CH53

Helag prepared to sell his Dittany Healing Potions at the flea market, a common and well-selling potion there.

He planned to sell his current stock and see how it went, making adjustments if necessary.

Although potions brewed by apprentices weren't as good as those sold officially by Moonlight Woodland, they were generally effective enough for practical use.

The flea market was essentially a plaza. Helag was about to find a spot to set up his stall when he ran into a familiar face.

Leo, wearing glasses, sat on a small stool with a thick book in hand, surrounded by stacks of books.

"Leo!" Helag greeted.

Leo turned and saw Helag, adjusting his glasses with a smile. "Long time no see, Helag."

"Is the spot next to you free? I plan to set up here," Helag asked.

He noticed that both sides of Leo were empty.

"Yes, the flea market stalls are first-come, first-served," Leo explained.

Reassured, Helag took out four bottles of Dittany Healing Potion and placed them in front of him, then took out a book to study, just like Leo.

He was reading "Fundamentals of Meditation Techniques."

Helag had been learning a lot recently, and it was impossible to digest everything in such a short time. He needed to spend more time studying.

Deep Blue could help him progress faster, but it could also become a hindrance to further advancement.

"You can only truly rely on yourself, even Deep Blue is just an external aid."

Leo noticed the four bottles of Dittany Healing Potion and was surprised. "You've learned potion-making?"

"Sort of. I lost a lot practicing, so I'm here to recoup some magic stones," Helag said with a look of distress as if he had lost a lot of magic stones.

Leo nodded understandingly. "For apprentices like us without much background, it's best not to touch potion-making early on. It's too costly."

"Indeed, it's not for the poor. I'll stop after selling this batch," Helag sighed.

He decided against continuing to brew Dittany Healing Potions for profit. With a small quantity, it was explainable. Many apprentices brewed Dittany Healing Potions when they first learned potion-making, so selling them was normal.

But if Helag produced a large quantity, it would be suspicious, as most people didn't have such a high success rate.

If he sold twenty bottles, it would require at least sixty sets of ingredients, a significant amount of money.

As a first-class apprentice, where would he get so much money? It would attract unnecessary trouble.

Helag wanted to avoid trouble. He could earn money for the Dawn Potion through other tasks.

"Is this Dittany Healing Potion?" A red-haired male apprentice, about twenty years old, approached.

"Yes," Helag replied.

"Can I take a look?"

"Of course," Helag smiled.

Wizards usually checked the quality of potions before buying, as they weren't from the official Moonlight Woodland store.

Many new apprentices sold failed potions, tricking those who didn't know better.

This happened often, so experienced apprentices always checked the quality before buying.

The red-haired apprentice examined the potion, checking its color and clarity. After a moment, he said, "This potion is good. I'll take two bottles."

"Deal!" Helag handed over a bottle and received ten magic stones.

The Dittany Healing Potions sold even better than Helag expected. The four bottles sold quickly.

Helag took out three more bottles, planning to keep two for himself.

Leo looked at the three potions in surprise. "Did you spend that much money?"

"Sigh!" Helag sighed. "Don't mention it. I still owe Mr. Larry a lot."

Leo seemed to understand. "I see. I'm envious."

Helag smiled without explaining further.

"Just borrowing Mr. Larry's influence a bit…" Helag mentioned Larry to avoid trouble.

After a few more words, they both returned to their books.

Leo's business was slow, with no customers for a long time.

Helag's business picked up again. This time, a tall woman in a black apprentice robe stopped by.

She glanced at Helag's potions, intrigued, and squatted to examine a bottle.

Helag estimated she was about six feet tall, her long legs prominent even when squatting.

"Did you brew this potion?" she asked.

Helag nodded. "Yes."

"Only three bottles? Any more?"

Helag smiled. "I don't have much money for materials, so this is all."

"Alright, your potions are good. I'll take all three." She handed over fifteen magic stones and left.

Helag watched her leave, unable to resist another glance at her long legs.

He sold seven of the nine bottles, earning thirty-five magic stones.

"Leo, I'm heading out," Helag said to Leo, still engrossed in his book.

Leo nodded stiffly, not looking up.

Helag chuckled at Leo's dedication. "He's still a first-class apprentice despite his efforts. I wonder if it's due to lack of resources or poor aptitude."

On his way back, Helag observed other stalls, noting many selling potions, including Dittany Healing Potions, most of the average quality.

Helag's potions were milky white, only slightly inferior to the pure white ones sold by Moonlight Woodland.

This slight difference was due to the disparity in spirit power.

Moonlight Woodland's potions were brewed by powerful third-class apprentices or official wizards, whose magic quality surpassed Helag's. High-quality magic produced the best potions.

Many potions at the market had a yellow tint, some entirely yellow, barely usable.

This reinforced Helag's decision not to rely on potion-selling for income, at least not until he was stronger.

***

Back home, Helag took out his rune stone and browsed for suitable tasks.

He had thirty-seven magic stones, not enough for even one set of Dawn Potion materials.

One task caught his attention.

[Hunt Stone Giants.

Must be able to handle Stone Giant hearts and be familiar with potion-making.

Reward: twenty magic stones.]