Chapter 124: Trouble Comes Knocking

Most of Kei’s ideas stemmed from items that had existed in his old world. He knew this was precisely what set him apart from the other Craftsmen of this realm.

Thus, whenever he encountered a new material, he would instinctively ponder its potential applications within a magical framework.

Herbs could be brewed into potions.

Certain special plant species could even serve as raw materials for forging gear.

Kei sat in the middle of the garden within his private space, a vibrant assortment of leaves and flowers laid out before him. He picked up a deep-red leaf, slowly rotating it under the light.

"An equipment-enhancement potion..."

Kei’s eyes suddenly lit up.

That was an incredibly popular potion among adventurers back in his old world. Once applied to a weapon or armor, it bolstered the gear’s power while increasing its durability, rendering it far less susceptible to damage during combat.

Back when he was still a member of the Hero’s party, Kei had been forced to brew this potion constantly, mostly because Daniel always demanded he prepare a mountain of it before every single battle.

"Kei, do you have any enhancement potions left?"

"Kei, my sword is about to break!"

"Kei, this is definitely going to be the final battle. Give me three more bottles!"

Those memories surfaced abruptly in his mind.

Kei let out a quiet sigh.

Daniel never knew the meaning of "enough." As the party’s mage, Kei had always been dragged along to accommodate every single one of the man’s relentless demands.

Yet, thanks to that ordeal, he had brewed that particular potion countlessly. He could distinguish every single ingredient needed to craft it with his eyes closed.

"Surely someone in this world will need it too."

Action followed thought; Kei immediately set to work on his research.

However, he didn’t rush into mixing the herbs together. Doing so would only waste them, after all, they had been cultivated at the cost of his precious, meager mana.

Though the ingredients inside his space looked similar to the herbs from his old world, their underlying properties could be entirely different.

A leaf capable of soothing mana in his former world might very well act as a catalyst to stimulate a Hunter’s energy in this one.

Without careful testing, a single misstep could ruin the entire batch of materials.

Kei crushed the leaves one by one, dripping the extracts onto energy stones before observing their reactions. He meticulously recorded each herb’s color, stability, and behavioral properties.

From time to time, he would infuse a small trace of Hunter energy to test whether the material reacted with this world’s power in the exact manner he intended.

Just like that, two days flew by.

Throughout that entire time, Kei barely stepped foot out of his crafting room. Kim Sora brought him meals several times, but most of it sat neglected in a corner until it went cold.

Kei was completely immersed in the mountain of herbs before him.

He remained oblivious to the fact that it was gradually growing noisy outside the shop, completely unaware that two guests had been waiting for him for quite a while.

"Kei!"

Finally, Sora couldn’t take it anymore. She burst into the crafting room, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him outside, dragging him furiously down toward the storefront.

"Don’t pull me out right now, Sora! I’m on the verge of figuring out the pattern for the Black Light Leaf, and the recipe for the new Potion is right in the middle of—"

"You’ve been saying that since yesterday morning!"

Sora gritted her teeth, using all her strength to drag Kei out of the room.

"There are customers waiting outside! Besides, if you keep locking yourself in there, you’re going to turn into a plant sooner or later!"

Brought to the front counter, Kei froze, staring in surprise at the person who had appeared before him. It was Lucas, a Hunter from the Zootopia Guild whom he had met twice at Thunder’s shop.

*Why did this guy suddenly come looking for me?*

*Could there be something wrong with the Purifying Ring’s formula?* Thinking about this made Kei feel a bit anxious, wondering if he had made a mistake somewhere.

Lucas stood in front of the counter, his face a picture of sheer embarrassment.

Beside him sat a white-haired man, sprawled lazily across the sofa in an utterly arrogant posture. The man’s bright blue eyes were half-lidded, his expression dull and bored, as if nothing in the entire world was worth his attention.

He let out a long yawn.

Kei looked at Lucas guardedly and asked, "How did you find the location of my shop?"

Lucas looked even more flustered.

"Well... I asked Thunder for your address."

Lucas had gone to find Thunder early in the morning, braving Thunder’s glare to wring Kei’s address out of him. He had even been forced to repeatedly promise that he and Hwang Do-hyun were coming in good faith, not to cause trouble.

"Why come looking for me here instead of going to Thunder?" Kei asked, casting Lucas a strange look.

What could his little shop possibly have that would draw someone like Lucas here? Did he come with a specific hidden agenda?

Kei glanced toward the white-haired man on the sofa. Lucas bringing along someone he had never met before made him curious about the man’s identity.

"My shop only does retail. If you want to place a bulk order, Thunder would be a much better fit. My shop doesn’t have much inventory." Kei spoke cautiously to Lucas.

"Well, about that..." Lucas scratched his head. "I think you’re the only one who can help us with this."

Before Kei could even ask what the issue was, the white-haired man rose to his feet. His tall frame closed the distance instantly, looming beside him.

Leaning down, the man twitched his nose near the crook of Kei’s neck, sniffing at him like a dog catching the scent of food.