221 POTION OF GATHERING MAGIC
"No, she's not part of our offer", Leo replied.
"You can try me," Sujira replied boldly, catching Tibebu by surprise.
"A feisty one, huh?" Tibebu chuckled.
"What about the payment?" Leo interjected.
"This woman has issued a challenge. Business cannot proceed if the challenge goes unanswered," Tibebu replied with a booming laugh.
"What do I get for challenging?" Sujira asked.
"We'll do business with you," Tibebu offered.
"Not enough," Sujira countered. "I want that necklace on your neck."
Tibebu roared with laughter. "Agreed, but if you lose, you become my sixth wife."
Leo was about to interject, but Sujira cut him off. "Deal."
Tibebu laughed even harder, clearly confident he'd just secured another wife for free.
"How do you want to challenge?" Sujira asked.
"Fight with our best warrior woman, Akla," Tibebu said, signaling to a towering woman with a body built like a rock. She was far stronger than most men, let alone women.
"Alright, let's fight," Sujira declared.
The tribesmen gathered around, banging their long poles in rhythm. Some warriors began dancing and singing, following the Mugumbe tribe's tradition during duels.
Akla lunged at Sujira with incredible speed and strength, narrowly missing her.
"How can your woman be so quick?" Tibebu asked Leo, astonished.
"She's only just starting," Leo replied with a smirk.
Suddenly, an apparition of a horned rhinoceros appeared around Akla, charging at Sujira. Instead of dodging, Sujira summoned her own apparition—a dragon rakhshasa. The two apparitions clashed fiercely.
Although Akla's transformation was formidable, Sujira's was extraordinary.
As their apparitions battled, the rhinoceros suffered retributive slashes, even though Sujira had made no visible move.
"What are those invisible strikes?" Akla asked, bewildered.
The rhinoceros shattered, leaving Akla defenseless. She rushed at Sujira barehanded, but every strike she attempted resulted in more cuts on her own body.
"What did your woman do? I don't see her using any magic," Tibebu said, stunned.
"Honestly, I'm just as clueless," Leo admitted.
Akla eventually retreated, realizing it was impossible to fight Sujira's retributive strikes. Sujira returned to the group, calm and composed.
"Good woman," Tibebu said, tossing his necklace to her as agreed.
"Thank you," Sujira replied, catching the necklace.
"Kaching." Greed Coins dropped at Sujira.
"What were those strikes on Akla? I didn't see you attack her," Leo asked Sujira.
"At first, I didn't know either," Sujira explained. "But now I do. It's the characteristic of the Basilisk Bones. They cause harm to anyone who attacks them as retribution."
"Damn, that armor of yours will make you invincible in close combat," Leo said, impressed.
"Thanks to you. You gifted it to me," Sujira replied before climbing onto Leo and kissing him.
"Hahaha! I like you and your woman," Tibebu laughed heartily. "I like doing business with unpretentious people like you."
When they were back to business Leo made an offer. "As for payment, we can offer you something better than boring coins."
"What may it be, I'm intrigued", Tibebu asked.
"Potions of Gathering Magic," Leo said, his tone confident. "It helps mages advance to higher tier with ease all the way to peak of Svad."
Tibebu's eyes widened slightly. "Such a potion is rare, even on this continent. You're offering something extraordinary."
"It's worth more than ten thousand silver dinari per potion at market provided you can get a supply for it, in the black market many times that," Leo added.
"And I'll promise that your tribe will have the exclusive rights to distribute it in the northern continent."
The chief leaned back thoughtfully. "How do we know your potion works?"
Leo reached into his magic storage and pulled out a vial of shimmering liquid. "Here. A gift, to prove my sincerity."
Tibebu called over one of his warriors. "Legesse has been at the peak of Tier 3 Svad for years but has struggled to break through. Legesse, try this."
The warrior hesitated briefly but trusted his chief's command. He took the potion, examining it carefully before drinking it in one gulp.
Moments later, his body convulsed, and a wave of heat radiated from him. His veins bulged as mysterious energy coursed through his body. He dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged as he focused inward.
"Are you poisoning us?" Tibebu demanded, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
Leo raised his hands in mock surrender. "Now, now, Chief. Would I fuck up a deal before it begins?"
Before the tension could escalate, Legesse's body glowed with a golden light that illuminated the area. As the light faded, Legesse opened his eyes, his face glowing with joy.
"Legesse, did it work?" Tibebu asked.
"Yes, Chief," Legesse said, beaming. "I've broken through to the mid-tier of Svad!"
A cheer erupted among the warriors. Tibebu's face lit up with delight. "This is a miracle! With this potion, our tribe could become unstoppable in the north."
Leo leaned forward. "So, do we have a deal?"
Tibebu extended his hand. "Yes. We will secure every mature Golden Rat Tail for you, exclusively."
"And for every hundred plants, we'll supply you with one magic gathering potion," Leo said, shaking the chief's hand firmly.
"Agreed."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Chief," Leo said. "And remember, this arrangement must remain secret. We don't want our competitors discovering the source of our ingredient."
"Likewise, no one must know of our supply of this wonder potion," Tibebu replied, his grin was sharp.
-----
[House of Cergontyn]
"Uncle Selassie, this Lilleo Gullee is humiliating our family in front of all Sodom City," Liama said, his voice sharp with anger. "Everyone knows we control the pharmacists here. They have no right to do business in our turf."
"Yes, and he even killed Malambe and Milwe. That cannot go unanswered," Easiese added, his tone grim.
"No one kills members of my family and escapes unscathed, let alone my son," Selassie declared sadly but his voice was like cold steel. "I will make him pay with his entire family."
"But Lilleo Gullee is no ordinary man," Liama cautioned. "He's strong and well-connected. His bodyguard is a high-tier Svad assassin, assigned to him by the Assassin Workshop."