The once prosperous city of alchemy, the wealthiest on the continent, had long been a source of pride for its inhabitants. Even those who worked as simple factory laborers, tightening bolts in alchemy workshops, walked the streets with their heads held high, radiating an air of superiority.
When encountering outsiders like Amber, their gazes would often carry an unspoken air of arrogance, as if looking upon rural folk who had come to exploit the riches of the city.
However, today seemed different. Pedestrians walked with their heads slightly lowered, no one lingered by the roadside chatting, and everyone seemed in a rush, with not a moment to spare.
The shops that once thrived with bustle were now mostly closed, their doors shut, many displaying "For Rent" signs.
"Could it be that the city of alchemy is truly on the brink of bankruptcy?" Amber mused.
Reflecting on it, he realized he had been reincarnated as a lich about two years ago. It was around that time that the prices of magical materials had begun to soar, while exports dwindled drastically.
In just two years, the economic situation in the city of alchemy had deteriorated to this extent? No wonder they had raised taxes significantly—perhaps they were truly teetering on the edge of collapse.
Amber had no intention of idly wandering around; he headed straight for the tower that resembled a clump of green mush. The locals referred to it as the "Green Healing Tower" because its appearance was reminiscent of a failed healing potion.
Though its exterior was hideous, the interior exuded sophistication.
The alchemists of Alchemy City had been unable to change the tower's exterior, so they had done everything possible to ensure that the interior was elegant, understated, and filled with an air of refined artistry. This transformed the seven ugly towers into a distinctive feature of the city.
Yet, if one observed carefully, most of the staff appeared listless, many of the shops were closed, and there was litter accumulating in the corners of the floor—something that had once been meticulously polished to a mirror shine.
The more Amber observed, the more it seemed that something was terribly wrong with the city of alchemy. He couldn't afford to waste time; he made his way straight to the shop selling magical seeds.
Amber had come today to buy seeds for the crops he intended to plant for his future subjects. Since he was planting on the land of a lich, he needed special seeds, and this was the only place in the city where he could find what he needed.
Humans required vast amounts of food to survive, and agriculture had always been one of the most important industries. As such, the city had developed a variety of enchanted seeds with different effects. There were oats that could be harvested quickly, sugar beets that were sweeter than sugarcane, and potatoes that were drought-resistant and could even grow in deserts.
Although most of these seeds could only be used once, and the subsequent crops would lose their enchanted properties, they were perfect for Amber, who lacked resources. He wanted to stabilize his people quickly, and easy-to-grow, fast-maturing crops were ideal.
Unfortunately, Amber knew little about farming. If he had understood the process, he would have simply summoned a magical raven to place an order. But since he was unfamiliar with it, he had come in person to inquire with the staff.
Amber wandered around the store several times, only to find that every type of enchanted seed was described as being unrivaled, as if they could grow even in thin air.
This was the trouble with ignorance—Amber didn't know anyone knowledgeable about farming, so he picked a few seeds, hoping for the best. However, when he asked about the price, the well-groomed attendant quoted a figure that shocked him.
"What? One hundred gold coins? That's robbery!"
Two bags of fast-growing enchanted seeds were priced at one hundred gold coins—enough to feed hundreds of people on the lowest-quality food for a year. The price had nearly quintupled compared to before.
The attendant's smile instantly vanished, and she coldly remarked, "What's so expensive? That's been the price since last year. It hasn't gone up this year, so please don't speak nonsense."
"Moreover, our enchanted seeds are made from quality materials, not cheap stuff. This price is already quite reasonable. If you can't afford it, maybe the problem is with you."
Amber, expressionless, raised a finger and tapped the magical bell at the counter.
A puff of smoke emerged from the bell, forming into a small humanoid figure that spoke in a formulaic manner, "Bell Spirit No. 996 at your service, may I assist you...?"
Before the spirit could finish, Amber interrupted, "Complaint, poor attitude."
The attendant, hearing this, became flustered and was about to explain, but Amber didn't give her the chance. He turned and left, just as he heard the spirit announce, "Customer complaint, failure to obtain forgiveness, deducting 30% from this month's salary."
A 30% deduction! It seemed Alchemy City had truly fallen on hard times.
Amber left the tower with a heavy heart, now deeply worried. The prices in the city of alchemy had soared to terrifying levels—he feared that the mercury solution he had ordered would cost him at least twenty thousand gold coins.
Should he cancel the deposit?
No, absolutely not.
The thought of refunding the deposit made Amber uncomfortable; he couldn't afford to lose the money, let alone forgo the deal.
He decided to pick up the goods himself, rather than waiting for delivery.
Exiting the Green Healing Tower, Amber entered another black tower that resembled the remains of a corpse. Its design was the classic result of failed biological alchemy, with the test subjects exploding into charred, unrecognizable masses.
Yet, its iconic look made it obvious to anyone that this was the place for biological alchemy experiments.
Entering through the main doors, Amber headed straight to the grand hall and found an attendant who was dozing off.
Amber immediately said, "I placed an order yesterday for a bottle of living mercury solution. I'm here to pick it up."
The attendant checked the records and replied, "Ah, here it is, one bottle of living mercury solution. The price is thirty thousand gold coins. Would you like to pay in cash or with a voucher?"
"How much?!" Amber exclaimed in disbelief.
The attendant repeated, "Thirty thousand gold coins."
"Wasn't it eighteen thousand last time?"
"That was the price from a year ago," the attendant said flatly, her attitude changing as she now clearly considered Amber unable to afford it.
Amber had hoped to make a small profit, but now it seemed he was losing a thousand gold coins. How could he stand that?
"Is there any discount?" Amber asked.
"A discount? Not likely. In fact, the price may rise again soon."
Amber, puzzled, asked, "But if you keep raising prices, won't you lose customers?"
The attendant smiled mysteriously and said, "There are discounts... but only if..."
Amber's interest piqued, he quickly asked, "How much after the discount?"
"Just five hundred gold coins."
Amber was shocked—this wasn't a discount, this was clearly a scam!
End of Chapter