Chapter 64: Ch 64: Sells and Effects
The silver bell above the door of Tomorrow’s Apothecary did not stop ringing. It jingled in a continuous frantic loop for six straight hours.
The line of desperate customers stretched out of Silver Fountain Plaza and curled entirely around three separate city blocks. The sheer volume of heavily armed warriors, panicked apprentices, and wealthy nobles trying to cut in line was enough to overwhelm the local city guards. They eventually had to set up a barricade just to keep the street functional.
Inside the shop, Naida stood behind the immaculate wooden counter like a ruling queen. She had completely shed her previous shyness. The overwhelming wave of eager customers demanded a firm, unwavering hand. She organized the sales with terrifying efficiency.
Raidan stayed perfectly out of sight in the back room. He was managing the inventory, pulling freshly brewed vials from his dimensional storage, and silently passing them to Naida through a small service window.
The entire process operated like a flawless machine.
Gold coins poured onto the counter like a metallic waterfall. Silver coins were completely ignored. Small gemstones and rare monster cores were accepted as basic trade items.
Naida processed every single transaction without a single moment of hesitation.
"I need two Ascendant Flesh elixirs! My entire party is heading into the Howling Ravine tomorrow!"
"That will be four hundred gold coins. Next."
"I need the molten gold potion! I will pay 800 gold right now if you let me skip the line!"
"No. No line skipping. Go to the back or you will be banned from this shop forever. Next."
By the time the sun finally dipped below the horizon, they had completely sold out of their daily stock. Naida flipped the wooden sign to closed and locked the heavy front door. Dozens of people outside groaned in profound disappointment.
Many decided to simply camp on the cobblestone street to guarantee their spot for the very next morning.
The immediate financial success was staggering. But the true impact of their grand opening was happening far outside the city walls.
POV: Sigfrid, Silver-Rank Mercenary
Location: The Sunken Marsh Border
Sigfrid dropped to one knee. The thick mud of the swamp splashed violently against his shattered chest plate. His breathing was incredibly ragged.
"Guys, hold the line!" he screamed at his party members.
It was a completely useless command. His party was absolutely terrified as a massive Mutated Swamp Basilisk loomed over them.
It was a terrifying beast covered in thick, dark green scales. Its massive jaws dripped with highly corrosive acid.
They had taken a high-paying subjugation quest thinking it would be a simple hunt. They were completely wrong. The monster had mutated past its normal limits.
Sigfrid’s shield was cracked perfectly down the middle. His healer was entirely out of mana. Their rogue was unconscious in the mud.
"Siegfrid, we have to run!" the party mage shouted frantically. "Your shield will not survive another hit!"
Siegfrid knew she was right. But he also knew the beast was too fast. If they turned their backs, they would all be slaughtered in seconds.
He reached a shaking hand into his belt pouch. His fingers brushed against a small, warm glass vial. It was the Vial of the Titan’s Wrath. He had spent his entire life savings purchasing it from that chaotic new shop in the Central District earlier today. He had thought he was a fool for spending so much money.
Now, it was their only hope.
Siegfrid popped the cork with his thumb. He downed the violently bubbling, molten gold liquid in a single, desperate gulp.
The effects were absolutely instantaneous.
[ System Alert: Titan’s Might Buff Activated! ]
[ Raw Physical Attack Power increased by 30%. ]
[ Unyielding Muscle Buff Activated! Armor Penetration increased by 15%. ]
Siegfrid gasped as the agonizing pain in his bruised ribs vanished completely. His veins exploded with golden energy.
His muscles bulged against his broken armor.
He felt like he could lift a mountain. He felt completely invincible.
GRRRRRR!
The Basilisk lunged forward with blinding speed. Its massive jaws snapped open to bite Siegfrid in half.
Siegfrid did not raise his broken shield. He dropped it entirely. He pulled back his right fist. The golden aura wrapped entirely around his knuckles. He punched the massive beast directly in its armored snout.
Boooooooom!
A loud shockwave erupted through the swamp.
The raw kinetic force of the blow shattered the Basilisk’s thick skull upon impact. The massive, three-ton monster was lifted entirely off its feet.
Whooosh!
Then it flew backward through the air and crashed into a massive cypress tree, snapping the thick trunk completely in half.
The beast twitched once in the mud and then died instantly.
The swamp went dead silent.
Siegfrid stood slowly. He looked at his glowing fist in absolute disbelief. His party members stared at him with their jaws hanging wide open.
"What in the name of the gods did you just drink?" the mage whispered in pure shock.
"I have absolutely no idea," Siegfrid laughed breathlessly. "But as soon as we get our reward money, we are going back to Tomorrow’s Apothecary. We are buying every single bottle they have."
POV: Lord Varis, Wealthy Merchant
Location: The Varis Estate, Central District
Lord Varis sat at the edge of his massive, silk-covered bed. He looked down at the delicate crystal vial resting in his palms. The beautiful, twilight-purple syrup shimmered softly in the candlelight.
He had paid a ridiculous sum to a street scalper for this exact item. 3,000 gold coins. It was a massive fortune. But Varis was a desperate man.
He was incredibly wealthy and politically powerful. However, his personal life was a complete disaster. The stress of his merchant empire had completely drained his vitality over the last five years.
His marriage to Lady Seraphina was turning incredibly cold. He was always too tired. She was always disappointed. The whispered rumors among the estate servants were deeply humiliating.
"Varis?" Seraphina asked with skepticism and weariness. "Are you truly going to drink something bought from a screaming street vendor?"
"It is not from a vendor," Varis corrected her gently. "It is from the new grandmaster apothecary. The entire city is talking about her. They call this the Ambrosia of the Moonlit Lovers. It is guaranteed to restore vitality and absolute youthfulness."
Seraphina sighed loudly. "Another snake oil cure. We have tried dozens of them, Varis. They only give you a headache."
"Just trust me one last time," Varis pleaded.
He unstoppered the vial. The incredibly sweet, intoxicating scent of Midnight Orchid Pollen instantly filled the large bedroom. He took a sip of the thick syrup. He then handed the crystal vial to his wife. She hesitated for a moment before taking a small sip herself.
Exactly five seconds passed in absolute silence.
Then, Varis felt a heat bloom in his chest. It was not a chaotic, uncontrolled magic. It was a smooth, incredible wave of pure stamina and physical rejuvenation.
The chronic ache in his lower back vanished entirely. The heavy fog of exhaustion in his mind cleared. He looked over at Seraphina.
Her eyes were completely wide. A bright, beautiful flush of color had returned to her pale cheeks. The weary wrinkles near her eyes seemed to soften instantly. She looked exactly like the energetic, passionate woman he had married 20 years ago.
She met his gaze. The intense, fiery look she gave him made his heart pound wildly against his ribs.
The next morning, the estate head maid knocked politely on the bedroom door. She waited a full minute. Receiving no answer, she carefully opened the door to bring in their morning tea.
The maid immediately dropped the silver tray in sheer shock.
The heavy, reinforced oak bedframe was completely destroyed down the middle. Silk sheets were thrown everywhere. Lord Varis was standing near the balcony window doing vigorous physical stretches with a massive, triumphant grin on his face. Lady Seraphina was humming a very happy tune while brushing her hair, looking incredibly radiant and fully rested.
Varis turned to the stunned maid.
"Send a messenger to the bank right now. Withdraw ten thousand gold coins. Then take five of the strongest guards and go directly to Tomorrow’s Apothecary. Do not return to this estate unless you have secured at least 3 more vials of that purple syrup. Pay whatever price they ask!"
POV: Patriarch Thorne
Location: The Thorne Manor, Inner Ring
The large bedroom smelled horribly of decaying flesh and burnt sage.
Patriarch Thorne stood near the large window. Tears streamed down his hardened face. His only son, Elian, lay on the bed, violently coughing up thick black blood. The young boy had been struck by a vicious Blood-Poison curse during an assassination attempt three weeks ago.
Every single cleric in the city had failed to cure him. Even Master Garrick, the supposed greatest alchemist in the capital, had simply shaken his head and demanded a massive consulting fee just to tell them the boy was absolutely doomed.
"Hold on, Elian. Please hold on."
The heavy bedroom door slammed open. The captain of the Thorne family guard sprinted into the room. He was completely out of breath. He held a small wooden box tightly against his chest.
"My lord!" the captain gasped. "I got it. The line was impossible, but I paid a mercenary guild leader to give up his spot at the front."
The Patriarch snatched the wooden box from the captain’s hands. He opened the lid. Inside rested a perfectly round, pearl-white pill. It emitted a soft, holy radiance that immediately pushed back the foul stench of the room.
It was the Pill of the Weeping Saint.
He carefully lifted his son’s head and placed the pill on the boy’s tongue. He tipped a small cup of water into Elian’s mouth to help him swallow.
The Patriarch was nervous and doubtful.
But suddenly, a brilliant blinding white light erupted directly from Elian’s chest.