Chapter 31: The Way to Get Rich
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In Orario, on a wide avenue near the northwest main road, there stood a massive structure constructed entirely of white stone.
At its main entrance hung a prominent doorplate, decorated with an emblem that represented the clan's symbol—a design of glowing orbs intertwined with medicinal herbs. Below this emblem were words inscribed in the common language:
Cecht Treatment Hospital
As the name suggested, this establishment was under the jurisdiction of the [Cecht Familia], a faction known for its dedication to healing and medicine-making.
The [Cecht Familia] was one of Orario's largest pharmaceutical business groups, specializing in the production and sale of self-developed elixirs like recovery potions, panaceas, and more. Beyond this, they offered advanced medical treatments and specialized tools to adventurers.
Not only did they sell high-grade medicines that other stores couldn't provide, but they also offered specialized treatments such as restoring lost eyesight. Their products and services were highly regarded and widely supported by adventurers, particularly those from the middle-class and above. However, due to their high prices, their customer base remained somewhat limited.
At this moment, Izzy stood in front of the imposing building.
The reason for his visit was straightforward: he needed to purchase potions.
This time, as he prepared to venture into the dungeon, Izzy wouldn't have a supporter accompanying him. He would need to handle everything on his own—whether it was fighting monsters or cleaning up the battlefield afterward.
The physical toll of such tasks couldn't be underestimated.
To ensure he was adequately prepared, Izzy decided to buy some stamina-recovery potions.
Although he wasn't particularly concerned about being unable to handle monsters, the added peace of mind that came from carrying healing potions was worth the expense. It was akin to how new adventurers liked to stock up on extra health potions before heading into a dungeon.
As he stepped into the treatment center, the first thing he noticed was the bustling activity inside. The spacious interior was lined with shelves fully stocked with goods, and the entire area was crowded with adventurers. It was clear that the shop's business was thriving.
Almost as soon as he entered, a young girl from the Cecht Familia noticed him and quickly approached.
"Welcome to the Cecht Treatment Center. How can I assist you today?"
Despite being a renowned faction in the field of medicine, Izzy had heard that much of the Cecht Familia's success relied heavily on the contributions of one individual—the "Saintess of the Battlefield."
While the Familia had a significant number of members, according to Izzy's understanding, very few of them bore substantial responsibilities, whether in combat or medical expertise.
The human girl who greeted him, for example, appeared to be one of the Familia members whose duties were limited to managing the store.
"Hello, I'm here to purchase recovery potions," Cecht replied politely, masking his internal thoughts.
"Recovery potions? Of course! This way, please," the girl said with a professional smile, gesturing for him to follow her.
The interior of the Cecht Treatment Center was vast, with several distinct areas, including a medicine sales department, treatment rooms for patients, and a waiting area. It was essentially a fully-equipped hospital in this fantasy world, with every facility thoughtfully arranged.
Its pricing, however, fully reflected its sophistication.
The recovery potions were categorized based on their effects:
Ordinary recovery potions: 1,000 Vali's per bottle
Advanced recovery potions: 10,000 Vali's per bottle
Mental strength recovery potions:
Low-tier: 5,000 Vali's per bottle
High-tier: 20,000 Vali's per bottle
The cost was astronomical for ordinary adventurers, making these products out of reach for most.
Considering his current financial situation, Izzy decided to purchase three advanced recovery potions. The price totaled exactly what he had earned the previous day.
Ize didn't feel much pain about spending money. After all, wasn't the purpose of earning it to spend it on oneself?
With that mindset, he was quite open-minded about his expenses.
After carefully placing the recovery potions in the compartment of his backpack specifically designed for storing them, Izzy made his way to the underground floor of the Tower of Babel. Carrying his gear, he stepped into the dungeon through the spiral corridor.
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The first few floors of the dungeon were familiar territory. Having traversed them before, they were far easier to handle now than on his initial exploration.
With no intention of wasting time on these beginner floors, Izzy moved forward swiftly, following the marked paths on each level.
"Jiji... Gah!!!"
In the wide-open floor, where narrow corridors connected to form a grid-like structure, the hostile roars of monsters echoed loudly.
Moments later, a sharp gleam of cold light cut through the air!
The spear in Izzy's hand shot forward, striking the monster with precision before smoothly returning to him in a single fluid motion, like a dragonfly skimming across the water's surface.
With a practiced flourish, Izzy twirled the spear in his hand, the rotating silver light from the weapon signaling the end of another group of monsters.
Standing still for a moment, he gazed at the magic stones scattered across the ground and sighed, a mixture of accomplishment and exasperation evident in his expression.
"Ah... cleaning up the battlefield is such a hassle…"
Despite his complaints, he bent down to pick up the magic stones obediently, though his thoughts drifted elsewhere. He began to miss Raul, the Familia member who had often accompanied him.
"What a great tool brother he was... hardworking, never complained, and so easy to get along with…" Izzy sighed wistfully.
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By the time he reached the sixth floor, he judged that about an hour had passed.
The presence of the pitch-black humanoid monster, the "War Shadow," confirmed his guess.
War Shadows, monsters that only appeared on the sixth floor, were infamous among adventurers as "Rookie Killers." Possessing pure combat prowess, they were unparalleled among the monsters on this floor.
When several of them attacked simultaneously, even Izzy would struggle to fend them off if it devolved into a chaotic melee.
Not wanting to be overwhelmed, Izzy adopted a more strategic approach. He climbed onto a nearby rock pillar, stabbed two War Shadows to death, and then equipped his shield to face the rest head-on.
The subsequent hand-to-hand combat was brutal but effective. One by one, the War Shadows fell to his unsportsmanlike fighting style, leaving the battlefield littered with their remains.
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As Izzy continued his advance, he diligently collected magic stones and dropped items from the defeated monsters.
He couldn't help but notice something peculiar: his uncanny luck.
Although his main profession was a spearman, he seemed to have avoided inheriting the typical adventurer's "Lucky E" curse.
It wasn't something he had paid much attention to before, but the dungeon had made it clear.
While others might occasionally find dropped items, Izzy seemed to collect them in bulk.
Every floor yielded a consistent haul—two or three, sometimes even three or four items.
Before he realized it, yet another compartment in his backpack was stuffed to the brim with loot.
"Maybe I can make a fortune just by collecting dropped items?" Izzy mused to himself.
The thought sparked his imagination. On the upper floors, dropped items typically sold for several thousand Vali's, or sometimes over ten thousand.
But what about the middle floors? Or the deeper levels?
In those depths, rare items could sell for tens of millions, sometimes even hundreds of millions.
With dreams of future wealth swirling in his mind, Izzy pressed forward, envisioning a time when his level would be high enough to truly capitalize on this lucrative opportunity.
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Lost in his pleasant thoughts, Izzy soon found himself stepping into the eighth floor.
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