Chapter 127: Beast Pills

Chapter 127: Beast Pills



Simon's face glowed with excitement, his spirits soaring as he felt this was the pinnacle of his life. Today, he was no longer just a hired worker running errands for others; he was an independent business owner, managing a shop with the backing of the Cape family.

From this day forward, he would be a successful entrepreneur, no longer beholden to others.

The once-aloof merchants now visited his shop, offering congratulations and well-wishes. Though they came primarily to maintain a good relationship with the Cape family, Simon didn't mind.

One day, he would truly succeed!

"Simon!"

As he greeted customers, a burly man named Ferla, who sold potions in the shop, rushed over.

Pulling Simon aside, Ferla spoke urgently, "Something's not right!"

"There are too few customers buying potions. Even those who do are only buying one or two bottles out of courtesy to Young Master Allen. It's not what we expected at all."

Simon was taken aback. The invited guests all had purchasing power, and the potions were sold at almost cost price to celebrate the opening. Even if customers were attracted by the low prices, the sales should have been higher.

"Hmm..."

"Hurry! If you're late, you'll miss out!"

"The wizard Arch's apothecary across the way has a new product, but you can only buy it after purchasing their potions. Still, it's worth it."

"Quick! Quick!"

Whispersuaded by the whispers from the crowd, Simon's face darkened, and Ferla's expression changed.

"Go!"

Simon called over an employee and instructed, "Go and see what's happening over there."

"Yes, sir."

The employee quickly went and returned just as swiftly.

"The apothecary across the street is selling Beast Pills that aid knights in their cultivation. They're very affordable, but you must buy their potions first. Many people are rushing to get the Beast Pills."

"I heard they're having a promotion. In three days, the price of the Beast Pills will double."

"Everyone is scrambling to buy them."

The employee licked his lips, suppressing the excitement in his eyes. If it weren't for the presence of Simon and Ferla, he would have bought some himself.

"Damn..."

Simon staggered back, his face turning pale.

Ferla's expression darkened, and he rushed across to Arch's apothecary, pushing through the crowd.

Soon, he returned with a few bottles of potions and some Beast Pills, his face growing more troubled.

Most potions had expiration dates, so stockpiling them wasn't very beneficial. This meant that the daily potion sales in the market were limited, and if one shop sold more, others would inevitably sell less.

As it was now, everyone was rushing to buy the Beast Pills, going to Wizard Arch's apothecary to purchase the required potions. This made it difficult for Allen's shop to increase its sales.

Not far away, several members of the Cape family were keeping a close eye on the situation.

"Allen, my brother," Sam said with a cold smile. "Did you see? Running a business isn't as easy as you imagined. Cutting your losses might be the best option."

"Today's lesson will leave a deep impression, especially when it comes to trusting others' words too easily."

Allen's face turned ashen.

"Allen, don't worry about repaying my money right away," said Aunt Milly sympathetically. "But you borrowed quite a few magic stones from your third brother, with a promise of high interest. He won't be as understanding as I am."

"..." Allen sighed.

"You'll figure it out."

Allen staggered, his face paling instantly.

...

In a room nearby, Wizard Arch held up a high-quality Beast Pill, examining it closely. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "An intriguing technique—ancient, precise, yet not overly complex. It's somewhat similar to the ancient era's alchemy."

He turned to Karl, "Did you bring this method from the Eastern Kingdom Continent?"

"Yes," Karl nodded, unable to reveal its origins from another world. "I acquired this method out of curiosity, never expecting it to be useful here."

"How so?" Charlie asked, intrigued. "Isn't it useful over there?"

"Well..." Karl hesitated, then explained, "In the Eastern Kingdom Continent, magical and legendary creatures are rare, almost non-existent. So, this method is practically useless there."

"Of course," Arch nodded. "I almost forgot. Even though the Wizard Path has declined in the Eastern Kingdom Continent, it once boasted a brilliant civilization."

He put down the Beast Pill and continued, "Even our Six-Circle Tower originated from there. It's not surprising to find some mysterious legacies."

"Indeed," he agreed. "With these Beast Pills alone, you can keep the apothecary running. Well done, Karl."

Potion aids for knight cultivation were available on this continent, but they were expensive. However, with a steady supply of legendary creature materials, the cost of high-quality Beast Pills could be significantly lower than that of potions.

The apothecary could use the Beast Pills to break into the market, but to capture it, they had to keep the prices low, resulting in slim profit margins.

The Beast Pill's production process was not overly complex, and even wizards from another world could make them by hand. The ingredients were readily available, and despite Karl's knowledge of the key steps, the pills could be easily replicated.

It might take a month or two, but the method would undoubtedly be copied soon.

At that time.

It was more challenging to increase the price of the Beast Pills.

So, eventually, the Beast Pills would become an affordable item, gradually spreading through the market.

However, before that, this product was sufficient for the Apothecary to firmly establish itself in the market.

"The Beast Pills you've produced are excellent, but the operation of a shop can't rely on a single product," Wizard Arch spoke up, "What are your plans for the future?"

"With the Beast Pills attracting customers, we'll be selling many more potions each month than before," Karl replied.

"I plan to acquire potions at a fixed rate and quantity as a condition for signing long-term contracts with several alchemists."

"And since our shop requires so many potions each month, it's normal for us to acquire them at a lower price than others."

"By setting the agreed-upon quantity and price of potions and the compensation for violating the agreement, we can also prevent incidents like this from happening again."

"As long as no one has replicated the Beast Pills yet, binding the potion masters to the apothecary will ensure the shop's operation."

On the topic of business management.

Without the advanced commercial environment of previous eras, the Eastern Kingdom Continent already had various types of business contracts.

However, the Magic Forest still maintained its ancient business principles.

In a chaotic, disorderly, and savage living environment, it was inherently difficult to foster a thriving commercial sector.

Karl's proposal was quite novel to the two of them, and Charlie was so excited that he slapped his thigh.

"I never would've thought!"

"Who knew that Karl, my junior brother, would be a genius in business? If only you had come earlier."

"Don't worry!"

He patted his chest and said,

"I'll help you contact the potion masters. For the next six months, I'll stay at the shop and manage the business."

"Thank you, senior brother," Karl smiled.

"With your help, things will be much simpler."

With the production of Beast Pills in his hands, Simon's so-called schemes and plans would only appear ridiculous.

All means were futile against the grand trend.

And the grand trend in business was to offer high-quality products at low prices.

As for the shortage of potions in the apothecary, it was even easier to resolve, whether through support from the tower or borrowing from Sam, there was no need for concern in the short term.

Once these three days passed, the fame of the Beast Pills would spread throughout the market, and the apothecary's business would naturally stabilize.

"Right!"

Kyle asked, "What about Simon?"

Upon hearing this, Wizard Arch and Charlie's expressions simultaneously turned somber, a sense of gloom settling over them.

"Thirty years!"

Wizard Arch shook his head lightly, his voice carrying a hint of sigh, "The reason I didn't accept him as my disciple is because Simon has a significant character flaw."

"He thinks he can secretly buy potions at low prices and resell them for personal gain. Don't I know about this?"

"Sigh!"

"The Cape Family isn't as easygoing as me."

...

A few days later.

Night! A dark shadow appeared on the outskirts of Leipzig Market.

Simon carried a package, cautiously looking around, then tightening his grip on his staff and quietly heading towards the distance.

"Damn!"

"That bastard Ferra, blaming all the mistakes on me. It was his idea to open the shop opposite Wizard Arch's Apothecary, and now he's pushing all the blame onto me!"

"And Allen, too!"

"That little master of the Cape Family, he's just a fool, opening a shop without knowing anything."

He muttered, his face filled with hatred.

"I've already lost money on the shop, why should I be held responsible? Since you're pushing me, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Leaving Leipzig Market, I can go elsewhere. Do you really think I'll hang myself from a tree?"

"Karl..."

"That damn bastard!"

Simon muttered softly, his voice not carrying beyond, not even the sound of his footsteps.

He had clearly used a highly advanced 'silencing' spell.

"Swish!"

His figure flickered, and he seemed to glide forward as if pushed by the wind, floating out past the front alley.

Just beyond this alley was the edge of the market.

"Simon!"

Just then, a familiar voice sounded, "My friend, where are you going alone at this late hour? Aren't you afraid of encountering danger?"

At the end of the alley, a tall, burly figure stepped out, blocking his path.

The man had a large build, sparse hair on his head, and his eyes shone with pure golden light.

This was a characteristic of a spell in its activated state.

"Ferra!"

Seeing the man, Simon's expression changed, "What are you doing here?"

"Heh..." Ferra chuckled lightly, "That's what I was going to ask you, my friend. These past few days, your mind has been elsewhere."

"Is that so?" Ferra shook his head, "If the young master believes you, I have nothing to say."

"Clap, clap!"

He clapped his hands lightly, "Come out!"

As his voice fell, figures appeared nearby, an invisible aura of killing intent enveloping Simon.

"Hmm?"

Ferra's eyes flickered, "Something's not right!"

"Splash!"

A streak of light appeared, piercing the body and Simon's body received the attack, wobbled slightly, and then turned into a puddle of water droplets that scattered across the ground.

"Water clone?"

Ferra's eyes narrowed, "Simon, my friend, do you really think you can escape?"

"Chase!"

"Kill them if they resist!"

"Yes, sir!"

Under the cover of night, the hunting squad from the Cape family responded in unison and then silently vanished into the darkness.

The hunt had officially begun.

Divine Realm Fragment.

The data panel quietly hovered in mid-air.

Name: Karl

Constitution: 5.4

Psychic Energy: 5.85

Essence: 0

Level: Legendary Knight, High Mage Apprentice

Abyssal Bloodline Fusion: 15%

With a constitution of 5.4, his physical strength was ten times that of an ordinary person, and the gap was far greater than just tenfold.

Enhanced by Battle Aura and Battle Skills, his flesh and blood were as tough as machine-forged steel.

Even a hundred ordinary people clad in battle armor would not be a match for a Legendary Knight.

With 5.85 psychic energy, many newly advanced Archmages didn't possess such profound foundations.

However, psychic energy was one thing, and realm was another.

Archmages could sense the Star Realm and wield spells far more powerful than High Mage Apprentices, not to mention their mastery of First Circle Spells.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Almost there!"

Karl waved his hand to dismiss the data panel:

"Even if my psychic energy cultivation slows down, it won't take more than two years to completely master my Inner Sea."

"By then, my bloodline fusion should also reach 30%."

With sufficient psychic energy, he could attempt to advance to an Archmage, but Karl had no plans to do so.

It was too dangerous!

Failure in advancement could result in death.

Even with his psychic energy, there was a high chance of success, but what if something went wrong?

With the Divine Realm Fragment's perfect control over his body, becoming a Bloodline Wizard meant he wouldn't have to worry about death.

The chances of breaking through were also greater.

"No rush!"

"Take it easy."

"It's just a year or two. I'm still young and can afford to wait."

Dismissing the thought, Karl's quill pen floated up and began recording various experimental data in a Wizard's Handbook.

Divine Realm Fragment's Wish Fulfillment Mechanism Research.

One: Divination is taboo!

Karl had once tried to divine his future, just a simple attempt, but it nearly destroyed the Divine Realm Fragment.

Divination might involve unknown existences.

The consumption of divination varied depending on the existence involved; it wasn't always the case that simpler divinations cost less.

For instance:

Karl divined whether his journey to the north would be safe, which might be very safe, but he could encounter a terrifying existence along the way.

The consumption of divination would then be determined by that existence, and even if nothing happened, the cost would still be significant.

Hence, after that incident, he never attempted divination or precognition again.

Two: Can enhance cultivation.

As a wish fulfillment mechanism, it could naturally enhance cultivation, but it required consuming the Divine Realm Fragment.

However, it was inefficient!

Karl tried to enhance his psychic energy and bloodline fusion.

It was achievable.

But unlike increasing strength with Essence, using the Divine Realm Fragment resulted in a waste of over ninety percent of the power during the transmission process.

With the current size of the Divine Realm Fragment, even if it were completely sacrificed, it wouldn't significantly enhance his strength.

If the Divine Realm Fragment were a hundred kilometers or tens of thousands of kilometers in size, it could directly make him a Second or even Third Circle Wizard.

And so on.

The size of the Divine Realm was almost equivalent to the strength of a 'Deity'. The stronger the Deity, the larger their Divine Realm would be.

Three: Believers may not remain pious forever.

Apart from Karl himself, there were currently two people who had successfully invoked the Tai Wei Jade Emperor.

They were Quincy and Aya.

Quincy used this to break through his realm and become a Legendary Knight.

However, not long after, he was killed by a Red-Eyed Merfolk. As a believer, all of him was consumed by the Divine Realm Fragment.

As for Aya, she solved the problem of the water spirit on her body with the power of the 'Deity', but she herself had no faith.

Initially,

Karl could use the Divine Realm Fragment to sense Aya's thoughts and life, and even influence her.

But if he ignored her, over time, their connection would weaken.

Gradually, it became harder to sense her.

Now, even if Aya met an unexpected death, her soul and memories wouldn't belong to the Tai Wei Jade Emperor.

"No wonder people plagued by evil gods often have nightmares and are influenced; they must fear losing their connection."

"Faith!"

Karl pondered:

"Deities require long-term faith. Only such believers are meaningful, as ordinary followers may change their faith."

"And..."

"The faith of the dying is better than that of the living, for after death, everything belongs to the Deity. The living may change their faith. No wonder some churches are eager to persuade the dying to believe in a deity, even considering it a greater achievement than converting ten young believers."

"So that's how it is!"

Four: Cannot create from nothing.

This point was straightforward.

One could make wishes to the Tai Wei Jade Emperor, but they wouldn't obtain something that didn't exist. At least, Karl couldn't do it.

However, if something existed within the Divine Realm Fragment, it could be sent out.

Five: Cannot create life.

Six: ...

"In short, as the master of this Divine Realm Fragment, I can't do much," Karl mused.

"To do more, I must have more people worship me and develop more believers."

"I'll gain Essence from them, strengthen the Divine Realm, and continue to perform 'Divine Miracles' to attract more followers."

"Ultimately, achieving a virtuous cycle."

Karl stroked his chin, shaking his head in resignation.

"No!"

"I am merely the master of a fragment of the Divine Realm, not the master of the Divine Realm itself. I possess functions akin to a deity, but they are incomplete."

He lifted his head and gazed at the memory of Quincy, who was trapped within the Dimensional Cage.

Just one memory of Quincy had a significant impact on him, and if there were eight or ten more memories of other people...

The Dimensional Cage might not be able to contain them.

...

"Mr. Karl!"

As evening approached and the shop was about to close, the guard, J, approached and whispered, "Mr. Charlie instructed me to deliver a gift to you. After the shop closes, please follow me."

"Oh!"

Karl paused his accounting work and curiously looked up, "What gift?"

"Mr. Charlie ordered me to keep it a secret." J smiled, "But I can assure you that you'll definitely like it when you see it."

"Is that so?"

Karl nodded, "I'm looking forward to it."

Not long after, the sky began to darken, and the shop was already closed. Karl followed Guard J out of the market.

"Mr. Karl."

J spoke softly, "You're from the distant Calim Continent and a disciple of the Sixth Circle Tower. You've experienced a peaceful life, but the Magic Forest is different from your previous place. It's filled with savagery and slaughter."

"You'll need to get used to it gradually. Mr. Charlie's gift will help you adapt to this environment."

Hmm...

Actually, I'm not from the Calim Continent, and the slaughter I've witnessed is probably more intense than what's happening here.

But what is this gift?

Shaking his head, Karl didn't explain to J and asked, "How much further is it?"

"We're almost there." J pointed ahead, "It's over there!"

The direction he pointed to was sparsely populated with houses, and there were no pedestrians around, indicating they were at the outskirts of the Leipzig Market.

As they drew closer, Karl's steps gradually slowed.

His keen perception caused him to frown unconsciously, "Are you sure it's like this?"

"Yes." J nodded firmly, "It's right here."

Saying this, he took a few steps forward and knocked on the courtyard gate.

"Coming!"

A middle-aged man with a blue silk headscarf and a little mustache opened the gate. Upon seeing the two of them, he gestured, "Please come in!"

Karl didn't rush in but instead took out his staff and waved it lightly.

Detection Spell!

A faint glow emanated from the staff and spread towards the courtyard, scanning the ground, the house, and the people.

"This gentleman is very cautious."

The mustached man smiled, "But don't worry. Although we're in the business of killing, we won't harm our guests."

"Please!"

Saying this, he bowed again, inviting them in.

Karl put away his staff and nodded at the man. Following J, they entered a room resembling a hall.

Inside the room stood two people, a man and a woman. The man had a scar running from his forehead to his chin, and the woman had an icy gaze.

Karl had seen people like them in the Port of Freedom; they were specialized killers responsible for slaughter in various major forces, commonly known as assassins.

His gaze paused momentarily on the two of them before landing on a long wooden box placed diagonally in the center of the room.

"Hehe..."

The mustached man entered with a smile, "This target is quite popular. Even the Cape family has issued a kill order on him."

"Fortunately, we managed to get to him first and captured his head!"

Saying this, he gestured for the man to open the wooden box.

"Click!"

The lid of the box was lifted, revealing a human head with a stick inserted beneath it.

The head belonged to someone familiar.

Simon!

They had indeed captured his head!

"Ah!"

"Ahhh..."

Simon, now just a head, was still alive. The stick, which served as a substitute for his body, was supporting his life in some special way.

As the lid was opened, a sealed scream also escaped.

"It's him."

Karl's eyebrows furrowed, and he sighed helplessly, "If it's done, why did Brother Charlie ask me to come and see it?"

No wonder J said that this gift would help him adapt to the chaos of the Magic Forest; now he understood the meaning.

"We're doing business, of course, we have to let the employer confirm the goods." The mustached man smiled, "Sir, please inspect the goods!"

"..." Karl waved his hand, "Since we're colleagues, there's no need for such torture. Just kill him."

"Okay!"

The mustached man nodded, and the man next to the wooden box took out a dagger and pointed it at Simon's head.

"Karl!"

Simon roared, his eyes wide open, "I just got here before you, do you think you'll be fine?"

"In your dreams!"

He screamed in pain but could only watch as the dagger pierced his skull.

At the same time, Karl felt a pain in his chest and slowly lowered his head. A blood-stained sword tip had penetrated his body, protruding from his chest.

Apart from the blood, there was also a hint of azure on the sword, indicating it was coated with some kind of poison.

What's going on?

Karl was taken aback and turned to look.

"Sorry."

The mustached man, still holding the dagger, maintained his smile, "I accepted the task to kill Simon, but I also received a task from Simon to kill Mr. Karl."

"So..."

"I'm truly sorry."

Karl opened his mouth but ultimately shook his head in silence, "Your local assassins are too unruly."

Hmm?

Karl's reaction startled the mustached man, who widened his eyes. Then, his body became immobile as extreme fear engulfed him.

Tentacles appeared before his eyes.

Terror Aura!

Abyssal Bloodline!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end