Alan, after a brief moment of shock, stared intently at the countless bottles of Fortifying Potion on the table.
With such a large quantity, if he could consume more, it would be immensely beneficial to him!
"Big brother, can I drink some of these potions?"
His voice was filled with excitement and anticipation.
Velen, of course, was more than happy. "Drink as much as you want! As much as you can handle!"
He had been hoping Anastasia and Alan would help with the potions, so Alan's eagerness was a win-win situation.
With Velen's approval, Alan froze for a moment before dashing over to Kevin and Robert, grabbing bottles with both hands and pouring them into his mouth like a parched desert survivor quenching his thirst.
However, his frantic actions caused several bottles to fall to the ground with a "clink," their stoppers popping off and releasing a rich fragrance.
"Hey, hey! You can't drink that!"
Suddenly, Alan noticed the white-furred rabbit squatting next to the spilled potions.
Alarmed, he quickly shouted to stop it.
The Fortifying Potion was incredibly precious; wasting even a drop was an unforgivable crime!
But before he could finish, the rabbit seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, gagged dramatically, and kicked the potions away.
Watching this, Robert turned to Anastasia and said:
"Miss Anastasia, I know it's not my place to say this, but Velen is far too extravagant.
He's fed nearly 2,000 bottles of these priceless potions to this rabbit.
It's outrageous!
You need to rein him in—no matter how wealthy he is, this kind of waste is unacceptable!"
Alan, who had just picked up the rabbit-kicked bottles, froze.
Hearing this, it felt like the sky was collapsing on him!
His eyes locked onto the white rabbit in disbelief.
What kind of world was this?
He had prided himself on being able to drink even a single bottle of Fortifying Potion, and yet he was no better than a rabbit?
Anastasia, shocked, stared at Velen.
Was he really so rich that he didn't know how to spend his money?
Each bottle of this potion had cost her 500,000 gold coins!
What's more, Master Rank Fortifying Potions were priceless and never available on the open market.
Even Kevin had never seen one before!
Not long after, Kevin, Robert, and Alan were sprawled on the ground, much like the red-eyed rabbit, clutching their bloated stomachs.
They couldn't drink another drop.
The Fortifying Potion, especially being Master Rank, contained an abundance of potent medicinal properties. Consuming so much had left them with indigestion.
Velen glanced at the table, noticing there were still around 2,000 bottles left.
His gaze quickly shifted to Anastasia.
Since her arrival, she hadn't consumed a single Fortifying Potion yet!
Given her bloodline and rank, she should be able to drink all of these!
Under Velen's expectant gaze, Anastasia immediately realized what he was thinking and coldly refused:
"No way! I'm not that kind of person—you won't get me to drink!"
"But these Fortifying Potions are incredibly valuable. I'll buy them all!"
Anastasia knew these potions wouldn't benefit her much, but if she brought them back to the Ducal Manor, they could help her father produce a new generation of geniuses, earning her more resources and favor in return.
However, Velen shook his head firmly at her offer.
"Miss Anastasia, do you think I'm short on money?"
From his understanding of the system, selling the potions to Anastasia like this would likely result in a significant deduction of luxury points and could even impact future system tasks.
It simply wasn't worth it.
Anastasia was unwilling to give up. "I can contact my father to offer you the highest price!"
Although she didn't have enough gold coins on her, her father, a star duke, could mobilize vast amounts of gold and resources to purchase all of them!
But as she finished speaking, she sighed dejectedly.
For other Awakeners, gold coins meant resources, which meant rapid leveling and increased power and status.
But for Velen, they were utterly meaningless.
After spending time with him, she had confirmed that Velen was truly not short on money!
The way he squandered wealth made it seem like he was the young master of the Ducal Manor!
"Miss, just give it a try. The potion tastes quite nice!"
Velen picked up a bottle and offered it to Anastasia again.
If she refused, he'd have to find some wild animal to help finish them off.
Seeing this, Anastasia finally gritted her teeth and drank the potion Velen handed her.
If she couldn't buy them, she might as well drink them all herself.
If Velen wasted them any further, her heart might break.
Before long, thanks to Anastasia's help, the remaining 2,000 bottles were quickly consumed, and everyone let out a satisfied burp.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully hiring Kevin to complete the task. Reward: 100 luxury points!"
"Congratulations to the host for successfully hiring Robert to complete the task. Reward: 100 luxury points!"
"Congratulations to the host for successfully showcasing today's special items. Reward: 1,000 luxury points, 3 millennial afterlife flowers, and 5 pieces of Tier-9 Starry Stone!"
[System rewards can be used freely but will not grant luxury points.]
Velen looked at the system notifications with delight. Not only had he earned luxury points, but he had also received additional items!
Meanwhile, Anastasia, now full, suddenly murmured in disbelief:
"Kevin, I'm starting to think being the head of the family isn't all that fulfilling."
Kevin looked at her in brief silence before turning his gaze to Velen.
Velen's very existence had overturned everything he knew.
He didn't need guidance or assistance to level up.
He didn't require external resources; instead, he provided a vast amount of resources for others!
Since Velen joined them, they had only grown wealthier.
Both Anastasia and Kevin felt a sense of disillusionment.
Ever since Velen joined, they'd felt like they were serving a tycoon!
A tycoon who spent money as if it were water.
A tycoon who truly didn't care about wealth!
"Elder Robert, as a Tier-9 alchemist, do you know about millennial afterlife flowers?"
Velen didn't know the purpose of these system rewards and wanted to understand their value.
"Millennial afterlife flower?"
Robert pondered for a moment before replying:
"As far as I know, the afterlife flower is a mythical plant said to grow by absorbing the souls of the deceased. I've never even seen a century-old afterlife flower, let alone a millennial one. Furthermore, red afterlife flowers are considered the highest grade among them."
"This spiritual herb is renowned for its ability to restore souls. If refined into a Revive Token, it could restore the soul of someone who's been dead for up to three days!"
"Of course, this is just its use for ordinary people. For us Awakeners, it's even more valuable, especially for Ascended Rank Awakeners like us. Ascension is fraught with calamities—failure means certain death!"
"But with the Revive Token, even if the attempt fails, it can preserve the soul, allowing the person to find a new body and revive!"
Robert's voice was filled with awe as he explained, his eyes brimming with longing.
For someone as powerful and accomplished as him, longevity and ascension were the two insurmountable challenges he faced.
Based on his research, the afterlife flower might be his only hope to overcome them.
Hearing this, Kevin's eyes lit up, his whole demeanor turning excited.
Though he hadn't spent much time with Velen, he knew that if Velen didn't possess something, he wouldn't bother asking about it.
Since Velen had asked, it likely meant he had this legendary herb!
Taking a deep breath, Kevin turned to Robert with a serious expression.
"Robert, do you know about starmetal stone?"
Robert nodded. "It's a high-quality alchemical product that can significantly enhance one's level. I've personally refined it, but its materials are scarce, and I've only managed to create a small amount. Nowadays, it's a rare treasure among major powers."
Kevin replied earnestly, "But Velen has been using starmetal stone as incense!"
What?!
Robert's eyes widened in disbelief.
The materials for starmetal stone were rare, and its refinement required high-level techniques.
Even the smallest quantity was considered invaluable by major powers, reserved only for critical moments.
And he used it as incense?!