Chapter 19: The Spatial Pouch
After visiting both the Hall of Arcane Arts and the Old Bookshop, Elliott continued without hesitation.
His mind was now filled with new knowledge. The next step was to obtain the materials needed to put that knowledge into practice.
He swept through the markets of the slums and the herb shops of the commercial district once again.
Wherever he passed, ingredients disappeared from the stalls like crops consumed by a swarm of starving locusts.
His purchasing standards, however, were divided into two clear categories.
From the foul-smelling stalls of the slum market, he bought worthless herbs that the merchants were preparing to throw away. These would serve only as sacrifices for failure, ingredients used to gain proficiency.
From the respectable shops with proper signs, he carefully selected fresh mid-grade medicinal herbs.
Those were for producing the actual goods promised to the Hundred Herbs Apothecary.
By the time both his hands were filled with bundles, Elliott stopped in front of a general store.
His eyes fixed on a fist-sized gray pouch displayed deep inside the shop.
[Spatial Pouch]
[Rank: Lowest Grade, Lower Tier]
[Capacity: Approximately one and a half square meters]
[Description: Creates a small spatial compartment used to store objects. The space is narrow and unstable. Living creatures cannot be placed inside.]
It was an essential possession for Adepts and an object desired by nearly everyone.
A pouch capable of holding far more than its outward size suggested.
'Should I buy it?'
Elliott touched the pouch of mana stones hidden inside his clothes.
The Spatial Pouch cost one hundred mana stones.
That was nearly half of the money he would have left after repaying his debt.
With that amount, he could instead purchase a cultivation medicine that might help him advance his star rank.
In terms of increasing his immediate strength, that might appear more efficient.
Elliott soon shook his head.
'Swallowing one pill will not transform my mixed affinity into a Heavenly Affinity. A tiny increase in Mana Energy is less useful than owning a Spatial Pouch.'
He would need to carry large amounts of herbs and mana stones from now on.
He could not continue walking through the streets buried beneath bundles like a traveling peddler.
"I'll take it."
Elliott decisively paid one hundred mana stones.
The shopkeeper smiled so widely that the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears as he handed over the pouch.
"An excellent choice, sir. The space may be small, but this one is remarkably durable."
Elliott fastened the Spatial Pouch to his waist.
He had fewer mana stones, but the reassuring weight of the pouch made him feel wealthier.
In truth, he had simply become poorer.
After returning home, Elliott locked the door securely.
He took a short breath, then infused Mana Energy into the Spatial Pouch.
A low vibration filled the room as the spatial compartment opened.
The contents poured out.
Within moments, the cramped room was filled with piles of medicinal herbs. There was barely enough room left to place his feet.
Elliott looked over the ingredients with a satisfied smile.
"Good. Let's start earning money."
He immediately sat in front of the Bronze Furnace.
His goal for the day was clear.
He needed to learn how to produce the two additional medicines included in his contract with the Hundred Herbs Apothecary.
Antidote Pills and Vitality Pills.
He began with Venomleaf and Purging Herb, the ingredients used for Antidote Pills.
Both were lowest-grade materials purchased from the floor of the slum market. Their leaves were yellow, bruised, and beginning to rot.
"Let's burn them."
Elliott swept the ingredients into the furnace with practiced movements.
Flame control?
Ingredient proportions?
Such things were unnecessary luxuries.
The flames surged.
[Alchemy failed!]
[The poison was not neutralized. Highly toxic gas has been produced.]
[Trait, Infinite Proficiency, activated!]
[Proficiency greatly increased!]
Thick purple smoke rose from the furnace.
Elliott covered his nose with his sleeve and coughed. His eyes stung, and his throat felt dry and raw.
His gaze, however, shone brightly.
'So that is how the poison is controlled.'
Knowledge accumulated inside his mind with every failure.
He began to understand how the toxicity of Venomleaf was neutralized by the purifying properties of Purging Herb, and how the heat produced during that process had to be controlled.
[Alchemy failed!]
[Alchemy failed!]
[Alchemy failed!]
Dozens of failures followed.
The room became filled with poisonous fumes and the smell of burning herbs, but Elliott's hands never stopped moving.
Then, at last, a clear notification rang out.
Ding!
[Congratulations!]
[Antidote Pill Production proficiency has surpassed the critical threshold.]
[Rank increased: Novice → Skilled]
"Good. I understand it now."
Without resting, Elliott immediately moved to the next medicine.
This time, he prepared the ingredients for Vitality Pills.
Vitality Pills strengthened the body's energy and possessed properties completely opposite to those of Antidote Pills.
[Alchemy failed!]
[The medicinal energies collided and caused an explosion.]
Bang!
A small explosion shook the lid of the furnace.
Soot covered Elliott's face, but he merely wiped it away with a grin.
'I should not suppress the energy. I need to amplify it.'
Every failure pointed toward the correct answer.
An explosion meant that the medicinal energy had been compressed too much.
If the mixture became weak and useless, the heat had been insufficient.
The system revealed what had gone wrong, allowing him to work backward toward the correct method.
Ding!
[Congratulations!]
[Vitality Pill Production proficiency has increased.]
[Rank: Skilled]
Blood-Staunching Powder, Antidote Pills, and Vitality Pills.
He had now gained a proper grasp of all three basic products.
Elliott stretched and rolled his stiff neck until several cracks sounded.
"Now, let's start producing money."