Vorry tracks down the two guys who failed to catch Twist and returned to Bert City.

  Under his “friendly asking,” they spill everything about Sam chasing after Aaron.

  Following the trail, Vorry finds his younger brother Sam’s corpse.

  Around the body lie the carcasses of many wild beasts.

  So these beasts are poisoned after gnawing on the Sam’s corpse.

  Only by checking the ID does Vorry confirm that the corpse on the ground is his one and only brother.

  Though it’s hard to believe, Aaron—the genius pharmacist who just made a name in Bert City—killed his brother in the counterattack.

  “What the hell are you trying to say?”

  Alex glares coldly at Vorry.

  “You hate Aaron, and I have a way to make Aaron disappear from your sight.”

  Vorry leans in close to Alex’s ear, speaking every word deliberately.

  “You’re talking nonsense! I don’t get what you mean!”

  After hearing Vorry out, a flicker of clarity appears in Alex’s eyes.

  Murdering an S-grade potion genius? That’s beyond shocking.

  Vorry mocks, “Aaron hit you in broad daylight. This matter’s almost spread all over Hunter Union. Why are you still fooling yourself?”

  Aaron made his move during the busiest time for pharmacists coming and going.

  Many people witnessed that scene.

  So quite a few know about it.

  But it’s not like Vorry says—known by everyone.

  Hunter Union is the info hub for thousands of miles of wilderness around Bert City.

  Every day, there’s a flood of news about monsters, insect clans, mines, and more.

  No one pays much attention to a spat between two pharmacist apprentices.

  However, Vorry’s words clearly stir bad memories in Alex.

  His eyes instantly turn bloodshot.

  Vorry keeps pushing, “You bring him somewhere. The rest’s not your problem. I’ll give you the outcome you want.”

  “No way! He doesn’t trust me at all. He won’t come with me.”

  “Then just give me Aaron’s movement trail.”

  Alex lowers his head, his face flickering under the flashing spotlight.

  Vorry smokes calmly, swirling his “White Lady” drink, not rushing.

  He knows jealousy and hatred will help Alex to make final choice for him.

  ……

  In the blink of an eye, half a month passes.

  At dusk, the door to the brewing room swings open.

  Aaron pockets ten semi-finished Calm Potions and leaves the Potion Hall, heading toward the hunter group’s base.

  After finishing the Silver Fox Hunter Group’s herbs, Master Scott sends twenty batches of Calm Potion herbs to Aaron’s brewing room every day.

  Thanks to the heavy dose of Calm Potion supplements, during the recent superpower seed’s energy absorption, Aaron only feels a faint ache.

  He doesn’t pass out anymore.

  It’s the first sign of real progress.

  Counting the days, it’s been over twenty days since the Silver Fox Hunter Group first sent the herbs.

  Now, announcing the production of semi-finished Calm Potions shouldn’t attract any outcast’s hunting him down... hopefully.

  By the way, after Aaron learned brewing Calm Potions, Master Scott hasn’t shown his face again.

  Hall Master Kaviz, who got injured, still hasn’t fully recovered, but he has been called out to handle daily affairs in Potion Hall.

  Inside the hunter group’s base, a six-story building with a courtyard stands proudly, a plaque reading "Silver Fox Hunter Group" hanging above the entrance.

  This is the Silver Fox Hunter Group’s headquarters.

  The courtyard is packed with all kinds of vehicles.

  As Aaron arrives, the hunters resting and chatting outside greet him with smiles and nods.

  Nearly half of the Silver Fox Hunter Group are force adepts. The rest are regular fighters.

  Of course, the “regulars” is only regular compared to force adepts.

  Before joining the Hunter Union, they were battle-hardened warriors.

  Their physical strength is off the charts—the absolute peak for normal humans.

  To them, Aaron represents a shot at getting stronger.

  Those with weaker talent hoping to become force adepts can only rely on the force potion.

  The force potion, brewed by pharmacists, helps ordinary people sense the force, aids their training, and eventually pushes them into the Vitality State.

  But this force potion is insanely expensive.

  If the Silver Fox Hunter Group weren’t contracting with Aaron, these regular members wouldn’t be able to save up enough cash to buy the potion for years, maybe decades.

  But with Aaron as a partner, their hopes suddenly look a lot brighter.

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  With a smile on his face the whole way, Aaron arrives at the entrance to the meeting room on the top floor.

  Inside, the noise of rough, burly voices spills into the hallway.

  “Boss, we haven’t paid the group members for half a year now. You know that, right?”

  Theodore, the deputy leader in charge of the hunter group’s finances, can’t help but say after wrapping up the last mission’s summary.

  “I know.” Landon rubs his face, grinding his teeth. “How much do we have left in the account?”

  “Just over four thousand gold coins. Barely enough for ammo on the next mission.”

  “Where the hell did all our money go?”

  “Half a year ago, we dropped over three hundred thousand gold coins on the fire control system. Blew our funds dry. Then the ammo cost piled up, adding another sixty thousand in debt. After struggling to save some cash these past months, Aaron’s herbs ate up another one hundred fifty thousand gold coins. Our group’s broke now.”

  ”Honestly, I don’t get it. Aaron wanted fifty batches of herbs, and you promised a hundred. That’s just showing off, man.”

  “I was caught up in the moment! Besides, if the group had no money, why didn’t you tell me back then?”

  “Damn, you were talking so fast, I couldn’t keep up! Before I wanted to response it, you’d promised a hundred batches of herbs. What could I do?”

  “Alright, alright. I’ll try to borrow some cash from other hunter groups later. I’ll do my best to pay the members their rewards.”

  “It’s not just about the rewards. We’re brothers who’d die for each other. Over the years, we have saved a bit, so we can hold on for a while. What worries me is Aaron’s herb expenses. They’re way too high...”

  The deputy leader winces.

  Normally, the herb supply for a senior apprentice is about fifteen sets a month, with each set costing five hundred gold coins. That’s roughly seven thousand five hundred gold coins a month.

  Aaron’s using fifty sets a month, and each set costs a thousand gold coins—fifty thousand gold coins monthly.

  Just supplying Aaron nearly equals the cost of supporting seven apprentices in other hunter groups.

  Usually, a hunter group only partners with two or three senior apprentices.

  But they’ve doubled the cost, and it’s really stretching the budget thin.

  After all, a big hunter group like this has expenses for ammo, fuel, gear, pensions, and member rewards. Money burns through everything.

  The deputy adds, “Boss, maybe you should talk to Aaron again. Tell him to stop brewing Calm Potion and switch to another potion. I heard some buyers are snapping up Calm Potion herbs on the market. These herbs are already scarce, and prices will probably spike next month. By then, fifty thousand gold coins won’t even cover the cost.”

  “No way. We can’t cut off the herb supply. Whatever Aaron wants, we give it to him! Even if it means emptying our savings to keep it going.” Landon slams his fist on the table, voice firm.

  The room falls silent as everyone exchanges uneasy glances.

  “But the problem is, even if we dig into our savings, it’s gonna be damn hard to hold out for more than a few months!”

  “Landon, think this through!”

  “Boss, you’re pushing our hunter group straight into a dead end!”

  “Please talk to Aaron properly. This pressure is just too much for us to handle!”

  “Exactly! If he can’t brew Calm Potion for a year or two, we’ll have to invest over a million gold coins! That’s a death sentence!”

  The meeting room erupts into a chaotic argument.

  Just then, there’s a knock at the door.

  Aaron pushes it open, a hint of awkwardness on his face.

  He’s realizing he’s been pushing this hunter group pretty damn hard.

  The noisy room suddenly goes quiet when Aaron walks in.

  Not only does Aaron look awkward, but the other members in the group clearly feel the same way.

  They just finished badmouthing Aaron, and here he is, right in front of them.

  Damn it, none of the members downstairs notified them that Aron had come upstairs.

  “Landon, I know I’ve been a pain lately.”

  Aaron’s gratitude is clear on his face. After spending so much of their money, he should show the respect to the sponsors.

  “Aaron, you don’t have to be so formal. If you’re here, I’m guessing we’re running low on herbs, huh? Theodore, go buy twenty sets of Calm Potion herbs. If we don’t have enough money, just cover it yourself for now. We’ll reimburse you later.”

  Landon points at the deputy leader to give the order.

  The deputy’s face darkens.

  Man, I really have to hand it to you, you sly bastard.

  Keep pretending all you want. Sooner or later, I’m selling off that precious fire control system of yours.

  The others keep their heads down, not daring to speak up.

  If they support Landon, but they have to admit the group is flat broke.

  But if they openly oppose him...

  There’s an S-grade genius pharmacist standing right next to them.

  Scary, isn’t it?

  None of them believe Aaron can brew Calm Potion within the next year or two.

  But nobody denies what Aaron will achieve in the next ten or twenty years.

  Seeing the deputy leader’s face twisted with frustration, angry but too scared to say anything, Aaron waves his hand. “Landon, I’m not here to ask for herbs. I’m here to give you some potions.”

  “Oh, you’re not after herbs? Well, that’s a relief...” Landon quietly exhales, then suddenly looks up sharply. “Wait, what did you say? Give us what???”

  “Potions!” Aaron grins and pulls ten potions out of his backpack.

  Landon trembles all over, eyes wide with huge excitement but also disbelief. He shakily asks, “You’re giving us potions... Calm... Potion?”

  “Exactly! But they’re only semi-finished!”

  “Hey, Theodore!” Landon calls to the deputy leader. “Hit me, quick! Tell me I’m not dreaming.”

  The deputy swings his arm and slaps Landon hard across the face.

  The palm even carries a bit of force.

  Watching Landon’s face quickly swell and redden, the deputy leader turns to the rest of the hunter group’s members with certainty. “This isn’t a dream. It’s real. Aaron has brewed Calm Potion.”

  The meeting room instantly explodes with excitement.

  “No way! Less than a month and he’s already brewed half-finished Calm Potion? Am I dreaming?”

  “Damn! That’s fucking awesome! We haven’t heard of a new apprentice pulling off a high-level potion semi-finished product in years.”

  “So this is what having S-grade potion talent looks like?”

  “How old is Aaron again? Sixteen or seventeen?”

  “At this age, he’s a fucking monster!”

  ……

  Landon rubs his swollen cheek, a wild grin spreading across his face.

  He won the bet.

  Aaron’s talent is even more insane than he imagined.

  He’s already prepared to support Aaron for a whole year without asking for a damn thing in return, doing everything he can.

  But he never expected to see results in just the first month.

  “Landon, don’t just get all happy and forget to store these potions! They’re probably worth a damn fortune!” Aaron teases.

  Calm Potion, as a high-end Level 1 potion, goes for at least seven thousand gold coins on the market.

  It’s rare to find one for sale.

  Whenever Calm Potion shows up, it sells out instantly.

  If you want to buy it without getting screwed, you have to pay a premium of eight thousand five hundred to nine thousand gold coins.

  The ten potions Aaron brought are about 30 to 40 percent effective.

  Selling one for three thousand five hundred gold coins is no problem at all.

  “Alright, alright!”

  Landon hurriedly packs them away.

  These potions won’t even cover costs, but they send a clear signal.

  They mean Aaron will keep pumping out potions nonstop in the future.

  More importantly, it signals that Silver Fox Hunter Group has a future top-tier pharmacist on their side.

  “Aaron, it’s almost evening. How about we grab a drink together to celebrate your first successful potion?” Landon asks excitedly.

  “Nah, thanks for the offer, but I’ve got to get back to the brewing room and organize my recent brewing notes,” Aaron politely declines.

  “Alright, alright, that’s the serious stuff, that’s the serious stuff.”

  Landon nods eagerly, quick to agree.

  Talent plus hard work, no wonder Aaron managed to brew semi-finished Calm Potion.

  After delivering the potions and exchanging a few words, Aaron turns and leaves.

  Landon watches him all the way to the door before reluctantly pulling his gaze away.

  Later, humming a tune, Landon strolls back into the meeting room.

  “Alright, let’s set up some new missions,” he claps his hands. Everyone looks at him expectantly. “I’m thinking of taking on a few jobs in the Forbidden Zone. What do you all think?”

  “That sounds kinda dangerous!”

  The joyful vibe in the room dims a bit.

  The wilderness is divided based on its distance from Bert City: the Wild Suburbs, the Uninhabited Zone, and the Forbidden Zone.

  Bert City’s force adepts number only ten thousand, so their expansion into the wild only covers the suburbs and parts of the uninhabited areas.

  The rest of the wild lands are controlled by bandits and outcasts.

  These groups have set up their own wild towns, staking their claim on the land.

  Resources in the Wild Suburbs and Uninhabited Zones have nearly dried up over the years.

  To get more cultivation resources, hunters have no choice but to push deeper into the wilderness core.

  But that inevitably means direct clashes with bandits and outcasts.

  Right now, several famous hunter groups under Bert City and the consortium are all trying to open up the Forbidden Zone.

  While they gain a ton of resources, their losses are heavy too.

  “Boss, are we really ready to develop the Forbidden Zone?” Everyone voices their worries.

  “Remember last time we ran into a bandit gang? I think they’re not impossible to reason with. We can try talking to them first, see if we can cooperate on developing the resources. If they refuse, then we make them disappear,” Landon says.

  The room falls into thoughtful silence.