Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"Are you still alive?"

After asking, Sherlock felt his question was pointless.

He bent down to check the person's condition.

The vagrant's living conditions were dire. Sherlock cast an appraisal spell and saw that the young vagrant before him was only seven years old but just over seventy centimeters tall, severely malnourished—a fact easily deduced from his skin-and-bones physique.

The body bore multiple wounds, both external and internal, in large numbers.

"Tsk."

Sherlock sensed trouble and, being someone who disliked complications, stood up to leave.

Yet, inexplicably, the image of students coming and going from the "Pre-job Training Base" surfaced in his mind.

Phelos's cover-up was half-hearted, easily deceiving the unsophisticated magical races, but transparent to a well-traveled bard like Sherlock.

The so-called "Pre-Employment Training Base" was, in fact, a magic school.

Sherlock, a graduate of the Royal Magic School himself, found the reality absurd upon discovery.

A magic school catering to thousands without fees - even if it only nurtured low-level talents, could bankrupt an empire.

It wouldn't be long before —

Guided by instinct, he refrained from hastily judging the school's longevity, a decision that proved to be more than right.

During his month filming in Lansville, he watched students' levels rise from lv.3 to lv.7.

Lansville's nobility consisted of one and only one person - Phelos. The rest were either commoners or slaves.

This meant every student was from the lowest stratum of society.

Yet once in school, donning uniforms and wielding wands, bows, swords, and daggers, their timid and numb expressions gave way to confidence, almost mesmerizing to behold.

There were many snack shops near the school, but the most bustling and populous area was still the People's Avenue in the commercial center.

For some reason, Sherlock found himself drawn to the vicinity of the school.

The students were competitive, and the shops outside didn't overlap with those inside, so they would rush out during breaks to buy stationery, herbs, seeds, and various materials.

They were always in a hurry, grasping every moment to learn, stuffing their brains with every bit of knowledge, as if only that would keep them from being left behind.

The long robes, fluttering eagerly with their movements, caught his eye and left him momentarily mesmerized.

In Lansville city, there were no wanderers. Children under four went to nurseries, child laborers under eighteen to schools, and those over eighteen to various construction sites and proper training centers.

Even incoming wanderers scarcely had time to claim a corner before being whisked away by cleaners to training classes.

"Uh..."

The little wanderer on the ground let out a faint, pained whimper.

Sherlock couldn't help but imagine what it would look like for this child, clad in a school uniform, walking on the clean, orderly streets.

When he snapped back to reality, he had already used a levitation spell to bring the little wanderer back to the Temple of Light.

Sherlock pulled out ten gold coins: "Treat him, please."

The God of Light loves every life equally, and so does the Church of Light — but only on the God's Birthday.

On the Day of the God of Light's Birth, they offer free treatment to all the injured without any charge.

However, the Temple of Light also requires substantial funds to train priests and paladins.

Thus, outside of the God's Birthday and certain free clinic days, a standard healing costs 10 gold coins, and a Holy Light Baptism 100 gold coins.

The fees for treating more complex ailments are even more intricate.

The priest politely declined at first, eager to form a good relationship with Sherlock, and thus reluctant to accept the money. But Sherlock insisted it was a loan to the child.

The priest thought to himself that even given a hundred years, this wandering child would hardly earn a single gold coin. The loan was in name only, as the boy had no means to repay such an amount.

It wasn't that the priest lacked compassion, but there were too many suffering in the world, and he too had to make a living.

"Oh, great and merciful God of Light, You are…"

After accepting the money and performing the healing spell, the wanderer quickly regained consciousness.

His dark, empty eyes lacked focus, seemingly unclear why he was in this place.

Sherlock handed him a bill: "The treatment costs ten gold coins. If you repay it within three years, I will charge you only 10% interest annually."

Sherlock gave him the bill along with an employment contract for the Wind Whisper Grass Hovercar project.

A 10% interest rate might seem high, but in this world, it's akin to a "zero interest" rate, extremely low.

But that wasn't the point. Even 1% of the principal amount of 10 gold coins was beyond his reach!

The little wanderer immediately knelt down: "Respected caster, forgive my insolence, but I cannot repay this money by any means. Can I use my body and soul to settle the debt?"

A child could be valuable, sold as a slave for about 50 copper coins, but to sorcerers, necromancers, and demons, the price could multiply several times.

Yet even multiplied, it would never amount to 10 gold coins!

Sherlock said, "Here's a job for you. The base salary is 10 copper coins, and if you work hard, there's a bonus."

Despair still lingered on the young wanderer's face.

"Forget him; even the priest nearby doesn't believe it."

Shylock didn't elaborate much. He just pointed out to the young vagrant the location of the 'Joy Water' mobile food cart: "Go get a bottle of Joy Water, it's free. Choose the non-carbonated white peach flavor and drink it quickly after getting it. Also, tell the old man there that you've come to apply for a job."

Joy Water now refers not only to cola but also to fruit-flavored drinks.

"The peach-flavored sparkling water is also delicious. Shylock absolutely adores it. He insists on having several bottles with hot pot. According to him, he has four stomachs: one exclusively for white peach sparkling water, one for hot pot, one for barbecue, and another for the rest of the food."

"Of course, his stomachs can split and multiply into 8, 12, or 16, depending on the day's circumstances."

The little vagrant looked at the Joy Water mobile cart with a mix of fear and numbness. He didn't want to live anymore. Just surviving was hard enough, let alone carrying a huge debt of 10 gold coins. Life seemed like an endless darkness.

"Let him die, let him die outright!"

"Nick, what are you standing there for?"

Nick shuddered. How did the other person know his name?! This long-forgotten, unfamiliar name almost brought tears to his eyes.

As a universally despised vagrant, Nick couldn't remember the last time someone had called him by his name.

People like him weren't even picked up by slave masters - too thin, no value for labor, hard to sell, and too easily perishable.

Even a bowl of weed soup has its costs. If he died before being sold, it would be a loss-making deal.

Therefore, Nick, who had nothing, not even his body as a commodity, was less noticeable than the garbage on the streets.

But long, long ago, he too had a family, a name...

"Nick, Nick, Nick..."

"Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother..."

He too was once loved!

His emaciated body squeezed out two lines of tears, falling from the corners of his eyes, only to clean a trace of dirt off his filthy face.

"Go on," Shylock gently pushed on his frail shoulders.

Nick had no clothes; his clothing, made of Jiji grass, had rotted away, and he lacked the strength to find new Jiji grass, let alone make new clothes for himself.

His body was covered in dirtier stains than his face, a chaotic mess of blemishes that had become his "new clothes" through long exposure to the elements.

"The priest didn't dare to get too close while healing, simply because it was too smelly and dirty."

"Even Shylock initially used a levitation spell to bring him back like a 'kite'."

"Though Shylock wasn't a neat freak, he did love cleanliness. But seeing the tears Nick shed, his hand reached out before his brain could react."

"The frail child was hard to touch. The healing magic of a level 45 priest had limited effect on him; it only healed his most severe wounds, but numerous scars remained on his body and internal organs."

"Even after being healed, his body remained cold, as if he might die at any moment."

"S-sorry."

"Nick noticed the stains on Shylock's hand and bowed in a terrified apology, but Shylock just waved it off."

"Nick stood bewildered for a few seconds, then obediently headed to the mobile cart as Shylock had instructed."

"Nick was probably the first to 'eat the crab', as the nearby civilians who lingered couldn't take their eyes off him."

"If stares could materialize into something tangible, Nick might have been crushed under a mountain of them."

"But a child grown in the mud always possesses a resilience unknown to the common folk, enduring the scrutiny and heading determinedly towards the mobile hut."

"'P-Please give me a bottle of non-carbonated white peach flavored Joy Water.' Following Shylock's command, Nick nervously tiptoed so that Jack and Blaze inside the mobile hut could see him."

"Jack, thrilled to finally 'open for business', even considerately helped him open the bottle."

"Blaze, with a kind and friendly smile, said, 'Drink up, no one dares to rob you here.'"

"The white peach flavored Joy Water smelled delightful. Though not as explosively fragrant as popcorn and cotton candy, its sweet aroma when inhaled closely was addictively pleasant."

"Nick inhaled deeply, as if trying to suck in all the surrounding air into his body."

"How fragrant..."

"Nick had never smelled anything so enchanting, even more mesmerizing than the perfume left behind by nobles passing on the street."

"Every cell in his body screamed in desire, his parched lips moved, his eyes fixated only on the beverage bottle handed by Jack. Finally, he almost snatched the Joy Water and eagerly put his mouth to the bottle."

"The moment the clear, transparent liquid entered his mouth, Nick's eyes widened in shock. Each drop was like a bomb, exploding ceaselessly in his mouth, tongue, and brain."

"The bomb of happiness almost blew him apart with its flavor."

"The desire to savor its taste slowly seemed like a luxury. Drink it all, drink it all, drink it all—"

"Every cell in his body was clamoring for it, thirsting for more."

"Gulp, gulp, gulp—"

"Nick finished the whole bottle in one go. When his mouth no longer felt filled with liquid, he shook the bottle in confusion and dismay."

"Gone... it's all gone..."

"He froze, his face a picture of disbelief, as if struck by lightning."

"How could it be gone? He futilely licked the mouth and cap of the bottle, even sticking his tongue inside, but its reach was limited, barely touching the remnants."

"Desperate to salvage every last drop, he thought of rinsing the bottle with water. But as he turned, he met countless eyes glowing green in the dark."

"'Hey, what flavor is this? Is it good?' the questioner asked, unconsciously swallowing."

"For his own safety, Nick wanted to shake his head, but the lingering delightful taste prevented him from uttering a single disparaging word."

"'Delicious, it's so delicious, the best water I've ever had in my life. It's sweet!' Nick recalled a bowl of sweet soup he had on the Harvest Goddess's birthday as a child."

"Though it was just a faintly sweet soup, the blissful, happy flavor had been savored and remembered for many years."

"The glorified sweet soup had become the belief that sustained him—just to taste it once more, if only he could have it again!"

"But after drinking this bottle of Joy Water, the countless times magnified sweet soup seemed to become just 'so-so'."

"'Sweet'—this word ignited the crowd instantly."

"Reason told them that sugar, so expensive, couldn't possibly be for people as lowly as them."

"But as Nick spoke, the scent of white peach with its sweet flavor wafted out with his words."

"Faint as it was, the bottom-class citizens, yearning for sweetness, had keen noses. Immediately, some ran to join the queue."

"'Give me a non-carbonated white peach flavored Joy Water!' Nick's words were etched in their minds, now was the time to put them to use."

"'My goodness! It really is sweet!!!'"

"Those who had tasted sweetness shouted in shock after drinking, and the crowd surged forward more excitedly."

"Thump, thump—"

"Shylock, expressionless, tapped on the table, his powerful aura enveloping the entire square. He reiterated, 'Line up civilly, no cutting in line, no fighting, no arguing, and certainly no threatening, robbing, or stealing.'"

"He didn't specify the consequences of breaking these rules, but his statement was sufficient."

"Under the pressure of a legendary figure, no one dared to cause trouble, everyone obediently lowering their heads."

"The possibility of leftover liquid in the bottles becoming a target for theft was something Phelos had not anticipated. But such a minor issue didn't require consulting Phelos."

"Shylock borrowed a large bamboo basket and a big water tank from the Temple of Light, filling the tank with water orbs, and set up a system for bottle collection after drinking."

"In Lansville, bottle recycling is a business. Children under four, not yet of school age, would search trash bins for bottles after returning from daycare."

"10 bottles could be exchanged for a copper coin, and a single trash bin could yield quite a few bottles! Finding a specially packaged bottle and selling it to a Joy Water bottle collector could even earn 10 copper coins!"

"That's 10 copper coins for one bottle!"

"Shylock watched as more and more bottles accumulated in his space ring, his feelings growing complex."

"'Jack, keep yours, and take mine too.'"

"Jack shook his head like a rattle drum: 'I don’t have a space ring that big.'"

Although Jack was favored, he didn't have much of his own income; the 100-cubic space ring in his hand was an advance on his Level 50 celebration gift from his father.

"Even if he emptied it out, a 100-cubic space ring could only hold so many bottles."

"Jack looked enviously at Shylock’s space ring, which easily contained so many bottles. It must be a high-level spatial device!"

"'Legends... how wonderful...sob...'"

"Six o'clock quickly arrived amidst the bustle of 'work'."

"Lured by the Joy Water, over fifty thousand people came to collect it, with even more on their way upon hearing the news."

"'Blaze, go set up the movie, I’ll handle things here.'"

Sherlock took over the work from Blaze, who hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to adjust the machinery.

"The screening of 'The Prince of the Sea' begins now, please find a spot to watch." The afternoon announcement had reminded them to bring chairs, but few actually brought any, most just came to drink soda.

Blaze broadcast the announcement three times, then pressed the play button.

At six in the evening of late autumn, the city of Lakdalia was already plunged into a pitch-black night. To avoid frightening people, the projector first emitted a dazzling light.

The blinding and bright light instantly became the most noticeable thing in the night, capturing everyone's attention.

The orb of light shone for three seconds, followed by the scenes from 'The Prince of the Sea'.

"Hum~~"

A magnificent and colossal devilfish appeared in mid-air, followed by the narrator's voice.

"Long, long ago, in the Luojin waters, there lived a group of beautiful and powerful mermaids..."

"Ahhhh—"

Unlike the reaction at the Lansville screening, after a moment of stunned silence, the crowd erupted into chaotic screaming and commotion.

The audience, unfamiliar with what a "movie" was, were terrified and wanted to flee immediately.

"Quiet." Sherlock's calm voice came through the speakers, "This is a movie, not a real monster."

Sherlock infused a bit of magic into his voice. His calm and steady emotion soon influenced the audience, who, after calming down, realized that the giant devilfish wasn't attacking them and even passed through their bodies without any effect.

"What is a movie?" The audience was once again confused, but soon, the magnificent underwater world captivated everyone's attention.

"Heavens! Mermaids! The mermaids are so beautiful!"

Unlike the citizens of Lansville, accustomed to various magical races, the people of Lakdalia city, who had barely seen monsters, reacted with changing emotions as the movie scenes unfolded.

The luxurious underwater palace left them in awe, and the grand battle between mermaids and sea monsters immersed them in a mix of fear and fascination.

They screamed with the battle, wishing they could glue their eyes to the scene.

In the eyes of the experts, this battle was not efficient, wasting magic and energy! True high-level combat is all about efficiency, and it's not something lower levels could approach.

But in movies, visual effects trump everything.

Dazzling magic spells are cast effortlessly, with the thrilling and dizzying close combat scenes raising the audience's heartbeat to their throats.

The battle lasted five minutes, during which Nick watched so intently that he dared not even breathe, trembling, unsure if it was more out of fear or desire.

But the impact it had on him was undeniably profound.

He couldn't bear to blink, forgetting to breathe, constantly worrying about the safety of the gentle and beautiful mermaid prince.

Finally, with the last magical arrow striking the sea monster, its massive body exploded into fireworks, its fierce eyes closing in reluctance, sinking to the ocean floor.

As Mermaid Noi gently exhaled, Nick also let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, gasping for air.

His gaze never left Noi, but before he could catch his breath, the first four-person battle scene again left him breathless.

The battle between Noi and Stocks #1, #2, and #3 was somewhat confusing to Nick, but the immersive atmosphere still made him clench his fists in tension.

Once again, it was thanks to Noi's awakening that the crisis was averted, the innocent and naive mermaid resolving the conflict with a few words.

Nick once more found a moment to breathe, only to be followed by a four-person "date".

It was Noi's first time leaving the sea, his curiosity about the human world evident. Stock #3's suggestion to visit the marketplace was immediately met with Noi's eager agreement, with Stocks #1 and #2 arranging an "accidental" encounter.

Just as Nick subconsciously felt he'd lost his right to breathe again, sesame pancakes, barbecued meat, fried chicken, and milk tea... entered his world.

"Slurp, slurp, slurp..."

Stock #1 said, "Noi, you must have often eaten underwater, but have you tried barbecue? Here, try this grilled crab stick."

The crab meat, thicker than a thumb, was pulled from the shell, steaming and even bouncing twice, the misty vapor seeming to reach his face.

Nick instinctively took a bite.

"Crunch—"

The sound of his upper and lower teeth meeting was like waves, harmonizing with Noi in the movie, creating an unparalleled interactive experience!

Unfortunately, the audience outside the movie could only taste air, while Noi in the movie savored the full crab meat, emitting a sound of satisfaction.

"So delicious!"

"Gulp…" Nick touched his empty stomach, eyes fixed on Noi, wishing he could be Noi at that moment.

After a two-hour long movie, Nick held his stomach, his saliva restoring the original color of his chin and neck.

He had never found two hours so agonizing, yet so fleeting.

Grilled crab sticks, beef burgers, bursting fried chicken cutlets, roasted cheese…

Nick, who had never been good at remembering, felt like his brain had been unlocked, with every delicacy from the movie etched into his soul.

"It looks so delicious… Noi… Noi is so lucky!"

A bold idea suddenly sprang into Nick's mind—he wanted to become Noi.

Of course, Nick was aware of his lowly status, just a wretch at the bottom, and Noi, a noble and beautiful mermaid prince, was beyond his reach.

But, but… what if he worked hard and earned enough money to eat those delicious foods?

He had seen it, Noi bought a fried chicken leg for 20 copper coins.

The aromatic fried chicken leg, with a crispy "crack" at each bite, its golden crust hiding succulent white meat, dripping with juices.

"Slurp…" He couldn't help but drool again.

Oh, how he longed to eat…

If he could taste it, he would sell his soul, even if it meant dying the next second!

Nick's eyes were glued to the screen, scrolling the credits after the movie ended.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened—

Nick couldn't read, but he understood that line of text effortlessly.

Special Thanks: Lansville City — the primary filming location of the film.

"Lansville City…" He repeated the name as if to engrave it into his soul.

"Is this where you bought the fried chicken leg?"

20 copper coins seemed not so out of reach.

All he needed was to work harder and tighten his belt—a bit more. Right, he didn't own pants, so he would make some tomorrow!

Work more, eat less, and before he died, he had to visit Lansville City to buy a fried chicken leg!

Nick seemed to have forgotten all about the 10 gold coins he owed Sherlock, his mind occupied with earning money to buy fried chicken legs in Lansville City.

His once dull and numb eyes now sparkled with life, though driven by the dream of 'eating a fried chicken leg before dying', Nick's entire demeanor had changed.

"Prince Sherlock is so kind. How I wish I could marry Prince Sherlock and eat hot pot with him!"

Muttering voices reached Nick's ears, and he turned his head to meet the gaze of a boy.

"Do you also want to eat hot pot?" asked the drooling boy in a friendly tone.

Nick nodded, then shook his head. "I want to eat hot pot, but I want to eat a fried chicken leg more." With his limited imagination, he couldn't fathom the taste of the chicken leg, but Noi's expression was so blissful—it must be the most delicious food in the world!

Although Noi looked even happier eating hot pot than the chicken leg.

"But hotpot was too expensive for him, with just the soup base costing 99 copper coins, not to mention the other ingredients."

Although he didn't have 20 copper coins in his pocket either, compared to a 99 copper coin hot pot, a fried chicken leg seemed like a reachable dream with some effort.

As for these obviously inflated prices—no one dared to question them, or rather, they were reluctant to.

20 coppers for a chicken leg was indeed outrageous, but that was the extent of their utmost efforts.

20 silver coins? 20 gold coins? If that had been the price initially, they wouldn't even dare to dream!

The first screening of 'The Prince of the Sea' in Lakdalia City was a great success.

Even after the movie ended, many people lingered, unwilling to leave, gathering in small groups to discuss fried chicken legs, hot pot, barbecue, fried skewers, spicy hot pot…

Entertainment in the entire realm of Tantali was scarce. Nobles had beast-fighting, meditation, training, but the lower class only had endless "work, work, work."

They had to work ceaselessly just to earn enough to pay taxes. With empty stomachs, no knowledge in their heads, and no free time, they became the most numb and lifeless group of people.

They lacked imagination, and even the soil to cultivate it, their lives spinning endlessly, controlled by others, with nothing but darkness in their world.

But the arrival of 'The Prince of the Sea' was like a beam of light, showing them a different world.

People envy neighbors and friends slightly better than themselves, but never the moon in the sky.

Admiring strength is an instinctive habit; being powerful and happy, Noi evokes not envy but admiration.

"How wonderful it would be to enjoy hotpot/milk tea/lamb skewers/grilled crab sticks/fried chicken like Noi!"

They don't even dare to fantasize about becoming Noi.

But even if they don't dare, a seed named "desire" is planted in their hearts.

Work hard and earn money to go to Lanceville for hotpot/milk tea/lamb skewers/grilled crab sticks/fried chicken!

Blaze, seeing the timing right, hastily posted the recruitment notice.

The notice, imbued with sound magic, diligently broadcasted the job information to the illiterate potential workers.

"Recruitment requirements: 1000 transportation workers under 18, daily wage 1-5 copper, three meals included; 3000 paving workers over 18, daily wage 10 copper, three meals included. Recruitment ends when full, first come first served."

"!!!" The audience, still emotionally entangled in the world of 'The Prince of the Sea' movie, was jolted back to reality by the job advert.

But being too immersed in their own world, their first reaction to the recruitment news was to suspect a hallucination.

But Blaze seized the moment: "I hope everyone signs up eagerly, as we still have to conduct a second round of interviews."

The labor shortage in Lanceville city is now overwhelmingly severe.

As the number of tourists increased, more shops in the commercial street were rented out, but there was still a shortage of basic labor.

Currently, the tourists in Lanceville city are mostly high-level magic species, getting them to work in factories screwing nuts and bolts? It's already good if they don't accidentally destroy the machines!

Nor is it feasible to train them as waiters or chefs.

The salary of waiters and chefs isn't enough to cover the cost of the ingredients they'd likely consume!

This gap in manpower can only be filled by looking to other cities!

Film screenings are an excellent way of recruitment advertising. Commoners with families and relatives are unlikely to leave their homes willingly, slaves don't control their fate, but the numerous wanderers are a vast labor force!

With no way out, they might suspect a scam, but to survive, earn money, and chase “dreams”, the best choice is to work in Lanceville city.

If it's a scam to sacrifice people to necromancers, they're just cheap lives, doomed to starve anyway.

But if it's real — such good pay means every extra day's work is a gain!

Nick suddenly recalled Sherlock's words and, without hesitation, dashed over.

Small and frail, he weaved through the crowd like a slippery eel, quickly reaching Blaze.

"Can I, can I do it?!"

Nick, all eyes in his emaciated face, looked at Blaze with eager anticipation.

Blaze immediately handed him a contract: "Sign here, and follow me to work tomorrow."

The projector, after the movie ended, didn't stop but switched from playing films to acting as a floodlight.

Someone spotting Nick yelled, "Not you again, are you a plant?"

Without looking up, Nick bit his finger. His blood was scarce; a small cut barely bled, so he bit deeply into his wrist, blood gushing forth.

Illiterate, Nick couldn't write his name, but a magical contract requires only a part of the signer.

It could be a written name or a drop of blood.

Blaze frowned slightly at the sight of his bloody wrist, pulled out a potion, and applied it, healing the wound instantly.

Nick, surprised, said awkwardly, "I, I don’t have money..."

Blaze, as if nothing had happened, put the rest of the potion on the table and took out more, saying casually, "Don’t worry, it's not worth much."

In Lanceville, such basic hemostatic potions were mass-produced and inexpensive.

They cost 60 copper coins a bottle in potion shops, a common item everyone carried.

[Hemostatic Potion (5)]: Effective both internally and externally, one bottle restores 50 health points.

In basic potion-making classes, the first potion students learn is the energy potion, followed by the hemostatic potion.

The ingredients, grown and picked in basic herbalism classes, cost under 10 copper coins in total, even buying ready-made ones costs only 20 coins.

Level 5 potion bottles don't require special features; 10 glass bottles for a copper coin are sufficient.

Potion shops purchase them based on quality, ranging from 30-50 copper coins per bottle. Students, having learned to make these potions, practically work non-stop. Taking Lovi as an example, aside from attending classes and dealing with Devil's Vine, he can produce 500 hemostatic potions a day! After the initial days of fluctuating quality between 70-90, his output consistently hit 100.

Others may not match his speed or quality, but now easily make about 200 bottles in their "spare time" each day.

Imagine, 200 bottles per person, thousands of students in a school — the production is staggeringly immense!

Level 5 hemostatic potions are low-grade, but they're cheap and of decent quality!

Depending on the potion's quality, the retail price ranges from 60-100 copper coins.

As the students' skills improved, potions priced at 60 copper coins became rare.

Blaze was effectively “clearing stock.”

After using up the batch priced at 60 copper coins, he planned to go to Louis for reimbursement. Although not profitable, it was a way to liquidate assets. He'd use the funds to buy more potions priced at 100 copper coins!

This wasn't Blaze being petty. Even Jack, after seeing the potion shelves in Lanceville, couldn’t help but fill his space ring to the brim.

Besides the low level of potions, tourists had never seen such quality yet affordable potions in Lanceville's shops.

Dozens of potions were displayed on the shelves, priced mostly in copper coins, except for two shelves marked in silver and gold coins.

Tourists accustomed to appeasing potion makers, giving gifts during festivals, and spending a fortune for "mystery boxes" had never seen such shops. They entered with empty space equipment and left with it stuffed full, plus arms laden with potions.

Regardless of whether they needed these potions or not, the thrill of such shopping was a joy they couldn’t resist.

Blaze, too, had suffered from a lack of potions. Without space equipment, he relied on his many pockets, filling them here and there, creating a small pyramid of potion bottles, astonishing the audience.

Jack was envious. Such a small investment for such grandeur! He promptly emptied all the hemostatic potions from his space ring.

The audience, unaware these hemostatic potions were just mass-produced items costing mere tens of copper coins, revered potion makers as precious entities, even useless potions in their eyes were priced in silver coins.

But the mountain of hemostatic potions before them, proven to be of "excellent quality," was no mere trifle. This was more impressive than a mountain of gold!

A level 5 hemostatic potion of perfect quality worked wonders on Nick's wrist, needing only a tenth of a bottle to stop the bleeding.

Thus, this pyramid of potions would last for many uses!

"Anyone else want to sign up?" Jack asked, urgingly.

Jack Starna wasn't so easily swayed to "betray" his own father.

His enthusiasm as a volunteer was driven partly by the desire to connect with Phelos, but more so because he saw this as a profitable opportunity!

Jack had long considered the city of Lakdaria as his own, hence his distress over the city's vagrant issue.

Quality adventurers wouldn't be labeled as "vagrants." More high-level adventurers meant better, just as fewer cityscape-spoiling vagrants were preferable.