It took Eric a few days to make a stash of the Breath of Life.
The thirteen vials were carefully sealed and stored away.
During that time, he had sent Daina to locate an apothecary shop where he could sell his products.
Daina hopped onto Eric’s shoulder as he stood up to leave the inn.
They were on the upper floor, so it took them several minutes to reach the entrance.
Once outside, Eric walked through the streets before turning into a quiet alley.
He glanced around.
No one was watching.
He quickly changed into the clothes Daina had bought for him and placed a wooden mask over his face.
By the time he stepped out of the alley, he looked like an entirely different person.
Daina was already on top of a nearby building, following him from the shadows.
The guards had already seen her as his pet, so she couldn’t risk remaining on his shoulder while they walked through the city.
Eric continued through the streets, ignoring the curious stares directed at him from time to time.
After nearly two hours, he finally arrived at the shop Daina had described.
A wooden sign hung above the entrance.
AUGURY ALCHEMY.
Eric gently pushed the door open.
A small bell hanging above it rang.
The sound immediately caught the shopkeeper’s attention.
Eric walked toward the counter without saying a word.
He reached into his clothes and placed a single vial on the table separating them.
The shopkeeper glanced at it.
Then at Eric.
He picked up the vial, carefully removed the stopper, and brought it beneath his nose.
The moment he inhaled, his eyes widened.
A wave of vitality surged through his body.
The fatigue that had settled into his muscles seemed to disappear for an instant, replaced by a warmth that spread throughout his limbs.
The shopkeeper quickly sealed the vial and placed it back on the table.
He stared at it.
Then he stared at Eric.
Eric remained silent.
He was already studying the man’s emotions with his Soul Sense.
Interest.
Excitement.
Greed.
And something else.
Calculation.
The shopkeeper cleared his throat.
“Ahem.” He forced himself to look calm.
“I’m willing to give you ten gold coins for this healing potion.” Eric didn’t respond.
He simply stared at him through the wooden mask.
The shopkeeper’s smile became slightly stiff.
Eric continued watching his emotions.
The man’s interest hadn’t diminished.
Neither had his greed.
And beneath both was the certainty that ten gold coins was nowhere near what he was willing to pay.
He’s testing me.
Eric remained silent.
Ten seconds passed.
Then twenty.
The shopkeeper shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Thirty seconds.
Eric still said nothing.
The shopkeeper finally broke.
“Fine.” He sighed.
“Fifteen gold coins and nine silver.” Eric’s eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask.
That was closer.
But the man’s emotions still didn’t match his words.
He’s still holding back.
Eric continued staring.
The shopkeeper’s forehead slowly developed a bead of sweat.
“Are you going to say something?” Eric tilted his head.
The shopkeeper swallowed.
“…Eighteen gold.” Eric’s eyes narrowed again.
The man’s heart jumped.
Twenty.
Eric didn’t even need to hear the number.
His Soul Sense had already given him the answer.
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth.
“Twenty gold coins.
That’s my final offer.” Eric finally spoke.
“Deal.” He immediately placed the remaining twelve vials on the counter.
The shopkeeper froze.
His eyes moved from the vials to Eric.
“Twelve?” Eric nodded.
The shopkeeper’s expression changed instantly.
He hurriedly pulled out a large bag of coins and placed it on the counter.
Eric picked it up without counting.
The shopkeeper stared at him.
“You’re not going to check them?” Eric paused at the door.
He turned his masked face toward the man.
“I already know you wouldn’t dare cheat me.” The shopkeeper’s expression stiffened.
Eric walked out.
The bell above the door rang once more.
Only after the door closed did the shopkeeper let out the breath he’d been holding.
He looked down at the thirteen vials of Breath of Life.
Then he smiled.
“This fellow…” He shook his head.
“…is definitely not an ordinary merchant.”Eric didn’t go straight home after leaving the shop.
Instead, he headed to a bar Daina had investigated earlier.
The moment he stepped inside, the strong smell of alcohol assaulted his nose.
Eric quietly spread his senses throughout the establishment.
Several cultivators were scattered around the room, drinking, gambling, and talking amongst themselves.
What surprised him most was that no one seemed bothered by his masked appearance.
A few people glanced at him.
Some even gave him mischievous smiles before returning to their drinks and conversations as though he were nothing out of the ordinary.
This place is dangerous, Eric thought.
Almost as if the bar itself wanted to prove him right, two nearly naked women approached him with seductive smiles.
“Hey, handsome.
Why don’t you come and play with us?” one of them purred, running her fingers along his arm.
Before Eric could respond, sparks suddenly crackled across his skin.
The women immediately froze.
They exchanged a glance before quickly raising their hands.
“Okay, okay!
We’ll leave you alone.” “Such a boring man,” the other woman muttered as they hurried away.
Eric paid them no attention and walked toward the counter.
“One beer.” The bartender quickly poured him a drink and slid it across the counter.
Eric took a small sip while casually listening to the conversations around him.
Most of the topics were nothing particularly useful—men complaining about their wives, gamblers arguing over their losses, and people casually discussing crimes they had committed.
Eric raised an eyebrow.
Bold.
I’ll give them that.
He took another sip.
It’s almost as if they’re not afraid of consequences.
Just as Eric was about to ask the bartender about what he had come for, a conversation between two men nearby caught his attention.
“I’m telling you, Old Man Jones has gotten younger!” one of the men insisted before gulping down more of his beer.
His friend snorted.
“You’ve had too much to drink.
Nobody gets younger overnight.” “Pfft!
I’m telling you, I saw him with my own two eyes!” The man leaned closer to his friend, lowering his voice as though he were about to reveal a great secret.
“And guess what?
He said he was kidnapped by two mad scientists for an experiment!” Eric’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth.
…What?
For a moment, he simply stared at the two men.
Two mad scientists.
Kidnapped.
Experiment.
Those words sounded far too familiar.
Eric slowly lowered his cup.
Daina…
A faint smile appeared beneath his mask.
She actually did it.
The two men continued arguing, completely unaware that the person sitting nearby was one of the “mad scientists” they were talking about.
“I told you, you’re drunk,” the second man said.
“I’m not drunk!
Jones even said they kept asking him strange questions before releasing him!” Eric quietly turned his attention back to his drink.
At least they let him go.
He couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.
Apparently, whatever Daina had done had already become gossip throughout the city.
Eric took another sip.
Two mad scientists, huh?
The smile beneath his mask widened slightly.
Daina is going to love that one.
He eventually lost interest in the conversation and turned back toward the bartender.
Eric placed a gold coin on the counter.
The bartender’s eyes immediately fell on it.
His expression changed.
He glanced at Eric, then at the coin.
A gold coin was far more than the price of a drink.
The bartender slowly reached for it but stopped halfway.
“You want information, don’t you?” Eric’s lips curled into a faint grin.
The man’s reaction had confirmed his suspicion.
“You’re used to people paying for information.” The bartender’s eyes narrowed.
“And you’re used to getting what you want.” Eric pushed the coin slightly closer.
“I need you to tell me where I can buy some gears.”