"To think there's actually this kind of magic..."
Gaode already had a certain understanding of magic. He knew it could produce a wide variety of miraculous effects, and that staggering destructive and lethal power was only a fraction of what it could do. But he never expected its effects to be so broad that it could even enhance one's craftsmanship.
"Divine Guidance Skill," Gaode noted silently to himself. "If I can escape my current predicament, I definitely have to find a way to get my hands on the magic formula for it later."
Without a doubt, the Divine Guidance Skill was an absolute must-learn magic for Alchemists and all other Extraordinary Craftsmen. As for now, he still needed to figure out how to make money!
With the two major projects completed, Gaode remained sitting cross-legged and began his daily cultivation. He naturally knew that cultivating either the Guiding Technique or the Meditation Technique required the accumulation of time. It was absolutely impossible to achieve a major breakthrough in the short term. At the very least, there would be no breakthroughs before his next potion testing.
And if he failed to successfully resist Mage Seda when that time came, then his current cultivation would just be a waste of time. Unfortunately, that was the most probable outcome. Did this mean his current efforts were unnecessary?
But Gaode understood even better that no matter what, this was no excuse to slack off on his cultivation. For anyone with the conscious desire to become a powerful Mage, slacking off and resting during cultivation was out of the question. It required staggering perseverance. Yet, for every Mage, this was also the most basic requirement.
Gradually, Gaode emptied his mind, drew his Spirit inward, and immersed himself in the Guiding Technique. Silently, the abundant Magic Power drifting everywhere in the world flowed into his body under the guidance of his Spiritual Power, where it was then refined bit by bit into Mana.
Although casting magic consumed Mana, controlling the spell's release also required the involvement of Spiritual Power. Therefore, because he had cast the [Repair Skill+] to fix the Divine Guidance Ring, his Spiritual Power was not at its peak when he began cultivating. Barely two hours later, the depletion of his Spiritual Power hit the critical threshold of forty percent, and his efficiency in guiding Magic Power began to drop rapidly.
Gaode decisively interrupted his cultivation of the Guiding Technique and switched to practicing the apprentice Meditation Technique. His daily cultivation did not officially end until the forty percent of his consumed Spiritual Power was completely restored through the effects of the Meditation Technique.
Checking the time, he saw that it was already approaching late night.
"The sixth lotus petal is also about to materialize," Gaode mused. "Compared to my predecessor, there hasn't been any change in the cultivation speed of the Guiding Technique, but my progress in the Meditation Technique seems to have gotten much faster. Is it because of my soul transmigration?"
He pondered silently, "Talent in cultivating the Guiding Technique depends on physical constitution, specifically the body's affinity with Magic Power.
"However, talent in cultivating the Meditation Technique depends on the soul. Could it be that my Soul Talent is stronger than my predecessor's?"
This was highly likely. But regardless of the reason, an increase in the cultivation speed of the Meditation Technique was always a good thing.
"Time to rest." Satisfied, Gaode dragged his exhausted body out of the workshop and returned to his own room to sleep.
***
The next day. Awakening Moon, the fourteenth day. In the afternoon.
After Gaode finished concocting his daily batch of one set of Basic Spider Venom Potion, his work for the day came to an end. However, there was an additional task that originally belonged to Elan. The Potions in the Medicinal Garden had accumulated to a certain volume, so it was time to deliver them to Phil's Magic Pharmacy.
It just so happened that Gaode was heading into the city today anyway to return the repaired Divine Guidance Ring. He tallied the types and quantities of the Magic Potions to be delivered in this batch.
Basic Endurance Potion, ten sets. These were Magic Potions concocted by Mage Seda; he was the only one in the entire Medicinal Garden capable of brewing the Basic Endurance Potion.
Basic Spider Venom Potion, thirteen sets. These were the fruits of Gaode's labor, and one of the sets belonged to him.
Currently, Gaode's daily workload was to concoct one set (three small bottles) of the Basic Spider Venom Potion. With his technique, every time he brewed a set of the Basic Spider Venom Potion, he could produce an extra half an ounce. Since a small bottle of the Basic Spider Venom Potion held two ounces, this meant that in four days, Gaode could accumulate an extra small bottle of the Basic Spider Venom Potion.
Twelve days had passed since the last shipment, so the Basic Spider Venom Potion he had hoarded for himself amounted to exactly one set.
***
Gaode left the Medicinal Garden once again and headed to the commercial district in the city.
By the time he arrived at Phil's Magic Pharmacy, a fine layer of sweat had already broken out on his forehead. Without Amy accompanying him this time, the entire burden of carrying the Magic Potions fell on him alone. Carrying over twenty sets of Magic Potions on his back was no small burden for Gaode. The liquid alone amounted to over one pint (1.8 liters)—not to mention the weight of the glass bottles. For a thirteen-year-old boy whose body was still underdeveloped due to a lack of proper nutrition, this was a considerable strain.
Just like last time, they exchanged money for goods simultaneously.
The purchasing price for the Basic Spider Venom Potion was 2 Gold Coins, whereas the Basic Endurance Potion went for 2 Gold Coins and 5 Silver Coins per set. Even among Basic potions, there was a discrepancy in value. This was nothing compared to the Basic Healing Potion, which could even fetch a purchasing price of 3 Gold Coins per set. Because among all Basic potions, Healing Potions were always the most widely applicable, so there was never any worry about sales.
Likewise, the Magic Formula for a Healing Potion was also the most precious. It was exclusively held by certain established factions and was practically never offered for sale. In the market, it was a formula that was priceless and unavailable—something that could be treated as a family heirloom.
A total of twenty-two sets of potions resulted in a receipt worth 46 Gold Coins and 10 Silver Coins. It looked like a lot, but in reality, the profit margins were nowhere near that high.
He didn't know about the others, but regarding the Basic Spider Venom Potion alone, Gaode had observed that if one were to purchase all the raw materials needed to concoct a set from a pharmacy, it would cost around 30 Silver Coins. In other words, for an Alchemist, the actual profit for one set of Basic Spider Venom Potion was only around 10 Silver Coins, and that was assuming a 100% success rate in brewing.
If an Alchemist lacked proficiency, failing even once during the concoction process meant bearing an additional cost of 30 Silver Coins. Working hard to learn and master a Magic Formula, and then toiling away for the better part of a day, ultimately only earned about a twenty percent labor fee—unless one mastered a rare Magic Formula like the Healing Potion, the profits a low-level Alchemist could earn were generally around this amount.
Fortunately, Mage Seda possessed his own Medicinal Garden. Therefore, he could cultivate a portion of the herbs needed for brewing Magic Potions himself without having to buy them from a pharmacy, allowing his profits to be a bit higher.
This was also a commonality among most Alchemists. They would generally own their own Medicinal Garden, planting and cultivating herbs themselves to lower the costs of their Magic Potions. Hence, there was a popular saying that circulated among Alchemists: "An Alchemist who does not study Herbalism is not a good Alchemist."
***
Tucking the receipt into his shirt, Gaode took his remaining set of Basic Spider Venom Potion and the repaired Divine Guidance Ring to visit the Pierre Grocery Store once again.
"Is it really fixed?" Even though Pierre was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but be astonished when he actually saw the Divine Guidance Ring looking as good as new.
"You'll know once you try it." Gaode handed the Divine Guidance Ring to Pierre with a hint of reluctance.
Pierre took the Divine Guidance Ring, slipped it onto a finger of his right hand, and then calmly sensed it for a moment before revealing a satisfied smile.
"Your craftsmanship is truly exceptional. If I hadn't known beforehand, I wouldn't have even been able to tell it was ever damaged," Pierre praised.
"It's decent," Gaode didn't act modest, immediately revealing his true intentions. "Mr. Pierre, you have a wide network. Could you kindly keep an eye out for me? If there's anyone else who needs magic items repaired, please introduce them to me."
"Easily done, easily done," Pierre said with a beaming smile. It was a small effort, so naturally, he wouldn't refuse. Furthermore, acting as a middleman—even without taking a commission fee—just earning a favor from both sides made it a worthwhile endeavor.
"The purchasing price for the potion is the same as last time, unchanged. And the repair fee for the Divine Guidance Ring will be as we agreed." Pierre opened a drawer beneath the counter, took out a few Gold Coins and Silver Coins, and handed them to Gaode.
The purchasing price for a set of Basic Spider Venom Potion was 33 Silver Coins, and the repair fee for the Divine Guidance Ring was 30 Silver Coins, totaling 63 Silver Coins. Looking at his newly acquired three Sean Gold Coins and three Trifoliate Flower Silver Coins, Gaode's mood unconsciously brightened significantly.
Coupled with the remaining 35 Silver Coins of savings on his person, his total accumulated wealth now reached 4 Gold Coins and 18 Silver Coins.