Not wanting to waste a second, Mu Lan headed straight to Merchant NPC Wayne.
Wayne wasn't just any vendor—he sold everything: dishes, glass vials, chairs, tables, you name it. But he had a daily stock limit. Once his inventory ran out, players had no choice but to buy from the Player Market, where savvy sellers charged 5 Copper for a single vial—five times the NPC price.
When Wayne saw Mu Lan, he greeted him with a warm smile.
"Welcome, adventurers! What wind brings you here? I hope you find what you're looking for… and as a special favor, I'll give you a discount."
Beng Zeng blinked, baffled.
Why is he being so nice to Mu? And since when do NPCs offer discounts?
He switched to whisper mode.
"Mu… what's going on? Why's he treating you like royalty?"
"Probably because of my Fame," Mu Lan replied casually. "I've got 6 Fame right now."
"What?!" Beng hissed. "When did you rack that up?! I've only got 1!"
"We're here for glass vials," Mu Lan said, turning back to Wayne. "My friend isn't buying anything—I'm handling the purchase. I told him, 'How can we visit your market and not buy something?'"
"Ohoho!" Wayne chuckled. "I see! The vials are over here. Though… I must ask—what do you need them for? We don't get many buyers for glassware."
"Oh? Then from now on, I'll be your regular customer," Mu Lan said smoothly. "I'm crafting potions. I'll take 20 vials—but with your discount, maybe 30? I'll need the rest of my Copper for an inn room."
"Ah! Renting a room is 20 Copper, if I recall," Wayne said, nodding. "Tell you what—I'll give you 30 vials for 20 Copper. And from now on, you'll get a permanent discount. Consider it… a welcome gift."
"Perfect. That works for me."
Mu Lan bought the vials, then headed straight for the inn.
"Alright," Beng said as they walked, "you bought the vials—but how does that make potions? Do the herbs just magically brew themselves? Where's your cauldron? Your fire?"
"Don't worry," Mu Lan said with a smirk. "Just trust the process. Watch closely—today, we turn 80 Copper into 1 Gold… and I'll start crafting your legendary mace. Every step matters."
"Fine," Beng sighed. "I'll watch. But if this is another prank, I'm throwing you out the window."
When they entered the inn, the common room buzzed with activity. Players lounged over mugs of ale, others devoured cheap meals.
But when Mu Lan and Beng approached the front desk and said, "We'd like to rent a room," the entire room fell silent.
A room cost 20 Copper—and granted 24 hours of use. For most players, earning 1 Copper was a struggle. To see two kids drop 20 Copper like it was nothing? Unthinkable.
"Gods… I wish I'd been born rich. I'd rent a room too."
"This world's so unfair. We grind for hours to scrape up 1 Copper… and these guys just spend 20 like it's pocket change?"
Ignoring the stares, Mu Lan rented the room—18 Copper after his 10% Fame discount—and used the last 2 Copper to buy a bucket of clean water.
The moment they stepped into their room, Mu Lan pulled out his Personal Alchemy Station and placed it in the center. Then he equipped his Advanced Alchemist's Robe… and finally, his Advanced Alchemist's Hood.
Beng's jaw dropped.
"Okay, seriously—what's happening to me? Was my best friend always this skilled? Was everything I knew about you a lie? Am I dreaming?!"
"No lies," Mu Lan said, adjusting his hood. "No dream. Just me, my stats, and what I've earned. Now… watch what I can do with these herbs."
He gestured to the Yellowlung and Pinklung Herbs in his inventory.
"Aren't you curious what kind of potion this will make?"
"I'm past curious," Beng groaned. "My curiosity quota for today is maxed out. Just brew your potion. But seriously—explain all this later. How do you know everything? It's like you made this game."
Mu Lan smiled faintly. "Maybe one day I will."
Then he opened his title menu:
[Title: Advanced Alchemist]
+20% Alchemy Success Rate10% chance for bonus outputReduced material consumption
"With my robe and title," Mu Lan said, "my success rate is at 40%, and I have a 20% chance to produce extra potions. What do you think of that?"
Beng stared at him, then threw his hands up.
"I've got nothing left to say. Just… explain it all to me someday. For now—show me how we turn this into 1 Gold."
Mu Lan turned to his alchemy station, herbs in hand.
"Then watch closely, Beng. The first step to becoming kings of this game… starts with a single potion."