chapter 44 healing potion

Kaelith walked into the dimly lit Alchemy Lab, the faint scent of burning herbs and bubbling potions filling the air. Shelves lined with glass bottles reflected the glow of alchemical flames, and the rhythmic sound of a mortar grinding ingredients echoed in the space.

As soon as Veryon saw Kaelith step inside, his expression darkened. Without hesitation, he threw a punch, aiming straight for Kaelith's face.

Kaelith tilted his head slightly, narrowly dodging the fist. Veryon's punch whizzed past his cheek, striking nothing but air.

"Tch," Veryon spat, clenching his fists. "You arrogant bastard! You sent me 80 silver, made me do all the work, and now you just waltz in like you own the place?!"

Kaelith, completely unfazed, dusted off his sleeve and smirked. "Calm down. The money wasn't free. You're making potions, aren't you?"

Veryon growled, his face red with frustration. "That's not the point! I'M the one grinding herbs, testing mixtures, and risking failures! Meanwhile, YOU—what do you do? Just send money and expect results?!"

Kaelith leaned casually against a nearby table, arms crossed. "That's called smart business. I provide resources, you handle production. Simple."

Veryon slammed his fist on the table. "Simple?! You don't know how exhausting this is! You don't mix ingredients, you don't deal with potion explosions, and you sure as hell don't wake up to burned fingers every morning!"

Kaelith chuckled. "And yet, here you are—with a working potion."

Veryon gritted his teeth but finally pulled out a small glass bottle filled with a deep red liquid. The healing potion shimmered under the alchemy lamps.

"It worked," Veryon admitted reluctantly. "Barely. But that doesn't change the fact that I'M the one doing everything!"

Kaelith stepped forward, his smirk unwavering. "Then let's talk about making things more… balanced."

Kaelith, still leaning against the table, glanced at the shimmering red liquid in the bottle. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, how many did you make?"

Veryon's face twisted with irritation. He threw his arms up and cursed under his breath for a full minute, venting all his frustration. "You've got some nerve, Kaelith! You just waltz in here, send some silver, and then act like the boss? Do you even know how much effort it takes to brew a proper healing potion?! I've been grinding herbs, measuring ratios, watching the heat, adjusting the mixture—AND dealing with failures! While you? Sitting pretty and waiting for results?!"

Kaelith didn't respond. He just stared at Veryon, completely unfazed, waiting for him to finish his rant.

Veryon finally exhaled and gritted his teeth before answering, "I made 30 healing potions. Quality? 9 out of 10. Success rate? 50%."

Kaelith's smirk faded. His expression turned serious as he straightened up. "Are you serious?"

Veryon crossed his arms. "What do you think? I just said it, didn't I?!"

Kaelith narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. A 9/10 quality healing potion was extremely impressive for an early-stage alchemist, but a 50% success rate meant that half of the materials were wasted. That was a problem.

"50%…" Kaelith muttered, rubbing his chin. "That's way too low. We're burning through silver like it's nothing."

Veryon gritted his teeth again. "YOU'RE burning silver?! I'M the one struggling with formulas here! Do you think I WANT a 50% success rate?! If you've got a better way, then why don't YOU do it?!"

Kaelith ignored his frustration and instead focused on the key issue.

"We need to fix that. If we can get the success rate up to 70% or 80%, we'll be making a real profit." He looked directly at Veryon. "You need better equipment."

Veryon blinked. His anger cooled slightly as he realized that Kaelith wasn't just criticizing him—he was thinking about improving production.

"Better equipment…? You mean higher-quality alchemy tools?" Veryon asked, his voice no longer as sharp.

Kaelith nodded. "Exactly. And we need to get them fast."

Veryon crossed his arms, still skeptical. "And how do you plan to do that? Good alchemy tools don't come cheap."

Kaelith smirked again. "Leave that to me."

Kaelith's sharp gaze softened slightly as he looked at the potions on the table. He casually picked up one of the bottles, tilting it under the dim alchemy lab light. The red liquid inside swirled smoothly, without any impurities or inconsistencies.

He set it down and exhaled.

"Honestly, Veryon… this is damn impressive."

Veryon, who had been bracing himself for more criticism, froze. He blinked in confusion, staring at Kaelith.

"Huh?"

Kaelith leaned against the table, his arms crossed. "A 9/10 quality potion at this stage? That's not something just anyone can pull off. Most rookie alchemists barely manage 6 or 7 at best. Your success rate might be an issue, but the quality? That's top-tier."

Veryon's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but guilt still lingered in his expression.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks, but… it doesn't change the fact that I wasted half the materials." He looked down, frustration evident in his voice. "I hate wasting resources, but I just— I couldn't do anything about it. Alchemy isn't just about mixing things together. There's timing, heat control, stabilizing agents… I tried to adjust everything, but half of them still failed."

Kaelith tapped his fingers against the wooden table, thinking.

"You don't have to apologize for that." He shook his head. "Trial and error is part of the process. What matters is that you're improving."

Veryon scoffed. "Tell that to my dwindling supply of ingredients."

Kaelith smirked. "That's exactly why we're going to fix the problem."

Veryon looked at him, confused. "How?"

Kaelith straightened up and tapped the potion bottle. "You said the failure rate is because of unstable conditions, right?"

Veryon nodded. "Yeah, if I had better equipment, I could stabilize the brewing process."

Kaelith grinned. "Then let's get you that equipment."

Veryon sighed again. "And with what money? That stuff costs a fortune."

Kaelith's smirk widened. "Don't worry about that. Just focus on brewing. I'll handle the rest."

Veryon stared at him for a moment, then exhaled. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when you realize how expensive alchemy tools are."

Kaelith chuckled. "Oh, I already know. But trust me, I have a plan."

Kaelith leaned against the alchemy table, observing the neatly arranged 30 healing potions. The 9/10 quality was evident in their clear, vibrant liquid—a testament to Veryon's skill.

"I'll handle the sales," Kaelith stated confidently. "Once they're sold, you'll get your share of the credits."

Veryon nodded, still feeling the weight of his earlier frustrations. "I appreciate that. Just... sorry about the wasted materials. I hate seeing resources go up in smoke."

Kaelith waved off the apology. "It's part of the process. Besides, I believe in investing where it counts." With that, he reached into his pouch and produced a gleaming gold coin, placing it on the table between them.

Veryon's eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back. "How in the world did you get another gold coin?" he exclaimed. "Before, when you gave me 80 silver, I was shocked. At this stage, even a single silver coin is rare, and now you're casually handing over a full gold coin again?"

Kaelith's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Let's just say I have my ways. Consider this an investment in our future. Use it to procure better equipment and ingredients. We need to improve that success rate."

Veryon hesitated, still processing the unexpected generosity. "Are you sure about this? That's a lot of money..."

"Positive," Kaelith affirmed. "We have a real opportunity here. Let's make the most of it."

Veryon took a deep breath, accepting the coin with a newfound determination. "Alright. I'll make sure this investment pays off."

Kaelith nodded, satisfied. "I know you will. Now, let's get to work."