Chapter 101: Chapter 99: Pill Business Boom
The launch of their business was understated to the point of being almost non-existent. There was no grand opening, no flashy advertisements. Just a simple sign, hand-painted in a foreign script, that read, "The Condensed Star Pill." They offered a single product: a tiny, golden orb that pulsed with a faint, internal light, sold for a surprisingly low price—a tenth of what a comparable pill would cost in a reputable pharmacy.
Their first customer was a grizzled Universe Realm cultivator with a thick, bushy beard that looked like it had seen more battles than he had. He held a crumpled scroll in his hand, a faded advertisement from a rival pill company, and eyed the golden orb with deep suspicion.
"What’s so special about this pill?" he grumbled, his voice a low rumble. "My usual supplier promises 95% purity, but I know for a fact it’s more like 80% after all the impurities. Plus, the price... yours is a joke. What’s the trick?"
Elias, behind the counter, perfectly still, looked at the man with a serene lack of emotion. "There is no trick," he stated in his usual flat, factual tone. "The chemical and spiritual composition of the pill is precisely calibrated for flawless consistency. Its energy and essence are condensed to a level that simplifies the refining process, making it far more efficient for the cultivator. It is, in essence, a perfect pill."
The man scoffed, but Kaelen stepped in with a warm, disarming smile. "It’s a pill for the discerning cultivator," she said smoothly. "If it doesn’t live up to your expectations, we’ll gladly refund you. We simply believe in the quality of our product."
Still skeptical, the cultivator grunted, paid the meager price, and left. He was back a day later, his eyes wide with shock and a frantic energy. "The energy... it’s like it’s being poured directly into my meridians! And the refinement... there’s nothing to refine! It’s flawless! Every single drop is pure essence! And I saved a fortune!"
Word spread like a cosmic wildfire. The next day, a small, curious crowd had gathered. The day after, the line stretched down the street. Soon, it snaked around the block, a diverse mix of species and power levels, all waiting for a single, perfect pill that cost a fraction of what they were used to paying.
One customer, a wiry, tentacled being, held up a glowing orb in awe. "I’ve been a cultivator for three hundred years," he said to no one in particular, "and I’ve never felt this kind of pure spiritual essence. It’s like my cultivation base is on a sugar high."
A towering, rock-like creature simply stared at its pill, muttering, "The density... it’s so heavy... how can it be so cheap?"
The demand was insatiable. Elias’s automated facility, powered by the Nexus Spire, worked with an impossible efficiency. It didn’t just create pills; it perfected them. There were no impurities, no inconsistencies. Each pill was a small, encapsulated universe of a perfectly balanced spiritual energy, a testament to Elias’s unique blend of science and cultivation. The facility’s output was staggering, producing millions of pills a day without a single flaw. Within two days, they had already sold billions.
"Another 5,000 units sold in the last hour," Elias announced, his voice flat as he looked at the accumulating Luminite in their bank. "The rate of accumulation is currently 10,000 times the average of our competitors. The market is experiencing a significant disruption."
"We’re basically a Luminite factory that also sells pills," Kaelen laughed, her eyes twinkling with triumph. She was in her element. She handled the customers, turning away aggressive merchants and placating impatient patrons with a calm authority that impressed even Elias. Her warm people skills were the perfect foil to his logical, almost robotic, efficiency. Together, they were an unstoppable business duo. Their reputation grew, not for their individual power, but for their revolutionary product. Elias Vance became a whispered name across numerous star systems, known not for his might, but for his groundbreaking business acumen.
They had unintentionally stumbled upon a business model that was as flawless as their pills. By making a superior product and selling it at an affordable price, they had created an economic paradox that no one could compete with. Their competitors relied on high prices and a scarcity model, but Elias’s manufacturing process was so efficient that it could meet any demand without sacrificing quality or breaking the bank.
As the weeks turned into months, the lines outside their unassuming storefront grew even longer. Cultivators from distant star systems made the journey just to purchase their pills. The demand was so overwhelming that Kaelen, in a moment of playful genius, implemented a new system. She erected a series of holographic displays that showed a live count of their current pill stock, a simple number that seemed to fluctuate with every passing second. This, combined with their low prices and perfect product, created a frenzy. Cultivators would arrive with entire starship-fulls of Luminite, buying pills in bulk, often leaving with a look of dazed elation on their faces.
One day, a high-level Universe Realm cultivator, an ancient being with a face like a carved mountain, arrived and bought their entire stock for the day. He didn’t say a word, just handed over a massive pile of Luminite and left with a sack full of the pills. The very next day, a small army of his disciples showed up, each with bags of Luminite and an unshakeable determination in their eyes.
Kaelen, watching the chaotic scene unfold, leaned against the counter and smiled. "They’re addicted," she said to Elias, her eyes sparkling. "Not to the pills, but to the feeling of getting a perfect deal. They’ve spent their lives being told that quality and price are opposites. We’re showing them they don’t have to be."
Elias nodded in agreement, his analytical mind already mapping out new logistical and economic models. The data was clear: their method was working. They had successfully established their presence, but more than that, they had become a legend in the making. The name Elias Vance was no longer a whispered rumor; it was a name whispered in both awe and terror by those whose lives were being turned upside down by his genius.
And as the last customer left for the day, and Kaelen closed the shop, Elias looked out at the vast, shimmering Hub. The economic forces they had unleashed were now a part of the cosmos, a perfect, logical chain reaction that was spiraling out of control. They had become an undeniable force, and it was only a matter of time before the powerful, entrenched interests of the universe took notice.