Income Soars

"Did I succeed?" A low murmur echoed through the silent basement.

It was immediately followed by a hoarse, hysterical burst of laughter.

"I succeeded. I finally succeeded." After suppressing himself for half a month, Roland finally unleashed every negative emotion he had been holding inside.

After half a month and countless failures, all twenty portions of Level 4 Magic Materials had been destroyed in the experiments, yielding only a single Level 4 Potion.

Though the loss was enormous, Roland knew that once he had succeeded once, there would be countless more successes to come. These losses would be recovered within days.

"Congratulations, Master. You have successfully brewed a Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion," Nuwa said.

After hearing this, Roland fell silent for a moment before saying with deep emotion, "Nuwa, you deserve enormous credit for successfully brewing a Level 4 Potion."

That was the truth. Roland had failed over a hundred times on the brewing techniques alone, while the most important task—steadily infusing Mental Power—was ten times more difficult.

Without Nuwa, Roland could never have accomplished it in less than a year on his own, and he would have wasted an unknown amount of Magic Materials in the process.

"It is Nuwa's honor to serve you."

"Thank you," Roland replied seriously.

Nuwa did not respond this time. Instead, a smiley face made of symbols appeared on the blue screen before Roland.

Seeing this, Roland could not help but smile as well. But in the next instant, he suddenly cried out, "Ah! What is that smell? Why does it stink so badly?"

"Master, you have not left this basement for five days. I believe you should attend to your personal hygiene."

"I haven't gone out for five days?" Roland froze, then immediately felt an unbearable wave of hunger rise from his stomach.

"Yes."

After receiving Nuwa's confirmation, Roland could no longer endure it and immediately left the basement.

"Young Master? You've finally come out." When Old Nob saw Roland in the living room, a delighted smile instantly appeared on his face.

"Grandpa Nob, prepare bathwater for me, and make me dinner too. I'm starving to death," Roland called out urgently.

"Yes, Young Master. It'll be ready right away." Old Nob immediately got to work after speaking.

After five days, Roland finally took a long, satisfying hot bath and changed into a clean set of pajamas.

After eating the dinner Old Nob had prepared, Roland fell straight into bed, easing the mental strain that had built up over the past half month.

The next day, after sleeping for a full twelve hours, Roland finally opened his eyes. Although he still did not feel fully recovered, he no longer looked as disheveled and haggard as he had the day before.

After greeting Old Nob, Roland carried his small case out once again.

Meanwhile, at the Kingdom Apothecary Service Center within the Apothecary Guild, Chiard lay listlessly across the counter, looking completely dispirited.

However, when he saw Roland walk in carrying a small case, his expression immediately brightened with delight.

"Apothecary Roland, you're finally here."

Seeing Chiard even more delighted than usual, Roland could not help finding it strange.

"You seem to have been waiting for me?"

"Of course. For such an outstanding apothecary as yourself, I naturally hope to see you every day," Chiard replied enthusiastically.

Hearing this, Roland's suspicions eased slightly. He assumed Chiard was being so enthusiastic because he wanted to purchase Roland's potions.

"Mage Chiard, you flatter me. I'm merely an ordinary apothecary. I can hardly be called outstanding."

Roland's modesty made Chiard's heart skip a beat, and a bad feeling rose within him. Unable to hold himself back any longer, he cautiously asked, "Apothecary Roland, have you brewed any intermediate potions?"

"Mm... I barely succeeded, though I ruined quite a lot of materials." Roland did not deny it. He would definitely need to sell intermediate potions to earn gold in the future, so there was no point in denying it now.

Upon hearing Roland's answer, Chiard's mouth fell open in shock. Yet amid his shock, he secretly grumbled to himself.

You call that ordinary? What kind of ordinary apothecary becomes an Intermediate Apothecary in his early twenties?

But this was swiftly followed by delight. If Roland had become an Intermediate Apothecary and caught Leslie's attention, Chiard himself would gain considerable benefits as well.

Roland did not know about Chiard's shifting thoughts. Since time was tight, he did not want to waste too much time at the Apothecary Guild.

"Mage Chiard, I came today to purchase another twenty portions of Level 4 Potion brewing materials."

"Of course, of course. Please follow me." Chiard hurriedly suppressed the shock on his face.

Before long, Roland spent another 240 gold coins to purchase twenty portions of materials for brewing Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potions.

This time, he did not purchase materials for brewing Level 4 Fire Element Resonance Potions, because throughout the past half month, he had never successfully brewed one.

Moreover, compared with it, the Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion was undoubtedly more expensive and more popular. Roland had already decided that he would devote all his efforts to brewing Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potions from now on.

After Roland left, Chiard could no longer sit still. He hurried out of the Apothecary Guild and headed north through the city.

After returning to his rented house, Roland tidied up a little before immediately beginning the day's potion brewing.

Having succeeded once already, Roland now merely had to follow the process step by step.

Forty minutes later, after failing twice and ruining materials worth more than twenty gold coins, Roland successfully brewed another Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion.

As he looked at the potion in his hand, which radiated a rainbow-colored glow, excitement continuously flickered in Roland's eyes.

The cost of materials for one Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion was around twelve gold coins, while its selling price was sixty gold coins.

At Roland's current success rate, he could earn roughly thirty-five to forty gold coins from each potion.

Brewing one Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion consumed 1.8 points of Mental Power. With Roland's current Mental Power, he could brew two bottles a day, earning seventy to eighty gold coins daily.

Of course, Roland still did not dare sell all the intermediate potions he brewed.

He did not even dare reveal a success rate of forty percent this time. After all, what apothecary could reach a forty percent success rate in brewing potions of the same level immediately after advancing?

Therefore, although his true monthly income could reach the terrifying figure of over two thousand gold coins after he began brewing Level 4 Spirit Agility Potions, the gold coins he actually received would be far fewer.

He was still quite far from the target Nuwa had set.

However, there was a major difference between intermediate potions and beginner potions: their unit price.

A single intermediate potion sold for sixty gold coins. To meet the funds needed to establish a territory, Roland only needed to secretly sell another thirty or forty bottles.

There would certainly still be risks with that number, but selling beginner potions would require more than a hundred bottles. In comparison, selling intermediate potions was clearly much easier.

That was why Nuwa had advised Roland to brew intermediate potions.

According to her risk calculations, the risk of selling intermediate potions was lower than the risk of selling beginner potions.

After finishing two rounds of brewing, Roland had successfully brewed two Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potions.

Roland carefully put one of them away, then took the other and began his meditation for the day.

"Nuwa, open my attribute panel."

"Understood, Master."

As a faint blue screen appeared, Roland's current Four-dimensional Attributes slowly emerged upon it.

Strength 1.2

Constitution 1.1

Agility 1.3

Mental Power 3.6/7.234

Mana 5.2/7.2

Level 4 Mage

Over the past month and a half, with an ample supply of potions, Roland's strength had also increased rapidly.

However, this progress was actually still somewhat lower than Nuwa had predicted, because Roland had already developed considerable drug resistance to the Level 3 Spirit Agility Potion.

Previously, drinking one Level 3 Spirit Agility Potion could increase his Mental Power by 0.07 points, but now it could only increase it by 0.04.

At that rate, Roland might not even break through to Level 5 Mage by the time three months arrived.

Therefore, Roland began taking Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potions directly today.

"Nuwa, record the process and effects of my body consuming a Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion."

"Understood, Master."

After receiving Nuwa's reply, Roland slowly closed his eyes. Once he relaxed his body, he raised the Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion in his hand and drank it in one gulp.

As a Level 4 Mage, although Tier 3 Potions could still affect Roland, they were certainly far less effective than Level 4 Potions suited to his own level.

Thus, after Roland drank the Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion, the energy that instantly erupted within his body was several times stronger than that of a Tier 3 Potion.

His consciousness became clearer and sharper than ever before. Roland even felt a powerful sensation of strength surging through his spiritual world.

As the Level 4 Potion continued to take effect, the Mental Power in Roland's mind was like a blazing torch, radiating light and brimming with vitality.

However, boundless pressure soon followed, causing Roland's Mental Power to undergo a kind of tempering and strengthening as it continuously expanded and reshaped itself.

An hour later, Roland slowly opened his eyes. Though his face showed some fatigue, it did nothing to diminish his excitement.

Although Nuwa had not yet told him exactly how much his Mental Power had increased from consuming the Level 4 Potion—

—the feedback from his body had made Roland certain that the Level 4 Potion's effects were several times stronger than those of a Tier 3 Potion.

"Nuwa, how much has my Mental Power increased?"

"Beep. According to the scan, after consuming the Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion, your Mental Power has increased by 0.14."

"0.14? That's twice the increase from the first time I took a Level 3 Spirit Agility Potion." Though the amount had not reached Roland's expectations, he was still extremely satisfied.

After all, an increase of 0.14 points of Mental Power at once brought him ever closer to the level of Level 5 Mage.

"Nuwa, analyze the differences between the Level 3 Spirit Agility Potion and the Tier 4 version, then reset my training schedule."

"Understood, Master."

"Beep. Comparison complete. Training schedule reset."

"Open it for me."

"Understood."