I am the God of Games

Chapter 76

Chapter 76: New Potions

Across the Warty Tidal Flat, the players were preparing to meet the Society of the Secret Eye in battle. Meanwhile, many miles away, dark plots were afoot in Lancaster City.

Black Ferret Lane ran through the southwestern quarter of the city, along the outlying regions, near the city walls. At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it.

However, those in the know could tell you that this was where you’d find the largest black market in all of Lancaster City. No. 58, ‘The Golden Rose’, was a name known far and wide. Its proprietor, Manager Alvankent, was an influential man, and his friends procured illicit goods from every corner of the world.

It was said that the Golden Rose was the sort of place where one could buy anything provided they had the money.

Few were those who were aware, however, that Alvankent was a devotee of Sothos, the God of Herbs and Poisons. He’d originally made his fortune selling potions that were cheaper than what all the other churches were offering.

The God of Herbs and Poisons was a subordinate of the God of Alchemy, and was roughly equivalent in standing to the Skull God. He was far more powerful than a newcomer like Xi Wei.

Like the God of Alchemy above him, the God of Herbs and Poisons never got involved in the quarrels of other gods. As long as there were people who gathered herbs or concocted poisons, he had no need to fear extinction. As such, he mostly kept to himself, and only commanded a modest following of worshippers.

However, just because a particular god was a conservative loner, that didn’t necessarily mean the same was true of his followers. Take Manager Alvankent for example:

Using the lack of religious colleagues to his advantage, he’d easily secured a high rank amongst the faithful, thereby taking over all operations for the benefit of his own business and connections.

If business continued to go smoothly, he could even become one of the great rich men of the eastern continent.

However, this was not a world you could conquer with business savvy alone. The methods by which he conducted business often clashed with the interests of other parties. Once, he’d crossed somebody who preferred action over words, someone with limitless power and zero patience… Alvankent hadn’t even been given the chance to offer an apology before they ruined him completely. Fleeing with his tail between his legs, he could only eke out a wretched existence in the shadows of Lancaster City now.

Fortunately, those early years of hard work had not gone completely to waste. With his connections to his fellow faithful, materials could be acquired cheaply. With a widespread network already in place, Alvankent had even managed to do well for himself, drawing enormous profits every day. Among his various products, the curative properties of the Elixir of Life and the invigorating effects of the Elixir of Will were by far the most popular.

And yet, business had been slow these past two days.

Seeing constipation in his golden goose, he naturally couldn’t stand idly by. He’d already commissioned the best people in Lancaster City to find out the root cause of his problems.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Alvankent was dozing off in his shop when the bell over the door rang out.

Lifting his head, he saw a skinny youth in a black leather coat and a large fur cap walking in.

Alvankent’s eyes lit up. “Lang, have you managed to find out anything regarding that matter I asked you to look into?”

Brushing the snow off his sleeves, the young man gave him a sly smile. “Naturally, otherwise what business would I have coming back here to see you, manager?”