As Aaron sighs by the door, a voice calls out.

  “Hey, Aaron! Aaron!”

  Aaron looks up to see Landon, the leader of the Silver Fox Hunter Group, rubbing his hands together eagerly and looking right at him.

  Just as Aaron is about to reply, Bruce comes running over, panting.

  “Aaron, where’s Master?”

  Aaron points inside. “He’s ‘chatting with’ Hall Master Kaviz.”

  “That’s good. Junior brother, Hall Master Kaviz didn’t threaten you, did he? Don’t worry—with your Master and senior brothers backing you up, you’re safe!” Bruce asks with genuine concern.

  In his eyes, his junior brother just joined the Potion Hall, clueless about the scheming among pharmacists, and not very outspoken, definitely no match for a sly old “fox” like Kaviz.

  “No, nothing like that. Thanks for your concern, senior brother. By the way, was it you who informed Master?”

  “Yeah! When I saw Hall Master Kaviz looking for you, I hurried to notify Master. Luckily, I made it in time!” Bruce waves his hand, acting like it’s no big deal.

  A flicker of helplessness crosses Aaron’s face.

  He really feels stuck with this senior brother.

  Although Bruce sometimes complicates things, his intentions are good.

  Bruce’s been really kind to him lately.

  He often brings potion textbooks and shares his own potion-making insights.

  Worried Aaron might struggle to adjust, he frequently drops by with fruits, specialty treats, and the like.

  “Junior brother, you passed the assessment—and you scored an S grade,” Bruce reports with a big smile.

  He’s genuinely surprised by Aaron’s talent in potion-making.

  To get the usually picky Master Scott to go to save him, Bruce knows Aaron’s skills can’t be low.

  But passing the test this quickly , and with an S grade? That really blows him away.

  More than shocked, Bruce feels proud. After all, he’s been looking out for Aaron all along.

  It’s like watching his own little brother succeed.

  Aaron nods slightly, realizing why Kaviz was so eager with him earlier.

  Bruce then turns to Landon and asks, “Landon, do you have business here?”

  “Well, Aaron just became a senior apprentice and probably lacks herbs to practice with. I’m here seeking a cooperation opportunity,” Landon replies.

  Seeing Bruce, Landon inwardly groans.

  If he were negotiating with Aaron alone, he wouldn’t have to pay too much.

  After all, Aaron comes from the wilderness and doesn’t know the ins and outs.

  But with the experienced Bruce around, this deal’s going to cost a fortune.

  “Cooperation...” Bruce thinks for a moment and nods. “Hmm, that could work.”

  Normally, a Hall Master has plenty of resources, and his disciples wouldn’t need to team up with a hunter group.

  But Master Scott spends all his time locked in the lab, focused on research.

  He doesn’t take potion orders from outside, so his monthly herb quota goes mostly used.

  “Let’s go to my office to discuss.”

  “Alright.”

  Inside the office, the three sit down.

  Aaron takes a sip of water and takes the initiative to ask, “Landon, how do you want to cooperate?”

  Landon replies, “Aaron, you pick the potion. We’ll supply you with thirty batches of herbs per month based on the potion recipe. How does that sound? Usually, the hunter groups offer between fifteen to twenty batches, so this price is already quite high.”

  Aaron glances at Bruce, unsure about the so-called market rates.

  Their eyes meet, and Bruce gives a slight nod, signaling Aaron to let him handle the negotiation.

  Bruce smiles at Landon and says, “Landon, this offer lacks sincerity. You must know my junior brother’s S-grade rating. With Aaron talent, if new gets out that he wants thirty batches of herbs monthly, there are definitely many hunter groups willing to cooperate.”

  Landon chuckles awkwardly before responding, “That may be true, but here in Bert City, the capable hunter groups already have multiple partners. Even if they promise the same terms, they might not always deliver the full amount each month, and the herb quality varies.”

  “Currently, among the large hunter groups, we’re the only one without a partner. I guarantee we can supply the full amount every month—and ensure the quality.”

  The Silver Fox Hunter Group used to have two partners, but their contracts expired a few months ago and weren’t renewed.

  They are indeed the only large hunter group in Bert City without a cooperation partner.

  “I’m well aware of what you said, but with my junior brother’s talent, securing priority supply shouldn’t be difficult,” Bruce counters. “Your offer just isn’t sincere enough!”

  Landon gives a wry smile. “Alright then, Bruce, you can set the price.”

  “How about this—we’ve known each other a long time. Fifty batches of herbs per month. Deal?” Bruce throws out a bold number.

  “Fifty batches? Bruce, are you joking? The cost for one batch of herbs is around 500 gold coins. Fifty batches would be 25,000 gold—that’s way too high,” Landon says incredulously.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  “Hold on, Landon, don’t reject it so quickly. You know my junior brother’s talent. Investing now will definitely pay off later. Plus, I recently managed to brew a Level 1 potion myself. If you need Level 1 potions in the future, I can supply one per month at cost price,” Bruce replies with a smile.

  Landon’s eyes flicker thoughtfully.

  Buying a finished Level 1 potion usually costs between 5,000 to 10,000 gold coins, depending on the difficulty.

  But the herb cost to brew one is only about 500 gold. As long as Bruce isn’t bad, four or five batches of herbs should reliably produce one potion.

  All told, the deal is still pricier than the usual hunter group-apprentice cooperation rates in the market, but it’s not unacceptable.

  As for Bruce’s capability, Landon has no doubts.

  After all, Master Scott is one of the top three pharmacists in Bert City, so his disciple carries a good reputation and solid skills.

  “Alright then, let’s sign the contract!”

  Landon pulls out a contract he prepared earlier, fills in the agreed quantity in the blank space, and signs it before handing it to Aaron.

  Aaron and Bruce both review it carefully. Confirming everything is in order, Aaron signs his name as well.

  With the deal sealed, both parties are satisfied.

  For Aaron, no other hunter group in the market can offer a better deal.

  Most other groups already have several partners.

  But the Silver Fox Hunter Group is dedicating their full strength to support Aaron.

  For the Silver Fox Hunter Group, they’re equally pleased.

  They’re betting on Aaron’s bright future.

  “Aaron, what kind of potion are you planning to brew? I want to prepare in advance.”

  “Calm Potion.”

  “What? Calm Potion?”

  Landon’s smile from signing the contract just now freezes on his face.

  “Yeah, what’s wrong?” Aaron looks innocent, as if clueless.

  Bruce watches his junior brother’s expression and understands immediately—his pure little brother doesn’t know the market situation.

  “Junior brother, Calm Potion is a high-end Level 1 potion. The herb cost is double the usual.”

  “Oh! Really? But the contract says the pharmacist can choose any Level 1 potion herbs. Isn’t Calm Potion a Level 1 potion?”

  “Uh…”

  Bruce is momentarily stunned. There seems to be no mistake.

  “Aaron, this kind of potion is very difficult to brew. For a beginner apprentice trying potions for the first time, the failure rate is extremely high. It’s not suitable for practice!”

  Landon nearly spits “blood”.

  The contract does say the pharmacist chooses the Level 1 potion.

  But normally, apprentices pick the simplest potion to start with.

  Choosing a difficult potion wastes the hunter group’s money and the apprentice’s time.

  It’s a lose-lose situation.

  “Senior brother, I want to give it a try.”

  Aaron looks at Bruce with firm determination.

  Seeing this, Bruce softens.

  After all, his junior brother is exceptionally talented.

  Which genius isn’t ambitious and proud?

  He was the same way.

  When he first became an apprentice, he insisted on brewing the hardest potions first as well.

  He wanted to complete a tough challenge to prove himself.

  Only after hitting a wall and facing reality did he obediently start from the simplest potions.

  Though Bruce wants to tell Aaron it’s better to start simple, he can’t bring himself to dampen Aaron’s enthusiasm.

  Some lessons have to be learned firsthand to leave a deep impression.

  Unfortunately, it means the Silver Fox Hunter Group will bear more cost.

  “Landon, although Calm Potion has a high cost, its semi-finished product sells for a high price too. As long as my junior brother brews a few batches, you won’t be at a loss,” Bruce says.

  Landon feels like he’s about to spit “blood”.

  How can that be the same?

  With simple potions, you can recoup some costs early by selling semi-finished products.

  But Calm Potion? Even a Level 1 pharmacist wouldn’t guarantee they can brew it successfully.

  Recouping costs from Aaron’s Calm Potion brewing is a distant dream.

  “Landon, the contract’s already signed… you can’t just back out now, right?” Aaron asks, confused.

  His pure black eyes seem to say: Landon, the contract’s done. Too late to regret now.

  “It counts, it counts,” Landon replies with hollow eyes.

  Right now, he just hopes Aaron will give up early after trying for a month.

  But then he thinks about that boy who fought desperately in the snowy forest, killing Sam against all odds.

  He suddenly feels hopeless.

  This kid is stubborn as hell!

  He vaguely sees that for a long time to come, he’ll be working for Aaron.

  “Aaron, you have to get promoted to pharmacist soon!” Landon grips Aaron’s hand tightly.

  One batch of Calm Potion herbs costs about a thousand gold coins. Fifty batches a month means fifty thousand gold.

  His heart bleeds.

  ……

  Night falls.

  Aaron, carrying the joy of signing the contract with the Silver Fox Hunter Group, steps into Master Scott’s home.

  In these past few months, while the mental drain from the superpower seed isn’t too severe, he’s been rushing to brew Calm Potions.

  Once he succeeds in brewing enough Calm Potions, the superpower seed might finally awaken.

  Master Scott’s residence isn’t far from Aaron’s place.

  It’s far more impressive than where Aaron lives.

  Passing through the yard, Aaron reaches the villa’s front door, but the joy on his face instantly shifts to sorrow.

  “Master! I finally get to see you!”

  Before stepping inside, Aaron calls out loudly.

  Master Scott is reading his book. Seeing Aaron’s entrance with sorrowful expression, his face darkens.

  Aaron pretends not to notice Master Scott’s cold expression.

  “Master, Hall Master Kaviz is really over the line! Even after I revealed I have a master who’s brilliant, extraordinary, and treats me like a son, he still threatens and coerces me! Forced by his relentless pressure, I had to pretend to comply until you came to rescue me. You have to believe me! My loyalty to you is as clear as the sun!”

  Aaron speaks with emotional intensity.

  Master Scott remains unmoved, even sneering coldly.

  “Isn’t it time to give everything for Kaviz during the day?”

  “You must have misheard, Master. In this life, I only give everything for you.”

  Aaron replies with unwavering certainty.

  Master Scott responds coldly: “Your friend, Twist—I sent people to look for him. He’s probably not dead. There are three sets of footprints in the snow. Two sets go halfway then return; those likely belong to the pursuers. The farthest set is probably Twist’s. At the place where his footprints stop, there are vehicle tracks—he was likely rescued by someone.”

  “Oh, and the person who sold you to the Rhine Consortium—the one with the pockmarked face—is dead. He died a couple of days ago,” Master Scott adds suddenly.

  Aaron freezes for a moment.

  In an instant, his expression turns completely blank.

  All the sorrow, anger, and certainty vanish.

  He becomes like a still pool of water—utterly calm and motionless.

  After locking eyes with Master Scott for a few seconds, he bows with neither humility nor arrogance.

  “Thank you, Master.”

  Aaron had already suspected Twist wasn’t dead.

  The two chasing Twist were likely just ordinary people. Twist fled several hours earlier; it’s no surprise they couldn’t catch him.

  Master Scott revealing information about Twist and the pockmarked person shows he had someone investigate.

  How much effort that took, Aaron doesn’t know.

  But he understands two things clearly: Twist is alive, and the person with pockmarked face is dead. Both are extremely important to him.

  “Only today do I hear some genuine sincerity in your calling of ‘Master,’” Master Scott glances at Aaron.

  As Master Scott digs deeper into Aaron’s background, his surprise grows.

  The only chance Aaron had to learn potion-making at the Mystery Tungsten Mine was from a mid-level apprentice from Rhine who’d been exiled there.

  That apprentice only stayed a little over a year before being assassinated.

  From the time Master Rhine was sent to the mine until now, it’s been just over two years.

  In that short span, Aaron has mastered all the basics of potion-making.

  What’s more shocking is that after just over a month of exposure to basic formulas, Aaron scored an S-grade in the advanced apprentice assessment.

  Master Scott is stunned by Aaron’s talent in potion-making, it’s really nothing short of terrifying.

  This disciple he took on a whim has given him a huge surprise.

  Looking at the expressionless Aaron, Master Scott frowns.

  “What’s wrong? Have you lost your tongue?”

  “Thinking about the past… sometimes, when you wear so many masks, you forget which one is your true self.”

  Aaron’s eyes flicker with a trace of confusion.

  Aaron recalls he never liked to smile—born with a zombie-like face, he always avoided showing too much expression.

  At the orphanage, the director taught them to smile and act cute, all to sell them off.

  When forced by traffickers to beg on the streets, hunger and whipping taught him different faces.

  With old people, he played the pitiful.

  With women, he played the tragic.

  With men, he played the humble.

  He switched expressions on demand, depending on the situation.

  This habit, born from fear, has become instinct.

  “Whichever feels relax is probably your true self,” Master Scott says.

  “The relax… that’s still… Master, please accept my bow. Thank you for overlooking my faults.”

  Aaron grins, smiling brightly.