Who Says I'm Not a Proper Adventurer?
Chapter 26: Profession Bonus

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Profession Bonus

"This effect..."

Lance’s eyes widened, his face filled with pleasant surprise.

Although the so-called "anti-infection" Attribute wasn’t visible to the naked eye for now.

But the astonishing hemostatic speed alone completely crushed the Ordinary products on the market.

This kind of efficacy could probably only be matched by "Giant Blood," a high-end hemostatic product that sold for as much as 50 Copper Coins a jar.

Lance’s mind was already running the numbers.

The production cost of this ointment was extremely low. The raw materials were readily available, so one portion cost 10 Copper Coins at most.

Meanwhile, an Ordinary hemostatic ointment sold for 18 Copper Coins on the market.

With his ointment’s Effect, even if he didn’t sell it for 50 Copper Coins, but for just 25, Adventurers who valued their lives would be fighting over it.

This meant he could make a massive profit of at least 15 Copper Coins on every single jar.

Lance looked at the jar of greasy green ointment in his hand as if he were looking at a golden road to riches.

"I’m gonna be rich!"

In this world of Adventurers, there was no business more profitable than selling life-saving medicine.

And what did money represent!

Attributes, Knowledge, Skills, equipment, Potions, cute Sub-human girls...

This was power!

...

The next morning.

There was a soft knock on the old, weathered wooden door of the attic.

Lance opened the door to find Flora standing there, looking lovely.

This was the girl’s first time visiting Lance’s cramped bachelor pad. She curiously poked her head in to look around, a hint of novelty in her eyes.

Flora was wearing a different outfit today.

She wore a pair of round, brass-rimmed glasses on her nose. Her two signature braids were casually tied with beige cotton-linen strips, making her look a bit dorky and cute.

She had on a loose, off-white linen shirt with exquisitely designed ruffled cuffs.

Over the shirt, she wore a forest-green, heavy canvas halter-neck apron—her standard work attire at the Potion shop.

The most eye-catching feature was the large pocket on the front of her apron.

It was bulging, and a faint rustling sound could be heard as she moved.

As a friend who knew her well, Lance didn’t even have to guess; it was definitely stuffed with snacks like jerky or nuts.

"Come on in. Don’t mind the mess."

Lance stepped aside to let her in.

To demonstrate the Effect for Flora, Lance had given yesterday’s gray-furred wild rabbit another two cuts.

The already cramped room felt even smaller after two people squeezed inside.

Neither of them paid any mind to such details. Instead, they huddled together, heads close, in front of the single wooden table, staring at the gray-furred rabbit in the cage, which looked as if it had lost all will to live.

To be precise, they were staring at the wound on the rabbit’s hind leg, which had already scabbed over completely.

"Oh my gosh..."

Flora pushed up the glasses on her nose, her eyes behind the lenses wide with disbelief.

"Lance, the speed at which this hemostatic ointment of yours takes effect is almost on par with a real Alchemy Potion."

As a professionally trained Potion Apprentice, she knew all too well the limits of an Ordinary herbal ointment.

Even for the most Skilled veteran, a finished product made from these basic materials couldn’t possibly have such an immediate hemostatic effect.

Flora extended a slender finger and dipped it into the jar, taking a bit of the greasy green ointment.

She brought it to her nose, sniffed gently, and then frowned slightly.

"Strange."

"There aren’t any special Alchemy techniques used in this. In fact, the crafting method is quite crude, you could say."

The girl pointed out its flaws without mercy.

"The medicinal residue wasn’t filtered cleanly enough, and the fusion of the oils hasn’t reached an optimal state."

"Logically speaking, this should be a defective product."

At this, she tilted her head in confusion, her nose almost touching Lance’s sleeve.

"Hmm... You don’t have that smell on you either."

Flora sniffed all around Lance like a little puppy.

Normally, Pharmacists who could use Enchantment on Potions or amplify their effects through special means would be perpetually steeped in the extremely complex scent of Magic Materials.

But Lance only had the faint, clean scent of soap on him.

Feeling the girl’s warm breath on his neck, Lance felt a little uncomfortable and subconsciously pulled his head back.

"I really did make it, guaranteed."

Lance spread his hands and admitted it frankly.

Flora straightened up, her gaze shifting back and forth between the ointment and Lance. Finally, as if she had figured something out, an expression of sudden realization appeared on her face.

"Lance, you’re amazing."

Her tone was full of sincere admiration.

"This must be your personal Talent, right?"

In this fantasy world, Talents were all sorts of strange and varied, completely defying logic.

Flora herself possessed a Talent for high affinity with plants, so it was natural for her to attribute it all to this.

"Your Talent can directly improve the Effect of the finished product. An ability like that is almost like having a [Profession Bonus]."

"Profession Bonus?"

Lance keenly caught the new term, a flash of doubt in his eyes.

This was the first time he had ever heard of it.

Seeing Lance’s confusion, Flora patiently explained:

"It’s like Aunt Mowenna. Even though she’s only an Entry-level Alchemist, her Profession’s development path is specialized in herbs. So the plant-based Potions she makes have much higher activity and a longer shelf life than those made by Pharmacists without that specialization."

As she said this, the girl puffed out her chest, a hint of professional pride on her face.

After all, she was also working toward that goal, though she still had a long way to go before officially entering the Profession.

"That’s also why, even though there are other potion shops in town, only our shop was able to secure the long-term supply contract with the Adventurer’s Guild."

"After all, when it comes to a Potion’s efficacy, the advantage a Professional has is an insurmountable gap for an Ordinary person."

"I’m working hard in that direction, too."

After hearing this explanation, everything suddenly clicked for Lance.

’So that’s how it is.’

’I was wondering why the [Research] function in the system didn’t give me any new formula blueprints or teach me any advanced crafting techniques.’

’It just had me mechanically repeat the refining process, and the Potion’s Effect was enhanced out of thin air.’

’It seems now that the system’s "research results" are essentially a simulation of this world’s "Profession Bonus" mechanic.’

’It directly modified the item’s Attributes at a fundamental level.’

’This cheat is actually quite logical. I don’t even have to make up an excuse for it myself.’

"But the magnitude of this bonus is really huge."

Flora looked at the jar of ointment and gave it an extremely high appraisal.

"If we’re talking ratings, this is definitely a very powerful and rare Talent."

Hearing this confirmation from a professional, the weight in Lance’s heart was finally lifted.

He looked at Flora and asked the question that concerned him the most.

"So, can I sell this on consignment at your potion shop?"

Since the effect was up to par, and even exceeded expectations, it was time to think about cashing in.