Chapter Six: Why Don’t You Just Take It by Force?

As Chu Fan sat waiting for his meal, a tall, thin figure took the seat directly across from him. The newcomer rubbed his hands together, looking every bit the eager salesman.

“Hey, brother, interested in some blue potions?”

Chu Fan had assumed the man was simply sharing the table and had intended to ignore him, but the question caught his attention. “What effects do these blue potions of yours have?” he asked.

The salesman wasted no words. He produced a small vial filled with a violet liquid and set it on the table before Chu Fan.

Chu Fan picked it up, and a prompt appeared before him.

[This item belongs to someone else. You cannot take it more than five meters from its owner.]

[Inferior Mana Potion (White – Common)] Effect: Instantly restores 10 mana points, then increases the user's mana regeneration rate by 10 points per hour for three hours.

Heaven’s Chosen Paradise Buyback Price: 50 Paradise Coins

Usage restriction: Only one bottle may be consumed within two hours.

In other words, this potion could help him recover a total of 40 mana points over three hours, but in critical moments, it would only restore 10 instantly. Considering emergencies where he might run out of mana, keeping one or two as a backup seemed reasonable.

“How much are you selling them for?” Chu Fan asked, mildly interested.

“Two hundred Paradise Coins a bottle.” The man flashed two fingers and smiled when he saw Chu Fan inquire about the price.

The moment Chu Fan heard the price, he pushed the potion back across the table. Even counting the proceeds from the cursed notebook he planned to sell, he only had 6,470 Paradise Coins on hand. Moreover, at this restaurant, 30 coins could buy a delicious, filling meal—Paradise Coins clearly had considerable purchasing power.

“Brother, don’t turn me down so quickly. In this first tier, very few people follow the mage path, so there are hardly any potion makers. Even if you find someone else selling, their prices are far higher than mine. I’m already offering the lowest price here.”

Seeing Chu Fan reject the offer, the salesman tried again to persuade him.

Chu Fan remained silent. Mana potions were for emergencies, but he needed to save his coins for other potential purchases. No matter how the man tried to talk up his wares, 200 coins per bottle simply didn’t fit Chu Fan’s needs.

“I’m here to eat. If you have nothing else, please leave,” Chu Fan said flatly.

The salesman grew anxious. “Two hundred is really the lowest price. If you don’t believe me, go check in the trading district yourself.”

He had only recently learned alchemy and could make two kinds of potions—one for healing wounds, the other for restoring mana. He’d seen stalls in the trading district filled with all sorts of mana potions, and plenty of people buying them. That led him to believe they’d sell well, so he’d prioritized making a few bottles.

But after making them, he regretted it. Mana potions did have buyers—even non-mages would keep a bottle or two just in case—but those made by others, though more expensive, were of higher quality, thanks to their superior alchemy skills. With few options, he’d stationed himself near the exclusive rooms, hoping to catch a rare mage customer. Spotting Chu Fan in mage robes—an expensive garment—he’d seen a potential client and approached.

He had only two hours before entering the next derivative world, whose dangers were unknown. He wanted to hold onto as many Paradise Coins as possible, in case he needed to hire help for side quests, pay penalties, or simply survive the ordeal.

Now, with Chu Fan uninterested, he was at a loss. Had he known better, he’d have made healing potions instead. The profit margin was lower, but at least they sold easily.

“What price would you consider fair?” he finally asked, sounding rather deflated.

“One hundred coins a bottle. I’ll take two,” Chu Fan replied calmly.

“One hundred each? Have you even checked market prices? That wouldn’t even cover the cost of materials! I’d be losing thirty coins per bottle—why don’t you just rob me?” The salesman stared in disbelief, then slammed the table and stood, clearly agitated.

In the trading district, potions of this quality sold for 230 to 250 coins. Even with the lowest-quality mana potions, there was normally a profit of at least a hundred coins per bottle. That was the only reason he’d been tempted to make them. He’d already lowered his price, and now Chu Fan was cutting it to the bone.

“Robbery is a harsh word. You came to me, after all. If you don’t want to sell, you can always have the Paradise buy back your potions,” Chu Fan replied coolly, unmoved by the other’s outburst.

After trading had been open for a while, prices for various goods settled into a widely accepted balance. But in private transactions, the outcome was determined by whose need was greater. In this case, Chu Fan knew the salesman was the more desperate party. He suspected the man was about to enter the next world and wanted to offload anything valuable while he still could. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to the relaxation area to peddle his goods.

Hearing mention of the Paradise buyback, the salesman’s heart bled—those prices were highway robbery.

“You demon... Fine, a hundred it is. But you have to take at least two.” Gritting his teeth, he sent a trade invitation to Chu Fan.

A prompt appeared before Chu Fan, asking if he wished to sign the trade contract. He didn’t hesitate, agreeing and transferring two hundred coins.

Trade complete: [You have received two (White – Common) Mana Potions.]

The salesman shot Chu Fan a look, as if to memorize his face, swearing never to deal with this “demon” again, and left without another word.

From beginning to end, neither had introduced themselves, nor revealed their identification numbers or roles.

So, violence isn’t permitted here, Chu Fan mused, glancing at the potions in his pack and reflecting on the salesman’s less-than-pleasant attitude.

Though Chu Fan still didn’t know much about Heaven’s Chosen Paradise, he didn’t naively believe it was a peaceful or safe place. When people gain power beyond the ordinary, their survival instincts, methods, and mindset inevitably change. If the rules here allowed, his opponent would likely have resorted to force without hesitation. The fact that he hadn’t even considered it confirmed that violence was forbidden.

To act against the rules here would likely incur punishment from the Paradise—perhaps even erasure.