Tower Farmer

[Overload69]

Yuna stood on the edge of a crater, the dragon's den. It was wide enough to fit a dozen metropolises, the slanted walls high enough to give the world's tallest mountains a run for their money.

The bottom of this crater glimmered in gold, unlike the grey walls; countless gems far larger than boulders reflected the sharp sunlight into her eyes. There was also a set of golden armour with a human inside, probably Dr. Shultz.

But she didn't care about it.

Another group watched her from the southeast, the mercenaries Shultz may have hired. Still, she didn't care.

Even the words that came from behind.

[66%]

[67%...]

Her thumping heart drowned out all noise. It drummed in her ear as magik gathered below her right foot. The corner of her lips moved up on its own. She didn't know if she said anything or if they formed a maniacal smile.

In reality, she couldn't care less.

The raw magik beneath her right foott exploded. She shot forward like a bullet, breaking the crater's edge into hundreds of boulders and a rising dust storm.

Her long, curved blade pointed at the dragon, slicing air. With a boom, she went past the Golden dragon, puncturing its leathery left wing. She turned around in midair. The dragon's golden pupil locked onto her as its snake-like neck turned.

She was like an ant in front of its huge form. But even in the face of the gleaming golden scales, she gathered the magik in the soles of her feet and blasted forward.

Her magik-coated sword slashed through the wings again.

Another few dozen blasts in quick succession, and she had turned into a white streak of light that danced around the dragon.

She left deep cuts in the scaled skin. Sliced the left hind leg off clean. And even gouged out the right eye. But nothing felt satisfying.

It only riled her up even further.

[76%.... 77%.... 82%....]

As she stood on the crater's edge again, her breath turned into white mist. Yuna's head started to ring. Even though she had done enough damage to the dragon, it still hovered above. Still unfazed.

It let out a deafening roar. The air itself vibrated, sending shockwaves through physical matter. A grey dust storm kicked up, spanning hundreds of kilometres.

Blood dripped down Yuna's nose and ears as a few tons of gold vanished from the bottom of the crater. The gold turned into white energy and shot towards Alecles. The energy seeped into its wounds, and in a matter of moments, the dragon's injuries vanished.

Yuna faced the Dragon with a sigh. There was no one beside her, no one to cover her back. No one to watch over her shoulder.

She hated that feeling since she awakened. She wasn't supposed to be alone.

Yuna couldn't blame Johan; he tried his best. And now, he had awakened, but not in a combat class. Because of that, he wouldn't contact her. Because he felt like he had failed her. She was the reason he felt shame.

[85%.... 87%....]

However, she hated that she still wished Johan was with her at this moment. He had a non-combatant class. Asking him to join her on raids was a death sentence for him. It was downright foolish and selfish behaviour.

She knew that, she really did.

Yet, she still wished for it.

She had wished for it all these years, since the day of her awakening, since they promised to be Hunters together.

But here she was, fighting a floor boss on her own.

[93%.... 95%....]

Why are you not with me? She gritted her teeth, and the magik in her feet exploded.

However, she wasn't sent forward; her left leg broke because of the extra pressure. She wasn't careful with the detonation that time.

And it cost her.

Alecles shot forward this time. Noticing her mistake. He spun forward while diving, his whip-like tail snapping downwards, splitting air itself with its blazing edge.

Yuna jumped to the left in a last-ditch effort. Although she dodged being turned into a pancake by a hair's breadth, her left arm got ripped because of the brief contact with the golden tail that had turned crimson during the attack.

Swept away by the dust storm and debris, A wave of pink flower petals blanketed Yuna from the flying debris. She turned her head to the left and saw the flower path leading to Renolds. The mage raised his twisted wand, his eyes still relaxed.

Yuna reached for her belt. The potion bottle full of sloshing gold felt warm in her palm. The potion Johan had made. She could smell his scent on it, the touch of his fingers left behind. The moment she landed on the floor, she drank the whole thing.

The warm liquid turned into a warm wave and travelled down her body. Her arm regrew, and her leg snapped in place. There was a brief calm in her mind as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Was it her delusion? She doubted it.

There was no mistaking it.

As the dust cloud settled down, she faced Alecles. The Dragon didn't seem pleased watching her injuries vanish. Magik gathered in its throat as rays of light peeked out from the scales.

[97%.... 100%.... Rage Counter has reached 100%.]

He's with me here. Johan is….

She held the potion bottle with care, placing it back in her belt. The breath of gold that left Alecles's maw didn't faze her.

The world around her had slowed down as red windows flashed in the corner of her vision.

[All physical stats increased by 5 times for 5 minutes.]

[All attacks deal double damage in the next 5 minutes.]

[All damage taken in the next 5 minutes is reduced by 40%.]

[All skills use 40% less magik for the next 5 minutes.]

The breath travelled to her, leaving behind sonic booms. The air trembled as it spiralled forward.

But Yuna stepped aside with ease.

She blasted forward with a new clarity. Her ringing ears were taking in the calm around her. Jumping off debris and loose boulders, she reached Alecles, the Dragon's pupils still locked on her previous location.

She had to finish this dragon off with one attack, as long as it had a sliver of consciousness, it would use the gold to heal itself. Yuna didn't mind a longer fight, but she wanted to get out of the Tower. There was someone she wanted to talk to. She wanted to ask him something.

The question she hesitated to ask when she met him a few days ago.

Gripping the sword with both her hands, she charged it with magik. This time, the magik took a physical form. It coated her blade in a hue of boiling red, morphing the air along the edge.

[Skill Magik Burst Lv.7 Activated.]

[You have high trust in the potion maker, Johan Askr. Special effect triggered.]

[The next Skill's effect will be doubled.]

Yuna almost chuckled when she brought her blade down. The fiery tip struck Alecles's forehead.

The magik contained in the sword exploded downwards in a pillar of red and black. It reduced everything into dust. Including the island-sized head of the Dragon, and pierced into the grey earth. Sending waves of boulders and dust in all directions.

As Alecles's lifeless body rolled down the steep walls of his den, barrelling towards the bottom with a shower of corrosive light-yellow blood, Yuna picked up Dr. Shultz, still encased in the gem-crusted armour set, and returned.

She looked at the shaken S-Rankers and exasperated Ares, throwing a peace sign with a flat face.

"Mission complete." Her words echoed in the whistling wind as a System notification flashed before them.

[Alecles, the Dragon of Gold, has been slain.]

[48th Floor has been cleared.]

***

Humanity's Miracle, Merilyn Faust.

Otherworldly Paragon, Arthur Pendragon.

The Seer, Yi Do-Yun.

Heaven's Mandate, Adam.

The Demigod, Hercules.

World's Mirror, Seraphina.

These were the names of the few who had managed to kill a floor boss alone. Now, another name would join these legends before the sun slumbered.

The Terminator, Yuna Lee.

A young Hunter who didn't even have 5 years of experience to get inducted into the Hunter Rankings. However, she pulled off the feat that only the greatest in Hunter history had managed.

When Ares saw her run headfirst into the floor boss, he almost lost his mind. He had joined this mission to rescue Dr. Shultz and increase his fame while strengthening relations with the International Hunter Association.

The plan was to search the floor for Shultz; if he could find him, that was good. But if it meant clashing with the floor boss, then he would retreat. A very simple and economical plan.

When the Association asked to include Yuna Lee in the team, he agreed with a wide smirk. He had already heard of her name before, and from Hercules himself. He had no doubt the task had become easier. Still, reality hit him hard.

Now I understand why he called her a beast in human skin. When he saw her smiling even when her arm got ripped out, cold sweat dripped down his back.

And if that wasn't enough, the last attack was the literal nail in the coffin. Looking into the giant crater that she had formed, twice the size of Alecles's den, he could not see the end.

The darkness that stared back only shook him further. The two S-Ranks with him seemed about ready to run. However, what caught his attention was the surprise on Yuna's two teammates.

When her magik grew by about five times, they seemed normal; however, the last attack was far greater in power compared to the magik power she had.

"Quite the showing, huh?" Ares spoke to Renolds as Yuna sat in a chair to heal after her rampage.

"It's what I'd expect from our little lady." Renolds, a former Senior Mage of Mage Tower, was known for his calm intellect during his mercenary days.

Many guilds and clans had tried to recruit him, and even he remembered talking with the mage about recruitment. But Yuna had won him over in a week she stayed in EU, somehow.

"If you want to ask me how she pulled out that much power, you're asking the wrong person." He shrugged, his wide sleeves swaying.

From the way his sharp eyes moved, Ares could tell Renolds didn't want to speak of it. But he had an inkling.

The potion Yuna drank while covered in the flower spell. He recognized it. Only one person made those golden potions on earth right now.

So not only healing, but also increasing damage? It sounded so nonsensical that Ares didn't want to believe it. However, a part of him couldn't look away.

Master Adelan could create gear that permanently boosted certain parameters. However, Enchanters or Buffers could give short term increase in power by making one-time use items. They had a few of them in Olympus, too.

So, if they used an enchanter or buff user in tandem with Johan's potions, there was a chance to create potions that could enhance skills, alongside healing the person.

That was the general theory after the introduction of elemental resistance potions.

The Mage Tower had made some special potions for their mages, potions that increased elemental damage. For Hunters? No news till now.

"That guy Johan… Did he crack that mystery?" Ares muttered, biting his nail. If so, then Lucas was too lucky. "How come I didn't find him first?" he lamented.

But really, something must be wrong with that country. Merilyn, Yi Do-Yun, Yuna Lee, and now this Johan, too. A forty-year-old country shouldn't have this many outstanding people!

Leave some for the rest of the world, at least.

As much as he wished for more outstanding people to show up, the more he feared the signs. The last time's surge of outstanding Hunters ended with the cataclysm, which wiped out a quarter of the world. Who knew what would happen this time?

"Err, hello? Can anyone take me out of this already?" A squeaky voice came from the full set of golden armour.

Well, it looked like a full set of armour; in reality, it was a coffin. Seemed like Dr. Shultz had closed himself in out of fear.

When Ares opened the coffin, almost sweating because of the lid's enormous weight, a young boy with curly brown hair, who looked about ten years old, popped out.

If one looked at his oversized clothes and freckles, they'd find the boy's small face adorable. Unless they knew that on the inside, this was a fifty-year-old man who had his own grandchildren.

"God bless you, Ares. I felt like I'd die from brain damage in there." He landed on the ground, hand on his hip.

"Sorry, Dr. Shultz, I was in a hurry since Alecles's body fell into the den." Yuna came over with an awkward limp. Seemed her legs and right hand had taken damage during the last attack.

Was she trying to be apologetic? Ares couldn't tell because of her monotone voice and flat expression.

"Don't worry, Yuna, I know I should be grateful that you all showed up to save me at all. Just take it as an old man's grumbling." Dr. Shultz fixed his monocle on his left eye and stretched his lithe arms.

After getting a little rundown, Ares and Yuna understood how things went down.

Dr. Shultz entered the Tower using a concealing artifact he had commissioned from Master Adelan. He planned to sneak into Alecles's den when the Dragon went out to gather gold from the mines as the monthly floor reset happened.

Using the only chance when the floor boss left his space, Dr. Shultz entered the den with the mercenary group watching over. However, the Dragon came back much faster than expected, and he had to shut himself in the armour-shaped gold coffin, an artifact with a spatial pocket.

Since it was gold, the Dragon let it be. And Dr. Shultz already had his necessities inside the coffin. He could even take a walk in that space, apparently.

Seemed like he expected that the Hunter Association would send a rescue team after him sooner or later. He was an important figure after all, but also a troublesome one.

Even now, he wouldn't tell the name of the mercenary group because of the contract. According to Yuna, they had already run away after she saved Dr. Shultz. Chasing after them was like flicking water drops on a scorching stone.

"Why did you even take such a risk?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Huhu, I am glad you asked. Before Yi Do-Yun entered the Gate of Du'at. He came to tell me about a vision he had." Dr. Shultz reached into the coffin and pulled out a book half his size.

The book had a deep green colour with archaic runes at the four corners connected by geometric lines and symbols. In the centre of the book was a word. And the first to recognize was Renolds.

"Yesod…" he muttered.

"Seems like the Mage knows of it." Dr. Shultz smirked. "Do-Yun said that the moment humanity reaches the 48th floor, we'll find the answer for the Tower and the System's appearance on Earth."

He placed the book on the floor and opened the heavy cover. On the very first page was a painting of a tree that dwarfed planets and stars, a tree that blanketed the whole universe under its shade.

At the bottom of the painting was the name of the tree.

The World Tree, Yggdrasil.
...
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[Overload69]

When Johan woke up after seeing Merilyn's eyes a second time, he was in his bed.

His body felt light as a feather, and his head absurdly clear. This had started to become a new pattern, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

Falling unconscious pretty much left him with no way to defend himself. Maybe Cara would be down there guarding him again.

Well, he couldn't say for the future, but he didn't mind the current situation.

"You're finally awake." Merilyn looked at his face; his head was still in her lap.

It was the next morning, and he could tell from his relentless alarm, but Johan crossed his arms, still in bed. Another question dominated his mind.

"Were you here the entire night?"

She sat at the edge of the bed. He, too, was one turn away from a kiss with the floor.

"Something like that." That didn't answer his question, and he had only asked it for courtesy's sake.

"You have no intention of getting out of bed, do you?" She tilted her head, the purple locks tumbling down her shoulder like a waterfall.

"I always stay in bed an hour after waking up; it is a routine I have followed for years," Johan answered sagely, concentrating the best he could.

"Sure, you have." She gave a light giggle, twirling a lock of his hair in her fingers.

"Is it just me, or do you really see me as a little kid?" Johan didn't know if he should be offended or giddy. Quite the conundrum.

"Well, I've always wanted a child of my own, and you are pretty much a child in front of me." Merilyn shrugged.

Johan wanted to ask why she didn't have a child, but the red cloth wrapped around her eyes seemed to be the reason. As a matter of fact, his danger sense had been pinging in his head for a while.

Am I going crazy, or are there finger marks on her shoulder? It's as if an invisible hand held her, although Merilyn wasn't bothered by it.

But once in a while, she would shrug her shoulder, and the marks would vanish for a moment, only to come back with more force. And now, he could feel her annoyance build up little by little.

I want to ask what it is, but I feel like I shouldn't. Before his stupid actions brought that annoyance to him, Johan decided to stop playing around.

"So, have you thought about what you'll do from now on?" Merilyn continued, not even a slight change in her tone.

Johan scratched his cheek. Although he had said that he'd call Yuna, the real goal was to join her guild. But with how things were, that wasn't the best option.

Guilds and Clans were like competing companies in the same business. The moment they see one of their competitors get an edge, in this case, Johan's potions, they'd gather together to pull it back down by hook or by crook.

The push and pull between guilds and clans was quite common, worst part, the Association had to maintain a neutral stance on this matter. So he couldn't bank on Merilyn's help as the Association President.

On top of that, the Mage Tower wouldn't leave him, and by extension, any guild he joined alone when the Detoxifying potion business came to light.

In a way, he would create more problems for Yuna than he could help her with if he joined now.

And, Yuna's new guild, with only one team, would have to go against guilds and clans with decades of history and influence in Hunter and political circles. Although he knew Yuna wouldn't bat an eye over this, he didn't want to create more headaches for both of them.

Merilyn waited for him to gather all his thoughts, smiling to herself as if she could see the gears in his brain turn. She might actually see them, he wasn't sure.

Now that his head had cleared, he could understand how overpowered and deadly her class was. It could even peek into his memories, not to mention the lifespan transfer for healing.

Humanity was truly lucky that Merilyn wasn't some supervillain hellbent on fixing the world.

"Don't set up flags now." She clicked her tongue, disappointed.

"…You're not gonna turn evil, right?" Johan asked, cold sweat running down his brow.

"If I, at any point in my life, were to become evil. I wouldn't be alive right now playing with your hair." She smiled.

However, Johan didn't feel the least bit assured by it; in fact, it only deepened his dread. That was until she hit his forehead with a devastating finger flick.

"Your avoidant behaviour is out again."

"Heh, my bad." Johan rubbed his burning forehead with an awkward smile. "There's only one solution for this."

A solution where he could help Yuna's guild without bringing trouble to their doorsteps. There was only one solution to this problem, and he felt like he finally had it.

However, before he could speak it, there was a soft knock on the door. And if one couldn't tell who it was by the respectful knock, the hesitant voice that followed made it clear.

"Teacher, are you awake?" Eugene's words were like a whisper, almost made him question if this kid was trying to wake him up or put him back to sleep.

"I am awake." With a reluctant look, Johan finally got out of bed and opened the door.

Eugene straightened up, two cake boxes in his hand that he almost dropped. First it was donuts, then a whole cheesecake, and now two cake boxes.

If Johan didn't tell this kid that he was feeling ok now, Eugene might buy a cake shop in the coming days.

"Be careful, these are expensive." Johan caught the cheesecakes; he could tell by the smell alone. He did feel incredibly hungry now.

"U-Uh…" Eugene's focus stayed inside the room, on Merilyn, who still sat on Johan's bed.

"Oh, the Association President decided to drop by again." He closed Eugene's slackened jaw; he didn't even know the kid could open his mouth that big. Almost looked painful.

"Hello, kiddo, I wasn't able to talk with you last time." Merilyn waved at Eugene as Johan pulled him into the room. Johan had sent him away when she came with Lucas. And he only gave him a rough rundown about the deal the next day.

"How's your mother doing?" She asked as he stood there like a deer in headlights.

"S-She's fine, very healthy." Eugene bowed, as if he faced some yakuza boss. It seemed they were acquainted before.

Eugene is from a big family, as I guessed. Well, it wasn't hard to guess; the kid stood out from the rest even when he tried not to.

Johan could only shake his head as he took some plates and spoons from the kitchen attached to his room.

After a much-needed and indulgent breakfast, Johan left the shelf stocking to Eugene and picked up his phone. Going through his meagre contact list, he found Yuna's number.

Merilyn had left a few moments ago, quoting work, but he knew she wanted to give him space. Taking a seat in the potion workshop, he finally pressed the call button he had dreaded for so long.

The ring went once, and then twice.

Maybe she was still on the Hell island still? He didn't know how long her mission was. The magik interference there was strong, so normal calls wouldn't work. And he hadn't got a Hunter phone yet.

"Guess I'll try in a few hours, or maybe later at night?" As the call ended, Johan pocketed the phone and focused on the mart.

He stuck around the mart today, even if Eugene handled most of the work. It wasn't until midday that he stopped checking his phone every few minutes and made another call to Yuna.

This time, she picked up before the first ring went through.

"Hello, Yuna…" Johan scratched his cheek; he didn't even get to take a deep breath and prepare himself.

"You take too long to make calls." She sighed.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Johan sat down in his chair, almost chuckling. "Are you free this week? I have something I want to discuss with you."

There was a lot he had to explain to her, and he wasn't sure how she'd take it. Yuna could be very stubborn with certain things, so he needed some time to prepare his explanations and arguments.

"I'll be there tomorrow morning." Yuna, however, seemed to care less about anything.

"T-Tomorrow?" Johan expected it would take her a while to handle the Tower report and such, but this was quite the sudden change.

"I will touchdown on the coast at midnight, it will take a few hours to go through checkups, but I can make it to your mart by 7. So, prepare yourself as much as you can in that time." Yuna's flat words came through like a Gatling gun.

"Ok… tomorrow at 7 then." He could only admit defeat here; pushing would only make it worse.

"Good… then, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

As the call ended, Johan let out a huge sigh. Whenever he tried to plan things, they backfired in his face. Should he stop planning altogether?

No, that sounded much worse.

"Let's only prepare half and random bullshit go for the other half?" With a shrug, Johan made two more calls.

These were two people he needed for his big plan.

Lucas White and Merilyn Faust.

Along with Yuna, these two would become the initial safety net he needed to survive the brutal attention of the Hunter world.

***

After preparing everything for the next morning, Johan entered the Tower to get some rest and fresh air. When he stepped on the dewy grass, it felt like weeks had passed since he came back.

The tree in the middle had grown as usual. The Golden Pear tree he had planted had also bore fruits. The sherry leaves and ruby berries seemed to be doing even better.

As for the vegetable farm, it had grown from 400 square meters to 500 now. Eunally and Nunally ran over immediately, leaving behind their tools and work.

"You two have been working hard on my behalf." He accepted their hearty hug with a smile and patted their cute little heads.

However, the two pulled him to the cherry tomato area with building enthusiasm. And, Johan understood the reason when he reached the cherry tomato plants.

In the midst of green, he saw a flash of purple. Soon, a creature with its big colourful wings sat on his extended hand with its fuzzy body.

It was a butterfly with each purple wing as big as his palm, with bright white veins and dotted blue at the edges. It looked at him and tilted its head to the left, its antennas swaying gently.

[Parakeet would like to be your friend]

[Accept/Decline]

Johan pressed the accept button on the familiar blue window. Getting the signal, the butterfly gave him a bow and went back to dancing among the cherry tomato plants.

Name: Parakeet (Tower Butterfly)

Rank: —

Skills: Flight Lv. 4, Dynamic vision Lv.3, Evasion Lv.2

Special Note: A special species produced by the Tower to balance the ecosystem.

"How did it get here?" Johan wondered, but the bigger question was, who named it Parakeet? It looked more like a Monarch Butterfly.

Even his naming sense wasn't this bad.

As he was trying to figure out the culprit, Eunally pointed at Cerberious. This dog had made the potion workshop its personal nap room; only now did he step out, stretching as the three heads yawned.

Still, Cerberious did get Johan a pollinator so he couldn't be harsh with it. Above all, the way Cerbie's face lit up spotting him was priceless.

"You did a wonderful job!" Johan dove in for a hug, at least he pretended to. With a big smile, he gave the extended paw, one meant to block his face, a fist bump. "Gotcha."

As he smirked, Cerbie barked back with a big smile, eyes turning in small crescents. The remaining two heads weren't looking very happy as he smirked. But what could they do? Bite him?

If I keep pushing my luck like this, they might actually bite me. Johan lay down in his hammock, swaying slowly in the calming wind.

"It feels nice today, doesn't it?" He asked the rabbit duo on his chest, but they had already fallen asleep.

Cerberious had also fallen asleep, near the hammock, under the tree's shade. The only one who answered him was Parakeet, spinning over Johan's head. He wanted to rename it Mony or similar, but it was ok.

There was no need to stress that much over something like this. He had an important morning coming up. Probably the most important one in his lifetime.

He had already put up a notice that the mart would remain closed, and he also told Eugene to take a break for the day.

Now, he had to wait for them to gather so he could finally get this train on the right track.
...
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[Overload69]

Johan got the potion workshop in the basement ready for the meeting. He couldn't hold it on the roof, and bringing three S-Rank plus Hunter to his room wasn't a good idea.

The fact that Merilyn and Lucas had been there once was already enough; the former visited it once again yesterday, much to his dismay. At this point, he had to figure out a proper meeting room.

And the Potion workshop fell into that aesthetic. Quiet and secretive, it also had enough space for a hickory table with three cushioned seats. Above all, it matched his alchemist persona.

As for why he hadn't used it till now?

This place was sort of a mess because of him; he used it as an extra storage room of sorts after shifting his brewing set to the Tower. Morgan didn't use it much anyway, but he had cleared it all today.

Merilyn arrived five minutes early. All he could say was that the red suit suited her very well.

"You've made an interesting choice." She said, right leg over the left as she got comfortable in the chair.

Johan could only smile at that. He had decided to embrace the ambitious road. Still, it made him nervous as there was a chance that things might fall through.

It's 'go big or go home' you've already gone over this. Johan calmed himself once more as Yuna and Lucas arrived at the same time.

Yuna still had the same black suit from before, looking sharp as usual. Lucas was the opposite, in a pink t-shirt and red shorts. His bed hair and slippers brought the seriousness of the room down a few notches.

"Who was the genius who suggested a morning meeting?" Lucas yawned, but still took his seat on Merilyn's left.

"You should manage your time better," Merilyn said.

"Like you? I don't think I'll last a week if I do that." Lucas kept rubbing his eyes, as if he had woken up after reaching the mart.

Did Adrian throw him in the car without waking him up?

Yuna sat on Merilyn's right and glanced at Johan, her eyes already asking him, What's all this?

He had told her over the message that Lucas and Merilyn would join, but nothing aside from that.

"Sorry, Lucas, it was my idea. Yuna said she would arrive early, so I thought it was the best time to get everyone together. S-Ranks don't have too much free time after all." Johan finally started after a long, deep breath. "Today is important, because I will be choosing the one, among the three establishments, I want to have business with."

"Now that's interesting." Lucas stifled a yawn.

Merilyn only smiled, and Yuna tilted her head. Well, Johan knew she would invite him to join the guild. So, all three in front of him had invited him to work with them at some point.

Now, the time to choose had come.

"Is this like a bid?" Lucas smirked. He seemed confident he could outdo the other two if it was.

If it were a bid, Johan believed that Merilyn would win without a competition. Age and money went hand in hand when it came to Hunters.

"No, not a bid. I have made my decision after contemplating the pros and cons of each offer, ranking them in my mind to find my optimal business partner." Johan crossed his arms as he saw the anticipation build up in Lucas's eyes.

Based on benefits alone, he would choose Agni Clan without a doubt.

However, he could see Yuna's calm eyes. The old Yuna would've glared at him for dragging this out by now. Truthfully, if he had to join a guild, it would be hers.

With a smile, Johan cleared his throat and announced the winner.

"All three." His hand drew a short arc before him, pointing at all three.

"Huh?" Lucas froze.

"I want to work with all three," Johan smirked. "And any other guild that joins later, I won't turn away anyone who wants to give me their money."

Lucas kept blinking in a daze. Merilyn giggled, covering her mouth. And Yuna's brow twitched for the first time.

The atmosphere was quite an awkward one. But there weren't any negative reactions that he had expected.

"You could've said this over the phone, no?" Lucas seemed more irked by the morning meeting than anything else. As he leaned back into the chair, he didn't seem too surprised by this choice.

Of course, Johan could've said this over the phone; there was no need for all this waiting and fanfare. Because this wasn't the actual reveal of this meeting.

"Why do you even have to work with others besides us?" Lucas added. "Working with just me will get you plenty of benefits and money. If it's pressure from other clans or guilds, I can help you wi…"

Lucas glanced at the silent Yuna and looked back at Johan, giving him a quiet thumbs up and shutting his mouth. Maybe it's because it was early in the morning that he caught on late; he made it a point to remember this.

"The more guilds understand the benefits of my potions, the more they wouldn't want to lose them," Johan stated the first reason.

"In that situation, no one would like to see you get monopolized by one power; they wouldn't want you harmed either. They'd deter each other and outsiders from interfering with you, expecting some extra deals. Seems like a good plan." Lucas got up to speed, stating the second and third reasons Johan made this decision.

"But working with the Agni Clan, Eternal Peace guild, and the Association, while keeping yourself open to offers from other guilds. Aren't you gonna stretch yourself too thin, dear?" Merilyn leaned in, hands on the table.

The real question was, can your raw material procurement keep up with the demand?

This did clear up another doubt for Johan. Merilyn hadn't looked into any memories regarding his class or how he made potions. If she had, she wouldn't have asked that question.

For that consideration alone, Johan knew he had made the right decision.

"For Agni Clan, they're on emergency calls only three months of the year, and they have their own alchemists, so their demand won't be too high aside from higher-level potions. The Association is the biggest consumer of all types of potions, and we don't have an alchemy division for political reasons, so you'd need to work extra hard. The Eternal Peace guild over there is on emergency call 24/7 all year round. Their potion consumption matches a mid to large-sized guild, and they don't have an alchemist of their own either. Can you brew that many potions alone?" Merilyn continued. "I do agree your plan is good, but it doesn't mean it is achievable by normal standards. The Mage Tower and Alchemist Association have about 1000 potion makers that work 7 days a week on rotations, and even they can't meet the demand for mid-to-high ranking potions 70% of the time."

Johan had first-hand experience of this. He could barely keep up with the flow of customers he had in one mart, let alone whole guilds. However, that was because he did the brewing, packing, and moving all alone.

"That's the reason I've gathered you all here today." Johan smiled. This was the biggest risk he'd ever taken in his life. "I'll tell you how I get the ingredients for my potions."

Johan had dreaded this decision multiple times since Merilyn left yesterday. So far, most people, in online articles and Hunter Net, assumed he had a special alchemy class or special ingredients only he could use.

However, his class didn't excel in potion making. True, he had received the skill, and it was the first one he upgraded, and he used it the most.

At its core, the class Tower Farmer was a farming class. And a farming class that was super optimized for farming, he even had a super fertile land he could use.

The only way to use it to its full potential was to focus on farming alone and leave the potion-making to others. He had taken it upon himself till now to prove to himself that his class was useful, and to numb himself into routine.

However, Johan didn't have the will or the confidence to run a potion-making business spanning multiple guilds. If it were only basic healing potions or such, he might do it. But for his plan, he needed an army of potion makers.

"This is tough." Lucas stroked his chin, holding a fresh Nefel's blessing in his hand. "I regret not kidnapping you before."

"Please don't bring that up again." A chill passed through Johan. He could only look at Merilyn for help.

"He has a point." She shrugged, handing over the Golden Pear to Yuna for inspection, and picked up the sherry leaf, twirling it by the stem. "The moment people learn that you can grow high-quality ingredients like cabbage, many would want to monopolize your class. Even I feel tempted right now, even if it means losing two promising S-Ranks."

"Ok, hag, that's too much, I was joking you know?" Lucas almost jumped out of his chair, but Yuna didn't even bat an eye.

"I am joking, too." Merilyn gave Lucas a reassuring smile and looked back at Johan. "Still, you could've kept this a secret from us, too. But I suppose this is the wiser move."

Of course, Johan could keep this a secret. But that's the thing about truth, no matter how much one tried to cover it, it would come out in the open at some point.

Actually, that was a convenient saying he used to justify his actions.

He had known Yuna for too long. She wouldn't turn on him, that he knew. Even now, she seemed to care less about the discussion and seemed more eager to talk with him alone.

Lucas, though scary at times with his jokes, had only helped him and showed a level of trust that wasn't normal. Above all, he was a businessman as he had stated before. Kidnapping him wouldn't have a good result. Johan trusted him to figure that much out.

Merilyn, he didn't need to think that much about her case. Trauma dumping worked well, too well in fact.

That was the reason he decided to come clean about his class. He didn't say he could enter the Tower through his skill, though; that wouldn't end well.

He only placed the ingredients he had grown and placed them on the table.

"I trust you three enough to tell you about this; in fact, I think you three deserve to know the truth." If this decision brought a negative impact or any of these three betrayed him, Johan was willing to take that loss. That's what it took to trust someone.

"I'll provide Agni Clan and the Association with 4 golden pears and 1 Nefel's blessing. Each fruit yields 4 Healing potions and 4 Ice Resistance potions. On top of that, I'll give enough sherry leaves for 100 magik recovery potions a month." Johan turned to Yuna, who seemed rather lost. "For the Eternal Peace guild, I'll provide 10 healing potions, 4 Ice Resistance potions, and 50 magik recovery potions a month since they don't have their own alchemist yet. You guys are free to use them however you want, use them yourselves, or sell them. I can't promise much of the Detoxification potion for now, so 3 is the limit for every month since I have to make them in about an hour after their harvest."

If Johan could pour all his focus on the Tower, expanding his farm, and get a bottling machine, he could get this plan off the ground in about two to three weeks.

"This guy is actually serious." Mortified, Lucas turned to Merilyn.

"Well, that decisiveness makes him charming." She smiled.

"Hmm." Yuna gave her own nod of acknowledgement. Who was she replying to here?

Ok, no need to get side-tracked.

"It takes Mage Tower too long to produce healing potions because the material isn't fresh enough; they need to use multiple golden pears and put them all through a series of processes to get one potion." Each golden pear, even if shrivelled up, got sold for 100k. The Mage Tower needed 10 of these to make one potion, not to mention the labour and time.

"With this, even a normal potion maker can create a healing potion in an hour with one slice." Johan pointed at the golden pear, now on the table. "I only plan to sell the fruit from now on and leave the brewing to others. If the Agni clan wants to, you can sell them out of your clan stores."

So far, the Hunters in the capital had gotten a taste of his watered-down potions. There was already anticipation for the higher-level potion; he called them higher-level ones. Now, the world'll know the real healing potions soon.

"Stop digging, man, you struck gold long before." Lucas shook his head, his sleepiness long gone. "What do you need me to do in return?"

"Initiating deals with other guilds and clans, I hope you can be at the forefront of that so they don't reach me." The Agni Clan had been around for two decades; they had good enough connections and influence. Johan needed them to be a shield when it came to dealing with other guilds and clans that had adopted aggressive recruitment methods.

"I can handle that." Lucas had run his own calculations, it seemed.

"What do you want me to do, deary?" Merilyn had crossed her arms, leaning back into the chair. She had most likely already guessed what he wanted from her.

That's what he got from her slight smirk.

"I want the Association to serve as a bridge between me, the Alchemist Association, and the Mage Tower. I don't want to get pressured by them when the Detoxifying potions are sold." No organization would refuse better items, especially if it helped them reduce time and labour while increasing profits. Still, planning didn't hurt anyone.

"I may have to bend a few rules, but it is achievable." Merilyn stood up, ready to leave. "Give me two weeks."

"Ah, wait, take this with you." Johan handed one of the two green boxes he had on the counter behind him. "This has some samples; they'll help in the deals."

Johan had prepared two Golden Pears, two Nefel's blessings, half a kilo of ruby berries, and sherry leaves for each box. If they confirmed how much better the ingredients were with their eyes, they wouldn't even think of refusing.

"Five days." Merilyn's red lips turned into an elegant smile. "I'll call you in five days."

She already had an agenda against the Mage Tower and seemed more than happy to help. As the motivated Merilyn left, Lucas also stood up. He stretched his arms and picked up the second box.

"I'll have Adrian send a contract by tomorrow." He extended his hand with a measured smile. "To a long and successful partnership."

"Yes, I'll do my best."

After a firm handshake, Lucas glanced at Yuna and looked back at Johan.

"Do it from tomorrow." He turned around and started up the stairs. "Adieu, Terminator."

With this, he had Agni Clan, who'd help distribute his produce outside and Merilyn's influence to protect his info, and only they knew that he had grown it himself. The rest of the world didn't need to know where he got these from; they can keep searching if they want to.

Now, only Johan and Yuna remained in the silent room. Johan was about to speak, but she beat him to it.

"I thought I had enough power as an S-ranker." Yuna looked him dead in the eye, for the first time since she entered, the calmness in her eyes wavered. "Sorry, you have to take such a risk because of me."

She caught on after all. Johan could only hide his wry smile.

Now, how should he handle this?

...

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