Both the old man and I were stunned silent for a good half a minute, until I finally spoke.

"So, uh… I take it I succeeded?

"

But in response, the old man nearly toppled over.

"Woah-!

" I hurriedly stood up and caught him in my arms, using 'Blink' to teleport behind him.

"Oi, old geezer, you okay?

"

"A… A Golden Pill… to think I would be able to see… something of this caliber… in my lifetime…

"

"H-Huh? Hey, don't die on me now!

"

"SHUT UP!

" The man suddenly roared, getting back to his (stumped) feet.

"WHO'S DYING, HUH? YOU TRYNA CURSE ME, BOY?!

"

"E-Er, no… I just thought…

"

"Ugh, never mind…

" The old man growled grumpily and sat down on his bed beside where I was.

"Boy… do you really not have any alchemic experience?

"

"Why would I lie about that?

"

"… Hmph.

" The old man stared at me for a second, then turned away with a snort and gestured towards the pill I had concocted on the tree stump.

"What you just made right there… that's a feat the greatest alchemists across all realms hope to achieve but can only dream.

"

"… Excuse me?

"

"You see, alchemy, unlike martial arts or magic, cannot be trained. A person's aptitude — or rather, talent — for it is determined at birth, and no matter how hard one tries, they cannot surpass that limit. This means that even an infant baby could technically be a better alchemist than an old man like myself who has trained for years. And what you just managed to pull off right there — that's something only spoken of in old alchemy stories. No one has ever managed to pull it off — a Golden Pill — until now, boy. If someone had, the news would spread like wildfire.

"

"Is it that impressive…?

" I raised an eyebrow.

"What does a Golden Pill even do? Just looks good?

"

"Insolent brat!

" The old man roared in fury.

"Listen closely, boy! A pill with pill veins has three times the normal potency and quality. A pill with pill clouds has five times, and a Golden Pill has ten times! Do you understand now, just how valuable an alchemist who can concoct Golden Pills is?!

"

"Ah, so I can sell these for ten times the profit!

" I grinned in triumph.

"Hey, old man, how much does a pill normally go for?

"

"UGH! ALCHEMISTS DO NOT PURSUE ALCHEMY FOR PROFITS! IT IS AN ART — A PASSION!

"

"Oh yeah, I'm passionate. About making money through this, that is.

"

"Boy… you're lucky you are a Golden Alchemist… otherwise I would kill you for disrespecting the alchemic way.

"

"So, uh, could you teach me some more recipes and stuff? Like… you mentioned Low-Grade pill earlier. How do I make… more advanced pills?

"

Heh, they can definitely sell for more, the more advanced they are. I've stumbled across a gold mine, except instead of gold the mineral, it's golden pills.

"Boy… you dare to disrespect alchemy, then ask me for teachings on it right after? Imprudent!

"

"Alright, alright, now, calm down, old geezer,

" I said, walking over and tapping him on the shoulder.

"I have a deal for you. So long as you teach me the recipes… I will let you have the first batch of Golden Pills I concoct.

"

"Hmph! I have no need for mone-

"

"Let me finish,

" I interrupted.

"Think real hard about what you can do with these Golden Pills. You said you are a defenseless alchemist earlier, correct? But with the help of these pills, you can become strong enough to defend yourself in no time at all. You'll be able to live in peace, without having to worry about your personal safety.

"

"…

" The old man fell silent, meaning I had meant the mark.

"And that's not all,

" I continued.

"Soon, I will be a renowned alchemist across all the realms. When people ask me, I'll say you were my teacher. Imagine the fame and glory you will have — all the other snotty-nosed alchemists who have talked down to you before, all the arrogant 'masters' who think they are better than you — all shut up in an instant. Picture that feeling. Relish it.

"

"Heheheheh….

" The old man began laughing deeply, but then noticed my gaze and immediately stopped, clearing his throat.

"A-Ahem… very well. But if you go back on your word…

"

"If I do go back on my word, your goddaughter Ling Xin will know, and she will definitely snitch me out judging from how much she wanted to get me killed earlier. You saw it yourself, didn't you?

"

"Hmph… fine. Since you are a Golden Alchemist… I suppose you are worthy of her as well. Alright, boy! Let me show you some of the most commonly used and requested pills!

"

*****

After that, I spend the rest of the day learning about different pills and how to craft them, along with elixirs and just general alchemic knowledge. The girls, of course, were let in, and watched me learn and practice in amusement.

That is... until they were kicked out again by the old man, since they were fawning and flirting with me too much.

In any case, this was an afternoon well-spent. We did end up skipping lunch altogether, but since we ate breakfast late anyway, that wasn't too big of a deal.

By the time the sun had set, I had learned how to concoct High-Grade pills. There were two more ranks above that — Saint-Grade and Divine-Grade — but the materials required for that were far too rare and expensive. The old man claimed he didn't have any, but really, I think he just didn't want to let me use them.

After that, we headed for the Mordem Auction House, now with some things to sell. I've never heard of alchemy back in the Living Realm, so it makes me wonder if I could do it with herbs there... and if not, then I would need to ask for some materials from the old man again to continue alchemy once I return. The other girls would appreciate these Golden Pills a lot, I'm sure.

*****

- At the Auction House -

"Welcome to the Mordem Auction House, dear customers. Are you here to buy or sell?

" The friendly receptionist asked, a broad smile on her face.

"Hm... I can't do both?

" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

At this, the receptionist tilted her head.

"Come again...?

"

"Uh... I want to first sell some things, then use that money to participate in this auction. Is that not possible?

"

"Er... it's never been done before, but it can be arranged. To do this, we will need to auction your item first to prevent you from making any bids you cannot account for. And as the first item of the auction, it has to be good — exceptionally so, to catch the attention of the audience and bidders. If you are confident your items can do that, then-

"

"Hm... I'm no expert, so I'll let you make that judgement,

" I said, before pulling out a box from my cloak pocket and sliding it over to the receptionist.

The girl raised an eyebrow in skepticism, wondering what object of extreme value could be held within that tiny box. To satisfy her curiosity and fulfill her duty, she gently opened it up.

Immediately, she recognized the object, and her eyes widened.

"T-This is...

"

"So?

" I smirked beneath my mask and folded my arms.

"Is that good enough?

"

"P-Please wait, sir. I need to call Grandmaster Zun to verify the authenticity of this pill. An item of this caliber... I cannot make any decisions by myself.

"

"Ah, sure. Best hurry up though, since the auction seems like it's about to start,

" I chuckled.

"Y-Yes, right away...

" The receptionist hurriedly picked up a phone from her desk and began frantically dialing a number.

"Fufu~ looks like Golden Pills are just as rare and priceless as my godfather claimed,

" Ling Xin said with a wry smile, fitting my arm between her soft breasts.

"I think you owe me after this, hubby~

"

"Ehehe~ sister, if you are trying to seduce darling like that, it won't work~

" Axilia giggled, pressing against my other arm. Both of them had silky, translucent masks on that covered the bottom half of their face, just to hide their real appearance and identity. Naturally, that was why I had my mask on as well.

Ling Xin told me such auctions like this would have people with enormous power and influence participating in it, and outside the auction house, anything goes. If we took an item another party wanted, they may try to steal it from us after the auction by force if necessary. As such, we needed to keep our identities hidden.

Suddenly, a loud and hoarse voice could be heard on the other end of the receptionist's phone, screaming in shock.

"WHAT?! A GOLDEN PILL?! ARE YOU CERTAIN, GIRL?!

"

"Y-Yes, Grandmaster Zun... but I will need you to verify its-

"

"I'M ON MY WAY! AND FOR THE LOVE OF THE HEAVENS, DO NOT LET THAT YOUNG MAN LEAVE! OFFER YOUR BODY IF YOU HAVE TO!

"

"E-Eh?!

" The receptionist cried in surprise at the last part, but Mr. Grandmaster Zun had already hung up, leaving her shocked still, listening to the short beeps of a call cut short. Then, slowly, she turned to me, a blush on her face.

"Ahem... as you have heard, sir... Grandmaster Zun is on his way. Please don't leave until he arrives...

"

"Hm... I don't know... I really dislike waiting,

" I teased, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.

"Unless there's something worthy I get in return, anyway...

"

"U-Um...!

" The receptionist averted her gaze, unsure of what to do. Seeing this reaction, I laughed.

"Relax, relax. I'm just playing with you. I already have two beauties by my side like this... they'll kill me if I were to start fooling around with another woman.

"

Well, Ling Xin, maybe... but Axilia would definitely kill me.