Creating potions... selling potions!
Hearing Ranch's words, Colin was engulfed in ecstasy.
Potions were exceedingly scarce in the City of Crimson, representing a vast fortune!
Driven by the lure of wealth, Colin was remarkably efficient.
He not only prepared the best house in the manor for Ranch but also had people purchase raw materials from the market.
Crafting those two basic potions was not troublesome.
With Ranch's current capabilities, it was quite straightforward.
In less than two hours, all the delivered raw materials were transformed into potions, an act that undoubtedly astounded Sophia.
"You... you can actually make potions?!" Sophia exclaimed in shock, her mouth slightly agape as if witnessing something inconceivable.
Ranch looked at the beautiful elf girl.
He smiled and said, "Sophia, is it really that surprising? It's just mixing some basic potions. Anyone who isn't a fool could manage it."
"Hawk... he can't mix potions."
Sophia shook her head, not buying Ranch's understatement.
Moreover, as an elf, her sensitivity to the essence of life was exceptionally acute.
The Basic Healing Potion and Basic Energizing Potion that Ranch crafted, although basic, radiated a life force comparable to intermediate potions...
How incredibly unbelievable!
But when did Master Ranch learn to make these potions?
In House Muir, he had never shown any talent as a pharmacist.
Indeed, while in House Muir, Sophia had, following Hawk's instructions, surveilled Ranch for a time — a fact unknown to Ranch.
Or perhaps, did Ranch actually know about it?
As this thought flickered through Sophia's mind, she couldn't help but marvel at Ranch's meticulousness.
He must have deliberately concealed his pharmacist talent; otherwise, if Hawk had known, the consequences wouldn't have been as simple as merely banishing Ranch from the House Muir territory.
Hawk would definitely have chosen to kill Ranch, to prevent future troubles!
Gradually comprehending everything, Sophia developed a budding admiration for Ranch.
Ranch was oblivious to the intense look in the elf girl's eyes but reveled in his own joy, as Colin Rein once again arrived, presenting the profits earned from the potion sales.
"Mr. Ranch, a total of eighty potions were sold, priced at one hundred gold coins each, amounting to eight thousand gold coins in total."
Colin Rein had a heavy wooden chest brought in.
A full eight thousand gold coins were contained within, its gleaming radiance enough to dazzle anyone's eyes.
Ranch nodded, his heart swelling with joy, yet maintaining the aloof demeanor of a pharmacist, he remarked, "Well done."
Receiving Ranch's praise, Colin Rein smiled, but his face soon clouded over with worry.
He leaned forward and said, "Mr. Ranch, there's another issue. The City of Crimson is running low on potion materials. Those ingredients... no one stocks them in large quantities."
"Aren't we surrounded by the Wolf Fang Mountains?"
Ranch retorted, making Colin Rein immediately realize that although the City of Crimson was short on potion materials, the Wolf Fang Mountains undoubtedly harbored many uncollected herbs, all of which could be processed into potions.
However, there was a significant problem.
The Wolf Fang Mountains were the domain of spellbeasts; ordinary people venturing into the mountains would merely end up as food for these creatures.
It was essential to recruit magi or knights, adventurers with enough strength to face those spellbeasts.
But where would one find magi and knights in the City of Crimson?
It was nothing more than a forsaken city.
Colin Rein was plunged into thought.
He dared not further inquire with Ranch about this issue; what if Mr. Ranch found him incompetent and decided not to collaborate with him?
Although he provided the raw materials and the venue, and even didn't take a penny from the profits earned by selling potions, the clients were the ones imploring him to sell, even offering some incredibly lucrative conditions.
These were enough to compensate for his own losses.
...
In the bedroom, now calm, Sophia sat while Ranch's hands rested on her shoulders, unintentionally drifting towards her ample bosom but she brushed them away.
With worry in her eyes, Sophia asked, "Ranch, what are we going to do next?"
She hadn't forgotten about the necromancer in the city.
Sensing the concern in Sophia's tone, a fierce glint passed through Ranch's eyes as he reassured,
"Sophia, don't worry, we are safe for now. But that Mr. Charles likely won't give up so easily… This time, I'll make him taste my methods."
Being targeted for assassination out of the blue was something Ranch couldn't swallow.
Of course, he wasn't foolish.
When he decided to return to the City of Crimson with Sophia, he was already prepared, and this preparation naturally involved the items refreshed in the store this morning.
[Store lv1]
[Shielding Scroll (Rare): Write the opponent's name on the scroll to shield against their perception, lasting for three days. Only one can be purchased. Price: 1200 gold coins.]
[Malodorous Lipstick: Made from a certain stinky flower, it is effective but produces a foul odor upon application, normal people wouldn't like it. Price: Two gold coins each.]
[Wooden Key: A key that's just a decorative item and can't be used for unlocking anything. Price: Twenty for one gold coin.]
[Current item status: Refreshed]
The store offers one free refresh daily, plus three additional refreshes at a cost of gold coins.
After waking up, Ranch used his free refresh opportunity and was surprised to find another item labeled as rare!
Seeing the effects of the Shielding Scroll, he was inspired to devise a bold plan—he would return to the City of Crimson and, within three days, gather ten thousand gold coins to acquire the treasure of dragon and the Dragon Corpse under Rock Manor Ruins!
So far, the plan was going smoothly.
The perception of Mr. Charles, the necromancer, was shielded.
Though it was only for three days, it was enough time for Ranch to achieve his goal.
Ranch glanced again at the gold coin tally in his personal information.
[gold coins: 10050]
He initially had 3250 gold coins, spent 1200 on the Shielding Scroll, but the potion making brought in a whopping eight thousand gold coins.
Now he had a total of ten thousand gold coins!
That was enough to purchase the Rock Manor Ruins!
The goal set at the outset was achieved within merely two days.
It goes without saying that the potion business is incredibly lucrative.
However, Ranch wasn't overly excited at the moment, maintaining calm as he knew it was crucial for success.
The system allowed for the immediate withdrawal of gold coins, yet the treasure of dragon within the ruins wasn't something that could be easily extracted.
Ranch might have never seen a dragon, but he had heard the legends.
And Sophia, being an elf, a member of one of the rarer races on the continent, cautioned Ranch, "Even if you now acquire the Rock Manor Ruins, extracting the treasure of dragon from within is still not going to be easy. Many dragons set up barriers to protect their accumulated treasures. Based on your analysis, there might even be a Dragon Corpse there, meaning the barrier would be even more formidable!"
This reminder plunged Ranch into contemplation.
He suddenly realized why that powerful necromancer, despite his strength, was still lurking in the city, unable to detect the Dragon Corpse's location…
It was very likely due to the barrier.
Therefore, the current plan needed some adjustments.
...
Ranch, along with Sophia, sought out Old Rock, the owner of Rock Manor Ruins.
He was an old drunkard, his hair white as snow, who was drinking and playing cards with some wealthy merchants of the city when Ranch approached him.
"You… want to buy the manor?"
Old Rock sized up Ranch, his gaze then shifting to Sophia beside him.
Seeming eager to quickly sell the manor, he stretched out his thin fingers and gestured, "Ten thousand gold coins, sign the contract, and the manor is yours."
"Old Rock, I think we can arrange a different method."
Ranch smiled, declining the offer.
Old Rock's eyes narrowed unpleasantly as he stood up amidst the jeers of the others, asking, "What do you mean then? I'll have you know, I won't sell it for a gold coin less than ten thousand!"
"I'd like to visit the manor first; I don't want to end up purchasing a useless ruin. Of course, if I'm satisfied, I'll buy it and pay a deposit, settling the total of ten thousand gold coins within half a month."
Old Rock nodded, agreeing to Ranch's proposal.
As long as the amount was right, he didn't care about the way Ranch chose to pay.
He led Ranch towards the ruins.
However, upon arriving at the manor ruins, the three discovered someone already standing there.
The person, cloaked in a large cape, had an obscured face and was crouching on the ground...
It seemed like they were investigating something.