The body of this alchemical carriage was painted in bright colors, quite similar to the gold-and-red scheme of Iron Man's second suit of armor, giving it a very distinctive presence.
The wheels of the carriage were relatively large, allowing it to handle various terrains, though its speed was not particularly fast.
There were entrances at both the front and rear of the carriage. The rear entrance, in particular, was connected to a retractable staircase, and at the top of the steps was a door.
Phil opened the rear door, revealing the interior space to Levi.
Although the space was not large, it had been cleverly designed. There was not only a sleeping area composed of movable beds, but also a multifunctional area for storing various items.
On both sides of the carriage were multiple windows for ventilation and lighting, preventing the interior from feeling stuffy at all.
In addition, multiple layers of storage shelves had been installed along the walls and corners, which could be used to store clothes, daily necessities, and other items.
In other parts of the carriage, Phil and the others had also prepared several multifunctional tables and chairs for Levi, making everything extremely thoughtful.
Levi sat down and, under Phil's guidance, personally drove the carriage. He found that it was not bumpy at all.
It should be known that in this era, carriages were limited by technology and lacked spring suspension—riding them for long periods could be unbearably rough.
But this alchemical carriage did not have that problem.
This was undoubtedly the power of those alchemical patterns.
Somewhere within the carriage, there was a central control node.
Phil told Levi that as long as he infused it with enough Magic Power, the magical effects of the alchemical carriage could be maintained for five days.
And the amount of Magic Power required to fully charge it each time was not much—just the full reserve of a First-Tier Wizard Apprentice would suffice.
For Levi, who was already a First-Ring Wizard, this was naturally not an issue.
Levi was extremely satisfied with this alchemical carriage. Combined with the wizardry he had mastered, he felt that his future travels in the wild would be much more comfortable.
The only drawback was that the carriage was mainly made of wood, so its defensive capability was lacking.
Although Phil had said that the carriage was inscribed with alchemical runes that granted a "Sturdy" effect, Levi still felt that its safety at night in the wilderness was not sufficient.
However, Phil and the others were only wizard apprentices—Levi could not demand too much.
As for the issue of insufficient safety, he would have to solve it himself.
If he could raise his Magic Power to the level of a Second-Ring Wizard, or even a Third-Ring Great Wizard, then no matter how dangerous the wilderness was, he would not need to worry too much.
So Levi said to Phil, Rudolf, and Mark, "Thank you."
"Then hurry up and get going," the three brothers said.
Levi fell silent.
However, the three brothers were genuinely kind.
Phil brought Levi a large amount of food, including smoked meat and wine.
Rudolf stuffed a large number of gold coins into Levi's hands.
Mark, having nothing to offer, gave Levi a big hug and said, "If you ever run into an enemy you can't handle…"
"Will you come help me?" Levi looked at him expectantly.
Mark's magic stick was indeed powerful.
He said, "Then you should run immediately. You can abandon the carriage."
Levi paused for a moment before replying, "Thank you."
He had already delayed for quite some time.
Now he really had to leave.
Otherwise, if the Magic Mirror Queen discovered them, things would not end well.
So he bid farewell to the three brothers.
When Levi truly set off, the three brothers instead felt reluctant to part. They stopped joking and each gave him a hug.
Yes.
The smell of their sweat made Levi uncomfortable.
Levi climbed onto the alchemical carriage, pulled the reins, and slowly departed.
Behind him, the three brothers stood at the edge of the forest, watching Levi's carriage move forward at an extremely slow pace—like an old man walking.
The carriage was overloaded with items, and a single horse struggled to pull it.
...
"Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, tell me—who is the most beautiful woman in the world?" the Magic Mirror Queen, Cecilia, asked with a hint of obsession.
"Queen, Queen, you are the most beautiful woman in the world," the Magic Mirror replied mechanically.
The Magic Mirror Queen was very satisfied and smiled, though she quickly restrained herself. A burly, heavily-haired man stepped out from the shadows.
"My master," the man said in a low voice, bowing.
"Go. Kill Levi for me," the Magic Mirror Queen ordered coldly.
"As you wish," the man replied.
...
On the forest path, Levi drove the carriage while practicing his newly acquired spell, "Wizard's Hand."
The uneven forest road provided perfect opportunities for practice.
From time to time, various obstacles appeared—
A fallen tree trunk blocking the road, sections of the path completely covered in vines, or other similar obstructions.
In such situations, the carriage obviously could not pass.
The alchemical carriage Levi obtained from Phil and the others was not a pumpkin carriage—it could not fly.
Under normal circumstances, Levi would have to get off the carriage and deal with these obstacles himself before the carriage could pass.
But now that he had mastered the spell "Wizard's Hand," things became much simpler.
He remained seated on the carriage, repeatedly casting "Wizard's Hand" instantly. The spell cleared away all the obstacles along the road, allowing Levi to comfortably drive the carriage as it slowly moved through the forest, which was gradually growing darker.
When he was hungry, he used "Wizard's Hand" to fetch a piece of white bread from inside the carriage and feed himself.
When he was thirsty, he used "Wizard's Hand" to take out a bottle of wine and drink from it.
The wine was sweet and slightly sour. Levi was in a good mood and ended up drinking a bit too much.
He wondered if this counted as drunk driving!
Dusk quietly arrived.
Levi had also upgraded his "Wizard's Hand" to Level 2. The weight it could lift had increased to approximately 250 kilograms, and its range had expanded as well.
At this time, although the sun had not fully set, the forest was growing darker and darker.
Especially in the deeper parts of the forest where Levi currently was, the trees were dense, and even light could not penetrate through.
Faint, eerie howling sounds could be heard.
The animals were coming out to hunt.
The horse pulling Levi's carriage was just an ordinary horse. Upon hearing those sounds, it became visibly uneasy and was reluctant to move forward.
It was afraid.
Seeing this, and after traveling for most of the day, although Levi did not feel physically or mentally tired, he still chose to stop.
He guided the carriage to the side, then first used "Gathering Technique" to collect fresh fodder and clean drinking water from the forest.
Using the upgraded "Wizard's Hand," he fed the horse. After it had eaten and drunk its fill, Levi let it rest properly while he entered the carriage himself.
Inside the carriage, it was pitch dark.
Since it was completely dark outside, it was naturally dark inside as well.
Levi prepared to start a fire first.
For him, this was not a difficult task.
However, there was one problem—the carriage did not contain any firewood.
After all, it was already packed with food and gold coins.
There was simply no room left for heavier firewood.
But in a forest, firewood was the least of concerns.
With a single use of "Gathering Technique," Levi collected a large amount of firewood from several big trees.
He was worried that the wood might not be dry enough, so he used "Gathering Technique" again to extract the moisture from it.
As a result, Levi obtained a pile of extremely dry firewood, which he placed into the stove and easily ignited.
Soon, an orange glow filled the entire carriage interior.
Thin wisps of smoke rose from the chimney.
A sense of warmth spread throughout the carriage.
Levi placed the food over the stove to heat it.
Then he leaned against the carriage wall, quietly watching as the food changed under the heat of the flames.
Drawn by the warmth, swarms of insects from the forest gathered.
It wasn't just "in clusters."
It was more like "in pounds."
Even the horse pulling the carriage grew intensely uneasy.
But at this moment, Levi released the Spiritual Power of a First-Ring Wizard, forming something like a transparent bowl around the outside.
Once the insects reached a certain distance, they could go no further.
As for some of the predators lurking outside the carriage, after sensing Levi's Spiritual Power as a First-Ring Wizard, a trace of wariness appeared in their eyes, and in the end, they slowly retreated.
Levi did not even spare them a glance. Instead, he picked up the reheated roasted chicken—which no longer tasted very good—and began eating it with a cup of hot water.
Moments later, the entire roasted chicken, not even a single bone remaining, had gone into Levi's stomach.
Levi still felt unsatisfied, so he continued heating more food and eating.
Only after consuming about one-tenth of his total food supply did he feel about eighty percent full and finally stop.
"Conversion" activated.
The food in his stomach was transformed into streams of warmth that flowed throughout his body, eliminating even the need for excretion.
At this rate, the large stockpile of food Phil had prepared for Levi would not last very long.
Of course, as a First-Ring Wizard who possessed "Gathering Technique," Levi would not go hungry.
Not to mention he still had a large amount of gold coins.
And his newly acquired "Wizard's Hand."
In fact, "Detection" was also crucial—it ensured that Levi would never miss any edible resources wherever he went.
However...
If possible, Levi would still prefer to eat better food.
In truth, for Levi, who possessed four instant-cast spells, this was not a difficult matter.
What troubled him now was something else.
After his sense of security was satisfied, other desires began to emerge.
That night, Levi was alone deep in the forest, with no entertainment whatsoever. It was, frankly, quite boring.
Meditation was of no use either.
The Basic Meditation Method could only support his Spiritual Power up to its current level. Continuing to meditate would yield no further results.
Through the long night, Levi was simply too bored, yet he could not fall asleep.
So he stepped down from the carriage and began casting "Detection" on his surroundings.
He detected all kinds of materials in the forest that could serve as seasonings—whether minerals or plants.
Levi then used "Gathering Technique" on them one by one.
Now that he was a First-Ring Wizard, casting a mere Level 2 "Gathering Technique" was effortless for him, and the Magic Power consumption was minimal.
After all, Level 2 "Gathering Technique" was still, at its core, just an apprentice-level spell.
The same applied to Level 2 "Wizard's Hand."
If it were a Level 4 "Gathering Technique," Levi would not be able to cast it so easily.
The Magic Power consumption would be quite terrifying.
Because Level 4 corresponded to the level of a First-Ring spell.
With Levi's current Magic Power as a First-Ring Wizard, he would only be able to use it a few times.
But then again, although First-Ring spells consumed a lot of Magic Power, they were also much more powerful.
For example, the upgraded "Detection" clearly demonstrated this...
Levi's thoughts wandered, but he shook his head and cleared away the distractions, focusing on using "Gathering Technique."
Some of the collected materials had a sweet taste and could be used to make sugar.
Some were salty and could be used as salt.
Some plant powders had a spicy flavor and could be used as chili powder.
Some tree roots had a unique aroma, like bay leaves, and could be used for braising...
At this moment, Levi encountered another problem.
He had gathered the spices, and in considerable quantities—each type weighing at least 500 grams.
But the problem was that he had no containers to store them.
Naturally, this was no challenge for our esteemed First-Ring Wizard Levi.
Using "Gathering Technique" and "Wizard's Hand," he crafted over a dozen boxes. They were not refined, but they were perfectly clean. He then stored the seasonings inside them.
Oh, right.
There was no fat or oil!
But this was not a problem for Levi either.
He first used "Detection" and discovered a wild boar foraging several kilometers away.
This boar weighed at least 200 to 250 kilograms, its entire body covered in mud like armor. It was a well-known fierce creature in the forest.
Ordinary hunters would generally not dare to provoke it.
But unfortunately for it—
It had caught Levi's attention.
Purely in terms of physical strength, Levi could already wrestle with it.
But he had no intention of relying on brute force.
How crude!
A wizard should be elegant!
So Levi stepped forward with effortless grace…
In reality, he was being carried through the air by "Wizard's Hand."
A Level 2 "Wizard's Hand" could lift approximately 250 kilograms. Since Levi's weight had not exceeded 250 kilograms, it could carry him through the air. He quickly arrived above the wild boar.
With "Gathering Technique," he obtained a sharp wooden spear.
With "Detection," he easily identified the boar's weak point and guided his attack.
Levi descended from above. The invisible "Wizard's Hand" grasped the sharp wooden spear and thrust it fiercely toward the boar's weak point.
The spear entered through the boar's mouth and pierced out through its anus.
The boar died without any pain.
Then, taking advantage of the moment just after its death, Levi used "Gathering Technique" on it.
The blood was discarded.
What he obtained were neat, rectangular cuts of pork.
Pork ribs.
Pig trotters.
Cleaned intestines with no odor.
Liver, lungs, and heart were not spared either.
Pig ears, tongue, and head meat were also collected.
Several bones were taken.
Most importantly, the fat—large amounts of white pork fat.
Carrying all of this, Levi returned fully loaded to his carriage.
The entire process took less than ten minutes.
Levi began using "Wizard's Hand" to build a cooking setup beside the carriage. Then he took out an iron pot from the carriage and began the process of rendering lard.
He added clean water into the pot. This prevented the high temperature at the beginning from burning the fat directly, allowing the lard to slowly release its oil as the water evaporated.
As the water began to evaporate, the surface of the white fat chunks gradually turned slightly yellow, releasing a raw yet pure aroma of meat fat.