The vision of the Star Sea in the depths of his consciousness slowly faded.
Ian opened his eyes. The profundity of spanning two worlds settled deep within his pupils, returning to reality.
He felt a familiar weight and warmth on his shoulder.
Gaga was perched there, its small head tilted, its mismatched eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of drowsiness.
"Ian, you were spacing out for a long time, gaga... What did you ’see’ this time?"
Although Gaga had never crossed over itself, through their Soul Link, it could vaguely perceive Ian’s consciousness connecting to another time and space.
"He’s doing well."
Ian rubbed Gaga’s little head, feeling the smooth texture of its feathers under his fingertips.
"Even better than we imagined."
He stood up and stretched his neck, his joints letting out a faint CRACKLE.
It was time to deal with matters in the Wizard World.
First, there were the noisy little ones in the courtyard.
He pushed open the heavy stone door of the secret room and walked up the stairs.
Morning light streamed through the window, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.
In the center of the courtyard, the small, silvery-white Alchemy Tree stretched its branches and leaves in the sunlight, shimmering with a faint glow.
Five Activation Fruits hung listlessly from its branches, their silver tendrils burrowing into the special Demonized Soil, lazily absorbing nutrients.
"Yo, the Great Demon King is back?"
Lucy, the first to spot Ian, spoke in a raspy voice as she swayed.
"You were gone for quite a while this time, weren’t you? Has it been three months?"
Vivian, next to her, chimed in.
"Three months and seven days!" said Amy from the middle in a muffled voice.
"I’ve been counting! The taste of the Blood Essence in the soil has faded!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Rice Grain clamored.
"Hungry!" Benny, as usual, only thought about eating.
Ian walked over to the small tree, ignoring their complaints as his gaze swept over each fruit.
They were clearly fuller and rounder than before he had left.
Their skins were crystalline, and the silver juice flowing inside was richer, exuding vibrant life and Magic Power fluctuations.
It seemed Kenna and the others had been adding Blood Essence and Magic Crystal Powder on schedule and hadn’t slacked off.
"Gaga! What’s all the noise! Ian just got back and you’re already demanding food!"
Gaga flapped its wings and flew over, landing on a branch and looking down at the five fruits with its small, disdainful eyes.
"A bunch of little gluttons!"
"Fuzzy black ball! Who are you calling a glutton!"
"Exactly! We have normal growth requirements!"
"You’re the one who does nothing but eat and sleep all day!"
...
The five fruits immediately turned their sights on Gaga, denouncing it all at once as their silver tendrils waved in the air.
"Gaga! This king contributed a lot this time, what do you know!"
Gaga lifted its head, its feathers puffing out slightly, its gaze disdainful.
Ian watched this familiar, noisy scene, a faint hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
This was a part of his "home."
Noisy and full of life.
He took out five beads of Tier One Blood Essence from his Dimension Ring and flicked one toward each fruit.
The silver tendrils shot out like lightning, caught them precisely, and quickly retracted back into the soil.
A satisfied, sigh-like GURGLING sound echoed in the courtyard.
"Mmm... that’s more like it..."
"Today’s Blood Essence... is so rich."
"We want bigger ones next time!"
The complaints died down, replaced by satisfied murmurs.
Ian then took out a small handful of special Flawless Magic Crystal Powder and sprinkled it evenly at the base of the small tree.
The powder was quickly absorbed by the soil. The small tree’s silvery-white luster seemed to brighten a notch, and its leaves and branches stirred without any wind, transmitting a faint, comfortable thought.
"Ian," Gaga said softly, flying back to his shoulder.
"They actually missed you, you know. They didn’t have the energy to bicker when you were gone, gaga."
Ian nodded slightly.
He knew that although these Activation Fruits were stubborn and gluttonous, they were fundamentally simple.
They relied on the Energy he provided and this safe courtyard, and had long since come to see him as their "Supporter" and "Protector."
"Alright, rest quietly now."
He patted the trunk of the small tree and turned to walk inside.
He had real business to attend to today.
The Starlight Magic Pharmacy had moved to a bustling street in the core district of Shadow Moon Tower.
The storefront wasn’t particularly large, but the shop’s name was outlined in silver Star Runes on a deep blue sign, making it quite conspicuous in the sunlight.
Ian pushed open the shop door, and a bell attached to it rang out crisply.
The shop was clean and tidy, with various Potions arranged by category on the shelves.
In the most prominent spot, a few pale blue vials of [Rock Bear Potion] were locked inside a special display case.
The price tag clearly read: seven hundred Magic Stones.
Beside it were slightly larger quantities of [Concentration Potion] and [Spirit Recovery Potion].
Their prices ranged from several dozen to over a hundred Magic Stones.
As for the [Starlight Potion], it was nowhere to be seen on the shelves.
There was only a small wooden sign hanging behind the counter with a clear note.
"Tier One [Starlight Potion], limited reservations, price negotiable."
Behind the counter, Kenna was hunched over, checking a ledger. He looked up when he heard the bell.
Upon seeing Ian, he immediately put down his pen, hurried out from behind the counter, and a respectful smile appeared on his face.
"Sir, you’ve returned!"
Behind him, Robert was organizing the shelves, Wade was carrying in a crate of materials from the back courtyard, and Monica was quickly calculating figures at a small table in the corner.
All four of them wore neat, casual clothes, their demeanors calm and their movements efficient.
"Mm," Ian nodded, walking over to sit in the chair behind the counter—his exclusive spot.
"How has business been lately?"
"To answer, Sir, everything is normal." Kenna picked up the ledger and presented it with both hands.
"This month, we sold twenty vials of [Rock Bear Potion], all pre-ordered by regular customers. Sales of conventional potions are stable. The waiting list for the [Starlight Potion] is three months long. As you instructed, we only release a quota of five vials per month, and the price is maintained at eighty High Level Magic Stones."