"Tom, you went the wrong way. It's this way,"
Li Weide's words pulled Tom back to reality.
At some point, Li Weide had ended up right in front of him again.
"Sorry, I… I just got a bit distracted…" Tom quickly explained.
"Tom, your performance is too forced. If you want to act submissive, you need to make it look natural," Li Weide said meaningfully as he patted Tom on the shoulder and walked away again.
Tom stood frozen in place. Li Weide's words hit his ears like a thunderclap on a clear day.
I was too naive! Too presumptuous! My change in behavior was so abrupt—how could he not guess what I was planning?!
So… this was him warning me. Telling me not to have any improper thoughts!
He knows full well I could turn on him at any moment… and yet he still doesn't care. He's letting me be. Does that mean… he thinks I'm not even qualified to be a threat?!
Damn it! That arrogant bastard! How dare he? How dare he look down on me like that?!
Tom's face turned pale, his eyes filled with humiliation, and the veins on his neck bulged with anger.
The truth was, Tom understood Li Weide's mindset better than anyone—because before meeting Li Weide, this was exactly how he saw everyone else.
He believed the people around him were mediocre fools, completely incapable of threatening someone as talented as himself. That's why he always acted so domineeringly.
But now, the one being dismissed as insignificant… was him.
He had never imagined that one day, he would be seen as one of the "fools."
Now, after being hit hard with this emotional boomerang, Tom finally had a taste of what those he once bullied must have felt…
"Ding! Host has inflicted significant psychological damage on the future Dark Lord. +50 Merit Points."
Ah… Tom, I'm starting to like you.
Mrs. Cole was a worn-down, thin woman with a haggard face.
The shadow of war was slowly spreading across Europe, and as fear gripped people's hearts, fewer kind souls were donating money or supplies to orphanages.
Mrs. Cole didn't even know if this place would survive another few months…
Managing dozens of orphans, trying to keep them clothed and fed in times like these, had left her physically and mentally exhausted.
"Eric hasn't been feeling well all day. God forbid it's chickenpox again… We've already got our hands full. Billy seems much better—don't forget to clean his wound with iodine tonight," she said as she handed out food, speaking to a girl in a tattered dress and old apron.
Mrs. Cole soon spotted the latecomers—Li Weide and Tom.
"Weide, settling in alright? Tom, I hope you're not using your tricks to bully Weide! If I find out you are, it's back to the punishment room for you!"
Who's bullying who here… Tom pressed his lips together, saying nothing, and simply stared at the plate in his hands…
A small serving of baked beans, a scoop of mashed potatoes, a piece of bread, and a bowl of some kind of mystery soup.
"I'm doing well, Mrs. Cole… In fact, compared to the kids still out on the streets, starving and wandering—I'm already very lucky. If you hadn't taken me in from the streets… I don't know what would've become of me," Li Weide said, looking at her gratefully. "I'm truly thankful."
"You sweet child… Looks like I was right to take you in. You've helped me out quite a bit these past days. Now hurry and eat—here, take this…" Mrs. Cole gave him a rare smile and slipped a hard-boiled egg into the pocket of his coat.
Nearby, Tom glanced down at his bland meal, then at Li Weide's plate, which now had an apple as well and an egg in his pocket.
And just like that, he understood the true meaning of inequality.
Tom couldn't help but carry his tray over and sit across from Li Weide, who was calmly peeling his egg in the corner.
"What did you do for that woman? Why is she treating you so differently?"
Li Weide carefully scooped out the yolk, replying offhandedly, "Maybe, as you said, it's just because of my handsome face?"
Tom clenched his spoon, wanting to get angry but holding it in.
"Haha, just kidding. Here, have half the egg," Li Weide said, and under Tom's disgusted gaze, used his spoon to place half the yolk on Tom's tray.
"I just did a few things within my ability… Of course, those things just so happened to be exactly what she needed. You could've done them too—if you weren't always looking down on everyone and refusing to lift a finger."
Tom pushed the yolk aside in disdain. "Hmph. I'm not the type to grovel just to please others…"
"Oh? Then who was the one bowing and scraping to me earlier?" Li Weide chuckled.
"I…" Tom's pale face flushed red for once. "That's because… you're stronger than me! I had no choice…"
"Mhm… of course, Tom. I'm not saying you were wrong. In fact, sometimes, saying a few nice words or helping others out a bit—if it helps you reach your goals—really isn't such a big deal."
Li Weide smiled again as he looked at the flustered Tom. "Like how I please Mrs. Cole to get a nice private room for my research and training, while you try to please me to gain power—so you can take revenge on me later."
Tom felt like he couldn't even breathe. He hated this—being seen through so easily, yet unable to do anything about it!
"Ding!"
Another system notification chimed—Li Weide had earned another 10 merit points.
"Reparo!"
In his private room, Li Weide waved his hand in a special gesture at the cracked lock on the wooden door and chanted the spell.
"Clink…"
A faint metallic sound rang out as the cracks in the lock slowly disappeared!
Li Weide looked at the fully restored lock with satisfaction.
Complete Guide to Basic Spells was indeed thorough. It not only covered the historical evolution of each spell but also included the correct gestures for wandless casting…
That's why his repair spell had worked so smoothly.
Since obtaining the book, Li Weide's research and practice progress had easily sped up by over a hundredfold.
After spending 5 merit points on a bottle of Dittany, he still had 65 merit points left.
Now he was quite looking forward to midnight, when the shop would refresh with new items.
Luckily, the store had a "lock item" function—otherwise, even 65 points might not be enough.
(End of Chapter)