Pharmaceutical

Dried herbs, mineral powders ground halfway, and a few thick notebooks with curled edges were scattered across the workbench.

"Uh..."

When Ankula heard the request Xia Lun made, she was quite taken aback. She hadn't expected him to ask her to brew that kind of potion.

"Keep the side effects... not too severe, ideally without affecting future development, but make the potency as strong as possible," Xia Lun described his needs seriously. "I'd also like the effect to last a while, at least... half an hour."

Watching Xia Lun look at her with a hint of expectation, the corner of Ankula's mouth twitched slightly.

The way Xia Lun phrased it was certainly prone to misunderstanding, but Ankula struggled to suppress the inappropriate thoughts creeping into her mind, forcing herself to focus on the legitimate aspect.

"Can it be done?" Xia Lun asked.

"For an ordinary adventurer, certainly—custom strength potions could boost their base strength more than twofold without issue..." Ankula paused to think.

Xia Lun's eyes lit up instantly.

Ankula tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, producing a steady tapping sound: "But Xia Lun... in your case, with the goddess's blessing and your unique constitution, I'm not sure how effectively my potion could unleash your potential." She looked up, her sharp gaze fixed on him. "As everyone knows, the stronger a warrior is, the more resistance they have to this kind of external enhancement—it significantly diminishes the effects..."

"As long as there's some improvement, that's enough." Xia Lun waved a hand, seemingly unfazed by the answer.

"Have you used similar potions before?" Ankula asked casually. "Repeated use of the same type of potion builds up tolerance in the body, and the effect diminishes every time."

"No, apart from recovery potions, I hardly drink any others." Xia Lun paused, pondering.

"That's good, then. The potion's effect should be maximized." Ankula looked him up and down, estimating, "To be honest, Xia Lun, I'm only confident in boosting your strength by about thirty percent."

"That's still quite good." Xia Lun breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed this trip wasn't a waste. "I'll trouble you... What materials do you need? Don't hesitate—I can gather them anytime."

"Well... I actually have all the ingredients for the potion here..."

Ankula answered instinctively, but stopped mid-sentence. Her beautiful green eyes twitched cleverly, and she shook her head abruptly, her golden hair swaying with the motion.

"No! I'm actually missing a lot!"

With that, Ankula suddenly pulled out a sheet of fine parchment and a quill from under the workbench, and in front of Xia Lun, began writing furiously—"Shua shua shua—" until she had drawn up a long list.

"These are what I need! Captain Xia Lun, I'll trouble you to go gather these!" Ankula handed the still-drying list to Xia Lun with a cheerful smile.

"Are you sure these are all necessary?" Xia Lun eyed their team's unofficial witch suspiciously.

"Yes..." Ankula's smile seemed a bit guilty, her gaze drifting. "But no pressure. Gather as many as you can—these ingredients are pretty rare, after all... hehe."

"I'll do my best." Xia Lun still took the list, shaking his head with a light chuckle.

After years of adventuring, he had built up quite a network of contacts.

He could ask some well-informed merchants and seasoned adventurers for help.

"Good! The more materials you collect, the stronger the potion will be!" Seeing that Xia Lun hadn't called her out, Ankula beamed, clenching her little fist excitedly, as if she could already see those long-coveted treasures.

"Will that really make a difference?" Xia Lun was taken aback, knowing full well these weren't ingredients for a strength potion.

"Of course! I've been craving these materials for ages. If I get them, it will lift my mood and sharpen my focus during alchemy! For a witch, the feel of brewing potions is incredibly important!" Ankula studied Xia Lun's expression cautiously.

So that was it—these gifts were meant to win Miss An Koula's favor.

Xia Lun reluctantly bought into her explanation.

Ankula relaxed as well, her smile becoming more natural.

That way, it was a straightforward transaction between them, and even if word got out, no one would gossip.

"By the way, Xia Lun, can I ask something?" Ankula suddenly looked up. "Did you run into a really tough opponent? For someone like you to resort to such methods."

Using potions came with side effects—even Ankula herself was wary of highly potent drugs, let alone Xia Lun... In her mind, he was one of those disciplined, solid warriors who would be among the last to rely on external enhancements.

"Yeah... a very tough opponent." Xia Lun turned serious. "And I have to defeat her."

"Who?" Ankula raised an eyebrow.

"It's Aina."

"Wow." Ankula exaggeratedly covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of gossip. "Did you two have a fight? Has it escalated to a duel to settle things?"

"Well... you could say that." Xia Lun grew a little awkward—some things weren't suitable to share with Ankula.

Luckily, the witch didn't press further.

Ankula's gaze slowly hardened with resolve.

"I've got your back," she said solemnly. "I'll brew the best potion for you... You have to beat her, Xia Lun."

Just as Aina disliked her, Ankula clearly held no favorable opinion of the woman.

"Thank you." Xia Lun was mildly surprised—he'd thought Ankula might feel troubled about getting involved in their complicated relationship... But now, she seemed to enjoy it, even eager to jump in.

"By the way, have you and Miss Ai Na taken that step yet?"

"What?" Xia Lun didn't catch on at first.

"Oh, so that's a 'no'." Ankula frowned briefly, then gave a mischievous wink. "You've been together so long, and nothing's sparked yet? For adventurers, you two are surprisingly traditional."

"Ahem." Xia Lun only coughed softly, turning his head away and feigning ignorance.

"Anyway, leave it to me." Ankula patted him on the shoulder. "Captain Xia Lun, I promise I'll satisfy you!"