Chapter 58: Basic Magic Potion

Gao De was startled, realizing he had still not been cautious enough, too impulsive.

He had only recently bought a scroll of striking magic from Pierre to suppress the arcane lock, and now he was displaying such a “nouveau riche” demeanor.

Anyone who thought about it for a moment would understand the implications.

Fortunately, Pierre was not a man with ill intentions, and likely had already guessed something when Gao De sought help with the [Arcane Lock].

But Gao De was still shaken, and learned a lesson.

He must never again be so careless with his pride.

“Not bad, not bad,” Gao De laughed it off, bowing slightly: “Then I look forward to your good news.”

After setting a specific time with Pierre, Gao De took his leave.

The old man glanced at Gao De’s retreating back, muttering to himself: “This kid is becoming increasingly unpredictable.”

Pierre had agreed to his request; even if he couldn’t secure it, Gao De’s mood was still quite good.

At the time, Yom had brought five magic formulas in total.

But due to limited funds, he had chosen only the three most suitable for his situation: [Acid Splash], [Freezing Ray], and [Enhanced Resistance].

The remaining [Blade Ward] and [Read Magic] were temporarily abandoned.

Now, he had returned to reconnect with Yom to purchase these two remaining formulas, first because his finances had improved considerably.

Second, he truly needed these two formulas he had once abandoned.

To obtain the source, Gao De would eventually have to confront the earthline creatures.

[Blade Ward], which could protect against physical damage, had become especially important.

Moreover, Gao De still remembered the time he was ambushed by three unemployed miners from the city.

Though he had suffered only minor injuries and driven them off with the spell of punishment, recalling it now still sent chills down his spine.

As the saying goes, no matter how skilled in martial arts, one still fears a cleaver.

Same principle.

At least with [Blade Ward], he wouldn’t have to fear cleavers anymore.

As for [Read Magic], it was even more crucial to Gao De.

It could even be said to be his primary goal.

Not to mention that as a mage, lacking the ability to decipher magical script would bring him countless inconveniences in the future.

Even right now, Gao De had no choice but to master [Read Magic].

—He needed [Read Magic] to decipher the magical script on the scroll from Ceda’s legacy, whose purpose and origin remained unknown.

A scroll that looked obviously priceless—how could anyone not be curious about what it recorded? After leaving Pierre’s general store, Gao De did not return directly to the herb garden.

He thought for a moment, then detoured to the Qiangweimoyaodian , located at the street’s end, farthest from Feiermoyaodian .

The three most famous magic potion shops in Hogen City were Feiermoyaodian , Youguangmoyaodian , and Qiangweimoyaodian .

Each shop sought to dominate the market, monopolizing Hogen City’s potion trade, so their competition was fierce—truly irreconcilable.

Visiting a potion shop meant either selling or buying potions.

Gao De’s goal was the latter.

With a “fortune” in his pocket now, he dared to entertain thoughts he had previously dared not consider.

He intended to extravagantly purchase [Basic Magic Potion] to aid his guiding method cultivation.

But he could not buy it from Feiermoyaodian .

He had already aroused suspicion among the shop staff there; buying [Basic Magic Potion] would be safer elsewhere.

The market price for [Basic Magic Potion] was six gold per set.

A first-rank apprentice mage could consume one set in six days.

That meant if Gao De wanted to drink [Basic Magic Potion] continuously, the fifty gold left by Ceda would sustain his cultivation for only fifty days. Though Gao De was usually extremely frugal, he knew well the difference between realm and gold.

Besides, improved strength would make earning money easier.

That was precisely why.

Stepping into the Rose Magic Potion Shop, Gao De scanned the interior but saw no [Basic Magic Potion] on display.

Yet he did not leave disappointed.

In small cities, mages were still too few, so potion shops primarily stocked remedies for commoners.

Potions like [Basic Magic Potion], meant exclusively for mages, were not necessarily displayed openly.

The shopkeeper had sharp eyes; before Gao De could ask, a young male clerk had already approached him: “Hello, sir, how may I help you?”

He had noticed Gao De’s gaze sweeping the shelves—clearly searching for a specific potion.

Such customers needed no persuasion and almost never left empty-handed.

Seeing Gao De scan the entire shop without speaking, he guessed Gao De had not found what he wanted and hurried over.

“Do you sell [Basic Magic Potion]? I didn’t see any.”

“Of course we do, but it’s stored in the back cabinet. Wait a moment—I’ll get it for you.” The clerk glanced at Gao De with mild surprise.

Gao De wore a brown linen tunic—the typical attire of a commoner.

And [Basic Magic Potion] was clearly a “luxury”—he hadn’t expected Gao De’s target to be it.

Surprise aside, the clerk swiftly knelt beside the cabinet, pulled out a delicate box from a drawer, placed it carefully on the counter, and opened it before Gao De’s eyes.

Inside the box were three small vials of potion, their liquid glowing a crystalline sea-blue.

“Here you are, sir.”

Gao De’s heart stirred, a faint glimmer flashing in his eyes.

[Detect Magic].

In his vision, an invisible medium-brightness magical aura shimmered on the vials.

The quality was decent.

Having verified the goods, Gao De was satisfied.

“How much for a set?” he asked as usual.

“Sir, one set is six gold and ten silver. Our prices are fixed—no haggling.” The clerk smiled.

“Isn’t the market price for [Basic Magic Potion] six gold per set?” Gao De’s expression changed, his calm shattered.

“That’s true,” the clerk explained patiently, “but recently, earthline creatures have appeared frequently outside the city, drawing many outsiders to Hogen.”

You know, many of these outsiders are apprentice mages who also buy [Basic Magic Potion] to drink.”

Without such unexpected demand, our sales of [Basic Magic Potion] were stable—each year we sold roughly the same number of sets.

So we kept our stock minimal. Now, with this surge, our inventory can’t keep up—we’ve had no choice but to raise prices.” The clerk spread his hands, as if it were obvious.

“You can check with Feiermoyaodian or Youguangmoyaodian —they’re charging the same.”

As always, the market determines price.

“Fine,” Gao De said, gritting his teeth in frustration. “Give me two sets.”

“Right away!” The clerk immediately knelt again and pulled another set of [Basic Magic Potion] from the cabinet.

A purchase over ten gold coins was considered a major sale in the shop.

Gao De carefully pulled out his coin purse, counted out thirteen gold coins, and handed them to the clerk.

(End of Chapter)