In his previous life, when Nie Yan came to farm Ghoul Overseers, it required at least three players above level ten working together to defeat one, and among them, there must be at least one warrior and one priest.
But in this life, Nie Yan handled Ghoul Overseers like they were regular monsters. One reason was his improved skill—he was no longer the inexperienced rookie he had been in his previous life at level ten. Another reason was that his equipment significantly boosted his stats. Combined with items like Flash Powder and scrolls of Web Spell, Nie Yan had more than enough capability to deal with Ghoul Overseers.
Nie Yan came here to farm Ghoul Overseers not only for leveling up but also to try to obtain one or two good level-ten pieces of equipment. A level-ten Silver-rarity item usually had slightly better stats than a level-five Legendary item, and if it were Legendary, that would be even better. In addition, other class-specific level-ten items could fetch a high price on the market.
Wandering around this open area, after about three hours and defeating sixteen Ghoul Overseers, Nie Yan managed to obtain several decent drops, including some gems that could sell for a good price and a relatively rare recipe for Elixir of Zeal.
He encountered two groups of players also farming here, but Nie Yan carefully avoided them from afar, not wanting any conflict.
Nie Yan sat down to rest and recover his stamina, then opened the potion shop interface. Under Wu Buzhengdan’s management, the potion shop was gradually gaining its footing. Within a day, they had recruited over thirty player alchemists, and merchandise began appearing on the shelves. The shop’s inventory was becoming increasingly comprehensive, even including Basic Magic Resonance Potions.
Running a potion shop didn’t necessarily mean that lowering prices would attract more customers. Common potions like Antidote or Cure Paralysis Potions yielded minimal profits since they were widely available, and competition had already driven prices down. Setting prices too high would deter players from purchasing.
However, rarer potions such as the初级魔法共鸣药剂 (Primary Magic Resonance Potion) or Elixir of Zeal had scarce recipes and outstanding effects. Since they were either unavailable or in extremely limited supply elsewhere, they could command substantial profits. Even at premium prices, players who could afford them would still seek out the shop.
Using low prices to compete with other potion shops was a foolish move that would only reduce profits. A potion shop should focus on developing unique products and maintaining a comprehensive inventory, which would naturally attract a large customer base.
Checking the profits, Nie Yan saw that Black Fen Potions and their recipes were still selling well, and the shop’s total funds had reached nearly twenty-five gold coins. However, this trend would soon slow down since the stock of Black Fen Potions and their recipes was nearly sold out. Still, with new potions coming online, there would still be profits to be made in the coming days.
There was no need to worry about the potion shop for now, so Nie Yan stood up and resumed farming leader monsters.
One thing puzzling Nie Yan was that he hadn’t encountered any sub-elite or elite Ghoul Overseers yet. If he did encounter one, Nie Yan was confident he could still defeat it.
By the time he logged off, Nie Yan’s experience had reached about 57%, and his inventory was full.
Staying at home all day, working out and reading, Nie Yan fully embraced his hikikomori nature. But this current period of hiding was only for a future breakout, as his in-game business structure was slowly taking shape.
Looking at the calendar, Nie Yan realized his parents should be returning around this time. Thinking about seeing them again filled him with excitement.
Recalling events from his previous life, Nie Yan felt a pang of sorrow. It took a while for him to calm down before he focused back on the tasks at hand.
Time flew. Nie Yan farmed Ghoul Overseers in the Black Gold Mine for about two days. On the morning of the third day, he finally reached level eleven.
“It’s about time to go back,” Nie Yan thought, checking his backpack. It was filled with equipment, mostly level-ten Silver-rarity gear, with only one Legendary item—a warrior’s piece. There were also a large amount of ores and gems. These ores and gems could fetch a good price now, but once players leveled up, they would lose value. Additionally, he had three recipes: two Elixirs of Zeal and one Intermediate Instant Restore Potion.
The Intermediate Instant Restore Potion was quite rare. Currently, no Intermediate-level restore potions were available on the market. Once this potion appeared, players would likely go crazy over it.
In the past two days, with the opening of the Medusa’s Nest dungeon, the price of Anti-Petrification Potions had gradually risen, increasing about fivefold before stabilizing. Under Nie Yan’s guidance, Wu Buzhengdan had listed all the Anti-Petrification Potions. While not as profitable as the Black Fen Potions, the profits were still quite good.
According to Wu Buzhengdan, business was booming now. Every day, a steady stream of potion buyers came to the shop, making it so crowded that there was barely space to stand. With Nie Yan’s approval, Wu Buzhengdan had hired two more clerks.
Due to the high demand, the alchemists working on the second floor were working hard to produce potions. Each time they completed a potion, they quickly received a share of the profits. This incentive proved highly effective, and they worked almost nonstop, producing a continuous supply of potions. Since most of the potions sold were high-end, the profit sharing was quite substantial—much better than the 20% they would earn producing potions for other guilds.
Additionally, under Nie Yan’s instructions, Wu Buzhengdan spent two full gold coins to purchase some advanced recipes and ingredients specifically for several beginner alchemists to level up their alchemy skills. Players like Anan and Shangxin, who had been working quietly, were now approaching the threshold of becoming intermediate alchemists. Wu Buzhengdan had also finally achieved his dream of becoming a novice alchemist.
With such promising individuals on board, the future looked bright, and more alchemists were expected to join soon.
If they could maintain their dominance in Carol’s market, Nie Yan planned to expand the potion shop to other cities. However, opening a shop in another city required good relations with the local guild leaders, or else someone might interfere with business. Alternatively, achieving a reputation level of 30 or higher in that city would make interference unlikely.
“I heard your friend’s Starlight Pharmacy is doing really well,” Fox Half-Awake messaged Nie Yan.
“Yeah, it’s just starting to stabilize,” Nie Yan replied. He had expected Fox Half-Awake to contact him eventually. With the pharmacy’s success, it was only a matter of time before Fox Half-Awake inquired about its inner workings. Nie Yan planned to propose cooperation at the right moment.
“I heard they’ve hired many novice alchemists. Can you ask them to make me a batch of Scorching Potions?” Fox Half-Awake asked.
“Scorching Potions? Don’t you have alchemists of your own?” Nie Yan asked, slightly surprised that Fox Half-Awake wanted to purchase potions.
“Don’t even ask. Our guild has more than twenty alchemists, but only two have reached the Novice Alchemist level. We were negotiating with several Novice Alchemists to join the guild, but they were hesitant and wanted to discuss compensation further. Then the Starlight Pharmacy opened, and they all ran to you. The potions our guild alchemists produce are barely enough for our needs,” Fox Half-Awake sighed.
Nie Yan hadn’t expected this outcome and smiled slightly, realizing this indirectly reflected the strength of the Starlight Pharmacy. While being a guild-exclusive alchemist came with great benefits, there was a major drawback—lack of freedom and limited earning potential. Guild alchemists had to prioritize fulfilling the needs of guild players, often making low-level potions even after reaching the Novice Alchemist level, leaving little free time. In contrast, the Starlight Pharmacy operated entirely on market principles, focusing on high-end products, allowing alchemists to rapidly increase their skill proficiency. Although there were no welfare benefits, the daily profits from potion production and sales were much more attractive. Nie Yan’s approach of investing two gold coins to buy premium ingredients for his subordinates to level up their skills was almost unheard of, effectively winning over all the alchemists.
“My friend wants to propose a cooperation.”
“What kind of cooperation?” Fox Half-Awake asked, surprised.
“The Starlight Pharmacy will purchase all your raw materials at market price, and you cannot sell them to others. In return, you will receive priority purchasing rights and a 1% to 10% discount.”
“Oh, I see,” Fox Half-Awake realized. The Starlight Pharmacy was seeking a stable source of raw materials to mitigate risks. This cooperation would benefit him as well, so he agreed. “I’m in.”
“You can contact Wu Buzhengdan at the Starlight Pharmacy for the details. As for the Scorching Potions, just bring the materials to him,” Nie Yan said.
“Got it.”
Nie Yan ended the voice chat, feeling one less thing to worry about.
“How are you doing?” Nie Yan messaged Tang Yao.
“I’ve already raised the Arcane Sprite by three levels. I’ll probably be back in about an hour,” Tang Yao replied excitedly. “Leveling up here is so amazing. I just keep casting spells, and I can see my experience bar flying up. I wish I could stay here until I reach level 11 or 12.”
“Come back once you hit level 10. We have something to do,” Nie Yan said, feeling a surge of excitement. If this mission succeeded, his level and equipment would likely improve significantly.
“What is it?” Tang Yao asked, surprised.
“A mission.”
“Awesome!” Tang Yao was more than happy to join Nie Yan on a mission.
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