After he manage to raise his Soul Power to the Illusory Realm, Ryker want to start refine a pill. However, the pain he felt prevent him from doing so.
"Looks like my Soul will need some time to fully heal," his Soul is not injured, but he could tell it is fatigue from the refining. So, Ryker oblige and head towards the Hidden Ancient Mansion, taking the chance sleeping with his lovers.
-x-
After he recover, Ryker head straight towards the pill room inside the Hidden Ancient Mansion. Inside it is a large cauldron, one of the most important part in pill refining, as without a cauldron, it would be near impossible to refine a pill.
He take out the materials gathered and began to put it aside. After all, while expert alchemists are able to know the different hebs by just touching and smelling them, he is not at that level, and would likely never reach it.
So, he would need to be able to see the materials if he want to refine it. As he arrange the materials, he took out his secret weapon, the Profound Scholar Scripture. When he read it before, the only thing that came to mind is that the Cultivation Art would be considered a treasure by those practicing different professions.
By cultivating the art, one would be able to see the different attributes of different materials, allowing one to partially guess the effect from having it combined with different materials, allowing the crafting process to have higher chance of success.
He focused on practicing the Cultivation Art when he told the portly slave trade of his plan. After all, it would increase the chance of success and he would do anything to make sure his pill refinement would be successful, except for using a forbidden Art. Even he need to have his lines he would not cross.
Aside from having a stronger Soul and Profound Scholar Scripture, he also have the advantage in having better recipe. While the pill recipe for the pill he was about to refine had circulated among the force in Alten City, it is a flawed one, one he could tell after he read one of the pill recipe in a book in the library.
While he could not be sure of the authentication of the recipe, he could at least guess there is some truth to it, especially when he practiced the Profound Scholar Scripture. Even now, the materials in front of him seem to cancel one another, or at least that is what his sight told him.
The best bet would be using the pill recipe inside the library, but there is one small problem, namely the lack of materials. He never even heard or read anything about it.
"How will I find a Blood Colored Lily?" he muttered, having never seen it, even inside the Adventure Guild.
As he asked the question, a wall in the room began to light up before a box size shape began to come out. The box soon flew in front of him, and to his surprise, a Blood Colored Lily is inside.
While he should feel great joy over having one of the few ingredients he did not have, the only thing he felt at the moment is annoyance.
"Are you telling me, that I could ask for any of the materials, and they would deliver it?!"
-x-
After calming himself, though still angry over the unknown function of the alchemy room, Ryker decide to just focus on refining the pill.
He put the different ingredients aside, and begin to prepare it just as the book said. Because of his non-existent ability in controlling qi to the finer point, he had to prepare the ingredients from the start unlike expert alchemist who could both refine the pill while preparing the next ingredient for the next step.
So, he remove certain parts of the ingredients while chopping some parts into tiny pieces. Once he was done with the preparation, it is time for the pill refining.
The pill refining is both hard and easy at the same time. Easy because he only need to use his qi to turn the materials into concoction. Hard because he need to ensure the heat is in the 'just right' zone or the entire refinement would be ruined.
He calm himself. This process would be the hardest one. He might even fail the first time, but as long as he remember the steps, and which ingredients to add next, he will be able to finish the refinement, even if it just a measly 1-star efficiency Grade 2 pills.
-x-
"This, is a bit much," he exclaimed, still in utter disbelief. In his hand, is the 6 pills he refined. The pill come out of the same batch. Refining 6 pills for his first time is considered impressive enough.
However, it is not the reason he was shocked. Rather, the one pill he currently focused on, for it is not a regular pill, but a Marked Pill, the sign of one alchemy's skill reaching the next level.
After all, to create a Marked Pill, one would need both luck and talent. For only a perfect condition would a Marked Pill can be formed, as well as refining the ingredients perfectly to the point all the ingredients merged perfectly, turning it into a Marked Pill.
"At least this will cost a lot," Ryker exclaimed. While it is only a Grade 2 pills, the efficiency of such pill will raise it's price. Not to mention the fact most Marked Pills are rarely bought to be consumed, but instead for collection and studying.
He then turned towards the cauldron, his spirit ignited,
"Let's keep on going,"
-x-
"This, is a bit terrifying know," Ryker uttered still disbelief. He had expected his talent in alchemy to be mediocre at best, not monstrous. That is the only way to describe his talents as he had refined 10 batch, all, having more than 7 pills.
And not just that, each batch will have one Marked Pills, with the last 2 having 2 Marked Pills. "
"At least it would earned me a lot of money," he said to himself before taking all the Marked Pills except for 2. After all, it would be suspicious if there is too many Marked Pills appearing in the auction. At the very least, he would allow one or two Marked Pills into the auction. It would no doubt be a major source of income for him.
"For now, lets get back and give all of the pills to that man," Ryker exclaimed before making his way out of the alchemy room, planning to meet with the slave trader.