My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon

"I will return to headquarters and tell the President about this," Gwendolyn said. "Ellick is dead. There’s no point in me staying here anymore."

"What will happen to this place, the Ellick Territory?" Mark, who had been listening from the side, suddenly asked.

Mark was a local, so he was more concerned about the changes in the Ellick Territory.

"According to the Eternal Night Council’s usual practice, when a high-level Other dies, their territory is either merged or divided among other high-level Other nobles," Karen replied. "The Ellick Territory might get a new Lord, or it could be broken up and given to Other nobles of a lower rank than a Count."

Mark’s face fell, his expression turning grim.

"So we killed Ellick just to get a new Lord, and nothing else changes?" Mark asked.

"That’s not entirely true. The situation has improved," Karen said. "If the territory is merged, the new Lord might not have the energy to manage Ellick. There’s a high probability it will become a self-governing domain that just has to pay taxes."

"And if it’s divided, that’s even better. Ellick was a powerful, high-ranking Other noble. If the territory is given to lesser nobles, like a Baron or a Viscount, the Master and I could take them down together. If you train for another three to five years and use the Blood Burst Secret Medicine, you’d also have a good chance of killing a Baron-level Other noble on your own."

"You couldn’t do that before, but with the Blood Burst Secret Medicine, everything has changed," Karen explained.

Mark was thrilled to hear this.

Mark looked at Fang Zhen and said, "Is this all because of the Blood Burst Secret Medicine you brought?"

"Praise be to you, Lord Ranger!"

Gwendolyn said, "The primary objective of this expedition against Ellick has also been achieved. The Blood Burst Secret Medicine is effective against high-level Others, and remarkably so."

"The President and the others can set their worries aside."

Karen also looked at Fang Zhen and said, "I once questioned you, suspecting you were a spy planted by the Eternal Night Council. But I was wrong. I apologize."

"Given the choice, the Eternal Night Council would never allow the Blood Burst Secret Medicine to exist. It shakes the very foundation of their rule."

"I take back what I said."

"However," Karen paused for a moment, "the most critical factor that has changed the balance of power is your Alchemy Pills. We can only produce the Blood Burst Secret Medicine with them."

"Can you provide a stable supply of these Alchemy Pills? Or give us the secret formula?"

"Of course, the Whig Society is willing to offer items of equal value in exchange."

"That’s not possible," Fang Zhen said, shaking his head.

’It wasn’t that he looked down on the Curse Seal World, but synthesizing potassium permanganate in this world was simply too difficult. Perhaps after a few years, or even a decade or two of research, they might find some unorthodox synthesis method. But based on their current foundation, chemical synthesis and Alchemy were completely different paths. They wouldn’t understand a molecular structure diagram even if he gave it to them.’

"The Alchemist I know is eccentric. I can’t make that kind of deal."

"There are even restrictions on how many Alchemy Pills I can trade."

"The few hundred pills I brought you this time were already difficult to acquire. Any more and I would have to take a risk," he said.

This wasn’t a bluff or him being dramatic.

Potassium permanganate was something you could buy in small quantities without issue, but buying too much would attract attention.

Potassium permanganate is a Category III precursor chemical for drug manufacturing. Small purchases are fine, but larger quantities require registration and are easily flagged.

An individual making a one-time purchase of over five kilograms would have to register it, and the annual purchase limit is no more than fifty kilograms.

Fang Zhen had bought right up to the limit; any more and he would exceed it.

He could also buy some using his identity as a company employee, but he didn’t know the specific algorithms for the regulations. If he crossed a sensitive threshold, he could easily get into trouble.

After all, in any decent-sized city these days, if you dared to touch that stuff, authorities could trace drug metabolites from your urine flushed down the toilet all the way back through the sewer system to a specific building, or even a specific floor. The government was extremely strict about this.

Fang Zhen would definitely not risk it. He was even afraid of being accidentally flagged just for buying too much potassium permanganate.

Bringing a few hundred pills at once was the best he could do.

Surprisingly, Karen didn’t press him.

Karen probably knew that with how effective the Alchemy Pills were, being able to produce several hundred at once was already no small feat.

"So, when will you come find us next? For a trade, I mean," Gwendolyn said. "The Whig Society still has some treasures in its vaults that might catch your eye."

"Let’s arrange another trade. This time, I’ll introduce you to the President of the Whig Society."

"I should be able to return within forty days, but I can’t be sure," Fang Zhen said, not giving a definite answer. "As for the location, I’ll find you. I’ll appear when it’s time for me to appear."

He sounded rather mysterious.

It wasn’t that he was being intentionally vague; he just didn’t know when the next instance’s Light Gate would open, or where.

"Alright, you really are a mystery. Don’t tell me you’re some heaven-sent chosen one?" Karen couldn’t help but quip.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Mark went to get it.

With Ellick dead, Mark was relatively relaxed. He recognized the secret knock and opened the courtyard gate.

A man in his fifties walked in. He was thin and stooped, looking less like a Martial Artist and more like a technician.

"Ah, it’s Alchemist Anlong. What can I do for you?" Gwendolyn asked, standing up.

"Master, we’ve finished the Alchemy Armor. Would you like to test it now?" the newcomer asked.