"I'll accept his challenge," the old merchant declared, gesturing toward me. "One hour to refine a Breakthrough Pill."
"A Breakthrough Pill?" Jasper scoffed, his voice echoing across the market. "Not just a Fasting Pill now? You're setting yourself up for humiliation."
I smiled calmly. If this guild pharmacist wanted to witness true alchemy, I'd give him a demonstration he'd never forget. The Breakthrough Pill was far more complex than a Fasting Pill, requiring precise control and pure spiritual energy.
"Two Breakthrough Pills against your one Recovery Pill," I stated firmly. "Judge the results however you wish."
The crowd's murmurs intensified. Someone whispered, "Isn't that the man who challenged Master Adrian Whitlock?"
"Yes, and he defied the entire Blackthorne Family too," another voice added.
"I heard he's Miss Ashworth's husband."
Jasper's confident smirk faltered slightly. "Miss Ashworth? The Isabelle Ashworth?"
