"The Frost Staff! It's perfect! It matches my ice magic perfectly!" Na Lan Qinqi cheered. She had long set her heart on becoming an Ice Elementalist, and this staff would be like giving wings to a tiger.
Kael watched the little girl’s excitement. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Are you planning to become an Ice Elementalist?"
A true class designation could only be confirmed after passing a Class-rank Trial and obtaining a Class Mark. Until then, Na Lan Qinqi was, at best, a candidate.
"That's right!" She didn't hide it. Everyone in the Lan Ye Squad knew her goal.
"On that shelf over there, there is a [Frost-Snow Pill]," Kael suggested.
Influenced by the System, Kael wasn't one for aggressive sales pitches, but he would occasionally offer a nudge. After all, he had no idea when he’d find another customer for a pill with such specific restrictions.
Kael’s voice wasn't loud, but in the small shop, everyone heard him clearly. As he recited the description of the Frost-Snow Pill, the girls stopped browsing and turned their heads in unison.
"Manager, you're joking, right?" Lan Ye said, her expression deadly serious.
"How could such a pill exist? You have quite the sense of humor," Lan Qing'er said, clearly skeptical.
"Manager, let's stick to reality. Why don't you have any daggers in your shop?" You Jiu changed the subject entirely.
A pill that permanently boosted specific elemental power was beyond their comprehension. Disbelief was the natural reaction.
"Manager Kael, how many Healing Pills do you have left?" Xiao Ya hadn't even listened to Kael’s pitch about the rare pill.
As the squad's support and healer, most of her magic was restorative or defensive. Her primary concern was keeping her team alive. Before becoming a full-fledged Priest, healing magic was notoriously weak, making Healing Pills essential.
Another customer who only wants Healing Pills...
Kael felt a headache coming on. His current restocking model was flawed; he couldn't just order specific items. If he sold out of Healing Pills, the other stock might sit on the shelves gathering dust.
"Actually, rather than just Healing Pills, I recommend you look at the Pill Bundles," Kael said after a pause.
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"Pill Bundles?"
"Correct. We currently offer the Hot-Blood Combo, the Mana-Surge Combo, and the Death-Defying Combo."
Kael nodded and proceeded to explain the contents and special effects of each bundle in detail.
The more he spoke, the brighter Xiao Ya's eyes glowed. Every single one of these bundles fit perfectly with her role as a support. The [Undying Body] effect of the Death-Defying Combo, in particular, sounded like a divine miracle.
"Kael, wait! You didn't finish! Is that Frost-Snow Pill real?" Na Lan Qinqi slapped the counter, pouting. She was unhappy about being ignored.
"Of course it's real. However, you must become a Class-rank Ice Elementalist before you can use it."
Kael paused, then continued, "But, if you're just looking to boost your base attributes, there are other options. For example, the [Body-Forging Pill], the [Gale-Spirit Pill], and the [Blood-Bath Pill]."
As he spoke, Kael pointed out their locations on the shelves.
With every description Kael gave, the girls' eyes grew wider. By the time he finished describing all three, Lan Ye and the others looked like their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
Using pills to permanently increase attributes? This was something they had never heard of, not even in the capital, let alone Cloud Mist City.
"Manager... you really aren't joking?" Lan Ye’s voice trembled with excitement.
To a high-level powerhouse, three levels' worth of stats might seem negligible. The higher the rank of the Trial Space one cleared, the greater the attribute reward. For instance, clearing a Brave-rank trial might grant a total of ten levels' worth of stats. A Hero-rank trial could grant fifty or more.
This was why the gap between ranks was so massive. Brave, Class, Grandmaster, Hero, Powerhouse, King, Emperor—each step was a Heavenly Chasm.
However, for a Brave-rank or even a Class-rank fighter, three levels of stats was a massive boost. The limit for Brave-rank was Level 40; for Class-rank, it was Level 60.
Since each person could consume three of each pill type, that was nearly ten levels of raw stats. If they could secure enough of these, the Lan Ye Squad would jump up a massive tier in power.
"Manager, how many of these Body-Forging, Gale-Spirit, and Blood-Bath Pills do you have?" Fei Xue asked calmly, cutting to the heart of the matter.
"Whatever is on the shelf is what I have," Kael gestured.
The drop rate for permanent stat-boosters was much lower than temporary ones like the Might Pill. On average, for every five Might Pills, he might get one Body-Forging Pill. He couldn't help it.
"Do you mind if we test one here? We'll pay, of course." Fei Xue picked up a [Gale-Spirit Pill] from the shelf.
Eighty Spirit Crystals. Compared to the described effect, it was dirt cheap.
As a swordswoman, Agility was Fei Xue's most critical attribute. Before choosing a Class, every level up provided a balanced increase in all stats. Only after obtaining a Class Mark would the world's energy focus on specific traits—Constitution for Knights, Spirit for Mages, Strength for Berserkers.
After placing the crystals on the counter, Fei Xue took a deep breath and placed the pill in her mouth.
Instantly, the Gale-Spirit Pill dissolved into a cool, refreshing energy that surged through her body.
Fei Xue could clearly feel her body become lighter. Her reaction time sharpened, and she felt as though her strikes would be faster than ever.
Although the System described it simply as "Agility," the physical manifestation was complex.
Regardless of the mechanics, the effect was real.
"Fei Xue, how is it?" Lan Ye looked at her teammate nervously, her face full of anticipation.
After a long silence, Fei Xue slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a long breath of pure white mist.
