[Chapter 99: Hunting for Herbs]
"Upgrade Exorcism Level!"
With over 300,000 Merit Points in his possession, Daniel was ready to enhance his exorcism level once more. Without hesitation, he hit the upgrade button.
Ten minutes later, the screen displayed:
[Exorcism Level: Thronebound]
[Merit Points: 188,800]
As a Thronebound, Daniel's magical power had deepened considerably. His control over spiritual energy was now far more refined. When he confronted the Slender Man, he hadn't even tapped into the natural energy -- because it simply wasn't necessary.
Clearly, as his exorcism leveled up, his overall strength had jumped significantly.
Yet, seeing the "Upgrade" button grayed out again brought a bitter smile to Daniel's lips. Over 300,000 Merit Points had only propelled him one level. To push from eighth rank to ninth rank, he would need a full 256,000 Merit Points. He was short.
His gaze then settled on the newly unlocked Sacred Alchemical Transmutation.
"Forget that for now, upgrade this first."
[Sacred Alchemical Transmutation: Second Tier]
[Merit Points: 188,700]
"Continue."
[Sacred Alchemical Transmutation: Third Tier]
[Merit Points: 187,700]
"One more time."
[Sacred Alchemical Transmutation: Fourth Tier]
[Merit Points: 177,700]
Daniel paused. The next level would demand 100,000 Merit Points, a steep price.
...
Suddenly, a flood of alchemic knowledge filled his mind, and subtle changes stirred within his body.
With his Sacred Alchemical Transmutation now at Fourth Tier, Daniel's collection of Alchemical Formulas had expanded to include many Alchemical Formulae such as the Soul Condensation Elixir and the Spirit Nurturing Elixir.
His eyes flickered with excitement.
The Soul Condensation Elixir was a Third-Tier Elixir, capable of repairing a damaged soul. The Spirit Nurturing Elixir, a Fourth-Tier Elixir, could not only condense the spirit but strengthen the soul further.
Given Katherine's fragile condition, the Soul Condensation Elixir alone could swiftly mend the wounds in her soul. The Spirit Nurturing Elixir, meanwhile, would be beneficial not just for Katherine but for Daniel himself also.
But creating a Third-Tier Elixir was no simple feat.
But Daniel felt that with his current Fourth Tier Sacred Alchemical Transmutation, after a period of familiarization, he should be able to quickly master it.
There was, however, one major hurdle: the Alchemy Furnace.
Where was he going to get one?
Regular furnaces were useless for his purposes. Regular fire couldn't reach the necessary temperatures to extract the essential properties from the materials. Industrial fires burned too hot, uncontrollable for delicate alchemy. Typically, Alchemists used specialized Alchemy Fire to precisely control the process.
But that was for everyday alchemists.
Daniel was at Tier Four Sacred Alchemical Transmutation. Maybe, just maybe, he could attempt something unconventional.
Once he could generate Alchemy Fire, he could even forge his own Alchemy Furnace.
Still, even with the Alchemy based Seals, he couldn't simply refine directly on a stovetop -- that was too risky.
He needed to consider a safer method.
Daniel racked his brain for a long time. Then he recalled an odd method for alchemy. It sounded absurd, but the principle might just work if examined carefully.
'It wouldn't hurt to try.'
He only needed some medicinal materials to start experimenting. And he certainly wasn't planning to pay for it out of pocket.
...
Pulling out his phone, Daniel found Frank Douglas's number. Ignoring the late hour, he dialed directly.
It rang several times before Frank picked up, groggy: "Mr. Cross? Is everything okay? It's late..."
Daniel didn't waste time: "I think I've found a way to help Katherine."
Heavy breathing came through the receiver, backlit by sudden alertness.
"Are you serious?" Frank asked, his sleep evaporated.
"Yes, but I'll need time and some experiments."
"What kind of experiments? Can I help?" Frank pressed.
"Yes, these experiments will need significant financial backing."
"Absolutely. Tell me the price." Frank responded immediately.
"For starters, I need one million dollars."
Silence.
Daniel worried he'd asked for too much, one million wasn't a trivial sum.
Then Frank finally said, "Is one million too little? Will that be enough?"
Daniel was speechless. 'If you'd been this generous earlier, none of this mess would have happened.'
"Just send me this for now. If I need more, I'll let you know."
"Send me your account. I'll have someone transfer it right away."
"It's the middle of the night..."
"We can use online banking."
Daniel fought the urge to drag Frank Douglas out and scold him for his negligence.
...
Not long after hanging up, Daniel's account was filled with the million-dollar transfer.
This forced a temporary hold on upgrading his Seal Crafting Art, he'd wanted to push that to Fifth Tier to test whether Slender Man's skin could be used for drawing seals. But now, the Sacred Alchemical Transmutation experiment was unquestionably more urgent.
The Seal Crafting Art would have to wait.
Daniel then logged onto the niche collector forum. This time, he navigated to the Herbal Collectors board.
He posted: [Buying large quantities of premium herbs, offering 30% above market price. Priority given to anyone who can provide the following materials...]
He appended a long list of specifics and left his contact info.
Drawing on his previous experience with lightning-struck wood, he offered well above market price to ensure responses.
But the forum was swamped. New posts buried his quickly.
He realized this approach wouldn't work. If no one saw the post, he wouldn't acquire anything.
After more thought, he posted again: [Seeking herbs specifically for refining an Immortal Elixir. Sellers of high-quality herbal materials, get in touch. Price guaranteed to satisfy you. Priority to those with the following items...]
Comments poured in almost immediately.
[Pfft, what a braggart. Creating Immortal Eixir? Why don't you just go find the Fountain of Youth?]
[This guy's got more marketing hype than the businessmen themselves.]
[Alchemical Elixirs? Next he'll be claiming he cuts down ghosts and gods with one sword swing.]
Though none of the remarks were polite, the thread gained traction and hovered near the top.
Still, no one reached out with offers.
Just as Daniel prepared to log off, clean up, and rest, a private message popped in.
Opening it, a smile crept across his face -- it was from an acquaintance, Autumn Wind.
Autumn Wind was the same contact who'd sold him the lightning-struck wood, and the moderator of that forum.
"Boss, you're buying herbal materials too? You should come to me."
Daniel, surprised: "You sell herbs as well?"
"Let's talk privately."
*****
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