The Devil Fish is a peculiar species of fish that lives in the Deep Sea. A full-grown adult is only about the size of a palm.

Unlike other aquatic fish, they not only possess a ferocious and terrifying face with strange, twisted patterns on their skin, but also have a row of razor-sharp spikes along their backs.

Most horrifying of all, their eyes do not grow on the sides of their heads. Instead, they are connected by a soft, fleshy stalk, standing starkly in the center of their foreheads like a lighthouse beacon.

When their eyeballs roll, they look just like the eyes of a Demon from an adventure novel, making them exceptionally frightening.

This is precisely how they earned the name Devil Fish.

The meat of this fish is unpleasantly fishy and acrid, with a coarse and unpalatable texture. Coupled with how easy it is to catch in the Deep Sea, its market price is pitifully low.

Fishermen even use them as a freebie bundled with other, better-quality catches, forcing them on customers.

Roland had specifically verified this information by repeatedly questioning over a dozen guards and servants with coastal living experience before he set out for Distant Harbor.

It was for this very reason that when Roland heard the price of one silver and twelve copper coins, he paused for a moment before frowning deeply.

Although he no longer had to worry about money for the time being thanks to the small nest egg Dalko had provided, this absolutely did not mean he was willing to be a sucker and let a merchant rip him off.

"Take it or leave it! I already told you, it’s one silver and twelve copper coins! Why are you..."

The fishmonger, hearing the doubt in Roland’s voice, looked up impatiently.

But when she got a clear look at Roland’s face, her tone instantly softened, and the impatient expression on her face melted into a friendly smile.

"Here to buy some Devil Fish, young man?"

"That’s right."

Roland nodded, his gaze falling upon the strange, flopping fish on the wooden board.

’It matches the information I gathered. They’re definitely Devil Fish.’

"But this price..."

"Ah, you may not know, young man..."

The fishmonger wiped the fish blood from her hands on her apron, her eyes shining as she looked at Roland.

"These Devil Fish weren’t always so expensive. But a few months ago, a group of people in white robes suddenly showed up and started buying them up in huge batches."

"On top of that, for some reason, these ugly critters seem to have gotten smarter recently. The Fishermen all say that nine out of ten nets come up empty now."

"With demand outstripping supply, the price naturally shot up. And..."

She lowered her voice and leaned in closer.

"My price is actually pretty cheap. Look at the stall next door—they’re charging Eight Copper Coins more than me!"

’White robes?’

’People from the Truth Church?’

Recalling the mysterious figures he had encountered in Chenxi Territory, Roland couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

’Are they also using Devil Fish to concoct Potions?’

Other than that, Roland couldn’t think of any other possibility. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

’Surely it’s not to improve their meals.’

Seeing Roland remain silent, the fishmonger helplessly threw up her hands.

"If you think it’s too expensive, you can always go Fishing yourself, but..."

She pointed toward the port.

Small boats flying seashell flags could be seen patrolling back and forth on the sea, blockading the nearby waters so tightly that not even a drop of water could get through.

"This whole area has been contracted out to the Black Shell Trading Company. If you want to fish, you’ll have to go beyond Distant Harbor and try your luck..."

’Try my luck?’

He didn’t have that much time to waste here.

Besides, a task like Deep Sea Fishing, without extensive experience and reliable help, was practically a suicide mission if you ran into extreme weather.

Seeing Roland still hesitating, the fishmonger didn’t say anything more. She just lightly tapped Roland’s firm chest with a rough finger, her already soft voice suddenly becoming sickly sweet.

"If you don’t believe me, young man, you can go check the other stalls. But..."

She paused meaningfully.

"I can hold on to these Devil Fish for you for a bit."

"Thank you, ma’am."

"Just call me Jenny."

The wrinkles on her face bunched up like a flower from her excessive smiling.

After nodding his thanks, Roland turned and walked toward the other fish stalls.

It turned out Jenny hadn’t been lying to him.

The nearby vendors not only gave him the same story, but their prices were also significantly higher than hers.

After making his rounds, Roland eventually returned to Jenny’s stall.

Looking at the Devil Fish still thrashing on the wooden board, he gritted his teeth.

"Ms. Jenny, how many Devil Fish do you have here?"

"There are eleven left, young man."

Jenny’s eyes lit up.

"I’ll take them all. How much?"

"All of them?"

Jenny’s hands immediately became deft. She efficiently packed the fish into a sack while saying with a smile,

"I’ll give you a discount... That’ll be eleven Silver Coins."

’Is that how discounts work?’

Roland’s expression became a little strange, but he ultimately said nothing, silently counting out eleven Silver Coins from his pouch and placing them in Jenny’s palm.

Although their hands only touched for a moment, a blush spread across Jenny’s face at a visible rate.

After confirming the number of Devil Fish in the sack was correct, Roland gave a slight smile and then turned to leave.

After Roland’s figure disappeared at the end of the alley, the plump auntie selling oysters next to her suddenly yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Well, well, Jenny! You cut that price faster than the tide goes out!"

Her greasy apron was cinched so tightly around her waist it created three folds of fat.

"Last time I asked you for two fish, you wouldn’t even knock off half a copper coin!"

The one-eyed old man at the opposite stall immediately chimed in, banging his fishhook on the wooden board to jeer.

"That young man’s Silver Coins must be coated in honey to have sweetened the tongue of our resident cheapskate!"

Several fishmongers burst into laughter, their dirty leather boots stomping on the wet floor, making splashing sounds.

Jenny grabbed a long fish and SLAMMED it onto the cutting board. The tail splattered drops of blood, one of which landed right on the one-eyed old man’s grog-blossomed nose.

"Old Niren, you keep gossiping and tomorrow I’ll tell the Sheriff about you swapping in dead fish for fresh ones!"

She then turned toward the plump auntie, brandishing a pair of fish-scale-covered scissors.

"And you, Martha! Who was it that bought three baskets of clams from you on credit last month and never paid? You want me to go and..."

"Oh, don’t be angry, little sister Jenny."

The curly-haired proprietress of the seafood shop interjected in a snide tone, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"We’re just jealous of you, after all..."

She suddenly imitated Jenny’s sickly sweet voice from earlier.

"’Just call me Jenny...’"

Jenny’s face instantly turned redder than a boiled crab, and she grabbed an octopus and hurled it at her.

Roland, of course, knew nothing of the farce unfolding in the fish market.

Carrying the heavy sack, he hurried back to the inn. He quickly bought some food to fill his stomach and specifically instructed the attendant not to let anyone disturb him, then dove into his room.

Closing the door tightly, he untied the bag he had brought from the estate. He took out the equipment and materials needed to Awaken his Consciousness Shallows, sat at the wooden table, and slowly closed his eyes.

"Spirit Summoning Potion..."

As he whispered, the [Concentration] Trait quietly activated.

In his mind, the long-memorized formula for the Spirit Summoning Potion flowed like living water, every step and every detail appearing with crystal clarity.

Opening his eyes, his hands were steady and precise as he began to methodically process the ingredients.

In a short while, the wooden table was covered with herbs and materials that had been processed in various ways.

The clear water in the crucible also began to boil, giving off wisps of white steam.

Refining a difficult Potion like the Spirit Summoning Potion was challenging from start to finish, as some of the descriptions in the recipe were far too abstract.

For example, the process required precise timing, adding the processed ingredients to the boiling water in sequence without a second’s error.

However, this crucial timing was also closely related to how finely the ingredients were ground.

If they were ground too finely, the time had to be shortened. If the granules were slightly coarser, the time needed to be extended.

All of this required the Alchemist to focus on observing the Potion’s state to make the right judgment.

Furthermore, after adding the Devil Fish Eye Liquid, the crucible had to be maintained at a relatively constant temperature as much as possible.

The slightest deviation would cause the entire Refining process to end in failure.

But the recipe was vague about what this specific temperature was, forcing the Alchemist to rely on their own Perception.

Shaking his head, Roland mentally reviewed the Refining steps one more time before beginning.

He added all the ingredients to the crucible in order, stirring slowly.

When it was time to add the last ingredient, Roland reached into the sack at his feet and took out a live, flopping Devil Fish.

With a light flick of his finger on the fish’s head, the Devil Fish instantly went still.

He then drew the Dagger from his waist and precisely sliced open the eyeball protruding from the fleshy stalk on the Devil Fish’s forehead.

The moment the iris contracted, a drop of amber-colored mucus slowly oozed out.

This was the core ingredient for the Spirit Summoning Potion: Devil Fish Eye Liquid.

The instant fine bubbles appeared on the surface of the water, he dripped the precious eye liquid into the crucible.

The next moment, the mixture churned violently and instantly solidified into a lump. A stench like rotting seaweed filled the air.

"The temperature was too high..."

Roland frowned and poured the failed Potion into a waste bucket.

On his second attempt, he adjusted the temperature.

This time, however, not only was the temperature too low, but one of the powdered ingredients had also been ground too finely. This caused the liquid to fuse too quickly, throwing off the timing for adding the subsequent ingredients.

The final product was murky, with a strange oily film floating on the surface. It was clearly unusable.

For the next several days, apart from eating, sleeping, and going out to buy more Devil Fish, Roland never once stepped out of his room.

He remained completely immersed in Alchemy, constantly adjusting his methods based on the experience from each failure.

Before he knew it, five days had slipped by.

When sunlight once again shone into the room, Roland rubbed his bloodshot eyes and carefully examined the thick stack of parchment in his hands.

The paper was densely covered with text, exhaustively detailing every crucial point he needed to pay attention to during the Potion Refining process over the past few days.

’Grinding the ingredients to a slightly granular state helps me with the timing... and then the Devil Fish Eye Liquid...’

After running through his thoughts, he began his attempt once more.

Thanks to his prior experience, the initial steps of Refining the Spirit Summoning Potion went exceptionally smoothly, without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing the color of the liquid in the crucible begin to change, Roland took a deep breath and immediately used his [Heart of the Furnace] Trait, precisely adjusting the Flame to the temperature he had previously recorded.

He then quickly grabbed a struggling Devil Fish from the sack and unhesitatingly sliced open its protruding eyeball.

PLOP!

The drop of amber-colored mucus plunged into the liquid.

The mixture in the crucible immediately began to boil violently.

Roland narrowed his eyes, holding his breath as he stared intently, watching for the slightest change.

A moment later, the boiling gradually subsided. The liquid finally transformed from murky to a deep bluish-green, its surface shimmering with fine, mysterious phosphorescence.

[A finished Potion has been crafted. Basic Alchemy gained 1 EXP.]

Looking at the golden text that appeared before his eyes, Roland extinguished the Flame and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Success..."