Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 149: Stat-Enhancing Potions, Effects of Training

’System, show me my AP balance now.’

AP Balance: 26,663.25 → 50,555.67

His eyes widened slightly.

’That’s more than enough.’

He hadn’t checked his AP since morning, but he had made all efforts to make Emily and Alice happy.

From breakfast to dinner and throughout the whole day, he’d focused on them. It hadn’t felt like hard work, but racking up nearly 25,000 AP in a single day showed his efforts.

’System, I want to buy the stat potions from the time-limited shop.’

All Stat +10 Potion (x5) - purchased.

Five lights shimmered inside his mind. With a thought, the vials appeared before him, floating quietly. He reached out, touched them, and carefully stored each one in his spatial ring.

He closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.

The next morning was routine. Isaac woke early, went outside to check the farm. The sun wasn’t fully out yet, but the warmth in the air was rising fast. After tending the crops, he hit the gym as usual, training his body while Tyr packed the grains into crates.

These days, Tyr was capable enough to haul the crates by himself.

The treant’s intelligence had grown with each day. The biggest factor were his daily interactions with people in the market.

Now, Tyr was treated as a local celebrity thanks to his construction skills, which he used to help people when Isaac allowed him. It wasn’t for free, of course.

He could also handle the transport to the shop with surprising efficiency.

By the time, Isaac reached the stop the staff from Sector 4 had reached the Stronghold directly through the teleporter, picking up shipments without needing Isaac to make the daily trip.

Isaac had wrapped up everything and returned home.

The scent of something lightly sweet and buttery wafted from the kitchen. Emily was humming softly as she cooked, flipping pancakes with surprising concentration. Alice, on the other hand, was training in the yard just outside the living room window.

Apparently, they’d decided to split the breakfast, lunch, and dinner duties between them. Today was Emily’s turn.

”Smells good,” Isaac said, stepping into the kitchen.

Emily looked up with a smile. ”I’m trying something different today. Pancakes with honey and nuts. Hope you like them.”

Alice walked in a few minutes later, face a little flushed from training. She grabbed a towel from the counter and wiped the sweat off her brow.

They sat down to eat together. Conversation was light and casual, nothing serious. Isaac told a dumb joke about farm animals. Emily giggled, while Alice rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but shake her head with a small chuckle.

Once breakfast was over, they had a few hours before noon. The hunt would begin in the afternoon, and for now, they had free time.

Isaac stood up, walked over to the table again, and opened his spatial ring.

”I have something for you two,” he said, pulling out five slim, silver vials.

Emily blinked. ”Potions?”

”Yes, these are stat enhancement potions from the World System Shop,” Isaac replied. ”Each vial will boost all five stats by ten points.”

Alice raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, examining the contents. The liquid inside shimmered with a soft glow, like a drop of light trapped in glass.

Emily’s eyes widened. ”That’s... a lot.”

Isaac nodded. ”I want you two to use them. It’ll help for today’s fight.”

Before Alice could say anything, Emily spoke first.

”Give them to Alice.”

Isaac looked at her, having expected that. ”Why?”

”Out of the five stats, only my Strength and Constitution aren’t at 100, and they don’t really matter for me. I’m not a close-combat fighter. Physical stats don’t help me much.”

Isaac frowned. ”Even so, you still need to be able to defend yourself.”

”I can phase through attacks, remember?” Emily replied. ”Only mana-heavy hits or special attacks can hurt me.”

”And what happens when you get hit by those?” Isaac said quietly.

Emily didn’t answer for a moment.

”I have defense skills,” she muttered. ”And don’t forget my spirit Beast Bond. I have a Champion-rank one monster with me.”

Alice sighed from the side. ”Even if your Constitution doesn’t matter much, it’s still better to raise it than leave it untouched. These potions are rare. They’d be wasted if you don’t take any.”

Emily pouted. ”But it really would be better if you used them all.”

”I’ll take three,” Alice said firmly. ”You take the other two.”

Emily opened her mouth to protest again, but Alice was already holding out her hand.

”You’ll be safer with a higher Constitution. You’re not immortal, Em.”

”...Fine.” Emily gave in with a reluctant sigh.

Isaac watched them both and handed over the vials. ”Alright. But take them one at a time. I want to monitor the effects.”

Both of them nodded.

They uncorked the first vials and drank them.

Almost immediately, their bodies reacted. A thin layer of black tar-like substance began seeping out from their pores. It hissed as it evaporated into mist. A low shockwave pulsed out from them both.

Their breathing slowed for a moment, then resumed. Their expressions shifted going from mild surprise to slight discomfort, then clarity.

Isaac didn’t miss the changes. Their hair looked shinier, and more vibrant. Their skin had taken on a smooth, almost porcelain glow. The enhancement was subtle, but visible.

Alice opened her eyes and flexed her fingers.

”...These are good,” she said. ”Far better than the usual stat potions. The body feels... cleaner.”

Emily looked down at her hands. ”I feel like I can control my mana better and activate skills faster.”

”They’re better than even body tempering potions,” Alice said, half to herself.

Hearing that, Emily turned to Isaac. Her gaze softened, and looked a little reverent. ”You weren’t kidding. These are amazing.”

Isaac smirked. ”They’re from the system, after all.”

He watched the two of them with quiet satisfaction.

’Normally, most people can only consume one type of stat-enhancing potion. Two or more can cause mana poisoning, internal backlash, or worse.’

’The only way to consume more will be either consuming a 100% pure potion, or ranking up.’

There had been no warning from the system about the potions. That meant these potions were different from the normal ones.

They were pure potions that could be consumed multiple times without the fear of being mana poisoned.

He folded his arms and leaned back.

’When I’m rich, I’ll drown them in these.’

His mind drifted to the future scenarios where Alice and Emily stood stronger than ever, breaking enemies apart like paper, immune to almost everything. His smile widened slightly as he rubbed his hands together like a villain plotting behind the scenes.

Neither Emily nor Alice noticed his expression.

They were focused on absorbing the effects second vial of potion.

After drinking hers, Emily exhaled and looked down at her hands. There was a noticeable glow to her skin, not magical but... healthier. Her expression softened. She opened her mouth to speak but paused. Her nose twitched. Then it wrinkled.

”Ugh,” she said, suddenly floating up. ”I smell like burnt mana and swamp water. I’m taking a bath.”

With a soft whoosh, she flew straight up through the ceiling, disappearing from sight.

Alice didn’t say anything. She held the third vial between her fingers, examined it once, then drank it in a single gulp.

A sharp pulse of mana rippled through the air. A shockwave burst from her body as her aura expanded.

She stood still for a second, her breath coming out in a wave of intense heat. The air around her shimmered. Her red eyes flickered, as if something deep inside her had stirred awake.

Then, without a word, she turned and walked toward the bathroom.

”I’m going to bathe too,” she said as she passed him. ”I feel... hot.”

Isaac stayed behind, watching her go.

Once the room settled, he looked at the floating system screen. ’System, show me Emily’s stat changes.’

Stats (Emily)

Strength: 45 → 65

Agility: 100 → 100 [20]

Constitution: 56 → 76

Spirit Power: 100 [38] → 100 [58]

Mana: 100 [60] → 100 [80]

Isaac nodded slowly.

’That’s a full 25% boost in strength and constitution,’ he thought. ’Without even leveling up.’

At high stat levels, natural growth through training slowed down. The further someone progressed, the harder it became to make even minor gains. Eventually, people relied on rare treasures or level-ups to push further. So for Emily to gain this much instantly was absurd. No one would be able to understand how she grew so strong.

’System, show Alice’s new stats.’

Stats (Alice)

Strength: 70 → 100

Agility: 89 → 119

Constitution: 95 → 125

Spirit Power: 93 → 123

Mana: 96 → 126

Isaac let out a low whistle. ’Damn.’

Then he smiled. ’System, share Alice and Emily’s stats!”

Strength: 352 → 402

Agility: 492 → 542

Spirit Power: 555 → 605

The effect was insane, but Isaac wasn’t done.

He grinned, and said, ’System, share the effects of potions Alice and Emily took!’

Strength: 402 → 452

Agility: 542 → 592

Spirit Power: 605 → 655

A lightness spread through his chest. It was a warm, and calm energy that slowly settled in every part of his body. His impurities were being purified without the usual backlash. There was no black , or anything unpleasant coming out of his body.

All he felt was power, and clarity.

He walked over to a mirror hanging in the hall and stared at his reflection. He blinked.

’...Alice wasn’t kidding.’

His skin was clearer. His posture more balanced. His features were sharper, and subtly refined. Even his hair looked better. He looked stronger and healthier.

’The effects are better than the body tempering potions from the Sanctum of Masters,’ he said. ’These potions are insane.’

He clenched his fists and felt his own strength surge up from his abdomen. Everything felt responsive., and smooth.

By the time he returned to the living room, Alice and Emily were already back. Their hair was damp and their clothes were fresh.

And for a second, he just stared.

They looked better.

Not like they were dolled up. Just... sharper. More defined. More powerful. Their beauty had always been undeniable, but now it felt almost unreal.

Alice’s eyes met his. Then she blinked, flinched slightly, and looked away. Her breathing picked up, and she took a step back, as if trying to suppress something.

”...Too much,” she mumbled to herself.

Emily floated in a slow circle, twirling lightly in the air. ”I feel like I’ve been reborn,” she said happily. ”Even my innate abilities flow better now.”

”That’s good,” Isaac said. ”But you two need to train. You’ve gained a lot, but you still need to adjust.”

They nodded in unison and moved toward the backyard, talking between themselves as they stepped outside. Their figures blurred slightly with each step, moving faster than before.

Isaac didn’t follow. Instead, he headed to the study.

He had missed several classes already, and if he let the backlog pile up further, it’d be a mess to deal with later. So he sat down, opened his study materials, and began to work.

At the same time, he focused his mana on the land. It was the dual training Professor Catherine had given him. Studying while practicing root summoning from the farmland.

Minutes turned into hours. His control over the land slowly grew more sensitive. Every patch of soil felt more familiar, more reactive.

Then the system pinged.

Sovereign of Land: Level 8 → Level 9

Active and Passive Effects Strengthened by 120%

Isaac froze.

A second later, the connection between him and the land snapped into clarity.

He could feel it all.

The entire farmland. Even the land he had cultivated during the combat training outside the Sanctum, and the soil near the assassin stronghold where he had once planted a poison flower. It was faint, but the connection was there.

He could tell that any land he had ever cultivated, he could now summon roots from it. Whether it was beneath his feet or miles away, that land now belonged to him.

”This is ridiculous,” he whispered. ”This level-up is miles ahead of the last ones.”

For nearby soil, his control was precise. He could sense ants crawling across the roots. For distant land, the connection was dimmer, like hearing a voice in another room, but it was there. The roots would answer if he called them.

As he tested the new control—letting roots twist and coil through the wooden floor—a presence entered the farm perimeter.

He felt it instantly. Not through sound or sight, but through the land.

It was Professor Catherine.

She didn’t knock. She didn’t call out. She just stepped forward, as if she already knew Isaac would feel her presence.

Her footsteps were quiet but deliberate. She entered the study a few seconds later. Her face was calm, but not relaxed.

There was blood on her clothes. Just a bit, enough for others to notice.

She glanced at him, then flicked her head toward the hallway. ”Come with me. There’s something we need to talk about.”

Isaac stood. Her tone was even, but lacked her usual teasing. There was no smirk, no sarcastic comment, not even a nod of praise.

He nodded and followed her to the living room.

”Come, sit,” Professor Catherine said.