After rewarding himself with two full days of uninterrupted sleep for completing the Major Law of Darkness, Robin finally emerged from his room with a long yawn.
"Haah~ It's been a while since I slept this well."
"Good morning, Big Brother," Zara said brightly, rushing to greet him with a smile.
"Good morning. How's your drawing practice going?" Robin asked, returning the smile.
"It's not bad! What are you going to do today, Big Brother? Is there something I can help you with?"
"…I don't know." Robin scratched his head. "Whenever I finish a big piece of research, I feel… empty."
Zara stood quietly at his side, waiting for orders. Though Robin told her to call him "Big Brother," she had not forgotten her status.
"Never mind~ I'll go for a walk in the market. You can go back to your drawing. Peon, bring all the money we have and come with me. We're going shopping!"
Robin's first destination was a familiar one: the restaurant he had visited after his first victory. Without realizing it, celebrating his achievements with a hearty meal had become a habit.
He and Peon were still eating when voices from a nearby table caught his attention.
"The Spirit Revitalizing Pill is amazing! Gives me an extra hour or two of work every day."
"Haha, didn't I tell you? They say if you want to shine in your field, you must sacrifice sleep. That's what the pill does—literally! Even if you're about to collapse, one dose clears your mind for two hours."
"Hmm, though I thought its effects would be better for the price."
"Not at all! Twenty gold coins for two hours of productivity is cheap. You can earn back far more than that if you're finishing important work."
Robin's ears perked up. His chopsticks froze midair. The two speakers looked like weak cultivators, second or third level at best, yet they sat comfortably in this expensive restaurant and spoke of gold coins with ease. Clearly, they belonged to large families, untalented in cultivation but gifted in politics or the arts.
But Robin wasn't interested in them. His focus locked on the pill they mentioned—and its outrageous price. Twenty gold coins for two hours? That's more than the monthly allowance I once received in the Burton family!
He smirked. "Come on, Peon. I've found our next goal."
On the streets, Robin asked for the largest pill shop in the city and soon arrived at its grand entrance.
"Welcome, young master. How may I assist you?" a neatly dressed girl asked with a polite bow.
"I'd like to know more about the Spirit Revitalizing Pill," Robin said with a smile. "I heard from a friend it's quite effective."
"An excellent choice. The Spirit Revitalizing Pill is made with a blend of natural herbs, the primary ingredient being ginseng leaves aged twenty to thirty years. All components are natural and leave no harmful effects on cultivation or mental health."
Robin cursed inwardly. Of course it doesn't cause harm—it's nothing but crushed plants. What's the difference between swallowing this and drinking herbal tea?!
"Ahem. And what about its effects at different levels of cultivation?" he asked.
The girl explained patiently: "The pill is most effective for those below the third level, granting an extra hour or two of wakefulness without fatigue. It is popular among young cultivators and politicians who need longer training or working hours.
"For those between the fourth and sixth levels, it offers less. Such cultivators can already resist sleep for two or three days, but the pill still provides mental clarity—especially valuable when attempting breakthroughs. The price is just twenty gold coins per pill."
Robin's eyes narrowed. "Hmm. Lovely. I'll take ten."
The girl's eyes lit up as she rushed to fetch a bottle of ten. So he's not just another poor boy looking for a chat with pretty attendants.
Robin wasn't finished. "Any other pills worth noting?"
"Of course! There are elemental affinity pills—pills that increase a person's compatibility with one of the Five Natural Paths. For example, Fire Pills are made of fiery herbs gathered near volcanoes. Each one costs two hundred gold coins. But, their effect diminishes as the cultivator rises in level, becoming almost useless beyond the eleventh."
"Two hundred gold coins to 'increase affinity' a little?" Robin nearly shouted. So eating water herbs helps you comprehend the Law of Water? Ridiculous! At most, these speed comprehension by a few days.
He quickly composed himself. "And next?"
"Then we have healing pills. Their effects and prices vary according to purity and ingredients. The cheapest we sell is one hundred gold coins—it increases natural healing by twenty percent for five days. The most expensive currently in stock costs two thousand gold coins. It boosts recovery speed by sixty percent for ten days."
Robin froze. Two thousand coins… for healing in six days instead of ten? Completely useless in a life-or-death battle. If I have days to recover, why not just wait? What idiot pays such prices?
"Anything else?" he asked flatly.
"There are many more types, young master. But for someone of your age and stage, you may be most interested in compressed energy pills. They're quite costly, but they grant the user instantly the energy equivalent of a week of continuous training. Their effectiveness fades with higher cultivation, disappearing entirely at the twelfth level. Still, they're invaluable for those attempting breakthroughs."
Robin sneered inwardly. Again, useless. Whoever can afford such pills is already beyond the twelfth level!
Only now did he understand why the Burton family and even the Bradley Institution rarely relied on pills.
"Thank you for your time. Here's your account." Robin tossed her a pouch of two hundred coins, collected his ten revitalizing pills, and left, his mind racing with possibilities.
On the way home, only one thing distracted him: a beast shop, its entrance draped with carcasses and hides. Red-horned rabbits dangled by their ears. Robin pointed.
"Bring me ten red rabbits from the ones over there. The fattest ones."