In Ethan's memories of his past life, it had been the same. This place remained ignored for a long time. It was not until players were well into the nineties, when the surrounding monsters no longer posed any real danger, that someone, driven by sheer curiosity, finally bothered to grind reputation here. What they discovered sent shockwaves through the player base, and overnight, this forgotten corner of the map became one of the most crowded hubs in the game.

The NPCs here sold fixed items, nothing flashy at first glance, but there was one exception. An NPC named Zellar would periodically refresh his stock with extremely rare goods. The prices were outrageous, enough to make most people hesitate, but those items were nearly impossible to find anywhere else. There was no auction system either, no bidding wars or timers. It was first come, first served, brutally simple. This led to massive crowds camping the vendor day and night, waiting for restocks. Anyone who managed to grab an item could become rich overnight. Anyone who missed out could only watch, clench their fists, and curse their luck. There was nothing to do but wait for the next refresh and hope their reflexes were sharp enough.

Even the Hardening Shell the fortress commander had used earlier, the item with a guaranteed dismount effect, had originated from this place.

That said, Ethan had not come here for Zellar.

He moved through the town's winding paths with purpose, heading toward a ramshackle house tucked away at the edge of the settlement. A pile of strange jars sat outside the door, their contents murky and unsettling. As he drew closer, a sharp, acrid stench hit him full in the face. Ethan instinctively wrinkled his nose. After a brief hesitation, he clenched his teeth and pushed the door open.

"Whatever you want, it's on the shelves."

The voice greeted him before he had even fully stepped inside. It was hoarse and irritable, belonging to a grizzled old man hunched over a worktable. The man's back was bent, his thinning, messy hair hanging loose as he fiddled with something Ethan could not see. He did not bother to look up.

Ethan followed the man's words and glanced at the shelves lining the walls. They were packed to the brim with a chaotic mess of items, bottles, scraps, and half-finished products. It looked less like a shop and more like a refuse pile. Trying to find anything specific in that mess would be a nightmare.

"Master Roger," Ethan said calmly, "what I need isn't on the shelves."

"If it's not there, then get out. Don't interrupt my experiments."

The NPC's temper was just as foul as the smell in the room. He started cursing without the slightest provocation.

Ethan felt his brow twitch. He genuinely wanted to knock the old coot senseless.

'What the hell, an NPC dares talk to me like this?'

In his past life, he would have already turned around and left. But right now, he needed something that only this man could provide. For the moment, he had no choice but to swallow his irritation and probe carefully.

"Roger," Ethan continued, forcing his tone to remain steady, "I need a very large quantity. Experiments like yours must require considerable funding, don't they?"

"Money?" Roger finally snorted. "How much money could you possibly have? Do I look like someone who lacks funds?"

Ethan almost laughed. The old man was clearly putting on airs, pretending to be some well-funded genius when he was obviously dirt poor. In Ethan's past life, someone had hooked him precisely by appealing to that false pride.

"Master Roger," Ethan said smoothly, "I know a trivial sum wouldn't interest you. But I heard you have a batch of High-Explosive Black Powder for sale. I'm willing to buy the entire stock."

He stopped dancing around the issue and dropped the keyword directly. Either it would work, or it wouldn't. Strictly speaking, the item was not absolutely necessary, but if he could secure it, it might also open the door to a longer-term relationship with Master Roger.

Black powder itself could be produced by any Alchemist. But High-Explosive Black Powder was different. In the entire world of Ethereal, only Master Roger could make it. If Ethan could secure this supply, it would give him control over a resource no one else had.

Master Roger was no ordinary Alchemist. According to rumors, he had started out as an apprentice in the Alchemist Guild but was far too unruly. He despised following procedures and had a habit of blowing up the guild's laboratories during experiments. After several serious incidents, he was expelled outright. With nowhere else to go, he eventually drifted into Plaguewood Valley, scraping by on whatever alchemical products he could sell. But the area was remote, and customers were rare. Coupled with his expensive, experiment-obsessed lifestyle, it was hard to imagine how he had managed to survive for so long at all.

Yet, regardless of his temperament, the man's talent was undeniable. Within Ethereal, he was officially credited as the inventor of Distillation. Above his head hovered a title that made even veteran players pause when they saw it:

[First Master of Distillation · Roger]

This Distillation was not the mundane process from the real world. It was a hybrid system, blending traditional Alchemy with a unique purification method that no one else had managed to replicate. Ethan could not help but feel a sense of regret on the old man's behalf. To possess such a groundbreaking technique and yet live for who knew how long without taking an apprentice or formally spreading his craft felt like a tragic waste. He worked alone, tinkering endlessly, letting his knowledge rot in isolation.

Because of that, Ethan was certain there was more to this NPC than what appeared on the surface. A hidden Side Quest almost certainly existed here, perhaps one that involved becoming Roger's disciple or helping him formalize and propagate Distillation. If that happened, the system might unlock an entirely new crafting specialization, or even an advanced Alchemist class. The potential alone made this visit worthwhile.

…

The moment Ethan finished speaking, the room erupted.

BOOM!

A violent explosion burst from Master Roger's worktable. Thick black smoke surged outward as sparks and flames flashed violently across the surface.

Ethan nearly turned and ran.

Experiment explosions were no joke. They could kill. His own subordinate, the Mad Engineer, was living proof. The man was still stuck at Level 1 to this day for one simple reason, he kept blowing himself up during failed experiments.

However, something unexpected happened.

At the exact moment of the explosion, a flash of golden light enveloped the worktable.

"Huh?" Ethan froze. "An invulnerability shield?"

His eyes widened in disbelief. That worktable was no ordinary piece of furniture. It was a treasure item, equipped with a triggered protection mechanism. The golden barrier sealed the explosion completely, containing the shockwave, smoke, fire, and debris as if they had been swallowed whole.

Before Ethan could fully process it, Master Roger spun around sharply.

His beady eyes locked onto Ethan with frightening intensity.

'Damn it,' Ethan thought. 'Did my words distract him and cause the explosion? Is he about to blame me for ruining his experiment?'

If that happened, this entire trip would be a waste.

The old man continued to stare.

Ethan felt a flicker of guilt rise in his chest, but he did not look away. He was not the type to lose a staring contest, especially not to an NPC.

They stood there in silence, man and NPC locked in an unbroken gaze for a full minute.

Finally, unable to bear the tension and unsure what else to say, Ethan broke the silence. "Uh… what are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at you… uh…" Master Roger started harshly, clearly bristling at the challenge, but then abruptly stopped himself. "Ahem. Such a handsome young man. Handsome men are always rich."

His expression twisted unnaturally as his eyes narrowed into thin slits. Wrinkles piled onto his face as he forced a grin that made him resemble a smiling Shar-Pei.

"Come, come," he said warmly, waving his hand. "Let's talk properly."

He even turned and beckoned for Ethan to follow him into a back room.

"Huh? What?" The sudden change in attitude left Ethan completely stunned.

Only a moment ago, he had already begun regretting his blunt "what are you looking at," since it practically invited a fight. Who knew what kinds of unstable contraptions this mad alchemist had lying around? If Roger decided to unleash them, Ethan might not even get the chance to escape. That High-Explosive Black Powder alone was terrifying enough to qualify as a weapon of mass destruction.

Still, the old man's abrupt friendliness meant one thing. There was hope.

Ethan, who had been tense and ready to shift into Bear Form and flee at the first sign of hostility, finally relaxed. He followed Master Roger's hunched figure into the inner chamber, eyes sharp and mind alert, knowing that whatever happened next would determine whether this visit turned into an opportunity or a disaster.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.