After leaving the Dungeon Raiders Guild, I navigated the busy streets toward a cluster of specialty shops. Since the Guild was the beating heart of the city’s adventuring economy, it was only logical for shops selling potions and medicinal supplies to be situated nearby. I didn't have to walk far before I spotted a building that appeared slightly larger and more well-maintained than the surrounding storefronts. A heavy wooden sign hung over the door, though I didn't need to read the language to know what was sold inside—the scent of the place reached me before I even touched the handle.
As I stepped through the doorway, I was hit by a wave of complex aromas. It smelled like a cross between a high-end tea house and an apothecary, a dense atmosphere filled with the sharp tang of drying roots, the floral sweetness of preserved petals, and the underlying chemical sting of refined liquids. While I was scanning the shelves, which were packed with jars of every size and color, an unfamiliar, weathered voice called out from the back of the room.
“Welcome, dear customer. How may I help you?”
I turned toward the voice and saw a man standing behind a counter covered in glass beakers and copper tubing. He possessed the pointed ears and slender features characteristic of an Elf, though his face was lined with the marks of many years. I wasn't entirely sure how elven lifespans compared to those of humans in this world, but he had the gravitas and appearance of a man in his fifties.
***
Thalanor
Race: Elf
Sex: Male
Status: Old
Equipment:
Leather Gloves
Leather Footwear
Silver Ring?
Mithril Amulet?
Job: Alchemist Lvl 45
***
“Hello. I am looking for potions and medicines,” I said, keeping my request brief and direct.
“Very well, you are at the right place then,” Thalanor replied, his voice calm and melodic. He began to step around the counter, gesturing toward the various rows of vials. As he spoke, I couldn't help but wonder about the logistics of his profession. I knew from Naela that Alchemy was an advancement of the Herbalist job, and I wondered if he still personally handled the more mundane task of gathering and refining herbs.
“Are you the one who made these medicines?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“No, sir. My apprentice made them,” Thalanor said, his expression softening slightly. “I mostly leave this kind of task to her so she can develop her skills. To become an Alchemist, one must first learn to work hard and understand the base materials as a Herbalist.”
He spoke with the quiet pride of a father discussing his child.
“She’s not an Alchemist yet? Is she currently a Herbalist, then?” I asked.
“Yes. She is a Herbalist who tries to become an Alchemist and yet does not succeed... at least not yet,” he admitted. He then turned toward a curtained doorway leading to a rear laboratory. “Naska! Come here!”
I heard a sudden, frantic series of footsteps—tap-tap-tap-tap—approaching from the back. A moment later, a girl burst into the room, looking slightly out of breath as if she had been in the middle of a delicate procedure.
“Master! I am here. What did you call me for?”
***
Naska
Race: Wolfkin
Sex: Female
Status: Normal
Equipment:
Leather Gloves
Leather Footwear
Silver Ring
Job: Herbalist Lvl 25
***
Naska appeared to be around the age of a high school student. The moment she entered the room, the sharp, herbal fragrance of the shop seemed to double, as if the scents of her work were embedded in her very clothes.
“Come,” Thalanor said, gesturing toward me. “There is a customer looking for medicine. Since you are the one who prepared our current stock, it is only appropriate that you be the one to present them.”
“Yes, master!” Naska replied. She turned to me and offered a polite, business-like bow. “Welcome, sir. If you would excuse me, I shall show you what we have.”
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I had expected an eccentric, wide-eyed girl obsessed with bubbling cauldrons, but Naska was surprisingly professional. She had a clear head on her shoulders and spoke with the practiced ease of an expert. She guided me through their inventory, explaining that they carried three primary types of recovery aids: HP (Health), MP (Mana), and SP (Stamina). Within those categories, there were clear distinctions in quality and function.
She explained that medicines were generally preferred for long-term treatment. A low-quality HP medicine was only slightly more effective than a standard bandage, but a high-quality one could increase the body’s natural recovery rate to the point where an injury’s healing time was cut by two-thirds, provided it was taken consistently.
Potions, on the other hand, were for the heat of the moment. They provided an instant "burst" of healing or restoration, followed by a shorter-duration recovery boost. Naska warned me that while I could drink potions back-to-back for the instant healing effect, the secondary recovery-speed buffs did not stack. If I took two different medicines or potions, only the most powerful recovery-speed bonus would remain active.
I carefully examined the provided descriptions for the HP-based items to understand the scaling.
***
Low-level HP Medicine
Increase HP recovery speed by 20%
12 hours effective
***
***
Mid-level HP Medicine
Increase HP recovery speed by 100%
18 hours effective
***
***
High-level HP Medicine
Increase HP recovery speed by 200%
24 hours effective
***
***
Low-level HP Potion
Increase HP by 10 instantly
Increase HP recovery speed by 50%
1 hour effective
***
***
Mid-level HP Potion
Increase HP by 50 instantly
Increase HP recovery speed by 150%
1.5 hours effective
***
***
High-level HP Potion
Increase HP by 200 instantly
Increase HP recovery speed by 300%
2 hours effective
***
The difference in power was stark, as were the prices. The SP and MP medicines followed the same percentage logic as the HP versions, though the instant recovery amount for the potions was exactly half. A high-level SP potion would restore 100 SP instantly instead of 200, but it would still grant the massive 300% recovery speed boost.
Naska broke down the costs for me: Medicines: Low-level for 20 copper, mid-level for 2 silver, and high-level for 10 silver. Potions: Low-level for 10 silver, mid-level for 1 gold, and high-level for a staggering 10 gold.
They also offered stat-boosting potions, but the prices were even more astronomical, and I didn't feel I needed them yet. After a moment of calculation, I decided to build a modest emergency kit. I purchased six mid-level HP medicines, two mid-level MP medicines, and two mid-level SP medicines. To supplement these, I bought two low-level HP potions and one low-level MP potion for emergencies. The total came to exactly fifty silver coins.
It was a significant investment—half a gold coin—but as I left the shop, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. The high-level potions were currently beyond my means, but knowing they existed gave me a new level of confidence. If I had enough gold, I could effectively survive even a lethal blow.
By the time I arrived back at the inn, the sun had already begun its descent, dying the sky in deep, bruised reds and oranges. Even though I had left the dungeon earlier than usual today, my errands had taken up most of the afternoon. I was satisfied, however; I had completed my tasks without a hitch. My hunger was beginning to gnaw at me again, so I headed straight for the common room and ordered my dinner.
The meal was as ordinary as a cheap inn could provide—thick bread and a savory, if unrefined, stew. It was enough to fill the void in my stomach. Once I had finished, I retreated to my room on the second floor. Stephen soon arrived with my hot water and a fresh towel, and I spent a long time washing away the grime of the sixth floor. I moved slowly, savoring the warmth as the tension finally left my muscles. I changed into my comfortable sleeping clothes and lay back on the straw mattress.
I had done what I could with external tools, but I knew I still needed a more permanent solution for my self-sustainability. My first choice for a healing job was still the Priest, but Naela had made it clear how difficult that was to acquire. For a solo raider, the Monk was arguably the superior choice anyway, as it combined frontline combat capability with self-healing skills.
I’ll try to get the Monk job tomorrow, I resolved. If the qualification was simply defeating monsters with my bare hands, I was confident I could manage it on the lower floors. It was a practical solution to a dangerous problem, especially after the scare with the wolves earlier today.
But there was one more thing I wanted to test before I slept: my Regeneration stat. I had never actually verified how it functioned because no one else in this world could perceive the literal numbers.
I opened my Player Window and began a temporary reallocation. I had 108 total points. I deactivated the Identify skill (25 points) and kept the Player Window (25 points) active. I stripped away all my other jobs, skills, and stat investments, except for the first job, then dumped 77 of the remaining 83 points into the Regeneration stat, increasing it from its base level to 16.
To test the effectiveness, I drew my steel sword and made a shallow, intentional scratch across my finger. Normally, a cut like that would take a full day to heal and close completely. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched the wound intently.
The results were fascinating. I could actually see the edges of the skin beginning to knit back together. It was moving slowly, but it was visible. I waited, and after exactly fifteen minutes, the scratch had vanished entirely, leaving only unscarred skin behind.
So, with a Regeneration of 16, my recovery speed increases by more than eighty times, I calculated.
It was an impressive jump, though I realized that reaching the levels of "instant" healing seen in potions would require a much higher stat—perhaps 30 or 40. I didn't have the points to spare for that now, but it was a vital piece of knowledge for the future.
Satisfied with the day’s work and the new data, I decided to leave my stats as they were until morning. The increased regeneration would help my body recover from the stress of the day and ensure the scratches on my shoulder were completely gone by dawn. I closed my eyes, the scent of the alchemist’s shop still lingering faintly in my mind, and drifted into a deep sleep.
[Edited]
