The morning sun cast a pale, cold light over the stone dwellings as Airan stepped outside, the worn leather pouch at his belt feeling noticeably heavier against his hip.
The day after killing the rat king and trading its pelt along with the pile of ordinary rets at the market, his math had been simple.
He had started with 24 spirit stones from the hunt, and the bulk sale pushed his total up to 33.
But living in the outer rings required steady upkeep; he spent 2 spirit stones on high-grade spiritual rice for himself and the puppy, and another 1 on his monthly rent.
After subtracting those expenses, he was left with a clean total of 30 spirit stones.
There was a noticeable shift in the warrens, too.
With the rat king dead, the remaining swarm had entirely fractured and fled deeper into uncharted fissures, leaving the upper tunnels eerily quiet.
Airan had to seek out a brand-new rat cave further down the ridge to continue his daily culls.
Weeks blurred into hard routine.
The days stretched forward until the puppy reached three full months of age—sturdy, sharp-eyed, and carrying a dense layer of vitality from months of a strict spiritual diet. This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.
And today was the day.
Airan sat at his low wooden table, his fingers tracing the smooth, cool surface of his pouch.
Inside sat a staggering 55 spirit stones.
This was the exact day he was going to buy his custom distillation tool and finally fulfill his long-held dream.
Yet, as he stared at the stones, a new calculation formed in his mind.
The distillation tool alone would clean out a massive chunk of his savings, but true progression required more than just refining herbs.
He needed spirit wine—a potent catalyst for breaking stubborn bottlenecks.
Airan weighed the options in his head.
If he bought the tool today, he would still need to secure enough stock for his cultivation breakthrough.
He made a deliberate choice: he would buy the distillation tool right now, assemble it today, and wait just one more week to scrape together the remaining stones for half a kilogram of spirit wine.
More importantly, he needed to plan his next move carefully.
Brewing and selling high-purity spirit wine in the outer rings was a fast way to draw unwanted attention from local thugs and greedy merchants.
Before a single drop was distilled, Airan needed to figure out a discreet channel to sell his product without ever getting discovered.
Author’s Note: Thanks for reading Chapter 8!
Airan’s journey from a penniless herb collector to a spirit distiller starts here.