On the continent of Astra, the potion business operates on a tiered system, with potions categorized into 10 tiers based on their quality and potency.
Potions are divided into three main categories: low-grade (Tier 1 to Tier 4), mid-grade (Tier 5 to Tier 7), and high-grade (Tier 8 to Tier 10). Each tier represents a different level of rarity, effectiveness, and cost.
Low-grade potions are easily accessible to the general populace, as their ingredients are common and widely available. These potions can often be brewed at home without the need for specialized equipment.
In contrast, mid-grade and high-grade potions require rarer ingredients and more advanced brewing techniques, making them exclusive and expensive.
There is a high demand for potions across all tiers, as they are essential for various purposes such as healing, enhancing abilities, and even granting temporary magical effects.
Different regions and types of establishments have specific demands for particular types of potions, creating diverse markets and opportunities for potion makers.
Despite the availability of generic potions, there is a strong preference among consumers for potions crafted by renowned potion makers.
These skilled artisans have established reputations for their quality and reliability, commanding higher prices for their products.
Mid-grade and high-grade potions are often sold through exclusive channels, such as auctions in affluent cities or specialized shops catering to elite clientele. These potions are considered status symbols and are sought after by those with the financial means to acquire them.
Overall, the potion business is a complex and dynamic industry, shaped by factors such as demand, supply, reputation, and regulation. Potion makers must navigate these intricacies to thrive in the competitive market and achieve success in their craft.
Hearing the mercenary say about the Tier 6 body-strengthening potion, Alec's focus shifted to them. All he learned is that the potion is being auctioned on the black market.
He asked them, "How can one enter the black market auction?."
The mercenary group glanced at Alec, who is handsome and has features that make him look like a dignified noble with a big background.
Mercenary 1 smirked and said, "I'll tell you if you pay for my table."
Mercenaries 1, 2, and 3 laughed at the prank.
But they stopped soon after Alec coldly said, "Okay." Like he was mocking them.
Mercenary 2 flabbergastingly said, "Just a joke, buddy; to join the auction, one needs at least 10,000 gold in their pockets."
He highlighted the 10,000 golds. Yes, it was a big amount for them.
"Only that much," Sasha said, surprisingly.
To her, it was like pocket money. But for the mercenaries, they have to do dangerous Tier 4 tasks for 2 or 3 months, and then they may be able to collect that much.
It confirmed their suspicion. The children in front of them are from an extraordinary background.
Mercenaries collected their gear from the ground after finishing their meal, when they got ready to leave.
"Thanks for the information; consider this my treat," said Alec after putting an appropriate amount of silver coins on the table. With this, Alec fulfilled his promise.
Mercenaries were surprised and thankful for the free meal. One mercenary said something to the others in an inaudible voice. After talking quietly, they come to an agreement.
Mercenary 2 approached Alec and said in a hushed voice, "Be careful about the auction. I have heard that the new owner is using tracking magic on high-end products and hunts the buyer if he is a nobody."
Alec understood his words loudly and clearly. Still, he didn't want to lose this potion, which may be useful for them. The trio has come to an agreement to visit the auction; it doesn't matter if they get the potion or not.
The world was never a peaceful place; money brought luxuries along with envy. If you can't protect your belongings, then you shouldn't show off.
Frankly, no one in the trio can use the whole potion alone, as they are not at that level. Alec is a Tier 4 warrior/martial artist and Tier 3 mage, while Sasha is a Tier 4 warrior and Tier 3 tank, and Harry is a Tier 4 mage and Tier 2 warrior.
If their normal lives haven't been disturbed by unexpected events, to get a Tier 6 item, all they have to do is ask, and they can get the best of that tier.
Considering the requirements of the Valt Royal Academy of Verndor, which is Tier 2, only people above Tier 3 are accepted. They were overpowered.
But their goals go beyond being overpowered; they were banished from their homes, and their families got slaughtered or separated.
As the children of great sinners, they had no place in the society there. While assassins come after them to nip the bud before it grows in another rebellion or uncovers the dirty secrets that may cause the downfall of the empire,.
So they knew that their journey was going to be filled with many thorns and traps; they dwell in a realm fraught with peril, where the threat of assassination hangs over them like a dark cloud.
That is why they were impatient about their admission to the academy. As it could become their safest shelter.
The trio toured the city, rested during the day, and went to the black market auction at night after wearing the hoods and robes, which have anti-probing magic engraved on them.
The market looked similar to a normal one, except every person in the market was covering their faces. There were some people with all black robes and hoods and white scarves around their necks. They were the guards of the market.
Surrounding the auction, there were many stalls where masked individuals sold their items. They decided to check the items on the stalls first to gamble their luck.
Things on the stalls were either stolen goods or some unknown or uncertified things. Some stallkeepers were selling potent poisons and forbidden drugs.
Sometimes the seller has no idea what he is selling; in simple words, it is a gambling den.
Things may have more value than their price set by sellers. Conversely, things might have less value, and some are tricked into buying them at high prices.
Another important thing about Black Market is that they don't have a word guarantee in their dictionary. If you want to buy something, buy it at your own risk.
The trio agreed to take a stroll through the shops. Maybe they can find diamonds in coal mines.
Nothing special; every rare thing there in the black market was common in their army days, and they didn't need the aphrodisiacs and poisons.
Suddenly someone started to argue with one seller, which attracted their attention. The evil seller increased the price of the thing he asked for by twice the normal price.
Demand and supply decide the price in the black market right away. Here, nobody is allowed to talk about ethics and morals. A few masked guards apprehended the buyer and dragged him away.
Seeing the innocent get punished for no reason made Sasha's blood boil. Before she intervened, Alec stopped her. Even with the hood covering her face, anybody can tell that she was angry, as rage radiated from her.
After saying some pleasing words, Alec managed to calm her down. With Alec's signal, Harry marked the unfortunate buyer with tracking magic. To make Sasha believe that they are going to rescue him later.
This incident was a big lesson for the trio. As they were from a place where honesty, duty, comradery, and loyalty exist, no kind of mischief can be tolerated there.
All of a sudden, Alec felt his bracelet vibrate for a second. Before he could check that, he felt his bracelet resonating with something in the market.
In the sprawling expanse of the black market, amidst the masked throngs, Alec's eyes narrowed as he honed in on the minuscule green dice with a leaf engraved on them, barely visible amidst the hustle and bustle.
The leaf looked the same as the engraving on his bracelet, which he got from his father, Vikir.
Its presence, though diminutive, radiated a palpable energy that beckoned Alec closer, despite its unassuming size.
Navigating through the shadowy figures, Alec's steps were deliberate, and his movements were calculated as he closed the distance to the tiny dice.
Each passing moment heightened the anticipation coursing through him, mingling with the tension of the clandestine atmosphere that enveloped the market.
Though the dice were small in stature, their significance loomed large in Alec's mind, a symbol of mysteries waiting to be unraveled.
With a sense of determination burning within him, Alec steeled himself for what lay ahead, ready to confront the secrets concealed within the confines of the enigmatic dice. But his steps stopped midway.
He didn't want to end up like the man earlier. So he checked the other things on the stalls, things which caught his eyes except the mysterious dice, were a luminous stone lamp, an ore and a bracelet with a space for a magic gem.
Alec approached the seller after claiming himself. The masked seller, seeing a customer, got happy as they were the first customer.
"The things you are selling, are they authentic?" Alec asked with apathy.
"Of course! Or why would I sell them in the first place?" The seller defended himself.
"Oh, so what is that ore and that bracelet, and how much do they cost?" Alec said, showing his interest in them.
"It is titanium ore contaminated with a Tier 7 monster's poison. Weapons made from it will have the poisoning effect of Tier 7 monsters. Since it is not a finished product, its price is 100 gold.
And this bracelet is a Tier 5 treasure. You can add any elemental gem with a tier 5 spell on it and use that spell five times a day. It can recharge its mana by itself. So its price is 80 gold," the seller explained, explaining the price and uses of the goods.
"What is that lantern for?" Harry asked eagerly.
It looks like I was not the only one who noticed the treasures,'Alec thought.
"It's from the KaalVan; though it's a simple and sturdy lantern, you can take it for 5 golds," the seller explained.
"Is it a part of a toy?" Alec said apathetically, pointing at the small, mysterious dice. He tried his best not to show any desperateness.
"It came with the lantern. It looks like some. But who knows? Maybe it is some part of a machine," said the seller hysterically. He looked at Alec like he had seen through his facade.
'Did he notice that I wanted this? No, maybe it's a coincidence.' Alec was shaken inside. He didn't fear the amount. But the attention that it may attract.
"How much for the dice?" said Alec, after calming himself.
"10 gold," said the seller apathetically and added, "which one do you want to buy?"
"50 gold for the ore, 40 gold for the bracelet, and 10 gold for the dice and lantern. How's that?" Alec said it without showing any special sign of emotion.
"No, 70 for the ore, 60 for the bracelet, and you can take the dice and lantern for 10 gold. I can't go any lower than this," said the seller with contempt.
"Huh, do you have any elemental stones with spells engraved on them?" Alec added one more layer of disinterest to the dice.
"No, maybe you can get one in the auction," said the seller.
"Hmm." After a pause, Alec gave him 140 gold coins.
"Here are your ore, bracelet, lantern, and dice," said the seller with satisfaction.
After collecting the goods, the trio left for the auction. Curious Alec took out the dice to examine. But suddenly, it turned into a thick metal liquid and fused with his bracelet.
Next second, many small tentacles, equal to a hair, from the dice, pricked Alec's wrist and drained some blood. It became painful, as if the tentacle was messing with his body.
He was in a crowd of strangers and didn't want to show his weak side, which would make him universal prey over there. He held onto the pain. Soon, the pain subsided as the tentacles retracted.
This situation made Alec breathless, and he felt a slight dizziness. The twins noticed the change in Alec and supported him on their shoulders with concern.
Before they could ask something, Alec gestured to them to keep quiet. He regained his composure as he felt the bracelet was healing him.
The bracelet bestowed upon him by his father, Vikir, was not just a defensive artifact; it could also be used to heal the wearer or someone near him.
The bracelet had many hidden functions that Alec had to find. But his focus on self-improvement didn't give him that much time to explore its functions. And he was not at a level where he could see through the bracelet's secrets.
He learned about the bracelet's healing function after he got injured, and it started healing him automatically. The healing magic formation on the bracelet was tier 4 healing magic.
But now he can feel that it has been upgraded, and the current power has been increased to tier 6 healing magic. Which was a significant improvement.
That is when a word came to his mind mysteriously. The word was "Transcend." He didn't know what it meant and didn't ponder over it.
After examining the bracelet carefully, he found that there are two leaves on it now. When he received it first, there was only one leaf on it. He assumed that this was caused by the mysterious dice.
He was thinking so deeply that he didn't realize that he was at the entrance of the black market. There were two gigantic figures guarding it.