With some time to spare before his mission team assembled, Luo Jie checked out of his room at the front desk and headed back to the player market's trading zone.
It was still early, and the vast trading area felt deserted. Only about ten stalls were occupied. Seeing this, Luo Jie abandoned any real hope of finding stamina-restoring items.
But since he was already there, he decided to browse the thirty or so stalls anyway, just in case. Unsurprisingly, most items for sale at this hour were unpopular, hard-to-sell gear and consumables. The stall owners, clearly desperate, had priced them even below their appraisal value. Yet, buyers remained scarce.
Luo Jie shook his head in disappointment. What were these players thinking, bringing out such useless junk? Trying some high-risk, high-reward speculation play? He was just about to leave the trading zone when a short-statured player brushed past him and set up shop at an empty stall, laying out an array of bottles and jars.
The distinct shape of those bottles made Luo Jie pause. He walked directly to the new stall.
"Hey there, sir! Interested in some Healing Salve?" The diminutive stall owner greeted Luo Jie with unexpected enthusiasm.
"Sir?" Luo Jie blinked, taken aback. It was the first time he'd heard a buyer addressed that way in the player market.
"Ah, slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue!" The stall owner scratched his head awkwardly. "Spent some time as an apothecary's assistant in the last instance. Got used to calling customers that… Handsome, what can I get for you today?"
Luo Jie almost laughed. Handsome? With everyone wearing masks? This guy's sales pitch wasn't exactly convincing. But the greeting was irrelevant. Luo Jie picked up a small red porcelain bottle from the stall. Its description instantly appeared in his visual overlay:
ITEM: Suspicious Healing Salve TYPE: Consumable RARITY: F (White) EFFECT: Stops bleeding, significantly accelerates healing of internal/external injuries. Has a chance to inflict Poison status. DESCRIPTION: Crafted by player 'BaldyDareChallengeMyAbbot.' Effectiveness highly dubious. Requires courage and luck to ingest.
…
Luo Jie stared at the system text, thick black lines practically forming over his vision. The sheer number of things wrong with it left him momentarily speechless.
Seeing Luo Jie hesitate, the stall owner, mistaking his silence for concern over the poison effect, quickly grabbed another bottle. "No worries! The poison chance is less than 30%! Usually, luck isn't that bad. If you're nervous, pair it with this Detox Pill! Just take it if you get poisoned…"
Luo Jie took the offered green porcelain bottle.
ITEM: Suspicious Detox Pill TYPE: Consumable RARITY: F (White) EFFECT: Cures Poison status. Grants temporary immunity to Poison damage of F (White) rarity or lower. Has a chance to inflict Hallucination status. DESCRIPTION: Crafted by player 'BaldyDareChallengeMyAbbot.' Effectiveness highly dubious. Rumored users have seen their long-dead grandmothers.
…
Luo Jie remained silent.
Thinking Luo Jie was still unconvinced, the stall owner shoved a third bottle into his hands. "If you get hit by the second effect, just take this! Each one's under 30% chance! Statistically, hitting three negative effects in a row is practically impossible!"
ITEM: Suspicious Mind-Clearing Powder TYPE: Consumable RARITY: F (White) EFFECT: Sharpens the mind. Cures Confusion, Rage, Hallucination, Dizziness, and other mental debuffs. Has a chance to inflict Aphrodisiac effect. DESCRIPTION: Crafted by player 'BaldyDareChallengeMyAbbot.' Effectiveness highly dubious. Strongly advise keeping companions at a safe distance upon ingestion.
…
Exhaustion washed over Luo Jie. What bizarre talent tree did this guy accidentally unlock to turn basic healing items into this kind of cursed mess?
"Alright, alright, forget I asked," the stall owner conceded with self-awareness, realizing his concoctions were beyond unreliable. He didn't push further, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle and shaking his head bitterly. "Accidentally completed a class quest last instance… Thought I was set for life. Never imagined it'd turn out like this…"
Completing certain quests in instances allowed players to specialize into a Class, granting unique skills and attribute bonuses. Each player could choose one Primary (combat) and one Secondary (crafting/production) Class. Once chosen, these Classes were permanent.
Judging by the wares, this stall owner had clearly chosen the Apothecary path under production classes. Luo Jie didn't know him, but he genuinely felt a pang of pity.
"Look," Luo Jie offered, trying to be kind, "I don't have a production class yet, but I've heard some players have… hidden aptitudes. Like Blacksmiths who make terrible armor but forge amazing weapons. Or Farmers who kill every plant but raise prize-winning livestock."
He gestured at the dubious bottles. "Maybe your healing potions are… suboptimal because your hidden talent lies elsewhere? Try brewing other types of concoctions. You might be surprised."
The "hidden aptitude" theory did exist in his past life, though it was likely unknown in this timeline. Luo Jie was mostly offering comfort; players with such specialized talents were incredibly rare even then.
To his utter astonishment, the stall owner's eyes widened as if struck by lightning. He slapped his forehead. "That's it! Of course! Hahaha! It all makes sense now!"
Frantically, he rummaged through his pile of bottles and pulled out a small purple vial, presenting it to Luo Jie like a treasure. "This! This is the only normal thing I've ever brewed! Well… mostly normal. This must be my hidden aptitude, big bro! Just like you said!"
Luo Jie stared, dumbfounded. No way. Did I just stumble upon one of those ultra-rare cases? He took the offered bottle.
ITEM: True Laughing Without Half-Step Madness TYPE: Poison RARITY: F (Green) EFFECT: Ingestion. Instantly kills targets with CON < 500. Targets with CON > 500 suffer 100 True Damage per second for 10 seconds and gain the Agony debuff. DESCRIPTION: A reconstructed and enhanced formula based on a fragment of the legendary Tang family's secret poison. Fearsomely potent, the ultimate tool for… discreet problem resolution. The sole drawback? Convincing someone to swallow this suspiciously colored and odorous pill.
…