Immortality Starts With Selling Pills

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Completing The Main Mission

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[Mission 1: Word Count Warrior]

Details: Consistency is key. Keep your readers hooked and your pen never dry.

Objective: Write and publish 15,000 words within the next 3 days.

Reward: 1 Random Grade Skill Manual (Common to Rare)

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[Mission 2: Body Before Blade]

Details: Raw strength is nothing without technique. Now that your body listens to you, teach it to fight properly.

Objective: Learn any Combat-type Skill Manual to Intermediate Level.

Reward: 1 Minor Dungeon Key

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[Mission 3: Blood And Iron]

Details: Money and pills only get you so far. Sooner or later, muscle alone decides who walks away and who doesn’t.

Objective: Defeat 10 Beasts or Hostile Humans (Rank Unrestricted) in direct combat.

Reward: 1 Vial of Beast Blood Essence.

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Derrick stared at the screen for a long moment, scrolling back up to read it all again.

”...A dungeon key?” He blinked. ”There are dungeons now?”

[Query Detected.Dungeons Are Spatial Anomalies Formed From Excess Mana Density But They Do Not Exist In This World. They Are Unique To The Host.]

[The Dungeons Contain Resources, Monsters, And Occasionally, Ruins Of Old World Civilizations.]

Derrick closed the tab but his mind was still turning a word over and over.

Dungeon.

His gaze drifted to Mission 3.

I have to Defeat 10 Beasts or Hostile Humans in direct combat. His stomach tightened as he repeated. Direct combat.

The last time he fought someone things did not end one.

First he was killed by gunshot wounds in his last life that came out of nowhere leaving him no chance to fight. Even this life was no joy ride.

The day he countered Kenny on his way back he was walking home, he was beaten black and blue to the point he had to drag himself back home.

It was only after he took these pills did he gain a bit of confidence in himself. But the trauma from the fights still remained. Derrick did not want to put himself in danger.

If it was anyone else beside him, they would have done the same unless they were battle maniacs or worse, masochist.

Derrick was neither so did not like to enter a battle unless he was sure of his victory.

No. He shook his head slowly. Not yet. I will not fight anyone until I am completely ready. I need to learn a combat skill first and maybe even reach the late stage of the Physical Strengthening Realm.

I need someone to actually test this on. Someone strong enough that I won’t accidentally kill them, and skilled enough to actually teach me something.

His mind went straight to the gym.

’The Training Horse.’

There were hunters there. Not only hunters but also skilled fighters who refrained from being hunters and enjoyed a peaceful life.

He recalled the fighters in the training ring who moved like beasts ready to bite a chuck of each other’s body. I’ll ask one of them for a spar. Test my limits before I go looking for actual monsters.

He nodded to himself, making the decision.

Tomorrow. First thing I will do is find them.

Right then, the door to his room opened and Cassie walked in.

”What were you doing outside?” Cassie asked as she lazily threw her towel on the empty chair beside her bed. ”Was it some sort of training you learned from those sketchy skill manuals online?”

”Fuck off. I was practicing body movements. How to make precise movements without any exaggerating actions.”

Derrick instinctively cursed and froze but when he saw the smirk on Cassandra’s face he relaxed. He recalled even the original Derrick would playfully curse at her from time to time and Cassie never minded it.

”By the way.” Derrick reached into his inventory, pulling out four of the ten pills he’d gotten from the system, the deep red color catching the light from his desk lamp.

He held them out to her. ”Here.”

Cassie’s eyes widened slightly as she took them, turning one over between her fingers. ”These are...”

”Physical Enhancement Drugs. Same ones as I took. Don’t take all of them at once or keep them in open air for long as it would decrease their purity level.” He crossed his arms, leaning back against his desk. ”I want you to take them and see how far you go.”

”Four?” She looked up at him, brows furrowing. ”Is that enough?”

”It was enough for me to break through to the Physical Strengthening Realm.” He shrugged. ”Might be different for you, since everyone’s body is different. If four isn’t enough, tell me. I’ll get you more.”

Cassie stared down at the pills resting in her palm, expression growing solemn, thoughtful in a way that didn’t match her usual calm and composed demeanor.

Then she looked back up at him.

”How much do they cost?”

Derrick blinked. ”What?”

”The pills.” Her tone was steady, serious. ”How much are they worth? I want to pay you for them.”

”You don’t need to—” Derrick started, already waving a hand dismissively, but the words died in his throat.

His eyes flicked, almost involuntarily, toward the corner of his vision where the system interface still lingered.

[Main Mission, Part One: First Sale]

[Objective: Sell Any One Pill]

’...Wait.’

’If she pays me, even just a little, doesn’t that technically count as a sale?’

His mind raced through the implications, the rewards attached to that mission flashing behind his eyes.

Complete Alchemy Knowledge.

Acknowledgment Of The Mysterious Cauldron .

Advanced Coding Skills.

’This is perfect.’

He cleared his throat, changing his expression back to something more casual. ”How much Social Credits do you have?”

”I have somewhere around 5,000SC,” she said, ”I will give it all to you. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

Derrick passed considering his next words carefully.

He knew her well enough by now to know she was a headstrong and a proud woman. She was the type who’d rather struggle than feel indebted to someone she loved.

”1,000,” he repeated firmly. ”That’s all I’ll take right now.”

”Derrick—”

”You’ll owe me the rest. 9,000 SC total, once you actually start earning your own money.” He held her gaze evenly. ”Until then, I’m not taking a single credit more from you. That’s final.”

Cassie opened her mouth to protest again, but the look on his face left no room for argument.

Slowly, the tension in her shoulders eased, and a warm, grateful smile spread across her face instead.

”...Okay.” She nodded, clutching the pills a little tighter against her chest. ”Thank you, Derrick.”

”Don’t mention it.”

She turned, walked up to her bed, but paused just before lying down, glancing back at him one more time. ”I’ll take these tonight. In the tub, like you did.”

”Good idea. Just... don’t push yourself too hard. If it hurts too much, stop. Remember, take one pill at a time.”

”I will.” With that, she opened the drawer beside her table and pulled out a air tight case from it and empties the contents inside on the table before filling them with pill.

The moment the box clicked shut, Derrick’s system screen flared to life on its own, notification chiming softly in his ear.

[Transaction Detected: 1,000 Social Credits Received.]

[The Rewards Are Ready To Be Claimed.]

A slow grin spread across Derrick’s face.

’Just as I expected.’