Chapter 13: Change of Occupation
Audrey's tone was chilling, her teeth clenched, a glint of coldness in her eyes, body trembling slightly, as if she harbored immense disdain toward Fan Er Si.
Xia Zuo rarely witnessed such animosity from her. Quietly, he inquired, "Boss, what's wrong with Fan Er Si?"
Audrey brushed aside her hair, revealing a helpless smile. "Little one, between the flame potions I concoct and those of Fan Er Si's, which do you think is better?"
Xia Zuo didn't need to rely on his memory recall technique to discern; his expertise as a fire breather allowed him to distinguish the quality: "Of course, yours, Boss! Both potions are similar in effect, but yours carries significantly less toxicity!"
Audrey smiled, her countenance shifting from gloomy to sunny, displaying an affable demeanor, seemingly satisfied with the boy's answer: "Now, guess why mine is better than Fan Er Si's?"
"Because of the fire-resistant oil!"
Xia Zuo responded without hesitation.
A spark of inspiration flashed in his mind! Suddenly, it dawned on him, "I think I understand. When you recruited Fan Er Si, you used the fire-resistant oil and a new flame potion formula as conditions, right?"
Audrey's smile faltered for a moment, then grew even more radiant. It was evident the boy hit the mark.
"The fire-resistant oil must be quite expensive... Boss, you must have gone through a lot for this," Xia Zuo observed her expression, confirming his deduction.
"At least it wasn't in vain. How did that brain of yours grow so sharp? No wonder you keep accounts so diligently."
Audrey cupped the boy's face, planting a kiss on his forehead, speaking as if confiding in him, "That fellow, Fan Er Si... hmph. I provided him with the formula and promised to cover half the cost of the fire-resistant oil. Yet, he used that money to buy addictive painkillers. Sneck and the others knew about Fan Er Si's addiction, but due to his position as a fire breather in the circus, they tolerated his presence."
Audrey seemed to recollect something.
She gazed into the boy's eyes, speaking with seriousness, "Xia Zuo, promise me, unless absolutely necessary, never use those painkillers. Especially not before fire-breathing. Fan Er Si relies on painkillers to endure the side effects of the flame potion. Sooner or later, he'll swallow that potion and nearly kill himself."
Xia Zuo chuckled, "Of course. I don't need that stuff at all. Look at my recovery speed, it's faster than the painkillers take effect."
Audrey was amused by the boy's tone, "Haha, you're right. You're truly made for fire breathing."
After a brief pause, her lips tensed, speaking firmly, "I've decided. Once the performance in Pieke Citadel concludes, I'll kick Fan Er Si out. You'll take his place. The circus's income will decrease, but it's better than risking a disaster at any moment. I don't want to handle the aftermath of that scoundrel."
Having spoken these words, Audrey's gaze appeared distant.
She fell momentarily silent, murmuring softly, "I spent my own points to exchange formulas and fire-resistant potions for Fan Er Si, never withholding his compensation... Xia Zuo, have I fulfilled my duty?"
"Yes, Boss."
Xia Zuo nodded firmly, "I even think you've been too lenient. There's no need to invest so much in an addict. Fan Er Si is an adult; he should take responsibility for his actions."
Meeting Audrey's increasingly clear gaze, he continued in a serious tone, "With me in the circus, things will improve soon."
Under the moonlight, they discussed the arrangements for tomorrow's performance and then returned to rehearsing at the stage.
The next day arrived.
Audrey's circus officially began its show in the Citadel.
The Citadel's commander had spread the message to the residents through taverns the previous night, inviting them to watch the performance for free.
By this morning, almost every household knew they could enjoy the show without charge, a rare occurrence in these troubled times of marauders.
Before 8 a.m., Fountain Square was packed with a bustling crowd.
The commander had been generous, but clearly underestimated the populace's enthusiasm for free offerings.
Just before the 9 a.m. start, a messenger from the fortress arrived, delivering a letter and a purse of coins to the circus's leader.
After reading the letter and inspecting the contents of the purse, Audrey turned to her members with a broad smile, "The commander has provided additional ticket fees! Everyone, pull back a third of the curtain on the main tent. We're adding more seats today!"
In his mind, Xia Zuo gave a thumbs-up. Fantastic! Even though he lacked experience in ticket sales, their first performance doubled the audience size!
Audrey handed the task of warming up and announcing the program to Xia Zuo, relieving the burden on the clown sister.
While other members set up the stage, Xia Zuo stirred the audience's emotions, ensuring the wait didn't dampen the atmosphere.
Though not an official show, he poured a hundred percent effort into the performance.
Aware of his shorter stature, Xia Zuo wore shoes with added height.
To stand out more, he donned a vibrant clown costume.
About ten minutes later, the fifth row of the audience was filled. Adults and children chatted animatedly, creating a lively atmosphere.
From behind the stage curtain, Xia Zuo poked his head out.
His fluffy green wig and red-painted laughing face instantly captured the children's attention.
"Whoo-Whoo-Whoo!"
Xia Zuo whistled, dramatically swaying into the center.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
Xia Zuo gathered everyone's attention.
The audience watched with smiles as the clown with splayed feet addressed them.
"Friends of Pieke Citadel! Before the circus's performance officially commences, let us praise the generous and kind Citadel Commander!"
Xia Zuo raised both arms, his painted face taking on a serious expression.
"Praise the Commander!"
The audience raised their arms in unison, shouting.
"Thank him for inviting everyone to watch the show for free!"
A cheer erupted from the audience seats, others laughing at the jest, "Haha, more shows like this one, please!"
Amidst the laughter, Xia Zuo suddenly dropped the corners of his mouth, drawing lines below his eyes, mimicking tears.
"Sob~ Sob~ Do you all know? The generous Commander made me... jobless!"
A brief silence fell over the audience, as if they were trying to decipher why the clown said such a thing.
"I used to be the ticket seller, taking money with one hand and handing out tickets with the other."
Xia Zuo broke into a smile, corners of his mouth turning up again, pulling out an excessively bulky purse filled with coin-like objects.
"I was supposed to sell tickets, but the generous patron gave me everything in advance! Oh, it's heartbreaking. I didn't even get to sell tickets before finishing my job."
"Shush!"
The audience collectively expressed their mock-disdain for the clown's antics.
Tossing the bulging purse backstage, Xia Zuo glanced at
the leader behind the curtain.
She gestured with a few signs: the strongmen needed another 30 seconds for preparation.
Xia Zuo blinked, responding with a glance, "Understood."
He retrieved a torch from behind and positioned himself about 3 meters from the audience seats.
"Hey~ dear audience. As you see, I was an aspiring ticket salesman. I didn't want the generous customer to hand me all my work, so I self-taught a few tricks. Let's see how well I've learned."
Xia Zuo struck a match, igniting the torch, taking a gulp of his flame potion.
"Puff~"
"Whoosh~" A small flame appeared, steadily glowing in front of him.
Xia Zuo raised a finger, signaling the audience to time him.
"One."
"Two."
"Three." The children watched the flame intently, counting in their innocent voices.
"Four."
"Five."
"Six." A few adults joined in.
...
"C-13."
"14."
"Oh heavens, he can keep it up for so long."
Gasps echoed through the audience, as if a switch had been flipped, and everyone joined the countdown:
"15, 16, 17, 18! 19! 20! 21!"
Xia Zuo sealed his lips, and the tiny flames vanished with them.
He rested his hands on his hips, leaned back, anticipating praise. "Well, folks, how was my performance?"
*Clap, clap, clap!*
"Roar~ Clown, your skills are amazing!"
Amidst the applause, a child's sharp voice stood out.
"Brilliant~ Do another one!"
"Another one~"
"Thank you all for the praise."
Xia Zuo bowed, lowering his head almost to his knees, taking a peek behind at the backdrop.
Audrey partially concealed herself in the curtains, eyes filled with admiration, gesturing readiness with her right hand.
Xia Zuo jumped up cheering, "Oh-ho! The next act is the spectacular bursting of the great ball, presented by the strongman, Pole Pie, and the clown siblings!"
To Sneck's lively drumbeats, the clown sister took the stage first.
With her high-pitched calls and a sensual dance synchronized with the music, she captivated the audience's gaze.
Xia Zuo hurried behind the curtain.
"Little one, you did great."
Audrey half-embraced Xia Zuo's shoulders, gently squeezing them, speaking tenderly, "Take a rest; you'll be needed to warm up the crowd later."
Xia Zuo glanced at Fan Er Si, hunched over, mixing fire-breathing elixirs. Next to his kit lay two just emptied bottles.
This bald man, reliant on pain-relieving elixirs to perform dangerous fire acts, had trapped himself in a cycle.
Addiction demanded money, money came from performances, earnings went into buying elixirs, consuming elixirs exacerbated the addiction, leading to performing risky acts while on elixirs, earning more for more elixirs...
If it weren't for practicing breathing techniques significantly boosting physical resilience, this addict would have collapsed long ago.
Xia Zuo shook his head in resignation, flipping through mental notes.
"Successful fire-breathing act.
"Flame Intensity: Small flames
"Duration of Fire-breathing: 21 seconds
"Number of Audience: 45 people
"Average Audience Satisfaction: 80%
"Total Experience Gained: 0.756 points."
【Level】LV.5
【Experience】0.9+0.756→1.656/200
A mere 21 seconds of fire performance earned 0.756 points! As per the plan laid by the big sister, he could perform around 10 times today, securing at least 5 points of experience.
Level 6 was on the horizon!
A brief flicker in his mind and the message reappeared:
"Host's 【Identity】 detected changes, character template updated, added advanced entries related to 【Identity】. Added 【Resistance】 and related advanced entries."
【Personal Template】
【Name】 Xia Zuo
【Gender】 Male
【Age】 15 years 2 months
【Identity】 Commoner → Fire Breather
【【Identity Level】 Novice Level.
Breathing small flames yields 100% experience, breathing small (0.5 meters), medium (1 meter), strong (2 meters), large fireballs (3 meters) earns additional experience bonuses ranging from 10% to 40%.
Experience gained from activities typical of a commoner, like cooking or ticket selling, decreases by 95%.
Experience gained from reading books or training related to attributes remains unaffected.
【【Promotion Conditions】
Under the witness of at least 20 unfamiliar audience members, sustain breathing small flames for 15 seconds or more, achieve an average audience satisfaction of 80% or higher for three consecutive times to be promoted to an entry-level fire breather.
【【Identity Bonuses】
Level 1 Fire Resistance, a 0.5% increase in fire resistance. (This bonus will convert to a character specialty upon identity transformation)
【Level】LV.5
【Experience】1.656/200
【Health Points】22/22 (Healthy)
【Health Regeneration Rate】
【Basic Regeneration Rate】1.11 points/hour.
【Real-time Regeneration Rate】1.11 points/hour.
【Average Regeneration Rate】1.11 points/hour.
【Resistance】
【Fire Resistance】0.5% (Reduction of fire damage and fire-related abnormal effects by 0.5%)
【Strength】3
【Agility】2
【Endurance】3
【Vitality】5
【Perception】3
【Willpower】3
【Mental Power】1.1
【Charisma】3
【Available Attribute Points】3
【Character Specialty】
【Undying Body】
Before reaching zero health, won't die even if hit fatally, and any injury will self-repair as health increases.
【Character Skills】: 【Sensing Technique】
【Knowledge Reserve】: Moderate knowledge of books and fire-breathing elixirs.
Promoting the identity level of a fire breather can increase fire resistance!
The cheat code emphasized that changing identities won't erase the fire breather's identity bonuses but will transform them into character specialties!
Doesn't that mean the bonuses from multiple identities stack?
Trying to conceal the excitement, Xia Zuo gulped down water.
Audrey believed the boy was putting on a composed act during the performance, but in reality, he was nervous, only showing it now.
She chuckled, ruffling Xia Zuo's hair. "Slow down on the drink, kiddo."