CHAPTER 89

As for the Aura Pills, he was still largely in the dark. But for now, just the Aura Cores and the psionic gear alone were worth a staggering 33.2 million credits. He let that number sink in. Unknowingly, in the span of just a few turbulent weeks, he had gone from a high school student scrounging for training resources to a multi-millionaire. The thought was so absurd, so monumental, that it left him feeling light-headed.

While Ethan was lost in this momentary daze, his uncle, Steven, had already finished assessing the quality of the pills. "The Aura Gathering Pill is a first-grade pill, one of the most foundational and useful types in existence," he said, his eyes sharp with the appraisal of an experienced merchant. He held one up to the light, observing its subtle sheen. "And judging by the consistent luster and the purity of its fragrance, this particular pill should belong to the mid-grade. On the open market, one of these is worth about two million credits."

"Two… million!" The price struck Ethan with the force of a physical blow, leaving him completely tongue-tied. Two million credits for a single, consumable pill! A supreme-grade intermediate psionic gear with a special ability was only this price! Were Aura Pills really this expensive?

Seeing Ethan's shocked expression, Steven chuckled. "Aura Pills are not the same as psionic gear, Ethan. Psionic gear is, ultimately, an external object. A powerful tool, yes, but still just a tool. It can be used for a long time, but it will wear out. If you're not careful in a battle, it can be damaged or even snatched away by your opponent." He tapped the small wooden box for emphasis. "But Aura Pills… after being consumed, their power is transformed into real, tangible, internal strength. They become a part of you. Although most pills have some minor side effects from impurities, these can be eliminated through later periods of dedicated training. The ultimate goal of alchemy, for both public good and private gain, is to make humanity stronger. Every new pill, every improvement, gives us a greater advantage against the beasts."

After listening to Steven's explanation, Ethan gained a much deeper understanding of their value. "Then, Uncle, you can tell this is an Aura Gathering Pill just by looking at it? Is it because of its cyan color?" The pill he had obtained was a pale, shimmering cyan.

"That's a matter of experience," Steven said with a smile. "I studied for a long time before I learned it. When you get to a good university, someone will teach you how to properly distinguish between them. Color can only help you identify the most general categories. For the specifics, you have to rely on the scent and the texture." He pointed to the pill. "The quality grade—low, mid, high, and supreme—mainly depends on the concentration of the scent and the smoothness of the pill's surface. A low-grade pill, for example, has too many impurities left over from a crude refinement. Its surface will have small pits and tiny black spots. The appearance of this mid-grade one, as you can see, is relatively round and smooth. It also emits a pleasant, clean scent. But if you look very closely…" he motioned for Ethan to look, "you can still vaguely see some microscopic black spots on it."

Ethan leaned in and found that there really were some tiny imperfections, so small they were invisible at a casual glance.

Steven continued his lesson. "A high-grade pill will have no visible impurities at all. The whole thing will become very smooth and almost seem to glow from within, and its fragrance will be much richer; you could smell it from a few meters away. As for a supreme-grade pill… it will emit a very strong, intoxicating fragrance. If it's not sealed in a special container, you could probably smell it from across the street. Its surface would be perfectly round and full, like a flawless pearl. That kind of pill has the absolute fewest impurities and is most suitable for training."

"So even a supreme-grade pill isn't completely free of impurities?" Ethan asked, his curiosity insatiable.

Steven shook his head. "Not always. But just like psionic gear, a perfectly refined supreme-grade pill has a small chance to undergo a qualitative change and become completely, perfectly clean of all impurities. But the probability of that is incredibly low, much lower than for psionic gear. To refine a pill with absolutely no impurities, the flow of psionic energy during its creation must be perfectly smooth and harmonious. A psionicist can confirm its purity with just a slight probe of their own Aura." He paused, his expression turning serious. "Eating a pill with impurities will inevitably impact your training. You have to spend a significant amount of time actively purging those impurities, and you can never be sure you got them all. Over time, they can build up and hinder future breakthroughs. But a pill with no impurities? You could eat them like candy beans without a single side effect."

Unlike psionic gear, which had a full ten ranks, the highest quality for Aura Pills currently known to the public was only sixth-grade.

"Sixth-grade?" Ethan was puzzled. Ranks for psions, talents, beasts, and gear all went up to ten. Why was alchemy so far behind?

Steven sighed. "It's something that can't be helped. The research and development of psionic gear is difficult, but manageable. If a design fails, you change the materials and try again. If it explodes in the forge, as long as you survive, you can heal and continue your work. But alchemy… anything involving the word 'pill' is never simple. As the old pre-Resurgence saying goes, a medicine is three parts poison. Even a life-saving drug has some toxicity, let alone a completely new Aura Pill that has never been seen before."

He leaned back, his voice dropping as he explained the grim reality. "In the process of researching Aura Pills, if you're not careful and you mix the wrong materials, you can create a violent, unknown poison. Some can kill instantly. The lucky few who stumble upon a stable, beneficial formula are extremely rare. That's why anyone attempting to develop a new pill is often flanked by high-level healing and poison-type psionicists, just in case. But even so, the death rate among alchemists is terrifyingly high. Every failed experiment produces a different result. Even a poison expert may not be able to identify and control a new toxin in time."

"It's precisely because the death rate is so high that most people are dissuaded from pursuing alchemy. And it's why the appearance of every single new, successful Aura Pill causes a massive stir. The creator receives a reward from the Global Concord so great they can live in wealth and comfort for the rest of their lives. They become celebrities, revered by all. It's that allure that keeps people chasing the dream, despite the risks."

I see, Ethan thought, his mind racing. He looked at the three simple cyan pills in his hand with a newfound respect, and a burning, unquenchable ambition.