[Brave travelers, welcome to Calia. Have a pleasant journey.]
As the announcement ended, the gates of Calia slowly opened, revealing a neatly paved cobblestone path.
Despite the early hours of the morning, the streets were still bustling with activity.
Many players stood by the roadside, either selling items they had acquired in dungeons or looking to recruit teammates for dungeon ventures.
"It's quite lively, shall we check it out?"
John looked over at Lily, only to find her eyes already sparkling with excitement, eager to explore.
"Let's wander around nearby, there's no danger anyway. Let's meet back at... that church up ahead in half an hour."
"Got it!"
Compared to the somewhat impoverished and backward Adra Village, newcomers to Calia were often struck with awe.
Though not as bustling with neon lights as a modern city, for players who had spent several days in Adra Village, the impact was significant.
"This is a good opportunity to stock up on some needed materials."
After a brief stroll past player-run stalls, the pitiful materials failed to catch John's eye.
With no other option, he headed to a professional alchemy materials shop.
Pushing open the door, the tinkling of a wind chime greeted him.
A drooling girl propped on the counter slowly sat up, wiping the clear drool from the corner of her mouth, and spoke languidly.
"Welcome to Fara's Alchemy Materials Shop. What would you like to buy?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
John furrowed his brow and pulled out a Basic Alchemy Manuscript from his backpack, saying gravely, "Please prepare four cobalt blue gemstones, two rain frog's poison sacs, two white ring viper venom sacs, two bundles of ice silkworm threads..."
John reeled off a list of items like he was ordering dishes, and the girl behind the counter's eyes lit up, staring intently at him.
"And one piece of darkwood, preferably over three hundred years old. How many silver coins will all these materials cost?"
"Just a moment, you need many items, and I'll need to tally them up. Some materials might not currently be available in my shop."
Faced with such a major client, Fara couldn't contain her excitement!
This had to be an Alchemist—a definite Alchemist!
Alchemists were rare, especially in a place like Calia, which was far more remote compared to Everglow. It wasn't unusual to go weeks without seeing a single Alchemist.
Anyone who could afford to be an Alchemist was either a genius or had substantial family resources to back them; after all, maintaining such an expensive class wasn't for the faint of heart!
With this in mind, Fara's eyes gleamed brightly.
Having finally encountered such a generous customer, Fara naturally welcomed him with enthusiasm.
"Sir, aside from the three-hundred-year-old darkwood and the rain frog's poison sac which we currently do not have in stock, the total for the other materials you need comes to nineteen thousand seven hundred silver coins."
"Nineteen thousand seven hundred silver coins?" John was almost skeptical, wondering if he had misheard.
"That's right, nineteen thousand seven hundred. Since you are purchasing these alchemical materials, you must be a distinguished Alchemist. You are surely aware of the value of these materials, and this price is absolutely fair."
"What if I said I don't have any money..."
"No money? If you don't have money, why are you shopping? You're wasting time, get out, get out! Don't disrupt my business!"
Upon hearing the words "no money," Fara's attitude flipped a complete one hundred eighty degrees.
She waved her hands impatiently, wanting to shoo John away.
"Hold on, although I don't have money right now, I could make some potions as payment for the materials. How about that?"
"No! Please leave now, or I'll call the street guards!"
Fara glanced at John with disdain, flatly rejecting his proposal.
It wasn't exactly unreasonable for Fara to be unaccommodating.
Generally speaking, the success rate for an average Alchemist making potions is less than thirty percent.
Even after thousands of attempts and reaching master Alchemist status, this success rate only fluctuates around fifty percent.
For an unknown, self-taught Alchemist like John, a five percent success rate would already be incredibly fortunate.
Naturally, Fara couldn't risk her livelihood on John's experiments.
"Wait! I can guarantee that if the mixture fails, I will cover the costs. I might not have twenty thousand silver coins, but I do have two thousand!"
"Really?"
"Absolutely true!"
Fara was tempted.
Even in a central city like Everglow, Alchemists were exceedingly rare.
Hiring one to make potions or enchant weapons usually involved a significant sum, not to mention the expensive materials required.
But here was this young man, offering to make potions for free and even willing to cover all the material costs!
Still...
Looking at the smile playing on John's lips, Fara found it hard to believe that someone who appeared to be about her age could really be an Alchemist.
"How about this, then? You make ten bottles of basic poison antidote potion. If you succeed twice, I'll hire you as the shop's Alchemist. I'll only take thirty percent of the proceeds from the potions or magical items you create. How does that sound?"
"No problem! Hand over the materials."
Perhaps others wouldn't have such confidence, but for John, the moment the wager was set, he couldn't lose.
Making potions, whether basic or advanced, always involved a certain failure rate, regardless of the Alchemist's skill level.
This failure rate is determined by the often-overlooked attribute: LUCK. His talent, [Kiss of Luck], was practically made for alchemy!
In no time at all, Fara had prepared the materials, neatly arranged in front of John.
"You can start now."
"Wait a moment."
As if suddenly recalling something, John paused and said to Fara:
"I need to bring someone back."
"No! Once merfolk herb is removed from the soil, it will completely wither and lose its medicinal properties within an hour. How do I know you'll come back after leaving? What if the merfolk herb is wasted? Who will cover that cost?" Fara responded anxiously.
"This person is crucial for my potion making," John replied calmly.
"No means no!" Fara seemed increasingly agitated, becoming more convinced that the young man in front of her might skip out on the bill.
"Five minutes, it won't take long. Here, I can give you three hundred silver coins as a deposit. If I don't return before the merfolk herb completely withers, the three hundred silver coins are yours, okay?"
"...That can work, but you better be quick."
John nodded slightly, then turned and pushed the door open to leave.
"If all goes well, at least Lily's and my accommodation in the city will be sorted, and working at the alchemy material shop will also make it more convenient for me to unlock further alchemical skills—a two-for-one deal."
"Besides, I have some theories I need to verify," John murmured.