Hunter Net. A leading forum site that contained everything Hunter-related. From Monster catalogues to secret spots for quality items, even rift guides and hunting spots, the anonymous on this forum traded information every hour of the day.

  Johan used this site frequently to access his study materials and kept up with the gossip; however, Phantasia was all he thought about for the past week. That was the reason he missed the currently trending post about a Hunter Mart on 11th Parkview Street in sector A, selling Golden healing potions.

  Yes, it was the Morgan Hunter Mart where he worked as a manager. The one who made the post? Miss Kim, his first customer, of course. It talked in detail about the new type of potion that had incredible healing speed, affordable, and had a fruity taste. 70% of the ten-thousand-word post described the taste alone.

  The post surfaced the day after her purchase and slowly gained traction. Some Hunters, likely the ones who made purchases after her or thanks to her post, concurred with her opinion or made their own long posts delving deeper into the potion’s taste.

  It had gotten so bad that half of the forum’s potion page consisted of posts that thought the potion tasted like apples, while the other leaned towards the pear. Both called the other wrong, pitchfork in hand. But every post mentioned the location of the store without fail, calling the potions a must-have for rifts alongside the S.M. emergency meal pack and Hunter Association’s Survival kit.

  “I am happy for the free adverts, but please do it in moderation.” Johan, now collapsed on the counter of the closed Mart, had almost withered away.

  The midday had arrived, but he had to close the store because all the potion stock vanished faster than water in a desert; no, it was worse. The look on those hunters’ faces was akin to druggies who had heard of a new, stronger drug, all rushing to get their hit. Johan understood that the Hunters always complained about potions being too unappetizing, not to mention the stomach aches that followed consumption.

  It wasn’t that the alchemists did it on purpose; the problem stemmed from the potion materials' poor shelf stability. Some materials, like the Golden Pear, were rarely found shortly after they had dropped from the tree.

  To these tortured souls, Johan’s potions, made from materials fresh off the branch, had become an oasis. Not to mention they were easy on their pockets with better performance, they would be stupid not to buy.

  However, knots formed in Johan’s stomach when he saw the new posts flooding Hunter Net. A popular Magik food blogger had even released a thirty-minute-long video titled, Apple or Pear? What is the truth?

  He had no strength to look at his phone anymore. Johan stumbled to the cash register; the apple he was about to have for lunch just killed his appetite. Operating the digital screen, his eyes calculated the sales for the day.

  He only sold two items that day.

  Watered Down Basic Potion x30

  Super Watered Down Basic Potion x300

  “Hehehehehe~!” Johan’s face twisted into an inhumane smile. He could’ve made so much more if he hadn’t run out of stock. Not to mention the stares of the Hunters that didn’t get potions, which were half of them.

  “From tomorrow, I have to limit purchases to 3 potions per person.” Johan typed his plan on the phone’s notepad, sipping on his special tea to regain focus and some stamina. “1 basic healing potion can be diluted to 10 watered-down potions, and 100 super watered-down potions each. I can also add basic Magik recovery potions; there were a lot of mages in the line, too. I don’t think watering down will work on ice potions, and there isn’t much of a market for that… ice type rifts are rare, after all.”

  His mutterings and the keyboard’s sound echoed in the closed mart till evening when he completed his great plan.

  Materials? He could grow as much as he wanted. Potion making? All he did was make basic potions. Customers? He had more than he could account for. Competition? None in sight.

  “With this plan, I will become the Potion Mogul!” Johan proclaimed, much to the disappointment of the white cat passing by the mart’s door.

  With a new fire in his eyes, he dove into the basement and started brewing potions, cackling through the night. That night, he created forty Watered Down Basic Healing Potions and four hundred Super Watered Down Basic Healing Potions. Confirming his daily inventory.

  In addition to that were one hundred Basic Magik Recovery Potions.

  Name: Basic Magik Recovery Potion

  Rank: D+

  Effects: Upon consumption, restores 20 Magik and increases magik recovery speed by 20% for 20 minutes.

  They outperformed the competition by a solid 20% while costing eleven hundred a piece, a hundred dollars cheaper.

  The next day, Johan placed a digital sign at the door, which displayed the new rule. Three potions per customer. He did hear some disgruntled murmurs from the hunters who had lined up from 4 A.M.

  Suck it, scalpers, did you think I wasn’t watching you, hmm~? Johan only found out about them from a trending post that very morning. They sold his potions for twice to three times the price, and his blood boiled with jea—righteous anger. Yep, righteous anger.

  Needless to say, the new addition, Magik recovering potions, sold out fast. All the potions vanished within two hours of the mart’s opening.

  Johan looked at the cash with glee; he made a lot and couldn’t help but look forward to the next day.

  That was but the start of his first ordeal.

  ***

  A week later, Cara arrived at the store to pick up the Agni Clan’s order. Johan greeted her near the back door. Handing over three metal suitcases, bundled up in a blanket. His nose was stuffy, and his chest burned.

  Cara opened them, took a glance at the ten potion bottles lined up in the foam for extra protection. She nodded like a drug cartel boss and gave him a satisfied smirk by taking off her shades in style. However, the smirk soon twitched.

  “You’ve seen better days.” She said, probably noticing the dark circles below his eyes.

  “Believe me, my days can’t get any better.” Johan suppressed his sneeze, still hearing the jangle of the cash register.

  “Did you not catch any sleep?” Cara’s eyes narrowed.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Sleep? Johan hadn’t slept in two days. Between making potions and bottling over a hundred potions a day, he had to keep his eye on the plants in Phantasia. Brewing a litre of potion took about an hour, then diluting it took another hour, even if he closed the Mart as early as afternoon, by the time he did his tasks, he could only get a short nap of an hour or two after getting some delivery food. Then he had to open the mart to the horde of hunters that needed but half a reason to break in.

  “Sleep… hah, sleep is for the weak.” He snickered.

  “Say that without swaying, please.” Cara rolled her eyes. She loaded the suitcases in her car before giving him a look over. “If you are having trouble manning the shop and making potions, why not look for a part-time timer?”

  “….You,” Johan’s red eyes widened. “Are you a genius?”

  “No, you are just sleep-deprived.” Cara hopped into her red 718 Spyder with a shrug and gave him a wave. “See ya later, panda. Don’t die on me, or my Team Leader won’t leave me alone.”

  Waving back in a daze, Johan stumbled back into the mart, bumping into juice boxes and sacks.

  Why didn’t he think of hiring a part-timer to handle the sales?

  Well, if he really had to list his reasons, it would go past ten thousand words. But it boiled down to a few details, namely, trust and authority.

  His potions had become a hot topic among the Hunters of the capital city. People drove over 3 hours just to get their hands on three potions, standing in line for hours. Where could he find a reliable worker to trust these potions with?

  Second was much simpler; Morgan did the hiring for this mart. Even as a manager of the Mart, Johan had no say in the process, more like he removed himself from the task because it seemed troubleso—because Morgan did it better. She had a real eye for talent.

  So, when he said that his first ordeal was the red-eyed hunters breathing down the glass door like hyenas that spotted a cheetah after his successful hunt, he lied. The actual first ordeal was convincing Morgan to hire a part-timer to handle the counter.

  With a deep breath, he dialled her number on his phone. Morgan, being Morgan, took a few calls and messages to pick up the phone. It was probably on silent while she watched her cartoon reruns.

  “Hey, Boss, have you had dinner?”

  “No… I just woke up from a nap.” The haggard voice replied, stifling a yawn.

  Must be nice, he thought, shaking his head. Johan planned to use the technique every corporate employee had used to get what they wanted, the special technique, Buttering the Boss.

  “That’s perfe—I mean unfortunate, I happened to make too much food for dinner, I’ll bring it over.” He hadn’t made anything yet; the stove’s been cold for two weeks. It had probably started to question its existence.

  “Don’t bother, just set up the table.” She said, ending the call.

  “Oh shit!” Johan scrambled to the kitchen, getting things in order.

  He barely placed the chicken soup and fried rice on the small table when Morgan entered his room, still yawning. Her untied hair spilled over the grey cardigan like a waterfall.

  “At least knock.” He quipped, wiping the sweat off his face with his t-shirt.

  “What is there I haven’t seen about you?” She said, dusting the floor before taking a seat.

  “You should really mind what you say; people can easily misunderstand that.”

  “What is there to misunderstand?” She tilted her head, spoon already in the soup bowl.

  Sitting across from her, Johan scratched his head. How should he start? Or more precisely, where should he start?

  So much happened in the past two weeks that he felt like months had passed since he last saw Morgan at the Hospital.

  However, unlike him, wracked in worry, she had already taken the first spoonful of the steaming red soup. Since he wanted to impress her properly, he used the magik tomatoes and carrots. Once blended, they gave the most vibrant red he had seen; it felt like the soup itself shone with brilliance.

  Now’s not the time for this! He caught himself, with violent headshakes to remove the grogginess, and he pulled his focus back at Morgan.

  Only that this time she also had her eyes on him, more than that, she held her emptied soup bowl in front of him. Licking her pink lips, Morgan said her piece.

  “I approve.”

  “Approve what?”

  “Whatever you were gonna ask for, I approve.” Her voice became sterner. “Now, can I get more soup, rice too?”

  “Oh… yeah, of course.” Johan scrambled to his feet; he didn’t even notice when she ate the rice, but she had. Even his portion.

  But after that, he paid attention to her speed, and it impressed him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d have believed she was a speed type Hunter. It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes, and she had her fifth cup of soup, or was it seven? He forgot.

  “You have a lot on your mind.” She said, chewing on shredded chicken.

  “Don’t you have any questions?” He asked.

  “About what?” She questioned back.

  “About everything.”

  Johan wasn’t that na?ve. As a certified Alchemist, Morgan should’ve discovered the specialness of the vegetables he used in the food, and should’ve heard about the new type of potion being sold on her property. Most of all, as a potion maker herself, she should know the value of said potions and how much they differed from anything on the market. So, why? Why would she not ask him anything?

  “Do you remember the day I found you, Johan?” Morgan placed her spoon in the bowl.

  “Of course I do.” Johan couldn’t forget the day, even if he wanted to. As a fresh high school graduate without a roof over his head, he was desperate for a job. And among the dozen places he tried, only one bothered to listen. “What brought this on?”

  “It’s just that back then you had such good eyes, eyes set on reaching somewhere, achieving a goal, no matter what.” Morgan smiled. “I wanted to see you reach that place with my own eyes. I saw the sincerity and passion you had for that dream. But you were stagnating lately, that really saddened me.”

  “What are you even saying?” Johan sighed. She became unstoppable in this mode.

  “Just an elder’s musing, I am happy to see that spark back. Although the dream you had back then might be an impossibility.” She nodded to herself, like a mother watching her child grow up. “You are finally moving forward.”

  “Forward? I am just trying to use the hand I got.” Johan shook his head. Since he got the class, might as well make the most of it. What use would moping around have? Even if he complained, who would listen? Who would care?

  “Huhu, is that really true?” Morgan leaned forward. “Because it looks different from where I stand.”

  “I am too tired for your riddles.” Johan suppressed a yawn. “So, do you truly approve?”

  “Yes, I will look for a good part-timer that can take up the register for you, and I don’t mind you continuing the sale of the potions. We are certified by the Alchemist Association, so use my name if needed. But in return, I want something.”

  Johan gulped at her wink; of course, she wouldn’t do it for free. That was only correct. Johan already planned to hand over 10% of his profits as a location fee; considering the risk Morgan had to bear, it seemed appropriate. If she wanted more of a cut, he wouldn’t mind either.

  However, the request Morgan made was a very Morgan-like request.

  “Make a meal like this for me once a week.”

  “That’s all?” He blinked.

  “Yes, that’s all.” Morgan nodded.

  “…” Johan took a hard look at the impossibly perfect face of his boss, only one thought running through his tired brain.

  “Did you just think I am a sucker?” Morgan folded her arms, visibly upset.

  “I…I didn’t.” Johan couldn’t face the stern gaze and hung his head. “Sorry, I kinda did.”

  “This new generation is truly beyond disrespectful. These old bones need quality nourishment, so run along.” Morgan huffed before calming down in the next instant. “I know the world isn’t as kind as it might’ve been, maybe it never was, but I for one don’t believe in taking advantage of the innocent youth.”

  Innocent Youth? Me? Somehow, he felt more embarrassed at that moment than during his shenanigans.

  “You are stunned, as expected.” A smug smile appeared on Morgan’s lips. “My reliable elder energy must be off the charts.” She puffed out her ample chest.

  “The stocks just tanked.” Johan deadpanned.

  “Aww…” Now sullen, Morgan demanded more food. Much to Johan’s regret, he wasn’t in a position to refuse.

  He didn’t know about her being a reliable elder, but Morgan was the best boss he could’ve asked for.

  That Johan believed.

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