Ethan's eyelids twitched.
One hundred and eighty thousand magic stones.
"That's expensive," he muttered, clicking his tongue.
The old man leaned back in his chair. "Kid, knowledge is priceless, understand? If you think it's too expensive, go try your luck in the trading area. If you're lucky, you might find a bargain; if you're not, and you get scammed, don't come crying to me."
"No, old man, why does it say 'two random recipes'?" Ethan stared at the line on the stone tablet, his brow furrowed.
"You're out of the loop. It's a blind... uh, what was it called? Oh, right, a blind box. Don't you get it? It's the latest thing, very trendy."
Ethan's mouth twitched. "...Good grief. Even after transmigrating, blind boxes are still haunting me."
"Stop complaining. Are you buying it or not?" The old man tapped the counter impatiently.
"I'm buying it." Ethan pulled five hundred magic stones from his ring and stacked them on the counter.
The old man glanced down, didn't even bother counting, and with a casual wave, the magic stones vanished from the counter.
He pulled a knowledge crystal from under the counter and set it on the surface.
Ethan picked up the crystal, pressed it to his forehead, and let his mental power seep inside.
A massive amount of information flooded his consciousness like a tide.
The basic principles of alchemy, tool usage, key points for material identification... he had already learned these in his basic courses, and now he was simply confirming them from a different perspective.
What truly revitalized his spirit were the final two pieces of information.
【Spirit-Focusing Potion Recipe】
【Rank: Apprentice-level】
【Effect: Within 30 minutes after consumption, mental power recovery speed increases by 30%, and meditation efficiency increases by 15%. No side effects; can be taken consecutively, but effects do not stack. Restricted to Apprentice-level.】
【Materials: 3g Clear-Mind Grass, 5ml Spirit-Focusing Flower juice, 50ml pure water, 0.5g low-purity magic stone powder.】
【Production Steps: 1. Take the Clear-Mind Grass...】
【Ignis Paste Recipe】
【Rank: Apprentice-level】
【Effect: 10 grams of Ignis Paste can burn steadily for 24 hours. The flame temperature can be adjusted by adding different ratios of fire-element materials (low temperature 100-300°C, medium temperature 300-800°C, high temperature 800-1500°C). It is not extinguished by water and does not flicker in the wind. It is an essential auxiliary item for various alchemy experiments, array activation, and field operations.】
【Materials: 15ml fire oil, 10g Firestone powder, 5g clay, 3ml stabilizer, any low-grade fire-element material powder (optional, used for temperature adjustment).】
【Production Steps: 1. Take the Firestone powder...】
Ethan opened his eyes and casually brushed away the knowledge crystal, which had turned to ash.
"Kid, what recipes did you get?"
"It's a secret."
"..." The old man's mouth twitched. His cloudy eyes rolled as he slowly pulled a palm-sized wooden board from under the counter and slapped it onto the table. "Kid, I have the authority to give discounts on materials."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"How much?"
"Up to ten percent off." The old man's tone was like he was coaxing a child.
Ethan remained silent.
"Cough, I'm not here for the discount," he cleared his throat, his voice neutral. "I got the Spirit-Focusing Potion and Ignis Paste."
"Oh, those two." The old man nodded, maintaining his calm for about two seconds before nearly leaping out of his chair.
"Wait! What recipes?" The old man's voice suddenly jumped an octave, his cloudy eyes widening into circles. He pointed a withered finger at Ethan, his fingertip trembling. "Spirit-Focusing Potion and Ignis Paste?"
"What about them?" Ethan's brow quirked.
"What about them? You're asking me that?" The old man's voice was so sharp it cracked. He slammed the counter, leaning half his body over as his wrinkled face moved close to Ethan's. "Those two are the most expensive among primary potions, do you understand? The most expensive!!!"
Ethan took a half-step back, pulled a magic stone from his ring, and set it on the counter.
The old man glanced at the magic stone, then up at Ethan. He sat back down in his chair, swept the magic stone toward himself, and cleared his throat. "Fine, what do you want to know?"
"Why are these two recipes so expensive?"
The old man was silent for a few breaths, taking a deep breath as if organizing his thoughts.
"Let me put it this way, kid. Spirit-Focusing Potion and Ignis Paste are the two Apprentice-level alchemical products with the highest demand."
He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, looking like a man of great experience once again.
"A bottle of Spirit-Focusing Potion has a market price of five magic stones. Is that expensive? No. For an apprentice stuck at a bottleneck, is it worth five magic stones for 30 minutes of increased meditation efficiency? It's incredibly worth it. A 15% increase in meditation efficiency—what does that mean? What others take ten days to achieve, you can do in eight and a half. Time is magic stones; you understand that logic."
Ethan nodded.
"Now for Ignis Paste. A 500-gram jar is one magic stone. Seems cheap, right? But do you know how durable this stuff is? Ten grams can burn for an entire day. One jar lasts fifty days. Those alchemy lunatics and array masters who soak in their labs all day spend at least one magic stone a month just on Ignis Paste. How many apprentices are in the entire academy? Thousands. Even if only a tenth of them use it, that's a market of hundreds of magic stones a month."
He held up a finger and wagged it in front of Ethan.
"The key is that these are consumables. Once they're used up, people have to buy more. Unlike Wizardry Tools, which you buy once and use for years. As long as people are cultivating and doing experiments, there will always be a market for this stuff."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "The profit doesn't seem that high."
"You think the profit isn't high?" The old man seemed to see right through him, his mouth curling into an ambiguous smirk.
"A profit of two magic stones per bottle really isn't much. But do you know how much stock veteran alchemists can produce in a month? Once you're skilled with Spirit-Focusing Potion, you can refine ten bottles at a time. Do that two or three times a day, easily. In a month, just the Spirit-Focusing Potion alone brings in hundreds of magic stones in profit. Not to mention Ignis Paste—you can make it in bulk, dozens of jars in one pot."
He paused, his cloudy eyes fixed on Ethan.
"And do you think alchemy is just about the price difference in materials? Naive. Anyone can buy materials, anyone can have a recipe. Why do some make more while others make less?"
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Technique?"
"Exactly." The old man snapped his fingers. "The same recipe, the same materials, but the results from different people can vary by thirty percent. Why? Technique. The fineness of the grind, the speed of stirring, the control of temperature, the order of addition—it's all in the details. The Spirit-Focusing Potion made by veterans can be 20% more effective than the standard recipe. They sell it for six magic stones a bottle, and people still scramble to buy it."
He leaned back again, crossing his arms with a hint of pride on his face.
"The material cost is still three magic stones, but they sell it for six, doubling the profit. That is the value of craftsmanship. Do you understand now?"
Rate on N.U.
