Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

Chapter 43: in Exchange for Power

"Uh..."

As time passed, Stan could clearly feel his bones gradually mending inside his body.

A tingling sensation swept through him, and he couldn't help but groan.

"Strange, could this pill really be so miraculous?" Lace watched Stan's transformation, a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

He wanted to examine further but feared interrupting the treatment, so he continued to wait patiently.

After another quarter of an hour, when the last of Stan's broken bones had fused, Meylan finally withdrew his magic.

"Your injuries are healed. Stand up," Meylan said, looking at Stan.

"Am I... am I really healed?"

Stan asked in disbelief.

He found that he could now speak again.

Moreover, there was no pain in his body; instead, he felt a comforting warmth.

Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Stan slowly rose from the stretcher.

At first, he was cautious, but once he confirmed that he was truly fine, he couldn't resist jumping up and down.

"Hahaha! I'm completely healed, not a trace of pain left."

Stan laughed heartily.

He had never imagined that one day he would value having a healthy body so much.

Even though he had only been crippled for less than a day, the experience had been unbearable, and he knew he would never forget it.

"Impossible! The Second Prince's injuries were so severe, yet he healed in just about a quarter of an hour. This is unbelievable!"

"Could this pill be better than potions? I went to that shop before, and the prices were steep."

"If the pill is truly on par with potions, then it being expensive makes sense. Potions aren't cheap either."

Lace hurried to Stan's side, grabbing his wrist to check him.

"Second Prince, please allow me to examine you," Lace said.

Stan didn't resist, worried himself that there might be lingering aftereffects.

"Master, what do you think?"

Stan asked, a bit worried, after about a minute had passed.

"Strange, you're completely healed, without a single issue. How is this possible?"

Lace muttered with a frown.

Hearing this, Stan couldn't help but feel irritated.

Was he disappointed that I'm healed? Do you want me to stay a cripple?

Nat then turned toward Stan.

Seeing that Stan had truly recovered, a flicker of disappointment flashed in Nat's eyes. It would've been better if he had died.

"First Prince, it seems I've won the bet," Sylvus said.

"Boss, a bet is a bet. I will personally deliver the ten billion magic crystals to your shop within three days," Nat replied, his gaze shifting back to Stan.

"Second Brother, I'm glad you're healed. It's a relief," Nat said with a smile.

"Brother, I'll be sure to thank you properly when I get the chance," Stan replied, also smiling, but with a glint of coldness in his eyes.

"Since you've recovered, I won't stay any longer. I'll leave the care of the soldiers to you, Second Brother. I need to go and figure out how to gather the ten billion magic crystals."

With that, Nat turned and left with his men.

He had no reason to stay any longer.

Besides, there were still many more soldiers to heal, which meant more expenses.

He certainly didn't plan on covering the bill for his dear brother.

"Boss, can you wait a moment? I didn't bring money with me today, so I need to go fetch it," Stan asked, looking at Sylvus.

Stan, of course, didn't want to spend his own money to heal his soldiers.

A billion magic crystals! He'd have to empty his entire private stash to come up with that amount.

But with so many people watching, if he didn't save his soldiers, his reputation would take a hit.

"Of course, take your time. But if you run, I won't mind crippling you again," Sylvus said with a smile.

Stan's heart skipped a beat, and with an awkward chuckle, he quickly hurried off.

The crowd remained where they were, quietly waiting for Stan to return.

About half an hour later, Stan returned to the shop with a group of over a hundred people in tow.

"Boss, this is all I've got. Please see if it's enough to buy the pills and heal my soldiers, as well as restore their powers."

Sylvus took the magic storage ring and inspected its contents. Inside were over 1500 million magic crystals, enough for the pills.

"It's enough. Meylan, give him the pills."

Sylvus put away the crystals and instructed Meylan.

Meylan nodded and handed the various pills to Stan, explaining how to use them.

After about ten minutes of instructions, Stan finally understood everything.

"Everyone, take these people back. We'll begin the treatment soon."

Stan ordered the hundred or so people who had followed him to carry the injured soldiers back.

Soon, the group left the alley.

Lace, however, didn't leave. Instead, he approached Sylvus.

"Boss, earlier I was too shortsighted. I sincerely apologize for my behavior."

Lace bowed deeply to Sylvus, surprising him.

Sylvus had assumed that someone of Lace's status would be arrogant, but it seemed the old man had decent character.

"It's fine."

Sylvus waved his hand nonchalantly.

He hadn't taken it seriously anyway, and with ten billion magic crystals earned, he was too happy to care.

"Boss, I have another request," Lace said hesitantly.

"Let's hear it," Sylvus replied.

"Boss, would you consider taking me as a disciple? I'd like to learn how to make these pills."

Lace asked earnestly.

"Become your disciple?"

Hearing Lace's request, Sylvus was taken aback for a moment.

He hadn't expected the old man to ask to be his disciple.

The problem was, Sylvus didn't even know how to make pills!

"Boss, if you are willing to take me as your disciple, I'm willing to give you all of my life's savings," Lace said, taking off his magic storage ring and handing it to Sylvus.

With curiosity, Sylvus accepted it.

When he saw what was inside, he couldn't help but be shocked.

"This old man is incredibly wealthy! Just in magic crystals, he has seventy billion! Not to mention all the magical materials and potions—his total wealth definitely exceeds a hundred billion," Sylvus thought.

He hadn't expected the old man, who looked as though he was on the verge of death, to be a billionaire!

Though this seemed like a fortune, it was average for an Eighth-Tier Alchemist.

After all, making an Eighth-Tier potion could cost over a million magic crystals.

And Lace had been alive for so many years.

"Boss, this is all I have. If you think it's not enough, I... I'll try to find more," Lace said, looking at Sylvus.

Sylvus' mouth twitched at this.

Listen to him! Is he asking to become a disciple, or is he trying to show off his wealth?

If Sylvus knew how to make pills, he wouldn't have minded taking Lace as a disciple.

After all, we're talking about tens of billions of magic crystals! Who would turn down that kind of money?

But, unfortunately, Sylvus didn't know how to make pills, so it seemed like he had no chance of getting those billions of crystals.

"Wait, the money's already in my hand! How can I just let it slip away?" Sylvus suddenly narrowed his eyes, thinking of a way to swindle those billions.

"Tell me first why you want to become my disciple," Sylvus asked, looking at Lace.

"Boss, to be honest, I've been making potions since I was a child. It's been over a hundred years, but my talent is limited, and I've never been able to break through the barrier to becoming a Ninth-Tier Alchemist," Lace explained.

"And now I see that your pills are far more miraculous than potions. That's why I want to become your disciple and learn how to make them."

Sylvus understood.

So, Lace wanted to take a different path because he had lost hope of reaching the Ninth-Tier as an Alchemist.

Now that Sylvus knew his reasoning, he had a plan to extract those billions of crystals.

"Taking you as a disciple is impossible. My skills are passed down to only one successor," Sylvus said as he tossed the magic storage ring back to Lace.

"Passed down to only one successor?"

Lace frowned.

He glanced at Meylan, wondering if the old assistant was the sole disciple of Sylvus.

Meylan's eyes lit up at those words.

Could the boss be planning to teach him the art of pill-making?

"How could I have missed that? With the boss's abilities, why would he need me as a shop assistant? He doesn't need that million magic crystals. He must be planning to take me as his disciple!" Meylan thought, feeling a pang of regret.

Why hadn't he realized it earlier?

He knew Sylvus wouldn't be able to bring himself to ask Meylan to be his disciple.

Of course, Sylvus had no idea that his offhand comment had sparked such thoughts in both Lace and Meylan.

At that moment, Sylvus was busy figuring out how to get Lace's money.

"Although I can't take you as a disciple and teach you how to make pills, I can help you become a Ninth-Tier Alchemist," Sylvus said, looking at Lace.

"What? You can make me a Ninth-Tier Alchemist?" Lace, who had been disappointed, couldn't believe his ears.

He had been an Eighth-Tier Alchemist for more than a decade, working tirelessly without any success in creating Ninth-Tier potions. He knew all too well how difficult it was.

But now?

This man was saying he could make him a Ninth-Tier Alchemist.

If anyone else had said that, Lace would have slapped them, thinking they didn't understand the difficulty.

Becoming a Ninth-Tier Alchemist was not easy.

But since it was Sylvus who said it, Lace believed him.

"Of course. I have a pill in my shop that won't directly make you a Ninth-Tier Alchemist, but it can enhance your talent. With improved talent, becoming a Ninth-Tier Alchemist will be within your reach," Sylvus said with a smile.

"Boss, are you serious? There's really a pill that can improve my talent?" Lace asked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He was over a hundred years old now.

He was lucky if his talent wasn't deteriorating. The idea of improving it seemed impossible.

Even a Ninth-Tier potion would have little effect on him at this age.

"Meylan, bring out a Ninth-Tier Sanqing Pill!" Sylvus ordered.

"Sanqing Pill?" Meylan was surprised. He had been in the shop long enough to know about all the pills.

The Sanqing Pill was one of the best.

Its price alone was over a billion magic crystals.

Meylan soon returned with a purple pill and handed it to Lace.

The pill radiated a purple light.

Every time it pulsed, it seemed to make Lace's heart skip a beat.

The pill felt almost alive.

"The Ninth-Tier Sanqing Pill. One pill costs five billion magic crystals. It contains the power of a Ruler of Magic. After taking it, your talent will be greatly enhanced," Sylvus explained.

"Even a complete waste could become a genius. Although you're old, it will still be effective. Want to give it a try?"

Sylvus asked, looking at Lace.

Originally, Sylvus wanted to say that the Sanqing Pill contained "Primordial Qi."

But he figured no one in this world would understand what Primordial Qi was.

It was easier to say it contained the power of a Ruler of Magic.

"Boss, are you serious?" Lace's eyes sparkled as he stared at the Sanqing Pill.

...