The current production might suffice for personal use and a small amount for sale, but it was far from enough to scale into something significant.
What's more, he hadn't yet tested whether more severe injuries required greater amounts of healing sauce—or if there was some kind of limit to its efficacy.
For instance, minor wounds healed quickly, but as the wound area expanded, the recovery rate noticeably slowed.
These were mysteries he'd have to unravel over time.
After tidying up the mess on the table, Zuo Chengan began planning his next move.
The unexpected discovery of the sauce's healing properties reminded him of Zheng Ren's healing consumable.
Back then, Zheng Ren had been on the verge of death, hanging on by half a breath.
But after consuming a single gummy bear, that fragile breath steadied.
Within ten minutes, Zheng Ren could stagger to his feet, and five minutes later, he was almost back to normal.
With the sauce recipe in hand, Zuo Chengan realized he could save a significant amount of money on healing items in the future.
Even if unforeseen circumstances temporarily kept him from venturing into dungeons, he wouldn't have to worry about lacking credits.
The thought of credits prompted Zuo Chengan to check his balance.
From the two dungeons he had completed—both with S-rank evaluations—he had earned the maximum of 100 credits per Level 1 dungeon, doubled by the S-rank bonus. This netted him 400 credits.
After deducting 25 credits for healing his internal injuries, 5 credits for Yu Le's guided tour, 30 for rent, and 13 for purchases—offset by Wang Guangfei transferring 20 credits back to him—his balance fluctuated but ultimately settled at 340 points.
That was enough to cover ten weeks' rent—nearly two months.
With money in his pocket, his thoughts turned to how to spend it—saving was out of the question.
Returning to his dimly lit rental, he let the ink-black sheep, Mo Dou, munch on the grass while he cooked himself a hearty meal of tomato-braised beef over rice.
Tomorrow, he would head to the trading market and try his luck.
He planned to rest for three or four days to recover his Mind energy before tackling a Level 2 dungeon.
He also needed a reliable offensive item and, if his budget allowed, a skill—ideally one that enhanced multitasking.
However, Zuo Chengan doubted he'd find a suitable skill.
Unlike most items, skills didn't have a usage limit, making them far more powerful.
Their rarity and price were secondary concerns—finding someone willing to sell one was the real challenge.
After all, if he acquired a great skill himself, he'd surely keep it for personal use.
…
The next morning—or at least what felt like morning—Zuo Chengan woke refreshed after a satisfying meal and a deep sleep.
With no real day-night cycle in the safe zone, clocks were the only measure of time. Outside, the world remained perpetually lit by an unseen source, bright as day.
This was one reason bridge underpasses were more desirable than open parks; the former provided a semblance of indoor shadows, reducing the dissonance for players.
Players in the safe zone didn't need to push themselves to the brink of exhaustion to fall asleep. Lying on the ground sufficed—no eye masks necessary.
Indoors, turning off the lights and drawing the curtains created complete darkness, mimicking nighttime.
"Woof! Woof!"
Mo Dou wagged its tail enthusiastically as Zuo Chengan prepared to leave, sticking close by to ensure it wasn't left behind.
"No way, Mo Dou. You can't come with me."
Mo Dou whined softly.
"Don't even try that! You ate half my pot of tomato-braised beef last night!"
Zuo Chengan pointed to the wok on the stove, licked clean and still unwashed, a silent witness to Mo Dou's crime.
Mo Dou averted its eyes in guilt.
Seizing the moment, Zuo Chengan dashed out the door and, in the next heartbeat, appeared at the dungeon hall's entrance.
The dungeon hall was as bustling as ever, with players advertising strategies, recruiting team members, or hesitating over which dungeon to choose. It was busier than a marketplace.
As Zuo Chengan was about to leave for the nearby market, a commotion in the hall caught his attention. He stopped to listen.
A hundred players who had ventured into the Level 3 No Escape dungeon yesterday had returned.
The flow of time varied between the safe zone and the dungeons. Only one day had passed here, but three days had elapsed within the dungeon.
Unlike the confident, formidable group of 100 that had entered, fewer than 20 players had made it back alive.
The survivors, though visibly patched up via the game's healing system, bore grim reminders of their ordeal.
Bloodstains spattered their clothes, and some garments had been shredded to the point of near destruction.
Despite their physical restoration, the sheer number of bandages, blood-soaked fabrics, and missing sleeves or pant legs told a harrowing tale of what their bodies must have endured.
Curiosity piqued, Zuo Chengan joined the crowd forming around the survivors.
Any bit of information—like the attack patterns of the notorious Red-Eye boss—could prove invaluable.
…
Of the 20-odd players who had returned, those still conscious opted to use credits for quick healing, while the unconscious ones relied on items to cling to life, awaiting support from their guilds.
Fellow guild members stayed by their injured comrades' sides, forming a protective circle to shield them from the growing crowd.
Despite the chaos, the guild members organized the onlookers, keeping them at a safe distance to ensure the injured had room to breathe.
Thanks to his heightened senses from stat boosts, Zuo Chengan easily eavesdropped on the surrounding chatter.
A tall, skinny youth exclaimed after hearing his friend's account, "What? Are you saying even a lead player from Dawnmoon couldn't clear a Level 3 dungeon? That's got to be a joke! He's a 4th Heavenly Ascension player!"
Someone chimed in, "Yeah! Aren't high-level players supposed to breeze through lower-tier dungeons? How could they fail?"
"That's only true for Level 1 and Level 2 dungeons," another corrected. "From Level 3 onward, the game randomly throws bosses into the mix. You'll get a harsh reality check real quick!"
"But still, it was a joint effort by two major guilds, with a 4th Heavenly Ascension player leading 70-plus 3rd Heavenly Ascension players. Failing to clear a Level 3 dungeon still sounds unbelievable."
"You're missing a key detail," someone else interjected. "I've got a connection in Soaring Pigeon Guild, and they said No Escape happened to draw a nightmare-tier boss this time—Red-Eye. Unless one of the major three guild leaders takes charge, perfect clearance is impossible."
"Talk about bad luck. The boss didn't show up in the past few runs, but the moment a 4th Heavenly Ascension lead player steps in, boom, there's a boss waiting."
"What I don't get is how they survived. Isn't failing a dungeon supposed to mean certain death?"
A Dawnmoon member, managing the crowd, explained grimly, "They didn't clear it. They retreated, using every last resource just to escape."