More gold coins to earn?
Kevin's eyes lit up instantly!
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he swallowed nervously, a wild idea forming in his mind. He couldn't help but ask:
"Velen, don't tell me you want me to help you drink these Fortifying Potions?"
Velen nodded seriously, confirming his suspicions.
There were nearly 10,000 bottles of Fortifying Potion in total, but the little rabbit had only managed to drink 2,000 so far.
That left about 8,000 bottles, all of which had to be consumed before sunset to maximize the luxury points!
"How many bottles do you have left?" Kevin pressed.
"Close to 8,000. They must all be finished before dusk. Can your stomach handle it, Elder?"
Velen looked at Kevin with a hint of doubt.
Kevin confidently patted his chest. "You've never seen me drink in my youth—I could handle however much I was served!"
With Kevin's reassurance, Velen breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began piling up bottles of Fortifying Potion in front of him.
Even though Kevin was used to Velen's extravagance, he couldn't help but feel a flash of amazement at the sight.
But soon, he took a deep breath and began chugging bottle after bottle!
Nearby, Robert watched as Kevin guzzled down potion after potion.
The sight left him utterly dumbfounded, his shock rendering him almost numb.
And Kevin only drank faster.
Though the potion's effects were minimal for someone of his level, the cumulative benefit was still substantial!
Seeing Kevin drinking with such enthusiasm, the little rabbit couldn't resist casting a disdainful glance at him, its expression even showing a trace of schadenfreude.
Velen caught sight of the rabbit's smug look and promptly kicked it lightly.
"Little Rabbit, finish off the potions you left behind, or I'll turn you into spicy rabbit stew tonight!"
The little white rabbit seemed to understand Velen's threat. Its expression froze, and it hesitated briefly before hopping reluctantly toward the potions.
After a moment of mental preparation, it closed its red eyes and began swallowing the potions as though taking medicine.
Witnessing Kevin and the rabbit's actions, Robert was deeply shaken!
He had met many extravagant individuals, and he considered himself a wealthy man.
But compared to Velen, he realized he was no more than a pauper!
After all, each of these potions could fetch an astronomical price at auction!
Yet here was Velen, wasting such a massive number of potions.
The sight made Robert feel like his heart was about to stop.
"Not bad, not bad. Smooth going down, and the potion's flavor has a certain tea-like charm. Such a pity—I never encountered Fortifying Potions of this quality in my youth…"
Kevin sighed as he drank, tears suddenly welling up in his eyes as if he'd recalled something sad.
Velen and Robert stared at him in astonishment, completely baffled.
Kevin sighed again. "Ah, fate plays cruel tricks. Back then, I spent all my hard-earned gold coins over many years just to buy a single ordinary Fortifying Potion. Now, when my talent can no longer be improved, I'm given so many Master Rank Fortifying Potions…"
His talent had originally been quite decent, and the single potion he'd used back then had enhanced it further. But even so, he still couldn't compare to the top prodigies.
If he had consumed these Master Rank potions back then, he was certain his talent would have undergone a drastic transformation!
He wouldn't have been stuck at Ascended Rank for so long.
Hearing this, Robert finally understood why his old friend was tearing up.
Robert, too, found himself reflecting on his own situation.
Like Kevin, he had also reached Ascended Rank.
Though this was already a formidable level of power, he had been stuck at this rank for a long time.
If he couldn't break through, he would eventually die of old age.
Yet attempting a breakthrough carried its own risks.
Without sufficient talent, the calamities that arose during advancement could lead to utter annihilation.
He was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Velen glanced at Robert and, sensing his immense strength, spoke sincerely:
"I still have plenty of Fortifying Potions. If Elder doesn't mind, would you help as well?"
"Like Elder Kevin, if you're willing to help, the payment is 100,000 gold coins!"
Velen figured this white-haired elder would be a great asset to speed things up.
Robert froze. In all his years, this was the first time anyone had made such an outlandish request of him.
But he couldn't find a reason to refuse. After all, 100,000 gold coins was no small sum!
And besides, Master Rank Fortifying Potions were incredibly rare. He had never had the chance to try one before!
Without much hesitation, Robert quickly joined the potion-drinking effort.
As he felt the mana flowing within him, Robert could hardly believe his luck. This was beyond incredible!
Watching the two of them gulp down potions, Velen still felt their pace was too slow. At this rate, they wouldn't finish until nightfall.
If only Miss Anastasia and Alan were here, they could significantly speed things up!
Velen couldn't help but miss them a little.
At that moment, Robert, his belly full of potion, wobbled slightly as he asked Velen:
"Velen, are the two bottles of potion in the Mercenary Auction House yours?"
Velen nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted to ask about the price. But the auctioneer said they might fetch 100,000 gold coins. I'm curious—who would be foolish enough to buy something so ordinary?"
Robert and Kevin both stared at him, feeling deeply insulted.
After all, they had both desperately wanted to buy such potions themselves in the past.
And to call these potions "ordinary"?
If they could go back in time, they would have sold everything they owned, even taken out loans, to buy them at any cost!
These potions could truly change their destiny!
A price of 100,000 gold coins was far from excessive!
At that moment, Anastasia locked onto Velen and Kevin's location using her heightened senses and arrived at the hotel.
Alan followed closely behind, his face filled with excitement and gratitude.
"Following the Ducal Manor's young lady truly has boundless prospects!"
Alan muttered to himself before eagerly heading to Velen's room.
"Big brother! Big brother! Great news!"
Bursting into the room, Alan excitedly pulled out two exquisite boxes and declared:
"Miss and I just found something incredibly rare at the auction. You'll never guess what it is!"
Anastasia followed Alan into the room, a trace of pain in her eyes.
To purchase these two potions, she had dipped into her private funds, spending a total of one million gold coins to secure them!
Although it had been a costly endeavor, she was eager to see Velen's reaction.
Velen might have money, but money wasn't everything!
Many things couldn't be bought with gold coins alone. Luck and timing were crucial.
No amount of money could buy what fate didn't provide.
But as Anastasia and Alan took in the room's interior, they both fell into stunned silence.
Because before their very eyes lay countless bottles of Fortifying Potion, each worth 500,000 gold coins at auction!
And Kevin and Robert were still guzzling them down!
Their dazed expressions made them feel as though they were hallucinating from overexcitement.
Yet everything before them was painfully real.
Clatter!
The boxes fell from Alan's hands, revealing the two Fortifying Potions inside.
Velen, seeing the potions Alan and Anastasia had brought, suddenly felt a sinking feeling.
The fool!
He never would have guessed that the ones who bought his potions at such an exorbitant price were none other than Anastasia and Alan!
Moments later, when the situation became clear, Anastasia and Alan both blacked out, especially Anastasia, who felt as though fate had played a cruel joke on her.
The potions Velen had put up for auction had been purchased by none other than their own leader—at an enormous cost!