Riley's phone was already buzzing when he woke up. Aria had sprinted into his room at stupid o'clock, flopped on his bed, and shoved the screen in his face before he'd even finished blinking. She sang about him being internet famous, showing him a forum thread titled "FIRST HARD CLEAR ALREADY?? CHEATERS OR GODS?" The video of their party vs. the Verdant Hive-Heart already had over a thousand comments. Riley groaned into his pillow, realizing the fame and suspicion he'd tried to avoid in his last life had caught up to him in record time.
Sofia appeared in the doorway, clutching a mug of tea like a shield, and told Aria to stop harassing him the second he opened his eyes. But Aria was too excited, scrolling through comments questioning if Riley had hacked the AI or if the baby dragon was a real Spirit. Then Sofia tapped another notification from Kipp. The alchemist was in a panic; the potions had sold out instantly, people were fighting in the auction chat, and they were, in Kipp's words, "rich."
Breakfast was a blur of toast and their mum trying to understand why strangers on the internet were mad that her son was good at a game. She offered to make an account to defend him, which was met with a chorus of "NO" from all three kids. They finished eating in a flurry of nervous energy and Riley pulled on his headset. He knew they had maybe two in-game days before the market adapted and the Mirage Draught went from a miracle to a standard item.
Dawnview loaded in with a rush of color and sound. The plaza was rammed with players arguing and recruiting. Floating announcements still shimmered in the air, immortalizing "Party Grant" for the first hard clear. As soon as the trio materialized, heads turned. People pointed and shouted questions about Riley's build or the baby dragon at his heels. Aria's attempt at "crowd control" by yelling that they weren't giving autographs only made it worse.
They ducked into a side street, slipping past desperate recruiters offering ten silver for healers or frost affinities. They passed the makeshift billboards and the blacksmith, heading straight for Kipp's Alchemy Nook. The workshop was a scene of beautiful chaos—cauldrons bubbling on every surface and a newly evolved Mossling trailing glowing vines. Kipp looked like a caffeinated tornado, his hair at wild angles and his eyes bloodshot with greed and joy.
Kipp flung open the sales ledger. The first batch of thirty Mirage Draughts had sold for twenty silver each—a staggering six gold total. Sofia's jaw dropped at the realization that they'd made more from the potions than the dungeon payout. But the demand wasn't slowing down; every hard-mode group was begging for stock, and some were even offering exclusivity deals.
The sheer volume of desperate messages in Kipp's inbox was staggering. Some players were offering rare crafting materials just for a "priority spot" on the next batch. One high-ranking guild leader even offered to pay a retainer just to keep the Draughts off the public auction house, a move Riley immediately vetoed. He knew that keeping the supply open to everyone—at a premium—was the best way to keep the market in a frenzy while they still held the recipe.
To keep up, Kipp had recruited two helpers: Lila, a shy enchanter, and Bram, a broad-shouldered boy who was apparently very good at stirring and math. Riley didn't hesitate to formalize the partnership, drawing up an Alchemy Cooperative contract with a fair profit split and strict confidentiality clauses. He spent several minutes meticulously tweaking the legal jargon of the contract, ensuring that the Mirage Draught recipe couldn't be leaked without a massive system-enforced penalty.
As soon as they signed, the notifications began to ping again—new batches were hitting the auction and selling for twenty-one silver and climbing. The room felt smaller as the heat from the extra cauldrons filled the space, the smell of crushed herbs and shimmering liquid becoming almost overpowering.
Bram calculated that Riley's personal share already sat at over three gold. Sofia was stunned by the amount for launch week, but Riley warned them it wouldn't last. Other alchemists would eventually crack the recipe or find alternative evasion buffs. For now, they were the "Ethical Potion Cartel," as Aria put it. Riley put Kipp in charge of the craft side while he handled the field work, ensuring the team stayed supplied with ingredients without being chained to workbenches.
By the time they finally stepped back out into the Dawnview sunlight, the auction was on fire and Riley's account balance looked like it belonged to a high-level player. The sun sat high over the village, glinting off the newly equipped gear of the players scrambling to replicate their success. Aria whistled, noting that the dungeon was cleared and their coin bags were about to burst. Sofia looked up at Riley, eyes bright with the thrill of it all, and asked what was next.
Riley glanced toward the vendor district where armor and weapons sparkled in the afternoon light. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the weight of their success finally settle into something like comfort. He told them it was time to spend the dungeon money like responsible adults, which prompted Aria to punch the air and scream about a shopping spree. Lumi flashed like a firework and Luna chirped in excitement. Riley let himself relax; they had survived the dungeon and cracked the early economy. The future was wide open.