Kael woke up surprisingly early the next morning, and he felt even more rejuvenated than usual after checking the clock he realised he’d only slept for about an hour. He was shocked but realised it must’ve been down to the rhino marrow that he had consumed yesterday, which then fill him with joy and his head with possibilities, now he didn’t have to sleep for near as long he could get a lot more done.

Not waiting on anything he decided to jump on [Night rider] and head into the forest again for the second time

With no hesitation, Kael urged Night Rider forward, and they galloped off toward the Great Forest. The wind whipped past him, but he felt more in control than ever. His enhanced body felt stronger and faster, and Night Rider’s increased speed made the journey even more thrilling. The forest loomed ahead, its vastness promising new challenges and rewards.

As he entered the forest, the familiar quiet of the trees settled around him. The canopy above blocked most of the light, casting everything beneath it in perpetual twilight. The air smelled of damp earth, wood, and the faint scent of herbs. Kael felt the familiar pull of the wild place, the presence of magic and creatures both dangerous and wondrous.

He dismounted Night Rider near the same clearing he had fought in the day before, the one where he had battled the boar and encountered other creatures. Kael felt his heartbeat quicken as he surveyed the area. With his new enhancements, he was confident that he was stronger than before, but he wasn’t sure how his body would react to another full day of fighting.

Still, he wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The forest was full of potential, and if he was going to make a name for himself and strengthen his family’s business, he needed to push himself further.

Kael set out into the forest, his sword at the ready. It didn’t take long before he encountered his first target, a large bronze-ranked wolf, its fur gleaming in the dim light, eyes sharp and calculating. The beast growled low, watching him intently, but Kael wasn’t afraid. His enhanced body hummed with strength, and he felt his senses sharpen as he focused on the wolf.

The beast lunged first, but Kael was faster now. He sidestepped the wolf’s attack with ease, feeling the grace and agility in his movements as though they were second nature. He raised his Flame Blade, the fiery energy within the sword igniting as it connected with the air.

Kael swung with precision, delivering a blow that sliced through the wolf’s side with ease. The wolf howled in pain, but Kael didn’t stop. His new strength made the impact of the sword feel like an unstoppable force, and his body followed through effortlessly. Another clean strike finished the wolf off, its body crumpling to the ground.

The adrenaline surged through Kael, and he stood there for a moment, watching the body of the wolf before turning his attention back to the forest. He had felt the difference in his strength—the wolf was fast and dangerous, but Kael had been faster and stronger, able to move with an ease that made his previous battles feel sluggish in comparison.

It felt like he was now in silver rank, knowing that he could wait for the increase in strength when he would finally reach the silver rank, he couldn’t even imagine his strength.

The thrill of the fight had only just begun.

Kael spent the next few hours moving through the forest, his enhanced body allowing him to push harder, faster, and longer than he had ever been able to before. He fought more creatures, each one providing a fresh challenge. With every strike of his sword, every encounter, he could feel the marrow inside him working its magic. His body seemed to adapt, his strength growing with each passing hour. It wasn’t just his muscles that were improving; his instincts were sharper, his reflexes quicker.

By midday, Kael had already taken down several more beasts another seven of those wolves he had faced earlier and another goblin, that was not before he had stalked it for awhile and he ended up finding what he though was some for a camp near the cliffside, however he decided to leave that alone as he knew even with his recent improved strength he couldn’t take on a whole camp of goblins that are probably have a silver ranked leader.

After collecting lots more herms than he had last time all of the same kind he’d almost be able to fill the shops shelves by the time he went to start his shift however he was against this instead he wanted to combine the other types of herbs and collect some more before he went to the city firstly he wanted to combine [Silver root] again and get some more [Great rhino marrow] and that’s what he did he ended 5 lots of the marrow and consumed them all the pain wasn’t as strong as the first time thanks to the marrow he’d already consumed and he felt his strength increase again not quite as drastic as the first time but it definitely was an improvement

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Next was the [essence leaf] after the process was done he was left with

[essence potion]

[consumable]

[bronze]

[ran out of essence? No worry]

He had seen these for sale for a high price within alchemy shops in the city, so that’s what the essence leaf was used to make. And finally he was only left with the [crimson thorn] after the usual flash of light he was left with a small and strange red orb that read

[blood orb]

[enhancement]

[bronze]

[grants an increased affinity for blood]

Well that wasn’t ominous at all, Kael stared at the [blood orb] in his hand, feeling the strange warmth radiating from it. The eerie red glow reminded him of something both dangerous and powerful, but the description left him uncertain. An increased affinity for blood? He couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what that would mean. Would it enhance his combat abilities? Or perhaps it had something to do with healing or manipulation? Either way, it was far more cryptic than anything he had encountered before.

He carefully placed the orb onto the counter and turned his attention back to the other items he had created. The [essence potion] seemed far more straightforward. He had seen these potions in alchemy shops in the city, always priced high due to their usefulness. The description—ran out of essence? No worry—was a comforting reassurance, but Kael had no immediate use for it. He didn’t fully understand how it worked, but he assumed it could restore his essence or stamina, which would be useful on his longer expeditions into the forest or when facing stronger opponents.

The [Great Rhino Marrow], now a familiar part of his body, had clearly enhanced his physical power once again. Kael had hoped to experience a dramatic improvement, but the effect was subtler this time. His muscles felt denser, his bones more solid. While the changes weren’t as noticeable as the first dose, he could tell that his body was stronger and more resilient. He flexed his hands, feeling the newfound strength in his grip, but he knew he had to push harder, combine more materials, to truly understand his limits.

With a sigh, Kael decided it was time to stop experimenting for now. He had created more than enough enhancements and potions to last him for a while. The shop needed his attention, and he still had to prepare for his next trip to the forest. His thoughts turned to the crimson orb again, its faint glow tempting him. As much as he was drawn to the potential power it could unlock, he wasn’t quite ready to explore it. Not yet.

Kael stood up and stretched, deciding to focus on practical matters. His next step was to head back to the city to sell his wares, restock, and take a brief respite before continuing his work in the forest. There was something strange pulling at him, though—he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that these items he was creating, these strange combinations of herbs and monster parts, were just the beginning. There was far more to this power than he had discovered so far. The thought lingered in his mind as he grabbed his bag, packed with all the materials he had gathered.

He made sure to pack away the [Blood Orb] carefully, wondering just what kind of affinity for blood it would grant him. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to test it, but it was better to keep it on hand—just in case.

With that, Kael mounted Night Rider, the now-familiar sensation of speed rushing through him as the steed galloped swiftly toward the city. As the wind rushed past him, Kael’s mind wandered to the next steps. He would sell his items, replenish his stock, and perhaps even seek out more powerful creatures to experiment on.

For the first time ever Kael was able to fully stock all the shelves meant for the herbs and now all he needed was weapons and of course monsters that was the whole point of the emporium, but one this was perfectly satisfactory for Kael he was just taking the shop business one step at a time.

He also noticed that he was getting closer to saturating whatever was inside of him and becoming the silver rank however it would take a good couple more trips to be able to do that, there was also the worry of what append when he would become silver rank? Was there any risk to it?

As Kael dismounted Night Rider, he was greeted by the sight of Aimee standing at the door, her arms crossed and a knowing look on her face.

“You’ve been in the forest, haven’t you?” she said, her tone somewhere between exasperation and amusement.

Kael gave her a sheepish grin, brushing some stray leaves off his jacket. “Guilty as charged.

“What has gotten into your mind! Have you gone crazy after them men beat you?”

“No actually I haven’t actually been into the forest I’ve just been on the edge looking for herbs to put into the shop” Kael didn’t want to arise any suspicion or worry especially with his family, he also wondered how Aimee came to find out about him going into the forest but then again that old woman from the other day also knew.

Aimee seemed to buy it, her expression softening slightly. “Well, at least that’s productive. Mum’s been worried about how little we’ve got to sell. You should’ve told me, though. I’d have gone with you.”

Kael shrugged, shifting his weight casually. “Didn’t want to bother anyone. It was a quick trip. Besides, you’ve been busy helping with the house and keeping Freddy in line.” He stepped past her, keeping his movements deliberate and smooth so she wouldn’t notice the faint, lingering scent of the forest on him—or the scuffed edges of his boots.