickly faded.

Laughter came from the neighboring table. "That's rich! You get praised by Gareth a couple of times and suddenly you think you're some potion prodigy?"

"And you wanted to improvise? You're way too full of yourself."

They sneered at Darius and me, their voices growing louder.

The ringleader was a guy named Zach. He crossed his arms and looked me up and down with disgust.

"Vanessa, if I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to stay here. I think the school's praise of you is undeserved. You just got lucky being assigned team leader."

"Do you think the lab is a playground? Anyone can just mess around? If everyone acted as recklessly as you, they'd not only waste materials but also risk injury. You're way too arrogant."

I frowned and shot back, "Are you saying you've never failed at brewing a potion?"

"At least I'm not as conceited as you," Zach sneered.

"Sounds like you're the one who's conceited right now." I rolled my eyes.

I'd heard of Zach before. Not because I was keeping tabs on him, but because he was hard to miss.

Zach had been the academy's star student last year. He'd fought a vicious magical beast alone to save someone. He survived, but the injuries were severe, and he had to take a whole year off.

His story caused a huge stir at the academy. Even after a year away, he remained a legend on campus, never short of admirers.

I'd never done anything to provoke Zach, and I had no idea why he was so hostile.

"Do you dare make a bet with me?" Zach's expression was haughty, barely masking his irritation.

"Starting now, we'll both learn to brew transformation potions. In five days, we'll see whose is better, and we'll have Mr. Castillo judge. How about it?"

Five days to master a potion was no small feat.

But if there's one thing I'm not afraid of, it's a challenge.

I nodded immediately. "Fine. What are the stakes?"

"If I win, you have to admit publicly that you're an idiot for messing with the formula," Zach said.

I countered, "And if I win?"

He curled his lip, clearly convinced I couldn't, but said, "Then I'll apologize to you publicly."

"Deal." I nodded, accepting the challenge.

Zach left the lab with the other students.

I was about to start working on the transformation potion when Chloe and two others rushed in frantically.

"Vanessa, I heard you're competing with Zach in potion-making?" Rena's face was full of worry.

"You're being way too impulsive. Zach isn't just talented at combat magic—he's also excellent at potions. Plus, he enrolled a year before you. Even with his time off, he still has an advantage over you."

"Why would you challenge him? You're just setting yourself up for failure."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Exactly, and now the whole class knows about your competition with Zach."

Compared to their worry, I seemed unusually relaxed.

I waved a hand dismissively. "Come on, it's not that big a deal."

Rena didn't understand. "Losing would be humiliating."

I looked at her in surprise. "What's so important about saving face?"

Rena paused. "Well..."

"You just said Zach is really good. I'm a new student. It's perfectly normal if I lose to him."

I smiled. "Besides, this bet gives me a legitimate excuse to stay in the lab all the time."

I'd been worried that Darius and I spending too much time in the lab would draw attention. Now I didn't have to worry about that.

And honestly, humiliation wasn't a big deal to me. I'd been through plenty in foster care. Compared to the other kids stealing my food, soaking my bedding, and blaming me for everything they did, Zach's loser penalty was nothing.

Darius, who hadn't spoken until now, finally opened his mouth.

He looked at me seriously, his eyes full of trust. "I believe Vanessa can handle this. She's always been amazing."

I felt a warmth in my chest. "Hearing you say that makes me more confident."

Chloe and the others were caught off guard by our sudden closeness. They exchanged glances, all looking helpless.

"Since you've already decided, we won't try to talk you out of it. Good luck." Chloe nodded at me, then grabbed the other two and pulled them away.

Rena was still dissatisfied. "Why are you dragging me? I wanted to say more to Vanessa. That's Zach we're talking about—a genius among geniuses. Vanessa competing with him, isn't she bound to lose?"

Chloe said calmly, "We need to trust our friend. Let's not disturb her while she's working."

Their voices faded. I just felt warm inside.

This feeling of being cared about was really nice.

I pulled my thoughts back and started practicing the potion again. This time, I actually followed the transformation potion formula.

Even though I knew winning was a long shot, I still wanted to try. Who said geniuses couldn't be beaten?

Time flew when I was focused. I failed again and again, then started over. When I finally stopped to rest, I realized it was already late at night.

Outside the window, the deep purple moonlight grew more intense, streaming through the glass and casting a dreamy purple haze.

Darius was still keeping me company, even though the process was incredibly tedious.

I looked at him fondly. "You should go back and rest."

"I'll stay with you," Darius shook his head.

"You don't have to. I can manage on my own."

Darius started to protest.

I cut him off. "We have more important things to investigate. I need to focus on the competition with Zach, so I need you to save your energy for the investigation."

I grabbed Darius's hand and pressed it against my cheek, trying to be endearing.

"This is when we need to work together, okay? Go back and rest."

Darius's body stiffened for a moment, and his neck and ears turned red.

"...Okay."

Darius walked away stiffly.

I watched him go and smiled to myself, then continued practicing.

Even though I failed every time, I could clearly feel myself getting better at controlling the process.

Late at night, everything was quiet except for the bubbling sounds from the cauldron.

Royce's voice suddenly broke the silence. "What are you still doing here at this hour?"