The only person in Nasir Town who could use an "Extraction Spell" to turn mysterious creatures into extraordinary materials was the elder of the silver descendants clan.
However, cooperation between the Fischer family and the elder of the silver descendants clan was not going smoothly.
Silver descendants are one of the sub-human species, characterized by their white hair, not only their head hair but even their eyebrows and all body hair.
Their average lifespan is half that of ordinary people, but their spiritual power is naturally stronger. The probability of newborn silver descendants awakening the talent of a spellcaster is several times higher than that of mainstream humans.
The drawback is that the mental state of silver descendants is more prone to instability.
One of the most powerful and influential spellcasters in the history of the Ouden Continent was a female silver descendant who had created a top-tier "Element-type Spellcasting Bequest" and soon after vanished without a trace along with the bequest.
There were only a few hundred silver descendants in Nasir Town, but they lived together on a street at the edge of South City, and anyone who dared to bully a silver descendant would be met with collective retaliation.
They were very hostile to outsiders, and the other townspeople rarely ventured to their street. Since the silver descendants universally worshiped the Lord of Salvation, they only allowed those who shared their faith to come and do business with them.
The members of the Fischer family had never publicly declared their faith.
Lucius suggested that the family collectively pretend to worship the Lord of Salvation, the most influential deity. Byrne felt that it did not matter whether they pretended to follow the powerful Lord of Salvation and the Sun, or the seemingly weaker Order, Storm, or Silver Moon.
The problem lay with Irene; the mere mention of feigning belief in the Lord of Salvation made her uncomfortable, and even the idea of pretending to convert left a bad taste in her mouth.
In her own words, it was unbearable to see others praising other gods as the greatest right in front of her, to the point where she could not eat.
It wasn't until Lucius presented her with many examples of endurance and psychological preparation that Irene finally agreed to the pretense, albeit reluctantly.
The devout Irene's soul wrestled with a strand of black light; the original black radiance had been expended in a night battle long ago, and the new black light was the result of her devout prayers re-condensed through "God Worshiping" over three years.
Thus, the negotiation with the elder of the silver descendants clan was left to Irene, but the prospects did not look hopeful. Despite having studied the religious teachings of the Lord of Salvation beforehand, their attitude toward her remained poor.
The fundamental reason for this was that she was not a silver descendant, but a mainstream human.
Byrne had thought so initially, but Lucius scoffed at this reason with blatant disdain.
Wasn't Baron Hovern, who had originally come to collect money, also not a silver descendant? And yet, didn't that "very principled" clan elder still put on a smiling face at the banquet?
In the end, the elder of the silver descendants clan quoted a price that Irene simply could not accept.
The rationale behind the outrageous demand was simple: there were not many spellcasters with "Alchemical Spellcasting Bequest" in the whole of Nasir Town, and he was the only one who could perform the "Extraction Spell." Otherwise, the Fischer family would have to look for someone else in Fein City.
The Fischer family indeed could not afford to delay any longer, for as time passed and without proper preservation techniques, the extraordinary power contained in the Moonshadow White Bear's corpse would gradually diminish.
The deal was eventually struck, and the members of the Fischer family soon rejoiced. From the bear's carcass, they acquired a Class 3 Extraordinary Material "Moonshadow Bearskin," and in addition, a Class 2 Extraordinary Material "Moonshadow Tongue," amounting to a significant fortune.
The Moonshadow Bearskin couldn't be used immediately, as Lucius, who had already reached the 2nd Rank, was still far from assimilating the Magic Potion. However, after some discussion, they also decided not to sell it.
Fortunately, the Class 2 Extraordinary Material "Moonshadow Tongue" could be put to immediate use, as both Irene and Byrne had fully digested the magic potions of the 1st Rank.
The ceremony unfolded once again. After the Fischer family members sacrificed the "Moonshadow Tongue," Karl entered the Spirit Realm again, yet did not immediately expand the Extraordinary laws.
He silently contemplated whether to elevate Irene or Byrne to the next step.
"Between the Path of Knowledge and the Path of Divine Sacrifice for the 2nd Rank, the Path of Knowledge takes priority for the entire Fischer family," he concluded.
Karl then created the 2nd Rank of the Path of Knowledge. In the "constellation," there existed the image of a middle-aged man in green robes, holding a potion bottle with swirling liquid.
"Pharmacist" of the Consecution!
A pale green Spiritual Radiance entered Byrne's body before the eyes of all present.
Even though she wasn't the second to receive the blessing, Irene felt no jealousy or dissatisfaction, but rather heartfelt joy for her relative and was filled with even greater reverence and gratitude toward the great Lord of the Lost.
Byrne took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and keenly sensed the new power he had gained.
"I am deeply grateful for the power you have bestowed upon me, O great Lord of the Lost."
First and foremost was the considerable increase in spirituality, which had risen by about eighty percent from its original foundation.
There was also a moderate improvement in the quality of his physique, although not the primary enhancement, yet it was already on par with a "Gladiator" of the 1st Rank.
The "Pharmacist's" extraordinary trait had two aspects: "Drug Verification" and "Self-Extracted Formula."
"Drug Verification" was a very simple and practical ability, whereby the effects of any potion, medicinal herb, or extraordinary material could be known at a glance by the holder of the Pharmacist's Power of Consecution.
As for the other important effect, "Self-Extracted Formula," it granted the "Pharmacist" an inheritance akin to that of an "Alchemical Spellcaster," possessing the capability to craft and develop various magic potion formulas on their own.
Moreover, while they were attempting to make and research magic potions, hints leading to the correct approach would occasionally surface in their minds, significantly increasing the success rate of potion-making.
Because the financial situation of the Fischer family was rather dire, Karl judged that the "Pharmacist" Power of Consecution, which tended towards increasing monetary income, would be more suitable.
Two months later, the residents of Nasir Town learned of an exhilarating piece of news.
The rebelling nobles of the northern kingdom of Rhea had suffered a massive defeat, with their main force nearly decimated, and the higher-ups leading the armies on both sides had entered into peace negotiations.
The people, who had been worried about the war spreading to them, all breathed a sigh of relief, and even the overall prices in the northern part of the Cyart Kingdom gradually began to fall.
At the age of five, Chris had already begun to learn swordsmanship, combat, stealth, and other fighting skills with Lucius.
The quiet lad had a tremendous talent for movement; he seemed to pick up various fighting techniques almost instantly, leading Lucius to even wonder if he had a hidden talent for coaching.
The health of Old Ramon from the smithy was not promising; his dementia was becoming increasingly serious, to the point where he often couldn't recognize his own son and would burst into tears whenever he saw Irene.
The visage of the once robust and tough old blacksmith seemed to be gradually fading away.
Lucius, inexplicably fearful, avoided passing by the smithy as much as possible; perhaps "disappearance" was more terrifying than death itself.
He didn't know how many more years he had left to live; he just wanted another chance to face that black giant dragon while he was still alive.
"There will definitely be another chance, there's absolutely still time!"
After acquiring the power of the "Pharmacist," the Fischer family set up a simple workshop, and Byrne began trying to develop new medicines. The family's existing "blood potion," used for healing injuries, was among the experimental subjects.
He mixed different substances and Class 0 Extraordinary Materials with the blood potion in various proportions. Thanks to his "Self-Extracted Formula" trait, Byrne's mind was twice graced with mysterious voices giving directions, like "Add another ten milliliters of water" or "Keep heating."
The voices were as if someone was whispering in his own mind, eerily peculiar yet inexplicably reliable.
Winter came, with snow blanketing the mountains, and the frozen lakes and rivers, a slight breeze shaking the hanging ice crystals from the tree branches.
Another year was nearly over.
In the Fischer family's rudimentary workshop, an extremely weary Byrne suddenly stood up, walking back and forth while cheering, his face unable to contain the surging excitement and elation.
"Success! I've finally done it! Hahaha!"
"The original blood potion, with an added ten milliliters of water heated continuously to boiling, and finally mixed with five grams of the Class 0 Extraordinary Material 'Ghost Starfish' precipitate, can attain a powerful detoxification effect on top of its base properties!"
He was ecstatic; the powerful antidote was much more expensive than the blood potion!
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Suddenly there was knocking at the door, followed by Irene entering sternly, ignoring Byrne's sign on the door that read "Do Not Enter Without Permission."
Byrne was stunned, looking at his cousin whose expression was solemn. Irene took a deep breath.
"A family meeting must be convened immediately, Byrne... Based on very reliable information, an army of Rhea people has suddenly crossed the border and is headed in the direction of Nasir!"