But there was no helping it. Who else in this world possessed such miraculous pills? Only this shop.

  Even with Ke Minglang’s prestigious background, he had never even heard of "Alchemical Pills" before arriving in Cloud Mist City. Seeing that Kael wasn't in a talkative mood, Ke Minglang wisely kept his mouth shut. In this shop, the goods were rare, and the owner was the law.

  "Huh? Manager, why is there only one bottle of these Body-Forging Pills? What do they do?" Ke Minglang headed straight for the alchemy shelf.

  As the variety of pills increased, Kael had specifically instructed the System to print the names on the small porcelain vials. Without those labels, even Kael struggled to tell one white bottle from another.

  "Body-Forging Pills. They're used to enhance your Constitution," Kael explained lazily.

  "Constitution? Well, that’s not as useful as pure Strength," Ke Minglang muttered, assuming it was just another temporary buff similar to the Minor Strength Pill.

  "Tsk, and you're charging eighty Spirit Crystals? Manager, you might as well just rob us at swordpoint." Ke Minglang clicked his tongue in disdain and decisively shoved the vial back onto the shelf. "Forget it, guys. Let’s save our crystals for something else."

  The other three followed his lead, turning their attention elsewhere.

  "A single Body-Forging Pill," Kael added in a slow drawl, "grants a permanent increase to Constitution equivalent to roughly three level-ups."

  The item description hadn't specified what "a small amount" meant, but Kael had verified it with the System. Three levels worth of Constitution—the exact amount of raw stat points an average person gained by advancing through three minor sub-levels.

  In this world, attribute growth was a rigid, ironclad law. Usually, the only way to gain "extra" stats outside of leveling was to undergo the baptism of a Trial Space and earn a Trial Mark. Yet, this tiny pill could directly shatter that law.

  A Body-Forging Pill... And there’s only one...

  The atmosphere among the four teammates shifted instantly. Friendships were forgotten as they squared off in front of the shelf.

  "As the Captain of this team, I firmly believe this pill should be given to me first," Ke Minglang declared, completely erasing his previous look of disdain. His eyes were wide with hunger.

  "Pah! Who was it that just put the bottle back and told us to 'forget it'?" a teammate immediately snapped. "If you don't want it, stop blocking the way!"

  "Exactly! Does being Captain mean you get to do whatever you want? We're just a temporary trial team anyway!"

  "I am getting this pill. I hope you'll all do me a favor and step aside."

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Favor? My ass! Who was hiding behind my back in the forest? You’ve got no claim to this!"

  "Oh? Is that how it is? Then I guess we’ll just have to settle this the hard way."

  These four companions, who had just faced life-and-death trials together in the Cloud Mist Forest, were now shamelessly tearing each other down for a single pill.

  "Fighting is prohibited inside the shop," Kael called out from behind the counter, his voice steady. "Violators will be blacklisted permanently."

  The looming brawl froze in its tracks.

  Then, Ke Minglang pulled out his coin purse, flaunting his wealth. "Tell you what, I’ll pay a hundred Spirit Crystals. Let me have it."

  "You think you're the only one with coin? We killed several Brave-rank beasts using the Manager’s pills—don't tell me you’ve forgotten how much the cores sold for!" another boy countered, pulling out his own purse.

  They all knew Kael’s shop was expensive, so they had made a point to sell several monster cores before coming back to restock.

  "One hundred and twenty Spirit Crystals! Let me have the pill!"

  "One hundred and thirty!"

  Watching the scene turn into an impromptu auction, Kael was mentally dancing a jig. Surely this extra profit counts as a bonus? I won't have to split this with the System, right?

  [System: Host, please put away your petty schemes. Your current level does not permit custom pricing. Superior-grade pills are fixed at 80 Spirit Crystals.]

  Pfft—!

  The System’s icy bucket of water nearly made Kael cough up blood.

  "Manager, you decide! Who gets the pill?" The four youths brandished their money bags and looked at Kael. Since they couldn't reach a consensus, they decided to let the owner pick—or let the highest bidder win.

  "Looking at me won't help. This isn't a 'black shop' that rips people off. I said eighty Spirit Crystals, and I meant eighty. Not a copper more," Kael said, though his heart was bleeding at the lost profit.

  "Since when did this stingy Manager become a man of such principle?" Ke Minglang whispered, looking at his friends in genuine shock.

  The others shared his bewilderment. If the pill’s effects weren't an exaggeration, eighty Spirit Crystals was a legendary bargain. Hell, even at two hundred and eighty, they would have gritted their teeth and paid it. A permanent attribute boost was a "one-of-a-kind" deal. If they missed this, there was nowhere else to go.

  "Besides, there's no need to fight," Kael added slowly, dropping a bombshell that made their hearts skip a beat. "Body-Forging Pills aren't a one-time stock."

  There are more?!

  "Brothers... how about you let me take this first one?" Ke Minglang swallowed hard, looking at his teammates.

  "Fine. We still have time for the Freshman Trial."

  "Yeah, we can just head back to the forest and hunt more beasts."

  The three exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and nodded.

  "Thanks." Ke Minglang snatched the vial as if afraid Kael would change his mind and slammed eighty Spirit Crystals onto the counter.

  "From the sound of it, you’re heading back to the Cloud Mist Forest?" Kael asked as he swept the crystals into the till.

  "Of course. How else are we going to secure the 'Elite' rank?" Ke Minglang replied.

  "Then I suggest you take a look at the other shelf. The weapons there might be of use to you," Kael recommended. He had noticed they seemed quite confident in their current gear. Most customers focused solely on the pills.

  "Weapons?" Ke Minglang looked down at the long saber at his waist; it was indeed starting to show some wear. They had planned to visit a regular blacksmith after buying pills to upgrade their kit. Brave-rank monsters had incredibly dense flesh and bone; even master-forged weapons struggled to stay sharp after days of high-intensity combat.

  "I guess it wouldn't hurt to look."

  Given their absolute trust in Kael’s alchemy, Ke Minglang figured the weapons wouldn't be a waste of time.

  "Ten Spirit Crystals a piece? That’s actually not too bad," Ke Minglang mused as he scanned the shelf. There were greatswords, knight’s swords, and magic staves. A master-forged weapon usually cost anywhere from five to fifteen Spirit Crystals, so ten was a fair average.