Chapter 55 - 54: Basic Endurance Potion

Chapter 55: Chapter 54: Basic Endurance Potion

"Still the old price. Two Gold Coins for one Magic Formula, no problem, right?" Gaode bargained with Yom inside Pierre Grocery Store.

After striking a deal with Gaode, Pierre quickly helped contact Yom, the person who had originally sold Gaode the Magic Formula. Yom was indeed still interested in trading Magic Formulas. Upon being contacted by Pierre, he nodded in agreement without a second thought. This was entirely within Gaode’s expectations.

In his eyes, when it came to contraband activities like privately trading Magic Formulas, there was only zero or countless times. After all, a Magic Formula could be copied infinitely with almost no cost, yet it could be sold for a high price. This was quicker money than gambling. Ordinary people didn’t dare to earn this money because it was forbidden and carried immense risk. However, once someone tasted the sweetness, it was very hard to quit.

"Last time, it was a bundle sale of three, and I was especially tight on cash back then. That’s the only reason I gave you that price," Yom said, wanting to raise the price this time.

"Forget it, then. It’s too expensive and not worth it. I haven’t even finished digesting the three Magic Formulas from last time. If I bite off more than I can chew, it’ll just be a waste!" Gaode made a show of abandoning the trade.

"Hey... wait... just add a little bit more for me," Yom hastily stopped Gaode and sighed helplessly.

"This is the price, I can’t add a single bit." Gaode had always been a man of principle who firmly held his bottom line. He offered a "kind" reminder, "Let alone two Gold Coins, even if it were two silver coins, you would still be making a profit."

"Fine, fine." Seeing that he couldn’t squeeze another penny out of Gaode, Yom had no choice but to yield.

In truth, Gaode desperately needed these two Magic Formulas. Furthermore, after their last transaction, the reliability of Yom’s Magic Formulas had already been verified. Therefore, if Yom had firmly insisted on the price—even selling them at the official rate of six Gold Coins each—Gaode would have gritted his teeth and accepted it. Unfortunately for Yom, he didn’t know this, so he ended up being entirely in Gaode’s palm.

With the price settled, Gaode somewhat reluctantly fished out four Gold Coins from his pocket and handed them over. The Magic Formulas for [Reading Magic] and [Blade Protection] were now in his hands!

After leaving Pierre Grocery Store, Gaode went to an herb garden in the city that specialized in selling medicinal saplings and spent eight Gold Coins to purchase a batch of them. After some haggling, in addition to securing "door-to-door delivery," he also got the shop owner to throw in a half-month supply of fertilizer for free. It had to be said that Gaode had quite a knack for bargaining.

Actually, medicinal herbs produced their own seeds, and directly collecting and cultivating them could indeed result in germination. The problem was that the medicinal properties of herbs grown from these seeds were far inferior to those of saplings specifically cultivated by an Herbalist. Using such subpar herbs to concoct a Magic Potion would only yield a subpar Magic Potion. Although Herbalism wasn’t as advanced a field as Magic Potion, the breadth of knowledge it involved was not to be underestimated. The medicinal properties of saplings cultivated by an Herbalist who mastered the knowledge of plant breeding were simply leaps and bounds higher than those that grew in Nature.

***

GURGLE, GURGLE.

Ramos carried in a large basin of freshly stewed meat soup. The residual heat kept the broth bubbling and gurgling.

"This is the meat soup stewed according to your suggested recipe improvements..." Ramos appeared extremely nervous. Having killed Elan and Mage Seda with his own hands, Gaode had established his authority in the Medicinal Garden, regardless of how young he was.

"Thanks." Unbothered, Gaode waved his hand, casually thanked him, and dismissed Ramos.

After Ramos left, Gaode went to wash his hands first, then couldn’t wait to lift the wooden cover used to keep the basin warm. A rich aroma wafted up from the milky-white meat soup. Tender peas and fresh meat were the main ingredients, with each piece of meat as large as a baby’s fist. Garnished with potatoes and onions, a fragrant loaf of wheat bread was soaked within, absorbing the savory meat juices and heat to become even softer and richer. It was a massive basin full of stew.

Gaode couldn’t help but gulp. He hurriedly picked up a pair of chopsticks and popped a piece of potato into his mouth. He had never gotten used to using a knife and fork; after becoming the Master of the Medicine Garden, he had fashioned a pair of chopsticks for himself as tableware.

The unique texture of the potato, mixed with the rich aroma of the meat juice, instantly filled his mouth.

"So good!"

With that single bite, his entire stomach felt warm and cozy. Gaode picked up a piece of meat. Stewed to perfection, it practically melted in his mouth, triggering an explosion of savory flavor. His hunger was completely stoked, and his mouth watered profusely. Disregarding the scalding heat, he grabbed the juice-soaked wheat bread with his hands and wolfed it down alongside the pot of pea and meat soup. After devouring all the meat and ingredients in the basin, he lifted the entire vessel and drank the rich broth dry.

"Hits the spot!" Gaode set the basin down and patted his stomach in satisfaction.

With his continuous physical training and more nutritious meals, his body was growing stronger by the day, and his appetite was increasing. His originally somewhat frail physique was gradually becoming robust; his complexion had turned rosy, and his gaze was more vibrant and spirited. This further proved the correctness of his regimen.

The biggest reward was that Gaode discovered his Energy had also increased alongside his physical fitness, which was highly beneficial for both his cultivation and Potion-making. This was a hidden benefit he hadn’t anticipated. Indeed, a good physical foundation was the basis of everything.

***

Returning to his workshop, Gaode first tidied up the cluttered workbench. This was the mess left over from his afternoon attempts at concocting the Basic Endurance Potion. The mere thought of the Basic Endurance Potion made him feel annoyed.

The Basic Endurance Potion required three main ingredients: High Mountain Iron Wood Root, Fiery Sun Fruit pit, and Wild Wolf Gland Fluid. The Medicinal Garden could produce the first two on its own, leaving only the Wild Wolf Gland Fluid to be purchased from outside. Because hunting activities around Hogan City had increased recently, the price of Wild Wolf Gland Fluid had dropped by nearly 30% compared to the past, going from eight silver coins a portion down to six.

Knowing this was the prime time to practice brewing the Basic Endurance Potion, Gaode made a prompt decision and began his attempts. He spent six Gold Coins to buy twenty portions of Wild Wolf Gland Fluid in one go, hoping to master the Basic Endurance Potion in a single swoop. However, the results were less than satisfactory.

During this time, he had tried to concoct the Basic Endurance Potion six or seven times, but he was still far from success. His best attempt only got him halfway through the process. Not a single vial of Basic Endurance Potion had been produced, and he hadn’t seen any return on investment, yet he had already burned through two Gold Coins buying raw materials. Furthermore, this negative return was likely to persist for quite a while—from the looks of it, he definitely wouldn’t be able to master the Basic Endurance Potion within twenty attempts.

Although his heart ached for the wasted money, Gaode could only grit his teeth and keep going. To master a new Magic Potion, early-stage investment was absolutely unavoidable. There was simply no way around it.

"Looking at it this way, I really have to thank Mage Seda for his good judge of character..." Gaode sighed inwardly after personally experiencing the difficulty of Potion-making and the massive upfront investment it required.

The fact that his predecessor had managed to master the Basic Spider Venom Potion was not just due to his innate talent in Magic Potion; Mage Seda’s willingness to invest had also been a crucial factor. At the very least, he had been generous enough to provide highly valuable medicinal herbs for "Gaode" to practice with.

If it weren’t for the inescapable "potion testing," Mage Seda—who had taken them all in as beggars, brought them back to the Medicinal Garden, provided food and shelter, and taught them a Cultivation Technique and Magic Potion knowledge—would honestly have been considered a great benefactor to his apprentices.

Unfortunately, there were no ifs.