CHAPTER 5

Title: My First Trading Partner is An Awaken

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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"I can only say my gratitude towards Tyler. Without this platform, I would still be struggling in the slum without even having hope of getting out."

Henry was satisfied with what was going on in their lives right now. His dad is recovering from a stroke, his brother and sisters can now have money for their education, they have a house he fully owned and a stash of cash and gold coins.

What's more he can hope for?

The way he thinks is truly simple as he was not exposed to the more complicated life. After their morning walk, he decided to go to the doctor to let his father be checked.

As Henry and his father, Jimmy, entered the doctor's office, there was an air of anticipation mixed with nervousness. Dr. Cando, the stroke specialist, greeted them warmly.

"Good morning, Henry. Good morning, Jimmy. How are you both feeling today?" Dr. Cando asked, eyeing Jimmy with keen interest.

"We're doing okay, Doctor. A bit nervous, but hopeful," Henry replied, his voice tinged with anxiety.

Dr. Cando nodded, understanding the feeling involved in this kind of visit. "I understand. Let's see how you're progressing, Jimmy," he said, motioning for Jimmy to take a seat on the examination table.

With Henry's assistance, Jimmy followed Dr. Anderson Cando's instructions as he performed a series of physical and cognitive tests. There was a noticeable improvement in Jimmy's movements and responses compared to his previous visit.

After the assessment, Dr. Cando reviewed the results with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "Jimmy, I must say, your progress in just five months is remarkable. Your motor skills and cognitive functions have improved as compared to others who had their strokes within the same time frame."

'So the F-rank Healing potion is truly this amazing!' Henry thought. His father had become worse as time went by but with the potion, Doctor Cando said such a thing!

After the check up, Henry was relieved. For their background alone, he chose to learn to doubt first. Though he can see the progress in just two days, he still wanted to hear it from the doctor.

Now that there is an assurance, this means that the potion is truly remarkable and now, he thought that by this alone, aside from gold coin trading with the PAL jewelry which he knew is a risky thing, this potion alone can give him profit in secret dealings.

As he escorts his father out from the hospital, there is a big announcement in the afternoon news.

Breaking news: "Mayor's Son Declared Brain Dead After Tragic Accident."

His pulse quickened as he glanced again at the announcement, absorbing the details with a mix of shock and inbelieve.

The mayor's son, Ethan Sales, had been involved in a devastating car accident the previous night. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Ethan had been declared brain dead earlier that morning.

Henry felt a wave of sympathy wash over him as he read about the tragedy that had befallen the Mayor's Family. He was then a classmate of the mayor's son, Ethan, and he was generally an excellent classmate and not a bully.

As Henry processed the news, his thoughts turned to his own family. He couldn't imagine the pain and anguish the Sales Family were experiencing, grappling with the sudden loss of their son.

Henry's phone buzzed with a notification, snapping him out of his reverie. It was a message from Dylan, his younger brother, asking what happened to their dad's check up. Henry took a moment to compose himself before replying, masking his distress behind a façade of normalcy.

"Hey bro, are you free to use your phone?" Henry typed, diverting the topic to accusation.

"No. Did father get his result?" Dylan brushes off the incoming series of questions from his brother.

"The doctor said that our father is improving. We are not to worry about him now. Just focus on your class as it was only 2 o'clock in the afternoon!" Henry exclaimed.

"Be cool bro. We don't have the teacher in our class yet so I sneak around to learn about the update. Chow!" Dylan off his phone as he doesn't know what to confront his eager brother.

For the last time, Henry looked at the news as he was sad to learn about what happened to his former schoolmate. Thereafter, he went home along with his dad to rest. He put it at the back of his mind as he didn't know if he could help out.

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Henry Ramirez stood in front of the mirror in his room, his gaze fixed intently on the boxing tutorial video playing on his phone. Ever since he started consuming the F-rank healing potion, he noticed a remarkable improvement in his cognitive abilities, including a heightened focus and accelerated learning capacity.

"I wanted to learn the Bruce Lee move but it seems it's far more complicated. This boxing is also popular with young people my age."

As the video demonstrated various boxing techniques, Henry absorbed the information with astonishing speed, his mind processing each movement with precision. He watched as the instructor demonstrated the straight punch, jab, hook, and various defensive maneuvers, committing each one to memory with ease.

Henry stepped away from the mirror and began to mimic the movements he had just learned. He adopted the stance of a boxer, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, fists raised in front of his face.

Taking a deep breath, Henry threw a straight punch with his left hand, extending his arm with controlled force. He repeated the motion several times, focusing on maintaining proper form and technique.

Next, Henry practiced the jab, snapping his left hand forward in a quick, straight punch. He followed it up with a hook, rotating his body and swinging his arm in a wide arc to the side.

As he continued to practice, Henry felt a sense of exhilaration coursing through him. With each punch and movement, he could feel his confidence growing, his body responding instinctively to the training.

Henry moved on to shadow boxing, imagining an opponent in front of him as he weaved and dodged, throwing punches with precision and speed. He lost himself in the rhythm of the movements, his mind fully engaged in the intricacies of the sport.

Time seemed to slip away as Henry immersed himself in his training. The cognitive effects of the F-rank healing potion propelled him forward, accelerating his learning process and allowing him to absorb new information with remarkable efficiency.

As he finally paused to catch his breath, Henry couldn't help but marvel at how far he had come in such a short time.

"I'm drenching with sweat!" Henry noticed. He was engrossed about this shadow boxing as it seems that he really has an opponent in the room that keeps on attacking him.

"This kind of simulation, it was too scary." Henry thought. After his first encounter with boxing, he took a bath and checked his father again.

Now that he is free, he can focus on babysitting his father while he does his thing on the sideline.

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In the depths of the underground lair known as Ivory Bone, the air was thick with tension as the members of the small organization gathered around the bound and gagged vendor.

At the center of the group stood the bulky and big leader of Ivory Bone, known only as The Overseer. Dressed in a cloak of shadows, his piercing gaze bore into the trembling vendor as he prepared to interrogate him about the source of his salt trade.

"Speak, you dog," The Overseer commanded, his voice echoing with authority. "Where did you acquire the salt you had traded for the E-rank Potion?"

The vendor swallowed nervously, his eyes darting from face to face as he struggled to find his voice. Finally, with a shaky breath, he began to speak.

"I-I obtained the salt from a new face in the black market," the vendor stammered, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I swear, I don't know anything about its origins beyond that."

The members of Ivory Bone exchanged wary glances, their suspicion growing with each passing moment. The Overseer remained silent, his expression inscrutable as he considered the vendor's words.

This is their tenth question but the consistency of his answer only prove that the vendor is telling the truth.

"And what of this supplier?" The Overseer inquired, his tone cool and calculating. "Do you have a name? A location?"

The vendor hesitated, fear etched on his face as he weighed his options. "s-spare my life, Sir! It's my first time trading with that supplier. I didn't know where he got it as I stuck to my business alone."

The Overseer's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. "Very well," he said finally. "Since I can't extract any information about it. One of my men will be with you and make sure to point out the man who traded the salt with you."

"Yes sir!" The vendor is very scared and his leg trembles. He was then again reminded by the big man in front of him.

They too need salt, and with the advancement of the beast that ruins the Kailan Region, the salt will becoming difficult to find which therefore means that the price will raise soon.

With his high capability of knowing if the person is lying or not, the vendor is scared shit yet he told the truth.

Alone once more, The Overseer turned to his assembled followers, his expression unreadable. "We must act swiftly," he declared, his voice carrying a sense of urgency.

"The source of this salt trade is important. If you find anyone who trades more than 20 kg of salt, be sure to follow it up. We need all the salt in the back market to be sold when the price is truly expensive."

With that, the members of Ivory Bone dispersed, their minds consumed with thoughts of catching the salt supplier who seems to pop out from nowhere. They were surprise foolishly when the trade of salt with the vendor is in such quantity.

Tyler paced back and forth in his small apartment, a sense of unease gnawing at him as he mulled over the latest update he had uncovered.

"I didn't expect such a transaction to draw attention in this city. And the salt price is soaring to 6 gold coins per kilogram—it's unheard of!" Tyler muttered to himself, his brow furrowed with concern.

The implications of the heightened interest in salt were clear: the vultures of the underground would undoubtedly be drawn to it like moths to a flame.

As he pondered his next move, Tyler couldn't shake the image of the vendor's new companion from his mind— someone with ties to Ivory Bone organization. Rumors of their unsavory reputation sent shivers down Tyler's spine, "the reputation of these organization is too cruel."

Tyler set out into the night, his senses sharp and alert for any sign of danger. Each step he took echoed with purpose as he navigated the labyrinthine streets of the city, his eyes scanning the alley for any hint of trouble.

It didn't take long for Tyler to spot them—the vendor and his companion—walking together in the dimly lit alleyways. The vendor appeared weary and disheveled, while his companion which seems to be the member of the Ivory Bone.

From his vantage point in the shadows, Tyler watched with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.

"What's the connection between the vendor and Ivory Bone?" he wondered aloud, his mind racing with possibilities. As he said earlier, he doesn't want to be associated with these kind of people.

Tyler misunderstood. The vendor is just an ordinary trader who wants to raise funds for his family.

Despite his reservations, Tyler couldn't deny the allure of obtaining the vendor's contacts. "He's an exceptional trader," Tyler admitted begrudgingly to himself. "If I could establish a direct line with his suppliers, it would greatly enhance my ability to trade E-rank crystals without his involvement."