Just like that, three intense days passed in a flash.

  Today was Sol's Day (Sunday), the first day of the week.

  Thanks to selling Minor Potions to buy meat and the hunting training regimen, Al's combat ability and stamina recovered at miraculous speed.

  The optimized nutrition from the Breeder package combined with a Pokémon's metabolism produced outstanding results. Al wasn't just healthier—it also displayed intelligence far superior to ordinary Magical Beasts. After all, it was a Pokémon; its intelligence certainly exceeded normal species or Magical Beasts.

  Though still not understanding all of Theo's complex commands, with simple signals or orders, Al could follow its Trainer without needing G to translate. This had enormous significance: Liam could also coordinate combat with Al even without Theo present.

  Al was now a comprehensive addition to the group: capable of aerial surveillance, prey location, and long-range monitoring.

  Everything was ready. This was the moment to deliver to Vesper.

  According to plan, Al served as aerial eyes, observing all movement that no one could slip past. The group had chosen an ideal transaction location: an open clearing near the riverbank and forest edge, providing enough space to identify danger and easily retreat.

  That morning was overcast. Rays of sunlight struggled to pierce through thick clouds. The trio arrived earlier than the noon meeting time.

  Theo, wearing dark brown clothing, smoothly climbed onto a branch of an ancient oak tree beside the forest. He became part of the shadows and canopy, bow ready in hand.

  Liam stood behind a large oak trunk near the meeting rock, body tense. The 150 vials had been neatly placed in bushes at a concealed corner.

  Right on schedule, Vesper appeared. Theo signaled Al to fly even higher. This time, Theo loaded a special arrow: noise-minimized, non-lethal, used only for signaling.

  Thunk! The arrow gently embedded in the ground right in front of Liam's position. That was the signal: Transaction safe.

  Liam slowly stepped out, the new spear his father had made with their recent earnings slung on his back. He wore new leather armor made from earth-brown cowhide that projected a clean, sturdy yet modest appearance... value-wise, walking slowly to a position about 50 meters from Vesper.

  Vesper—the mercenary captain with a scar slashing across his face—looked Liam up and down, eyes sharp as knives.

  "How are the ingredients? Sufficient for the large orders coming up?" Vesper got straight to the point, his voice laden with probing intent.

  Liam stood straight:

  "We guarantee sufficient supply, but ingredients aren't your concern." His voice carried a stubborn edge, not hiding his wariness. "Mr. Vesper can choose to order or not. But we can guarantee 150 vials of Minor Potion per week."

  Vesper narrowed his eyes:

  "Not enough. I want more. Best if you tell me the ingredient names so I can help supply materials to get stable inventory."

  Liam didn't budge.

  "No!"

  Vesper lost patience. His scarred face twisted up as he nearly moved to grab Liam and interrogate him about the source. Suddenly, Liam unexpectedly raised his left hand.

  Zit! A high-pitched whistle tore through the wind, heading straight for Vesper's feet. The arrow embedded in the ground right before him, tail feathers still vibrating gently.

  Vesper turned, looking directly toward the forest edge where the arrow came from. He grinned:

  "Oh, you have backup?"

  Liam didn't retreat. He drew the spear from his back, crouching into combat stance. If only Vesper was alone, he wanted to personally experience just how formidable a mercenary was. The transaction reached an impasse.

  Suddenly, Vesper acted decisively. He tossed a heavy pouch of coins toward Liam. The money pouch hit the ground with a jingle.

  "Here's payment for the potions," Vesper said, smile still fixed. "Three Lunar-Gold coins and 150 silver. Where's my medicine?"

  Liam grabbed the pouch, feeling its surprising weight. He pointed toward the bushes beside the rock.

  Vesper nodded. He walked over to retrieve the medicine chest and turned to leave. After walking some distance, he turned back, eyes looking straight toward the forest where Theo hid:

  "150 vials per week, 3 silver price. Or increase production... 300 vials per week, 4 silver price. Meet me when you're done, boy."

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  Having spoken, without waiting for response, he turned and walked straight away, leaving a new challenge for Theo and Liam.

  Theo and Liam carefully retreated from the riverside transaction area. Thanks to Al's continuous aerial surveillance, they were confident their retreat route was absolutely safe. Al circled one final time above the oak canopy, like a perfect sentinel, before gently landing on Theo's shoulder as they disappeared into the forest edge.

  Reaching the tent, both young men breathed sighs of relief. Their eyes converged on the heavy cloth pouch placed on the rough oak table. Three glittering Lunar-Gold coins and 150 Order Silver—an enormous sum, a breakthrough milestone for their group.

  Liam excitedly recounted the money, eyes sparkling.

  "Theo, we could use part of this sum to immediately buy that bow hunter Sylvanius has for sale at the market," Liam said enthusiastically. "They say it has magical wood material from the Sylva-Tauris forest, with sound-dampening support when firing. Price is 250 silver."

  Theo nodded. That bow was what he needed most right now.

  "We need better weapons, Liam. It'll help our group be more effective in hunting and combat. But we need to calculate carefully."

  Theo began mental calculations, his voice calm but decisive:

  "We need 700 silver for two Striders—one for you and one for me. Mobility is top priority. A good tent will cost about 30 silver. Add camping equipment and provisions for another month, roughly 60 silver."

  He concluded:

  "Total is 1,040 silver. Currently, we have 452 silver after deducting all old expenses. We're still short nearly 600 silver, not counting needing to save a bit for departure and contingency funds."

  Liam looked somewhat worried:

  "Should we accept Vesper's proposal to increase production to 300 vials?"

  "No need to take risks," Theo stated firmly, eyes sharp. He knew Vesper's final words were certainly bait full of danger.

  "In the remaining two-thirds of the month, we can transact with Vesper twice more at the 150-vial level, plus scattered retail sales of Minor Potions. We'll have enough money. Taking the risk to increase production now would only increase the danger of exposing our secret and inflating the potion's value."

  The financial decision was clear. Theo moved to the action plan:

  "This money, for now, I'll use to buy ingredients to create Rations following the Breeder knowledge I just learned."

  Theo quickly listed a long inventory of various dried fruits, nuts, dried meat, and distinctive herbs. This list was quite chaotic and confusing to outsiders—a clever calculation to mislead Vesper if he intended to seek information through informants at the market.

  "These rations will efficiently supplement nutrition, helping all three of us recover better to apply the Spike-Stepping training we've been preparing all week. Everything is proceeding exactly according to plan."

  Theo handed the shopping list to Liam, urging him to set out quickly. He had Al continue afternoon training and began sketching detailed ration formulas, pouring all his focus into arranging the upcoming ration preparation cycle.

  With the deliberately convoluted shopping list, Liam quickly headed to market that morning. He knew the vagueness and chaos of ingredients in the list was a subtle protective layer Theo had erected, making it impossible for any tracker to guess whether they were preparing medicine, food, or some kind of poison.

  While Liam was at market, Theo set to work creating the first Breeder rations. This wasn't just drying food; it was a complex mixing process, aimed at creating a concentrated energy source that retained minerals and essential nutrients—perfect for dealing with the upcoming training intensity.

  With Liam's help upon his return, and Al's flexible assistance in processing hard nuts, in just one day they completed enough Emergency Rations for the entire group for a month, divided into two separate portions: one for humans (Theo and Liam) and one special portion for Pokémon (Al). This would be a stable nutrition supply throughout their journey and training.

  The next morning, with rations secured and spirits ready, Theo and Liam retrieved the spiked shoes completed two days prior—items they'd had to set aside due to the Vesper transaction.

  The Spike-Stepping training of the Remnant Wind technique was no joke. Wearing the shoes was torture from the very first step. Sharp spikes stabbed straight into heels and soles—where nerve clusters concentrated densely. Both could only move on tiptoes, struggling to maintain balance painfully; each step was a battle with pain shooting up through nerves.

  This high-intensity training consumed Recovery Essence at a sudden rate. Theo had to spend much more time brewing potions, but fortunately Oran Berry Alpha remained quite abundant. He'd cleverly brought half the bush back to plant around their base, using its seeds to sow more. With the robust vitality and preserved yield of Oran Berry Alpha, their supply wouldn't face shortages in the near future.

  Initially, both had to reduce heavy activities to let their bodies adjust to the pain. But after just two days, Liam's unusual physique showed clearly.

  While Theo still struggled with each hobbling step, Liam had begun adapting. His body didn't just endure but actively adapted by developing abnormal muscles in his soles and calves. Muscle striations emerged clearly, proving physical enhancement was occurring rapidly.

  In just a short time, Liam could run and travel to market to sell potions without encountering as much difficulty as before. Perhaps in just a few more days, he could train as if not wearing spiked shoes at all. Liam's exceptional progress was an enormous advantage for the group.

  While Liam adapted to the Spiked Shoes, Theo also spent time familiarizing himself with the new bow. He focused on practicing stance, aiming, and listening to the bowstring's sound; absolute feel for this new weapon was a condition he demanded of himself.

  Sylvanius Bow

  The Sylvanius bow came with three special arrows, crafted from magical wood with wind-splitting properties—virtually no air friction. This made the arrows extremely dangerous and nearly impossible to dodge. Their only opponents were gravity or armor.

  The slender bow body gleamed with natural wood tones mixed with faint silver, containing complex Magical mechanisms. Its most terrifying feature was sound-dampening capability: When Theo drew and released the string, the arrow launched with virtually no sound, making it a perfect weapon for surprise attacks and assassination.

  And adjustable draw force: it could modulate pull strength for anyone with a maximum of 65kg.

  Accompanying the bow were three specialized arrows—Theo's ultimate weapons. Their shafts were crafted from another type of magical wood with wind-cleaving properties; the wood's unique cellular structure allowed the arrows to fly with near-zero air resistance.

  Theo carefully stored these three precious arrows. He knew they would be his trump card when modified with Paralysis Essence—the combination of speed and ability to instantly neutralize enemies would be a devastating coordination. Though Liam was ahead in physical strength, Theo now had new tools to balance power within the group.