"Genius" wasn't an unfamiliar label to Gaode. From a young age, the people around him had always praised him with this word. However, his genius lay in the field of mathematics, which seemed of little use in the world of Magic. His predecessor's genius in the field of Magic Potion was the only truly useful thing at the moment.
The purchase price Mage Seda could get for the Basic Spider Venom Potion was two gold coins per set (three small bottles). This was on the premise that Mage Seda possessed a certain level of strength and could provide a stable supply. His own small-scale supply obviously wouldn't fetch this price, but it wouldn't be much lower either. Its biggest advantage was that it would be pure profit with zero cost.
"What a pity..." Gaode couldn't help but sigh.
Besides his outstanding talent in the field of Magic Potion, his predecessor had been far more cunning than the average person. Gaode wasn't the only one who remained clear-headed in this environment; his predecessor had been just like that. Like Gaode, he had been unwilling to muddle along and wait for his doomed fate to arrive, instead trying to change his destiny. He had started preparing early to escape his predicament and, miraculously, found a breakthrough using his talent. As long as there was money, it wasn't entirely impossible to find a way to break the Tracking Mark.
Unfortunately, before he could save enough money, Mage Seda selected him to test a potion. Time waited for no one. If his predecessor had been given a little more time, he might have truly created his own miracle.
Gaode thought, "Since I've been given a second chance, I will definitely succeed this time."
With the savings his predecessor left behind, his newly acquired right to freely enter and leave the Medicinal Garden, and the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, that originally slim hope had finally become faintly visible.
After a standard dinner of rye bread and pea soup, Gaode grabbed a stuffed parcel and left the Medicinal Garden with Amy before the sun set. The parcel contained five sets of Basic Spider Venom Potions, which he needed to deliver to a Magic Pharmacy in the city. This used to be Elan's job. After Gaode stabbed Elan to death, the task naturally fell into his hands.
Because of the Tracking Mark, Mage Seda didn't worry about his apprentices running away. Under normal circumstances, he didn't restrict their movements. To save himself trouble, Mage Seda had confidently handed the job of delivering potions to Elan. Of course, Mage Seda had negotiated the prices himself; Elan was merely responsible for making the deliveries.
Mage Seda's Medicinal Garden was located in the suburbs of Hogan City. Establishing a Medicinal Garden required a vast and fertile plot of land. As an Alchemist, Mage Seda had many ways to make money, but his expenses were equally massive, so he couldn't spend lavishly. Therefore, even in a place like Hogan City—which was comparable to an obscure small county town from Gaode's past life—Mage Seda could only choose to locate his Medicinal Garden in the suburbs, where the land was cheaper.
The place Gaode was heading to, however, was Hogan City's commercial district. In most cases, a city's commercial district was situated in its prime location. Hogan City was no exception; its commercial district was located right in the very center of the city.
Even though Hogan City wasn't particularly large, the Medicinal Garden was undeniably remote. It took about an hour to walk from the Medicinal Garden to the commercial district. That meant a round trip took two hours.
Before his transmigration, Gaode would have had numerous transportation options for a journey of this distance. The subway, a bus, or even a taxi. Walking was the only thing he would never consider. But here, he had only one mode of transport—his own two legs.
Although horse-drawn carriages existed in this world, renting one had a minimum charge of one hour for two silver coins. Every five minutes over that limit cost an additional six Copper Coins. At that price, only someone like Mage Seda could afford to ride one; it had nothing to do with lowly Mage Apprentices like them.
Hogan City's first impression on Gaode could be summed up in three words: far too dilapidated. Along the way, the roads twisted and turned without any semblance of city planning, and to make matters worse, most of them were extremely narrow. Because it had rained a couple of days ago, dirty water flowed across many sections of the street, and scattered rubbish could be seen everywhere. A suffocating sense of constraint and congestion washed over him.
Most of the pedestrians they encountered were hurrying along, as if they had some urgent matter to attend to. Gaode knew that these people were mostly factory workers. They had to rush home before dark, finish their chores as quickly as possible, and get into bed to save as much on kerosene as they could.
As they entered the slum district on the edge of Hogan City, the stench in the air grew stronger and more frequent. Raggedly dressed slum dwellers, many of whom were semi-unemployed and doing odd jobs, could be seen by the roadside alongside wandering child beggars.
Gaode and Amy also hailed from here. It was chaotic, poor, and incredibly crowded. And full of thieves.
Gaode instinctively tightened his grip on the parcel's straps. He hunched over slightly, quickened his pace, and kept his head down as Amy led him through the messy streets. Although he could barely be considered a Mage Apprentice and had mastered two Tricks, neither had any lethal power and were mainly functional. Combined with his less-than-sturdy physique, Gaode had no choice but to tread carefully.
This was the reason he had brought Amy along. His predecessor had only left him with knowledge. His current situation was akin to that of an amnesiac. In other words, he didn't know the way.
They continued onward. It wasn't until the stench in the air gradually faded and the houses on both sides became much brighter that Gaode finally straightened his back and looked forward. They were now in Hogan City's commoner residential area. Once they passed through this district, they would reach the commercial district.
After walking for another twenty minutes, Gaode finally arrived at the commercial district just before dark. Hogan City's commercial district was bustling. As the sky had already darkened, the streetlamps on both sides of the road were lit. The streetlamps here were exclusively Magic Crystal Lamps, powered by a peculiar crystal called Magic Crystal, which made them significantly brighter than kerosene lamps.
Within the same city, separated by no more than a thirty or forty-minute walk, one side was reluctant to light a lamp at night to save a bit of kerosene money, while on the other side, the much costlier Magic Crystal Lamps burned brightly throughout the night. It was as if they were two completely different worlds.
The streets in the commercial district were very spacious and immaculate. Various tantalizing aromas drifted from the high-end restaurants lining the road. When they passed a bakery called Pande Bakery, the sweet scent of freshly baked pastries and cookies wafting from inside made Gaode and Amy—who had been eating rye bread all day—instinctively gulp.
However, the prices listed on the signboard outside the bakery forced the two to walk past without looking twice. The cheapest item, a small portion of maple syrup pancakes, cost six Round Copper Coins.
The pedestrians on the street all wore elegant clothes. The colors of the men's attire were quite monotonous, mostly brown and black, while the dresses of the ladies and misses were much more vibrant, featuring various hues and gorgeous decorations.
Amy had once again hunched over slightly, lowered his head, and quickened his pace, adopting the exact same posture as he had in the slums. Yet, it was also different. Gaode, on the other hand, observed his surroundings with great interest, taking in this "exotic" atmosphere that he would absolutely never have seen in his previous life.
Following the house numbers, Amy led Gaode to their destination.
Phil's Magic Pharmacy.
It was a medium-sized shop that exclusively occupied numbers 18, 19, and 20 on this street. The signboard was massive, and a notice board stood by the entrance.
"Phil's Magic Pharmacy is calling for diligent Medicine Gatherers.
"The harvesting season for Thorny Grass is fast approaching. As this herb grows high in the mountains and has an extremely short picking period paired with high demand, we urgently need to hire five to ten temporary Medicine Gatherers with good physical strength who can endure hardship.
"This job requires traveling up the mountain, sleeping outdoors in the wilderness, and strictly following the commands of our Pharmacist.
"Remuneration will be calculated based on the quantity and quality of the herbs gathered. The pharmacy will provide all necessary outdoor equipment and food.
"Those interested should come to the pharmacy for an interview as soon as possible."
It was a notice recruiting odd-job workers.
Thorny Grass was an herb with small thorns on its surface. Its medicinal effect was to restore physical strength, and once air-dried, it was commonly used as an auxiliary ingredient in the concoction of Physical Recovery Potions. Because the Physical Recovery Potion was one of the best-selling Low Tier potions, pharmacies generally collected the grass in large batches during its harvesting season. They would then air-dry and store it to ensure a stable supply throughout the year.
Knowledge about Thorny Grass flashed through Gaode's mind. He shifted his gaze away from the notice board and strode into Phil's Magic Pharmacy.
This was the buyer Mage Seda had negotiated with. Since the specific details had been settled long ago, and it wasn't their first time cooperating, coupled with the fact that Gaode was only responsible for the delivery, the transaction went very smoothly.
He walked into the shop, stated his identity and purpose, handed the five sets of Basic Spider Venom Potions over to the clerk, and received a "receipt of delivery" stamped with the seal of Phil's Magic Pharmacy. With that, his mission for this trip was complete.
The money did not pass through Gaode's hands. Every once in a while, Mage Seda would bring the receipts himself to collect the payment.
"Gaode?" After leaving Phil's Magic Pharmacy, Amy saw Gaode looking left and right, as if searching for something.
Gaode snapped back to his senses.
The Basic Spider Venom Potions belonging to Mage Seda had been handed over, but his own set still lay quietly inside his parcel. Gaode didn't remember where his predecessor used to sell these potions, but it wasn't a big issue; he could easily open up a new channel.
"Amy, I want to walk around a bit more. You go back first," he said, turning to Amy.
Amy paused, then instinctively replied, "It's already so late. There are no Magic Crystal Lamps in the slums..."
On second thought, Gaode realized this made sense. This world was different from his previous life; security couldn't be guaranteed. In a place like the slums especially, it was much safer to travel together.
He dug into his pocket, pulled out six Copper Coins, and stuffed them into Amy's hands. "Wait for me at the entrance of Pande Bakery. I'll come find you when I'm done looking around, and then we can go back together."
"Gaode..." Amy wasn't surprised that Gaode actually had money on hand. Instead, he tried to persuade him, "Since Mage Seda's potion was a success, we should be able to live a stable life now. You have the strongest talent among us; Mage Seda will definitely value you highly..."
"Are you sure about that?" Gaode wasn't surprised that Amy knew something; he simply retorted with a question.
After all, living under the same roof, it would be weirder if Amy knew absolutely nothing.
"I think so..." Amy mumbled, looking extremely guilty and uncertain.
Obviously, he knew exactly what kind of person Mage Seda was, but he was subconsciously lying to himself.
"I killed Elan, which means I've already offended Mage Seda. Besides, no matter what happens, things can't possibly get any worse, can they?" Gaode said. He then turned and walked away. "I'll be back to find you soon."