"This..."When the elder Mr. Fairchild glanced at the playing cards on the side table, then back at Deputy Mayor Lockwood's calligraphy, his expression morphed into one of utter disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost.At first, the guests couldn't make sense of his reaction. But once the photographer's assistant transmitted the live images onto the screen behind the banquet stage, everyone finally understood. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and murmurs of shock filled the hall.Still, some people remained skeptical. They refused to believe this was some kind of miracle, insisting that Deputy Mayor Lockwood must have known the Magician beforehand. Under normal circumstances, the vast difference in their social status would have made such a connection seem impossible. But then again, hadn't this Master Magician just been introduced as Mia Calloway's boyfriend? If he was connected to the Lockwood family through Mia, then the two men were practically family. With

"Uncle... what are you doing?"Other people might mistakenly assume Glen Johnson had some powerful background, but Mia Calloway knew his circumstances better than anyone. Apart from his side gig as a Magician, he was just a cook at a little diner. Naturally, she couldn't understand why someone of Calvin Lockwood's status would bow so formally to Glen Johnson.Calvin Lockwood waved her off, then turned to Glen with earnest sincerity. "Young man, thank you so much for saving my mother's life that day. I was so frightened at the time that I completely lost my composure and didn't even thank you properly in person. It's been weighing on my conscience ever since. I'm so relieved to see you here today. Thank you, truly, thank you so much."Glen hadn't expected Calvin Lockwood to recognize him. He remembered that day quite clearly. Calvin's entire focus had been on the elderly woman, he hadn't even glanced Glen's way properly. How could he possibly remember his face?Se

The screech of tires announced Glen Johnson's arrival as he pulled up to the diner in his Porsche, sliding smoothly into a parking spot alongside the curb.A crowd had gathered at the entrance, and at the center of the commotion stood a middle-aged man in a business suit, his face flushed with irritation. "What kind of establishment is this?" he bellowed, waving his arms dramatically. "No chef? If you don't have a chef, why are you even open? Just shut your doors already! We drove all this way because we heard about this place, and now you're telling us to wait?" He scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "And that twenty percent discount you're advertising? Do we look like people who need to pinch pennies?"A shorter man beside him jumped in eagerly, nodding his head like a bobblehead. "Exactly! Where's your chef? We drove all the way from East District specifically to try his cooking. That discount you're offering probably doesn't even cover our gas money for the trip!

Glen Johnson finally finished preparing dishes for all eight tables of customers outside, and by the time he was done, he was drenched in sweat. His clothes clung to him as though someone had dumped a bucket of water over his head.There was no helping it. The little diner had poor facilities, and the weather had been sweltering these past few days. Without central air conditioning, standing by the stove and stir-frying dozens of dishes in one go had nearly roasted him alive over the open flames.Still, his gains had been substantial. In just that short stretch of time, he had collected twenty-six genuine compliments. If this pace kept up, he wouldn't need a full month to gather three hundred sincere praises from customers. At this rate, he'd probably hit that number in ten days at most.But completing his Class Advancement Quest required more than just collecting three hundred genuine compliments. He also had to work as a chef in this restaurant for a full month. Bot

Just one more ingredient to go.Glen Johnson could almost taste the victory. Once he tracked down that last dried wildflower, he'd finally be able to complete the Mana Potion crafting quest and level up his Alchemist rank. More importantly, finishing the task would reward him with 20 EXP, which meant he'd finally break through to the next level.He still had no idea what changes leveling up would bring, but the mystery only made him more eager. How could he not be anxious?If it weren't already dark outside, he'd probably be sprinting into the wilderness right now to gather wildflowers himself.But that wasn't an option tonight. And he had no clue where else in Suncrest City he might find dried wild blooms for sale at this hour. The quest timer still showed two days remaining, so he could always make another run tomorrow afternoon if needed.Glancing at his phone, Glen saw it was almost five. He hurried downstairs, checked out of the hotel room, and climbed