Who Tried the Pink Potion?

The faint sound of a rooster crowing drifted from afar. Kraun yawned.

Thanks to the nourishment of the Golden Light Incantation Visualization Method, he had plenty of energy. Even after staying up all night, he didn't feel very tired.

He removed the heating apparatus and waited for the potion in the crucible to cool for a while, then skillfully decanted it into test tubes.

He tossed the stoppers aside. The potion had to cool completely before he could seal the tubes.

He went to the backyard, drew some clean water to wash his face and rinse his mouth, then started cooking.

After a hearty meal, Kraun sat cross-legged in the bedroom facing the rising sun and began visualizing as he waited for dawn.

Ever since the Golden Light Incantation had reached the first tier, he'd noticed that each complete cycle of the Visualization Method yielded far less proficiency.

Before advancing, each complete cycle had earned him two or three points of proficiency. Now it took two cycles to gain just one point.

The reduced efficiency dampened his enthusiasm. Although he still set aside plenty of time each day to practice visualization, he no longer raced against the clock as he once had.

Only during Mao Hour and You Hour did he seize every second. Each cycle of visualization during those two periods could increase his proficiency by four or five points, so he couldn't afford to neglect them.

Unfortunately, Frostfall Month had arrived, and the sun was rising later and later. Without sunlight, even forming the Great Sun Seal and visualizing during Mao Hour brought slow progress.

The same was true during You Hour. Without the moonlight's help, his proficiency increased no more than it did at other times.

The sun didn't shine through his window until around half past six. When its rays fell across Kraun's face, he immediately caught the faint warmth.

He stopped his current visualization and changed his hand seal from the Golden Light Seal to the Great Sun Seal. He began visualizing his heart as a red sun, its light passing through his entire body and radiating outward.

Mao Hour had passed. Kraun felt the warmth in his body shift, becoming faintly stifling. He slowly ended the practice and released the seal.

After several days of getting used to it, he'd realized that he could still form the Great Sun Seal and visualize after Mao Hour; it was just that the practice no longer felt comfortable, and his proficiency didn't increase.

The same was true of forming the Moonlight Seal and visualizing after You Hour. He vaguely understood that it wasn't that he couldn't perform the Sunlight Seal or Moonlight Seal visualization after those hours. Rather, doing so would no longer benefit his body and might even harm it.

He ate two more bowls of rice with the stew, then went to a bedroom on the shady side of the house to catch up on sleep.

The person in the room formed the Moonlight Seal with his hands, a faint smile on his face.

When the slight coolness in his body turned chilly, he knew You Hour had passed. He ended the practice and released the seal.

Golden text appeared before his eyes.

[Herbalism: 32/5000; Tier Three]

[Marksmanship: 456/5000; Tier Three]

[Golden Light Incantation: 1276/50000; Tier One]

[Cooking: 7/5000; Tier Three]

The three Tier Three skills were displayed in green, while the Tier One Golden Light Incantation was blue.

His Herbalism proficiency was increasing very slowly. From his research into the system, Kraun understood that if he kept making ordinary potions, the skill's growth would eventually grind to a complete halt.

Cooking, which he'd never deliberately practiced, had reached Tier Three while he was making dinner that evening. It was completely unexpected.

Its description now included a special effect: You are gradually coming to understand the true essence of cooking. You can bring out the full flavor of each ingredient, and have begun to intuit how to combine foods so that they create flavors that surpass those of the ingredients themselves.

Kraun got to his feet and brought over the food he'd kept warm in the steamer.

White rice was still the main course that evening, accompanied by two dishes: chicken stewed with mushrooms and stir-fried pork intestines.

People in this world didn't eat animal organs, which worked out well for Kraun.

He'd gotten several lengths of large intestine at a low price from a butcher who had recently moved to town.

Each bite of the intestines released a mouthful of rich oil, yet somehow they weren't at all greasy.

Kraun had soaked the cleaned intestines in ginger water, so their unpleasant smell had almost completely disappeared. They also had a natural spicy kick that made them a real treat to eat.

The chicken's fragrance and the mushrooms' savory flavor had been brought out to the fullest. The potatoes inside were soft and tender, and they tasted just as divine after soaking up the rich broth.

He nearly bit his tongue several times.

He polished off three bowls of rice and two large servings of food. Only after he'd finished did he realize he'd eaten far too much!

If I ever become a chef, I'll be top-tier!

With a toothpick in his mouth, Kraun paced around the room in short steps to help digest his food.

"Er." After burping, he felt that his stomach wasn't quite as bloated as before.

Kraun set aside a small number of potions for later use and packed the rest into a large medicine chest. Then he slung his leather bag over his shoulder, hefted the chest, and left home.

At this time of day, the Goat Inn was always bustling and noisy. When Kraun arrived, two drunks were brawling at the entrance, surrounded by a crowd of men who were eager to watch.

"Ham, break his nose!"

"Robin, come on! I bet on you this time. If you make me some money, I'll buy you another drink!"

It seemed someone had organized a betting pool. The atmosphere outside the inn was lively.

Kraun glanced over but didn't stop. He lifted the leather curtain and strode inside.

Perhaps most of the patrons had gone outside to place their bets. There seemed to be fewer than ten people inside.

Someone spotted the young man carrying a large chest and looked at him in surprise.

Kraun glanced around but didn't see his new friends.

"What are you up to?"

Old Jason, behind the counter, looked just as puzzled.

Kraun gave a mischievous grin. "I made a big deal with the Gisai."

He walked up to the counter and pulled out three Pink Potions. "Same price as before: 18 Silver Coins each."

Jason darted a glance around and snatched up the potions with astonishing speed. Then he took out some coins and counted them. "Here you go."

"See you later." Kraun took the money and strode toward the back door.

If that huge chest was full of potions, how many Gold Shields would they fetch?

Jason watched him go and sighed enviously.

The clutter had been cleared from the table. Several Gisai were taking the potions out of the chest and counting them.

Kraun sat sideways in a chair and asked, "How well did the Pink Potion work? Who tried it?"

Lemanski grunted. A flush crossed his face. "Pretty well. We're very interested in buying this potion."

Could the old man have tried it himself? Kraun wondered.

That was fine by him. It made the potion more convincing.

He shifted into a more comfortable position and smiled broadly. "Then let's talk about the price."

The old man spoke in a low voice. "The caravan discussed it and settled on the highest prices we can afford. We're willing to buy Bupleurum Potion for 3 Silver Coins and 50 Copper Coins each, and Pink Potion for 18 Silver Coins each."