Filed to story: A Bullied Boy Died: A Mafia King Woke Up In His Body
“Indeed. Any particular potion you’re looking for? Or just browsing? Or perhaps…” Haui’s voice trailed off, a tiny hint of hostility long honed toward shoplifters apparent in his squinting eyes.
“I am looking for something of a different quality. Something more exquisite and different
, if you know what I mean,” Kyle replied with a slight emphasis, much to the confusion of Damian.
Haui’s eyes showed signs of recognition, but wariness crept in as he stared at Kyle, scrutinizing him and his clothes. “Haven’t seen you around here before. New in town?”
“You could say that. If your offer interests me, this could be the start of a great business relationship.” Kyle nodded knowingly toward Haui.
“Hmm…” Haui seemed to be weighing the pros and cons in his head, while Damian still continuously looked back and forth between them. Every hour since Kyle became the gang leader was a complete rollercoaster of emotions for him.
A minute of silence passed before Haui finally placed the chisel down on the counter. “Follow me.” Haui motioned to a side door that led to a stairwell.
An illegal operation. As expected for such a well-defended alchemist.
The trio walked down the stairs, only to enter a basement filled with potions that were clearly not the same as what was displayed in the front. Kyle was not one for stereotypes, but the entire place looked like a stereotypical alchemist lair right out of an Ancient Earth fantasy holofilm. “Take a look. Every aphrodisiac, poison, curse, and illusionary potion I know of is here. I won’t call them the best in Raktor, but I can guarantee they’ll get the job done.”
Kyle nodded, walking through the shelves and rows upon rows of potions. He noticed a few boxes of herbs stacked in the corner through his peripheral vision, though he continued picking up potions and examining them. Each type of potion was well-labeled and displayed in small quantities.
Assuming he performs all his production in-house, he does not seem to have enough ingredients to engage in mass production just yet. Could it be a restriction by the Alchemists’ Guild?
With such a high-value product, it was only natural for a guild or cartel to control the supply and pricing. Kyle had worked with other crime lords to artificially control the rate of mining, even though the exotic ore they were selling back then could be found in abundance.
All for profits.
He ran his hand through the various flasks, using the holographic interface to inform him about their properties. Kyle still put up an act, acting as though he was oblivious to what the potions could do. As Haui explained certain potions, he continued touching as many flasks as he could, the purple message continuously updating. He only gave each message a cursory glance before moving on to the next while Haui still talked. There is still a chance of earning more, but only if I find evidence of the right potion here. I need proof of sorts.
He had just touched his hundredth unique potion since he arrived when another purple box appeared in front of him.
Title Obtained: Potion Inspector (Basic)
Ah, you seem to be looking for something very specific.
+5 INT, increased accuracy of the description of potions examined.
Kyle held the same potion and noticed the description had been upgraded.
Mind-Bending Potion (Basic)
Sends the user on an illusionary trip fueled by their subconscious, rendering them incapable of normal functions. Lasts up to a day on a full dose.
Recommended Dosage:
Half a bottle for an adult human male every three days.
Ingredients:
Poair Leaves, four remaining ingredients unknown.
Cooldown:
30 seconds
“Perfect.”
Reorganization
“Sir, are those potions really worth it? Mind-bending doesn’t last long, and that’s a bit too many Stamina Potions. Sure, the recovery potions are relatively cheap, but they will be impossible to reverse-engineer as well. Alchemy has always had the highest failure rate in terms of industries. Too much prior knowledge is required to make even a basic potion… sir.”
Damian was still coming to terms with how much Kyle had spent on the potion, twelve thousand rakels, despite the fact that they were still in debt.
Kyle did not reply. With the scientific knowledge he had from his former life, distillation would be a cinch. He did not need Damian’s approval for now, either.