A black wooden box lay before him, containing five round, small stone bottles.
Tang Wen reached out and picked up one of the bottles, his expression immediately turning to one of surprise.
The liquid inside the bottle was... moving.
It felt like a carbonated drink that had been vigorously shaken, continuously bubbling.
Recalling Old Crow's explanation, this was likely a sign that the elixir was still active.
The name of the elixir was the Body Tempering Elixir.
As the name suggested, it could strengthen the body after use.
But how to use it?
Old Crow had also explained: "You're still young, your physique isn't strong, and you're still developing. This Secret Elixir shouldn't be taken orally. Instead, you can divide one bottle into ten doses. Soak in hot water for an hour each time. This will waste some of the elixir's potency, but it's safer."
Tang Wen hesitated, not because he was worried the elixir might be poisonous—the camp had already tested it—but because he trusted Old Crow's advice.
But how did Old Crow determine that his physique wasn't strong enough for oral consumption?
After some thought, he picked up the bottle with the smallest amount, uncorked it, and took a sniff.
A faint fishy smell mixed with an indescribable spiciness.
The combination was quite pungent.
Tang Wen poured a mouthful's worth into a cup, raised it, and without hesitation, downed it in one go.
A fiery line burned down his throat and into his stomach.
Then, the heat spread throughout his entire body.
Good medicine tastes bitter.
If it could make him stronger, the unpleasant taste was worth it.
He comforted himself with this thought.
The burning sensation came quickly but faded slowly.
After a quarter of an hour, it began to subside.
Half an hour later, it finally disappeared.
But his Attribute Panel showed no reaction.
"Looks like I need to increase the dosage," Tang Wen muttered, shaking his head. He picked up the remaining half bottle and poured it all into his mouth.
The intense burning sensation felt like he had swallowed 95-proof spirits.
After enduring it for nearly an hour, he finally felt better and got what he wanted:
[Physique: 8.75 → 8.8]
Half a bottle, and only a 0.05 increase?
That's it?
Tang Wen was stunned.
It felt like spending 1699 to go up to the third floor, turn right, and expect an exciting "one versus three" experience, only to find out it was just three attendants giving you a bath!
A deep sense of being cheated washed over him.
A Secret Elixir refined from the essence of a Superior Exotic Beast shouldn't be this underwhelming, right?
Could it be that his physique was already too strong?
He decided to try again.
First, he poured himself a cup of cold tea from the pot on the table and drank it in one go to suppress the lingering taste.
Then, he turned around, opened a full bottle of the elixir, and drank it all.
Whoosh!
His throat felt like it was about to burst into flames.
Gulp, gulp!
Tang Wen tilted his head back and finished the entire pot of cold tea, but it still couldn't quench the fiery sensation.
"Bring me two more pots of tea," he called out.
Soon, Xiao Liu came in carrying a teapot, along with a plate of foxtail millet cakes.
She placed them on the table, glanced at Tang Wen a few times without lingering, and then left.
It was now the time for the three maids to practice their martial arts.
Their lives now had purpose and a clear goal: to become Martial Practitioners as soon as possible!
Two hours passed, and Tang Wen felt a tingling sensation in his muscles.
[Physique: 8.8 → 8.88]
Only a 0.08 increase?
Shouldn't it have been 0.1?
He had doubled the dosage, but the attribute increase was only 60% more than before.
"Gurgle, gurgle."
Hunger struck, and Tang Wen, who had prepared for this, asked Xiao Liu to bring in the stewed meat from the stove.
The little girl was very thoughtful. After setting down the food, she pulled a handkerchief from her chest and placed it beside Tang Wen's hand.
Unfortunately, the latter was too focused on eating the meat to notice.
After consuming two pounds of lamb chops, his stomach felt warm and the burning sensation completely dissipated.
Comfortably letting out a satisfied burp, Tang Wen picked up a fragrant handkerchief to wipe his mouth: "The Black Rock Mutton has excellent texture."
The meat of a Low-Level Magical Beast was delicious and extremely filling. Just two pounds were enough to satisfy his hunger.
He continued to take the medicine.
Gulp!
Tang Wen downed the Secret Elixir for the third time.
After drinking it, he quickly grabbed the broth from the stewed meat and gulped it down before the taste could linger.
The aroma of the lamb soup made him feel much better.
The effects of the medicine were slow to take effect.
It wasn't until nighttime that the results showed.
[Body: 8.88→8.93]
Only an increase of 0.05.
"The resistance to the medicine is coming too quickly!"
He had expected the diminishing effects, but this was just too exaggerated.
Tang Wen frowned and drank the second-to-last bottle.
This time, the effect was even worse.
[Body: 8.93→8.94]
A pitiful increase of only 0.01.
He didn't touch the last bottle.
The next day, he brought the Secret Elixir to Tang Tang.
"Secret Elixir?"
"Yes, don't go to the martial arts school today. Soak in this medicine first."
"I'll do it after training. I can eat two pounds of foxtail millet in one meal now." The martial arts school provided meals, and Tang Tang couldn't bear to miss them.
Tang Wen chuckled: "The Secret Elixir is more valuable, worth hundreds of meals. The sooner you use it, the better. The longer you wait, the less effective it becomes."
"Hundreds of meals? That's worth over a thousand pounds of foxtail millet! Alright!" With a quick agreement, Tang Tang stood up abruptly.
Tang Wen was puzzled: "Where are you going?"
"To boil water! I'll soak in it right now!"
Watching her back, Tang Wen quickly added: "Make the water hotter, it will be more effective."
Xiao Liu, Taohua, and Cuilian immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks to help Tang Tang.
After several months of training, Tang Tang, who had decent talent, was already on the verge of becoming a Second-Class Martial Apprentice.
The Secret Elixir should help her take the next step.
As Tang Wen ate, he heard his sister in the bathroom saying: "Add more hot water, it's fine, I can endure it. Oh, you three should take off your clothes too. If I can't hold on, Xiao Liu, you jump in first, then Taohua, Cuilian! In any case, we can't waste the medicine's effect."
Tang Wen felt a headache coming on and quickly shouted: "Don't make it too hot, it will be counterproductive."
"Got it!"
Well, she should know her limits, right?
An hour later, Tang Wen saw Tang Tang with her skin all red.
She walked weakly, supported by Taohua and Cuilian on either side, while Xiao Liu was soaking in her bathwater.
Tang Tang, weak and exhausted, still managed to summarize her experience while eating: "Tomorrow, I must take a bath in the morning, and after the bath, I'll go to the martial arts school to eat. I paid the tuition, they have to feed me until I'm full."
Tang Wen: ...
When it came to utilizing resources, his sister was definitely an expert.
Tang Wen didn't say much and returned to his room to study.
Martial Arts wasn't something that could be mastered overnight. Daily practice was enough; there was no need to seclude oneself every day.
Instead, he needed to fill the icehouse first.
After some thought, he took out a map from his bookcase.
It was a gift from Captain Liu of the hunting squad.
The map was simple, but its accuracy was its strength.
Centered around the location of Flame Camp.
To the northwest and southwest were vast farmlands.
In the valley to the southwest, there were two large farms raising pigs and sheep.
Going out the west gate, about ten miles away, was the Scavenger Camp, followed by a lake.
A day's journey northwest from the lake was an open-pit coal mine.
Currently, it was in the hands of Black Mountain Camp.
Black Mountain Camp is located to the north of the coal mine.
Between the two lies hundreds of miles of forests and mountains.
The distance between the two camps is even greater. Normally, it would take a merchant caravan four to five days to travel by horse or cart.
Hidden in the mountains to the southwest of the lake is the village of Peach Blossom Spring.
It now serves as a sub-base for the camp.
All of this is clearly marked on the map.
The entire western area is unsuitable for hunting.
To the east of the camp lies the forest swamp formed by the Black Water River.
Scavengers fish here for food, and sometimes, they become the food.
Injuries are frequent in the swamp, occurring daily—sometimes from venomous snakes, other times from Mutated Beasts—never ceasing.
But the Scavengers have no other choice.
Tens of miles to the south of the camp is the wilderness.
For them, venturing into the wilderness would be suicidal.
To the north, the forest is teeming with wild animals, and even more Mutated Beasts.
Especially since both wild animals and Mutated Beasts consider Scavengers part of their diet.
Their poor hygiene habits make it easy for predators in the forest to catch their scent from miles away.
Often, before a Scavenger can even set up a crude trap in the forest, a predator is already closing in from behind.
This isn't hunting; it's delivering themselves as prey.
Even the ordinary people in the camp rarely venture into the forest to hunt.
Ordinary folk, with the exception of a few well-off families like Li Da Niu's, don't pay much attention to hygiene.
When they go out to hunt, they also have to face the threat of Scavengers.
Scavengers may not be able to handle wild beasts, but they can certainly handle ordinary people.
Imagine this: you and a few others risk your lives to hunt, finally managing to bring home some game, dreaming of the good life that awaits.
Suddenly, a group of starving Scavengers, armed with sharpened bamboo poles, charges at you with desperate ferocity.
You have no choice but to drop your game and flee.
Moreover, the foxtail millet fields yield three harvests a year, keeping everyone busy year-round.
Instead of spending time hunting, it's better to find ways to water the millet fields one more time or add a bit more
fertilizer.
Those who are strong and healthy can become guards—steady income, rain or shine. Isn't that better?
Why bother hunting?
Tang Wen shook his head, pushing aside these tangled thoughts, and turned his gaze to the north and south on the map.
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