Chapter 152 – Refining the Potion (1/2)

After paying Bai Xiaosheng093 100 gold coins, Fatty obtained the necessary information on the Flowing Moon Tung Fluid. Indeed, just as Fatty suspected, the Flowing Moon Tung was a very common tree that grew just outside of Vermilion Bird City. Its fluid was of little use and was practically worthless, which is why no one had ever wasted their time auctioning it.

Using the info he got from Bai Xiaosheng093, Fatty ventured to the southern region of Vermilion Bird City where a forest was located. The Flowing Moon Tungs grew in this forest.

The Flowing Moon Tungs resembled the Wutong tree but wasn’t as big. Rumor had it that every full moon, the Flowing Moon Tungs would scatter drops of silver liquid as if it were crying to the moon, attracting many people to come sightseeing. This silver liquid was one of the ingredients that Fatty needed for the Royal Winged Ant Poison.

Tonight wouldn’t be a full moon, but Fatty didn’t have time to wait until the next full moon. Therefore, he employed the usual method: he slashed out a few wounds on the Flowing Moon Tungs and cast harvest on the fluid seeping out from those wounds.

Each tree provided only around ten vials of fluid at most. Nonetheless, there were more than enough Flowing Moon Tungs for Fatty to harvest the amount he needed.

At this moment, all three ingredients for the Royal Winged Ant Poison: Royal Winged Ant Venom, Gold Essence Orb, and Flowing Moon Tung Fluid, had been fully gathered. Fatty thought he could start refining it now, but after some checking, he was upset to find out that he needed to be at least an Intermediate rank Apothecary to be able to do so. Indeed, Fatty was still a less-than-novice Apothecary for now.

There was no other choice but to level up his alchemy rank. Luckily, Fatty wasn’t a wasteful person. He never threw away the various materials and ingredients he had acquired and was leaving them in a massive pile in his bank.

Snake Gallbladder, White Cogon Root, Colorful Butterfly Poison Sac, and many other materials were available in Fatty’s storage. He quickly bought several cheap formulae from the Auction Hall, then slapped on one of them to learn how to refine medicine.

“Ahhhhh! I still have to buy a cauldron!” Fatty almost went berserk. It’s only refining one poison! Why do I have to go through so much trouble?

Fortunately, Fatty hadn’t left the Auction Hall. He searched through the list again and found a cauldron--

Redflame Cauldron: A medical cauldron that can refine intermediate medicines.

Starting bid: 1500 gold coins. Instant deal: 3000 gold coins.

Bidding ends in: 20 hours.

“More money again!” Fatty almost went in a rage as he thought of the Royal Winged Ant Poison. For the preparation to refine it alone, Fatty already had to spend sixty to seventy thousand gold coins, including buying the formula. If the effect after refining isn’t as good as advertised… “Lord Fatty, Lord Fatty will hang my neck at Star Fantasia company’s entrance,” Fatty shouted painfully as he bought the Redflame Cauldron with a trembling hand.

Finally, I’ve gathered enough. Fatty sighed inwardly.

There were many things to pay attention to when refining medicine. Not only the ingredients, but even the environment of the refinery was specific as well. Fatty’s face was ugly as he paid 1000 gold coins as rent for a purpose-built room for refining medicines in Black Tortoise City.

Refining rooms had ranks as well, and this one belonged to the lowest type. There was nothing in here aside from a stone table and a stone stool.

Fatty placed the Redflame Cauldron on the table and lit up a fire under it. Feeling a heat wave sweeping across his face, Fatty waited until the cauldron glowed red. Then, he tossed all the well-prepared ingredients in it, starting the refining.

This time, he was making medicine that can restore health called the Vitality Pill. The ingredient needed being the White Cogon Roots that Fatty once gathered a great deal of during a past mission. After turning in 200 strands for the mission, he was left with around 1300 strands, which was more than enough to use.

“Refine,” Fatty pointed a finger at the Redflame Cauldron. A flare rose up from inside the cauldron and devoured the White Cogon Root. The herb spun around for a bit before quickly dissolving into liquid.

“Isn’t this a little too easy?” Fatty stroke his chin as he looked at the whirling liquid.

Boom. As if responding to Fatty’s doubt, the liquid emitted a bang and burst out into a rain of hot liquid drops, sizzling as they hit the ground.

Some landed on Fatty’s face as well but luckily weren’t enough to deal any real damage to him and destroy his face.

Ding.

System Notification: Unfortunately, refining has failed. +100 experience, +0 point to Alchemy.

“Screw you! Even if you hate Lord Fatty, you shouldn’t act like that,” Fatty wiped the herbal liquid off his face and threw more ingredients in the cauldron.

The second try went very well. In only ten minutes, 10 White Cogon Roots dissolved into liquid and any unwanted elements were removed from it. With a ding from the system notification, the liquid condensed into five to six herbal-smelling pills that fell into Fatty’s hand.

Fatty put the pills into a glass vial, then poured out one of them to examine. This pill was white and at the size of a sugar bean, just right to conveniently toss into one’s mouth.

Vitality Pill: A low-rank pill, restores 50 HP per second for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 seconds.