My mind completely blanked as I stared at the flashing red text.
What the... I thought, my heart skipping a beat.
It wasn't just level too low, but rank too low.
Just how much strong was this old man before he retired to a border village?
"What is it, boy?" Zen's gruff voice cut through my shock. "Why are you staring at me like I just grew a second head?"
I immediately blinked, dismissing the error panel before my brain short-circuited.
"Oh, nothing," I lied smoothly, clearing my throat and grabbing the pestle again.
"I was just thinking that you look a lot better now. The color is fully back in your face."
Zen let out a booming laugh, flexing his massive arm again.
"Better than ever, Jin! Now, let's get this batch stabilized!"
We threw ourselves into the work. With Zen's restored mana, Tessa's precision, and my localized edits making the alchemy process flawlessly efficient, we managed to set up the foundation of the entire production line by noon.
