A few weeks after getting this place and making potions, an idea struck Ning.

Since every potion was just ingredients boiled in water, he started wondering if the ingredients boiled in water individually would do the same thing.

When he realized that they worked just as he wished he started boiling ingredients in bulk. He kept a note of how many ingredients were being boiled in each batch and then evaporated that to get a concentrated solution.

By the time he did the process about 10 more times, Ning would have enough concentrated solution to fill a giant solution.

In a similar way, he had prepared the solutions for all the ingredients he could prepare.

Then, he started experimenting. He followed the recipe, but he realized that the recipes needed slight changes to the amount.

But it was a small enough change that Alex could rewrite dozens of recipes in a single day.

Then, he had finally managed to make a potion with his new prepared solutions.

After that, he pulled no stops as he practiced it day after day until he had reached a point where making a potion was as easy as gathering ingredients to him.

The old woman took in the explanation he told her about the potion-making process, and said, “That is actually quite genius.”

”Isn’t it? I’m quite proud of myself for finding this method,” Ning said. He really was. Usually, he would only learn things after System had taught him about them.

But this time, he had come up with this technique in his own free time.

”I will try my hand at something too,” she said.

”Please go ahead,” Ning told her, letting her do what she wanted to. He handed her a small notebook with the recipes written on it.

She nodded and got to it. She followed the ratio on the recipe and put in ingredients one after another.

”I can’t find the Lily buds anywhere,” she said.

”Oh, the solutions that go bad at room temperature are kept in the cold room. I had someone install a refrigeration unit inside that room,” Ning said.

The old woman reluctantly went into the room with a similar number of ingredients and walked back out.

When she was out, she was done. She quickly shook it together just like Ning and checked it.

The pinkish color of the liquid was exactly what she had been looking for. “This one is a success as well,” she said.

”Great!” Ning said. “Very soon, I should be able to gain permission to sell potions to the masses as well. Until then, you should keep practicing.”

”Yes, I will make some more potions,” the old woman said with eyes that burned with a new light that she could swear she had lost years ago.

”Grandma, let’s fix our place first, please. I’m tired,” Helena said from the side.

”Right, right. Let’s go do that,” the old woman dejectedly said.

”Don’t worry, Mrs. Gaani. This floor is open to you, and you may come here whenever you want. Let me give you the key,” Ning said and gave her a key to this floor as well.

”Alright, I will need to return now. Please settle down properly,” Ning said, and with a bow, he left.

Ning returned back to the tower and went back to his training. When he entered the training hall, he saw a big, buffed-up woman in dark skin training with a smaller, less buffed-up version of her.

”Oh, when did captain come out?” Ning asked when he saw Merasi fighting with Mercy.

”A few hours ago,” Alekor said from the side. Ning turned around to see the weak Alekor and the panting Silvers on the ground.

”What happened to you two?” Ning asked curiously. However, he soon realized he shouldn’t have asked given who was in the room right now.𝐎𝗏𝑙xt.𝓬𝑶𝚖

Even without Alekor pointing his fingers toward the two fighting ladies, Ning knew what was going on.

Just as he turned around back to the girls, Mercy lost to a Merasi who appeared in her blind spot and sent her flying through the air.

”Phew!” Merasi made an exaggerated gesture to show that she had worked hard, and the smile on her face showed how much she just loved fighting.

”Alekor, your tur— Oh, you’re back,” Merasi’s smile just brightened like the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

Ning didn’t like that at all.

”Haha! Come, let’s fight,” she said, preparing herself for the upcoming fight.

Ning sighed. He wanted to refuse but this was his training period, so he was going to fight no matter what.

So, he walked onto the fighting area. “It’s good to see that you are out, captain,” he said.

”Yeah, it’s good to be out. I feel like I’ve grown rusty in the last year I’ve been sleeping,” she said.

Ning smiled. “Let me help you limber up then,” he said.

”I hope you’ve gotten stronger while I’ve been away,” Merasi returned the smile.

Even as the 3 of the others watched from the side, both Ning and Merasi vanished.

They didn’t go invisible, and nor did they teleport. They simply moved at such speed that none of the 3 could follow them with their eyes.

A second later, both of them appeared at a distance from where they started with both of them clutching each other’s hands, trying to push back each other.

Merasi suddenly stopped pushing and instead pulled, while at the same time kicking at his stomach.

Ning jumped up at the same time, dodging the kick, and front flipped over Merasi while still holding her hands in his own.

Once he landed, he pulled Merasi’s hands and sent her flying towards the wall in the distance.

Merasi landed with a bang that threatened to destroy the wall itself.

Merasi dropped from the crater on the wall and looked at Ning in shock. She couldn’t believe just how strong he had gotten in the time she was gone.

Her eyes narrowed a little in suspicion, and then, a smile rose on her face.

This was going to be an amazing fight.