I'm a proper student; I only take nine kinds of potions every day.

He tapped his palm with the pipe stem, grinned, and revealed a row of teeth stained yellow by tobacco.

"Ha! Anta can finally rest in peace. Back then, he was always talking about how his son was going to be a doctor."

He knew the tuition fees at the University of the Wise, so he didn't ask any more questions about the money.

“Normal daily wage is $1.20, twelve-hour workday.” Parker put his pipe back in his mouth, switching his tone back to foreman mode.

"If you don't work a full day, you'll only be paid by the hour. It's eight cents an hour, and there's someone supervising you. If you slack off, you'll get your pay docked."

He looked Evan up and down again, his gaze lingering on his two arms, which were as thin as bamboo poles.

Are you sure you can do it?

Ivan patted his chest, panting, and laughed, "Perfect exercise!"

Parker and Anta were just drinking buddies who would have a couple of drinks together after get off work; there was no special treatment between them.

He gestured toward a small shed on the side of the warehouse.

"Go get your employee badge over there."

Ivan jogged all the way to the registration desk.

An old man sat dozing in the shed, with a greasy register and a box of tin badges in front of him.

Evan gave his name, signed the form, and received a numbered name tag, which he pinned to the shoulder strap of his overalls.

Then he followed the workers to the dock, bent down, grabbed both sides of a sack with both hands, and slung it over his shoulder.

It's a bit difficult.

Chapter 10: Blood Potion, What a wonderful thing!

The burlap sack weighed about forty pounds (about 18 kilograms) and was filled with tobacco leaves. Even through the coarse burlap, one could smell a strong, fermented, pungent odor.

The bag weighed on his shoulder, and his knees buckled slightly, but he kept his balance.

The skilled, strong man next to me could carry three bags at a time. With more than 100 pounds on his shoulders, he still walked with great vigor, his boots thumping on the wooden boardwalk.

Ivan carried his bag of tobacco leaves and followed the group for about thirty meters before delivering the bag to the warehouse and stacking it in the designated spot.

"Where did they come from? Giving them out bag by bag, do you think this is an orphanage?"

A sharp sound rang out from the side.

Evan turned his head and saw a thin, long-faced overseer standing there with his hands on his hips, spitting as if he had stepped on something dirty.

He was wearing a slightly more presentable gray coat than the average worker, with a red cloth strip tied around his sleeve to indicate his identity. He was holding a work-keeping pencil in his hand, poking the tip of the pencil at Evan.

Ivan wasn't angry.

He smiled, a smile that carried humility and tact—skills he'd honed during his years in sales on Earth.

"Brother, I'm new here and not familiar with the area yet."

"Okay, I'll make sure to deliver the full amount first, and then I'll work a little longer after the other workers get off work, okay?"

After listening, the foreman looked Evan up and down.

With fair skin and a thin frame, he was clearly not cut out for this line of work.

Just as he was about to say something more, Parker walked up from behind. The tobacco in his pipe had gone out; he was just using it out of habit.

"Alright, Kerry, all done." Parker patted the foreman on the shoulder, his tone casual but carrying the weight of a foreman.

"This is Anta's son, a top student at the University of the Wise."

He paused for a moment, then added, "You might need their help someday."

Upon hearing the words "University of Sages," a knowing glint flashed in the eyes of the foreman in Kerry's eyes.

People who can get into those kinds of schools will either become doctors or lawyers in the future, and they are people you can't mess with.

He dropped the harshness on his face and snorted, "Fine. If you haven't done enough, work more to make up for it. Don't make things difficult for us."

These lower-level managers are not high-ranking, but they have a lot of room for maneuver.

A pencil and a work logbook—whether he records an extra hour or an extra hour depends entirely on which way the pencil tip is pointing.

Ivan smiled and nodded his thanks, then turned and ran back to the dock, bending down to grab the next sack.

This is not an easy job.

He would carry a 40-pound sack on his shoulder, walk 30 meters back and forth, put it down, run back, carry it again, and walk again.

Repeatedly.

The wooden pier creaked underfoot, and the sea breeze rushed in from the harbor, cooling the sweat.

He was surrounded by adult men three sizes bigger than him, and their shouts, curses, and the dull thuds of sacks hitting the ground blended into a noisy symphony.

But thanks to the two potions, Ivan clearly sensed something incredible.

With each trip he carried, his body became a little stronger.

This is unlike the previous kind of vague change that took several days to notice.

It's real growth that you can feel with every trip.

The burden on my shoulders is getting lighter, the strength in my legs is getting stronger, and the rhythm of my breathing is getting steadyer.

Two hours later, a notification suddenly popped up on the panel.

Constitution +0.2

[The health condition has improved further, and the patient's mental state has naturally recovered.]

【Spirit +0.2】

Taking both potions together will speed up digestion.

Physical constitution 0.903, mental strength 1.002.

She's almost like a normal person now.

So Evan started carrying two bags at a time.

Eighty pounds pressed down on his shoulders, and his back bent slightly, but did not collapse.

He gritted his teeth and strode forward, the sound of his boots on the pier twice as heavy as before.

Time slips away in the midst of busyness.

Evan, who was gradually getting the hang of it, was still unable to carry three or four bags at a time like the veteran workers under Parker.

But he was traveling much faster.

With two bags of tobacco leaves slung over his shoulder, he practically jogged the thirty-meter distance, and even had the energy to neatly stack the bags after putting them down.

Kelly stood at the warehouse door, a pencil tucked behind his ear, watching Ivan run in and out. The harsh expression on his face had somehow disappeared.

Instead, there was a kind of inexplicable confusion.

This kid struggled to carry one bag two hours ago, but now he can carry two bags and run faster than the old workers.

For the next four hours, Evan worked at the dock.

For four hours, he was like a fully wound-up machine, almost never stopping.

I only took two short breaks, each lasting five minutes. I would squat down against the warehouse wall, drink a couple of mouthfuls of cold water, catch my breath, and then continue carrying the load.

The speed at which the body becomes stronger is too fast, and the consumption is also astonishing.

The leftovers from Professor Pris that I ate for dinner have already been digested.

My stomach is like a bottomless pit, constantly protesting.

During his first break, he went to a food truck that was open all night by the dock and spent eight cents to buy a large loaf of black bread, a large bowl of mixed bean soup, and a sausage.

The sausage was the cheapest kind, with a rough casing and some kind of meat stuffed inside. When you bit into it, your mouth was filled with the taste of grease and garlic powder.

But he ate it ravenously, even licking the bread crumbs clean from the bottom of the enamel bowl with his fingers.

The body needs fuel, so it doesn't care about any smells.

It's 10 p.m.

Just as Evan had stacked the two bags of tobacco leaves into the warehouse, a notification suddenly popped up on the panel.

[The side effects of the Blood Potion have been reversed.]

Your anemia has been significantly relieved! 30% → 5%

Your self-healing ability is permanently increased by 2%.

[Your blood quality will permanently improve by 1%]

……

You reversed the side effects of the Night Demon Potion.

Your anemia has been completely cured, and your blood quality has permanently improved by 1%.

Your self-healing ability is permanently increased by 2%.

The changes came swiftly and directly.

It was as if someone had lit a lamp inside his skull, sweeping away the gloomy fog that had long shrouded his mind.

My vision became clear and sharp, the buzzing in my ears completely disappeared, and even the noisy voices on the dock became distinct.

My body has undergone a complete transformation.

My limbs were filled with a strong sense of power, and the dull pain and spasms in my abdomen that had lasted for who knows how long had completely disappeared, replaced by a warm, comforting feeling of fullness.

My appetite has increased further.

He felt he could eat three more bowls of bean soup.

"The anemia has been cured, and the blood quality... what does that mean?"

He clicked on the details.

Blood quality: Your blood can carry more nutrients and vitality.

"Roar, this is interesting. Blood can be enhanced."